Lumbar Osteochondrosis is one of the most common and frequently diagnosed types of osteochondrosis, also known as "sciatica".The frequency of this disease is extremely high - about 82% of cases, patients who go to the doctor with complaints of severe back pain are diagnosed with radiculitis of the Lumbosacral region.
Description of the disease
Osteochondrosis in the sacral or lumbar region occurs most often in middle and old age in women and men.Medical experience shows that this particular disease is the main cause of temporary or permanent disabilities, and in some cases it is the first cause of disability.Therefore, the treatment of the pathology should be treated with the highest care, because osteochondrosis can pose a serious threat to human health.
The lumbar region is the name given to the part of the spine, which consists of 5 vertebrae designed to connect the sacral and thoracic regions.Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is a pathological change in which there is a rapid decrease in elasticity and the natural anatomical structure of the intervertebral discs.Their gradual deformation occurs.
The basis of radiculitis is the slow destruction of the vertebrae, loss of moisture and elasticity, and a decrease in shock absorption abilities.Gradually, the space between the vertebrae decreases, the intervertebral disc can harden, resulting in nerve roots.This process is accompanied by severe and spasmodic pain in the lower back.
Osteochondrosis, how dangerous are its stages?
The process of disease progression is accompanied by degenerative-dystrophic changes that provoke complications such as protrusion and ruptured discs over time.Such degenerative changes can be the main cause of leg paralysis.
Lumbar osteochondrosis can be accompanied not only by the development of protrusion or rupture of the intervertebral disc, but also by others, with lesser diseases of internal organs and systems.One of the most common complications is pinching of the sciatic nerve, which is accompanied by intense pain in the lower back and numbness in the limbs.
Radisulitis can cause other serious consequences - spondyloarthrosis, osteophytosis, spondylosis, dislocation, abdominal, spinal curvature.The disease can also provoke a pathological process in the genitourinary and reproductive areas;in women, inflammation of the uterus and ovaries;In men, it can potentially cause various problems.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is divided into several stages:
- The first stage of radiculitis is the "mild" stage, in which pain in the back or sacral region is still mild and appears only during physical exertion.In the first stage, the process of destruction of spines is in the initial stage.
- The second stage is accompanied by the active destruction of the fibrous rings and the reduction of the intervertebral space.This causes nerves and severe pain.
- The third stage - destruction of fibrous rings, intervertebral tears appear.The spine loses its normal anatomical shape, the spine is noticeably deformed and twisted.
- The fourth stage of the disease is the most severe.At this stage, a person can no longer walk normally;Often the fourth stage ends in disability.
Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis
Symptoms and treatment are determined depending on the stage of development of the disease.
In the first stage, a person, as a rule, does not pay attention to the first signs of the disease.When making sharp turns or walking, minor pain and discomfort may occur in the lower back.In addition, pain often appears after sitting or standing for a long time.
The main danger of this period is that the symptoms are not yet pronounced enough, a person can simply ignore them because osteochondrosis is rapidly progressing.
The second stage of radiculitis is accompanied by sharp pain in the clearance between the vertebrae and, therefore, severe pain in the lower back and sacrum, which can radiate to the groin and lower extremities.
In the third stage, osteochondrosis is characterized by the declared symptoms - intense pain, spasms in the back, the mobility of the vertebrae and the beginning of pathologies of internal organs and systems.This can result in problems with the genitourinary system and gynecological inflammation.
The symptoms of the fourth, the fourth, most severe stage of the disease, are expressed in the form of a noticeable deformation of the spine, which can twist from side to side, a constant, severe pain, or a forward bending, when trying to do any physical movement.Also, swelling of muscles and ligaments, loss of sensitivity and numbness of the lower extremities may occur at this stage.
Modern treatment methods
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine is recommended to be carried out comprehensively - with the help of drugs, physiotherapeutic methods, exercise therapy and herbal medicines.In the most severe cases, surgical treatment is used.
Treatment aims to achieve the following goals:
- Reduce pain in the lumbar and sacral regions.
- Elimination of inflammatory processes in the diseased area.
- Elimination of pathological tension in muscle tissue.
- Activation of blood circulation in the Lumbosacral region of the back.
- Improve vertebral mobility, which normalizes sensitivity in the lower extremities.
Drug treatment of radiculitis is a mandatory element in the complex therapy of osteochondrosis of the Lumbosacral spine.Several drugs are most often prescribed for therapeutic purposes:
- Painkillers are used to relieve pain.However, we must remember that by relieving pain, analgesics do not treat the cause of the disease.
- In most cases, the doctor prescribes chondroprotectors designed to improve metabolic processes in cartilage fibers and prevent further deformation.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - used to relieve pain and swelling, remove nerve endings and relieve the inflammatory process in the affected tissues.
- Medicines from the category of muscle relaxants are used to normalize muscle tone.
- In some cases, drugs with a diuretic effect can be prescribed to eliminate swelling in the affected tissues.
- Medicines with vasolating properties can be prescribed to activate blood circulation in the lumbosacral spine.
- Calcium supplements are often used to increase the strength of bone and cartilage tissue.
In the first and second stages of the disease, drugs for external use produced in the form of ointments, creams and lotions are very effective.
Traditional methods
Traditional medicine offers a wide range of recipes for the effective treatment of osteochondrosis.The most effective methods are various garbage, massage and compresses.However, it should be remembered that traditional methods can be effective only in the initial stages of the disease.
- One of the most popular recipes is cabbage compresses.To do this, all the veins are cut from the surface of the cabbage leaf, after which the leaf is slightly beaten with a hammer and applied to the lower sphere.The compress is fixed with a wide scarf, towel or cauze.It is recommended to change the cabbage leaves several times a day.
- Grind 3-4 large cloves of garlic using a garlic press, extract the juice from the resulting mass and melt 100 g of lard in a water bath.Combine the resulting components in a ratio of 1: 2 and mix.The composition is used for therapeutic massage and rubbing.
- A spoonful of ground red pepper should be poured into 250 ml of vodka, after which the container with the medicine should be kept in a dry and dark place for a week.Folk remedies are used for rubbing.
- Horseradish Rub is prepared in the same way.Horseradish root, fried, squeezed, and the resulting juice is mixed with the same amount of vodka.The mixture is used for regular rubbing.
Occupational therapy (physical therapy)
Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine helps relieve pain, improve the condition of muscle and cartilage tissue, restore spinal mobility, significantly strengthen the musculoskeletal corset and "unload" the lumbar spine.
Exercises for osteochondrosis can be performed only if the person is not bothered by severe pain in the back.Exercises can be very different - forward and backward, standing left and right, raising your arms up, behind your head and increasing your abdominal muscles.At the same time, completely therapeutic exercises are carried out under the supervision of a specialist.
What to do if you suspect osteochondrosis?
Radisulitis is an extremely dangerous disease that often begins imperceptibly in a person.The danger of radiculitis, in the absence of proper treatment, the disease can lead to the most unpleasant consequences - paralysis of the legs and curvature of the back.
Therefore, when the first symptoms of the disease appear, it is necessary to consult an orthopedic doctor who will determine the optimal course of treatment.Remember, the sooner you start treatment, the faster you can get positive results and get your back back to health.