The article talks about what osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is in simple words - this information will allow you to understand what happens when intervertebral discs are destroyed and how to carry out effective and safe treatment.
According to medical statistics, more than 70% of the modern population knows what osteochondrosis is.A sedentary lifestyle, lack of regular physical activity, excess caloric intake in the diet with a deficiency of essential microelements and vitamins in it - all this and much more leads to the fact that intervertebral discs begin to deteriorate at a young age.First, a dull, unobtrusive pain appears, and then a sharp, persistent pain in the lumbar region.A person cannot move independently; any movement causes severe pain and discomfort.The innervation of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis is disrupted.
In order to understand what spinal osteochondrosis is, you need to have an idea of its structure and functions.Let's start with the second question.So, the spinal column is the supporting part of the human skeleton.The upper shoulder girdle, lower limbs and chest, and skull are attached to it.The most important function of the spinal column is to ensure the safety of the spinal cord - the central part of the autonomic nervous system, which ensures the performance of the entire human body.
Anatomically, the spinal column consists of two structural parts: the vertebral bodies with the arcuate and spinous processes and the intervertebral discs.The vertebral bodies account for 70–75% of the height of the spine, and the intervertebral discs (depending on the patient’s age) – from 25 to 30%.The shape of the intervertebral disc follows the shape of the vertebral body and arcuate processes.The disc ensures uniform distribution of the shock-absorbing load transmitted from the lower extremities and other parts of the body.It also provides protection to the radicular nerves leaving the spinal cord.
What is lumbar osteochondrosis? It is a degenerative dystrophic destruction of the cartilage tissue of the fibrous ring of the intervertebral discs L5-L4, L4-L3, L3-L2, L2-L1.In total, the lumbar region contains five vertebral bodies and 4 intervertebral discs that separate them.Through the foraminal openings in the vertebral bodies, the radicular nerves depart, responsible for the innervation of the following parts of the body:
- L1 and L2 – abdominal organs and upper thigh;
- L3 – genitals, knees and bladder;
- L4 – legs, feet and prostate gland;
- L5 – toes, legs, feet.
The branches of these radicular nerves form the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back through the gluteal region to the popliteal fossa.There it divides into the tibial and fibular branches and further innervates the lower leg and foot.Also, individual branches of the radicular nerves of the lumbar spine are part of a nerve plexus called the cauda equina.
With the development of osteochondrosis, a gradual disruption of innervation occurs.Diseases of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis may develop.In severe cases, atrophy of the muscle fibers of the lower extremities, partial paresis of the legs, etc. develops.
You can find out more information about what osteochondrosis is, what its symptoms and treatment are in this article.Here are some tips on what to do when such a diagnosis is made and which doctor you should contact to undergo full effective treatment.
What is osteochondrosis and what are its causes?
Modern science knows the answers to questions about what osteochondrosis is and what its causes are, but, unfortunately, applying this knowledge in practice for effective prevention and treatment is difficult due to the fact that the patient will need to make every effort to combat the disease.
Anatomically and physiologically, the body of the intervertebral disc consists of almost 80% fluid.It is this circumstance that makes it possible to effectively distribute the shock-absorbing load over the surface of the separated vertebral bodies.But neither the annulus fibrosus nor the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc has its own capillary network.Therefore there is no blood supply here.All intakes of liquid and the necessary components dissolved in it occur through diffuse exchange.It is carried out only if adequate physical stress is applied to the surrounding muscles.If the muscular frame of the back and lower back does not work, then diffuse nutrition stops.
Pathology begins to develop:
- first, the fibrous ring simply becomes dehydrated and loses its elasticity;
- then its surface begins to undergo primary destruction, resulting in inflammation (exacerbation of osteochondrosis) and the deposition of calcium salts in order to restore the integrity of damaged tissues;
- the film of calcifications prevents further diffuse nutrition, therefore, even with active work of the surrounding muscles, spontaneous restoration of the tissue of the fibrous ring does not occur;
- the next stage is the collection of fluid from the nucleus pulposus located inside the fibrous ring;
- at this stage, the nucleus pulposus loses its mass, ceases to distribute the shock-absorbing load evenly, and the height of the intervertebral disc decreases;
- at the protrusion stage, the intervertebral disc extends beyond the vertebral bodies and begins to put pressure on the surrounding soft tissues and radicular nerves, this provokes constant pain and stiffness of movement;
- the third stage is the rupture of the fibrous ring (extrusion) and the release of part of the nucleus pulposus to the outside (disc herniation).
What reasons can provoke the development of this pathology of the spinal column:
- lack of adequate and regular physical activity on the muscular frame of the back and lower back;
- improper organization of sleeping and working spaces when located in which the microcirculation of blood and lymphatic fluid in the area of the spinal column is disrupted;
- disruption of metabolic processes in the body, the first sign of which is excess body weight;
- poor posture and curvature of the spinal column, resulting in a change in the distribution of shock-absorbing load along the spine;
- maintaining a sedentary lifestyle and sedentary work;
- endocrine diseases, for example, diabetes mellitus with accompanying angiopathy;
- back injuries (sprained ligaments and tendons, muscle tears, displacements and subluxations of vertebral bodies, compression fractures and cracks).
There are other reasons, but they are less common and do not pose such a pronounced danger as those listed above.
What is lumbar osteochondrosis
In general terms, what the disease osteochondrosis is is explained above.Now let’s dwell a little on the question of what lumbar osteochondrosis is and why it is so common.In recent decades, the disease has been rapidly becoming younger.If earlier it was diagnosed in people who had crossed the threshold of 40 years, now the first signs of degenerative dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs are found not only in 20-year-old people, but in adolescents aged 14–16 years.
Of course, expanding the possibilities of early diagnosis plays a certain role in this.With the advent of MRI examinations, early cases of the disease began to be detected more often.Therefore, patients used to learn about intervertebral osteochondrosis because of the appearance of severe pain.And now, when conducting examinations, it is possible to catch pathology at an early stage of development.
The lower back is the most vulnerable place of the spine.This is where the maximum shock-absorbing load occurs when performing any body movements.During pregnancy, significant changes occur here with displacement of the vertebral bodies, changes in posture and expansion of the intervertebral spaces.Therefore, pregnancy for a woman almost always becomes the period during which the spinal column begins to deteriorate.
What is 2nd degree spinal osteochondrosis? This is a condition in which persistent clinical manifestations already appear and the patient is forced to seek medical help.As a rule, at the second stage of development of degenerative dystrophic pathology, a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc and thinning of the tissue of the fibrous ring are observed.
What is osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region
What is osteochondrosis of the sacral region can only be felt by patients under the age of 25 years.At this age, complete fusion of the vertebral bodies in the sacral spine occurs.Intervertebral discs atrophy.Therefore, clinical signs of inflammation may indicate completely different pathologies.
Much more often they ask the question of what lumbosacral osteochondrosis is, since it affects the intervertebral disc located between the sacral and lumbar regions.This is L5-S1 - it accounts for the conditional center of gravity of the human body and the maximum physical and shock-absorbing load.
It is important to understand what osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region is and how it can be effectively treated.First of all, all possible causes of pathology should be excluded.Then it is necessary to strengthen the tone of the muscles surrounding the lower back.Treatment is best carried out using manual therapy and therapeutic exercises.
Signs and symptoms of osteochondrosis
Now you understand what spinal osteochondrosis is, and when its symptoms appear, you will be able to identify and eliminate the potential cause of pathological changes.
Many patients ask what are the signs of osteochondrosis on x-rays and in the results of an MRI examination.So, in the pictures, the doctor can see cracks on the surface of the fibrous ring, a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc and a change in its shape.These are the primary signs of osteochondrosis.
Clinical symptoms include:
- pain in the lumbar region;
- spread of pain along the surface of the thigh, leg and foot;
- decreased muscle strength in the lower extremities;
- change in posture with straightening the physiological curve of the spine in the lumbar region;
- stiffness of movements and limitation of their amplitude;
- muscle tension in the lumbar region.
In advanced cases, numbness of the lower extremities, convulsions, lumbago, etc. may appear.
What is polysegmental or common osteochondrosis?
The question of what polysegmental osteochondrosis is can be answered briefly.These are degenerative dystrophic changes that affect not one, but several intervertebral discs.The same can be said about what common osteochondrosis of the spinal column is.This is a condition in which pathological changes are detected not in one, but in several parts of the spine.For example, if a person has only two lumbar discs affected, then this is a polysegmental form of the disease.If one disc is affected in the lumbar and lumbosacral regions, then this is a common form.
What is radicular osteochondrosis (in simple language)
And now a few words about what radicular osteochondrosis is and why this condition is dangerous for human health.So, speaking in simple terms about what it is - osteochondrosis, it can be noted that it is literally a flattening of the lining between the vertebral bodies.
When moving or in a static position of the body, due to the action of gravity, colossal pressure is observed on the spinal column.Each overlying vertebra puts pressure on the lower one.The intervertebral discs separating them are in a compressed state.If they do not have enough liquid, they lose the ability to resist and are subject to flattening.At the same time, they lose the ability to provide a sufficient height of the intervertebral space so that the radicular nerves extending from the spinal cord are not subject to compression.
If the disc has lost its height and shape, the radicular nerve becomes pinched.Osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome occurs.It is accompanied by pronounced neurological manifestations in the form of numbness, paresis, paralysis, decreased muscle strength, the appearance of paresthesia, etc.
Effective treatment of osteochondrosis
We’ve figured out what osteochondrosis is, now we can talk about effective treatment of the disease.As has already become clear, for complete restoration of the intervertebral discs, it is necessary to restore the impaired diffuse nutrition of the cartilage tissue of the fibrous ring.This can only be done with the help of manual therapy and therapeutic exercises.There are no pharmacological drugs that could restore diffuse nutrition of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs.And injecting chondroprotectors in the absence of diffuse metabolism is useless.They do not penetrate cartilage tissue.
For effective treatment it is necessary:
- change your lifestyle, make it more active with sufficient physical activity and proper diet;
- avoid extreme physical activity on the back muscles;
- carry out several procedures of traction traction of the spinal column in order to restore the physiological height of the intervertebral spaces;
- visit an osteopath to restore the elasticity of cartilage tissue and its ability to diffuse exchange with muscle tissue;
- perform several massage sessions to improve tissue permeability, elasticity, restore microcirculation of blood and lymphatic fluid;
- develop an individual course of therapeutic exercises with a vertebrologist.
Physiotherapy, kinesiotherapy, laser therapy and much more are also indicated.Treatment of osteochondrosis should be carried out under the supervision of a vertebrologist or neurologist.