Osteoarthritis

Osteonecrosis is a disease that affects the spine through the development of changes in the intervertebral discs of one or another part.Its danger lies in the fact that the development of the disease occurs unnoticed.Nowadays, this disease is much younger.

What is osteoarthritis of the spine?

Doctors define this disease as a chronic degenerative-dystrophic change in the spine and its structures.It affects about 80 percent of the world's population and the first signs of the disease are observed between the ages of 20-25.It can cause more serious health problems in the future.

Lumbar spondylosis occurs most commonly;Cervical and thoracic chondrosis are observed more rarely.A person has 33-34 vertebrae connected by intervertebral discs.They perform a number of important functions, thereby ensuring the mobility of the spine.

Spondylosis is characterized by drying and changes in the size of these discs as well as the distance between them, leading to a decrease in their strength and elasticity.Large loads on the spine lead to displacement of the intervertebral discs, which leads to pain when moving and then the development of intervertebral hernia.

Displacement of the vertebrae is due to compression of nerve endings and compression of blood vessels.Curvature of the spine, damage to individual parts, their deformation is an irreversible process.The ossification of the ligaments further reduces the mobility of the spine.

What types are there?

Depending on the damaged area, the following types of osteonecrosis vary:

• Cervical spine, most common in young people who lead a sedentary lifestyle and work in front of a computer for long periods of time;
• Thoracic spine disease, a rare disease, can result from changes in the thoracic spine due to various factors (e.g., trauma);
• The lumbosacral region is the most common disease, usually affecting people over 30 years old;
• Cartilaginous disease is common, when several parts of the spine are affected at the same time.

The disease goes through many stages:

1. The first stage often occurs unnoticed.Instability of the vertebrae appears due to their displacement and a slight discomfort appears when moving.This is the most dangerous and injury-prone stage.
2. In the second stage, the annulus fibrosus of the vertebral discs is destroyed, leading to a decrease in the distance between them.
3. The third stage is accompanied by the rupture of the fibrous rings, the core of the intervertebral disc leaves its place.At this stage, disc herniation occurs, leading to spinal deformity.
4. The final stage is characterized by severe pain syndromes.Bone growth and ossification of ligaments hinder the freedom of movement of the spine.

Osteonecrosis is caused by muscle tension, leading to muscle spasms.This leads to limited joint and spine mobility.The result is degeneration of the vertebrae and discs, narrowing of the gaps between the vertebrae, and compression of the nerve roots.

Symptom

Symptoms of this disease depend on the damaged area.It is worth noting that people attribute most of the symptoms of this disease to other problems.For example, it is believed that headaches are caused by stress and tension, and hearing loss is caused by using headphones.

1. Symptoms of cervical spondylosis appear as follows:

   • Headache that gets worse when you try to move your head;
   • Pain in the neck, spreading to the shoulder blades, arms and chest;
   • Sensitivity is often impaired, fingers become numb and feel weak;
   • Tongue movement is limited, affecting speech, snoring may occur;
   • Voice changes, becomes weak and hoarse;
   • Possible dizziness and loss of consciousness;
   • Loss of ability to coordinate movements, loss of orientation when walking;
   • Worsening tooth condition;
   • Hearing decreases, tinnitus appears.

2. Rarely, osteonecrosis of the chest occurs.It is often caused by injury to the spine.The cause may be scoliosis.Symptoms of this disease:

   • Sharp pain in the chest area, worse when you try to take a deep breath and move;
   • Pain can appear in the stomach, liver, and heart areas;
   • Sometimes there is a feeling of numbness in the chest.

3. The most common variant of the disease is lumbosacral osteoarthritis.It manifests itself with severe pain in the lumbar region.Symptoms can be different, but in the first stages of development they are not very pronounced.But over time or in a “successful” situation, the disease will get worse.Appear:

   • Aching or sharp pain that increases with movement in the area just above the tailbone;
   • Pain spreads to the hip area, leg sensitivity is reduced;
   • Limited body movements, unable to bend or turn;
   • In the final stage, it is often impossible to sit, difficult to stand up, and muscle weakness appears.

Treatment of osteoarthritis

Many people are interested in the question of how to treat osteoarthritis and whether this disease can be completely cured.Doctors answer this question unequivocally no, but timely initiation of treatment and prevention of the development of the disease is possible and necessary.There are many ways to treat osteoarthritis, both with classical and traditional medicine.

It is worth noting that this disease can be treated quite effectively, especially in the early stages of the disease.In an outpatient setting, a special comprehensive program is used that is aimed at quickly eliminating the symptoms of the disease and overcoming the causes of suffering.

Complex therapy includes the following techniques:

1. Acupuncture.

   Acupuncture is performed every one to two days.The course of treatment is prescribed by the doctor;it can range from seven days to a month;As a rule, 12-15 procedures are enough.Acupuncturists perform visual and manual examinations of patients.One procedure lasts about half an hour.The needles are placed for 15-20 minutes.

   To perform the surgery, sterile disposable acupuncture needles are used;they are inserted under the patient's skin and produce a mild stinging sensation, similar to a mosquito bite.When the needle reaches the point of biological activity, people feel numbness, pain or a feeling of fullness in this place;Pain occurs extremely rarely.

2. Vacuum therapy.

   To carry out the procedure, special vacuum vials are used.The effectiveness of this method is very high, it is practically painless.This treatment method allows you to quickly and safely eliminate the symptoms of the disease.It is based on the mobilization of the body's own resources and is used in rehabilitation medicine.

   Under the action of the vials, a pressure difference is created, the skin and part of the muscle are sucked into the vial.Thanks to extensive deep treatment, blood microcirculation improves, stagnation is eliminated, harmful substances are eliminated, and tissues regenerate faster.

   The areas of influence of vacuum therapy are very wide;The doctor himself selects and appoints the areas to perform the procedure.The spots that appeared during the procedure begin to disappear after the fourth procedure, so you should not be afraid of them.

3. Manual therapy.

   These are gentle treatments that are highly effective among non-drug options.Chiropractors can eliminate many problems related to the muscles and spine and are used in the treatment of neurological diseases.

   The superficial effect is reminiscent of a conventional massage, but has a more limited range of localization and moderate intensity of the effect.A qualified chiropractor can cure diseases that cannot be treated with medication.

   To treat the spine, this method is aimed at increasing muscle elasticity and improving the mobility of each vertebra.The procedures are carried out not daily, but at certain intervals of up to seven days.Manual treatment combined with physical therapy and folk remedies as well as physical therapy will be more effective.

   

4. Pharmacology.

   This method involves active points on the human body, into which drugs prescribed for a specific disease are injected in minimal quantities.These can be vitamin complexes, homeopathic medicines, biostimulants, corticosteroids.The injection is performed using a microneedle, with virtually no discomfort.

   An adapted version is used to treat the spine, allowing you to heal osteochondrosis, spondylosis and other problems.It is used for rehabilitation after spine surgery.The drug enhances metabolism, improves connective tissue nutrition and blood circulation in the affected area.Even a small treatment complex shows positive and lasting results.

5. Magnetism.

   This method involves subjecting biologically active points to a magnetic field.For this purpose, a tape recorder is used, on which certain characteristics of polarity, size and power are established.The device consists of rubber-coated magnets;they create a constant magnetic field.To treat various diseases, people use metal plates of different shapes, areas, thicknesses and magnetic balls.

6. Laser therapy.

   This is a laser effect that affects special acupuncture points through intact skin areas.In most cases, a low-power laser with red light is used;they exhibit the greatest activity.As a result of treatment, inflammation and pain, spasms subside, blood vessels dilate, metabolism improves and cell regeneration increases.

7. Electrical stimulation.

   Electric current is used to act on certain points.It is effective for electrical stimulation of motor muscles and nerve endings.Single pulses, exponential currents, rhythmic DC currents, and sinusoidally modulated currents are used.Severe pain can be eliminated after just 1-3 treatments.The entire course requires 10-15 sessions.

Typically, outpatient therapy includes a medicinal component, designed to relieve pain.For this purpose, analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antispasmodics, antioxidants are used, as well as drugs that correct psychological disorders and reduce the degeneration of cartilage tissue.

Traditional method

In traditional medicine, there are many remedies to alleviate osteoarthritis.

For external use, the following options are used:

1. Apply a small amount of ointment to the affected area, gradually rubbing it into the skin.The treatment area needs to be carefully wrapped to retain heat.It is enough to carry out the procedure 3-4 times a day.
2. Compression with ointment helps reduce inflammation and pain.Use plastic wrap to cover the greased area, you can put fresh mint leaves or fresh lemon leaves underneath;Burdock leaves or white cabbage are effective.Wrap in a wool scarf and secure the compress.Crushed fresh birch leaves work well;they are applied to the problem area and wrapped for half an hour.
3. For rubbing, you can use vegetable oil mixed with herbs - oregano, St.John's wort.About 500 grams of raw materials are taken for half a liter of vegetable oil.Fresh oregano is soaked for 24 hours and St.Dry John's wort is poured with oil for 21 days.
4. You can prepare a mixture of 1/3 cup of black radish juice, 200 g of fresh honey, 100 ml of vodka and a handful of fresh lilac flowers.Leave for a day in a warm place, after which the composition can be used for rubbing.

Don't forget about proper nutrition and an active lifestyle.It is necessary to constantly monitor your posture when sitting in a chair or in front of a computer;You should sleep on a moderately hard surface.

The spine must be continuously supported;To do this, you can use special exercises and avoid prolonged monotonous positions.

Exercises to treat osteoarthritis at home

At home, you can perform effective and simple physical exercises, which are part of the set of measures for treating diseases of the spine.The following exercises should be performed for osteoarthritis.

1. Tilt your head forward, use your fingers to clasp your forehead.Make movements with your head down, holding it with your hands.The opposite movement is to try to lift your head while tilting and clasping your hands behind your head, resisting the head movement.Each movement takes 10 seconds.
2. Act on biologically active points with your palm and fingers: first massage the forehead, press on the skin and move with gentle movements.Exposure time is 20-40 seconds.Then moving to the temporal areas, the effect is performed in the same way.The procedure ends with ear massage, which is stretched in all directions.
3. To improve brain nutrition, you should sit on a flat surface and keep your back straight.The head is slowly pulled back;you can easily help yourself with your hands, pressing your chin with your palm.Exercise time – 10-30 seconds.Then you can slightly turn your head to one side or the other, remaining in this position for 10 - 15 seconds.
4. This is a great exercise to prevent cervical spondylosis.It helps improve the function of the nerve plexus located in the neck.IP - sit on a flat surface with a straight back.Slowly move your head towards your chest, trying to touch your chin.You can help yourself a little by placing your hands behind your head, pressing forward and upward.Sit in this position for about a minute, rest for 10-15 minutes and repeat the exercise.
5. Start by engaging your upper spine, while pulling your shoulders toward your ears as high as possible.Then lower them freely and easily.Repeat for 15 seconds.Then repeat the exercise but for each shoulder joint separately.

At the end of the exercise, use your palms to massage the back of your neck.

To get rid of physical suffering caused by cervical spondylosis, you can take a poplar or rolling pin and gently tap the shoulders, scapula and spine on one side, then on the other.You can do a little massage to relieve tension and pain.

To quickly get rid of pain in the lumbar region, you need to lie on a hard surface, ideally on the floor, with your legs bent at the knees.Alternately turn your legs one way and the other, trying to touch the floor with your knees.

In severe cases - how to relieve pain

Often, during an exacerbation of the disease, a person does not know where to go.Continuously taking pills is impossible, but there are ways to get rid of acute pain without resorting to drugs.

First of all, heat should be applied to the problem area.You can wrap this area with a wool scarf.Exposure to colds is also possible, but only during the first day after the problem occurs and under a doctor's supervision.

Lie down on a hard surface and try to treat the pain.If you are in pain, you should place a soft cushion under your lower back to reduce tension in this area.It is better to bend your legs.The chest can be tightly bandaged, a cardboard splint and cotton wool can be applied to the neck as if there were a wound.

If relief does not occur, you should call your doctor.To relieve severe pain, take pain relievers.

Prevention - how to prevent the occurrence of osteoarthritis

Before proceeding with prevention, you should clarify the common causes of osteonecrosis.The risk of this disease increases due to poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, overweight, bad habits (smoking, alcoholism), heavy physical activity and poor posture.

Obviously, to prevent the development of the disease, you should first improve your diet and physical activity.Just doing basic morning exercises, stretching, lightly self-massaging the lower back and neck, swinging your arms and legs is enough.At work, you should spend 2-3 minutes warming up.All swimming styles in the pool work well.

The fight against overweight will help eliminate the risk;you should not risk hypothermia or injury.It is necessary to engage in preventing stressful situations and giving up bad habits.Attention should be paid to proper nutrition;The body needs to be provided with enough protein but limit salty, starchy and fatty foods.

In some cases, if there is a vitamin deficiency, the doctor may prescribe vitamin and mineral complexes.All this together will help protect the spine from problems.