According to statistics, almost half of people already aged 30 to 55 years suffer from osteochondrosis.The lower age threshold of the disease in recent years has decreased to 18 years.
What is osteochandrosis
Osteochondrosis of the spineIt is expressed in the defeat of the intervertebral disc, which loses its elasticity, elasticity, cracks.
Cervical osteochondrosisassociated with damage to the disks in the cervical spine.
How the spine works
If for a better understanding a little simplified the essence, then the device of the spine can be described as follows.
The spine consists of separate, similar to each other in the form of vertebrae located one above the other.
Despite some differences in the form, in the structure of all the vertebrae there is a common one.There is a hole in each vertebra - all holes are also one above the other and form a vertical channel (tunnel) passing through the entire spine.
Inside this spinal canal, the spinal cord passes.It goes vertically through the holes in each vertebra, and its roots (branches, in which sensitive nerve endings) leave the canal between each pair of vertebrae.This is possible because the vertebrae are not lost to each other and are not fastened tightly, and between each pair of vertebrae there is a cartilage - an intervertebral disk.
The wheels along with the ligaments connect the vertebrae with each other, and also play the role of the shock absorber.Due to their elastic structure, they are elastic compressed during movements and tilts of the body (from the side of the inclination) or unclenched (when straightening).Thus, the discs provide the spine with flexibility and soften the load from vertical pressure from top to bottom to each vertebral vertebra of the spinal column, as well as the vertical vibrations upward that occur when walking or running.After all, a person is a unique erect and straightforward creature.
Such work of the spine is ensured if the entire load is correctly distributed.Nature has created the spine incredibly stable, hardy and at the same time flexible.
And if not?
If the shape of the spine, conceived by nature, for some reason is violated (stoop, excessive bend in the lower back, scoliosis, flat feet) or a constant chronic habit of sitting, lying, standing, intervertebral compounds begin to wear out, lose their elasticity, the ability to perform the shock-absorption function, are flattened, crack, and deformed, and deformed.They stick out to the sides, forming a hernia.
The wear of the intervertebral discs - there is also a person’s reckoning for upright.After all, only in humans the spine has a vertical load.Such vertical squeezing throughout the life of all components of the spine (especially in people with excess weight) leads to a gradual deterioration in the blood supply to the intervertebral discs (the vascular direction is squeezed) - the disk loses endurance and strength.
What next?
Disk hernia presses onBlood vessels,Nervous rootsand sometimesspinal cord.
The consequences of cervical osteochondrosis
Due to changes in the anatomical ratios in the spine, blood vessels (the main arteries and veins) are squeezed.
What's happening:Due to changes in the anatomical ratios in the spine, blood vessels (the main arteries and veins) are squeezed.What leads to:
- to a violation of the blood flow into the brain and a violation of a full nutrition of the brain.
- to a violation of the venous outflow and the accumulation of toxic substances in the tissues of the brain.
How it manifests itself:
- Dizziness (up to short -term loss of consciousness).
- Headaches.
- Visual impairment.Violation of smell, taste.
- Bulbar disorders associated with the difficulties of swallowing, pronunciation, violation of general and speech breathing.
- Cognitive disorders: impaired memory, perception, complexity with concentration of attention, complexity with logical thinking.Violation of reading.
- Absent -mindedness.Inappropriation.Decrease in confusion.Forgetfulness.
- Difficulties with pronouncing complex and long words, complex grammatical constructions.
- Reduced performance, overwork.
- Violations in the emotional and personal sphere: sharp and unreasonable mood swings, emotional incontinence, irritability, anger.
Diagnoses: Cognitive disorders, aphasia, bulbar dysarthria, discirculatory encephalopathy, vertebro-baslar insufficiency (VBN), etc. can be diagnosed. Drug therapy taken in these cases:
- Vascular drugs.They have an extremely low evidence base.They require the use of the doctor and under the control of a doctor, they can cause a large number of different complications and side effects.
- Nootropic drugs.Require use strictly for the appointment and under the control of a doctor.Many have quite serious contraindications from the cardiovascular system (with hidden heart pathology, serious negative consequences can cause).Most of the nootropes have no positive pharmacological result, that is, it is useless.
- Drugs with sedative effect, including tranquilizers, antidepressants, barbiturates, bromides.Psychotropic drugs.Require use strictly for the appointment and under the control of a doctor.They can be addictive and have multiple side effects (dizziness, headaches, visual impairment and urination, dry mouth, nausea, etc. Disgrace disorders, a decrease in libido, sleep disorders, a set of body weight).
There is a squeezing (compression) of nerve roots - nerves coming from the spinal cord to organs and tissues of the upper body.
What's happening:
There is a squeezing (compression) of nerve roots - nerves coming from the spinal cord to organs and tissues of the upper body.
What leads to: To a pronounced pain syndrome, often chronic, recurrent.
How it manifests itself:
- Pain in the neck, back of the head (with turns of the head or at rest, shots or chronic).
- The headache (headache of tension associated with the tension of the muscles of the posterior surface of the neck and head of the head - pain, poured over the entire head, often accompanied by noise and ringing in the ears, flies in front of the eyes).
- Pain in the upper chest.
- Pains that simulate pain in the heart, in the lungs.
- Pain in the upper back in the shoulders, shoulders.
- Pain in the shoulder joint or throughout the hand.
- Numbness of fingers, hands, hands completely.
Drug therapy taken in these cases:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (painkillers, antipyretic), requiring the use of strictly for the appointment and under the control of a doctor and have side negative reactions from the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, ulcers, ulcerative bleeding), cardiovascular system, kidneys.
- Preparations that relieve muscle hypertonicity, requiring use strictly for its intended purpose and under the control of a doctor and have side negative reactions in the form of strong dizziness, weakness up to completely exhausting.
The use of drug therapy is the most common practice in the treatment of osteochondrosis.However, this is symptomatic treatment.Medicines are used to stop inflammatory processes and pain (sometimes you have to resort to novocaine blockade), a decrease in neurological and psycho -emotional symptoms.The most important thing is that pharmacological therapy occur under the strict supervision of a doctor.
However, if you do not directly stop the process of violation of the vessels, do not restore the balance of the spine and all related structures laid down by nature (violation of the symmetry of the body, flat feet, muscle cramps that occur as a compensatory reaction to equilibrium), the disease will not go anywhere and at some point it does not help and should not help and should resort to the operation.
Osteopathic treatment is aimed at eliminating the above causes of osteochondrosis, which today is recognized as the most effective.
Osteopathic treatment of osteochandrosis
Rule No. 1 “the earlier, the better” in the case of osteochondrosis, it works especially!After all, to cure osteochondrosis - means not to extinguish pain or other syndromes, but to restore the normal position of the spine, to provide the intervertebral disk with lost full nutrition (to return normal blood supply) even before the degenerative processes in the cartilaginous tissue will become irreversible.
The osteopath determines the place in which the displacement or deformation has occurred, findsThe reasons why the vessels of the vessels in the spine occurred.Osteopathy considers the body as a single system in which everything is interconnected and affects each other, literally pulls one after another.This means that the osteopath restores the work of all structures, the changes in which in the chain led to a violation of the power of the intervertebral disc.The task of the osteopath is to restore the equilibrium ratio of organs and tissues, eliminate the stresses and clamps that interfere with full nutrition.And if, in the case of a neglected condition of the disease, changes in the structure of the spine entailed a violation of the work of internal organs, osteopathic treatment will be aimed at eliminating the emerging dysfunctions.
That is, the osteopath works with the root cause of the disease, and not with the elimination of its syndromes, including pain.Although he will begin his work with this, with the relief of pain.However, it will not stop there.The best way of osteopathy works in combination with physiotherapy (ensures a decrease in pain and inflammatory processes) and physiotherapy exercises - exercise therapy (strengthens the muscle corset, helps the body stay in a new unusual, but proper position).
Conclusions
- The neck cannot be treated frivolously.Since the brain should be provided with unhindered nutrition.And it depends on how much the neck is a healthy "conductor".
- You can’t wait.The more the disease is launched, the more difficult it is to roll it back (and sometimes impossible).Osteopath is able to determine the disease when it is still in the rudiment and does not manifest itself in any way.You should never neglect a diagnostic examination.
- It is impossible to neglect the prevention of osteochondrosis.It is always easier than treating the disease.