Lumbar osteochondrosis affects many patients. It is an unpleasant and very dangerous disease that can later lead to unpleasant complications. And by the way, of all the types of the disease, this is much more common in medical practice because it has the most loads on the lower back. However, the spine does not receive enough nutrients, the intervertebral discs lose their elasticity and simply dry out. The back cannot withstand such high loads, the fibrous ring protrudes and breaks in different directions.
Diagnostics
If a patient complains of acute pain in the lumbar region, it does not mean that they have osteochondrosis of the lumbar or lumbosacral region. Butthe doctor must diagnose the patientto identify the cause of the disease. And for this he is:
- probes the affected area and attempts to identify the inflammatory processes the patient complains of;
- evaluates posture, whether it looks straight or not, how crooked;
- may send the patient for further examination - X-ray;
- designates further examination using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
Symptoms
The most important symptom of lumbar osteochondrosis is unbearable low back pain. And this symptom occurs either immediately or after a while, after severe physical exertion. In this case, the nature of the pain may be completely different:
- Lumbar pain becomes unbearable and can radiate to the foot;
- whenever a patient tries to do some physical work, the pain begins to intensify, and this symptom can occur with coughing, chewing, and any change in body position;
- as soon as the patient is in the same position for a long time, any attempt to change the situation causes pain in the lumbar region;
- the muscles of the back were constantly tense, as if the patient were constantly carrying some weight;
- due to the slightest hypothermia, the lower back “starts to shoot”;
- the nerve endings in the buttocks, knees, and legs begin to atrophy, i. e. , sensitivity decreases at these sites;
- goosebumps and mild tingling in the legs; the legs cool;
- there may be a spasm in the arteries of the foot and the pulse may be palpable;
- the patient begins active sweating;
- The skin in the affected area dries out and peels off.
Help: It should be remembered that osteochondrosis can turn into an acute stage if the primary symptoms continue to burden your back or overcool the body.
Treatment of lumbar spine osteochondrosis
In our time, there are different schemes for treating the disease. There is drug therapy, acupuncture, and there is also gymnastics for osteochondrosis. But in any case, the doctor prescribes the method of treatment.If the patient self-heals, it can aggravate the disease and end very badly.
Important: It should be remembered that lumbar spine osteochondrosis is a disease that is very difficult to recover from. You can only get rid of it completely in the first or second stage.
Protocol and Schema
There are several methods for treating osteochondrosis, but the treatment regimen is the same. The load on the spine should be reduced and the muscles of the back and lumbar spine should be strengthened. There is also a need to normalize the diet of the spine by restoring metabolic processes and blood circulation. And the ultimate victory will be to regain the sensitivity of the lower body.
First Aid
- When a sudden sharp pain overwhelms the lumbar region, first of all you need to separate this area with something warm (wool scarf, heating pad, etc. ). However, you need to make sure that the affected area is warm and not hot.
- The body should be placed in a solid and level place (bench, plank, plank, floor).
- A roller should be placed under the back in the lumbar region. But if the lower limbs are tense, the cylinder should be placed under the knee.
- Call a doctor and take some painkillers before you arrive.
Conservative and operational methods
Treatment methods for lumbar spine osteochondrosis are divided into conservative treatment and surgical treatment methods. What is the difference?The difference lies in the fact that with conservative treatment methods, the physician uses a complex technique that affects different fields of medicine.
That is, this technique is a long-term and sometimes unsuccessful treatment. Surgical intervention depends on neglect of the disease. For example, a surgery as a method of surgical treatment is extreme, but without it it is impossible.
Effective Conservative Methods
In the early stages, medication and wellness gymnastics are suitable for suppressing pain and normalizing metabolism.However, if the disease progresses to more severe stages, your doctor may prescribe physiotherapy and surgery. . Moreover, in the latter case, such a method is considered extreme but rather effective. The most important thing in treating osteochondrosis is not to burden the spine and at the same time try to immobilize the inflammatory foci.
Medication
- The most basic and effective medications for acute pain are analgesics (analgin, amidopyrine, phenacetin, etc. ). Medications relieve pain but do not eliminate the cause.
- Doctors also prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs that affect the radical nerves and eliminate swelling. Such drugs reduce and eliminate foci of inflammatory processes.
- Local anesthetics (such as novocaine) are prescribed for 3-4 degrees of illness.
- To prevent spasmodic muscle contraction, your doctor will prescribe muscle relaxants.
- Condom protectors are used to normalize metabolism as well as to restore cartilage tissue. This treatment reduces the risk of cartilage deformity and tissue destruction.
- In combination with drugs, the patient is prescribed vitamin B. This vitamin group improves the body's metabolism, reduces inflammation, is a natural diuretic that allows you to get rid of excess fluid.
- Diuretics can also be prescribed.
- To improve the patient's condition, they are prescribed drugs that increase the immunity of the body as a whole.
- The image is complemented by drugs that improve blood circulation at the site of the lesion.
Physical Education
Practice shows that physiotherapy exercises help with osteochondrosis. And it not only helps, in the Far East it is practiced daily and is prescribed primarily for patients. Currently, gymnastics practices have different methods to combat the disease.Among the ancient techniques, yoga, qigong, etc. practice.
The complex of gymnastic exercises to be performed is decided by the physician together with the patient. But we must not forget that each technique has its own indications and contraindications. For example, severe forms of the disease cannot be treated with physiotherapy practices. At the discretion of the physician, gymnastic exercises may be combined with medication and physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy
It happened that physiotherapy was prescribed in Hungary mainly after the medication proved to be invalid. Although man is constantly affected by certain physiological processes.
The principle of physiotherapy is that the body is affected by simple physical processes (using electricity, magnets, etc. ). But unlike natural phenomena, physiotherapy methods help to steer the effects of methods of influence in the right direction. That is, take electrotherapy, for example. With the help of electricity, doctors help to normalize metabolism or remove cramps.
Massage
Massage is prescribed for healing patients. In some cases, massage may be prescribed as the disease worsens. Then only the healthy body parts are massaged.One lesson usually lasts 15-20 minutes and the number of sessions can take up to 7 procedures.
But such a technique is dangerous for lay people, so it’s best to make an appointment with a professional. However, it is now possible to massage both by hand and with special tools.
Classes on special simulators
Doctors believe that the treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is highly dependent on the patient's desire and aspirations. The method of treating the disease is like choosing a means by which healing is possible.Exercise machines are one of the tools that help improve the condition and heal the disease faster. But doctors recommend going to the gym when the patient recovers and the disease begins to recede.
Among the simulators that help with this issue are:
- horizontal bar;
- expander;
- cardiovascular equipment;
- gym (in this case, it is best to enroll in special courses where the patient will have their own personal trainer to help select simulators).
Joint injections
When the disease gets worse, your doctor may prescribe injections. It is an effective treatment in which the spine receives all the nutrients and trace elements artificially. In this case, the injections act directly on the spine, the painful feelings go away much faster.But this method is part of medication, which means it can have its own side effects. Therefore, injections should be performed under the clear guidance of the treating physician.
Swimming
Swimming can be considered as an additional treatment. But at the same time, everyone needs to know thatBefore you start training in water, you need to warm up your muscles to warm up. In this case, the water should be at least 27-30 ° C. And after each lesson, you can safely lower the temperature to 23 ° C. Proper breathing is the key to a successful workout. Take a deep breath first, then breathe briefly. And you also need to choose the right exercises and swimming techniques.
To achieve positive results, you must first swim 30-100 m with a pillow in your hand. Then you need to rest a little, then squeeze the pillow into your feet and swim the same amount, just working with your hands. Then relax again and swim at 20-30 m without holding your breath. You can continue after a short rest.
First you have to submerge your body up to your chest, start walking in place and then just walk around the pool. Then raise your knees as high as possible and at the same time spread your arms out at its sides. Think about your breaststroke. Do the same, leaning sideways only. You should then lean forward, keeping your hands on your belt. Then imagine you are a hippopotamus and stretch your belly back and forth. Then, by clinging to the side, do some squats.
How much is treated and what happens if left untreated
The duration of treatment for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine depends on the neglect of the disease. Basically, when a patient first visits the hospital, the doctor prescribes a treatment (course) that lasts for a certain amount of time (it all depends on the method). You should also consider how the patient behaved during the course. Because this disease is chronic in the severe stages of the disease, symptoms may return and treatment should be repeated.
Prevention
In order not to feel what lumbar spine osteochondrosis is, the following rules should be followed:
- if your work is associated with physical activity, you don’t need to strain your back too much and rest;
- play sports, especially to strengthen the back muscles;
- watch your posture; move more often, evening walks are best;
- follow proper nutrition (not to be confused with diet, proper nutrition is a complete balance of all vitamins and trace elements);
- follow the correct rest routine;
- osteochondrosis can be the cause of other back diseases, so pay attention to your health at the time.
Which doctor to go to
When a patient develops back pain, they should see a local doctor first. But in this case, it only identifies external symptoms and directs them further to the study. And the first person you’ll write a referral to is aneuropathologist or vertebrologist.
These two doctors deal specifically with the problem of osteochondrosis. But when the patient is in remission, massage therapists, gymnastics coaches, physiotherapists, and many others play a role, depending on what type of healing activities the doctor prescribes.
Conclusion
Osteochondrosis is a rather unpleasant disease. But practice shows that the main patients in hospitals are those who have not monitored their health. Therefore, keep in mind thatearly detection and prevention of the disease costs much less than the advanced stage of the disease.