Osteoarthritis

Back pain is a problem that any adult can encounter.Often this is not a one-time phenomenon but a symptom of a dangerous disease.Cartilage degeneration often occurs in people aged 30 - 35 years (about 40% of the population), with up to 90% of cases occurring in the elderly.

Timely diagnosis and correct treatment methods can eliminate the development of pathology and prevent complications.That's why it's important to understand exactly what back pain can indicate, which doctor you should contact when it appears, and how to treat osteoarthritis.

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteonecrosis is a group of chronic diseases, caused by destruction of vertebrae and intervertebral discs, as well as damage to cartilage tissue.

With age and under the influence of uneven loads, bone tissue of the vertebrae is deformed and destroyed, muscle tissue develops unevenly.This leads to various manifestations of osteoarthritis: hernia, scoliosis, etc.

Osteonecrosis is an outdated term;In world medicine it is called back pathology. There are different types of diseases of the connective tissue and musculoskeletal system, for which different treatment methods are used.

Types of osteoarthritis

When classifying the disease, the following are taken into account: the location of pain, the area of the damaged disc and the degree of development of the disease.

Locating pain

Taking into account the location of pain caused by diseases of the spine, there are:

• Lumbodynia.Chronic pain in the lower back often causes limping.In especially severe cases, it can cause numbness in the legs.Most often, this symptom occurs when a person has a hernia between the vertebrae.When the spinal roots are compressed, limbs can become paralyzed.
• Low back pain.The pain spreads to the lower back or lower limbs, along the back of the leg - from the buttocks to the knee.Clinical manifestations occur when there is compression on the sciatic nerve and spine.
• Low back pain.Shooting or acute severe pain at a certain point in the lower back.Often confused with radiculitis.An attack in most cases occurs when a person tries to bend over or straighten his back, as well as when suddenly lifting heavy objects.
• Chest pain.Pain in the chest area.This is considered a very dangerous symptom, sometimes even doctors cannot determine the cause immediately.Discomfort is not always related to body movement.The pain is especially intense in the area from the chest to the armpit.
• Cervical pain.The pain appears in the neck area and can spread to the upper limbs.Symptoms of the disease may include dizziness, numbness in the back of the head, redness and swelling of the skin.

The pathology requires urgent treatment because there can be interruption of blood circulation in the brain, compression of nerve roots and interruption of venous blood flow.Cervical pain often causes inflammation and disc herniation.

The location of the most painful sensation indicates the damaged area in the vertebrae and intervertebral disc.Often, pain is reflected, that is, it is not registered in the place where the actual origin of the disease is.

Sort by location

Depending on which part of the spine the damage to the intervertebral discs and intervertebral tissues occurs, osteoporosis is divided into several types.

cervix

Consists of seven small vertebrae that are under constant pressure.The pathology is accompanied by thinning of the cervical vertebrae and compression of the arterial channels.This type of cervical osteonecrosis is dangerous because it causes disruption in the process of blood saturation in the brain.

The formation of protrusions leads to hernia.And operations performed in the cervical area can lead to immobility of the body.

Chest

Disorders of this part of the spine are very rare, and are associated with low mobility of the vertebrae.The appearance of pain is observed in people who move the load or in people who hold one position for a long time.

Thoracic osteochondrosis is often confused with pneumonia, heart attack, and angina.

Important!

Only a physician should participate in the differential diagnosis.

lumbosacral

The lumbar region has five vertebrae.If there is a disruption in nutritional and metabolic processes in the intervertebral disc, it loses its elasticity, reduces in size and ceases to be able to function due to the load received.Failure to treat lumbosacral osteoarthritis can cause the following complications: hernia, bone protrusion, and sciatica.

Important!

A very dangerous phenomenon is spinal cord compression, which can cause paralysis of the lower limbs.

Another type of osteochondrosis is multisegmental.During development, degeneration of segments in different parts of the spine occurs simultaneously.The disease is characterized by loss of sensitivity in the back of the head and dysfunction of the vocal apparatus.

Features of the development of the disease

According to the degree of change in the intervertebral disc, experts distinguish 4 stages of pathology, which are diagnosed by radiological studies:

1. There are no obvious changes in the spine.
2. Internal cracks occur in the disc but there are no external changes.
3. Changes in the disc with no external damage were noted.
4. Serious damage to the intervertebral disc.The cracks spread to the inner surface, the disc seemed to be forced out of the vertebrae.  

Taking into account clinical manifestations, four stages of development of osteoarthritis are distinguished:

1. The spine functions as normal.A person feels pain at the site of the disease.Patients complain of general weakness, chronic fatigue and, less commonly, anorexia and sleep disturbances.
2. Cracks form in the disc and the spinal segment loses stability.Painful sensations increase, at first one-time, then chronic, associated with pinched nerves, dislocation of vertebrae and formation of protrusions.
3. The pain becomes more intense, the spine is deformed and an intervertebral hernia forms.At this same stage, scoliosis develops.
4. The spine loses its ability to move normally.The cartilage tissue thickens and bone spurs (cartilage growths on the joints) appear.In especially difficult cases, the patient loses the ability to move.

Important!

A person diagnosed with stage four osteoarthritis will experience disability.

Causes of osteoarthritis

There are a large number of theories explaining the occurrence of pathology.Among the causes can be mentioned hormonal changes, genetics, problems with the cardiovascular system, mechanical damage, etc.Researchers agree that the cause often lies in the overload of each spinal segment.

The human spine has 32-34 vertebrae (7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, 5 lumbar vertebrae, 5 sacral vertebrae, 3-5 coccygeal vertebrae).Each segment consists of two vertebrae and a disc between them.The integrity of this structure is ensured by the joints and joint processes.

The intervertebral disc consists of a jelly-like core and a dense fibrous ring surrounding it, covered with a layer of cartilage tissue.They perform the function of shock absorption, preventing damage to the vertebrae when jumping, running and walking.The design is very mobile and provides flexibility and stability to the spine.

At the first stage of osteoarthritis, degeneration and destruction of intervertebral discs begin, the amount of fluid in their core decreases, the cartilage tissue thins and becomes less elastic.

In most cases, osteoarthritis is diagnosed in older people, as well as in people leading a sedentary lifestyle.Doctors believe that the main cause of the disease is unevenly distributed load on the spine and vertebrae.This causes their damage, as well as the destruction of cartilage tissue.

Usually, this disorder occurs due to a sedentary lifestyle, irregular exercise, excessive physical activity, and work that involves constant pressure on the back.

Improper body posture when walking, sitting, carrying and lifting heavy objects, tight and uncomfortable clothes and shoes can cause damage/displacement of intervertebral discs and thus lead to the development of osteoarthritis.

Other reasons for the development of pathology include:

•  bone fractures, warping and damage to the spine;
• hormonal imbalance;
• pregnant;
• hypothermia and sudden changes in temperature.

Important!

Strain on the cervical spine when working in front of a computer can also cause osteoarthritis.

Risk factors for the development of osteoarthritis

There is a large list of diseases that can lead to osteoarthritis.These include:

• flat feet;
• scoliosis;
• arthritis;
• osteoporosis;
• arthritis;
• neuro-emotional exhaustion;
• diabetes;
• obesity.

Other risk factors include metabolic disorders, intense physical activity (especially involving heavy lifting), nutrient deficiencies, natural age-related changes in the body, and genetic predisposition.

Regular use of tobacco (smoking) and alcohol significantly weakens the tissue of the intervertebral disc.Calcium deficiency may be a contributing factor to the development of the disease.

Symptoms and signs of osteoarthritis

Pain is the main symptom of the disease.The nature of the pain can be different, it can be:

• acute, intense, aggravated by movement (as a rule, the patient tries to keep still);
• dull, smooth (slow motion).

In addition to local pain right at the place where destruction of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs begins, the patient often feels projection pain - far from the site of the problem.Due to pain, muscle strength in the lower and upper limbs decreases, movement disorders and general weakness of the body occur.

Patients often complain of general symptoms of osteonecrosis such as:

• joint stiffness and discomfort when moving;
• muscle spasms;
• migraines and headaches;
• frequent dizziness, visual disturbances;
• the appearance of pain in the joints of the limbs;
• feeling of cold in the extremities;
• decreased sensitivity;
• circulatory disorders;
• loss of consciousness.

In some cases, patients experience numbness in the extremities and a tingling sensation in the neck, lumbar region and sternum.

With osteonecrosis, a number of characteristic syndromes often appear:

• Vertebrae.Acute or chronic back pain, accompanied by poor circulation.
• Cardiovascular.A form of angina.
• Vertebral artery syndrome.Pain due to circulatory disorders in the vertebral artery.
• Koreshkovy.The pain is caused by compression of the spinal roots where they branch from the spinal cord.

Depending on the type of osteonecrosis at the site, symptoms of the disease may vary.

For cervical spondylosischaracterized by migraines, numbness in the fingers, difficulty moving the head and neck, and pain in the back of the head.In addition, when suffering from cervical spondylosis, patients also complain of facial numbness, difficulty sleeping, frequent dizziness and tinnitus.

Lumbar spondylosiscauses pain in the buttocks and perineum, causing difficulty in movement.The patient has acute pain when bending over in the lower back area (after sleeping or sitting for a long time).Numbness, dizziness and general weakness appear.The disease often causes pain in the kidney area, erectile dysfunction, and frequent urination.With lumbar spondylosis, scoliosis often develops.

Osteoarthritis of the chest boneaccompanied by difficulty breathing, chest stiffness, pain between shoulder blades and ribs.Often patients worry about problems in the digestive tract, kidneys and pancreas.Specific manifestations of thoracic spine diseases include dry skin, peeling skin on the limbs, and brittle nails.

Osteonecrosis: diagnosis

You should consult your doctor (spine specialist or neurologist) if you experience back pain (of any kind), muscle spasms and sensory disturbances in your back and limbs.

No additional preparation is needed when seeing a neurologist or spine specialist.It is important to provide your doctor with a list of pain medications you have recently taken.It is also necessary to report all measures taken during self-treatment before scheduling a consultation.

During your appointment, your doctor will conduct a comprehensive examination, including:

• Collecting medical history and studying patient's medical history and complaints;
• Physiological examination, palpation, assessment of skin condition and determination of pain location;
• determine the nature of the pain (acute, dull, reflex, local, etc.);
• blood tests (indicators of blood calcium concentration and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are important);
• ECG and echocardiography (to exclude or confirm the connection of pain syndrome with diseases of the cardiovascular system);
• duplex scan of arteries in the head and neck (assess the quality of blood flow, determine vasoconstriction).

To confirm the diagnosis, additional radiological studies may be indicated, including:

• X-ray of the spine.A complete image in the form of two projections, if necessary, filming each spinal segment individually.Functional radiography may also be ordered - a study in which a specialist takes pictures of various body locations.
• Computed tomography of an individual disc.The study revealed the condition of the vertebral body, blood vessels, nerve endings, ligaments and soft tissues, cracks in the contour of the disc, disc height, changes in the dura mater, marginal growth and vertebral instability.
• Myelography.Contrast X-ray of the spinal cord.
• Magnetic resonance imaging.This is an alternative to CT discography.Allows you to evaluate the condition of blood vessels and cartilage tissue.

X-ray studies confirm that this is osteonecrosis if the images show:

• pathological movement of the vertebrae, deviation from the norm;
• displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other;
• salt deposition in the intervertebral disc;
• uniform narrowing of the space between the vertebrae in the lumbar and cervical regions, wedge-shaped narrowing in the thoracic region;
• formation of bone spurs (marginal growth);
• Marginal sclerosis is the formation of compaction on the affected disc.

As part of the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe a consultation with another specialist (otolaryngologist, cardiologist, urologist, etc.).

Important!

The main task of the diagnostician is to determine the cause of osteonecrosis.Depending on the results obtained during the examination, the doctor will determine the type of pathology and prescribe appropriate therapy in a particular case.

Complications of osteoarthritis

Spondylosis is an unpleasant disease, which in its final stages can cause the development of other diseases and pathologies.The most common ones are:

• protrusion (disc bulge);
• intervertebral hernia;
• salt deposits between vertebrae;
• kyphosis (curvature of the spine);
• muscle atrophy;
• spinal stroke (circulatory disorder in the spinal cord);
• radiculitis;
• disruption of the functioning of the genitourinary system (problems with urination, erectile dysfunction in men, inflammatory processes in the uterus, ovaries and appendages in women);
• quadriplegia.

Timely consultation with a doctor at the first feeling of pain and regular prevention of osteoarthritis will help avoid the development of complications.

Treatment of osteoarthritis

At the Naran clinic, doctors practice an integrated approach to treating osteoarthritis.

Tibetan medicine practitioners use four treatment methods:

• Adjust nutrition according to dosha
• Adjust your lifestyle
• Herbal medicine

A set of external procedures:

• Adjust nutrition.A balanced diet according to the constitution of the human body (dosha) promotes an increase in energy and cell regeneration in all organs and organ systems of the body.
• Plant therapy.The use of Tibetan medicinal herbs and mixtures is based on the recipes of ancient healers.Restores natural balance in the body, promotes rejuvenation and eliminates many diseases.

External effects on the body:

• energy acupressure - normalizes and restores the full function of internal organs, helps improve blood circulation throughout the body, restores immunity;
• acupuncture - eliminates pain and inflammation, relieves discomfort caused by external manifestations, improves fluid circulation in the body;
• Vacuum therapy (cupping) – improves nerve distribution, removes waste and toxins, normalizes regulatory and metabolic processes;
• Stone therapy - beneficial for the cardiovascular system, blood pressure, reduces muscle spasms, restores sleep;
• Moxibustion, moxibustion or therapy with biologically active points have been used in Tibetan medicine for more than 5 thousand years.For burning or heating, people use cigars made from wormwood, edelweiss, juniper, poplar leaves, as well as pressed charcoal, etc.

Prevent osteoarthritis

The main method of prevention is to evenly distribute the load on the spine.In practice, this includes:

• active lifestyle;
• moderate exercise (morning exercise, yoga, swimming, walking, running, cycling, exercises to strengthen muscles);
• sleep on orthopedic mattresses and pillows;
• wear comfortable orthopedic shoes, or better;
• balanced diet, including a large amount of minerals and vitamins;
• regular preventive examinations by neurologists and vertebrologists;
• quit smoking and alcohol.

During prolonged sedentary and stationary work, it is important to periodically take breaks, change positions and warm up, this will help you relax and reduce the load on the spine.

When lifting weights, you don't need to do it quickly or jerkily, you just need to do it gently and in a semi-squat position.To carry heavy objects, it is better to choose backpacks with orthopedic walls rather than bags with shoulder straps.

Avoid sitting for a long time in a static, uncomfortable position, especially standing and raising your arms - this position will damage the ligaments and increase the load on the intervertebral discs.

Important!

Doctors recommend sitting in a physiologically appropriate position: relaxed shoulders, tight abdominal muscles, even weight distribution on both buttocks and a straight spine, with emphasis on the back of the chair.

Manual therapy, various physiotherapy and acupuncture methods also show positive results as a preventive measure for spondylosis.

Treatment of osteoporosis includes three stages:

1. Reduce or relieve pain.
2. Eliminates disorders in the condition and function of intervertebral discs and vertebrae.
3. Prevent complications.

If you consult a specialist promptly at the first signs of the disease, you can avoid complications and the need for surgical treatment.This is why it is important to undergo annual preventative examinations with a neurologist and spine doctor, even if you are not bothered by pain in the spine.

Important!

Only a qualified doctor can accurately diagnose, identify the disease and its cause and prescribe effective treatment.