Many patients do not know how to understand that you have osteochondrosis, but at the same time they are happy to make such a diagnosis for themselves. Meanwhile, the causes of back, lower back or neck pain can be numerous. These can be curvature of the spine, disorders of internal organs, tumors, infections, instability of the vertebral body position, etc. Therefore, you should not diagnose yourself. Seek medical attention in case of pain.
There is no reliable algorithm for recognizing osteochondrosis without special examinations. But there are certain clinical signs that make it possible to suspect this disease. We will talk about them in the material provided to you. In the meantime, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the mechanism of osteochondrosis development.
Degenerative dystrophic disease of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs - this is what is scientifically called osteochondrosis. As it develops, it leads to dorsopathy, which is complicated by dorsalgia, sciatica, sciatica, sciatica, lumbago and other syndromes associated with damage to various tissues.
Osteochondrosis is the result of leading a person’s wrong lifestyle. Contributing factors are:
- excess body weight - each kilogram creates additional cushioning and mechanical load on the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral disc;
- sedentary lifestyle without regular exercises on the muscular frame of the back;
- consuming large amounts of carbohydrates, refined foods;
- wearing tight, uncomfortable clothing and footwear;
- improper posture, the habit of bending, crouching, leaning the body in one direction or another;
- improper placement of feet in the shape of flat feet or club feet;
- curvature of the spine;
- sedentary work or hard physical work;
- smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages;
- insufficient consumption of clean drinking water during the day.
All these factors slow down the microcirculation of blood in the capillary network in the thickness of the muscle tissue. It turned out that he was not able to perform a complete diffuse exchange with the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs. They do not have their own circulatory system. This triggers the mechanism of destroying the surface of the fibrous ring (this is the outer shell of the disk). Forms deposits of calcium salts. They prevent the intake of liquids from the outside. Therefore, the fibrous ring begins to draw fluid from the nucleus pulposus located inside it. This gelatinous body is responsible for maintaining the normal height and shape of the intervertebral disc. Therefore, with fluid loss, the nucleus pulposus loses its ability to maintain disc height. The second stage of osteochondrosis - protrusion - developed.
In the third stage, the fibrous ring ruptures and part of the nucleus pulposus comes out. This is a herniated disc. It presses on the surrounding soft tissues, causes an inflammatory reaction, etc.
The fourth stage of osteochondrosis is the sequestration of an intervertebral hernia. Part of the nucleus pulposus separates or completely exits through the resulting rupture of the fibrous ring. If the hernia enters the cavity of the spinal canal, its sequestration requires urgent surgery. Otherwise, a person may remain disabled with paralysis of the body for the rest of his life.
As you can see, this is a very serious disease that needs to be diagnosed in a timely manner. The sooner complex treatment is started, the greater the chances of complete restoration of the integrity of the intervertebral disc and its functions.
When the first signs of osteochondrosis appear, you can schedule an appointment with a vertebrologist or neurologist. Doctors will perform an examination and a manual examination. They will make an accurate diagnosis and recommend the necessary additional examinations. Once an accurate diagnosis is made, you will be offered a course of treatment.
How to recognize cervical osteochondrosis
How to understand that you have cervical osteochondrosis, not myositis, and what next? Before recognizing cervical osteochondrosis, it is necessary to collect a history:
- when pain occurs;
- what actions cause their appearance;
- how long ago was the first attack;
- whether there are additional clinical signs;
- how sleep and work are organized;
- what bad habits exist;
- place of work and occupation.
How to understand this cervical osteochondrosis according to all this information? First of all, it is important to know that degenerative degenerative disease of the intervertebral discs manifests itself in the form of pain, stiffness of movement, excessive strain on the muscles of the neck and neck area only in the initial stage. Tension headaches, dizziness, hearing and vision impairment, increased fatigue, decreased mental ability, etc. are then added to these signs.
The peculiarity of cervical osteochondrosis is that the worsening of symptoms begins at the end of the working day. And the professional activity of the patient in most cases is associated with prolonged static tension of the muscles of the neck and neck area. During the examination, there is pain on palpation of the spinous extensions of the vertebrae, excessive muscle tension and increased pain when trying to turn the head.
Before recognizing osteochondrosis of the cervical region, the doctor recommends that the patient take an X-ray. It shows reduced spaces between the vertebral bodies. This indicates that a bulge is developing. With the help of an X-ray, an experienced vertebrologist will be able to rule out instability of the vertebral body position, their subluxation, retrolisthesis, antelistesis, destruction of intervertebral joints and a number of other serious pathologies. If this examination is not enough, then it is recommended to do an MRI or CT scan. If you suspect the development of posterior vertebral artery syndrome, an ultrasound scan of the blood vessels of the neck and head is recommended.
How to recognize osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Before recognizing thoracic osteochondrosis, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of developing pathologies of internal organs, such as the heart, coronary circulatory system, lungs, pleura, bronchi, etc. Consider how to recognize osteochondrosis of the thoracic region:
- the most important diagnostic technique is palpation, if the pain is determined exclusively by the spinous extensions of the spine and in the area of paravertebral muscles degenerative destruction of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs is not excluded;
- mobility is limited and any turning and tilting of the body increases the pain;
- the attack of pain is caused by physical exertion, hypothermia or factors of psychological stress;
- deep breathing does not worsen the pain.
It is very important to know how to understand heart or osteochondrosis, because acute chest pain is not an uncommon precursor to myocardial infarction. And in this condition, the patient should be provided with cardiac care immediately.
So, if you feel anxiety, panic and fear of death during a pain attack, then that is a 90% chance of a heart attack and it is necessary to call an ambulance immediately. If there is a tonometer, then you need to measure your blood pressure and count your heart rate. When the pulse slows to bradycardia (less than 50 beats per minute) and with an increase in blood pressure by 20-40 mm Hg above the age norm, an attack of unstable angina pectoris with a possible transition to myocardial infarction should be suspected. .
You should not seek information on how to understand heart pain or osteochondrosis, it is much more productive to seek medical help. Even the most common ECG, taken in an emergency hospital, will show what the pain syndrome gives: the heart or the spine. Regardless, you can only rely on sensations during palpation. As a rule, with damage to the heart muscle, palpation of the spinous processes of the vertebrae does not give any unpleasant sensations. But at the same time there are such clinical symptoms of osteochondrosis as shortness of breath, shortness of breath, pale skin, feeling of cold sticky sweat on the skin, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle and severe muscle weakness.
How to recognize lumbar osteochondrosis
The rather acute question is how to understand that osteochondrosis of the lumbar region causes severe pain. Moreover, the defeat of some paired radicular nerves, as well as nerve plexuses, causes clinical symptoms reminiscent of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and urinary system. These are constipation, diarrhea, frequent urination, etc.
How to understand that osteochondrosis of the back causes pain and all other clinical signs:
- no increase in body temperature;
- no nausea and vomiting;
- the tongue is not coated with a white or yellow coating;
- when urinating urine color does not differ from normal;
- there is no tenesmus and other painful sensations when emptying the bowel;
- there is no admixture of blood or mucus in the feces.
To rule out renal pathology, a test for Pasternatsky's symptom is performed. The patient stands upright with his back to the doctor. The doctor taps the edge of the lower costal arch lightly with the edge of the palm. If pain occurs, there is a high probability that lower back pain is associated with kidney and ureter damage.
How to recognize lumbar osteochondrosis by indirect signs:
- with any movement, the pain increases sharply;
- worsening of the condition begins after serious physical exertion, lifting heavy loads, hypothermia or overheating of the body;
- stiffness of movement is felt, often associated with muscle weakness;
- muscles in the lumbar region are sharply tense, painful on palpation;
- the pain may spread along the course of the large nerves, for example, in the groin area, on the anterior abdominal wall, along the lower extremities;
- at rest, the pain syndrome quickly disappears.
When the characteristic symptoms of osteochondrosis appear, it is important to contact a neurologist or vertebrologist as soon as possible. Only an experienced doctor can rule out the possibility of vertebral displacement, disc herniation, spinal stenosis and other dangerous pathologies that require urgent medical attention.
What to do with the pain of osteochondrosis
We figured out how to understand that pain is caused by osteochondrosis. Currently, this is important information. You need to know how to behave properly and what to do to get rid of such diseases.
Degenerative degenerative disease of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs does not go away on its own. This is due to a number of factors. First of all, calcification of the surface of the fibrous ring occurs, due to which it loses the ability to absorb the fluid secreted by the working muscles. Secondly, in the process of reducing the height of the intervertebral discs, there is a secondary contraction of the ligaments and tendons. It will be impossible to independently restore the height of the intervertebral spaces necessary to correct the discs.