Back pain, according to statistics, worries almost every second inhabitant of the planet over the age of 18.They can be caused by various reasons.From this article we will learn about one of the most common causes: osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.It is possible to fight this disease and even win successfully if you start doing it in the early stages.
It's time to sound the alarm
If you want to successfully deal with a disease such as lumbar osteochondrosis, you should not expect obvious symptoms to appear immediately.At the first stage, you will not feel them.
It is important to realize that people who spend a lot of time sitting or standing in the same position are more susceptible to danger.If, by coincidence or for other reasons, this has been the case with you for many years, perhaps there is a reason to check the condition of your spine, even if the symptoms of the disease are not visible.
You should not ignore the following "alarm bells", which may indicate that lumbar osteochondrosis has already progressed beyond the first stage.
- Lower back pain.At first, they appear only with loads that are greater than usual, disappear during rest.Or after a long stay in an uncomfortable static position.Over time, such pain bothers me constantly, during long walks.
- Gradually, the pain becomes chronic and can manifest itself as pain, numbness (in the thigh), sharp pain, lumbago, etc.A feeling of heat or cold in the lower back.
- Dynamically developing pain, intensifying.Part of the leg goes numb or has a "tingling" sensation.
- Symptoms such as: constipation, urinary incontinence, tingling between the legs, menstrual irregularities (in women).
- The feet get cold for no apparent reason, the skin on the feet peels.
- The spine begins to bend, the back muscles in the lower back are unnaturally tense, and it is difficult to bend over completely.
- Excruciating pain.
All these symptoms, especially if they appear together and their approximate sequence matches the one described above, cannot be ignored.
Complete the prescribed examination
The doctor you see will order certain tests and various tests.This is due to the fact that identifying this disease is not so easy.Numerous laboratory tests are aimed at excluding possible other diseases (such as diseases of internal organs) that have the same symptoms.The best way to determine the cause is MRI - nuclear magnetic resonance (possibly even with paramagnetic enhancement).But radiography is also used.
Is the important stage of making an accurate diagnosis behind us?What choices will you be faced with now among the different treatments?
Methods of impact on the affected spine
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is currently treated in various ways.But all of them can be divided into two large groups: symptomatic (they eliminate pain and other consequences of the disease) and pathogenetic (they are considered to act on the cause, eliminating it or preventing its development).
Treatment with drugs that relieve pain.Such drugs are prescribed only by the attending physician.The treatment is symptomatic, that is, the person, satisfied that everything has been restored to its previous state of health, can stop taking care of the back, and during this time the disease will be asymptomatic until the pain manifests itself in a more severe form.
Muscle relaxants are drugs that help relieve muscle spasms as a result of a ruptured disc, so this treatment is a symptomatic treatment.
Physiotherapy effects.They include a wide range of methods that affect lumbar osteochondrosis through the skin.This treatment:
- high frequency current;
- laser;
- magnets.
Different spinal extensions: in water or with apparatus.You should be careful when using this method if lumbar osteochondrosis is already in a progressive stage.
The homeosiniatric method is a treatment in which homeomedicins are applied precisely to the affected area (or rather to a certain active point of the body), which help the body to get rid of toxins.
Hirudotherapy (treatment with leeches).They bring invaluable help, helping many patients to forget about the disease for many years.Leeches are believed to supply the body with hirudin, which helps improve blood circulation in the affected area, relieve pain, and reduce inflammation.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, provided there are no protrusions, disc herniations and other contraindications, some trust an experienced chiropractor - a massage therapist who works with the spine.
Special exercises to relieve pain in osteochondrosis.It is best to consult a doctor when choosing a set of such activities for yourself.
Pathogenetic method developed by specialists
In particular, I would like to address physiological current interstitial stimulation (VTES).Under the guidance of the professor, a new method of impact was developed, which allows improving the blood circulation inside the bone of the vertebra itself.
It is believed that precisely because of the weakening of such blood flow, the nutrition of the disc significantly deteriorates, which leads to a gradual loss of its properties, the ability to function normally and to its eventual destruction.
The essence of the method is to deliver a physiological current to the affected vertebra, bypassing the skin - a natural insulator.Physiological current is a current identical to that produced in our body, amplified many times over.It is powered by a needle - an electrode inserted at a certain depth (under the skin) at the site of the pathology, that is, at a certain point on the back.The current strongly stimulates the vessels inside the bones of the vertebrae, thereby improving the nutrition of the discs.
According to the results of research (needle rheography, polyoreography), blood circulation in the bones, including the lumbar spine, improves dramatically.The disc is completely restored (early stage osteochondrosis).
In the later stages, lumbar osteochondrosis causes symptoms such as severe constant back pain due to disc protrusion or herniation.Interestingly, treatment of VTES in the shortest possible time allows for the re-formation of a dense knitted capsule around the hernia, preventing its growth and even reducing its size.
Good tips for prevention
- Knowing that working in a stationary position for long hours, especially while sitting in front of a computer, can help.For example, take breaks every hour, stretch and walk.Maintain proper posture.Some people are helped by specially manufactured correctors, for example with neodymium magnets.
- Constant lifting of heavy weights also contributes to the development of the disease, so you need to know the rules of how to lift them correctly.
- Try to avoid hypothermia and back injuries.Watch your weight, strengthen your back muscles by doing moderate sports, swimming, then you won't need treatment.
- It is quite possible to overcome lumbar osteochondrosis if you start the treatment from the early stages or keep it under control.