Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region

Lumbar osteochondrosis is one of the most common and frequently diagnosed types of osteochondrosis, which is also known as “sciatica.”The frequency of this disease is extremely enormous - in approximately 82% of cases, patients who go to the doctor with complaints of severe lower back pain are diagnosed with radiculitis of the lumbosacral region.

Description of the disease

Osteochondrosis in the sacral or lumbar region occurs with equal frequency in women and men, most often in middle and older age.Medical practice shows that this particular disease ranks first among the main causes of temporary or permanent disability, and in some cases, disability.That is why the treatment of pathology must be treated with the utmost care, because osteochondrosis can pose a serious danger to human health.

The lumbar region is the name given to the part of the spine consisting of 5 vertebrae designed to connect the sacral and thoracic regions.Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is a pathological change, during which there is a rapid decrease in flexibility and a change in the natural anatomical structure of the intervertebral discs.Their gradual deformation takes place.

The basis of radiculitis is the slow destruction of the vertebrae, their loss of moisture and elasticity, and a decrease in shock-absorbing abilities.Gradually, the space between the vertebrae decreases, the intervertebral disc can harden, resulting in pinched nerve roots.This process is accompanied by severe and spasmodic pain in the lower back.

How dangerous is osteochondrosis, its stages?

The process of disease progression is accompanied by degenerative-dystrophic changes, which over time can provoke complications such as protrusions and herniated discs.Such degenerative changes can be the main cause of leg paralysis.

Lumbar osteochondrosis can be accompanied not only by the development of protrusion or herniation of the intervertebral disc, but by other, no less serious diseases of internal organs and systems.One of the most common complications is pinching of the sciatic nerve, which is accompanied by intense pain in the lower back and a feeling of numbness in the limbs.

Radiculitis can also cause other serious consequences - spondyloarthrosis, osteophytosis, spondylosis, stenosis, lameness, spinal curvature.The disease can also provoke a pathological process in the genitourinary and reproductive spheres; in women, inflammation of the uterus and ovaries; in men, it causes various problems with potency.

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is divided into several stages:

• The first stage of radiculitis is a “mild” stage, in which pain in the lumbar or sacral region is still mild and appears only during physical exertion.In the first stage, the process of destruction of the vertebrae is at the initial stage.
• The second stage is accompanied by active destruction of the fibrous rings and a decrease in the intervertebral space.This leads to pinched nerves and causes severe pain.
• The third stage - the destruction of the fibrous rings ends, intervertebral hernias appear.The spine is noticeably deformed and twisted, losing its normal anatomical shape.
• The fourth stage of the disease is the most severe.At this stage, a person can no longer walk normally; often the fourth stage ends in disability.

Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis

Symptoms and treatment are determined depending on the stage of development of the disease.

At the first stage, a person, as a rule, does not pay attention to the first signs of the disease.When making sharp turns or walking, minor pain and discomfort may occur in the lumbar region.In addition, pain often appears after prolonged sitting or standing in one place.

The main danger of this period is that the symptoms are not yet sufficiently pronounced, a person can simply ignore them, due to which osteochondrosis rapidly progresses.

The second stage of radiculitis is accompanied by a decrease in the clearance between the vertebrae, and, accordingly, severe pain in the lower back and sacrum, which can radiate to the groin and lower extremities.

At the third stage, osteochondrosis is characterized by pronounced symptoms - intense pain, spasms in the back, decreased mobility of the vertebrae, and the beginning of pathologies of internal organs and systems.This can result in problems with the genitourinary system and gynecological inflammation.

Symptoms of the fourth, most severe stage of the disease are expressed in the form of a noticeable deformation of the spine, which can bend sideways or forward, constant, severe pain, which is especially intensified when trying to make any physical movement.Also at this stage, swelling of the muscles and ligaments, loss of sensitivity, and numbness of the lower extremities may occur.

Modern methods of treatment

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine is recommended to be carried out comprehensively - with the help of medications, physiotherapeutic methods, exercise therapy, and herbal medicine.In the most severe cases, surgical treatment is used.

Treatment is aimed at achieving goals such as:

• Reducing pain in the lumbar and sacral areas.
• Removing inflammatory processes in the diseased area.
• Elimination of pathological tension in muscle tissue.
• Activation of blood circulation in the lumbosacral region of the back.
• Improving vertebral mobility, normalizing sensitivity in the lower extremities.

Drug treatment of radiculitis is a mandatory element in the complex therapy of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine.For therapeutic purposes, several medications are most often prescribed:

• Painkillers are used to relieve pain.But we must remember that by eliminating pain, analgesics do not treat the cause of the disease.
• In most cases, the doctor prescribes chondroprotectors designed to improve metabolic processes in cartilage fibers and prevent their further deformation.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - are used to eliminate pain and swelling, release pinched nerve endings, and relieve the inflammatory process in affected tissues.
• Medicines from the category of muscle relaxants are used to normalize muscle tone.
• In some cases, medications with a diuretic effect may be prescribed to help relieve swelling in the affected tissues.
• To activate blood circulation in the lumbosacral spine, medications with vasodilating properties can be prescribed.
• Calcium supplements are often used to increase the strength of bone and cartilage tissue.

At the first and second stages of the disease, medications for external use, produced in the form of ointments, creams, and lotions, are highly effective.

Traditional methods

Traditional medicine offers a wide range of different recipes for the effective treatment of osteochondrosis.The most effective methods are considered to be various rubbing, massages, and compresses.But it should be remembered that traditional methods can be effective only in the initial stages of the disease.

1. One of the most famous recipes is cabbage compresses.To do this, all the veins are cut off the surface of the cabbage leaf, after which the leaf is slightly beaten with a hammer and applied to the lower back.The compress is fixed with a wide scarf, handkerchief or gauze.It is recommended to change cabbage leaves several times a day.
2. Grind 3-4 large cloves of garlic using a garlic press, squeeze the juice out of the resulting mass through cheesecloth, separately melt 100 g of pork fat in a water bath.Combine the resulting components in a 1:2 ratio and stir.The composition is used for therapeutic massage and rubbing.
3. A tablespoon of ground red pepper should be poured into 250 ml of vodka, after which the container with the medicine should be left in a dry and dark place for a week.The folk remedy is used for rubbing.
4. Horseradish rub is prepared in the same way.Horseradish root, grated, is squeezed out, and the resulting juice is mixed with the same amount of vodka.The mixture is used for regular rubbing.

Exercise therapy (physical therapy)

Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine allows you to eliminate pain, improve the condition of muscle and cartilage tissue, restore spinal mobility, significantly strengthen the musculoskeletal corset, and “unload” the lumbar spine.

Exercises for osteochondrosis can be performed only if the person is not bothered by severe pain in the back.Exercises can be very varied - bending forward and backward, left and right from a standing position, raising your arms up, behind your head and tensing your abdominal muscles.At the same time, absolutely all therapeutic exercises are performed under the supervision of a specialist.

What to do if you suspect osteochondrosis?

Radiculitis is an extremely dangerous disease that most often begins unnoticed by a person.The danger of radiculitis lies in the fact that in the absence of the necessary treatment, the disease can have the most unpleasant consequences - even paralysis of the legs and curvature of the spine.

That is why, when the first signs of the disease appear, it is necessary to consult an orthopedic doctor who will prescribe the optimal course of treatment.Remember, the sooner treatment is started, the faster you can achieve positive results and return your spine to health.