Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine

Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis is one of the most effective treatment methods. With the help of physiotherapeutic procedures, medications are delivered directly to the site of destruction. They do not affect neighboring areas and the body as a whole. After physiotherapeutic procedures for osteochondrosis, allergic reactions and side effects are not detected. At the Yusupov Hospital, rehabilitation specialists use the latest physiotherapeutic methods for the treatment of osteochondrosis.

Doctors at the rehabilitation clinic take an individual approach to choosing a treatment method for each patient. An excellent addition to physiotherapy are other methods of restorative therapy: massage, therapeutic exercises, acupuncture, manual therapy. Complex therapy for lumbar osteochondrosis allows you to quickly eliminate pain, relieve muscle spasms, and restore the function of the pelvic organs.

Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine

Osteochondrosis is a spinal disease that is widely known to virtually every person.
Painful sensations in the back, lower back and neck are more often experienced by older people, but young people are not immune from it. At first glance, an innocuous disease can have a serious negative impact on the intervertebral discs, causing changes and a decrease in their height. It is difficult to say what exactly contributes to the appearance of osteochondrosis; there are only different opinions and guesses. This may be due to previous injuries or age-related changes in tissue, or it may be due to poor segmental circulation. It is noted that most often osteochondrosis affects the lumbar spine, and this can cause muscle pain, headaches, and disruption of blood circulation and the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

There is no need to consider osteochondrosis as a disease that will resolve on its own; it requires complex medical treatment with medications and physiotherapeutic procedures.

Let's look at what physiotherapy is, what are the advantages and types of this method, who is indicated and who is contraindicated for such treatment.

How do physiotherapy methods work?

In the early stages, the use of physiotherapeutic procedures is especially effective. Their specific use depends on the location of the affected area. There are osteochondrosis of the cervical, thoracic or lumbosacral regions. It should be emphasized that during periods of exacerbation of the disease, it is better to suspend most procedures, but in each specific case this must be decided by the attending physician.

As a rule, physiotherapy is used not as an independent method of treatment, but in combination with others - medication, physical therapy. It not only helps to quickly restore a diseased organ, but also makes it possible to significantly reduce the unwanted effects of medications on the body, which are not always harmless. Physiotherapeutic procedures, in the absence of contraindications, have virtually no harmful side effects and consequences. When using them, the following happens:

• blood microcirculation in the diseased area increases;
• pain syndrome is eliminated;
• the immune system is activated;
• the supply of diseased areas with nutrients and oxygen improves;
• there is a general anti-inflammatory effect on the body;
• a therapeutic effect is provided not only on the affected area of ​​the spine, but also on nearby tissues and organs.

What is achieved by physiotherapy for osteochondrosis?

Physiotherapy is a modern and effective method to combat osteochondrosis. It acts specifically on the area of ​​inflammation without affecting neighboring organs and tissues. Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is aimed at eliminating pain and restoring the affected vertebrae.

After a series of physiotherapeutic procedures, inflammation is significantly reduced. The mobility of the affected vertebrae is restored. Tissue swelling is eliminated. Blood circulation in the inflamed area is normalized.

The functioning of all internal organs returns to normal. The body’s immune system is strengthened.

What's the benefit?

The main goal of physiotherapy for osteochondrosis is to relieve pain and stimulate regenerative processes in the vertebrae. Physiotherapeutic procedures have the following effects:

• Eliminate pain;
• Relieves inflammation;
• Improve microcirculation at the site of the disease;
• Relaxes spasmodic muscles;
• Normalize metabolism.

For spinal fractures, physical therapy after spinal surgery is also used. If there is no damage to the spinal cord, then cryotherapy (cold treatment) and electrical stimulation are used. These methods in medical practice are often used in the rehabilitation of athletes. An important element of physiotherapy is massage. Its main purpose is to restore muscle strength, regenerate and stimulate blood circulation. First, a gentle massage is performed, the load on the back muscles is gradually increased.

Make an appointment

Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.

Impact on a specific area. In the case of pharmaceutical drugs, this cannot be achieved, since they are carried by the blood, affecting almost all organs.

There are no sharp exacerbations of chronic diseases. Most drugs provoke the appearance of side effects that transfer the disease from a passive state to an active one.

Possibility of use in case of unsuccessful drug therapy. When extensive inflammation does not make it possible to deliver active components using conventional methods.

What types of physical therapy are there?

Physiotherapeutic methods can be natural or artificial. Natural factors include exposure to natural factors - healing waters, mud, sun, sea bathing, etc. Artificial is a hardware effect that imitates the work of natural sources.

A person receives natural health treatments when undergoing spa treatment. Artificial - this is what, in fact, is called physiotherapy. Her patient has the opportunity to undergo treatment not only on vacation in a sanatorium, but also in a clinic at his place of residence. The most common methods of artificial or hardware physiotherapy are as follows:

• Electrophoresis. A procedure often prescribed for various lesions of the spine, during which the patient, under the influence of a weak current, penetrates the skin of medicinal substances.
• Magnetotherapy. The method is based on the effect of a magnetic field on the diseased area. Has a healing and analgesic effect.
• Ultrasound. The procedure provides micro-massage of the required areas using ultrasonic vibrations.
• Ultraviolet radiation. Simulates the effect of the ultraviolet spectrum of sunlight. Has an analgesic, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory effect, promotes the synthesis of vitamin D.
• Shock wave method. It is the use of an acoustic wave of a certain length and intensity, which has an analgesic effect.
• Laser therapy. Laser treatment gives several effects at once - pain relief, inflammation relief, stimulation of metabolic processes, wound healing.
• Detensor therapy. During this procedure, special mats are used to stretch the spine.
• UHF. It is the use of ultra-high frequencies for deep heating of soft and bone tissues.
• Electrotherapy. The method is based on the direction of electric current of various frequencies to the affected areas, which is usually used in combination with electrophoresis and the use of therapeutic mud.

Types of treatment for osteochondrosis

Detensor therapy - with the help of a special mat equipped with elastic ribs, the spine is stretched. Located on the mat, special ribs begin to influence the spine, muscles relax, and spasms are relieved. The correct position of the vertebrae is restored, and the back muscles become toned.

Magnetic therapy - low-frequency pulses of a magnetic field are applied to tissues. Blood viscosity changes, swelling is relieved, blood vessels dilate, all this has a positive effect on metabolic processes in inflamed tissues. This procedure is performed only on an outpatient basis.

Ultraviolet irradiation - special equipment eliminates inflammatory foci, providing a bactericidal effect. Treatment begins with small doses of ultraviolet rays, which are increased with each procedure. But before that, you need to do an ultraviolet sensitivity test.

Phonoresis - Drugs are administered using ultrasound vibrations. This makes it possible not only to eliminate swelling and inflammation, but also to deliver active substances to the damaged area. Metabolic processes are accelerated, tissues receive the necessary nutrients.

Ultrasound - micromassage of tissues is performed, which activates blood circulation, providing an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.

EHF is a high-frequency therapy that stimulates active points of the body and does not damage the skin as is the case with acupuncture. After several sessions, the movement of the spinal discs increases.

Laser therapy - a special laser is directed to the damaged area, it helps reduce inflammation, pain, and helps the body recover. An improvement in general condition and a decrease in pain is observed after the first sessions. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.

Exposure to vibration - treatment is carried out by mechanical vibrations produced by a belt vibrating massager.

Physical therapy is probably the most commonly used method of treatment and prevention of the initial stage of osteochondrosis. A special set of exercises is selected for each patient.

The doctor chooses which method to use after first discussing this with the patient and conducting the necessary health research. For example, for severe pain, laser therapy and phonoresis are indicated, and for osteochondrosis with vascular problems, magnetic therapy is indicated. Physiotherapy procedures are prescribed only during the period of remission and subsidence.

It is believed that over time, physical therapy procedures will replace certain medications. After all, even now, using only physiotherapy and physical exercise, it is possible to cure such an ailment as osteochondrosis. Of course, this will be possible by contacting a specialist at the first sign of a problem.

What are the stages of this disease, and how do they differ?

Like any disease, osteochondrosis goes through several stages in its course, at each of which its own treatment methods are recommended. There are four such stages in total:

• The first is practically asymptomatic, but destructive processes already begin inside the spinal discs, and the spine itself becomes more susceptible to injury.
• The second is characterized by more pronounced disorders, which are revealed during examination. During this period, the intervertebral spaces narrow.
• The third is characterized by the appearance of obvious deformation, determined visually, and even a hernia. Pain syndrome may also occur. At this stage, the patient often seeks medical help himself with complaints of pain with sudden movements. Symptoms depend on the location of the diseased area.
• The fourth stage is the most difficult. As a result of pinched nerve endings, the patient experiences severe pain, which can lead to complete immobilization.

To avoid the occurrence of intervertebral hernia, treatment of osteochondrosis should begin as early as possible, at the first signs of disruption of the proper functioning of the spine, without waiting for the manifestation of severe pain.

It is important to know

Physiotherapy is not suitable for everyone; it is contraindicated for:

• people with general serious illnesses of the body,
• patients with oncology, at different stages,
• those who have serious problems or changes in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems,
• people with weakened liver and kidney function,
• pregnant women,
• people with skin diseases,
• having mental disorders.

By noticing the disease in time and seeking qualified help, you can eliminate it at the initial stage, before serious problems arise with the spine and the entire body.

SYNDROMES CHARACTERISTIC FOR CERVICAL OSTEOCHONDROSIS

Vertebrobasilar syndrome is mainly a functional neurovascular disorder of the vertebral arteries in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Clinical signs of vertebrobasilar syndrome are expressed by headache in the occipital region or forehead, dizziness during a sharp turn of the head.

There are persistent blanching and sensory disturbances on the face that do not coincide with the zones of innervation of the branches of the trigeminal nerve. Pain or noise in the ears, vestibular disorders, decreased vision, changes in voice and taste sensations periodically occur. Often these signs are combined with pain in the arm or heart area.

Sympathalgic syndrome - characterized by neck-shoulder pain of a burning, squeezing nature, mainly at night. After leaving the arm at rest for a long time, various types of pain arise in it, which forces patients not only to wake up and change the position of the arm, but also to stand up in order to make swinging movements with the arm. Often the pain spreads to the back of the head and the glenohumeral-thoracic region.

The syndrome of glenohumeral periarthritis, which occurs with cervical osteochondrosis due to dystrophic and inflammatory changes in the joint capsule, is accompanied by intense pain in the shoulder joint. Abduction and rotation of the arm are sharply painful, which forces patients to spare the arm and keep it in a state of immobilization, which can lead to the formation of persistent adduction contracture or ankylosis of the shoulder joint, accompanied by atrophy of the muscles adjacent to the joint.

Shoulder-hand syndrome (Steinbrocker syndrome) is a symptom complex of reflex neurovascular autonomic dystrophy of the limb with cervical osteochondrosis and is manifested by pain in the joints and muscles of the affected arm, swelling, cyanosis of the hand, increased sensitivity and increased temperature of the skin of the hand. Limitation of hand function leads to flexion contractures and atrophy of muscles and skin. Later, diffuse osteoporosis of the arm bones may occur.

Anterior scalene syndrome is a reflex muscle contracture associated with cervical osteochondrosis. Spasm of the anterior scalene muscle leads to compression of the brachial plexus and subclavian artery. Clinic: pain in the neck with irradiation along the ulnar surface of the forearm and hand, pallor, coldness, paresthesia and sometimes swelling of the hand. The pain intensifies during a deep breath, when the shoulder is abducted and when the head is tilted to the healthy side. Sometimes there is swelling of the supraclavicular fossa. Later, hypotrophy and weakness of the hand muscles appear.

Cardiovascular syndrome occurs due to irritation of sympathetic formations in the pathology of the cervical discs of the fifth - seventh cervical vertebrae. Clinically, this is manifested by pain in the heart, chest, behind the sternum, and in the shoulder girdle of the left arm.

Pulmonary syndrome in osteochondrosis of the cervical and upper thoracic spine is characterized by congestive and inflammatory manifestations of the lungs, leading to oxygen starvation, which significantly worsens the general condition of the patient and aggravates the course of the underlying disease.

Vegetative-irritative syndrome. Pain syndrome that occurs with a combination of lesions of the gallbladder and the cervicothoracic spine, with cholecystitis and cervicothoracic osteochondrosis. This syndrome is manifested by a reflected impulse from the affected organ.

The pathological impulse arising from these two foci is directed along the phrenic nerve and sympathetic fibers to the cervical spinal cord and is summarized there according to the dominant type. Cholecystitis and osteochondrosis are in close pathological connection.

Treatment. The main directions of therapy for osteochondrosis are: impact on the affected spinal motion segments and extravertebral neurodystrophic foci; correction of psycho-emotional and autonomic dysfunction; relief of pain. For this, a wide range of therapeutic effects are used: medications, physiotherapeutic, manual and reflex.

ARTHRITES AND ARTHROSIS

Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joint. Arthritis can be either an independent disease or a manifestation of some other disease. One of the first clinical manifestations of arthritis is joint pain. It is most intense in the second half of the night and in the morning. Pain relief usually occurs after movement. With the development of the pathological process, changes occur in the soft tissues and capsular-articular apparatus, leading to deformation of the joints, disruption of their function, changes in temperature and color of the skin.

The disease can occur with damage to one joint (monoarthritis) or several (polyarthritis). The onset of the disease can be acute and accompanied by severe pain in the joint (acute arthritis) or develop gradually (chronic arthritis). The causes of arthritis are varied: infection, trauma, allergies, metabolic disorders, diseases of the nervous system, lack of vitamins.

Arthrosis is a group of diseases of a metabolic-dystrophic nature, which typically involve damage to all components of the joint. First of all, cartilage, as well as adjacent to the cartilage, bone, synovial membrane, ligaments, capsule, periarticular muscles. Characterized by pain felt deep in the joints, aggravated by physical activity and relieved by rest, morning stiffness, crunching in the joints, and limited movement in the joints.

The cause of arthrosis is a change in the biological properties of cartilage. These properties can change both under the influence of external and internal environmental factors (gene defects, excess body weight, estrogen deficiency in women, joint injuries, joint surgeries, etc.).

Treatment. Most often, arthritis and arthrosis occur as a result of diseases such as rheumatism, psoriasis, gout, as well as a number of other, most often autoimmune diseases. Laser therapy of joints, in this case, is carried out against the background of drug treatment of the underlying disease, which allows reducing the amount of medications consumed. Treatment involves eliminating the underlying cause of arthritis (arthrosis) and local changes.

If you have the listed diseases, you should not forget that laser treatment of joints should be combined with laser hemotherapy. It is indicated as a desensitizing, analgesic, immunostimulating and decongestant therapy. Treatment regimens for affected joints are given in specific techniques.

Prices for services

Therapeutic effect of the DIAMAG device

Under the influence of a low-frequency pulsed magnetic field emitted by the DIAMAG apparatus, metabolic processes are stimulated, capillary blood flow accelerates, and blood vessels dilate. This improves tissue nutrition in the affected area, which allows you to slow down the course of the disease, speed up the healing process, and restore motor function.

In addition, improving blood supply to the brain reduces the manifestations of vascular changes caused by cervical osteochondrosis. Exposure to a low-intensity magnetic field activates the production of the hormone melatonin by the pineal gland, which improves the patient’s psychological state. Healthy sleep and getting rid of feelings of fear and anxiety can improve your mood and create favorable conditions for recovery.

Questions and answers:

Is the procedure recommended for everyone?

It is worth noting the fact that post-isometric relaxation is primarily a therapeutic procedure that has contraindications and indications for use. There are several rules, since this manipulation includes a physical effect on the human body:

1. Local hypertonicity.
2. Muscle pain of various etiologies.
3. General neck stiffness.
4. Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cervical spine.
5. An imbalance between relaxing and normal muscle contractility.

What will happen at the doctor's appointment?

At the first consultation, the doctor at our Center will ask you in detail about all the details of your condition, what worries you, what diseases you suffered from and other important points from a medical point of view. Then you will be explained in detail why the PIR technique is performed. The doctor will also inform you about possible complications and pain. Following the consultation, you must carefully analyze the information received and make your own decision about undergoing relaxation.

Experienced medical specialists at our center provide treatment in strict accordance with the existing methodology for this procedure. All exercises are carried out with strict adherence to phases that replace each other:

• isometric tension;
• isometric relaxation;
• stretching of the cervical muscles.

The isometric approach involves working the entire muscle at once, that is, both the diseased and healthy parts. It is very important to take into account the fact that the tension force should be no more than 30% of the movement restriction barrier. Isometric tension is carried out while inhaling for 8-10 seconds.

Afterwards, you need to hold your breath for 1-2 seconds and then exhale slowly, softly, the phase of isometric relaxation begins. At this stage, no physical impact is performed; the muscle begins to stretch on its own. The relaxed muscle is stretched strictly until pain appears. During the procedure, the patient already feels the effect, pain is relieved, and muscle spasms go away. This massage of the internal structures of the body also forces the facial muscles to engage, which has a beneficial effect on them.

What to do then at home?

When visiting our medical center for the purpose of undergoing PIR, you must also continue to do the exercises prescribed by the doctor at home. The exercises are guaranteed to help you relieve tension as much as possible, achieve relaxation of the cervical spine, and relax the shoulder region. When performing manipulations at home, it is also important to keep your back straight and keep your body motionless and fixed.

It is in this position that the head is tilted downwards, in opposition and to the sides. Before performing PIR on your own at home, you should consult a doctor.

ARTHROPATHIC PSORIASIS

Arthropathic psoriasis. The most severe form and less manageable in terms of treatment in patients with psoriasis is arthropathic. According to established tradition, psoriasis still refers to skin diseases, although the systemic nature of this process and the ability of psoriasis to affect not only the skin, but also internal organs, the nervous system and joints have been established.

Psoriatic arthritis is characterized as a systemic process in which the most pronounced changes appear in the structure of connective tissue. Psoriatic arthropathy can occur benignly as monoarthritis or in the form of polyarthritis, and in some patients it takes on the character of severe destructive polyarthritis. Psoriatic arthritis often occurs in parallel with skin lesions or slightly later, and in some cases, articular syndrome may precede skin manifestations.

Joint involvement usually begins in the distal interphalangeal joints of the hands and feet. Gradually, medium and large joints are involved in the process, including the spine, with the development of ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis). Swelling, pain, and limited joint mobility are noted as a result of infiltration and compaction of the periarticular tissues. In the further course of the process, dislocations, subluxations, and ankylosis can form, leading to joint deformities, and the patient becomes completely disabled.

In addition, a progressive asthenic state sets in, up to cachexia, myalgia, atrophy of the muscles of the hands, forearms, and legs (12-15%). As with ordinary psoriasis, in patients with psoriatic arthropathy, insufficiency of liver and kidney function, immunodeficiency states, and cardiovascular pathology are determined.

Treatment. As with rheumatoid arthritis, treatment is comprehensive and is aimed at eliminating the manifestations of the disease, restoring metabolism in the articular cartilage and preserving the function of the affected joints. Drug therapy is aimed at achieving a desensitizing, detoxifying and anti-inflammatory effect.

We have already mentioned earlier that laser therapy has all these properties, and, in addition, it also has an immunocorrective effect - it must be included in the treatment process. Laser therapy is carried out both by affecting the blood (LHT) and locally on the area of ​​​​the affected joints.

Diagnostics

To make a diagnosis, you should contact a neurologist. Treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis without a neurologist's opinion is not only ineffective, but also dangerous. Depending on the clinical situation, the doctor will refer the patient for MRI, ultrasound, or CT. Our clinic has the required diagnostic facilities for comprehensive detection and treatment of pathology.

Magnetotherapy

The Vega Plus magnetic therapy device is a magnetic field generator that has a beneficial effect on the condition of the human body. However, the use of magnetic therapy should be avoided in the following situations:

• Persistent decrease in blood pressure. The influence of the Vega Plus device leads to even greater progression of hypotension;
• Acute cerebrovascular accidents, hemorrhagic stroke;
• Acute mental disorders of the patient (psychosis, hysteria);
• Early post-infarction period. The use of magnetic therapy may interfere with the myocardial repair process;
• Patient use of a pacemaker. The Vega Plus device may disrupt its operation, which will cause arrhythmia;
• Suspicion of bleeding.