What is spinal chondrosis and how to cure it?

Osteochondrosis is a very dangerous disease. It occurs unnoticed, and from mild uncomfortable sensations develops into serious disorders of the spine, which sometimes result in disability.

This disease is treated by therapists, neurologists, orthopedists, vertebrologists and other specialists at the Yusupov Hospital.

What it is?

Spinal chondrosis is a condition in which degenerative-dystrophic changes begin to progress in the intervertebral discs . Cartilage tissue is gradually destroyed. However, patients do not experience any symptoms.

Chondrosis - prestage of osteochondrosis

Pathology can only be detected through examination. But it is not done if the patient has no complaints about back problems. Therefore, diseases are detected in the later stages, when it is quite difficult to normalize the condition. Chondrosis is the initial stage of the development of osteochondrosis.

Clinical picture

With back chondrosis, there are no characteristic symptoms . Therefore, it is almost impossible to identify diseases in the early stages of development.

Chondrosis is characterized by the fact that degenerative changes affect only the intervertebral discs. As the pathology progresses and osteochondrosis develops, bone tissue, ligaments, and cartilage change. This provokes pinching of the nerve roots and the appearance of characteristic clinical signs.

Classification

Experts distinguish different types of back chondrosis depending on the location of the pathologically altered intervertebral discs.

There are these types of chondrosis:

• cervical;
• chest;
• lumbosacral.

Chondrosis can develop in each part of the spine

Most often, cervical and lumbosacral chondrosis occurs . This is due to the increased mobility of these areas and increased loads on them. In the thoracic region, chondrosis occurs extremely rarely, because this part of the spine is practically immobile.

Because of this, the likelihood of damage and the development of dystrophic-degenerative changes in the discs is minimal. But even when it appears, it is difficult to diagnose thoracic chondrosis: patients complain of pain in the chest and heart.

Prevalence and significance

Chondrosis is the initial stage of osteochondrosis . Its seriousness cannot be underestimated, because in the absence of treatment, degenerative changes lead to severe pain, impaired mobility of certain parts of the spine, and the development of visceral and neurological disorders.

In almost 80% of people who have crossed the 55-year mark, chondrosis can be detected during examination. But changes also appear in younger patients.

Spinal chondrosis. Signs of the disease, treatment

At different times and in different countries, back pain caused by degenerative-dystrophic changes in the body (chondrosis) was called differently. Patients contacted doctors for:

• treatment of lumbodynia or radiculitis (lower back pain);
• treatment of cervicalgia and sciatica;
• treatment of thoracalgia or intercostal neuralgia (severe pain in the ribs and chest).

After the connection between pain syndrome and degeneration of intervertebral discs and ligaments, pinching of nerve endings and blood vessels was proven, a broader term was needed to denote the pathology - spondylosis. Spinal spondylosis is treated by orthopedists, neurologists, neurologists, vertebrologists, at a certain stage osteopaths, chiropractors, and, if necessary, neurosurgeons.

Etiology of the disease

Age-related changes in the body (slowdown of metabolic and fluid processes, imbalance of hormones and microelements) primarily affect the human joint-ligamentous apparatus. The most mobile parts of the body are especially affected: the spine, knee and elbow joints.

The spine is the foundation and support of the entire body. It consists of bone structures (vertebrae) connected to each other by cartilage layers (discs). With each year of life, the load on the intervertebral discs increases (increase in body weight, bad habits, inactive lifestyle), and the factors contributing to their recovery become less and less.

As a result, the vertebral discs gradually wear out, flatten, and begin to crack or stiffen. They lose their shock-absorbing qualities, become less mobile, the height of the spinal column decreases and compression of nerve endings and/or blood vessels occurs, swelling of soft tissues, and, consequently, the occurrence of pain.

Until recently, it was believed that the treatment of chondrosis was for older people. But every year the disease affects younger and younger segments of the population, depriving or interfering with their ability to work. Bad habits, environmental conditions, physically hard work, or vice versa, low activity of life contribute to the progression of the disease.

Main signs of chondrosis

The main symptom of chondrosis is pain in the spine and back. These include limited mobility of the pathological area, muscle spasms, increased pain even with minor physical exertion or sudden movements, and spread of pain in the limb. In addition, depending on the location of the disease, a number of additional symptoms of osteochondrosis are observed.

For example, when the cervical segment is affected, there is an increase in headaches, sudden jumps in blood pressure, sleep disturbances, disturbances in the functioning of the organs of vision and hearing, dizziness, impaired coordination of movements, fatigue, etc. You may experience tingling in the fingers, a feeling of cold, numbness, stiffness shoulder girdle. This is explained by the fact that in the neck there is a large accumulation of vital blood vessels, nerve endings, and lymphatic bundles. Compression of these structures leads to impaired blood circulation in the brain or the passage of nerve impulses, which entails all of the above symptoms.

The peculiarity of the thoracic region is that it is less mobile than the rest (due to a tighter connection with the ribs and sternum) and does not experience so much pain. Therefore, the development of disease in the chest in most cases is asymptomatic, and if pain does occur, for some reason it is often attributed to problems of the cardiovascular system and attempts are made to treat the heart. You should not tempt fate, self-medicate, and at the first disturbing signs you should contact a highly qualified doctor to establish an accurate diagnosis or go to a hospital for treatment of back pain.

When the disease is localized in the lumbar region, the pain radiates to the sacral segment, spreads to the buttocks, back of the thigh, lower leg, lateral part of the foot, numbness of the toes, weakness in the legs, decreased reflexes, and convulsions are noted. In later stages of the disease, problems may arise in the functioning of the internal organs of the small pelvis (urination, defecation, potency), and cauda equina syndrome may develop.

Treatment of the disease

Treatment of chondrosis, as well as other diseases of the spine, is more successful in the early stages, but in any case, the process is not quick and requires some effort on the part of the patient, willpower and strict adherence to the instructions of the attending physician. Of course, it will not be possible to completely restore damaged or ossified intervertebral discs, but it is quite possible to significantly alleviate suffering and prevent the progression of the disease.

The initial goal of treating osteochondrosis is to relieve pain, relieve inflammation, swelling and spasm of soft tissues. These can be tableted analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants, or local anesthetic novocaine (ultracaine) blockades (injections). But the effectiveness and necessity of the latter must be agreed upon with the doctor.

The next stage of therapy includes massages, exercise therapy, physiotherapy courses, swimming, manual treatment, and, if necessary, gentle traction of the spine or wearing a support corset.
Having activated the hidden potential of the body and launched healing processes, the patient himself will not notice how the body itself will quickly return to normal, pain will disappear and physical fitness will be restored. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr

Risk factors, causes

It is not always possible to establish the exact cause of the development of chondrosis.

But experts identify 3 groups of risk factors that can provoke the appearance of this pathology:

• deterioration of the blood supply and supply of nutrients to the intervertebral discs;
• a shift in the center of gravity caused by prolonged stay in a position that is unnatural for a person;
• intense dynamic loads on the spine, for example, when doing weightlifting or carrying heavy weights.

Even with 1 risk factor, there is a high probability of developing the disease.

The main causes of chondrosis include:

• diseases due to which the blood supply to the spinal column is disrupted: vegetative-vascular diseases, endocrine pathologies, metabolic problems;
• intense physical activity;
• staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time, for example, when working at a computer;
• obesity;
• lack of physical activity;
• chronic stress;
• sleep problems;
• unbalanced, inadequate diet;
• congenital and acquired diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• hypothermia.

It is almost impossible to establish what exactly led to the development of chondrosis. As a rule, it begins to progress under the influence of several factors.

Video: “Chondrosis of the thoracic spine and causes of back pain”

Symptoms and sensations of thoracic osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is less common than osteochondrosis of the cervical or lumbar spine. The thoracic vertebrae are less mobile and more protected. This disease is complicated by the fact that the symptoms are difficult to identify, and subsequently this can lead to a number of other diseases.

One of the main reasons for the appearance of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is the presence of scoliosis in a person. With curvature of the spine, pressure on the vertebrae increases and they become displaced and discs fall out of the spinal column. The pain that occurs with this disease is indicated by the fact that changes occur in the vertebrae, metabolism and blood supply are disrupted. This disease mostly affects people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, office workers, drivers, and students.

With thoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms and sensations are divided into the main pain syndromes: dorsago and dorsalgia. Dorsalgia is a persistent chronic pain that is mild and brings minor discomfort to the patient. Dorsago is a sudden, sharp pain. It occurs when a person stays in a certain position for a long time and suddenly changes it. Shortness of breath may appear, it becomes difficult to breathe, and the muscles are difficult to control.

Expert opinion

Author:

Elena Yurievna Panasyuk

Rheumatologist, doctor of the highest category, member of the Association of Rheumatologists of Russia

Osteochondrosis is a pathology that occurs in 40% of the world's population over the age of 35, and in almost all older people. Even teenagers sometimes show the first signs of the disease - a decrease in the thickness of the intervertebral discs and pain in the spine.

Osteochondrosis develops gradually and is characterized by impaired nutrition of hyaline cartilage located in the intervertebral discs. As a result, they lose their original shape and crack, which entails severe pain and malfunctions of the entire musculoskeletal system.

With physical overload, the pain only intensifies, and along with it other signs and symptoms. With uncontrolled or complete absence of treatment, muscle atrophy occurs, the skin turns pale, the heart rhythm and the functioning of internal organs are disrupted.

It is not recommended to delay treatment of osteochondrosis; the disease progresses quickly. To begin with, pain is relieved with the help of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, therapeutic exercises and massage are prescribed to strengthen the muscular skeleton. In severe cases, drugs are used for intramuscular and intravenous injections; for severe syndromes, glucocorticosteroids, novocaine blockade and other methods are prescribed. Specialists at the Yusupov Hospital practice comprehensive treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis.

Consequences

If chondrosis is not detected in a timely manner and treatment is not started, the patient develops osteochondrosis. The main consequences of the disease include:

• the appearance of neurological disorders that are caused by dysfunction of the nerve roots (they occur against the background of hernias or bone growths);
• disappearance of the knee reflex (observed with dysfunction of the 4th lumbar root);
• disappearance of the Achilles tendon reflex (occurs against the background of dysfunction of the 1st sacral root);
• weakening of the strength of flexion of the toes (occurs when the functioning of the 5th lumbar root is impaired).

Such consequences can be prevented by timely diagnosis of the pathology and prescribing adequate treatment.

Diagnosis of osteochondrosis

Treatment of cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis always begins with collecting an anamnesis and undergoing a comprehensive examination. The doctor takes into account complaints of pain in the neck or chest, and first of all, excludes any heart pathologies. Against the background of a progressive disease, the patient often develops vegetative-vascular disorders, cerebrovascular accident, and hypertension. To make an accurate diagnosis, the following types of studies are prescribed:

• Ultrasound. It is carried out to determine the condition of large blood vessels.
• ECG (electrocardiogram). This is required to exclude the presence of heart disease.
• EEG (electroencephalography). It is prescribed to study brain activity in order to exclude ailments associated with osteochondrosis.
• Dopplerography. It is prescribed to study blood vessels and exclude a number of diseases associated with their damage.
• X-ray. The simplest and most informative way to determine the condition of the spine. In the resulting image, the doctor sees a narrowing of the interdisc space, a reduction in the distance between the processes of the vertebrae and the bases, as well as an increase in the volume of bone tissue.

In addition to heart diseases, the specialist’s task is also to exclude oncological formations in the thoracic region, tuberculosis, pleurisy, pneumonia and a number of pathological processes in the gastrointestinal tract. Only in this case, a diagnosis of osteochondrosis is made. But provided that there are changes characteristic of this condition on the x-ray.

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Symptoms and diagnostic methods

Symptoms of chondrosis are similar to signs of osteochondrosis. You can suspect the beginning of the process of destruction of intervertebral discs by the following signs:

• pain in certain areas of the spine (usually in the cervical and lumbar regions), which intensifies in the evening and after strong physical exertion;
• lumbago in the lumbar region;
• crunch in the lumbosacral, cervical region;
• pain leading to limited mobility.

Also, some patients experience deterioration in the functioning of the kidneys and digestive system . But even doctors rarely associate problems with digestion and the functioning of the urinary system with the condition of the spine.

The diagnosis can be made by a neurologist after collecting anamnesis, assessing complaints and a thorough examination of the spine.

But chondrosis can be confirmed with the help of such examinations:

• radiography;
• CT scan;
• Magnetic resonance imaging.

When carrying out such diagnostics, it will be possible to see changes in the intervertebral discs.

Typical and atypical pain sensations

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, like any other disease, has a number of characteristic symptoms. List of typical symptoms:

• painful sensations intensify when inhaling, turning the body, raising the arms up;
• the pain begins in one place, and then quickly spreads to the entire chest area. Breathing becomes difficult. The patient is forced to look for a comfortable position. Intercostal neuralgia occurs;
• the muscles are very tense, spasms occur periodically;
• the precursor of intercostal neuralgia is periodic pain, uncomfortable sensations in the back and chest that occur when walking or doing strength exercises;
• The pain intensifies at night, and by morning it may subside completely. It also becomes pronounced during hypothermia.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is characterized by symptoms and sensations that are characteristic of other diseases. Such symptoms are called atypical. These include:

• pain similar to diseases of the cardiovascular system. When taking medications, there is no improvement, and your health may even worsen. Also, no changes are observed on the ECG;
• Women in the acute stage of the disease are characterized by soreness of the mammary glands. This pathology can be excluded by visiting a mammologist;
• Sometimes patients complain of painful sensations similar to pain from gastritis, ulcers, and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. But, unlike these diseases, with osteochondrosis, increased pain occurs during periods of strength load, and not when eating;
• disorders of the urinary and reproductive system;
• Some patients experience difficulty swallowing reflex, a feeling of “lump in the throat.”

For thoracic osteochondrosis, treatment is required immediately, and self-medication is unacceptable. This can lead to a deterioration in the patient's condition, and subsequently even to disability. Specialists at the Yusupov Hospital can recognize typical and atypical symptoms of the disease. Qualified doctors diagnose thoracic osteochondrosis using modern equipment and treat using the latest effective methods.

Treatment

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Next fact

Treatment tactics for chondrosis should be selected by the doctor, taking into account the patient’s condition. This disease cannot be completely cured. The entire range of therapeutic measures is aimed at stopping the progression of the disease. If the condition worsens, it is important to quickly relieve the aggravation. But it is also necessary to treat chondrosis during the period of remission .

Drugs

If spinal chondrosis is confirmed, the doctor selects treatment depending on the degree of destruction of the intervertebral discs, taking into account the patient’s complaints.

Can be assigned:

Only the attending physician should prescribe medications. Self-medication for chondrosis can only cause harm .

Exercises, exercise therapy, massage

It is impossible to get rid of chondrosis only with the help of drug treatment . Doctors always prescribe therapeutic exercises. In the first days, it is best to do the exercises under the supervision of a physical therapist. Once you figure out the tactics for performing gymnastics, you can continue to do exercises at home.

There is no universal gymnastics for patients with chondrosis . The doctor selects an individual complex depending on the condition, the affected area, and the presence of symptoms of the disease. Exercise therapy is necessary to strengthen the muscle corset. When performing gymnastics there should be no pain, feelings of overwork or excessive tension.

One of the mandatory components of therapy is massage . It is necessary to take several courses to normalize the condition. Specialists use only gentle techniques so as not to provoke the appearance of muscle spasms and increased pain. Traditional massage techniques are used: kneading, stroking, squeezing.

Contraindications to massage are::

• inflammatory lesions;
• tumors;
• infectious diseases in the acute stage;
• hypertension;
• recent surgery;
• arthrosis;
• polyarthritis;
• pregnancy;
• back diseases.

In case of severe pain, massage is not prescribed.

Treatment at home

The main method of treating chondrosis at home is exercise therapy

If you regularly perform all the prescribed exercises, you can achieve this effect.:

• the back muscles are strengthened, this helps reduce the load on the spinal column;
• the distance between the vertebrae increases, therefore minimizing the likelihood of pinched nerve roots;
• muscle spasm is eliminated;
• metabolic processes and blood circulation are normalized.

Additionally, you can use traditional medicine recipes at home. Healers recommend making compresses from cottage cheese on the problem area, onto which you should first add a few drops of vinegar. They need to be kept for 2-3 hours.

It was noticed that the condition improves if one constantly wears a belt made of sheep or dog hair . You can do any heating of the affected area.

Prevention

You can prevent the development of chondrosis or prevent the progression of the disease if you follow the recommendations of doctors . They advise doing:

• self-massage of the lower back, neck, limbs in the morning;
• morning exercises;
• five-minute warm-ups throughout the workday.

Swimming in a pool is also considered beneficial . The likelihood of developing chondrosis is minimized by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and following the principles of proper nutrition.

Video: “Exercises to prevent spinal chondrosis”

Main symptoms of the disease

A characteristic feature of the disease is its slow asymptomatic development, which does not allow timely detection of pathology. At later stages of the disease, its treatment can no longer be considered so effective. In any case, everyone should know the symptoms of the disease, which they need to pay attention to and promptly consult their doctor.

So, the main symptoms of pathology in the cervical spine:

• Constant headaches localized to the back of the head. • Severe pain in the heart area, which in its nature strongly resembles angina attacks, is observed in patients with damage to the lower joints of the cervical spine. • Deterioration of vision. • Attacks of weakness, nausea. • Noise in ears. • A characteristic crunch in the neck when turning the head. • Numbness of fingers. • Changes in blood pressure. • Feeling of stiffness in the neck.

Recovery prognosis

If it is possible to identify chondrosis at the initial stage, then the probability of getting rid of the problem is quite high . After all, it is quite possible to normalize the condition of intervertebral discs if degenerative changes have just begun.

In cases where the patient has already begun to experience pain and the disease progresses to osteochondrosis, it is only possible to stop its progression. If you follow all the doctor’s recommendations, you will be able to prevent worsening of the condition and achieve stable remission. Regular exercise and a course of medications will relieve the patient of pain.

Cervical chondrosis - how to treat it?

Many people are interested in how to treat cervical chondrosis and when to see a doctor? There is only one answer - if the first symptoms of cervical chondrosis appear, you need to immediately contact the clinic and undergo the appropriate examination procedures. As a rule, most often the first symptom of the disease is neck pain. This happens when you turn your head awkwardly. The patient feels sharp, piercing pain in the cervical region, which radiates to the back of the head. Suddenly headache and weakness appear. Such an attack can last 10 days and this already suggests that you cannot joke with him. People call these symptoms “lumbago”. It is worth remembering that vital vessels and nerve endings pass through the neck, so these symptoms should be taken seriously.

Chondrosis of the neck, in the initial stages of development, is treated with a course of 2 months (3-4 procedures per week).

Basic treatment methods:

• manual therapy, • osteopathy, • hirudotherapy, • apitherapy, • kinesiology, • reflexology, • physical therapy, • massage, • physiotherapy, • ointment for chondrosis, • traditional methods.

Modern medicine gives preference to natural preparations that are based on medicinal herbs. However, it is impossible to treat cervical chondrosis without medications.

Important! A massage performed by an inexperienced specialist can aggravate the situation and lead to increased back pain.

Treatment of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis in exacerbation at the Yusupov Hospital

For a patient who has an exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, treatment should be prescribed taking into account his age, the degree of the disease and the location of the pathological process. In the treatment of osteochondrosis, various methods are used: taking medications, exercise therapy, massages, which improve the patient’s condition and quickly relieve aggravation.

Drug treatment for exacerbation of osteochondrosis at the Yusupov Hospital is aimed at eliminating pain, relieving muscle spasm and inflammation. If a patient experiences an exacerbation of thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine, symptoms and treatment depend on the area in which the pathological process is localized. When prescribing medications, the neurologist at Yusupov Hospital takes into account the individual characteristics of the patient.

Therapeutic exercise can be used for osteochondrosis after the exacerbation is relieved. Exercises within the framework of physical therapy are performed by patients under the supervision of experienced physical therapy instructors who develop safe and effective training programs. Massages for osteochondrosis are indicated when the patient’s condition is normalized.

In case of exacerbation of osteochondrosis, patients are prescribed bed rest. In the inpatient neurology clinic of the Yusupov Hospital, patients receive round-the-clock care provided by friendly medical staff.

If osteochondrosis of the thoracic region worsens, consult qualified specialists for medical help. Patients can make appointments by calling the Yusupov Hospital.