The psychological and physiological states of a person are closely interrelated; the study of this relationship is carried out by the science of psychosomatics, which is a branch of medical psychology. Modern doctors believe that the development of various diseases occurs as a result of psychological factors. The development of osteochondrosis can occur as a result of psychological reasons.
When treating patients diagnosed with osteochondrosis, psychosomatic causes should be considered in combination with physiological factors to obtain a positive result. Rehabilitators at the Yusupov Hospital pay special attention to the psychological well-being of patients who come to the neurology clinic with signs of osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis: psychosomatic causes
Osteochondrosis, the psychosomatics of which is currently being actively studied, is a chronic disease that affects the intervertebral discs. The pathological process can be caused by excessive physical activity, injury, sedentary lifestyle, and metabolic disorders. If these sources of the disease are absent and traditional therapeutic measures do not give the expected result, then the deterioration of the physical condition may be due to psychological reasons.
Psychologists identify the following factors that contribute to the development of spinal osteochondrosis:
- negative emotions that accumulate;
- fears, worries, psychological trauma;
- stressful conditions that a person cannot cope with on his own;
- nervous tension.
If osteochondrosis is diagnosed, psychosomatics allows us to consider how a person’s emotions and beliefs are interconnected with the condition of the spine. It is known that people who do not embellish problems are in harmony with their inner selves and are healthier.
Scientists in the field of psychosomatics believe that the development of cervical osteochondrosis is due to the fact that an insecure person holds his head low, thereby destroying cartilage tissue. A confident and purposeful person raises his head high, thereby reducing the load on the neck, which connects the thinking and acting parts.
Thoracic osteochondrosis is most common among those who feel guilty about events that happened in the past. People who cannot forgive themselves for any mistake suppress their emotions so as not to experience suffering.
Psychological causes in the lower spine are violence, which resulted in psychological trauma and a feeling of loneliness. A person who has been sexually abused believes that he is not worthy of pleasure and happiness. The cause of lumbar osteochondrosis can also be excessive concern about finances.
In the multidisciplinary Yusupov Hospital, experienced neurologists, therapists, rehabilitation specialists, and psychologists work with patients and solve the patient’s problems in a comprehensive manner.
How to cope with the disease
The problem many people have is their reluctance to acknowledge the connection between their emotional experiences and their physical health. For cervical osteochondrosis, an integrated approach to treatment is very important.
Treatment options
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis can be of two types:
- conservative;
- surgical treatment is a last resort and is used in the absence of a positive effect after long-term conservative treatment.
Conservative methods include the following treatment methods:
- medicinal;
- manual therapy;
- massage, physiotherapy, physical therapy;
- psychotherapeutic (psychotherapy sessions).
Manual therapy is one of the most effective methods of treating osteochondrosis.
Conservative treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is always a complex process that works in the following directions:
- Relieving pain and eliminating inflammatory edema. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cope well with this: Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Indomethacin, Ortofen and others. Physiotherapeutic procedures help enhance the effect of drugs and also relieve pain.
- Improving blood supply and microcirculation of tissues in the problem area. For these purposes, the patient is prescribed drugs such as Actovegin, Trental, etc., which increase the flow of nutrients and oxygen, and also help remove pathological metabolic products (lactic acid) from the affected area. Manual therapy techniques also help improve blood circulation and metabolic processes, and improve the general condition of the body.
Attention! Manual therapy has a number of serious contraindications (for example, infectious diseases, arthrosis, polyarthritis, pregnancy, etc.). Its use is determined in each specific case individually and only by a competent specialist.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a consequence of an unfavorable state of the body. Of course, it requires treatment, but without eliminating the root cause, the result will be barely noticeable or not long-lasting. Psychotherapeutic methods study the cause of the disease, help make treatment more effective and consolidate the results.
Psychosomatic causes of the disease are in one way or another associated with severe prolonged stress. This means that a person does not solve the problems that have arisen, but prefers to ignore them, avoid answering, and pretend that everything is fine. But problems do not go away on their own; they remain, sinking deep into a person’s subconscious. Over time, a bunch of problems accumulate and make themselves felt by the appearance of physical illness.
A session with a psychologist will help you better understand yourself and look at things differently, which will entail changes in your life
Any psychotherapy session begins with the patient being asked to take a comfortable position and relax. And then you will have to talk about the problems that bother you and create discomfort. Only by realizing the problem and solving it can a person completely get rid of the negativity associated with a specific situation.
If you have cervical osteochondrosis, the patient should think about whether he can adapt to life and show flexibility. A negative answer can be given if the patient is characterized by the following norms of behavior:
- go ahead to achieve your goal;
- make unambiguous decisions, without options;
- have a specific point of view that does not change depending on circumstances;
- the desire to control absolutely everything.
For such people, it will be useful to practice flexibility in relationships with people, learn to let go of the situation, not shoulder the solution to all problems, and delegate some of the responsibilities to loved ones.
Important! Be sure to remember that any trouble becomes less when there is someone to share it with or at least “talk it out”.
A person is not always able to cope with his psychological problems on his own. Seeking help from a specialist is the only right decision in such a situation. Psychotherapy sessions for cervical osteochondrosis help relieve nervous tension and understand one’s own attitudes (get rid of incorrect ones), which in turn slows down the destruction of intervertebral discs and restores normal blood supply.
Symptoms of spinal osteochondrosis
Pain in the spine that cannot be treated indicates a psychosomatic component. Physiological signs of osteochondrosis are: pain, dizziness, numbness of the limbs, decreased visual acuity, lumbago.
Signs of the psychological aspect of osteochondrosis are:
- sleep disorders;
- depression;
- increased anxiety;
- discrepancy between the localization of painful sensations and diagnostic data;
- conflicts with colleagues and family members.
If during the examination of a patient, specialists at the Yusupov Hospital identify signs of mental disorders, then a correction program based on effective techniques is developed for the patient.
Location of biologically active points for neck pain
A good result is achieved by influencing the acupuncture points of the cervical-collar region (Fig. 2). If the pain is localized in the anterior surface of the neck, it is better to use local points: IG16, IG17. With maximum pain, the best effect is exerted by distant points: GI4, P7.
For pain in the back of the neck: local: VB20, VB21, VB12, T15, V10, V11, TR15, TR16, IG15. distant: IG3, V60, VB38.
Local and distant active points on the painful side are treated with an inhibitory method (15-20 minutes), on the opposite side - with a tonic method (3-7 minutes).
Rice. 2 Acupuncture points used for neck pain
Diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis at the Yusupov Hospital
If during the examination a patient is diagnosed with osteochondrosis, the psychosomatics of which are clearly expressed, then the specialists at the Yusupov Hospital combine traditional treatment and psychotherapy. Interdisciplinary cooperation implemented at the multidisciplinary Yusupov Hospital contributes to the treatment of both the underlying disease and related problems.
With timely treatment of osteochondrosis, the prognosis is favorable, since specialists at the Yusupov Hospital use effective advances in medicine. Treatment of osteochondrosis at the Yusupov Hospital is carried out after a comprehensive examination using high-tech equipment.
If you are concerned about signs of osteochondrosis or psychological disorders, contact specialists at the Yusupov Hospital, who will identify existing disorders and diseases. It is possible to visit a specialist at a convenient time without queues or waiting; to do this, you must first make an appointment by phone: Yusupov Hospital.
Prevention of neck pain
Regardless of your lifestyle, you need to protect yourself as much as possible from the causes of neck pain. To do this, you should get rid of bad habits, do neck exercises every day, monitor your posture and properly organize your workplace.
In the process of treating neck pain, it is necessary to use methods of both physical and psychological influence, as well as manual therapy (in the absence of contraindications), massage. Lyapko applicators are widely used at all stages of treatment, rehabilitation and prevention.
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Physical causes
Cervical osteochondrosis develops and worsens due to injuries, static or dynamic overloads, intense and frequent vibrations. But not all causes of dystrophic changes have been fully studied. Doctors are especially concerned about the noticeable “rejuvenation” of osteochondrosis. Signs of the disease are observed in patients over 18 years of age.
The main reasons for the early manifestation of cervical osteochondrosis include:
- Rachiocampsis;
- Poor physical fitness;
- Incorrect posture;
- Flat feet;
- Overweight;
- Hereditary predisposition.
This list can expand significantly. However, an exclusive focus on the physiological pathogenesis of cervical osteochondrosis does not bring us closer to eliminating the disease.
Psychosomatics offers comprehensive diagnosis and effective treatment recommendations. You can overcome or stop osteochondrosis. Psychosomatic causes, precisely established, will prompt the correct choice of treatment methods.
Symptoms of functional disorders
The main physiological signs of cervical osteochondrosis are expressed in:
- Headaches;
- Muscular paralysis of the limbs;
- Loss of sensitivity;
- Pain in the shoulders and arms;
- Decreased level of physical activity;
- Violation of potency (reproductive functions).
Headaches Muscular paralysis of the limbs Painful sensations Impaired potency
Doctors call one of the symptoms “vertebral artery syndrome.” With this symptom, patients complain of frequent dizziness. Patients are bothered by noise in the head. A burning and throbbing headache is accompanied by the appearance of color spots and goosebumps in the eyes.
Pathological changes are indicated by the lines of the lateral contours of the neck. Dystrophic processes reveal themselves in crunches and crackles when turning the head. Jumps in blood pressure are recognized as a companion to cervical osteochondrosis.
Examination for thyrotoxicosis:
1. Methods of imaging the thyroid gland:
- To assess the structure of the thyroid gland, an ultrasound of this organ is performed. This allows you to clarify the size of the gland and identify structural abnormalities of the organ (presence of infiltrates and nodular formations).
- Thyroid scintigraphy is most often used to diagnose various forms of toxic goiter. In thyrotoxicosis with diffuse toxic goiter, diffuse accumulation of the radiopharmaceutical is noted. With functional autonomy of the thyroid gland, there is an active accumulation of radiopharmaceuticals in a functioning thyroid node (the so-called hot node). Scintigraphy is also indicated for nodular or multinodular goiter, which helps determine the nature of the nodules.
- CT and MRI studies help to visualize the retrosternal goiter and reveal the nature of the interaction of the goiter with the surrounding mediastinal organs (whether the thyroid gland compresses the esophagus, trachea).
2. Conducting a thyroid function test: for this, the level of TSH, free T4 and free T3 is examined. With thyrotoxicosis, there is a decrease in TSH levels (below 0.4 mU/l) with a simultaneous increase in ST4 and ST3. A decrease in the TSH level when CT3 and CT4 are within normal values indicates the presence of “subclinical thyrotoxicosis” in the patient. An increase in TSH levels against the background of high levels of FT4 and FT3 indicates the presence of a TSH-producing pituitary adenoma in the patient.
3. Immunological studies: Level of antibodies to TSH receptors (AB to rTSH is a group of autoantibodies that interact with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) receptors of the thyroid gland, which leads to stimulation of the production of CT4 by thyroid cells). is almost always elevated in autoimmune thyrotoxicosis and may change during treatment.