Our way of life has undergone significant changes in just a few generations. Physical work in the fresh air has almost everywhere given way to office sedentary work, the pace of life has accelerated, and the amount of neuropsychic stress has increased. And modern man pays for all this with neurological diseases, the most common of which is spinal osteochondrosis .
Osteochondrosis, with all the banality of this definition, is the scourge of our century. With this disease, the muscular corset of the spine weakens, the muscles cease to perform a spring (shock-absorbing) function, due to which the load is transferred to the intervertebral discs, bones and ligaments. As a result of deformation and displacement of the vertebrae, compression of the spinal nerve roots occurs, which leads to pain and functional disorders.
A hundred years ago, no one knew about this pathology; in the twentieth century, it was considered the lot of older people. Today, the diagnosis of “osteochondrosis” is common for 30-40-year-old patients, and sometimes the disease is detected in very young people and even teenagers.
The prevalence of the disease makes it not so scary in the eyes of people: “since everyone gets sick, it means it’s almost the norm.” This is a terrible misconception! Osteochondrosis, dangerous in itself, leads to the progression of disorders such as protrusion of intervertebral discs, spinal hernias, lumboischialgia, spinal cord compression, spinal cord infarction and stroke, stenosis, etc.
1 Osteochondrosis. Diagnosis and treatment
2 Consultation with a neurologist
3 Osteochondrosis. Diagnosis and treatment
Causes of osteochondrosis
According to experts, the following factors lead to the development of this inflammatory-degenerative disease:
- sitting and standing work;
- regular lifting of weights (during physically demanding work, sports);
- spinal column injuries;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- overweight;
- malnutrition;
- infectious diseases, hypothermia;
- metabolic disorders;
- autoimmune processes;
- hereditary factor;
- stress, bad habits;
- pregnancy;
- natural aging of the body.
Treatment of back pain in St. Petersburg
Category: »» Spinal diseases »» Osteochondrosis »» Juvenile osteochondrosis
Juvenile osteochondrosis - juvenile osteochondrosis, the general name of diseases that occur during the period of growth and formation of the skeleton and are manifested by degenerative and dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs and joints and are caused either by the rapid growth of adolescents and inadequate physical activity, or against this background by spontaneous aseptic inflammatory changes in the bones of the spine, or disruption of the normal process of formation and ossification of the child’s skeleton.
Data over recent decades confirm that spinal diseases have become significantly “younger” and are one of the most common forms of systemic lesions of cartilage tissue. Most often it develops against the background of congenital or acquired functional deficiency of cartilage tissue.
Osteochondrosis is a degenerative-dystrophic disorder in the articular cartilage of the spine. It can develop in almost any joint, but the intervertebral discs are most often affected. Depending on the location, cervical, thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis is distinguished.
The main cause of juvenile osteochondrosis of the spine is inadequate load on the spine, unsystematic physical education is often combined with poor posture and physical inactivity (exercising at the computer for a long time). Children and adolescents have weakness in the ligamentous-muscular apparatus of the spinal column itself, and when they remain in any forced position for a long time, the uneven load has a negative effect on different muscle groups, scoliosis develops, and subsequently osteochondrosis. Inadequate diet aggravates osteochondrotic processes. Cartilage loses elasticity and strength, its shape and consistency changes, which leads to disturbances in the mutual relationships of bone, nerve and vascular structures. Traumatic injuries, autoimmune processes, endocrine and metabolic changes, hypothermia, infection, intoxication, and hereditary factors also play an important role in the development of juvenile osteochondrosis in children. Irrational and asymmetrical work of the spinal muscles negatively affects the discs, namely: with incorrect habitual postures, insufficient warm-up, when carrying bags on the shoulder, when using soft pillows and sagging mattresses. Flat feet can be a stimulator of pathological processes in juvenile osteochondrosis. If the foot does not provide proper cushioning of interactions with the support, then negative overload occurs on the spinal column. Obesity also contributes to the development of juvenile spinal osteochondrosis. Excess adipose tissue, deposited in different places, makes it difficult to maintain balance and overloads the intervertebral joints.
Clinical manifestations of juvenile osteochondrosis syndromes in children and adolescents, unlike adults, have a number of differences. Radicular pain syndromes occur more often in children than in adults. For example, cervicalgia, lumbodynia. The pain syndrome is less pronounced, moderate in nature. Motor and reflex disorders are usually absent. Sensory disturbances do not occur in juvenile osteochondrosis. Clinically, the signs of reflex-tonic protection of the spine come to the fore. Sensory and motor disorders in juvenile osteochondrosis in children are usually very weakly expressed and often do not correspond to the zones of innervation of the affected root. There is practically no dysfunction of the pelvic organs. An X-ray examination reveals multiple Schmorl hernias in the thoracic and lumbosacral spine. Osteophytes, arthrosis and a sharp decrease in disc height do not occur, unlike in adults. The paucity of the clinical picture often leads to difficulty in making a diagnosis. And children with juvenile osteochondrosis have been treated and examined for a long time by pediatricians and adolescent doctors with various diagnoses.
At the Vertebrology Center of the Dr. Voight Clinic, children are seen by a pediatrician together with a vertebroneurologist in the presence of parents. During the consultation, the cause of the pain syndrome is clarified, and if necessary, additional examination is prescribed to clarify the diagnosis. After further examination, the doctor will prescribe an effective set of treatment procedures, including specially designed individual therapeutic exercises, patented methods of restoration and treatment of the spine. Specialists at Dr. Voight's Clinic remind parents that at the first complaint of pain in the spine in your child, be sure to consult your doctor.
Doctor of Medical Sciences Voitsitsky A.N., Ch. physician at the Clinic of Dr. Vojta Tyshchuk V.A., neurologist Dubovskaya N.A.
Types and symptoms of osteochondrosis
The main manifestations of osteochondrosis are pain and discomfort in the spine.
Common symptoms of osteochondrosis include:
- pain in various parts of the spine;
- headaches, dizziness;
- pain in the shoulders, chest, ribs, pelvis, etc.;
- sensitivity disorders;
- numbness of the limbs;
- muscle weakness;
- muscle spasms;
- muscle hypotension;
- increased fatigue.
The intensity of pain and other unpleasant sensations depends on the stage and location of the pathology.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine . This common pathology is characterized by the proliferation of bone and fibrous tissue, displacement of the vertebrae, and compression of the vertebral arteries.
The patient is worried about dizziness, headache, a feeling of interference in front of the eyes (spots, “floaters”) and other distortions of visual perception, noise in the head and ears, pain in the neck and shoulder girdle, pain in the arms, numbness of the hands, a feeling of crawling goosebumps.
With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the risk of stroke increases by approximately 40%. Be sure to consult a specialist if the disease manifests itself!
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region . Initially, painful sensations occur in the back, in the interscapular region, but later they can spread to the chest, shoulder girdle, and lower back. The pain intensifies with exertion or with prolonged exposure to an uncomfortable position.
Lumbar osteochondrosis , the second most common after cervical osteochondrosis, is characterized by dull nagging pain in the lower back, radiating to the pelvis and legs. The disease often provokes renal colic, urinary disorders, sexual dysfunction, sensory disturbances in the legs, etc.
1 X-ray of the spine
2 MRI of the spine
3 Traction traction
What is osteochondrosis? Features of osteochondrosis in children.
There is a false idea that osteochondrosis can only occur in adulthood or old age. But recently, medicine has been considering this disease as a systemic lesion of connective tissue, entailing more severe and long-lasting health consequences that can occur in both adults and children.
The spine is a very complex and, at the same time, fragile structure, which is very sensitive to many negative factors.
The causes of osteochondrosis in a child can be:
• Poor nutrition. • Hormonal, endocrine disorders. • Traumatic injuries to the spine. • Disorders and pathologies of the vascular system. • Infectious and inflammatory diseases in the child's body. • Allergic diseases. • Intoxication, long-term somatic diseases. • Anomalies of bone development, functional insufficiency of cartilage tissue. • Genetic predisposition. • Excessive loads on the child’s spine, improper sitting, early disembarkation of the baby, etc.
All these factors can provoke the appearance of osteochondrosis. Osteochondrosis is, as a rule, a multifactorial disease, the key reason for the development of which is a malnutrition of the spine, causing inflammation and degenerative consequences. The danger of osteochondrosis in a child is the development of severe consequences, including intervertebral hernias, disruption of the functioning of various organs and systems of the body. Osteochondrosis can also cause impaired growth of a child, since this disease causes degenerative changes in the growth areas of bones.
Osteochondrosis in children has the same localization of the pathological process as this disease in adults - it can be lumbar, cervical and thoracic. But in children with cervical and lumbar wasps
theochondrosis, the pain syndrome is usually not so severe, and disorders of motor functions or sensitivity in tissues occur extremely rarely - which is why osteochondrosis in children is difficult to diagnose. Cervical osteochondrosis can be expressed by symptoms such as headache, frequent nausea, fainting, signs of intoxication, weakness and fatigue, and pain in the neck or shoulder area can be mild. In order to diagnose osteochondrosis in a child and begin timely treatment, a full examination and consultation of “narrow” specialists - a surgeon, orthopedist, neurologist - is necessary.
Consequences of spinal osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is dangerous due to its complications:
- circulatory disorders, incl. cerebral;
- development of heart attacks and strokes;
- vascular pathologies;
- spinal cord damage;
- hypertension and hypotension;
- stenosis;
- disruption of internal organs and systems;
- mobility restrictions, paresis, paralysis;
- diseases of the pelvic organs (infertility, impotence, incontinence), etc.
In the absence of timely adequate treatment, the death rate from osteochondrosis is about 10%.
Diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis
Diagnosis of spinal osteochondrosis begins with a visit to a neurologist. In this case, the doctor’s qualifications and experience are very important, since similar symptoms can hide various neurological and other diseases.
After collecting anamnesis and examining the patient, hardware diagnostics are performed. Typically the following methods are used:
- ECG;
- radiography;
- MRI;
- CT if necessary.
A set of methods is usually used to treat osteochondrosis:
- treatment with medications (prescription of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, drugs to improve metabolic processes, vitamins, etc.);
- physiotherapy (ultrasound treatment, low frequency currents, laser therapy, magnetic therapy, etc.);
- kinesiotherapy;
- massage, hydromassage;
- manual therapy;
- osteopathy;
- acupuncture;
- traction traction;
- physical therapy and physiotherapy.
Surgical techniques are used in case of ineffectiveness of conservative treatment.
1 Traction traction
2 Acupuncture
3 Osteopathy
Treatment of osteochondrosis in children - how can we help?
• The most preferable treatment for osteochondrosis in children is, of course, conservative treatment. Along with medications that eliminate pain, swelling and inflammation in the soft tissues around the spine, the child is usually prescribed massage sessions, physiotherapy, balneotherapy, physical therapy, and acupuncture. It is possible to include manual therapy using myofascial techniques. If the pain syndrome is very severe, the child is prescribed medicinal blockades to relieve pain. In each specific case, treatment will be individual, according to a special scheme, since it depends on the stage of the disease, the age and state of health of the child, the presence of somatic disorders, and other factors. Treatment of osteochondrosis is long-term, it should truly become a way of life for the child - parents must provide him with proper nutrition, healthy living conditions, eliminating all harmful factors that lead to the return of the disease.
• Surgical treatment of osteochondrosis is used in complicated cases of the disease, when conservative treatment methods and traction no longer help.
In the Department of Spinal Pathology and Neurosurgery at the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Research Children's Orthopedics named after. G.I. Turner" perform conservative and surgical treatment of children with spinal diseases, including children with osteochondrosis. This department is the only one in Russia that performs surgical treatment of children in the first years and months of life with congenital malformations of the spine and spinal cord. In the surgical treatment of osteochondrosis, the operation consists of removing the intervertebral hernia, or removing part of the vertebral disc at the site of the pathology. The department’s specialists are proficient in modern surgical techniques; surgical treatment is carried out using both classical technology and using microsurgical techniques and minimally invasive technologies.
Professor S.V. Vissarionov, head of the department of spine pathology and neurosurgery at the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Research Children's Orthopedics named after. G.I. Turner" carries out observation and consultation of children with diseases of the spine, including osteochondrosis, as well as surgical treatment of young patients. Sergei Valentinovich has several patents for the invention of spinal support systems; he is the author of the latest medical technologies in the field of spinal surgery in children.
Prevention of osteochondrosis
To prevent the development of the disease, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- keep your weight under control;
- exercise;
- watch your posture, don’t slouch;
- When working at the computer, keep your back straight and periodically do a short warm-up;
- avoid stress;
- give up bad habits;
- sleep on a comfortable bed;
- do not lift weights or lift them slowly, with a straight back;
- wear comfortable shoes;
- eat well.
Do you have back pain and don't know what to do? Come to MedicCity! The clinic has all the necessary modern equipment for expert diagnosis of osteochondrosis. And our neurologists, vertebrologists, chiropractors are true professionals in their field!
Symptoms of childhood osteochondrosis
It is usually more difficult to suspect a disease in a child than in an adult. In children and adolescents, osteochondrosis, depending on the location, manifests itself with a number of signs:
- cervical spine: dizziness, headache, short-term loss of consciousness, the child moves little, gets tired quickly;
- chest: a small patient complains of pain in the sternum, he has a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath and stabbing pain in the area of the heart and lungs;
- lumbar region: sharp, sudden pain in the lower back when changing body position, or constant aching, nagging pain radiating to the leg.
The cause of pain in osteochondrosis is pinching and irritation of the nerve roots, muscle spasm, swelling of the affected area of the spine.
The progressive course of the disease can cause bone deformation and curvature of the spine. As well as displacement of the vertebrae and the occurrence of intervertebral hernias. The child suffers from growth disturbances and problems in the functioning of internal organs.
Diagnosis of the disease is carried out by doctors such as an orthopedist, a neurologist, and a neurosurgeon. Depending on the nature of the complaints, the child undergoes examination: laboratory tests, ultrasound, MRI, radiography, cardiography.