When spondylopathy is diagnosed, what it is, you need to know as accurately as possible. The presented disease is characterized by dystrophic and degenerative changes in the tissues of the musculoskeletal system. The main concomitant symptom is limited movement and pain. There is also a deterioration in the circulatory process, as capillaries and nerve fibers are pinched.
Characteristic features of the disease
There is a generally accepted International Classification of Diseases, which describes spondylopathy (ICD-10 assigns codes M45-M49 to it). The concept is unifying, and it includes various pathologies of the spine, represented by an integral organ. This includes both inflammatory and non-inflammatory diseases.
The main distinguishing feature of spondylopathy is the formation of ossificates on the vertebrae. They arehave the appearance of sharp spikes and appear from bone tissue. It is they that provoke a violation of body mobility, the occurrence of pain and pinched nerve endings.
In medicine, there are several types of diseases. They differ in cause and symptoms. Often, patients have an overgrowth of connective tissue on the side walls of the spine, or some of its parts are displaced to the sides, thereby violating the natural anatomical position.
Causes of pathology
Dealing with such a disorder as spondylopathy (what it is, we are now figuring out), it is impossible not to touch on the topic of the main causes of the appearance of degenerative and dystrophic changes in tissues. First of all, there are injuries. They can be sports, professional, domestic or the consequences of disasters.
Since hard tissues have undergone mechanical damage, third-party bone outgrowths are formed on the spine, and this negatively affects the functioning of the ligamentous apparatus. The next provoking factor is hypo- or beriberi, malnutrition, low intake of minerals and concomitant hormonal diseases. This group of reasons is referred to as a metabolic disorder.
Often it is present in people with diabetes, obesity, or when the thyroid / parathyroid gland, adrenal glands do not work properly. Almost always, he althy tissue is damaged if there has been a viral oran infectious disease, since these representatives of the flora produce specific toxins, resulting in inflammatory spondylopathies.
It is impossible to exclude hereditary predisposition as one of the causes of dystrophic and degenerative changes in the tissues of the spine. This happens in a situation where someone in the family has already suffered from such a disease, and then the damaged gene is passed on from generation to generation. The last reasons are regular increased physical activity, as well as the natural aging of the body.
Varieties of spinal injury
There is hormonal and dishormonal spondylopathy. Medicine knows several main types of spondylopathy:
- Pathology with a pronounced lesion of the intervertebral discs.
- As a complication after infectious and parasitic diseases.
- A consequence of osteoporosis.
- The result of natural aging of the body (senile type).
- The consequences of improper metabolism.
- Neurogenic varieties.
- Dysplastic appearance.
Depending on the type of pathological process, it will develop faster or slower, and also differ in symptoms. Dyshormonal spondylopathy is better known as spinal osteoporosis.
Lumbar injury
Classification, as well as varieties of the disease, is voluminous. Briefly, we can consider what type of pathological process occurs most often and least often. Orthopedists say that lumbar spondylopathy is mainly diagnosed. Most resolution occurs in the 5S, L1, and the disc that lies between them.
The reasons are:
- high static loads;
- dystrophy of the lumbar muscles due to insufficient physical activity;
- stooping while walking and sitting;
- wrong stop setting;
- frequent injuries from heavy lifting.
The main clinical sign of pathology is a pronounced painful syndrome. Unpleasant sensations are diffuse in nature and spread along the entire sciatic nerve. Against this background, it seems to a person that the limbs are numb, and goosebumps crawl on the skin. After a long stay in one position, there is stiffness of movements.
Thoracic lesion
You can suspect the presence of dystrophic or degenerative changes by the presence of specific symptoms. If one or a combination of signs appears, then you need to seek medical help and undergo an examination. Thoracic spondylopathy is very rare.
In this area, the vertebrae do not move as actively as compared to the lower back. Pathology is considered dangerous, since patients have a change in the attachment points of the costal arches, and the chest is deformed. The main symptoms are:
- Unable to take a deep breath.
- Pain, feeling of friction and tightness while breathing.
- Discomfort in the projection of the intercostal arches.
- Decreased lung capacity.
- Feeling pressure on the heart.
- Violation of myocardial nutrition process.
Spondylopathy of the thoracic spine is a disease that can provoke damage to the pancreas, stomach, gallbladder, upper loop of the large intestine. But if you achieve a physiological change in posture, then this will help correct the situation up to the restoration of normal height between the vertebrae.
Signs of spinal spondylopathy
First of all, the patient feels pain in the back. As a result of this, his movements become constrained, that is, mobility is limited. All muscles in close proximity to the affected area are tensed. If the disease has developed due to infection or parasites in the body, then there will be all the symptoms of intoxication (nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, excessive sweating, etc.).
Spondylopathies of the spine, formed as a result of improper metabolism, are accompanied by various deformities of the column, which does not exclude its complete or partial displacement. In the process of diagnosis, osteophytes are detected, a person becomes irritable, body weight fluctuates. If there is a senile form, then kyphosis or scoliosis will develop.
Stages of pathology progression
Trying to understand why spondylopathy develops, what it is and how it manifests itself, it is necessary to mention the stages of progression of the pathological process. At the very beginning, the disease proceeds with a minimally pronouncedsymptoms that people rarely pay attention to, attributing everything to typical fatigue.
However, already at this stage, the vertebrae become thinner, the bones become loose and thin. As tissues grow, deformities become more pronounced. At the third stage, there will already be a clear painful syndrome and limited movements. The fourth stage is characterized by subsidence and displacement of the vertebrae, and at the fifth stage, a fracture or pinching of the neural process is not ruled out.
Basic diagnostic methods
It is very important that spondylopathy be diagnosed in a timely manner. What it is, you can check with different medical professionals involved in the diagnostic process.
To confirm or refute the disease, the following methods are used:
- radiography;
- computed tomography;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- bacteriological research;
- blood test.
X-ray shows structural changes in the spine and the degree of disk compaction. MRI diagnostics shows the level of mineralization, and CT shows the state of muscles and nerve fibers. In the study of blood, there is a high rate of erythrocyte sedimentation, increased viscosity, a tendency to form blood clots, in men and women, the release of testosterone and estradiol increases, respectively.
Methods of treating the disease
When spondylopathy is confirmed after examination, the treatment is developed by a leading specialist. If the cause of the pathology is hidden in the disturbed processmetabolism, drug therapy is carried out. You will need to take medications to help make up for the lack of vitamins and minerals.
Hormonal treatment is prescribed only in the presence of endocrine diseases, and spondylopathy after injuries is almost always eliminated through surgery. If there is an infection in the body, then a course of antibiotics is prescribed. Symptomatic therapy consists in taking hormonal and non-steroidal medications, as well as muscle relaxants.
Efficiency of massage and exercise therapy
Massage shows a good therapeutic result. Thanks to this procedure, the muscle fibers of the back can be strengthened. Patients after a full course note an improvement in their general condition, the absence of pain. They restore the circulation of lymph and blood in the body.
It is good to carry out massage in combination with physiotherapy. Most procedures that use electric current help eliminate swelling. Particular attention is paid to exercise therapy or therapeutic exercises. All patients are advised to exercise in the morning. An experienced specialist should select exercises so as not to harm himself.
Radon baths
If we consider the option of complex treatment, then it should include radon baths. Such manipulations are carried out in the conditions of sanatorium treatment or in paid medical centers.
After the procedure, the patient feels relaxed, his back pain disappears, andalso boosts immunity. Do not take radon baths as a panacea. Moreover, they have contraindications that must be familiarized with before starting a course of treatment, only a doctor should prescribe them.
Manual influence
The main rule of successful treatment of spondylopathy is to stop the process of destruction of bone structures, cartilage and tendons as quickly as possible. Manual therapy can help with this. It is worth remembering that dystrophic-degenerative processes are accompanied by pain, so it is important to stop it.
The presented non-traditional treatment allows to achieve the following results:
- Compression pain syndrome disappears (for this they resort to osteopathy, kinesitherapy or traction traction).
- Diffuse nutrition of the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs is restored (achieved through massage or reflexology).
- The muscular frame of the back is strengthened (therapeutic exercises and osteopathy help).
In each clinical case, the therapeutic course should be selected individually for the patient. This allows taking into account the peculiarities of the course of the disease and the organism itself, the presence of concomitant pathologies.
Consequences and prevention
If a person neglects to visit the hospital when the characteristic symptoms of the disease appear, then progressive spondylopathy will lead to a decrease in mobility. Subsequently, the blood circulation process will be disturbed, nerve endings and capillaries will be squeezed.
Unfortunately, getting rid of senile spondylopathy is impossible, because the body is undergoing a process of natural aging. However, the destruction of bone structures can be slowed down. To do this, it is recommended to do gymnastics, do morning exercises, and also take multivitamin and mineral complexes prescribed by a doctor.
As for prevention, experts recommend avoiding frequent and excessive physical activity. If there were previous injuries, you need to control the healing process. It is important to always monitor the level of sugar and hormones in the blood. If you suspect spondylopathy, you should first seek the advice of a therapist. After examination by a doctor, subsequent treatment is developed in cooperation with an orthopedist.