According to statistics, today there are about 100 cases of diseases of various kinds of intervertebral hernia per one hundred thousand people. However, not everyone knows about the main symptoms and methods of treatment of this disease. In this article, we will consider the question of what intervertebral hernias are, as well as what kind of therapy medicine offers in these cases.
General information
To understand what this kind of disease is, you should delve a little into the anatomy of the human body. The so-called intervertebral disc is surrounded by an annulus fibrosus. The disease appears when this fibrous ring ruptures for some reason, and the nucleus inside the disk is slightly displaced. Then it moves into the intervertebral canal, where it affects various nerve endings and cells of the spinal cord, resulting in spasms, pain and discomfort.
Intervertebral hernia. Reasons
Lack of physical activity, sedentary work and passive rest are prerequisites for the fact that a person may develop intervertebral hernia. According to experts, people from 25 to 50 years old fall into the risk group. As the primary reasons, experts name the following: mechanical injuries, blows to the back, lifting weights, sharp turns, and so on. The risk group also includes those people who already have a curvature of posture or osteochondrosis. Intervertebral hernias have peculiar symptoms and differ from each other in the localization of the lesion (lumbar, cervical, thoracic). In more detail, we will look at the lumbar hernia.
Intervertebral lumbar hernia. Symptoms
In the early stages of the disease, there is a high probability of the appearance of so-called dull pains in the lumbar region, which will intensify during sports. A little later, other symptoms are possible, namely:
- after sudden movements (for example, turns) there is a shooting pain in the lumbar region;
- genitourinary problems (pain, diarrhea, incontinence, constipation, etc.);
- numbness in the fingers or numbness and tingling in the groin area.
Treatment
In medicine, the main methods of treating this disease are conventionally divided into surgical and conservative. The latter are also divided into drug and non-drug. Conservative methods involve the use of acupuncture,acupressure, the use of various kinds of folk remedies.
Intervertebral hernia. Operation
This method is used only after a detailed examination by a specialist. In this case, the problem is solved radically, that is, through surgical intervention, the hernia is instantly removed. Relief after the operation is observed immediately, however, the surgical method of solving the problem has its drawbacks. For example, it is highly likely that during the operation the doctor may touch the spine, therefore, the patient may remain completely disabled. In addition, in medical practice there is evidence of recurrence of the disease. Doctors recommend resorting to surgery only if conservative methods of treatment have not yielded the expected result.
