Spinal hernia is a rather severe pathology, which is a congenital anomaly, as a result of which the vertebrae do not close, but form a gap. Because of this, parts of the spinal cord and its membranes come out under the skin. Most often, this pathology is formed in the lower part of the spinal column, but can also occur in other places. This is a very serious disease, the severity of which depends on how much the nerve tissues are deprived of protection.
How severe is this disease?
Today, a spinal hernia is diagnosed even in the prenatal period, which allows you to take preventive measures already before the birth of a child. Almost always, spina bifida is an indication for terminating a pregnancy, since spinal hernia in newborns is considered a very serious malformation. But if a woman still accepteddecision to give birth, then after birth, the child is given radical treatment to prevent the development of severe disability.
Spinal hernia in adults is also accompanied by severe disability, because it does not allow movement of the lower limbs and leads to urinary and fecal incontinence. A person without outside help simply cannot exist.
What causes a hernia?
The causes of spina bifida are still not fully understood. The fetus during fetal development can be influenced by various factors: chemical, biological, physical. Most scientists agreed that a lack of vitamins in the mother's body, in particular folic acid, may lead to the occurrence of a spinal hernia.
Although spina bifida is a congenital disorder, it is not considered genetic in nature. However, if a child with such an anomaly has already been conceived, then during a subsequent pregnancy the risk of its occurrence is high.
To prevent the conception of another child with spina bifida, a woman must undergo preliminary preparation before pregnancy, consuming a complex of all necessary vitamins and minerals.
In an adult, a spinal hernia occurs due to a fall from a height, lifting weights, as a result of a collision or impact.
Types of spinal hernia
Such a pathology is of the following types:
- Hidden, which is characterized by a mild form and a violation of the structure of only one vertebra. Most people with this type of hernia have no symptoms other than a slight indentation in the affected area of the spine.
- Hernia, in which there is a serious defect in the bones. Pathology has an external manifestation, expressed in a hernial protrusion with the spinal cord located in it, along with the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid. Most often, the nerve roots and trunks are not damaged and continue to function normally. In more severe cases, the spinal cord may be infringed in the hernial sac along with the membranes, trunks and nerve roots. In this case, the pathology is accompanied by severe impairment of motor activity and sensitivity.
Symptoms of pathology in newborns
Congenital spinal hernia manifests as follows:
- leg paralysis;
- violation of intestinal motility;
- loss of sensation below the hernia;
- violation of the functions of the bladder, kidneys and rectum.
Another symptom that characterizes spinal hernia in children is a very large size of the skull, caused by dropsy of the brain (hydrocephalus), that is, fluid accumulates inside the ventricles of the brain. This is facilitated by a violation of the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid, which is caused by a spinal hernia.
Hydrocephalus often leads toconvulsions, retarded development, epilepsy, neurotic disorders, severe headaches, strabismus, poor eyesight, rolling pupils, weakness of the limbs. With very strong fluid pressure on the brain, death occurs.
Symptoms of the disease in adults
Spinal hernia in an adult is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Numbness of the skin on the foot, thigh or lower leg, feeling of numbness or tingling.
- Pain when bending over.
- Difficulty in controlling the work of the muscles of the foot, thigh, lower leg.
- Severe pain that occurs in the lumbar spine, radiating to the legs, abdomen, groin area.
- Increased sweating.
How is pathology diagnosed?
Diagnosis of a hernia begins with the collection of a medical history: the age at which weakness in the lower extremities occurred and thinning of the leg muscles appeared, as well as when it became very difficult to move.
The patient should definitely contact a neurologist, who assesses the strength of the motor activity of the lower extremities, checks how much the muscle tone in the legs is reduced, and also examines the spinal column to identify an external hernial protrusion.
Diagnosis of a hernia includes:
- Transillumination, which evaluates the contents of the hernial sac.
- Contrast myelography. In this case, it is estimated how badly the spinal cord is damaged by administering intravenouslycontrast agent that begins to accumulate in the area of the hernia;
- Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging used in the spinal column to examine the spinal cord in layers. The data obtained make it possible to identify the pathological area in the structure of the spinal canals and the place where the hernia and its contents are located.
Surgeon and geneticist consultation required as well.
Identification of anomalies in the fetus during fetal development is carried out as follows:
- through a routine ultrasound during pregnancy;
- blood tests for alpha-fetoprotein by a woman during childbearing;
- examination of amniotic fluid by piercing the membranes.
The decision on whether to terminate the pregnancy or not is made by a council of doctors, based on the severity of the pathology and the desire of the woman herself.
Conservative treatment of vertebral anomaly
Spinal hernia is a very serious illness, therefore any folk methods of treatment, visiting saunas and baths, drinking alcohol tinctures, hot compresses, and hot baths with medicinal herbs are strictly prohibited. All this can greatly worsen the patient's condition.
Treatment of a spinal hernia is carried out only in a radical way - by removing the pathology. A conservative method of treatment is necessary in order to prevent the progression of the anomaly. For this, neurotrophics and nootropics are used, which normalize the functioning of the nervous tissue. Necessarilyyou should take vitamins A, B, C, E, which help to improve metabolic processes in the areas of the spinal cord affected by the disease.
Physiotherapy procedures (laser, magnet) are also recommended to help restore motor activity. With the help of physiotherapy exercises in the affected areas, neuromuscular connections are restored. Thanks to dietary nutrition, bowel function is normalized. Be sure to include more coarse fiber (cereals, vegetables) in the diet.
Surgical removal of a spinal hernia
Many patients are afraid of the operation, but in most cases it is this method of treatment that helps to get rid of the hernia, until the nerve centers are affected. Surgical intervention is absolutely necessary if unbearable pain occurs, fecal and urinary incontinence occurs, a person begins to move with difficulty, and only painkillers save him.
Surgery (spinal hernia surgical removal) consists in the reconstruction of the defect of the spine, closing the opening of the bone tissue. If the hernial sac has non-viable tissues, they are removed, and he althy structures of the spinal cord are placed in the spinal canal. In most cases, the disease is accompanied by hydrocephalus, which after some time contributes to irreversible changes in the brain. To prevent the harmful effects of strong intracranial pressure, a shunt is formed, which is necessary to drain the cerebrospinal fluid in the chestlymphatic duct.
Prevention of disease recurrence
Unfortunately, there is a high probability that a spinal hernia will form again, in the same place or some other. Therefore, when performing therapeutic exercises, it is necessary to listen to your feelings that arise during spinal traction. Pain during exercise should in no case increase, but, on the contrary, decrease.
Newborns and adults are given a course of drugs that better nourish the tissues of the spinal cord. Children need to regularly visit a neurologist for preventive examinations. If the muscle corset begins to weaken, and an incorrect posture occurs, then after a while this can lead to the fact that the load on the spine will not be distributed correctly, provoking the formation of a hernia. Therefore, it is very important to treat your treatment responsibly and consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Spinal cord herniation is a severe malformation of intrauterine development of the fetus, often causing permanent disability and the occurrence of complications that are incompatible with life. It is treated only surgically, but even this method does not give any guarantee that the hernia will not form again. Therefore, a woman, before planning a pregnancy, should consult a doctor to conduct all the necessary examinations and follow the necessary recommendations.
