Arthrosis of the spine, or spondyloarthrosis, is a dystrophic change in the intra-articular cartilage. The disease most often affects the elderly, whose spinal column wears out and loses elasticity.
The basis of the whole organism
The spine is connected with the whole body through nerve endings. When a certain vertebra is damaged, problems begin with the muscles and organs with which it is associated. So, with the defeat of the 7th cervical vertebra, the thyroid gland suffers. And with it - the whole hormonal background. At the same time, the spine is one of the most vulnerable parts of our body, which is easily deformed due to the wrong lifestyle, which, alas, we all actively practice.
Mechanism of spinal arthrosis development
The most common arthrosis of the lumbar spine and cervical. At the root of the pathological process lies a violation of the blood supply. When the subchondral layer of the periosteum is deprived of nutrition, the cartilage tissue gradually begins to thin and lose elasticity. And repeated loads only worsen the condition. As a result,subluxations in the joints and the formation of bone growths called osteophytes. Endocrine and hormonal disorders entail similar deformities, although the mechanism of their development is somewhat different.
The disease progresses gradually, may be local. The most common is cervical arthrosis of the spine, the symptoms of which are most pronounced. If the lumbar region is affected, the disease may be asymptomatic.
Initially, the disease causes deformation of the articular cartilage, its gradual destruction and, as a result, the formation of osteophytes, which completely deprive the spinal column of flexibility.
Cartilage damage causes constant muscle spasm as the muscles tend to take on the load. This causes back pain and interferes with normal blood flow. In this case, the vertebral cartilage is also deprived of nutrition, which aggravates its condition. It turns out a vicious circle that is very difficult to break, but today we will find out how to treat osteoarthritis of the spine.
What are the causes of the disease?
Spondylarthrosis is divided into two types - primary, or idiopathic, and secondary. The causes of primary arthrosis are still unknown to medicine, but it is assumed that an important role in its development is played by hereditary predisposition, as well as congenital abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system. This is flat feet, dysplasia, etc.
Arthrosis of the spinal column is caused by the following reasons:
- long stay in one position - if you are at workforced to constantly stand or sit, this is extremely bad for your spine;
- injuries, injuries of the spinal column;
- autoimmune and vascular diseases;
- liver disease leading to joint malnutrition;
- high blood sugar;
- hormonal and endocrine disorders;
- genetic changes that lead to the destruction of cartilage;
- overweight;
- pre-existing diseases of the spine;
- Disorders of the intervertebral discs and poor mobility of individual vertebrae.
The disease also occurs in young people, but is most often diagnosed in people over 60 years of age. It is noteworthy that after the age of 45, the main percentage of cases are women, and up to 45, men are mostly ill.
Wearing of the joints is a natural process, but in our country it is accelerated many times by the wrong position of the back, excess weight, and injuries.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis of the spine
The main symptom of osteoarthritis of the spine is pain in the affected area. There is a limited mobility of the back when tilting to the sides or back and forth. Soreness goes away when the patient assumes a horizontal position, as the load is removed from him. The area of the back where pain is felt is limited.
In the morning, patients are worried about stiffness, there is a feeling of constraint in movements. With prolonged movement, there is an acute desire to stretch the stiff back.
Cervical spine arthrosis is characterized bySee also:
- Cracking in the neck when turning the head.
- Pain in the head and neck due to compression of the nerve roots.
- "Jumps" in blood pressure.
- Feeling numb in hands.
Uncovertebral arthrosis of the spine
What is this? This is one of the types of spondylarthrosis, during which growths called osteophytes grow on the spinal column. They injure the sensitive ligaments of the spine. With this type of disease, which usually affects the neck, the patient hears a constant crunch when turning the head.
Uncovertebral arthrosis of the cervical spine is characterized by a gradual increase in pain, which eventually becomes unbearable and permanent. The patient tries to turn his neck less and move his arms. Especially dangerous due to the development of neurological complications. This is one of the most serious types of arthrosis of the neck. Now that we have examined arthrosis of the cervical spine, what it is, let's move on to the symptoms and subtleties of treatment.
Symptoms of lumbar arthrosis
- Muscle stiffness, especially in the morning. This symptom is manifested in any type of spondyloarthrosis.
- Pain, burning, numbness in the muscles of the back, buttocks, thighs.
- Stiffness in the hip joint.
- Pain when bending over.
With the intensification of the pathological process, a crunch is observed in the spinal column, at first almost inaudible. Later, it occurs with any movement. In the second stage of the disease, the movements themselves become very limited. Soon the painbegin to appear even at rest, and the muscles in the affected area are spasmodic and atrophied. As a result, a hernia may occur. Spinal deformity at this time is already noticeable even with a visual examination.
Thoracic arthrosis of the spine develops much less frequently than cervical or lumbar. It is manifested by pain between the shoulder blades that occurs when turning the torso and morning stiffness.
Attention! In the initial stages of the disease, when pain in the affected area appears only when lifting weights and with sharp turns of the neck, a timely visit to the doctor will significantly reduce the duration of treatment - only about two weeks will be needed to recover.
Diagnosis of disease
To diagnose osteoarthritis of the spine, screening research methods are used that allow visualization of the spinal column. It's an MRI, X-ray. If there is suspicion of uncovertebral arthrosis of the cervical spine, it is recommended to do an ultrasound of the brain. This will eliminate the suspicion of other diseases.
How they treat
If arthrosis of the cervical spine is diagnosed, treatment (however, like other parts of the spinal column) includes:
- Relief of soreness and inflammation.
- Restoration of the spinal column and its joints.
- Improve blood circulation and nutrition of the intervertebral discs.
- Increased joint mobility.
Drug therapy
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Diclofenac, Nimesulide will help relieve pain and inflammation. The main disadvantage of these drugs is a large number of side effects, however, during the period of exacerbation, they cannot be dispensed with. In order to reduce the risk of side effects, doctors prescribe drugs in the form of injections, ointments, gels.
Restoration of cartilage tissue is carried out due to chondroprotectors. They are especially effective in the initial stages of the disease, as they have a pronounced therapeutic effect. The preparations help to restore the regeneration of cartilage tissue and improve the nutrition of cartilage and discs. Among the recommended drugs are Teraflex, Stopartros, Alflutol.
Other treatments
- To nourish and enhance the blood supply to the cartilage of the spinal column, physiotherapy exercises and massage are recommended. There are many variations of physiotherapy exercises, and the doctor selects her, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient. The program may include stretching, hoop exercises, etc. Swimming is also recommended for the patient - it has no contraindications and helps to nourish cartilage and strengthen the muscle corset.
- Physiotherapy. For the treatment of osteoarthritis of the spine, the patient can be prescribed such procedures as reflexology, manual and manual massage, magnetotherapy (special magnetic cups), abdominal decompression and phonophoresis. Physiotherapy helps improve nutritionvertebrae and joints and relieve pain.
Diet. It is recommended to drink plenty of water and eat a small amount of fresh vegetables and fruits daily, as well as switch to whole grain bread, cereals and replace animal fats with vegetable ones. Try to eliminate carbonated drinks, sweet pastries and sugar, flour products, smoked meats and other excessively fatty foods from the diet
If conservative treatments fail, radiofrequency denervation may be used. The method consists in exposing the diseased area to an electromagnetic field and is minimally invasive, with a minimal risk of complications.
In the presence of complicated arthrosis (for example, compression of the spinal cord), surgical methods of treatment can be prescribed. But they are rarely prescribed due to the fact that conservative therapy usually helps to eliminate the manifestations of the disease.
