There are 3 physiological bends in the human body: one kyphosis and two lordosis. The formation of each of them occurs at different stages of life. Under the influence of various adverse factors, a pathological process can develop, characterized by straightening of the curves of the spine. In some cases, they don't even begin to form at all.
The most serious variant of the disease is a smoothed lumbar lordosis. The back in this area looks absolutely straight. In this case, the patient himself is slightly arched back. As a result, the person cannot walk straight. Currently, there are several conservative methods for the treatment of flattened lumbar lordosis. If they are ineffective, surgical intervention is indicated.
Development mechanism
Normally, cervical lordosis begins to form first. This happens when the baby is trying to hold his head up.on one's own. Then kyphosis begins to form in the thoracic region. At this stage, the child makes the first attempts to sit down. The last curve is formed in the lumbar region when the baby begins to walk.
The presence of these physiological curvatures allows a person to move straight. At the same time, the load on the musculoskeletal system is distributed evenly.
Under the influence of any provoking factors, the bend straightens or does not form at all. In such cases, it is customary to say that the lordosis is smoothed. At the same time, an ailment localized in the lumbar region gives a person the most problems.
Reasons
The disease can be both congenital and acquired. In the first case, the physiological lumbar lordosis is smoothed out for the following reasons:
- Deviations during fetal development. As a rule, they are caused by the presence of bad habits in the expectant mother or infectious pathologies.
- Birth trauma. If the algorithm of actions is not followed or in difficult cases, during the birth of a child, the baby's spine may be damaged. In the future, abnormal development of bone structures occurs. As a result, the child's lumbar lordosis is smoothed.
- A sharp increase in body weight. Rapid weight gain is most often observed in children born prematurely. Initially, they are born with a lack of weight, and then very quickly gain the missing pounds.
- Rickets. The development of bone structures is impaired with vitamin D deficiency. If a useful componentdo not start taking soon after birth, this may lead to a violation of the formation of natural curves.
If an adult has flattened lumbar lordosis, it means that he has had a back injury or spinal surgery in the past. The risk group also includes people who expose the body to frequent and high-intensity physical exertion, and people with neoplasms and hernias. Pathology can also develop during pregnancy.
Clinical manifestations
At the initial stage of the development of the disease, a person does not feel any alarming signs. The first symptoms appear already when the lumbar lordosis is strongly smoothed, that is, the pathology is at an advanced stage.
The disease is characterized by the following manifestations:
- Pain in the lumbar area. They can be cutting, aching or burning in nature. The pain is constant, its intensity increases after long walks and physical activity.
- Tension of muscle tissue in the lumbar region. Hypertonicity is a consequence of the irregular shape of the spine. Muscle tension can also be felt in the chest.
- Change in gait. The course of the disease is accompanied by a violation of posture. As a result, a person's gait also changes.
- Reducing the degree of sensitivity of the lower extremities. Against the background of a smoothed lumbar lordosis, pinching of the nerve fibers of the spinal cord often occurs. As a result, the patient feels weakness in the legs, muscle tissue becomes flabby.
- Increaseddegree of fatigue. The patient's lifestyle becomes sedentary. Even after a little physical activity, he needs more time to rest.
If any of the above symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor. He will conduct diagnostic measures and, based on their results, will draw up a treatment regimen. The latter may include both conservative and operational methods.
Diagnosis
A pathology is treated by an orthopedic doctor. In most cases, the diagnosis of the disease does not cause complications. Already at the stage of the initial examination, the doctor determines that the lumbar lordosis is smoothed out. To confirm the diagnosis, the orthopedist sends the patient for an X-ray examination.
Based on the medical history, additional urine and blood tests (general, biochemical, rheumatoid factor) may be prescribed.
Conservative treatment
Persons with flattened lumbar lordosis should responsibly follow the doctor's recommendations. This is due to the fact that ignoring the disease can lead to disability.
Drug treatment of pathology includes the following items:
- Taking anti-inflammatory drugs. If they are ineffective, analgesics are prescribed.
- Intravenous administration of pain relievers.
- Topical use of creams and ointments.
- Reception or introduction of chondroprotectors. These are drugs whose active ingredients contribute tocartilage restoration. Injections are made directly into the lesion.
It is important to understand that medications are prescribed for the purpose of symptomatic treatment. No drug is able to give the spine a physiological position.
If the disease was detected in a timely manner, that is, at a very early stage of development, the situation can be corrected with the help of massage, exercise therapy, swimming and acupuncture.
Therapeutic exercise
With a smoothed lumbar lordosis, exercises help to normalize the tone of muscle tissue, restore mobility of the spine and stop pain.
The treatment complex looks like this:
- Stand up straight. As you exhale, tilt your torso forward. Hands should be lowered down. Do not bend your knees. Reach the floor with your fingers and return to the starting position.
- As you exhale, turn your torso to the left. Bend over and touch your toes with your hands. Repeat the exercise, turning to the right.
- As you exhale, raise the leg bent at the knees and press it to the chest. The second limb should remain straight. On an inhale, return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.
- Take a lying position on the floor or any other flat surface. Place your hands along the body with palms up. As you exhale, bend the lower limbs and press the hips to the stomach. On inspiration, return to the starting position.
You need to do exercise therapy every day. Each exercise must be performed8-10 times. At the same time, the first positive results appear on average after a year.
Surgery
If conservative methods are ineffective, the doctor evaluates the feasibility of the operation. In addition, surgery is indicated for severe pinched nerve fibers, kidney failure, erectile dysfunction, infertility and paralysis of the lower extremities.
During the operation, the doctor practically restores the physiological curvature of the spine. However, surgery is resorted to only in isolated cases.
In conclusion
In rare cases, doctors note that patients have smoothed lumbar lordosis. What it is? There are several physiological curves in the human body. Under the influence of various reasons, they are not formed or are straightened in the process of life. If the disease is detected at an early stage, it is enough to perform therapeutic exercises daily. When a smoothed lumbar lordosis is visible to the naked eye, it is customary to talk about the advanced stage of the disease. Initially, the doctor prescribes conservative methods of treatment. In isolated cases, surgical intervention is indicated.
