Many patients do not know how to understand that you have osteochondrosis, but at the same time they are happy to make this diagnosis for themselves. Meanwhile, the causes of back, lower back or neck pain can be many. These can be curvature of the spine, rupture of internal organs, tumors, infections, instability of the position of vertebral bodies, etc. Therefore, you should not self-diagnose. Seek medical attention in case of pain.
There is no reliable algorithm to recognize osteochondrosis without special tests. But there are certain clinical signs that make it possible to suspect this disease. We will talk about them in the material brought to your attention. In the meantime, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the mechanism of development of osteochondrosis.
Degenerative dystrophic disease of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs - this is what scientifically called osteochondrosis. As it develops, it leads to dorsopathy which is complicated by back pain, sciatica, sciatica, sciatica, lumbago and other syndromes associated with damage to various tissues.
Osteochondrosis is a consequence of maintaining a wrong lifestyle of a person. The contributing factors are:
- excess body weight - each kilogram creates an additional depreciation and mechanical load on the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral disc;
- a sedentary lifestyle without regular exercises in the muscular structure of the back;
- eating large amounts of carbohydrates, refined foods;
- wearing tight, uncomfortable clothes and shoes;
- incorrect posture, habit of bending over, bending over, leaning the body in one direction or another;
- incorrect foot configuration in the form of flat foot or clubfoot;
- spinal curvature;
- sedentary work or heavy physical work;
- smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages;
- Insufficient consumption of drinking water during the day.
All these factors slow down the microcirculation of blood in the capillary network in the thickness of muscle tissue. It ends up being unable to perform a complete diffuse exchange with the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs. They don't have their own circulatory system. This is how the surface destruction mechanism of the annulus fibrosus (this is the outer shell of the disc) is launched. It forms a deposit of calcium salts. They prevent the receipt of fluid from the outside. Therefore, the annulus fibrosus begins to extract fluid from the nucleus pulposus located within it. This gelatinous body is responsible for maintaining the normal height and shape of the intervertebral disc. Therefore, with the loss of fluid, the nucleus pulposus loses its ability to maintain disc height. The second stage of osteochondrosis develops - protrusion.
In the third stage, the annulus fibrosus breaks and part of the nucleus pulposus comes out. This is a herniated disc. It puts pressure on surrounding soft tissues, causes an inflammatory reaction, etc.
The fourth stage of osteochondrosis is the sequestration of the intervertebral hernia. Part of the nucleus pulposus separates or leaves entirely through the resulting rupture of the annulus fibrosus. If the hernia enters the cavity of the spinal canal, its abduction requires an emergency surgical operation. Otherwise, a person may remain incapacitated with paralysis of the body for the rest of their life.
As you can see, this is a very serious disease that needs to be diagnosed in a timely manner. The sooner complex treatment is started, the greater the chances of a complete restoration of the intervertebral disc integrity and function.
When the first signs of osteochondrosis appear, you can make an appointment with a vertebrologist or neurologist. Doctors will perform an examination and a manual examination. They will make an accurate diagnosis and recommend the necessary additional tests. Once an accurate diagnosis is made, you will be given a course of treatment.
How to recognize cervical osteochondrosis
How to understand that you have cervical osteochondrosis, and not myositis, and what to do next? Before recognizing cervical osteochondrosis, you need to collect anamnesis:
- when the pains appear;
- what actions provoke your appearance;
- how long ago the first seizure occurred;
- there are any additional clinical signs;
- how the sleeping and working place is organized;
- what bad habits there are;
- workplace and profession.
How to understand this cervical osteochondrosis according to all this information? First of all, it is important to know that the degenerative degenerative disease of the intervertebral discs manifests itself in the form of pain, stiffness of movement, excessive tension in the muscles of the neck and collar area only at the initial stage. So, tension headache, dizziness, hearing and visual impairment, increased fatigue, decreased mental performance, etc. are added to these signals.
A distinctive feature of cervical osteochondrosis is that the exacerbation of symptoms begins at the end of the working day. And the professional activity of the patient in most cases is associated with prolonged static tension of the muscles of the neck and collar area. On examination, there is pain on palpation of the spinous processes of the vertebrae, excessive muscle tension, and increased pain when trying to turn the head.
Before recognizing osteochondrosis of the cervical region, the doctor recommends that the patient take an x-ray. Shows the reduced spaces between the vertebral bodies. This indicates that a bump is developing. With the help of an x-ray image, an experienced vertebrologist will be able to exclude instability of the position of vertebral bodies, their subluxations, retrolisthesis, antelisthesis, destruction of intervertebral joints and various other serious pathologies. If this test is not enough, an MRI or CT scan is recommended. If you suspect the development of posterior vertebral artery syndrome, it is recommended to perform an ultrasound of the vessels of the neck and head.
How to recognize osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Before recognizing thoracic osteochondrosis, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of developing pathologies of internal organs, such as the heart, coronary circulatory system, lungs, pleura, bronchi, etc. Consider how to recognize osteochondrosis of the thoracic region:
- the most important diagnostic technique is palpation, if the pain is determined exclusively by the spinous processes of the vertebrae and in the region of the paravertebral muscles, degenerative destruction of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs is not excluded;
- mobility is limited and any twists and turns of the body increase the pain;
- the attack of pain was provoked by physical exertion, hypothermia or psychological stress factors;
- taking a deep breath does not make the pain worse.
It is very important to know how to understand the heart or osteochondrosis, since acute chest pain is not infrequently a precursor to myocardial infarction. And in this condition, the patient should immediately receive cardiac care.
So if anxiety, panic and fear of death are felt during a pain attack, there is a 90% chance of a heart attack and you need to urgently call an ambulance. If there is a tonometer, you will need to measure blood pressure and count the pulse. When the pulse decreases to bradycardia (less than 50 beats per minute) and with an increase in blood pressure of 20-40 mm Hg above normal age, an attack of unstable angina pectoris should also be suspected with a possible transition to myocardial infarction. myocardium.
You should not look for information on how to understand a headache or osteochondrosis, it is much more productive to seek medical help. Even the most common ECG, taken in the hospital emergency room, will show what gives the pain syndrome: the heart or the spine. Regardless, you can rely only on sensations during palpation. As a rule, with damage to the heart muscle, palpation of the spinous processes of the vertebrae does not cause unpleasant sensations. But at the same time, there are clinical symptoms of osteochondrosis such as shortness of breath, feeling short of breath, pallor of the skin, feeling of cold clammy sweat on the skin, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle, and severe muscle weakness.
How to recognize osteochondrosis of the lumbar
Quite acute is the question of how to understand that osteochondrosis of the lumbar causes severe pain. In addition, with the defeat of some paired radicular nerves, as well as nerve plexuses, clinical symptoms resembling diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and urinary system occur. These are constipation, diarrhea, frequent urination, etc.
How to understand that your back osteochondrosis causes pain and all other clinical signs:
- no increase in body temperature;
- no nausea and vomiting;
- the tongue is not coated with white or yellow coating;
- when urinating, the color of urine does not differ from normal;
- when emptying the intestines, there is no tenesmus and other pain sensations;
- there is no mixing of blood or mucus in the stool.
To exclude renal pathology, a test for Pasternatsky's symptom is performed. The patient stands with his back to the doctor. The doctor with the edge of the palm lightly taps the edge of the lower costal arch. If pain occurs, there is a high probability that lower back pain is associated with damage to the kidneys and ureters.
How to recognize osteochondrosis of the lumbar by indirect signs:
- with any movement, the pain sharply increases;
- exacerbation of the condition begins after serious physical exertion, weight lifting, hypothermia or overheating of the body;
- stiffness of movements is felt, often associated with muscle weakness;
- the muscles of the lumbar region are strongly tense, painful on palpation;
- pain may spread along the large nerves, for example, in the groin area, in the anterior abdominal wall, along the lower extremities;
- at rest, the pain syndrome disappears quickly.
When the characteristic symptoms of osteochondrosis appear, it is important to contact a neurologist or vertebrologist as soon as possible. Only an experienced physician can rule out the possibility of vertebral dislocation, herniated disc, spinal stenosis and other dangerous pathologies that require immediate medical attention.
What to do with osteochondrosis pain
We discovered how to understand that pain arises from osteochondrosis. Right now, this is important information. You need to know how to behave properly and what to do to get rid of such a disease.
A degenerative degenerative disease of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs does not go away on its own. This is due to a number of factors. First, calcification of the annulus fibrosus surface occurs as a result of the loss of the ability to absorb fluid secreted by working muscles. Second, in the process of reducing the height of the intervertebral discs, a secondary contraction of the ligaments and tendons occurs. It will be impossible to restore the height of the intervertebral spaces needed to straighten the discs on your own.