Osteochondrosis forces the body to keep the muscles in the lumbar region tense, reducing the load on the spine. The patient seeks a more comfortable position and tries not to change it to relieve discomfort.
Main steps
The disease is progressive, therefore at different stages there are corresponding signs, the diagnosis of which helps the doctor to prescribe the appropriate treatment. Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis:
- in the first stage, there is a marked discomfort and unnoticeable pain in the lumbar spine;
- the second stage is associated with the destruction of the annulus fibrosus, which leads to the convergence of the vertebrae between them;
- this is followed by the formation of an intervertebral hernia and a significant deformation of the spine, accompanied by severe pain;
- The fourth stage of osteochondrosis of the lumbar region leads to complete disability of patients: the destruction becomes more intense, precedes sharp pains and difficulty in movement.
At each stage, the appearance of the development and further treatment of osteochondrosis depends on the localization of the disease in a particular part of the lower back. The therapy is aimed at relieving pain, eliminating inflammation, normalizing the metabolic processes of the cartilage tissue of the spinal discs.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region is a dangerous degenerative disease of the spine, leading to degenerative processes. It is localized in the corresponding area and is characterized by ossification of the cartilage or destruction of the ridge discs. More than 80% of the course is accompanied by pain that radiates to the leg. The pain symptoms are caused by compression of the spinal nerve roots by the overcrowded tissues, in medicine they are called lumboischialgia.
Signs in the initial stage
Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis are accompanied by dull pain, which, as a rule, go unnoticed. Unpleasant sensations appear in the back or buttocks after moving weights and sudden movements. The processes of initial degradation of the lumbar intervertebral region begin.
The spinal cord functions without any special changes, but the morphological processes of cartilaginous tissue suffocation continue to progress, accompanied by the following signs:
- growth of uncinate processes;
- minimal disc displacement with rupture of the fibrous capsule.
Clinical symptoms - shooting pains after physical exertion and prolonged (frequent) standing in an uncomfortable position.
Sometimes the first stage is called preclinical, since lumbar osteochondrosis practically cannot appear.
Second phase
Symptoms of this stage are chronic pain that radiates to the pelvic organs, buttocks or legs. Both relapses and remissions are characteristic. Basically, the deterioration is observed after physical exercise.
The third stage
Progressive processes lead to the formation of a hernia with all the consequences that follow:
- neurological symptoms (dizziness, headache, darkness, tinnitus and loss of consciousness);
- kidney and genitourinary system problems (uncontrolled urination);
- problems with the cardiovascular system (arrhythmia).
In the third stage, treatment, in addition to drug and physiotherapy methods, may include surgery to avoid compression of the spinal cord and the development of unwanted complications.
The fourth stage
The last stage is associated with calcification of the damaged disc. The pains become much weaker, but the deformation of the spine continues. The body, activating the defense mechanism, begins the processes of ossification, which leads to a decrease in the epidural space, increased compression of the spinal cord and disruption of the work of all systems controlled by it. In simple terms, cartilage turns into bone and grows. From here, many dangerous symptoms appear, characteristic of the third stage, but in a more acute form.
Prolonged complex treatment and surgical intervention are required.
How to distinguish where the lesion is located
Entrapment of certain nerve endings and segments has its own manifestations and symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- with damage to the roots of the spine L1, L2 - severe pain, numbness of the inguinal area and inner thighs. The progression of osteochondrosis of the lower back, accompanied by a hernia, is characterized by lumboischialgia in both lower extremities;
- when localized in the mid L5 region, shooting pain is characteristic with radiation to the thumb, decreased sensitivity;
- with numbness of the outer thigh to the lower leg and severe pain, the problem is compression of the S1 nerve root.
Treatment is prescribed after diagnosis with MRI.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region
The localization of the disease has a direct impact on its course and symptoms. Degeneration of the lumbar spine can cause myelogenous claudication. The lower spinal cord receives a limited blood supply, which causes weakness in the legs when walking and a frequent urge to urinate. After proper rest, the symptoms disappear.
Ischemia of the cauda equina neurons is the main cause of intermittent caudogenic claudication:
- anemia of the peripheral parts of the legs;
- pins and needles when walking;
- with time the symptoms rise from the legs to the inguinal region of the genitals;
- leg strength is restored after rest.
Lifting heavy objects in the presence of lumbar osteochondrosis can cause compression of the artery of Adamkevich and complicate the course of the spinal disease. There is paralysis - from mild to severe, incontinence of waste products, atrophy of muscle tissue, formation of bedsores.
Reasons that contribute to the development of osteochondrosis
In most cases, it is believed that the development of osteochondrosis gradually progresses as a result of bipedalism, but other provoking factors play an important role in the formation of spinal disease, which include: physical inactivity, impaired metabolic processes, excess weight, liftingof cargo. .
The complex interaction of negative factors, the formation of prolapse (prolongation of the disc) leads to a narrowing of the epidural space and compression of the nerve roots.
Medical methods of disease treatment
The treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis in different stages is carried out after an accurate diagnosis of the location, stage and individual characteristics of the patient. The main methods are physiotherapy, reflex effects, the support of drugs aimed at reducing pain and stopping inflammation, herbal medicine. If the treatment was ineffective or impossible without surgery due to neglect of the disease, surgical intervention is necessary.