Back pain, according to statistics, worries almost every inhabitant of the second planet over the age of 18.They can be caused by various reasons.From this article we will learn about one of the most common causes: osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine.It is possible to fight this disease, and even successfully win, if you start doing it in the early stages.
It's time to sound the alarm
If you want to successfully overcome a disease such as lumbar osteochondrosis, you should not expect obvious symptoms to appear immediately.In the first stage you will not feel it.
It is important to realize that people who spend a lot of time sitting or standing in the same position are more vulnerable to harm.If, due to circumstances or other reasons, this has been happening to you for years, there may be a reason to check the condition of your spine, even if the symptoms of the disease are not visible.
You should not ignore the following "alarm bells", which may indicate that lumbar osteochondrosis has progressed beyond the first stage.
- Lower back pain.At first it only appears under a greater load than usual, disappears during rest.Or after staying for a long time in an uncomfortable static position.From time to time, such pain bothers me constantly, while walking.
- Gradually, the pain becomes chronic and can manifest itself as pain, tingling (referring to the thigh), acute pain, lower back pain, etc.Feeling hot or cold in the lower back.
- Pain that develops dynamically, gets stronger.Part of the leg becomes numb, or there is a "pins and needles" feeling.
- Symptoms such as: constipation, frequent urination, numbness between the legs, irregular menstruation (in women).
- Feet become cold for no apparent reason, the skin on the feet peels.
- The spine begins to bend, the back muscles in the lower back are unusually tense, and it is difficult to bend completely.
- Unbearable pain.
All these symptoms, especially if they appear together and their approximate sequence coincides with the one described above, should not be ignored.
Complete the prescribed exam
The doctor you visit will order certain examinations and various tests.This is due to the fact that identifying this disease is not so easy.Many laboratory tests are aimed at excluding the possibility of other diseases (such as diseases of internal organs) that have similar symptoms.The best way to determine the cause is MRI - magnetic resonance imaging (maybe also with paramagnetic enhancement).But radiography is also used.
Is the important stage of making an accurate diagnosis now behind us?What choices will you face now among the various treatments?
Methods of influencing the affected spine
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine is currently treated in various ways.But all of them can be divided into two large groups: symptomatic (eliminating pain and other consequences of the disease) and pathogenetic (believed to act on the cause, eliminate it or prevent its development).
Treatment with drugs that relieve pain.Such drugs are prescribed only by the attending physician.The treatment is symptomatic, that is, the person, happy that everything has been restored to the previous healthy state, can stop taking care of the back, and meanwhile the disease will develop without symptoms until the pain appears in a worse form.
Muscle relaxants are drugs that help relieve muscle spasms due to disc destruction, so this treatment is a symptomatic treatment.
Physiotherapy effect.This includes various methods that affect lumbar osteochondrosis through the skin.This treatment:
- high frequency current;
- lasers;
- magnets.
Multiple spine connections: in water or with hardware.You should be careful when using this method if lumbar osteochondrosis is already at a progressive stage.
The homeosiniatric method is a treatment in which homeo medicines are administered precisely to the affected area (or more precisely, to a specific active point on the body), which helps the body get rid of toxins.
Hirudotherapy (treatment with leeches).They bring invaluable help, helping many patients forget about this disease for many years.It is believed that leeches provide the body with hirudin, which helps improve blood circulation in the affected area, relieves pain, and relieves inflammation.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region, provided there are no protrusions, disc herniation and other contraindications, some trust an experienced chiropractor - a massage therapist who works with the spine.
Special exercises to relieve pain in osteochondrosis.It is better to consult a doctor when choosing a set of such activities for yourself.
Pathogenetic methods developed by experts
I would like to discuss interstitial stimulation with physiological current (VTES).Under the professor's guidance, a new method of influence has been developed that makes it possible to improve blood circulation in the vertebral bones themselves.
It is believed that it is due to such a weakness of blood flow that the nutrition of the disc deteriorates, which leads to a gradual loss of its properties, the ability to function normally and eventual destruction.
The essence of this method is to deliver a physiological current to the affected vertebrae, bypassing the skin - a natural insulator.Physiological current is the same current that is produced in our body, amplified many times.It is fed through a needle - the electrode is inserted to a certain depth (under the skin) at the pathological site, that is, at a certain point on the back.The strong current stimulates the channels in the vertebral bones, thereby increasing the nutrition of the disc.
According to the results of studies (needle rheography, polyrheography), blood circulation in the bones, including the lumbar spine, improves dramatically.The disc is completely restored (osteochondrosis in the early stages).
In later stages, lumbar osteochondrosis produces symptoms such as severe persistent back pain due to disc protrusion or herniation.Interestingly, VTES treatment in the shortest possible time allows the re-formation of a densely woven capsule around the hernia, inhibiting its growth and also reducing its size.
Good tips for prevention
- Knowing that working in a stationary position for long periods of time, especially while sitting in front of a computer, can help.For example, take breaks every hour, stretch and walk.Maintain proper posture.Some people are helped with this by specially manufactured rectifiers, for example, with neodymium magnets.
- Constantly lifting weights also contributes to the development of the disease, so you need to know the rules of how to lift them correctly.
- Try to avoid hypothermia and back injuries.Watch your weight, strengthen your back muscles by doing simple sports, swimming, then you don't need treatment.
- It is quite possible to overcome lumbar osteochondrosis if you start treatment from an early stage or keep it under control.