Symptoms and treatment of osteonecrosis

11 September 2020

The spine performs the most important functions in the human body. From this article, you will learn everything about what is osteonecrosis, the symptoms and treatment of this disease, the signs of the pathology and what is the cause of the disease.

What is

osteonecrosis

Osteochondrosis is a disease in which the disc and other tissues of the spine are affected. Dystrophy is activated inside the spine. The vertebrae too, compress and crush these intervertebral disks, over time leading to the compression of nerve ends of the spinal cord.

Important! If bone necrosis is not treated, the pathology can cause disability.

About 80% of the world's population has spinal problems. Osteoporosis is usually diagnosed in people aged 15-30 years. Although this disease occurs in both men and women, but a strong half of humanity can hardly tolerate this disease.

The disease begins to develop and manifest itself in a relatively adult age, when a person leads an active life. Although osteonecrosis can occur in children, it occurs much less often than adults.

Although experts all over the world have come together to eradicate the disease, new cases of osteonecrosis are reported every year. Whether or not the problem arises depends very much on the individual efforts of each person.

Existing classification

There are many types of osteonecrosis, so different doctors may apply different classifications.

Depending on which part of the spine is affected, there:

cervical bone necrosis;
bone necrosis of the thoracic spine;
lumbar spine necrosis;
Osteonecrosis of the sacral region.

Widespread osteonecrosis is also distinguished. This is a form of pathology in which several departments are affected at the same time. For example, osteonecrosis of the lumbosacral region is often found, since this part of the spine is subjected to a constantly increasing load.

No matter what kind of illness a person has, complications are always very serious. Therefore, it is important to identify the disease as early as possible and provide timely first aid.

When the doctor makes a diagnosis, he notes at what stage the pathology is detected. With osteonecrosis, 3 stages are distinguished by X-ray images and 4 stages according to symptom changes.

What happens in disease

Almost all vertebrae have the same structure. These include a vertebrae and an arch. All vertebrae, "folded" together, form a spinal canal. The disc is located between the vertebrae - the jelly-like tendons act as a damping.

It is in the necrotic intervertebral disks that pathological changes begin. The fibrous part gradually becomes more fragile. Under the pressure of the vertebrae, the nucleus seem to move on its own and seek the easiest place to do it.

In most cases, the disc escapes the spinal canal. This results in compression of the spinal cord and the nerves located there. The result is pain and symptoms in the organs for which these nerves are responsible.

In response to pressure in the body, rapid division of bone tissue is activated. As a result, the growth of bone-forming cells begins - the growth of bone causes a person to have major problems with bone necrosis.

So with necrosis of the cervical spine, the consequences can be sad, since the pathological process simultaneously affects both the nervous system and the blood vessels.

Causes of bone necrosis

Since osteonecrosis is a dangerous enemy, it is important to understand what causes the onset of the disease. No matter where the disease is located, the cause is always the same.

The main reasons bone necrosis disease can develop are:

premature aging of disc tissues;
persistent overactive activity of the muscles that support the spine;
lacks reasonable stress on these muscle groups;
uneven load distribution between parts of the spine, resulting in imbalance and development of pseudospondylolisthesis;
presence of a genetic predisposition to the development of degenerative processes in cartilaginous tissues;
presence of autoimmune diseases, due to their own antibodies disrupting nutrition of the spine.

Undoubtedly, a hormonal imbalance and poor diet can also affect the health of the spine. Some women experience symptoms of the disease for the first time during pregnancy when the workload increases.

Risk group

Acute osteonecrosis usually develops after exposure to negative factors. The following factors may trigger the onset of symptoms:

incorrect posture;
sedentary lifestyle;
was positioned long in an uncomfortable position;
lifts heavy weights;
;
lacks a muscular corset of the spine;
lacks vitamins and minerals necessary for bone and cartilage tissue regeneration;
experiences emotions;
severe infection;
adverse ecosystem impacts;
prolonged hypothermia;
injured;
sudden change in body position;
sports strength;
wearing uncomfortable heels;
overweight;
metabolic disorder;
rheumatism;
birth defect.

As you can see, many factors can provoke the development of osteonecrosis. However, the sooner the first signs of the disease are detected and diagnosed, the higher the chance of cure and quality of life.

Characteristics of the disease in stages

There are 4 stages of the disease and each stage has its own symptom intensity:

with a first-degree illness, the patient has no general symptoms but may be only local pain;
with grade 2 bone necrosis, the pain becomes stronger, the bulging disc and the appendages of the vertebral body develop, static static electricity is observed;
for grade 3 osteonecrosis, important symptoms, including general symptoms, are characteristic, and the lesions reach the stage of development of disc herniation;
in the 4 stages of the pathology, disability occurs and any drug no longer helps alleviate.

Of course, if osteonecrosis is found in an early stage, it is very likely to prevent the progression of the disease.

However, disc bone necrosis is divided depending on the state of the injury to the vertebral body:

does not break at stage 0;
at stage 1, insignificant disturbances, sometimes there are tears in the vertebrae;
at stage 2 the changes in the disc are noticeable and shown, however, the outer surface remains the same;
At stage 3, the disc is completely affected, squeezing into the spinal cord or coming out.

If you experience minor symptoms, even instability of the lumbar spine or discomfort in any other area, you should see a specialist for advice.

Symptoms of bone necrosis

As mentioned, the intensity of symptoms depends on the degree of damage to the vertebral body and the location of the lesion. Most patients report similar symptoms.

When the pathological process is localized in the cervical spine, the following symptoms may occur:

blurred vision;
obstructive ear;
noise in head;
tinnitus;
dizziness;
headache;
sleep apnea;
hearing loss;
fainted;
weakness of the vocal cords;
neck cramps;
changes in blood pressure;
numb tongue;
swelling of the neck;
eye pain;
insomnia;
constriction of the neck vessels;
oral problems.

With spinal damage in the chest area, the following phenomena occur:

muscle spasm, like a heart attack of cut, stabbed and sharpened character;
patient with dyspnea;
pain and burning sternum;
has a tumor in the throat;
may cause cough and nausea;
appear abdominal pain, especially when inhaling and exhaling deeply;
severely weakened hands and feet;
discomfort increases with body position changes.

For problems of the sacrum or lumbar spine, the following complaints will appear:

back pain spreading to the legs;
freezes the lower extremities at normal body temperature;
numb legs;
continuous muscle tension;
;
;
of the skin;
dysmenorrhea.

As the degeneration of the back bone progresses, several vertebrae may fuse. After that, symptoms disappear, but reappear in the spring-autumn exacerbation.

If the vagus nerve becomes compressed, digestive problems, heart rate, bladder, and bladder may occur.

Bone necrosis syndromes

Doctors often divide symptoms into groups and syndromes. For intercostal necrosis, there is:

;
spinal artery syndrome;
heart or rib syndrome;
lenticular.

Need a closer look at each syndrome.

Live Burning

With spinal syndrome, the following image is observed:

's mobility is impaired and neck pain occurs;
changes the state of vertebrae visible on radiographs;
patient is unable to turn his head to one side painlessly.

Important! When making a diagnosis, a doctor should differentiate myositis and spondylolisthesis syndrome, since the clinical picture is similar, but the treatment method is different.

The vertebral artery

With this bone necrosis syndrome, the following manifestations are observed:

nausea, vomiting;
increase pressure;
dizziness;
migraine headaches;
flew into the eyes;
is sleepy;
coma;
are tired;
violates emotional stability.

The doctor should differentiate this syndrome from atherosclerotic changes in the vessels and tumor processes.

Cardiology

This syndrome is characterized by:

;
chest pain;
difficulty breathing;
are tired;
tachycardia.

On arrival in hospital, an electrocardiogram and angiogram must be performed to confirm that there is no atherosclerosis.

Lenticular

Pathological signs depend on what changes the root has undergone. In general, this group of symptoms includes:

discomfort in the occipital region;
unpleasant feeling in language;
Difficult to chew food;
pain when swallowing;
discomfort in scaly area;
Difficulty performing hand movements;
does not possess 4 and 5 fingers.

Since almost certain parts of the spine are involved in the pathological process in the process of osteonecrosis, a whole group of symptoms arise.

Diagnosis

When symptoms of osteonecrosis appear, as a rule, tests are not performed.

Some of the following tests are sufficient to diagnose:

x-ray;
computed tomography;
.

Although conventional X-ray examination allows for diagnosis, CT and MRI are used to select more effective drugs and determine the extent of spinal damage.

Treatment of bone necrosis

Both during exacerbations and during planned treatment the treatment should be comprehensive. Applies to:

drug treatment;
manual therapy;
Exercise therapy for osteonecrosis.

The most common treatment is at home. The main thing is that the patient strictly abides by the prescription of the doctor. When the patient needs an injection, hospital daytime may be recommended.

Characteristics of drug treatments

Drug therapy involves using multiple groups of drugs at the same time. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed.

NSAIDs were initially prescribed in the form of an ointment. As the disease progresses, pills, injections, or another form of antispasmodic may be recommended. Almost all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have a pronounced analgesic effect.

In order for your spine to relax, you need to reduce muscle spasm. For these purposes, muscle relaxants are used.

If treatment is started in the early stages of the disease, when the cartilage tissue has not been destroyed, the use of chondroprotectors is reasonable.

Important! For all of these drugs to have any effect, they must be taken systematically, for at least six months.

Vitamin B complex may have a positive effect on recovery.

The following drugs may also be prescribed:

to expand blood vessels and improve nutrition;
to combat dizziness;
topical gel to improve blood circulation.

Compressed, mustard putty and a special anesthetic plaster with a medicinal ingredient are placed on the affected area.

Do manual therapy

Although it is believed that massaging the neck and other affected areas is a folk method, this statement is wrong. Such procedures can be carried out only after the appointment of a doctor and careful training. Doing it wrong can do more harm.

You can massage with honey or with any medicated oil. The following techniques are used:

swipe with your fingertips, starting from head to upper back;
is rubbing;
squeezes to mount the layers of deep tissue;
knead.

The sensory massage is quite effective. Can self-massage. It is strongly not recommended to use a masseuse without consulting a doctor, as a careless action could damage already fragile disc discs.

The value of exercise therapy in osteonecrosis

To get rid of the symptoms of osteonecrosis, it is important to regularly carry out back exercises. Today there are many popular techniques to shape belts and corsets. Consider only the most effective ones and briefly discuss their nature.

Dr. Kinesitherapy's neck exercises improve blood circulation, relieve pain and restore freedom of movement. Does not bring immediate effects, results only after a long course. In addition to exercise, it is important to consider prescribed treatment and adherence to the diet. All exercises are performed at a very slow pace, in the process ensuring proper muscle stretching.

Another doctor's neck therapy exercises for osteonecrosis are not only helpful for people with osteonecrosis, but also for many other problems. This complex resembles more exercises for the neck and classes can be done even at lunchtime. To achieve results and build muscle, you must exercise regularly and only after consulting your doctor.

General recommendations for the treatment of osteonecrosis

Since the patient with osteonecrosis needs careful periodic warm-up, such a bath will be helpful for such a patient. It is important to take into account the stage of the disease and the presence of other pathologies. Before such a procedure, you should consult a doctor.

To increase the strength of the corset, you can do push ups, bodybuilders and Pilates with your trainer. It is necessary to visit the pool regularly. Each swim should not be shorter than 20 minutes, otherwise there will be no effect.

Treatment is permitted with folk remedies, but only after the consent of the attending physician and as an adjunct therapy. Physiotherapy, including electrophoresis, may be performed as prescribed by the doctor.

Precautions

Even when spinal problems seem insignificant, or the patient is still a child, it is still important to actively participate in the prevention of osteonecrosis.

It is important to adhere to the following best practices:

used an orthopedic pillow;
has an active lifestyle;
spends time sports, especially swimming;
reheat several times a day;
be careful when doing physically demanding work;
give up bad habits.

Diet is very important, as certain foods increase the risk of disease, namely:

;
bacon;
spices;
sweets;
fried and fatty foods.

It is important to limit soda and coffee, and preferably tea and broths. Proper nutrition will help protect the body from damage to bone and cartilage tissues.

Since in the early stages of osteonecrosis this process can be stopped and even reversed, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor and examine the symptoms. first appeared. This is the only way to stay physically active for many years!