Back or lower back pain is the patient's most frequent complaint in general health. They rank second (after respiratory diseases) in the frequency of requests for medical care. There are many diseases that lead to pain. But the most common causes are lumbar spinal necrosis, the symptoms and treatment we will look at in this document.
Relatively recently, medicine considers this condition to be age-related changes in the spine, related to the natural aging process of the human body.
Nowadays, lumbar necrosis is considered to be a fairly serious disease that occurs in people of all ages. Currently, the incidence of the disease tends to stabilize rejuvenation, the disease is increasingly diagnosed in people under 30 years old.
Cause of what happened
The reason for the development of lumbar necrosis has yet to be determined. But when faced with this pathology, it is often thought that who is more susceptible to it, is at risk.
Factors Affecting:
- Passive lifestyle. This includes people whose lifestyles are mostly sedentary. In a sitting position, the bra muscles relax, increasing the load on the lumbar spine.
- Hormonal metabolic disorders and endocrine diseases can adversely affect metabolism in the tissues of the spine and contribute to the development of osteonecrosis.
- Various congenital and acquired abnormalities in the structure of the musculoskeletal system - arched legs and spine, flat feet.
- Presence of constant stress on the spine, especially heavy lifting. In this case, we could talk about an occupational disease such as weightlifters and those whose specialized tasks involve continuously lifting heavy objects.
- Persistent unhealthy daily diet, frequent stress, insufficient sleep, metabolic disorder.
The points listed above are the most common factors that set the stage for the development of the disease.
The degree of lumbar bone necrosis
The manifestation of the disease depends on the degree of disease development.
There are four levels of bone necrosis:
- The period of change and movement of the medullary nucleus within the disc. Pain occurs due to irritation of nerve endings located in longitudinal ligaments and ligaments. Patient feels local discomfort in the part of the spine where the disc is affected: acute or low back pain in the lumbar region (low back pain), persistent dull pain (low back pain).
- Destruction period of the annular fibrosus. It is characterized by an unstable appearance and an increase in motor capacity of the vertebrae, causing prolonged and persistent muscle tension. Patients experience symptoms such as persistent lower back muscle fatigue, discomfort,
- The stage of rupture of the ring fibrosis and the escape of the myeloid nucleus exceeds its limit with the formation of a herniated disc. So-called lens syndrome, which is involved in pinching nerve roots by debris, was observed.
- Seriously deformed spine. Human motor function has many difficulties. The main problem to be addressed is the patient's disability. However, it must be stressed that at this stage of the disease practically no pain. But this is not a signal to suspend the disease, quite the opposite.
- There is pathological proliferation of bone tissue, which aggravates the condition.
How to treat lumbar spinal necrosis will depend directly on the severity of the damage; In this case, medicinal, non-pharmacological and surgical methods of exposure are used.
Symptoms of lumbar spinal necrosis
When you have necrosis of the lumbar spine, the main symptom is pain. The nature of pain, where it arises and the direction of its propagation depends on which receptor receives the stimulus, that is, how large the changes in the disc and surrounding tissues, whether they are convex or have escaped. In which direction, convex has formed, v. v.
Please list the main symptoms of lumbar necrosis:
- Lumbar spine pain, natural pain, exacerbated by sudden movement, body posture change, prolonged posture. Pain relief occurs when performing a horizontal position;
- Along with pain in the lumbar spine, osteonecrosis can cause a feeling of weakness in the lower torso and legs, as well as loss of tendon reflex of the lower extremities;
- The curvature of the lumbar spine is common. Depending on the curvature, we can distinguish scoliosis (curvature of the spine to the right or left), forward curvature (forward curvature) and kyphosis (lumbar smoothing);
- If bone necrosis leads to dysfunction and spinal cord clamping, the patient may have uncontrolled urine and stools.
Additional Features:
- cold skin and numbness in the lumbar and buttocks;
- dry, flaky, blue skin on lower back and buttocks;
- violates sweating in the buttocks;
- a urinary disorder;
- erectile dysfunction.
These symptoms indicate the onset of disease and require medical attention. Treatment of osteonecrosis can be done in the hospital and at home.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of osteonecrosis involves using a variety of methods, mainly palpation of the lumbar spine.
To confirm the diagnosis, the patient is taken to see a diagnostic device:
- X-rays help assess the condition of the spine and individual vertebrae. Integrity of the disc and spinal canal is also assessed indirectly.
- With tomography, the degree of damage to the nerves and membranes of the spinal cord is determined. And also evaluate the status of the discs.
- MRI - used for definitive diagnosis.
An accurate diagnosis will help understand how to treat lumbar tumors, and what medications and procedures will be required for this.
Complications
Skeletal tumors of the lumbar spine can cause convex and herniation due to a significant load on this spine. Because these complications develop very quickly, timely treatment is of utmost importance.
Also, bone necrosis can be complex:
- sciatica;
- degenerative vertebrae;
- Schmorl's hernia;
- osteoporosis, degenerative spine; Stenosis
- spinal cord with compression and dysfunction of the spinal cord;
- compression of the pelvis with dysfunction of the pelvic organs; lame
- ;
- lists the lower extremities.
Can prevent the progression of complications with timely diagnosis and complex treatment.
Treatment of lumbar spinal necrosis
When a diagnosis of lumbar osteonecrosis, treatment requires extensive complex therapy, which includes:
- moderately physically active;
- use the drug;
- traction of the spine;
- manual therapy;
- physiotherapy;
- massage.
The treatment program for osteonecrosis is aimed at:
- removes the inflammatory process;
- relieves pain in the highlights;
- strengthens the lumbar, butt, and leg muscles;
- removes pathological muscle strain;
- improves the functioning of the pelvic organs;
- regulates blood circulation and metabolism in the affected area;
- restores normal range of motion in the lower back and increases the sensitivity of the lower extremities.
Surgical interventions are only used under certain circumstances.
Medicines
Treatment of bone necrosis of such lumbar spine such as taking pills, injections and topical medications (ointments and gels). Medications used to fight the disease help relieve pain and stop inflammation.
Depending on the symptoms, the doctor may prescribe different drugs to treat osteonecrosis of the back:
- pain reliever (pain medicine);
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; Muscle relaxant
- , to reduce muscle spasm that occurs due to pain;
- chondroprotectors restore cartilage tissue;
- corticosteroids (prescribed if all other treatments are unsuccessful);
- vitamin preparations.
Very often in the treatment of osteonecrosis, pills are prescribed to soothe the nervous system, as well as antidepressants to combat stressful and depressive situations.
Physiotherapy for lumbar necrosis
As a rule, medication alone is not enough to treat bone necrosis. Physiotherapeutic procedures are used to eliminate pain, reduce muscle spasm, and stimulate metabolism and recovery:
- amplipulse; electrophoresis
- ;
- diadynamic currents;
- darsonvalization;
- magnetic resonance therapy; laser therapy
- .
Massage is indicated when the main pain symptom is eliminated or during the remission phase of a chronic condition. It helps to relax tense muscles. Very often are associated with warm-up procedures or sauna visits. This will help increase the relaxing effect on muscle tissue and stimulate blood circulation.
A manual therapy, performed only by a specialist in this area of treatment, helps increase blood circulation in the spinal cord, replacing the disc of the displaced spine.
Gymnastics
All the exercises used in the diagnosis of lumbar degeneration will help increase the mobility of the lumbar spine.
Corrective exercises will not be effective if exercised over time. The main principle of exercise therapy is regularity. Continuously performing certain exercises will help eliminate destructive processes in the disc joints.
Surgery
Usually, surgery will be ordered by a doctor if there are serious complications. For example, disc herniation. The most common type of surgery is to remove a damaged disc (surgical removal).
This surgery is considered to be the most effective method in this case, but at the same time, it is indicated only if other treatments fail to yield results within six months. Besides, microsurgical and endoscopic methods to treat spine spine are widely popular.