The pain in the back and the limbs is one of the most common disorders.It is the second most frequent cause of medical care after respiratory diseases.Approximately half of working age during their lives support episodes of back pain and prolonged disability.
What is osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis is a disease in which the degeneration of the intervertebral disk occurs.
The intervertebral disc consists of a fibrous ring (concentric layers of strong connective tissue fibers) and a core of the jacket in the center.The participation of the discs represents approximately a quarter of the length of the spine, play the role of the shock absorbers: with a vertical position, turns, inclinations and extent of the column, the nucleus and the fibrous river of the disc, stops from the axial loads, it occupies it that the position begins.A significant load falls to the lumbar and cervical column discs, since these departments have the greatest mobility.This explains the fact of the greatest seriousness of the degenerative changes in the cervical and lumbar column.
One of the causes of the degeneration of the discs is their insufficient nutrition, which, in turn, is a consequence of the weak physical activity of a person.
Water content and elastic properties of the disc are also significantly reduced with age.The fibrous ring of the album loses its elasticity, cracks appear in it, in which, in each new load, the core of the jacket begins to be introduced more and more, moving to the edge of the disc, with the complete break of the fiber ring, the content of the nucleus goes beyond its limitations, there is a hernia of the jacket nucleus.More often, a lateral displacement of the disc occurs in the direction of the intervertebral hole through which the spinal cord column passes.In this sense, the most frequent manifestation of a hernia is to squeeze the corresponding root and the development of a characteristic pain syndrome.Under the influence of the pulses of the affected segment receptors, the muscles of the column are reflected reflexively, their asymmetric stress causes the lateral curvature of the beeeus of the spine
Risk factors for osteochondrosis
Currently, the risk factors for the appearance of manifestations of pain of osteochondrosis include:
- hereditary weakness or congenital defects of the column;
- column lesions that lead to structural changes;
- Heavy and unbalanced physical activity;
- long stay in a forced possession with distortion and turn;
- Hypodinamia, inactivity, monotonous work.
The contributing factors in the occurrence of osteochondrosis and their exacerbations can be several infectious diseases, cooling, excess of work, energy disorders, including the lack of vitamins, obesity, environmental factors and habits, endocrine disorders, etc.
What to do if the back is sick
Pain is a warning signal and protects from damage to the effects within the body.First, the pain occurs when it moves, changes the posture and passes at rest, as the disease progresses, morning stiffness appears, which can last 30-60 minutes.The duration of the disease can be several weeks or months.
What to do if the back hurts?Be sure to consult a doctor during the first 3-5 days (to avoid chronizing the disease).Use simple tips, in addition to the doctor's recommendation:
- Overload should be avoided.To avoid problems, try to constantly monitor the correct position of the body.Excess weight increases the load in the spine.Not all sports are the same useful.It is better to avoid game sports and jump and choose hiking, skis and swimming: they will only benefit the spine.
- Organize sleep, food and rest correctly.For the maximum effect, choose a rather hard mattress, and an orthopedic pillow will be the best option.
- Organize your workplace correctly.The chair with a low seat, inclined towards the back, which must be convex in the place of the lumbar column (or it is recommended to put a roller), it will be ideal.
- Position treatment.With a fairly high roller installed under the lower lumbar lordosis, the "tense" muscles relax, the pressure in the rear parts of the damaged disks of the lumbar column decreases, the pain decreases.After a working day, it is advisable to spend 30-60 minutes in this position at home before bedtime.
- Therapeutic gymnastics (exercise therapy).Gymnastics forms a strong muscle corset around the spine, dedicates 15-25 minutes to it daily (you can for 2-3 approaches).The set of exercises must be prescribed by the treating doctor depending on the intensity of pain, at the end of the article we will give the most common complexes of the therapeutic exercises depending on the period of the disease (acute phase, remission, etc.)
Motor mode recommendations in the acute period
In the acute periodIn the presence of acute pain, strict bed rest must be observed.LFK is mainly used with a hygienic purpose and is a general strengthening in nature.Exercises that cause pain should be limited in amplitude, degree of muscle tension or excluded at all.It is very important not to have pain and do everything very slowly, repeating each exercise 8-10 times.
When moving the lower extremities, prevent an increase in lumbar lordosis (bend the backward spine forward), which can improve pain syndrome.In the second stage of the acute period, with a decrease in pain intensity, it must carefully include isometric exercises to train abdominal muscles and large gluteal muscles.
With a decrease in pain syndromeThe possibilities of using special and development exercises increase.In this period, in addition to the exercises that increase the strength of the abdominal muscles and the hip muscles, the exercises are important, with the flexion of the lumbar spine.
When choosing special and developing exercises, it is important to ensure that they do not increase lumbar lordosis.Pain is a sign for a change in the structure of the exercise (towards relief) or to exclude it.At the end of the second period, exercises that increase the strength of the posterior muscles, can be performed in a circular system 2-3 times.They are the most important.Take the number of special exercises repetitions 15-50 times.The rhythm of the exercise can be gradually increased.
In the remission periodExercises are added to increase the mobility of the spine.However, the exercises destined to solve this problem must be carried out carefully and in light initial positions.The automatism must be achieved by maintaining a specific position in standing position and walking, when the lumbar column bends.The reduction of the repetitions of special exercises of the second period increases to 50-100 times (it can be broken during the day).The use of exercise therapy in the pool is recommended for the period period, but gymnastics in the pool does not replace, but complements the main "dry" classes.
Of the other means of exercise therapy, it is recommended to use those that will not affect the negative forms of damaged discs: swimming, earthly, skis, race route, bicycle ergometer, exercises with a rubber bandage.Apply media such as volleyball, tennis (large and small), road bike, cross race, fast dance, rhythmic gymnastics should be extremely careful, because sudden movements and turns can cause an exacerbation of osteochondrosis.Weight exercises are preferably performed in the position of lying (at the back, abdomen) to exclude vertical loads in the spine.
The exercises that use to hang pure due to the strong tension of the stretched muscles of the body, jumping to the depths of the elevation, the exercises in the rowing machine and the launch are undesirable.In any case, during exercise therapy, it should be remembered that the constant lesion and overload of the spine, the clashes along the axis of the column prepare the appropriate background for the decomposition of the damaged disk and the exacerbation of the pain syndrome.