Osteonecrosis is a degenerative process that occurs in articular cartilage and adjacent bone tissues.Doctors define this disease as degenerative damage - destruction of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs: loss of moisture, loss of height and elasticity.
Osteonecrosis “looks younger”
If just a few decades ago, joint cartilage began to degenerate in people over the age of 40, but today this disease occurs even in teenagers.
Doctors name many reasons for this unpleasant trend.An unhealthy lifestyle, coupled with unfavorable environmental conditions and a decreasing standard of living, causes premature wear and deformation of bone and cartilage structures.
Constantly being in unnatural positions, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor nutrition always accompany each person.Few people think about preventing osteoarthritis by ignoring exercise, a balanced diet and an approach to maintaining one's health in general.The results of such unconsciousness are often sad.
Main cause of osteoarthritis
Experts are still debating how many factors actually exist in the development of this disease.Unconditional reasons include:
- personal tendencies;
- segmental circulatory disorders;
- changes that occur with age;
- damage to the fiber ring;
- overweight;
- constant load;
- poor nutrition;
- bad habits;
- physical weakness during menopause;
- sedentary work.
Stages of development of osteoarthritis
Osteonecrosis is classified by stage, taking into account clinical signs, degree of tissue damage, and level of patient discomfort.The pathological process occurs in four stages:
- Preclinical.First, the basic nutritional level of the intervertebral discs decreases, and their elasticity and firmness become less.No changes can be detected on X-ray.Patients may feel mild fatigue, mild discomfort, joint stiffness, dizziness, and headaches;
- Stages of disc radiculitis.The fiber ring begins to deform slowly (cracks and protrusions appear).The pain becomes sharper and more sudden, the feeling of discomfort becomes more obvious.Symptoms such as "low back pain" appear, the limbs begin to feel numb;
- Vascular-leg phase.The fibrinous ring completely loses its shape.From this point on, a hernia can form.X-rays are very informative.The patient's subjective feelings are clearly expressed (pain, sharp pain, constant discomfort).Muscle spasms frequently appear and performance drops sharply.If the nerve fibers are painful, the first signs of dysfunction of the internal systems are inevitable;
- As the height of the vertebrae decreases, friction between them begins.Bone spurs may appear as a compensatory mechanism.These are specific bone growth cells that help strengthen the area with the strongest friction.But osteoporosis can stimulate the inflammatory process in surrounding soft tissues, exacerbating the pathological condition.
Symptoms of the disease: emphasis on the patient's health
Osteonecrosis is characterized by a range of very different symptoms.This is due to the extensive nature of the pathological process and its influence on almost all organs of the human body.There are several main syndromes that manifest in patients with osteoarthritis:
- Electrostatic syndrome.When your vertebrae lose their shape, your posture will certainly change.Signs of hunchback, scoliosis, and arched back appear.Discomfort is accompanied by a feeling of stiffness;
- Neurological syndrome.Damage to nerve tissue leads to paresthesia (impaired sensitivity) in different areas, accompanied by numbness, tingling, "crawling" sensations;
- Vascular syndrome.Because the vertebrae are deformed (compressed), large blood vessels and capillaries are deformed, so blood circulation is interrupted.Results: nausea, dizziness, paleness, signs of hypoxia;
- Symptoms of trophism.Due to disruption of tissue nutrition (due to compression of small blood vessels), trophic ulcers may appear on the skin surface.
Cervical bone degeneration
The first symptom of cervical spondylosis is headache.Pain relievers do not relieve pain.Usually, the pain starts in the vertex area and gradually spreads to the temple area.Over time, the patient begins to feel discomfort and numbness in the shoulder area.
Due to reduced blood supply to the brain, patients may experience increased dizziness, nausea, and tinnitus.If the nutrition of the optical zone is disrupted, vision often decreases sharply.
Older adults may suddenly lose consciousness and have difficulty with memory and coordination.Rare symptoms include difficulty breathing, anxiety and hiccups.
Osteoarthritis of the chest bone
The chest area is least affected.One of the main causes of the appearance of pathology is considered scoliosis and improper work at the desk (that is, sedentary work).Patients feel dull pain right from the time the disease first develops.As the disease progresses, it will cause other symptoms: chest pain, numbness, paresthesia, and pain in the liver and kidneys.
In the differential diagnosis, deforming processes in the chest area can be confused with myocardial infarction and intercostal neuralgia.This electrocardiogram and a more thorough examination (absence of cyanosis, pallor, yellow skin) help to accurately confirm the diagnosis.
Lumbar sacral bone degeneration
The most common type of osteoarthritis.This is because this area of the spine bears the greatest load.Hernias often occur here, complicating the clinical picture.
Main symptoms: prolonged pain, muscle soreness, discomfort, rare low back pain, paresthesia, sometimes goes away and then recurs.Skin sensitivity on the feet, legs and thighs can vary.
Common causes of osteochondrosis in this department are trauma, mechanical compression and excessive physical activity.One of the most unpleasant consequences of lumbosacral deformities is “slipped” vertebrae and problems in the functioning of neighboring organs.
What will pain from osteoarthritis tell you?
Depending on where the most intense deformation process occurs, the nature and specificity of the pain will depend.Main characteristics: damaged vertebrae compress nerve roots, causing pain in the area where the nerve plexus is responsible.
The problems can be distributed as follows:
- Cervical region – headache, neck and shoulder stiffness, visual disturbances, breathing and other vital functions;
- Chest area - pain in the heart, lumbago in the arms and internal organs, impaired digestive function, arrhythmia, problems with the functioning of the endocrine system.The pain is always strong and sharp;
- Lumbar – aches, constant pain, malfunctions of the genitourinary system, blockages in the pelvis, reproductive dysfunction.
Diagnosis of osteoarthritis
The doctor needs to gather as much medical history as possible.During the examination, the specialist will palpate the areas with the most obvious pain.
X-ray examination will be informative.Especially in the late stages of the disease.
Modern diagnostic methods include MRI and CT, which help most accurately examine the processes that destroy cartilage and bone tissue.In addition, using this technique will facilitate the diagnosis of hernias and other soft tissue defects near the source of the disease.
For differential diagnosis of osteonecrosis of the thoracic region, ECG is used.Patients must undergo general blood and urine tests.
Working with computers and the development of osteoarthritis
Osteonecrosis is a dangerous disease.It affects both “office plankton” who always sit in front of computers and inveterate workers who put their health under extreme stress.Unreasonable work, neglect of the rules for preventing osteoarthritis and an unhealthy lifestyle will cause rapid destruction of bone and cartilage tissues.
The modern generation of young people is overly "computerized".Many medical experts believe that this is one of the main reasons why osteoarthritis is so common and affects very young people.Top tips from the experts:
- It is necessary to monitor your posture and position at your desk;
- Even when working hard, it is important to rest and “stretch” the body;
- You can't stand the discomfort of sitting in front of the computer.The body, especially the back, must be comfortable;
- Active lifestyle.Work or leisure time at the computer should be interspersed with light recreational sports or exercise activities.
Wrong lifestyle
An unbalanced diet will cause osteonecrosis.Junk food attacks many "fronts" at the same time.First of all, obesity caused by fast food and similar snacks is one of the underlying causes of spinal dysfunction.And salt deposits and other harmful elements in the bones only aggravate the problem, accelerating the process of destruction.
Alcohol and tobacco have similar effects.Harmful substances affect the cellular level, having a destructive effect on bone tissue and cartilage surfaces, the places most sensitive to nicotine.
By reviewing your lifestyle and diet and eliminating bad habits, you can prevent the onset or progression of osteoarthritis.The ability to move easily and freely is truly a luxury, a gift from nature to every person.Unfortunately, the value of painless movements only becomes apparent when the pathological process immobilizes the human body.
Taking care of your health today means a happy, fulfilling life in the future.