What is lumbar spine osteoarthritis?

The article talks simply about lumbar osteoarthritis - this information will allow you to understand what happens when the intervertebral disc is destroyed and how to carry out effective and safe treatment.

According to medical statistics, more than 70% of the modern population knows what osteoarthritis is.A sedentary lifestyle, lack of regular physical activity, too many calories in the diet accompanied by a lack of essential trace elements and vitamins - all this and much more leads to the fact that the intervertebral disc begins to deteriorate at a young age.First, a dull, unclear pain appears, followed by a sharp, persistent pain in the lumbar region.A person cannot move independently;Any movement causes severe pain and discomfort.The distribution of internal organs of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis is disrupted.

To understand what spinal osteoarthritis is, you need to clearly understand its structure and function.Let's start with the second question.Therefore, the spine is the part that supports the human skeleton.The upper shoulder girdle, lower limbs and chest, and the skull are attached to it.The most important function of the spine is to ensure the safety of the spinal cord - the central part of the autonomic nervous system, ensuring the functioning of the entire human body.

Anatomically, the spine consists of two structural parts: the vertebral body with its arcuate and spinous processes and the intervertebral discs.The vertebral body accounts for 70–75% of the height of the spine and intervertebral discs (depending on the patient's age) – from 25 to 30%.The shape of the intervertebral disc follows the shape of the vertebral body and arcuate processes.The disc ensures uniform distribution of the shock-absorbing load transmitted from the lower limbs and other parts of the body.It also provides protection for the nerve roots leaving the spinal cord.

What is lumbar osteoarthritis?It is the dystrophic degenerative destruction of cartilage tissue in the annulus fibrosus of the L5-L4, L4-L3, L3-L2, L2-L1 discs.In total, the lumbar region contains five vertebral bodies and 4 intervertebral discs that separate them.Through the foramina in the vertebral body, the root nerves leave, responsible for distributing the following parts of the body:

• L1 and L2 – abdominal organs and upper thighs;
• L3 – genitals, knees and bladder;
• L4 – legs, feet and prostate;
• L5 – toes, lower legs, feet.

Branches of these nerve roots form the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back through the gluteal region to the popliteal fossa.There it divides into tibial and fibular branches and continues to innervate the lower extremities of the lower leg and foot.In addition, the individual branches of the radicular nerve in the lumbar spine are part of a nerve plexus called the cauda equina.

With the development of osteonecrosis, a gradual disruption of the innervation process occurs.Diseases of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis may develop.In severe cases, atrophy of the muscle fibers of the lower limbs, partial paralysis of the legs, etc. occurs.will develop.

You can learn more information about what osteonecrosis is, its symptoms and treatment in this article.Below is some advice on what to do when such a diagnosis is made and which doctor you should contact for fully effective treatment.

What is osteonecrosis and what are its causes?

Modern science knows the answer to the question of what is osteochondrosis and what are its causes, but unfortunately, applying this knowledge in practice for effective prevention and treatment is very difficult because the patient will need to make every effort to fight this disease.

Anatomically and physiologically, the body of the intervertebral disc is composed of nearly 80% fluid.It is this circumstance that makes it possible to effectively distribute the shock-absorbing load on the surfaces of the separated vertebral bodies.But neither the annulus fibrosus nor the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc has its own capillary network.So there is no blood supply here.All fluid intake and the necessary components dissolved in it occur through diffusion exchange.It is only performed if sufficient physical stress is applied to the surrounding muscles.If the musculature of the back and lower back are not working, nutrient diffusion will stop.

Pathology begins to develop:

• First, the loop of fiber simply loses water and elasticity;
• then its surface begins to undergo primary destruction, leading to inflammation (aggravation of osteonecrosis) and deposition of calcium salts to restore the integrity of damaged tissues;
• The calcified membrane prevents further diffusion of nutrients, therefore, even with active work of the surrounding muscles, spontaneous recovery of the tissue of the fibrous ring does not occur;
• The next stage is the collection of fluid from the nucleus pulposus located inside the annulus fibrosus;
• At this stage, the nucleus pulposus loses volume, no longer evenly distributes the shock absorption load, and the height of the intervertebral disc gradually decreases;
• At the protrusion stage, the intervertebral disc extends beyond the vertebral body and begins to put pressure on the surrounding soft tissues and nerve roots, which causes constant pain and stiffness during movement;
• The third stage is the rupture of the annulus fibrosus (extrusion) and the release of part of the nucleus pulposus to the outside (disc herniation).

What reasons can provoke the development of this spinal pathology:

1. lack of adequate and regular physical activity on the musculature of the back and lower back;
2. improper organization of sleeping and working space when lying in which the microcirculation of blood and lymphatic fluid in the spinal area is disrupted;
3. disruption of metabolic processes in the body, the first sign of which is excess body weight;
4. Poor posture and curvature of the spine lead to a change in the distribution of absorbed loads around the spine;
5. maintain a sedentary lifestyle and sedentary job;
6. endocrine diseases, for example, diabetes mellitus with vascular pathology;
7. back injuries (sprains and ligaments, muscle tears, displacement and subluxation of the vertebral body, fractures and compression fractures).

There are other reasons, but they are less common and do not pose as obvious a danger as those listed above.

What is lumbar osteoarthritis?

In general, what is osteoarthritis has been explained above.Now let's focus a little on the question of what lumbar osteoarthritis is and why it is so common.In recent decades, this disease is rapidly becoming younger.If earlier it was diagnosed in people who had already crossed the threshold of 40, now the first signs of dystrophic degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc are found not only in 20-year-olds, but also in adolescents 14–16 years old.

Of course, expanding early diagnostic capabilities plays a role in this.With the advent of MRI testing, early cases of the disease began to be detected more frequently.Therefore, patients often learn about osteoarthritis of the spine because of severe pain.And now, when conducting an examination, it is possible to grasp the pathology at the initial stages of development.

The lower back is the most vulnerable part of the spine.This is where the maximum shock absorption load occurs when making any movement of the body.During pregnancy, significant changes occur here with displacement of the vertebral bodies, changes in posture and expansion of the intervertebral spaces.Therefore, pregnancy in women almost always becomes a period when the spine begins to deteriorate.

What is grade 2 osteoarthritis of the spine?This is a condition in which persistent clinical manifestations appear and the patient is forced to seek medical help.As a rule, at the second stage of development of dystrophic degenerative pathology, a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc and thinning of the tissue of the annulus fibrosus are observed.

What is lumbosacral osteoarthritis? 

Osteoarthritis in the sacral region can be felt only by patients under 25 years of age.At this age, complete fusion of the vertebral bodies in the sacral spine occurs.Disc atrophy.Therefore, clinical signs of inflammation can indicate completely different pathologies.

They often ask what lumbar osteoarthritis is, because it affects the intervertebral disc located between the sacrum and the lumbar region.This is L5-S1 - it accounts for the conditional center of gravity of the human body and maximum physical load and shock absorption.

It is important to understand what lumbosacral osteochondrosis is and how to treat it effectively.First of all, it is necessary to exclude all possible causes of the pathology.Then it is necessary to strengthen the tone of the muscles surrounding the lower back.Treatment is best done using manual therapy and therapeutic exercises.

Signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis

Now that you understand what spondylosis is and when its symptoms appear, you will be able to identify and eliminate the underlying cause of pathological changes.

Many patients ask what the signs of osteoarthritis are on X-rays and MRI results.So, in the photos, the doctor can see cracks on the surface of the annulus fibrosus, a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc and changes in its shape.These are the main signs of osteoarthritis.

Clinical symptoms include: 

• pain in the lumbar region;
• pain radiating along the surface of the thighs, legs and feet;
• decreased muscle strength in the lower limbs;
• Change posture by straightening the physiological curve of the spine in the lumbar region;
• stiffness of movements and limits of their amplitude;
• muscle tension in the lumbar region.

In severe cases, lower limb numbness, convulsions, low back pain, etc. may appear.

What is multisegmental or common osteoarthritis?

The question of what multisegmental osteochondrosis is can be answered briefly.These are degenerative dystrophic changes that affect not one but many intervertebral discs.The same can be said about what is a common osteochondrosis of the spine.This is a condition in which pathological changes are detected not in one, but in several parts of the spine.For example, if a person only has two lumbar discs affected, this is a multisegmental form of the disease.If a disc is affected in the lumbar and lumbosacral areas, this is a common pattern.

What is radiculopathy (in simple language)

And now a few words about what radicular osteonecrosis is and why this condition is dangerous for human health.So, simply speaking about what it is - cartilage degeneration, it can be noted that it is actually a flattening of the lining between the vertebral bodies.

When moving or in a static position of the body, due to the influence of gravity, a huge pressure is observed on the spine.Each vertebra located above will put pressure on the vertebra below.The intervertebral discs that separate them are in a compressed state.Without enough liquid, they will lose their resistance and easily flatten.At the same time, they lose the ability to provide sufficient height to the intervertebral space so that the nerve roots extending from the spinal cord are not compressed.

If the disc loses height and shape, the nerve root becomes compressed.Osteonecrosis with root syndrome occurs.It is accompanied by pronounced neurological manifestations in the form of numbness, paralysis, paralysis, decreased muscle strength, appearance of paresthesias, etc.

Effective treatment of osteoarthritis

We have figured out what osteonecrosis is, now we can talk about how to effectively treat the disease.As is clear, for complete recovery of intervertebral discs, it is necessary to restore impaired diffusive nutrition of the cartilage tissue of the fibrous ring.This can only be done with the help of manual therapy and therapeutic exercises.There are no pharmacological drugs that can restore the diffuse nutrition of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral disc.And injecting chondroprotectants in the absence of diffuse metabolism is useless.They do not penetrate cartilage tissue.

For effective treatment you need:

• change your lifestyle, make it more active with adequate physical activity and a proper diet;
• Avoid excessive physical activity on the back muscles;
• perform some spinal traction procedures to restore the physiological height of the intervertebral spaces;
• visit an osteopath to restore the elasticity of cartilage tissue and the ability to exchange diffusion with muscle tissue;
• carry out several massage sessions to improve tissue permeability, elasticity, restore microcirculation of blood and lymph fluid;
• develop an individual therapy course with a vertebra specialist.

Physical therapy, occupational therapy, laser therapy and more are also indicated.Osteoarthritis treatment should be performed under the supervision of a spine specialist or neurologist.