Herniated disc - the cause of acute back pain

Herniated disc is one of the mostoften arising diseases of the support of the human skeleton. Under this ailment is meant the destruction and displacement of the disk, which causes a number of serious complications.

Causes of the disease

With age, the structure of tissues in the human body is greatly deteriorating. This inevitable phenomenon leads to thinning of intervertebral discs, which makes them less durable and elastic.

Other causes of this ailment are excess weight, daily sitting, weight lifting, as well as trauma and skeletal disease.

Herniated disc: symptoms

A damaged disc can put pressure on thenerve endings or spinal cord, so the main symptom in this disease is pain in a specific area of ​​the back or neck. With a hernia in the lumbar region, there may be numbness in the legs, disruption of the genitourinary system and intestines (urinary incontinence or vice versa - retention of urine and feces). If a lesion occurs in the thoracic region, then a person may feel pain in the region of the heart (intercostal neuralgia). The herniated intervertebral disc of the cervical region causes sharp jumps in blood pressure (most often a sharp increase), numbness in the hands, up to partial loss of sensitivity, frequent dizziness, malaise.

At the early stage of the disease, the above symptoms may be absent or only partially manifested.

Diagnostics

With specific complaints of the patientexamination with a specialist. If the herniated disc is confirmed during the examination, additional computer examinations are carried out - CT and MRI. The first of them is the most reliable, since it reveals the presence of osteophytes (various bone holes) and allows one to distinguish them from a hernia. In addition, CT can provide information on the present state of the entire spine, including bone and soft tissue. The MRI scan also reveals the presence of lesions. The advantage of this type of diagnostics is the excellent clarity and contrast of the resulting images.

Herniated disc: effective methods of treatment

Often a positive effect in the treatment of thisThe disease is brought by conservative therapy, the main requirements of which is peace and compliance with bed rest. The patient is advised to avoid sharp corners of the body, it is forbidden to lift weights and in every possible way load the spine. Anesthesia prescribes the administration of such drugs as ibuprofen, diclofenac, and novocaine blockades are carried out. Also courses of thermal procedures, massage and physiotherapy are appointed.

Herniated intervertebral disc of medium severityrequire mechanical stretching of the spine. This measure is used to reduce pressure, resulting in the disks becoming physiologically correct. To fix the desired position of the spine, a rigid corset is prescribed.

Prevention of disease

In order to prevent the development of a violationthe basis of the skeleton, you must follow certain rules. The main ones are the maintenance of optimal weight, regular physical training and routine examination with a doctor. When lifting heavy objects, you should take the right posture: squat at the knees, and do not tilt the whole body. The weight of the lifted object must correspond to the physical capabilities of this or that person. No less important role in maintaining a healthy state of the spine is proper nutrition and the absence of bad habits.