If a hundred years ago people thought about osteochondrosis only in old age, today a twenty-year-old patient with a similar diagnosis is no longer a rarity. Why does osteochondrosis appear, how does our lifestyle affect the condition of the spine and what to do? Almaty orthopedist Damira Ustembekova answered these questions to Standard.kz journalist.

- What kind of misfortune is this - osteochondrosis?

- This is a long-term disease of the intervertebral discs, lasting for decades and affecting people during the years of their greatest activity (75% of patients are patients aged 30 to 60 years). Despite the fact that "chondros" in Greek means "cartilage", osteochondrosis is most often understood not as all damage to cartilage tissue, but only problems with the cartilage of the spine.

With osteochondrosis, intervertebral discs - special cartilaginous structures that provide flexibility and mobility to our spine - become defective. This is where it all starts. The onset of the disease is gradual or acute, from minor pain to the most severe condition due to unbearable pain. Course - with frequent or rare exacerbations, without periods of improvement, with a gradual or rapid increase in the severity of the disease. The nature of the disease depends on the degree and level of damage to the intervertebral discs.

When osteochondrosis progresses, irreversible changes occur already in the vertebrae themselves. Among other things, osteochondrosis often causes many serious ailments. People are endlessly on sick leave, and some even get disabled and cannot lead a normal life.

The danger of osteochondrosis is that it is very often combined with deformity of other joints. One disease stems from another. Often the patient notices the disease at a stage when it is difficult enough to stop the process of destruction.

Why does this disease occur?

Let's start with the evolution of mankind. Our body, like the body of our distant ancestors, was formed in an unfavorable environment. A person had to move and run very well in order to get food for himself and secure his life. Today, such questions do not arise before us, but the body has remained the same. And all its systems are designed for an active lifestyle. Moreover, movement is necessary for the spine from childhood, because its final formation occurs over time.

However, everything is good in moderation. If immobility is very bad, then too much and incorrect loads are also bad for the spine. During exercise, it is important to properly dose the load. If the spine is overworked, damage is possible that simply does not have time to recover due to constant minor injuries.

There is another category of movements that negatively affect the condition of the spine. These are uniform loads. If you stay in the same position every day for a long time, then the spine experiences overload in the same way. Over time, this leads to the development of occupational diseases.

- How to recognize osteochondrosis?

- The main sign of osteochondrosis is pain. Depending on where the damaged intervertebral discs are located, the neck, shoulder, arm, back, and even chest can hurt. Sometimes a person thinks that he has heart problems, but in fact it hurts a nerve that is pinched as a result of osteochondrosis. Simultaneously with pain, a person often feels overstrain and numbness of the muscles. If the blood vessels that feed the brain are compressed, headache, dizziness, tinnitus, double vision, nausea and vomiting appear.

- What preventive measures should be taken?

- For the prevention of radiculitis and osteochondrosis, experts advise the following:

Timely correction of curvature of the spine and posture disorders in early school age.
Actively engage in sports, which will allow you to form a muscular corset. No "standing" against the wall and "trying" to sit up straight will replace your muscles, which themselves should take care of your posture, even when you are not thinking about it.
Stick to a diet that contains enough calcium and magnesium (fish and other seafood, cabbage, spinach, beans, nuts, seeds, peas, wholemeal bread and fresh milk from healthy cows) and a complete set of vitamins.
Fight excess weight.
When carrying heavy loads, ensure an even load on both hands, wearing backpacks instead of bags. Lift weights only using the legs, not the spine, as weightlifters do. Avoid twisting of the spine when moving the load. And - hang, hang, hang on the horizontal bar, not only stretching the spine, but also strengthening the arms.
- How can a person himself alleviate the course of the disease?

- Self-medication, as you know, is dangerous to engage in. First of all, you need to see a doctor. I note that spa treatment has a positive effect: radon, hydrogen sulfide, iodine-bromine baths relax, relieve tension from the spine, and help reduce pain. But only a doctor can choose an individual treatment.