Osteochondrosis is a spinal disease characterized by the dysfunction of intervertebral discs. These discs are elastic pads between the vertebrae, providing flexibility and mobility to the spine. The discs lose their functions due to metabolic disorders in their tissues, as well as aging and destruction. Parts of the destroyed or displaced discs compress blood vessels and nerves, causing pain. Moreover, these vessels usually go to a specific organ, and when compressed, they cannot perform their function and negatively affect the organ’s function.
Since the spine is divided into several sections (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, coccygeal), osteochondrosis can be diagnosed in relation to the name of the section (cervical osteochondrosis, etc.). It is known that osteochondrosis mainly affects the most mobile sections of the spine – the cervical and lumbar.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include: deterioration of hearing, vision, headache, and dizziness (especially with sharp turns), shooting pain (like an electric shock), impaired movement coordination. Other signs of cervical osteochondrosis include derealization – a perception disorder. Derealization occurs due to the pinching of nerves in the cervical section.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis include: pain between the shoulder blades, stiffness and pain in the shoulders (when lifting arms), intercostal neuralgia, numbness in the arms.
Lumbar osteochondrosis symptoms include lower back pain radiating to the leg (thigh) or buttock, tingling, sensations of cold or heat in the lower back, numbness in the leg, constipation, urinary incontinence.
Physical causes of osteochondrosis include a sedentary lifestyle, injuries, excess weight, incorrect posture, heredity, diseases that disrupt metabolism, heavy physical loads, prolonged driving, muscle clamps during and after stress.
If osteochondrosis is not detected and treated in time, it can lead to diseases of internal organs. Since each section and segment of the spine is connected to a specific organ, osteochondrosis of a particular part will negatively affect the function of this organ, causing its pathology. For example, advanced cervical osteochondrosis due to artery compression can lead to hypertension without visible signs.
Psychosomatics of Osteochondrosis
Since the spine is the supporting organ, the framework, the axis of the human body, transferring these characteristics to the metaphysical plane suggests the psychological causes of osteochondrosis. Thus, the key words here are: support, internal core, through which the energy of life circulates.
It is logical that the well-known author Louise Hay explains the cause of osteochondrosis as a feeling of loss of support, a foundation.
If we look at the functions of the spine, we see the same basic characteristics: • Supportive (support in life), • Motile (movement is life), • Casing (encloses, protects the spinal cord).
Perhaps the supportive and protective functions have determined that some authors associate the spine with the father, his support in life. And arising problems are associated with a person’s inability to accept paternal support. Hence, disorders in the spine indicate the seriousness of the soul’s problem: distrust of life, resistance to changes in life.
The question arises: How can a person, as a small part of Life (vast, all-encompassing, Divine), resist it, go against it, fight it without harming themselves? The answer is obvious: In no way, it is impossible. Hence, the spine, our bodily core, begins to signal.
The aggression, anger, and other negative emotions that arise during resistance and are not released tense the muscles in the human body. Over time, these overstrained muscles begin to affect the spine.
Osteochondrosis on a nervous basis occurs in this way. Long-term suppression of negative emotions by clenching muscles (remember the expressions “clenching fists”, “gritting teeth” – that is, muscles in a person automatically work with strong emotions) creates a muscular carapace, deforming a particular section of the spine.
Let’s examine the psychoemotional causes in more detail.
Psychosomatic Causes of Osteochondrosis
- The cervical spine is known to symbolize flexibility, the ability to view a situation from all sides, and the will of a person. Hence, the absence of these positive qualities and the prevalence of negative ones: categoricity, stubbornness, dissatisfaction (under forced subordination) negatively affect the cervical section.
Another cause of cervical osteochondrosis may be that a person does not feel emotional support from loved ones. Holding back tears and anger due to this leads to muscle clamps in the cervical section (muscles of the chin, back of the head, and neck).
Headaches in cervical osteochondrosis may arise from the fact that a person “carries old problems on their neck” and does not want to free themselves from them, to part with them.
Often a person literally hangs their head from insoluble problems (“hung their head below the shoulders”), from fear or pressure, they tuck their head into their shoulders. Certainly, the consequence of such a life position will be the deformation of the cervical spine.
According to some psychologists, derealization indicates dissatisfaction due to the inability to realize ambitions, constant conflicts.
- The upper thoracic section of the spine is traditionally associated with love in a person’s life. Therefore, such negative experiences as the fear of being unloved, or the loss, departure of a loved one, accusations of being unloved, negatively affect the state of this section.
Problems with the lower thoracic section signal resentment that “carries on its back” and wants others to “get off.”
The thoracic section also suffers when a person lives with guilt for past mistakes. Having gone through a negative situation in the past, in the present, they, as it were, turn off emotions and heart, living only by reason.
Sometimes, in the face of troubles, a person’s body contracts – thus the body automatically reacts to the desire of a person to seem invisible in situations dangerous from their point of view or for unpleasant people.
It has been found that pains in the thoracic spine appear in people who live in fear of betrayal, a stab in the back.
Muscle clamps in the thoracic section (muscles of the chest, shoulders, arms, diaphragm) indicate problems with low self-esteem (posture disorders also signal this).
- It is known that the lumbar spine, both literally and figuratively, takes on a large part of the physical load. Under the excessive burden of problems, the back bends: but this is an unnecessary burden that should be freed from. Here we are talking about how a person often burdens themselves with an unnecessary load of problems, both actual and imaginary.
One of the main causes of lumbar osteochondrosis is constant worries about the financial side of life, a feeling of lack of material support, fear of lack of money or being left without work, guilt due to incompetence in solving financial problems.
Muscle clamps in the lumbar section (muscles of the abdomen, back, pelvis, legs) indicate self-limitation in pleasure, in holding back anger, non-acceptance, fear.
- The sacrococcygeal section signals pains of strong concern and fear of financial problems, the desire to be financially independent.
- A person suffering from pains in the coccygeal section of the spine usually lives in disharmony with themselves, in grievances and accusations.
Disorders in this part of the spine indicate a lack of a basic feeling – a sense of protection, security. Such a person is characterized by anxiety.
Problems with the pelvic section of the spine say that a person feels discomfort in their home and in their family. Some psychologists point to the denial of sexual relations.
Paths to Healing
Along with drug treatment and physiotherapy, physical exercises for cervical osteochondrosis are mandatory. BUT: they cannot be performed during exacerbation to avoid complications.
However, as practice shows, conservative treatment of psychosomatic osteochondrosis can only temporarily improve the physical condition. Complete healing occurs only if the psychological causes are removed.
Therefore, it is worth analyzing and realizing the inner cause of your ailment, and then – forgive yourself (and loved ones, if they were involved in the negative situation) and let go of the negative, thanking for the life experience. Thanks to such lessons, we become wiser, learn to live in joy and gratitude, not complicating life for ourselves or others.
If the psychoemotional cause of your ailment is not on the surface and is inaccessible to you, it makes sense to turn to a competent psychologist or psychotherapist.
I hope this article will be helpful to someone. Be happy and healthy.
Lada
