Every year the disease in the spine becomes younger. The most common is osteochondrosis, which has recently been considered an age-related disease. When the cervical area is affected, due to the degenerative-dystrophic nature of osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernias form in the spine and severe pain in the neck and head occurs, which significantly reduces the quality of life and leads to surgical intervention.
Dangers of cervical osteochondrosis
It is important to diagnose the disease of the intervertebral disc of the cervical spine at an early stage to immediately start its treatment, so that the bone tissue has developed, salt deposits and growths are not formed on the vertebrae, which irritate the muscles, leading them to contract.
Osteophytes increase pressure on the vertebrae, pinching arteries and squeezing nerve endings when turning the head. Cervical osteochondrosis is a serious and dangerous disease. Cervical pain symptoms are not limited to head movement only. If left untreated, this disease has complications that cause discomfort, which can be the main cause of dysfunction.
Violation of blood arteries due to deformation when vertebrae approach each other leads to vertebrobasilar syndrome. An insufficient amount of blood entering the brain, this is the main cause of dizziness, poor balance, visual disturbances, loss of consciousness and tinnitus. The degree of compression of the cervical spinal artery depends on the negative consequences that manifest themselves in the body with varying degrees of severity. Cervical osteochondrosis disrupts the process of blood supply to the brain area and causes complications in the brain with oxygen starvation.
A pinched nerve at the back of the head is the cause of a headache that can spread to the neck or temple. The most dangerous is a violation of the nerve processes of the spinal cord, in which dysfunction is observed with serious uncontrolled spastic coordination disorders in the lower legs, decreased sensitivity of the bladder and intestines.
If osteochondrosis is not treated, then complications arise, for example, protrusion and herniation of the cervical disc. Sometimes it leads to the development of vascular diseases that cause brain damage even before the death of its individual parts.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
Traditional medicine considers osteochondrosis as a disease with degenerative changes in the cervical spine disc, and the alternative medical treatment system of osteopathy considers that this is a manifestation of a disorder deep in the body.
There are several reasons why cervical osteochondrosis appears:
Postural disorders
Hunching, scoliosis, rounded back, kyphosis cause an imbalance of the spine, so the load is unevenly distributed on the disc, which leads to deformation and increases its wear. At the same time, the vertebrae approach each other, begin to pinch the nerve processes, because of this, osteochondrosis develops.
Muscle cramp
The spasmodic muscle response leads to tension in the body, causing a change in the natural position and deformation of the disc in the spinal column.
Violation of blood supply
The spinal disc is not connected to the circulatory system, therefore it is saturated with blood from the body tissues. Violation of the blood supply process in the neck leads to a lack of sufficient fluid to absorb moisture and restore cartilage shape and renewal. As a result, the wear of the vertebrae accelerates, the intervertebral distance decreases, which leads to osteochondrosis of the cervical region.
Conservation violation
Due to the reduced sensitivity of the nerve root during displacement and deformation of the intervertebral disc of the cervical region, pathological changes remain unnoticed by the patient due to the absence of pain.
Diseases of internal organs
Displacement of internal organs, their decrease due to cervical vertebrae defects leads to a violation of the position of the spine and balance in the body.
Improper nutrition
An unbalanced diet high in carbohydrates and fatty foods with a lack of protein and microelements can lead to unpleasant difficulties.
Cervical osteochondrosis develops due to external factors that affect the balance of the spine and the natural development of the body system as a whole. In addition to the listed symptoms, the development of the disease and painful sensations are possible due to long stays in uncomfortable positions, frequent tension of back and neck muscle tissue, hypothermia of the neck and collar zone.
Often the cause is nervous tension, frequent stress and sleep disorders. Often, violations are not immediately visible, so cervical osteochondrosis sometimes develops for a long time and leads to serious health consequences. Therefore, it is important to visit the doctor regularly to correct the underlying cause that causes osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, and not to treat the symptoms.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a disease that occurs in the disc with degenerative-dystrophic changes. Initially, the intervertebral disc is cartilage, which contains a jelly-like substance. Over time, discs can become dehydrated due to poor posture, a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle, computer work, injuries and neck injuries, and other factors.
As a result, the strength of the collagen fibers of the fibrous disc gradually decreases, their thickness decreases, which causes the development of osteochondrosis with characteristic signs:
- neck pain;
- pain in the head, dizziness, loss of consciousness, due to violation of the artery that passes through the vertebrae;
- fluctuations in blood pressure;
- radicular syndrome with a violation of sensitivity and the appearance of goosebumps and numbness of several areas on the back of the head, shoulders, arms, neck, as a result of pinching the spinal roots. Accompanied by pain in the shoulders and arms, even in the fingers;
- decreased ability to turn and tilt the neck and stiffness due to severe pain;
- increased fatigue, decreased performance;
- the appearance of ENT pathology, tinnitus, decreased vision;
- with the development of complications, nausea, vomiting, migraine attacks may occur.
There are 7 vertebrae in the cervical spine, osteochondrosis often affects the disc, which is located between the 5th and 7th vertebrae. It is required to consult with a general practitioner or neurologist who will prescribe the necessary diagnostics and carry out magnetic resonance imaging MRI to establish the diagnosis and choose treatment.
Degree of development
There are four stages of osteochondrosis:
- Grade 1 - only pathological changes begin to appear in the disc, so the symptoms are mild and not always noticed. Treatment will be quick and effective.
- Grade 2 - changes in the intervertebral disc become noticeable, this leads to pain in the cervical region, which is aggravated by head movement.
- Grade 3 - constant pain is complicated by the development of protrusions and the formation of intervertebral hernias.
- Grade 4 - the fibrous disc is so destroyed that movement in the spine is practically excluded due to violation of the intervertebral artery, which leads to the development of radicular syndrome and severe pain not only in the neck, but also in the chest, hands, and lumbar.
Diagnostics
Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Usually this is a neurologist, but in some cases, additional appointments with the following specialists may be necessary: vertebrologist, endocrinologist, oncologist, orthopedist, traumatologist or neurosurgeon.
At the appointment, the doctor collects an anamnesis - the patient's main complaints and disturbing symptoms, injuries, the presence of chronic diseases and additional relevant information. Next, the doctor determines the patient's neck mobility, sensitivity and muscle tension. To obtain more accurate information, patients are given diagnostic tests using special equipment:
- radiography (X-ray);
- computed tomography (CT);
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis depends on the characteristics of the patient's age, as well as the degree of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the intervertebral disc. Therefore, treatment is always developed for individual patients and always aims to solve the following problems:
- elimination of worsening symptoms;
- increased blood circulation;
- increase in metabolic processes;
- elimination of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the disc;
- reduction of complications of cervical osteochondrosis.
At each stage of the development of the disease, its own treatment measures are used:
- Stage 1 - it is enough to do physiotherapy exercises, adjust your lifestyle;
- 2nd stage - required to additionally include taking medications, manual therapy, use of orthopedic devices.
It should be understood that a complete change in the degenerative-dystrophic process is impossible, especially with the diagnosis of osteochondrosis stage 2 or more. In this situation, it is necessary to improve well-being with the help of treatment and prevent the disease from developing. It is possible to correct, sometimes, the first stage of cervical osteochondrosis, when developmental pathology is rarely diagnosed. Because the patient felt some neck discomfort as too much work and did not go to the doctor.
In severe cases with cervical osteochondrosis of the spine, treatment will be difficult and longer. Periodic examinations are carried out under the supervision of a neurologist to correct treatment, which depends on continuous changes in the patient's well-being.
Lifestyle Correction
All patients with a diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical region should increase physical activity, rest for sports exercises during sedentary work. If the patient, on the other hand, is actively involved in sports, then he needs to reduce the physical load on the neck, stop running, wrestling, jumping, lifting weights.
People who are overweight are advised to take extra steps to reduce it by adjusting their diet so that it is healthy and meets the body's needs. The menu should be designed so that the food is protein and half consists of vegetables and fruits.
Drug treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Therapy with drugs is mainly aimed at eliminating the symptoms of pain in the neck due to osteochondrosis of the spine. The complex nature of therapy is developed for individual patients and consists of the use of different groups of drugs that solve their problems.
NSAIDs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a group of drugs that have anti-inflammatory and pain-fighting properties. They can be in tablets and capsules, and in the form of creams, ointments and gels, and for severe pain, they are used intramuscularly for the administration of solutions.
The downside of using the drug is irritation of the stomach and duodenal mucosa, which can affect organ function due to gastritis and ulcers. To relieve the risk with NSAIDs, proton pump inhibitors are prescribed in combination.
To reduce pain and inflammation in osteochondrosis, diclofenac sodium or piroxicam is used as an active ingredient. They have a gentle effect on the digestive tract. Now drugs have been developed that are distinguished by selective action.
Corticosteroids and restrictions
Corticosteroids are hormonal drugs prescribed in short courses for severe patients with complex inflammatory processes. It can cause unwanted effects with long-term use, therefore it is used in injectable form so that there are no side effects and it is more easily absorbed.
Corticosteroids are often used in conjunction with anesthetics when performing a block. To relieve severe pain syndrome, the prepared mixture is injected into a point near the spinal nerve. The procedure is performed in a clinic by medically trained workers. Blocking doctors recommend doing it four times a year.
Relax the muscles
Muscle relaxant is a medicine to get rid of muscle spasms caused by inflammation and severe pain in the neck due to osteochondrosis.
vitamins
Osteochondrosis creates compression of the spinal roots, therefore it is indicated to take vitamin B, which is involved in nerve impulses.
Chondroprotectors
Chondroprotectors - drugs for the restoration of cartilage tissue. In the early stages of cervical osteochondrosis, they really have a positive effect on the condition of the intervertebral disc, improving the patient's well-being. In the latter, they can only slow down the degenerative-dystrophic process in this disc.
Chondroprotectors are produced in capsules, powders, and also in the form of solutions when administered intramuscularly.
Medication for topical use
Gel, cream or ointment used at the initial appearance of osteochondrosis in the neck to affect the painful area. They differ in the principle of action can be anti-inflammatory, analgesic, warming, cooling. Often in their composition there are components such as NSAIDs, menthol, hot pepper, snake extract and bee venom.
Preparations to improve microcirculation
Medicines of this group improve the quality of blood circulation, which is very necessary for vertebral artery syndrome. They promote vasodilation, improve brain nutrition and eliminate tinnitus, headaches, dizziness.
exercise therapy
Therapeutic exercise is the main method in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis of the spine. The complex of physical therapy exercises is selected individually by specialists, taking into account the patient's age, the presence of radicular syndrome and arterial compression, as well as the development of existing diseases and degenerative-dystrophic changes. Goals of physical therapy:
- strengthens the muscles of the shoulder girdle and neck;
- blood circulation activation;
- normalization of muscle tone.
You need to do it every day with a specialist who will help you choose the load, develop an optimal program, taking into account the physical condition of the patient.
It is important to do all physical education exercises slowly, without sudden head movements and in a comfortable state. If pain occurs in the neck, exercise should be stopped immediately and then see a doctor to correct the treatment program.
Swimming has a positive effect on the condition of the cervical spine, where the class is not associated with physical stress on the intervertebral discs, but the neck muscles work actively. As a result, the muscular corset that supports the spine is strengthened. Patients with osteochondrosis are shown to swim two to three times a week.
Manual therapy for cervical osteochondrosis
Manual therapy is an effective way to treat osteochondrosis, as it affects the muscles and spine. The specialist must have a higher education, a medical license for manual therapy and must have experience, understand the anatomy and characteristics of osteochondrosis.
Self massage
To improve their well-being, patients can perform neck massage themselves, to relieve fatigue and pain.
Physiotherapy treatment
Physiotherapy is indicated if there is no inflammatory process. Give a course consisting of 10-15 procedures, which are selected individually.
- Electrophoresis - electric current is used to ensure deep drug penetration.
- Magnetotherapy - to activate blood circulation and stimulate metabolic processes. In addition, this session acts against pain and removes swelling.
- Laser therapy - acts on the inflammatory process and dilates blood vessels, which reduces pain.
- Ultrasound therapy is a method that reduces the sensitivity of nerve endings, and has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
- Diadynamic current - reduces pain, improves tissue nutrition, eliminates inflammation.
Attraction therapy
As a result of disc flattening, the vertebrae move closer together, so traction therapy with a Glisson loop is recommended.
Applicators
An iplicator is an affordable and convenient tool for neck reflexology. Spike piercing causes skin irritation, leads to active blood flow, improves neck efficiency, and improves sleep.
Orthopedic appliances
To reduce the load on the neck, it is recommended to replace mattresses and pillows with orthopedic ones that maintain the correct position of the spine, reducing the development of osteochondrosis. It is recommended that the patient wears a removable orthopedic device - a Shants collar, which allows you to fix the neck, reducing the load.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
To avoid cervical osteochondrosis, you need to do a regular warm-up, where you change your body position, do neck tilts and head turns. Maintain proper posture since childhood. Go in for sports, strengthen neck muscles and joints, reduce the incidence of cervical osteochondrosis. Take care of your health!