Every year, diseases of the spine become younger. The most common is osteochondrosis, which was recently considered an age-related disease. When the cervical region is affected, due to the degenerative-dystrophic nature of osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernias are formed in the spine and severe pains in the neck and head appear, which significantly reduce the quality of life and lead to surgical intervention.
The risk of cervical osteochondrosis
It is important to diagnose diseases of the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine in the early stages so that its treatment can be started immediately, until the bone tissue grows, salt deposits and growths are not created in the vertebrae, which irritate the muscles, leading thus. them to shrink.
Osteophytes increase pressure on vertebrae, constrict arteries and squeeze nerve endings when turning the head. Cervical osteochondrosis is a serious and dangerous disease. Symptoms of pain in the cervical region are not limited to head movement. If left untreated, the disease has complications that cause discomfort, which can become a significant cause of dysfunction.
Damage to the blood arteries due to deformation when the vertebrae come close to each other leads to vertebrobasilar syndrome. An insufficient amount of blood enters the brain, this becomes the main cause of dizziness, poor balance, impaired vision, loss of consciousness and tinnitus. The degree of compression of the cervical spine artery depends on the negative consequences that appear in the body with different degrees of severity. Cervical osteochondrosis disrupts the process of blood supply to brain regions and provokes complications in the brain with oxygen starvation.
A pinched nerve at the back of the head is the cause of headaches that may radiate to the neck or temple. The most dangerous is the violation of the nerve processes of the spinal cord, in which dysfunctions are observed with serious uncontrolled spastic disorders of coordination in the lower extremities, decreased sensitivity of the bladder and intestines.
If osteochondrosis is not treated, then complications arise, for example, protrusions and herniations of the cervical discs. Sometimes it leads to the development of vascular diseases that cause damage to the brain even before the death of its individual sections.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
Traditional medicine considers osteochondrosis a disease with degenerative changes in the discs of the cervical spine, and the treatment system of alternative medicine osteopathy considers that this is a manifestation of disorders deep inside the body.
There are several reasons why cervical osteochondrosis occurs:
Posture disorder
Bending, scoliosis, rounded back, kyphosis cause an imbalance of the spine, so the load is unevenly distributed on the discs, leading to their deformation and increased wear. At the same time, the vertebrae come closer to each other, starting to press the nerve processes, because of this, osteochondrosis develops.
Muscle spasms
Spasmodic muscle reactions lead to tension in parts of the body, causing a change in the natural position and deformation of the discs in the spine.
Violation of blood supply
Spinal discs are not connected to the circulatory system, so they are saturated with blood from the body's tissues. Violation of the blood supply process in the neck leads to the lack of sufficient fluids to absorb moisture and restore the shape and renewal of the cartilage. As a result, wear of the vertebrae accelerates, the intervertebral distance decreases, leading to osteochondrosis of the cervical region.
Violation of innervation
Due to the decrease in the sensitivity of the nerve roots during the displacement and deformation of the intervertebral discs of the cervical region, the pathological changes remain unnoticed by the patient due to the absence of pain.
Diseases of internal organs
Displacement of internal organs, their lowering due to deformations of the cervical vertebrae leads to a violation of the position of the spine and balance in the body.
Improper food
An unbalanced diet rich in carbohydrates and fatty foods with a lack of protein and micronutrients can lead to unpleasant difficulties.
Cervical osteochondrosis develops due to external factors that negatively affect the balance of the spine and the natural development of the body's systems as a whole. In addition to the listed symptoms, the development of diseases and painful sensations is possible due to a long stay in an uncomfortable position, frequent tension of the muscle tissues of the back and neck, hypothermia of the neck and collar area.
Nervous strain, frequent stress and sleep disturbance are also often the cause. Often, violations are not noticed immediately, so cervical osteochondrosis sometimes progresses for a long time and leads to serious health consequences. Therefore, it is important to visit the doctor regularly to correct the underlying causes that caused osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae and not to treat its symptoms.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a disease that occurs in discs with degenerative-dystrophic changes. Initially, the intervertebral discs are cartilage, which contains a jelly-like substance. Over time, discs can become dehydrated due to poor posture, 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, its thickness decreases, which causes the development of osteochondrosis with characteristic signs:
- neck pain;
- headache, dizziness, loss of consciousness, due to damage to the arteries passing through the vertebrae;
- blood pressure fluctuations;
- radicular syndrome with a violation of sensitivity and the appearance of goose bumps and numbness of some areas on the skin of the back of the head, shoulders, arms, neck, as a result of compression of the spinal roots. It is 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 pathologies, tinnitus, decreased vision;
- with the development of complications, nausea, vomiting, migraine attacks may appear.
There are 7 vertebrae in the cervical spine, osteochondrosis often affects the discs, which are located between the 5th and 7th vertebrae. Consultation with a general practitioner or a neurologist is required who will prescribe the necessary diagnosis and perform an MRI magnetic resonance image to establish a diagnosis and choose a treatment.
Levels of development
There are four stages of osteochondrosis:
- Level 1 - only pathological changes begin to appear on the disc, so the symptoms are mild and not always noticed. The treatment will be quick and effective.
- Grade 2 - changes in the intervertebral discs become pronounced, this leads to aching pain in the cervical region, which is aggravated by head movements.
- Grade 3 - constant pain is complicated by the development of protrusion and the formation of a hernia between the vertebrae.
- Level 4 - the fibrous disc is so destroyed that movements in the spine are practically excluded due to damage to the intervertebral arteries, which leads to the development of radicular syndrome and severe pain not only in the neck, but also in the chest, in the hands. and the middle.
Diagnosing
Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Usually this is a neurologist, but in some cases, an additional meeting with the following specialists may be required: vertebrologist, endocrinologist, oncologist, orthopedist, traumatologist or neurosurgeon.
At the meeting, the doctor collects an anamnesis - the patient's main complaints and symptoms of concern, injuries, the presence of chronic diseases and additional related information. Next, the doctor determines the mobility of the neck, sensitivity and tension of the patient's muscles. To obtain more accurate information, the patient is assigned diagnostic tests using special equipment:
- radiography (X-rays);
- 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 discs between the vertebrae. Therefore, the treatment is always developed for the patient individually and is always aimed at solving the following problems:
- elimination of worsening symptoms;
- improvement of blood circulation;
- increase in metabolic processes;
- elimination of degenerative-dystrophic changes in discs;
- reduction of complications of cervical osteochondrosis.
At each stage of the development of the disease, its own treatment measures are applied:
- The first stage - it is enough to do physiotherapy exercises, adjust your lifestyle;
- The second stage - it is also required to include taking medications, manual therapy, the use of orthopedic devices.
It should be understood that a complete change in degenerative-dystrophic processes is impossible, especially with a diagnosis of stage 2 osteochondrosis or more. In these situations, it is necessary to improve well-being with the help of treatment and prevent the progression of the disease. It is possible to correct, sometimes, the first stage of cervical osteochondrosis, when the developmental pathology is rarely diagnosed. Because patients perceive mild neck discomfort as too much work and do 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 the 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, taking breaks for sports training during sedentary work. If the patient, on the contrary, is actively involved in sports, then he should reduce the physical load on the neck, giving up running, wrestling, dancing, lifting weights.
Overweight people are advised to take additional measures to reduce it by adjusting their diet so that the diet 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
Drug therapy is mainly aimed at eliminating the symptoms of neck pain due to osteochondrosis of the spine. The complex nature of the therapy is developed for the patient individually and consists in the use of different groups of drugs that solve their problems.
NSAIDs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a group of drugs with anti-inflammatory and anti-pain properties. They can be in tablets and capsules, as well as in the form of creams, ointments and gels, and for severe pain, they are used intramuscularly for the administration of solutions.
The disadvantage of using drugs is the irritation of the gastric and duodenal mucosa, which can damage the functioning of the organs due to gastritis and ulcers. To alleviate the risks with NSAIDs, proton pump inhibitors are prescribed in combination.
To reduce pain and inflammation in osteochondrosis, sodium diclofenac 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 blockade
Corticosteroids are hormonal drugs that are prescribed in short courses for severe patients with complex inflammatory processes. With long-term use, they can cause unwanted effects, so they are used in injection form so that there are no side effects and they are absorbed more easily.
Corticosteroids are often used together with anesthetics when performing the blockade. To relieve severe pain syndromes, the prepared mixture is injected into points near the spinal nerves. The procedure is performed in clinics by trained medical staff. Blockade doctors recommend doing it four times a year.
Muscle relaxants
Muscle relaxants are drugs for eliminating muscle spasms caused by severe inflammation and pain in the neck as a result of osteochondrosis.
vitamins
Osteochondrosis creates compression of the spinal roots, therefore it is indicated to take B vitamins, which are 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 discs between the vertebrae, improving the patient's well-being. In the latter, they can only slow down the degenerative-dystrophic process in these discs.
Chondroprotectors are produced in capsules, powders and also in the form of solutions when administered intramuscularly.
Medicines for local use
Gels, creams or ointments used at the initial appearance of osteochondrosis in the neck to affect the painful area. They are different in the principle of action, they can be anti-inflammatory, analgesic, warming, cooling. Often in their composition there are ingredients such as NSAIDs, menthol, hot pepper, extract from snake and bee venom.
Preparations for improving microcirculation
Medicines of this group improve the quality of blood circulation, which is especially necessary for vertebral artery syndrome. They stimulate the expansion of vessels, 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 with a specialist, 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:
- strengthening the muscles of the shoulder girdle and neck;
- activation of blood circulation;
- normalization of muscle tone.
You should 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 that all physical education exercises are performed slowly, without sudden head movements and in comfortable conditions. If neck pain occurs, the exercise should be stopped immediately and then consult a doctor to correct the treatment program.
Swimming has a positive effect on the condition of the cervical spine, in which classes are not associated with physical stress on the intervertebral discs, but the neck muscles work actively. As a result, the muscle corset that supports the spine is strengthened. Patients with osteochondrosis are advised 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 the spine. The specialist must have a higher education, a medical license for manual therapy and must have experience, understand the anatomy and features 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. Set a course consisting of 10-15 procedures, which are selected individually.
- Electrophoresis - an electric current is used to ensure deep penetration of drugs.
- Magnetotherapy - to activate the blood circulation process and stimulate metabolic processes. In addition, these sessions act against pain and eliminate swelling.
- Laser therapy - acts against the inflammation process and dilates blood vessels, which reduces pain.
- Ultrasound therapy is a method that reduces the sensitivity of nerve endings, and has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.
- Diadynamic currents - reduce pain, improve tissue nutrition, eliminate inflammation.
Withdrawal therapy
As a result of disc flattening, the vertebrae are brought closer together, so Glisson loop traction therapy is recommended.
The applicator
The applicator is an affordable and simple tool for neck reflexology. The impact of the spikes causes skin irritation, leads to an active flow of blood, increasing the efficiency of the neck and improving sleep.
Orthopedic devices
To reduce the load on the neck, it is recommended to replace the mattress and pillow with orthopedics that maintain the correct position of the spine, reducing the progression of osteochondrosis. It is recommended that patients wear a removable orthopedic device - the Shants collar, which allows you to adjust the neck, reducing the load.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
To avoid cervical osteochondrosis, you should do a regular warm-up, during which you change the position of your body, performing neck movements and head turns. Maintain proper posture from a young age. Do sports, strengthening the muscles of the neck and joints, reducing the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis. Take care of your health!