Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is one of the most dangerous types of neurological diseases. What is this disease, how does it manifest? What measures help to prevent it? How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine? You will find answers to these questions in this article.
Characteristics of the disease
Osteochondrosis in general terms is a degenerative modification of the intervertebral cartilaginous discs, which subsequently affects bone tissue and the nervous system. What happens to this disease? In the cartilaginous disc, which plays a shock-absorbing role in the structure of the spine, dehydration, or simply dehydration, begins due to a metabolic failure. The nucleus begins to press on the ring that surrounds it and the disc extends beyond the vertebrae. This phenomenon is called protrusion. If the membrane breaks, an intervertebral hernia appears, which is even more dangerous.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a disease that brings a lot of pain and discomfort to human life. Unlike the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, the cervical vertebrae are more mobile, are the smallest and are constantly under the influence of stress. The disease most often affects these specific segments of the spine. A large number of nerve and blood branches are concentrated in the cervical spine. A large major vertebral artery passes here, carrying nutrients to the brain. The constricted state of this vessel is dangerous due to the development of ischemia of the spinal cord or brain, as well as stroke. If this artery and nerve fibers that pass through the cervical spine are affected, the person loses the precise coordination of movements, their hearing and vision weaken, frequent dizziness and several neurological disorders are observed, which will be discussed below.
Reasons
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine occurs even at a young age. What causes the development of the disease? What are the causes that contribute to the onset of the disease, even in people under the age of 30? Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the treatment of which requires a lot of time and patience, results from two main factors:
- hypodynamics or sedentary lifestyle; malnutrition
- .
As a result, there is a violation of metabolism (metabolism) throughout the body, in particular in bone and cartilage tissues, the level of salt in the blood increases and they, not finding a way out of the bloodstream, find "refuge""in the tissues of the kidneys, liver and cervical spine. An unbalanced diet leads to a lack of nutrients in the cartilage, as a result of which pathological changes in the intervertebral discs begin. Osteochondrosis is especially susceptible to people at risk.
Let's name the factors, whose presence increases the likelihood of developing the disease:
- heredity;
- age after 40 years;
- overweight;
- frequent hypothermia (no wonder they say "don't get a cold in your neck! ");
- dysfunctions of the endocrine system, disturbing the metabolism;
- spinal injuries; systemic lupus erythematosus;
- rheumatism;
- nature of the activity - drivers, clerks, cashiers, athletes, people involved in heavy physical work.
Symptoms
How is cervical osteochondrosis manifested? The symptoms of the disease and the nature of the pains that arise depend on which segments have been damaged. In this regard, the following states may develop:
vertebral artery syndrome- ; hypertensive
- syndrome; root syndrome
- ;
- cervical migraine syndrome.
Let's take a look at each one. With vertebral artery syndrome, severe headaches already appear in the early stages. The person usually gets dizzy, the gait becomes wobbly and the clarity of vision decreases. Sudden movements of the head can cause loss of consciousness. Root syndrome is characterized by a variety of manifestations. These include:
- neck pain or severe neck pain;
- crunch when turning your head;
- weakness and tinnitus;
- numbness and pain in the arm;
- disturbance of auditory and visual functions; tinnitus;
- cervicobraquialgia, or pain that spreads from the neck to the arms;
- sensation of swelling and numbness of the tongue.
Cervical migraine syndrome is characterized mainly by impaired blood circulation in brain tissues, which causes hypertension and the development of symptoms such as noise and ringing in the ears, congestion, dizziness and a fast pulse. The danger of this condition is the possibility of developing a spinal stroke. Hypertensive syndrome is accompanied by headaches, aggravated by head movements, nausea and vomiting (especially in the morning), nervousness, sudden changes in pressure, appearance of dark circles, dizziness.
Development of hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in the brain. Cervical osteochondrosis is often manifested by cardiac arrhythmia, in which a uniform cardiac rhythm is lost. Due to the clamping of the lateral vertebral arteries, vegetative-vascular dystonia develops.
Diagnosis
The first step in diagnosing cervical osteochondrosis is examining the patient. A neuropathologist visually examines the state of the spine, back muscles and posture, and determines the presence of protruding spinous processes by probing. Upon palpation, the doctor, by the patient's reaction, will be able to understand which parts are affected by the pain. From hardware diagnostic methods are used:
radiography- ;
- computed tomography;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- dopplerography.
The first method usually involves introducing a contrast agent into a given tissue (discography, angiography, etc. ). This is necessary to obtain more accurate information about the characteristics of the course of the disease.
Treatment
Your doctor will tell you how to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and not harm the body. Below are the basic rules and recommendations for dealing with this unpleasant disease, but the start of successful treatment is a visit to a neurologist. The treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is performed using a wide range of methods. Among them:
- drug therapy; physical therapy;
- traditional medicine;
- exercises.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is more dangerous, as important arteries that carry blood to the brain tissues go through the processes of the vertebrae at this location. Therefore, taking medication and complying with the doctor's prescriptions must be approached with full responsibility.
Medical therapy
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with medications? Drug therapy for the disease includes the following means:
- pain medications; anti-inflammatory
- ; vitamins;
- chondroprotectors.
Pain relievers help to relieve pain during an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis and are used for a short period of time. The attending physician may prescribe the drugs Tramadol, Tolperisone Hydrochloride and Etorikoxibe as anesthetics. In case of very severe pain, it is possible to use lidocaine injections.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are developed to reduce inflammation, among them are the drugs Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Piroxicam. These funds are also used externally. There are several ointments and gels: "Diclofenac", etc. Of the vitamins, the most valuable vitamins in terms of osteochondrosis maintenance therapy are B vitamins, which can reduce tissue sensitivity and weaken the neurological manifestations of the disease.
Chondroprotectors
They are formulated by pharmacologists to restore cartilage tissue. There are two active substances that make up these drugs - glucosamine and chondroitin. Both compounds can be included in a preparation or used separately each. Examples of chondroprotectors: glucosamine adhesives, chondroitin sulfate ointment, etc. These funds must be used for a long time, at least 3-6 months, otherwise, you may not achieve the desired result.
Blocking
In case of severe pain, injections of medication directly at the injury site help to relieve the patient's condition. This injection is called a blockade. A mixture of drugs is often used as a medicine. One has an analgesic effect, the other is designed to relieve inflammation. The blocking can only be done by a highly qualified doctor, in no case do it yourself! This can not only harm the patient's health, but can also become a threat to his life. This injection is done in two ways:
- injection of medication into the ligaments and tissues around the joint; injection of
- directly into the intervertebral disc.
Physiotherapy
Physical therapy procedures are very effective in cervical osteochondrosis. They accelerate recovery, have a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole. Before talking about them, we list the contraindications for physiotherapy:
tumors- , oncological diseases;
- blood diseases;
- acute dermatological diseases;
- taking medications that increase the effect of physiotherapy.
How to treat cervical spine osteochondrosis with physical therapy? In this regard, the use of many methods has a good effect. For example, shock wave therapy is the application of acoustic waves to an injury. It reduces inflammation, swelling, pain, stimulates collagen synthesis and improves tissue metabolism. Laser therapy, magnetotherapy, ultrasound treatment and vibration therapy are also used. The impact on the sore spot with low voltage impulse currents or diadynamic therapy reduces the intensity of the pain. Electrophoresis with the drug "procaine" gives an analgesic effect during an exacerbation. Additional methods of physiotherapy are ultraviolet irradiation of the affected area and spinal traction or detector therapy.
Physiotherapy exercises
Gymnastics for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine provide tangible results. It is important that it is applied only in the final phase of treatment, since active movements in the neck region are strictly prohibited in the initial and intermediate phases. Gymnastics is performed with a cotton gauze support collar used in the cervical region. Resistance exercises are performed with the help of a doctor who tries to tilt the patient's head with the palm of the hand and the patient, in turn, strives to overcome the doctor's actions. This strengthens the muscular neck corset. A head holding exercise is also helpful. The following is. The patient, lying on the couch, raises his head and holds it in this position for 5 seconds. This time goes up to 40-60 seconds if the pain and neurological syndrome have already been overcome. Therapeutic gymnastics provides for the execution of each exercise a maximum of 5 times in one approach.
The gym for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine was designed for:
- improves the blood supply to the affected area;
- to strengthen the back and neck muscles;
- reduces the load on the vertebrae;
- normalizes joint mobility;
- accelerates glucose metabolism for active nutrition of intervertebral cartilaginous discs.
In diseases such as cervical osteochondrosis, massage is necessary. It refers to manual therapy methods and aims to relax the muscles, improving blood circulation and movement of the lymph at the injury site.
Traditional medicine
The treatment of a disease such as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, folk remedies are considered an auxiliary measure and in no case the main therapy. The number of recipes with various herbs and products is very large. They widely use products like lemon, garlic, burdock leaves or horseradish (like a compress), dandelion root, St. John's wort, milleweed, lavender and many others. The patient himself is responsible for his health when using traditional medicine.
Nutritional characteristics
How to cure cervical osteochondrosis? This question is being asked by many. But how to eat with this disease, what foods will be useful? Let's list them:
- dairy products; lean meat and fish;
- gelled meat;
- marmalade;
- jelly;
- fresh fruits and vegetables;
- sources of vitamin B - liver, nuts, brown rice, broccoli, buckwheat, brewer's yeast, green vegetables, kidneys;
- complex carbohydrates - whole grain bread, cereals, vegetables;
- vegetable fats - olive oil, sunflower, flaxseed oil.
Don't forget the products that can be harmful in the treatment of osteochondrosis. Do not abuse sweets, baked goods, alcohol, smoked and salted, spicy, animal fats, coffee and strong tea. Remove sugar, potatoes and white bread from the menu.
Prevention
Do not neglect morning exercises, as well as stretching your neck during the workday. It helps to improve blood circulation, thus ensuring the supply of nutrients to the cartilage tissue and relaxing the muscles. Move more - regular jogging, gym classes are considered an important measure for the prevention of osteochondrosis. Excess weight often causes the development of the disease, so try to follow the arrow on the scale. Do not overeat, do not abuse high-calorie foods, fatty and sugary foods. Eliminate all chronic infections in your body. Particular attention should be paid to the correct position of the body during sleep and rest - the neck muscles must not be contracted.
For example, every patient should have an orthopedic pillow for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, and its use is also useful in preventing the disease. Resting on it relaxes the neck muscles and the blood vessels are not under strong pressure.
Cartilage health and diet
Separately, I would like to mention the tendency of girls and women to go on various diets, which are sometimes so cruel and low on calories that the body starts using substances from its own tissues as an energy source. Remember that any diet must be balanced, contain the minimum necessary nutrients, especially proteins, and be accompanied by the intake of vitamins and minerals. Otherwise, you run the risk not only of becoming the owner of a worn cartilage, which is very difficult and expensive to restore in the future, but also of a number of unpleasant illnesses. And remember that treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine will only be successful if the patient follows all the recommendations and prescriptions of the attending physician.