Osteochondrosis is now rightly regarded as the "disease of the century" as it most often affects people whose work does not require increased physical activity.
In most cases, changes in cartilage and bone tissue are observed in people of working age - up to 40 years of age.
The disease can affect different parts of the spine, and the second most common is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
What is it?
Osteochondrosis is a degenerative disorder of the articular cartilage and the adjacent bone tissue.
In the past the term was applied to a large group of osteoarticular diseases, but today it is only used for degenerative diseases of the spine.
Compared to other parts of the spine, the neck region is the most flexible and has many nerve and vascular formations. The structure of the vertebrae is small, as is the fact that they are surrounded by a rather weak muscle corset.
This anatomical structure predisposes to the development of osteochondrosis, the severity of which depends on the nature of the changes in the intervertebral discs and the degree of their destruction.
The reasons for the development of the disease
The main and most common cause of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a sedentary lifestyle.
Due to a lack of physical activity with a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle:
- Metabolic processes are disturbed;
- the level of salt in the bloodstream and in the lymphatic fluid increases;
- Salts are deposited in the cervical spine, kidneys and liver.
Damage to the cervical vertebrae is mainly caused by a lack of nutrients in the intervertebral discs. Therefore, the main reasons for the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis are also improper and unbalanced diet.
Risk factors
There are many risk factors for cervical osteochondrosis.
The most common factors are:
- inheritance;
- age-related changes;
- injuries to the cervical spine;
- hypothermia;
- hormonal disorders that lead to metabolic disorders;
- some autoimmune diseases that damage cartilage tissue (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatism).
Why is it dangerous?
Not only the spinal cord and the nerve roots run through the cervical spine, but also the vertebral artery, which is responsible for the blood supply to the brain, the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum.
Therefore, in cervical osteochondrosis, this artery is crushed and, as a result, cerebral blood flow is impaired.
In extremely advanced cases, compression of an artery and neighboring blood vessels and nerve plexuses can lead to the following consequences:
- lack of coordination;
- hearing and vision loss;
- dash.
If the disease is not cured in the initial stages, it can lead to complications such as: protrusion of the intervertebral disc or the herniated disc.
Degree of disease development
Cervical osteochondrosis, like osteochondrosis of other parts of the spine, develops gradually. There are 3 stages in the development of the disease.
1 degree
Characterized by the beginning of the destruction of the intervertebral discs.
Cracks form in the annulus fibrosus, the firmness and elasticity of the intervertebral disc is disturbed, its height decreases, whereby the nerve roots are compressed.
Characteristic pain occurs. Sometimes such pain is absent in stage 1 (preclinical), and osteochondrosis occurs with moderate discomfort in the neck.
2nd degree
If degree 1 osteochondrosis has not been treated or the treatment has not been effective, a chronic condition called degree 2 osteochondrosis will develop.
The pain becomes constant, the destruction and compression of the intervertebral disc continues and leads to minor dislocations of the cervical vertebrae.
With cervical osteochondrosis at this stage, falling head syndrome can develop. This syndrome is characterized by severe pain and the person needs to hold the head in a steady state to relieve the pain.
3rd degree
Grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- headache;
- nausea;
- dizziness;
- neck "lumbago";
- impaired the sensitivity of the upper limbs.
The annulus fibrosus is almost destroyed, which leads to complications of osteochondrosis - protrusion of the disc or herniated disc.
In the 3rd stage of osteochondrosis, the pain intensity can decrease because the affected cartilage tissue is simply not present in the intervertebral disc, which means that there is no source of pain, but the pinching of the nerve roots remains so that the pain does notcompletely disappears.
Signs and symptoms
There are many signs of this disease. And they depend on which vertebrae are damaged by this disease.
Typical syndromes in cervical osteochondrosis are:
- radicular syndrome;
- vertebral artery syndrome;
- cervical migraine syndrome;
- hypertensive syndrome.
All of these syndromes are primarily associated with different types of pain.
If we look at vertebral artery syndrome, the headache here manifests itself at an early stage in the development of the disease.
In this case, attacks of pain can be accompanied by:
- dizziness;
- unsteady gait;
- Visual symptoms (appearance of fog in front of the eyes, decreased visual acuity, etc. ). Fainting (with sudden head movements).
In the hypertensive syndrome, increased intracranial pressure is determined.
The headache is more of a bursting character and can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. With an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, an increase in temperature and an increase in ESR can be observed.
When the roots of the spine are compressed ("radicular syndrome"), the following neurological symptoms can occur:
- severe neck pain (cervicalgia);
- neck pain that spreads to the forearm and humerus (cervicobrachialgia);
- pain in the arm;
- crackling or popping in the neck when turning the head;
- pain "radiating" to the ear, most common after being in an uncomfortable position for a long time or after sudden movement;
- pain or feeling of a lump in the throat, difficulty breathing;
- numbness of hands and tongue;
- sensation of swelling of the tongue;
- severe weakness;
- hearing and visual impairment;
- tinnitus;
- general deterioration in health.
In the "cervical migraine" syndrome, irritation of the sympathetic nodes is observed, which leads to a disruption of the reactivity of the cerebral vessels and impaired blood circulation.
As a result, high blood pressure can develop, often accompanied by:
- stuffy ears;
- tachycardia;
- head noise;
- rings in the ears.
When the arteries supplying the spinal cord are squeezed together, a slap in the spine can occur.
A violation of blood flow to the brain with osteochondrosis can lead to the following:
- lack of oxygen in the brain cells;
- mental disorders (depression, panic attacks);
- Signs of epilepsy, such as short-term loss of consciousness and tension in the whole body - they are often confused with signs of epilepsy.
A very common symptom of cervical osteochondrosis are changes and disorders in the heart rhythm, e. g. B. extrasystole or arrhythmia.
These symptoms are very common among drivers and office workers.
Due to a sedentary lifestyle, changes occur in the intervertebral discs of the cervical and thoracic spine, which lead to disorders of the work of the heart.
In most cases it is practically impossible to get rid of cardiac arrhythmias until the osteochondrosis is cured.
Swelling under the eyes can also indicate osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Most often they depend on the position of the head during night sleep, disappear during the day and are associated with headache, dizziness, heaviness in the head, etc.
Vegetovascular dystonia is another common condition that occurs with this disease.
It is a series of pinched vascular arteries that run along the sides of the spine.
Diagnostic methods
The preliminary diagnosis is made by a neurologist during the initial examination of the patient. More recently, the doctor had to make a diagnosis by just doing an external exam on the patient and sending them for an x-ray.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to see the full picture of the development of the disease on an X-ray.
Research currently available, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, which allows you to fully assess the stage of development of the disease.
As soon as the diagnosis is made, the patient is referred to a doctor who specializes in the field.
Which doctor treats?
Treatment is carried out by a narrow specialist - a vertebrologist or a vertebroneurologist.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
The severity of the main clinical symptoms is used as the basis for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.
In the cervical spine, symptoms are mainly associated with the compression of blood vessels and nerve endings. Therefore, during treatment, they first remove edema and restore blood circulation.
There are many treatments available to treat cervical osteochondrosis.
The most effective treatment is the complex treatment, in which several conservative treatment methods are combined.
The complex treatment of cervical osteochondrosis can include the following traditional and non-traditional methods: drug treatment, massage, acupressure, manual therapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, homeopathy, folk remedies, etc.
The main stages of osteochondrosis treatment are the same for all localizations of this disease:
- First you need to relieve the pain.
- Then the edema is removed.
- At this stage it is necessary to normalize blood circulation.
- Strengthening the muscle corset.
- Improvement of nutrition and tissue regeneration.
Only a team of good specialists can choose the most appropriate therapy, which includes a neurologist, a physiotherapist, a massage therapist, a surgeon and a vertebral neurologist.
Like any disease, cervical osteochondrosis should be treated at the earliest stage of its onset. If you do not start the process, then at this stage you can achieve complete cure for osteochondrosis.
Unfortunately, stages 2 and 3 of cervical osteochondrosis are accompanied by complete or partial destruction of the intervertebral discs. Therefore, these stages are characterized by a very long recovery process.
First aid
How can pain be relieved during the exacerbation?
If you are in severe pain, you will need to take a pain reliever from your medicine cabinet: These can be analgesics. You can also apply pepper patches for pain relief.
Diuretics can be taken if swelling occurs. Rubbing the throat with pain reliever ointments can help.
You can also use aneedle applicatorfor pain that:
- relieves back pain;
- reduces muscle cramps;
- stimulates the work of internal organs;
- normalizes blood flow.
Physiotherapy for exacerbations is contraindicated, as is warming up, as these effects can cause serious complications.
After the relief of acute pain, your doctor must urgently be asked for advice.
Drug treatment
Treatment with drugs most often begins with injections (in the event of an exacerbation) and then switches to tablets and suppositories in combination with topical application of ointments and gels.
Anesthesia during drug treatment is performed with steroid anti-inflammatory drugs.
It is imperative to prescribe drugs that restore brain circulation.
Muscle relaxants can be prescribed for abnormal muscle tension. For more effective treatment, vitamins are taken in a therapeutic dose and with trace elements.
Surgery is often recommended for intervertebral hernias, and the treating physician may suggest surgery.
Massage and self-massage
This method works well for physiotherapy and physiotherapy. You can take a massage course in any medical facility as well as in a private practice.
In the case of cervical osteochondrosis, massage is necessary to strengthen the muscles and relieve tension in the neck.
The massage therapist's job is to remove harmful metabolic products by increasing drainage and blood flow in the diseased area, and to relieve cramps from the pathological area.
The main techniques used by neck massage specialists are:
- stroking; press
- ;
- rub;
- vibration; Knead
- .
The self-massage technique can be performed with the following techniques:
- Stroking (movements should be gentle and without great effort and form wrinkles)
- kneading (deep impact on the muscles by grasping in the fold, squeezing and pressing);
- Vibration (vibration shock from hitting, shaking, knocking).
Self-massage should always end with stroking. You can use a massager during the vibration.
Acupressure massage
Acupressure massage relieves headaches well with an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, helps with pressure surges and normalizes them.
Acupressure scheme:
- Act for 1 minute on the feng-fu point located under the occipital protuberance.
- Influence on the feng chi point, which is two fingers away from the mastoid processes of the skull.
- Strike the Ya-Men point (three fingers away from the Feng-Fu point) for 1-1. 5 minutes.
- Sedation 1-1. 5 minutes at the da-chzhui point (7th cervical vertebra).
After acupressure you have to lie down for a few minutes as you can easily get dizzy.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy helps with acute and chronic pain, increases freedom of movement and improves posture.
The most important methods of manual therapy for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- Relaxing and segmental massage.To warm up the muscles and to release tension.
- Mobilization.Influences that aim to restore the functions of the joints through traction.
- manipulation.A sharp push aimed at the patient's pathological areas. The procedure is accompanied by a characteristic crunch (return of the joint to its normal position).
A specialist who practices manual therapy should be fluent in these techniques. Otherwise, any mistake could result in personal injury.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture promotes the release of cortisol into the bloodstream. This hormone has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect.
Acupuncture is performed by acting on points near the inner edge of the shoulder blade. The needles are inserted to a depth of 1 to 2 cm and allowed to act for 10 to 30 minutes.
Homeopathy
Drug treatment has many adverse side effects, so homeopathy can be a worthy substitute for treatment without undesirable consequences.
Nutritional features
Meals should be high in calcium and magnesium.
These trace elements are found in fish and seafood, nuts, legumes and dairy products.
Often, osteochondrosis of the neck can be accompanied by atherosclerosis. In this case, a strict diet is recommended.
The diet is prescribed for 3-4 months. It is necessary to limit the consumption of all foods containing cholesterol. This includes animal fats, fatty meat, fatty dairy products, etc. You should also limit or exclude your consumption of salt, sugar, and flour products.
It is recommended to give up bad habits (smoking, alcohol, etc. ).
Cervical osteochondrosis and alcohol are linked. The fact is that alcohol, getting into the blood, destroys the cells, thereby aggravating the already disturbed blood circulation in osteochondrosis.
Therefore, you should keep it to a minimum and completely stop drinking alcohol during an exacerbation.
Disease prevention
To prevent cervical osteochondrosis, it is recommended to observe the following rules:
- Sleep should be on a firm mattress and a low pillow: the angle of the neck flexion should not be more than 15 degrees.
- take a hot shower for at least 10 minutes every day;
- visit the sauna and bathhouse as often as possible: heat relieves neck cramps;
- treat yourself to aerobic activity and regular walks at a slow pace.
- go swimming;
- After 25 years, avoid impact loads on the spine (jumping, running).
- If you work sitting down, take a five-minute break every hour.
- Regular yoga practice can prevent manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis.
- refuses to go to the gym as bodybuilding can provoke the appearance of a protruding disc;
- Physical activity as a prophylaxis against osteochondrosis of the neck helps to strengthen the neck muscles and relieve tension.
Frequently asked questions
What to do during pregnancy and how is it treated?
Often the first symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis appear during pregnancy.
This is due to a change in the level of hormones and a softening of the vertebrae, as well as a shift in the center of gravity and excessive stress on the spine.
Treatment of osteochondrosis in pregnant women is quite complicated because it is mainly limited by the drug method used to relieve pain.
You can apply natural ointments or use traditional medicine.
Any influence on the neck area (warming up, sport, etc. ) during pregnancy is strictly prohibited.
Does it occur in children and adolescents?
In children and adolescents, cervical osteochondrosis develops as a result of congenital or acquired functional insufficiency of the cartilage tissue.
It manifests itself in complaints of headaches, tiredness, dizziness and fainting.
Is it possible to heat the neck area?
Warming up the neck with cervical osteochondrosis is strictly prohibited, especially at the stage of exacerbation of the disease, since warming up can lead to an increase in edema and vasodilation of the brain.
How do I sleep properly?
Sleep on a flat, hard bed with an orthopedic mattress.
The recommended and most comfortable position is on your side with your shoulder on the mattress and your head on a small pillow.
Using an orthopedic pillow helps relax the muscles in the cervical spine, reduces irritation to nerve endings, and prevents headaches and insomnia.
Are physical activities and sauna allowed?
During preventive measures and in the first stage of cervical osteochondrosis, it is recommended to do physiotherapy exercises and swim.
Weight lifting, hard work, and training in gyms are strictly prohibited.
A visit to the bathhouse and sauna is also only recommended for the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis and in the early stages of the disease.
Reviews
"I would like to tell my unfortunate brothers how to deal with cervical osteochondrosis. A few years ago I had back pain. When I went to a doctor, I was diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis. Many things were tried out of the treatment: physiotherapy, manual therapy andMassage. But there was only temporary relief, besides, all of these are very expensive procedures. I had to study the problem thoroughly. So I decided to try swimming. It turns out that swimming is often used for prevention and treatmentused by cervical osteochondrosis as it relieves tension in the neck muscles. once a week in the pool and grief do not know. "
"Because of my excessive occupation, I couldn't find time to see a doctor. And my relatives advised me to treat my neck pain with warm-ups, herbal compresses, ointments in various ways, and other home remedies. I was home for more than two weeks, and even then it took me a long time to recover. So I advise anyone to see a doctor as soon as their neck crunches and hurts! This will save you time and won't lose health. "