Osteochondrosis is understood as a degenerative disease of the intervertebral cartilaginous layers. Today, this problem has a global scale.
In Europe alone, about 60% of adults suffer from cervical osteochondrosis. Doctors associate this fact with the static nature of people, their low mobility and a type of sedentary work.
If not so long ago this disease developed around the age of fifty, now it is impossible not to notice that the disease has significantly rejuvenated - the minimum age here has dropped to 24 years.
However, more and more, 18-year-olds come to hospitals with this problem. Speaking of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, symptoms and treatment cannot be ignored, as these issues are of interest to many.
How does osteochondrosis of the cervical spine develop - causes and first signs?
Everyone knows that the spine is formed by bony vertebrae, among which there are cartilaginous "pillows" - the intervertebral discs. Due to impaired blood flow and poor quality nutrition, cartilage tissue does not receive a nutrient complex here. This leads to a change in the structure of the cartilage, its deformation and shrinkage. They gradually lose their former elasticity, become less durable.
As the shock-absorbing intervertebral layers dry, the vertebrae press on each other. As a result, nerve endings and blood lines are compressed, which causes pain and numbness in the muscles, migraines and various other symptoms. Over time, the cartilaginous tissue is destroyed, it becomes fibrous tissue. Gradually, adjacent vessels, nerve fibers and bone structures are involved in this pathological process.
The main factors in the development of cervical osteochondrosis
The main reason for the development of osteochondrotic pathologies is considered to be degenerative dystrophic changes. There are several factors that contribute to this. Consider the main reasons for the appearance of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- Congenital predisposition.
- Aging of the body.
- Disturbances in metabolic processes.
- Overweight, obesity.
- Dietary errors - lack of mineral compounds and systematic lack of fluids.
- Traumatic injury.
- Skeletal muscles weakened, poor posture, flat feet.
- Physical inactivity, sedentary work.
- Physical overload, specificity of the profession, when you have to work in an uncomfortable position, make spasmodic muscular efforts.
- The end of a sporting career and the respective closure / reduction of power loads.
- Psychoemotional stress.
- Nicotine addiction.
- The appearance of tumor structures.
It should be noted that the causes of pathological chondrotic changes in the cervical spine have not been sufficiently studied so far. But it is reliable to know that long standing or sitting without much movement, an excessively soft bed, muscles in the back and waist of untrained upper extremities and inadequate nutrition create an ideal combination for the development of cervical osteochondrosis.
Disease development
Osteochondrosis does not appear suddenly. It develops gradually over a very long period - from several years to decades. The initial dystrophic changes in the vertebral layers do not manifest at all. They can only be detected by chance on an X-ray or during a CT scan.
In the next stage of development of the disease, there is a decrease in the thickness of the cartilage layer. Microscopic cracks appear in the intervertebral cartilage. Numbness may appear in certain areas of the muscles. Over time, the protrusion develops, and hernias are possible. The patient suffers from headaches and muscle pain.
In the last stage of disease progression, bone tissue grows pathologically, nerve endings are damaged, and chronic pain syndrome develops. Due to cervical osteochondrosis, there may be a curvature of the upper part of the spine, sciatica, stenosis (narrowing of the light in the spinal canal).
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine - symptoms and treatment
We examined the first signs of osteochondrosis, now let's talk directly about the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Symptoms
For cervical osteochondrosis, the following symptoms are characteristic:
- Numbness and spasm of the muscles of the neck, shoulders and upper back.
- Pulling sensations, pains in the dorsal and cervical region.
- Painful sensations can be transmitted to the hands.
- Headaches, especially in the occipital region, migraines.
- Dizziness, tinnitus, visual abnormalities (blur, appearance of "flies" and colored spots).
- Regular numbness in the toes of the upper extremities.
- Stiffness in the movements of the head, limitation of turning and tilting, all accompanied by sensations of pain and tugging.
- Pain on palpation of the vertebral zone.
- A tendency to increase blood pressure.
Due to muscle weakness, there may be impaired movement coordination. In the presence of heart problems, they can be aggravated due to spasm of the vertebral artery. The pain can spread to the sternum and retrosternal space.
As you can see, the symptoms are varied. This causes people, identifying certain deviations in themselves, to seek help from the wrong specialist (cardiologist, orthopedist, traumatologist). This complicates the diagnosis and timely detection of cervical osteochondrosis.
Which doctor should I contact for osteochondrosis?
If a complex of the described symptoms of osteochondrosis appears, you should seek medical help immediately. You need to make an appointment with a therapist or neurologist. After the initial clarification of the clinical condition as a result of the research, examination of the patient and palpation of the affected area, the doctor will refer for examinations and prescribe a complementary examination.
You may need to go through:
- X-ray.
- Computed tomography.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
- Electromyography.
Radiography will help determine the location of the lesions and the degree of neglect of the disease. A CT scan will help assess the condition of adjacent tissues and myography - the conductivity of muscle fibers and their innervation. All of this will allow you to correctly diagnose and design an effective treatment scheme. The process will be long, requiring patience and effort for you.
It will not be possible to completely restore the cartilage structures, but significantly improving the quality of life and getting rid of chronic pain is a completely doable task. You will have to return to exams more than once.
After all, it will be necessary to monitor the course of the disease, adjust the treatment program, predict possible complications or improvements. Therefore, even if the pain has subsided, this is not a reason to refuse repeated diagnostic measures.
How to deal with neck osteochondrosis?
In order for the disease to be released, a wide variety of different methods must be used. In most cases, active treatment takes several months. But here much depends on the patient's enthusiasm, conscience and willpower. In some cases, surgery is necessary. When starting treatment, you must follow the following principles.
- Medical advice must be followed unswervingly. All changes in condition and adverse reactions should be reported to the attending physician.
- You need to learn how to measure the load, avoid excessive muscle activity and muscle strain in the cervical spine.
- It is necessary to give up sports overload and, if necessary, change jobs.
- Physiotherapy exercises are a prerequisite. They must be carried out systematically and preferably daily. Special neck gymnastics must be selected individually, taking into account the patient's abilities and the degree of neglect of the disease. A set of exercises is performed under the guidance of an instructor.
- The use of anti-inflammatories and analgesics must be justified and strictly dosed. All medications, especially hormonal ones, are prescribed by a doctor.
- It is important to maintain anatomically correct body position. Even in a dream. Therefore, the mattress must be sufficiently firm. With an orthopedic pillow, they are determined by the method of direct adaptation.
- If necessary, you should sit for a long time regularly, with an interval of a few hours, do a brief warm-up for your neck. It is advisable to get up at the same time, although a seated position is also allowed.
Why do you need to warm up?
This simple method will allow you to:
- restore normal blood flow;
- stretch the stiff muscles;
- getting rid of the sensations of numbness, tingling and tugging;
- relieve muscle tension;
- prevent muscle spasms and muscle groups;
- avoid overloading the cervical spine.
All exercises are as simple as possible. They are familiar to everyone from childhood and do not take long. A few minutes will be enough. They can be performed both at home and at the workplace. Are you ashamed of the opinions of tactless employees?
Retire on the stairs or in a bathroom. You can even exercise discreetly during transportation, avoiding unnecessary attention. All exercises should be done with a straight back. It is recommended to expand the shoulders and slightly project the chest. Make the maximum permitted curves with your head to the sides.
Act carefully and without fanaticism so as not to damage the weakened spine. After that, lower your head several times alternately to either shoulder. You can now perform several rotational movements - 10-15 in each direction.
Another good exercise. Stretch the spine as much as possible, as if it were suspended from the top of the head. Now slowly tilt your head forward, trying to press the tip of your chin against your chest. Then, you need to slowly and carefully perform the opposite action. In the presence of any damage, you cannot tilt your head back! Consult your doctor.
The order in which the exercises are performed does not matter. The set of actions and the number of repetitions are selected individually. When stretching your neck, don't forget your chest. They are closely related. It is recommended to try to approach the shoulder blades from time to time. You can hear a crunching sound.
Don't be afraid - these are the vertebrae in place. After that, relief is generally felt. To relieve tension in the trapezius muscle, you should raise your shoulders as high as possible and then lower them as hard as possible. Actions are performed multiple times. Then move your shoulders and shake your hands.
Medication
For cervical osteochondrosis, several types of medications are used. These drugs are used during periods of exacerbation of the disease. They are designed to solve a number of tasks:
- elimination of pain;
- combating inflammation;
- strengthening of metabolic processes in affected tissues.
In addition, medications are used, including hormonal and vitamin preparations, which stimulate the restoration of cartilaginous tissue.
Other methods of dealing with pain
In addition to exercise and medication therapy, the following methods of action are included in the complex of measures to eliminate the manifestations of osteochondrosis of the cervical area.
- Increased intervertebral spaces due to spinal elongation. For this, a metered load is applicable. The impact is achieved in several ways, including through special tables. This measure allows you to return the spine to its previous length, give it the correct shape and release the pinched nerves. Some patients, desperate to find an effective way to get rid of chronic pain, resort to bone straighteners. Here the spine is attacked. This method can help, as long as a professional with a medical background is involved.
- Massage also gives good results. This procedure helps to disperse blood, improve nutrition and gas exchange of cartilage tissue, relieve tension and muscle tweezers and relieve pain. If possible, you should also resort to self-massage. But you need to act competently, having passed the appropriate instructions. You can massage the neck, shoulders, scalp, arms and collar area on your own. Rub, knead and apply light pressure. Acupressure massage is effective when the impact is made on the active points of the body. But this requires special knowledge and considerable experience. Therefore, only a professional chiropractor should be consulted.
- Physiotherapy involves the use of several means: magnetic field, laser, ultrasound, low frequency current. Medicines are often used here. This method of introduction has a local effect, increases its effectiveness and avoids several side effects. Physical procedures help to combat pain, inflammation and accelerate post-traumatic and post-operative rehabilitation.
- Acupuncture, like manual therapy, increases or inhibits various processes in the body, acting on the so-called biologically active points of the body. Reflexology allows you to correct metabolism, increase blood flow and relieve pain. But despite its effectiveness, this method is not suitable for everyone, as it involves the use of needles, which some patients categorically do not accept.
The greatest efficiency of these measures is achieved when they are used in a single complex under medical supervision. To a large extent, the success of therapy depends on the patient's commitment and desire to deal with osteochondrosis.