Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine using the latest highly effective techniques, using modern equipment and under the guidance of experienced specialists.
Spinal diseases can bring a lot of discomfort to a person, especially if they affect the cervical region: there is a risk of spinal cord and brain damage. In addition, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine often leads to headaches, causes disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and contributes to the deterioration of blood circulation. Fortunately, several therapeutic techniques have been developed today that allow you to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms and restore a healthy back condition.
In this article, we will tell you in detail about the features of cervical osteochondrosis and describe the main methods of treating it. Hopefully after reading it, you will be able to choose the most effective way to deal with this disease and be able to avoid radical surgery.
What is cervical osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis of the cervix is a disease in which the soft pulp ossifies, which serves as a cushioning function between the vertebrae. At the same time, blood vessels and nerve roots are involved in the mechanism of disease development.
A characteristic feature of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is the appearance of pain in the shoulders, neck, neck and head. In addition, patients notice the appearance of dizziness, high blood pressure, oxygen starvation, loss of sensation on one side of the tongue and other symptoms characteristic of cardiovascular pathologies. This becomes the reason for contacting doctors of other specialties and significantly slows down the process of diagnosing the disease.
Most often, persons of middle-aged and older categories are prone to ossification of the tissues of the upper spine. This is due to the incorrect distribution of dynamic and static loads in the human skeleton.
However, if previously osteochondrosis of the cervix and itsymptomswere diagnosed in people over 45-50 years old, but now the age of patients suffering from this disease is significantly younger. Today it affects young people aged 20-40, which is associated with a deterioration of diet and physical inactivity.
Currently, there is a dual approach to the problem of cervical spine: it is considered a combination of physiological and pathological factors. In the first case, we are talking about the aging of the body under the influence of inevitable natural phenomena, in the second, it is assumed that the destruction of intervertebral formations occurs against the background of inflammatory and dystrophic processes caused by an improper lifestyle.
Symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis
Problems with the diagnosis of this disease are due to the lack of pain in some situations and the implicit nature of the symptoms. In addition, a person may not feel the signs of illness while regularly taking strong pain relievers to minimize overall discomfort. All of this can lead to serious disorders in the area of the cervical joints.
Among the obvious symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervix, causing the need fortreatment,include: headache, high blood pressure, frequent dizziness. We will talk about them further.
Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis
Dizziness may not always appear against the background of problems with the cervical spine. In some cases, it indicates brain disorders, vascular and heart dysfunction, inflammatory processes in the ear and nasopharynx, the presence of malignant neoplasms or any pathological condition of the nervous system.
Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis and the need to treat it may have a non-systemic or systemic etiology.
In the first case, a person may declare a feeling of astonishment, insecurity while standing, and some semi-pale. At the same time, there is no sense of circular rotation.
As for systemic dizziness, then, more often, it is evidence of some vestibular disorder, dysfunction of visual analyzers and other changes that have arisen in the background of osteochondrosis. In this case, the patient may feel the circular rotation of the body or nearby objects.
If dizziness is present and the patient simultaneously develops symptoms such as acute headache, numbness in the upper chest, fainting or impaired coordination of movements, he should be urgently hospitalized.
Headache with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The appearance of a headache can signal the presence of a variety of diseases. Most often, it occurs in women against the background of hormonal disruptions, stressful situations, increased intracranial pressure, spasms in the brain, suppressed nerve endings, inflammatory processes and other diseases.
can signal the presence of a wide variety of diseases. Most often, this occurs in women against the background of hormonal disruptions, stressful situations, increased intracranial pressure, spasms in the brain, suppressed nerve endings, inflammatory processes and other diseases.
Pain andnoise in the headwith cervical osteochondrosis, causing the need for treatment, is often confused with symptoms of acute cerebral blood supply disturbance, hypertension, or coronary heart disease. Most often, such signs occur in older people suffering from the above diseases.
To determine the exact cause of headaches, you should consult an experienced specialist. In this case, it is recommended to undergo ECG and rule out the presence of cardiovascular disorders.
Other localization pain, characteristic of cervical osteochondrosis
Pain in the back of the head and scalp is not always a sign of cervical osteochondrosis. In some cases, the discomfort can spread from the neck to the arms and shoulders. Such symptoms are of a sudden nature and can occur against the background of sudden movements, after a sharp sneeze, or staying in one position during a night's sleep.
If the cause of the pain syndrome is chondrosis of the cervical spine, then it usually disappears after a certain time or disappears after manual therapy in the cervical spine.
It should be noted that massage in this area is performed only after a thorough examination of the patient. With an unprofessional approach, there is a high risk of worsening the patient's condition, up to his disability.
If we are talking about osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and the need for its treatment, then patients notice the following sensations of pain:
- The appearance of a chew during the rotation of the head;
- Presence of pain syndrome inside the neck;
- Deterioration of sensitivity and the appearance of muscle weakness in various areas of the body.
Increased blood pressure with problems with the cervical spine
Since the cervical vertebrae are directly connected to the blood vessels and nerve endings, any disruption in this area can cause an increase in blood pressure. However, such steps are temporary in nature, manifest as short-term spasms, and are not symptoms of hypertension.
Also, if there is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, in addition to an increase in pressure, the patient may experience other symptoms, and treatment in this case involves the use of special anesthetic drugs. This includes:
- The appearance of pain in the head area;
- Loss of sensitivity in the collar;
- Pain in chest, arms and legs;
- A sharp increase in blood pressure after stressful situations, prolonged stay in one position, excessive muscle tension and other similar situations.
A strong deterioration of the patient's condition and a sharp increase in pressure indicate an urgent need to see a doctor.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis
As it develops, the above disease goes through several stages, accompanied by specific symptoms. We will talk about them in more detail below.
Early stage osteochondrosis
As a rule, if the first stage of the disease occurs, patients may experience only minor concerns. They can show pain only with sudden movements, tilting and rotation of the head. Many patients report increased fatigue in the lumbar spine and spine, and a constant feeling of tension. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in the initial stage does not involve takingdope. . . To recover, the patient only needs to performgymnasticswith osteochondrosis of the cervix and change the daily diet.
The second stage of the disease: features
The second stage of the pathology is characterized by more intense pain sensations that radiate to the upper extremities and increase with bending and rotation of the head. Reasons for increased anxiety include: a decrease in the size of the intervertebral discs and, as a result, tightening of the nerve endings. In this case, the patient notices a deterioration in work ability, the appearance of lack of mind, increased fatigue and the appearance of headache.
Third degree osteochondrosis
Accompanied by an increase in radiation pain in the area of the upper extremities, as well as the shoulders and neck. In this case, numbness may be observed in the muscles of the hands, which is accompanied by the appearance of an intervertebral hernia. In addition, patients may complain of severe weakness and dizziness.
The last stage of the disease
In the final stage, deep degenerative processes in the area of intervertebral discs and their replacement by pathological tissues make themselves sensitive. The need to treat cervical osteochondrosisin the deterioration phasemay be due to the defeat of several segments of the spine. In this case, patients report the presence of tinnitus, increased pain syndrome, the appearance of severe dizziness, and impaired coordination of movements.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
Most often, the development of this pathology is due to daily sitting work, in which a person does not control the correct position of the body in the chair, and his head is constantly tilted forward. The same can be said for a prolonged posture of the head in a thrown back position, which is typical for construction specialty workers when performing repair activities.
As a rule, excessive stress on the cervical spine inevitably leads to degenerative disorders in the area of the vertebral discs. In addition, cervico-vertebral osteochondrosis, the symptoms of this disease and the need to treat it may be due to the following factors:
- Violation of calcium metabolism;
- Causes of a genetic nature;
- Thermal irritants;
- When practicing extreme sports (treatment of sports injuries);
- Hypodynamics;
- Long stay of a person in a position due to professional affiliation;
- Mbipesha;
- Prolonged stressful situations;
- Injury to the neck and back of the head;
- Autoimmune processes that can provoke the destruction of cartilage tissue.
Switching to a healthy diet and moderate physical activity can minimize the likelihood of developing osteochondrosis.
Syndromes in osteochondrosis of the cervix
The syndromes are represented by the simultaneous manifestation of several symptoms of the disease at the same time. As for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is characterized by the following syndromes: vertebral, vertebral, cardiac and radicular arteries. These are the ones that will be discussed below.
What is vertebral syndrome?
In the presence of the above syndrome, degenerative processes directly affect cartilage and bone tissue. In this case, the simultaneous manifestation of the following three signs is observed:
- Painful sensations when it is necessary to turn the neck;
- Inability to rotate the neck;
- The presence of a disorder in the intervertebral region or in the vertebral body, which are of a morphological nature (to determine this symptom, X-rays are taken).
If the patient lacks at least one of the above signs, then it makes no sense to talk about vertebral syndrome.
Characteristics of vertebral artery syndrome
The essence of the above syndrome is damage to the vertebral arteries that provide the blood supply to the brain. It is characterized by the simultaneous manifestation of the following symptoms:
- Against the background of artery compression, the patient may feel dizziness, an increase in blood pressure, the appearance of tinnitus, nausea, etc . ;
- Due to irritation of the nerve roots, loss of sensation, the appearance of "flies" in the eyes, acute headache and numbness may be observed;
- Lack of oxygen can provoke severe pain in the head area, excessive drowsiness, decreased activity and decreased concentration.
Signs of cardiac syndrome
In addition to the symptom of the vertebral artery in cervical osteochondrosis, the need for treatment of the patient also arises in the presence of cardiac syndrome. Many patients report a condition that is characteristic of coronary heart disease, or resembles the symptoms of a myocardial infarction. In this case, the following signs occur:
- A burning sensation and acute pain syndrome in the chest area;
- Tachycardia;
- Appearance of severe weakness, excessive fatigue and shortness of breath.
Radicular syndrome: features
It is characterized by a deterioration of neuromuscular conduction. In the presence of radicular syndrome, the patient may feel loss of sensation or, conversely, severe pain syndrome. Also, its features include:
- Pain in the back of the head or, conversely, numbness in this area;
- Difficulty in chewing food, numbness in the area behind the ear, feeling of satiety on the tongue;
- Appearance of symptoms of sore throat, hiccups, pain in the clavicle;
- Difficulty moving the upper limbs, discomfort in the shoulder area;
- Violations in the forearm and shoulder blade area;
- Loss of sensitivity in the finger area.
Diagnosing
The main and most informative methods for diagnosing osteochondrosis include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI scans with a high degree of detail reflect the condition of not only the bone tissue of the spine, but also the soft tissue - muscles, cartilage, blood vessels, nerves and intervertebral discs. If there are contraindications to MRI (presence of metal prostheses, pacemakers), computed tomography is prescribed, but the information content of the method is much lower in terms of diagnosing osteochondrosis.
Is it possible to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?
When it comes to cervical osteochondrosis, effective treatment of this disease is possible only with a comprehensive lifestyle review, ongoing prevention and sanatorium healing. In practice, only a few achieve this, especially in the climate of our country, when it is almost impossible to completely avoid hypothermia and new inflammatory processes. However, you can significantly alleviate your condition, including in more advanced cases, and extend remission periods.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
In the first stage of osteochondrosis, the patient will be assisted by conservative treatment without medication. You need to correct your behavior, pay attention to the equipment of the workplace, interrupt work for a few minutes every day to perform an uncomplicatedimproving gymnasticswith cervical osteochondrosis, which can be done immediately on the office desk. Swimming, increasing physical activity and taking vitamin and mineral complexes will have a positive effect on the entire musculoskeletal system.
Benefits of Shockwave Therapy
If the patient has osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and its symptoms, a new method of treatment is considered more effective - with the help of shock waves. This procedure stands out for its affordable cost. In addition, if a medical institution has special equipment, you can get the UHT course completely free.
UHT advantages include:
- Maximum efficiency;
- Lack of concern during the procedure;
- Minimal likelihood of side effects;
- Reducing the need for invasive treatments
- Reducing the need for medication.
Medications for cervical osteochondrosis
If you have cervical osteochondrosis and are interested in treatmentmedicinalANDeffective,you can find information about suitable medications online. However, despite the variety of medications and the lack of need for prescriptions, self-medication is not recommended. Most medications have side effects and contraindications, it is also important not to overdose.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).They are used to relieve swelling and pain.
Muscle relaxants, sedatives
They are additionally prescribed to alleviate the general condition of the patient and to reduce the dose of NSAIDs. By simultaneously relieving muscle spasms and nervous tension, you can achieve the best therapeutic effect.
At the end of the course of treatment, doctors usually recommend buying non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the first aid kit at home, as neck pain can return when the weather changes, overload and stress.
Physiotherapy approaches
In cases where drug therapy is contraindicated or does not have the desired effect, and sometimes for a complex effect, physiotherapy methods are used, which are available in both traditional and alternative medicine. All of them are aimed at relieving muscle spasms, inflammation and pain.
Acupuncture. The essence of the method is to "wake up" the biologically active points by inserting special thin needles in them to a depth of several centimeters. The procedure is painful in itself, but helps relieve back pain. Several sessions are required.
Manual therapy. This method is effective if the patient haspinchingcervical spine nerves, relevant symptoms were diagnosed and the need for treatment was identified. Nerves and blood vessels blocked by deformed vertebrae can be released by manually stretching the spine.
Hirudotherapy (caterpillars). Relieves inflammation and swelling due to biologically active substances secreted by caterpillars. Strengthens blood circulation.
Shock wave therapy. Restores blood circulation and destroys osteophytes, helps cartilage tissues return to their normal structure. The patient already after 1-2 sessions feels a decrease in pain and swelling. The course of shock wave therapy includes up to ten procedures, can be described as part of complex non-invasive therapy and during the rehabilitation period after surgery. It has a number of contraindications and is used only after a comprehensive examination by several specialists, including a neurologist, cardiologist and vertebrologist.
Exercises for osteochondrosis of the cervix
If a person has osteochondrosis of the cervix, every dayexercises,developed for the treatment of this disease, will help strengthen the muscular corset, which means - to reduce the load on the cervical spine. Exercise therapy is indicated at all stages of the disease as well as as a preventative measure. During exacerbations, a series of exercises should be performed carefully.
Typical exercises for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- the head turns to the sides;
- the head tilts forward and backward;
- raising the shoulders with relaxed or fixed hands, holding them in this position for 15-20 seconds;
- alternating tension of flexors and neck extensions with a stationary head position.
Exercises should be repeated 5-7 times. The duration of the lesson is 15-20 minutes.
Surgical intervention
In the absence of a positive effect after 6 months of conservative treatment, spinal fusion may be indicated. The procedure is aimed at immobilizing the affected vertebral segment. It involves removing the intervertebral disc, decompressing the nerve root, and placing an implant or creating a physiological height of the disc space. The operation has many contraindications and side effects. For example, spinal fusion can lead to spinal disability. This is why surgical intervention is indicated only in extreme cases.
Nutrition and lifestyle
After surgical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, in the early period of rehabilitation, the wearing of a fixative collar is required. During conservative treatment and in the late period of rehabilitation, a diet rich in calcium and vitamins, correction of common behaviors and general behavior, a daily set of therapeutic exercises for the neck, orthopedic pillows are recommended.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home
If you are diagnosed with osteochondrosis of the cervix and its symptoms and want to undergohome treatment,it should be remembered that such an independent intervention can be practiced only in combination with procedures prescribed by a specialist.
Some experts recommend usingorthopedic pillowwith cervical osteochondrosis and use such warming agents as pepper plaster, mustard plaster and alcohol compresses. According to others, just specialexercisefor treatment andPREVENTION. . .
You can also use the help of traditional medicine recipes, which are based on the use of honey-potato compresses and dressings with natural ingredients. More information about such tools can be found online. However, only an experienced and highly qualified physician can diagnose cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, identify its symptoms, and prescribe the most effective treatment.
Preventive measures for cervical osteochondrosis
An examination is required by the attending physician once a year. A course of shock wave therapy may be prescribed. Hypothermia and infectious diseases, prolonged computer work in one position should be avoided. If you are traveling on a long plane or bus, use a neck support cushion to help relieve muscle tension and prevent overload. For daily sleep, use special orthopedic pillows that ensure proper head position.