In the article we will consider the symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. What is this pathology? How does it manifest itself?
Osteochondrosis is a disease that is practically the most common in the world. Many people after the age of 30 suffer from this pathology in various forms. There is also a tendency to rejuvenate the disease, that is, to lower the age threshold. This may be due to the fact that there are now more and more people who are mainly engaged in work, where a person spends most of their time sitting and leading a sedentary lifestyle. By the way, such a disease is dangerous, and every person needs to know what cervical osteochondrosis is, what it looks like, how to treat it and how to be able to identify its symptoms.
The main causes of the onset of the disease
A person is designed in such a way that vertical positioning of the spine can lead to the vertebrae being squeezed more and more over time, thereby allowing bone and cartilage tissue to gradually degrade and deform.
The spine always begins with the cervical region, which has seven vertebrae. This is a particularly vulnerable part, because there is greater mobility in this area. Such a disease of the cervical spine is reflected, first of all, on the discs themselves, because they are a weak point of the spine.
The frequency of degenerative disc disease of the cervicothoracic region is aided by factors such as the small size of the vertebrae and the relative weakness of the neck muscles. Additionally, poor blood supply to cartilage tissue affects the developing disorder. What does all this mean?
Judging from this, the development of this disease appears to be a long and complex process, in which it is very difficult to recognize the cause. Although a connection has been found between a sedentary lifestyle and osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic spine, however, a similar disorder is often found in trained people, particularly athletes, due to the fact that they have a greater load on the cervical spine. They lift various weights (barbells, weights), which leads to deformation of the discs. So everything needs a measure.
In older people and the elderly, as a rule, such degradation of vertebral structures is an inevitable process, which, in turn, is associated with the aging of the body and the weakness of its defenses. But there may also be a pathological type of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the symptoms of which appear due to internal or external negative factors. These include:
- various back injuries;
- rachiocampi;
- high weight;
- incorrect posture;
- hypodynamia;
- hard physical work;
- disturbed metabolic processes;
- hypothermia;
- overwork, stress;
- infectious diseases;
- inheritance;
- congenital pathologies or particular characteristics of the body structure.
Stages of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The pathology has four stages. It is sometimes quite difficult to determine what stage of the disease is present in a patient, according to the general analysis, since very often the level of degradation of the bone tissue may not coincide with the symptoms that are observed in the patient.
The first stage of the disease
At this stage, destructive actions are already taking place in the vertebrae. But the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are still not very pronounced. People may not notice them or associate these signs with a spinal disease, they call it stressful or trivial overwork.
The second stage of the disease
As already noted, the symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are closely related.
At this stage, there is a noticeable thinning of the disc and cracks appear on its surface. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis at this stage are observed in constant pain, numbness of the face, weakness.
Third stage
How are the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifested at this stage? Herniated discs occur, cervical vessels and muscles are affected. The person notices dizziness and pain in the back of the head.
The fourth stage of the disease
With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, osteophytes often occur - the proliferation of bone tissue that protects the vertebrae from stress, as a result of which it leads to pinching of the nerves. This is characterized by stiffness of motion and damage to adjacent joints.
Signs of cervical osteochondrosis
The main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are:
- Sharp pains in the shoulders and neck.
- Weakening of the muscles.
- Increased sweating.
- Impaired coordination.
- Numbness in the hands.
- Dizziness.
- Hypertension.
- Decreased hearing and vision.
- Headache.
These frequent symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can occur at all stages of the disease. In most cases, only a few marks from this list are visible, while the rest may be completely absent. The patient who first met them practically does not diagnose cervical osteochondrosis. In this case, you can turn to different doctors: cardiologists, neuropathologists, therapists, surgeons. And a reliable diagnosis can ultimately be identified with a significant delay.
Danger of pathology
Not everyone knows about the symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.
The earliest symptoms of osteochondrosis can appear as early as 20 years old, while the pain and discomfort are mild, so many people decide to wait, in the hope that the symptoms will pass, postpone the visit to the doctor and not start treatment. Symptoms at an early stage of osteochondrosis can really go away on their own, but this disease will not go away in a person. If prevention and therapy are not carried out, osteochondrosis begins to develop further, and this can be dangerous for human health.
What are the dangers of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?
In the first stage, the symptoms are mild, so most people prefer not to take this disease seriously. But if the patient does not start treatment early in development, this can lead to dangerous and serious complications. The consequences of a neglected phase are a condition in which a person cannot perform the functions of her. This can often be accompanied by injuries in adjacent wards. Such an abandoned osteochondrosis will lead to very dangerous consequences, followed by disability.
In addition, it can develop:
- swelling of the intervertebral discs;
- protrusions and intervertebral hernias;
- loss of discs;
- lumbago or sciatica;
- spinous of the spinal canal.
In special cases, the diseases listed above are forced to undergo surgery and the consequence of an advanced stage is disability.
The problems listed above are characteristic of osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic spine.
Complications of the disease
The danger of the disease lies in the fact that the cervical region is connected to the vessels that supply blood to the brain. The consequences of cervical osteochondrosis disease are sleep disturbances, migraines, vision problems, dizziness. With advanced disease, the listed symptoms will become more noticeable. With cervical osteochondrosis, there is a possibility of concomitant problems:
- high or low blood pressure and vascular dystonia;
- thyroid disease;
- vestibular disorders;
- hypertension or hypotension;
- stroke;
- epicondylitis;
- humeroscapular periarthrosis.
Diagnosis of the pathology of the cervical spine
Symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are of interest to many.
For a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to consult a therapist. He will provide referrals to other specialists: neurologist, vertebrologist, orthopedist.
To diagnose the disease, the following types of studies are attached:
- CT scan;
- radiography;
- magnetic resonance;
- Doppler scan.
X-ray reveals the presence of growths, displacement of the vertebrae, salt deposits and osteophytes, disc seals. With the help of computed tomography, you can get a fairly voluminous idea of the organs, in this case, the cervical spine. It will allow to detail the stage of the pathological process, as well as the nature of the blockage of the nerves, the height of the discs and the structure of the osteophytes. MRI provides an even more detailed picture of the structure of the spine. An ultrasound can help determine how the blood flow in the large vessels of the neck has changed, which was caused by the disease.
Treatment of this disorder
Symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are related.
In order for a person to resist the disease, medicine develops many methods. There are also therapies you can use at home. But this procedure is long, and full recovery is unlikely, especially in old age. But it is also worth noting that it is possible to stop and slow down the pathological processes in the spine at any stage of the disease.
In the early stages of the disease, the methods of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are mostly conservative. Several methods can be used for therapy:
- Physiotherapy;
- medications;
- massage;
- Physiotherapy;
- special devices for fixing the spine.
If such a disease has passed to an extreme stage, while the osteochondral structure of the spine is destroyed, it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention to cure osteochondrosis of the neck.
Drugs for the treatment of the pathology
Drugs required for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- analgesics;
- vitamins;
- chondroprotector;
- anti-inflammatory drugs;
- antispasmodics.
When acute pain syndrome occurs, which is associated with osteochondrosis, the most important task is to remove it. In such cases, oral painkillers are taken, but if the effect of them is not noticeable, novocaine blockade can be used.
The symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine often remain controversial for many.
Antispasmodics are often taken. Muscle relaxants show the greatest efficacy in osteochondrosis. As pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs, the patient can use ointments that contain non-steroidal drugs.
If there are signs associated with impaired blood supply to the brain and vertebral artery syndrome, it is necessary to use drugs that remove their unpleasant manifestations - drugs that lower blood pressure and nootropic drugs.
Symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are no longer a secret.
Physiotherapy exercises
Physiotherapy is the simplest and most accessible type of therapy and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis and is also quite effective. Physiotherapy can also be done at home. With cervical osteochondrosis, the saturation of the classes does not play an important role, only their regularity is needed. First, physical education is aimed at strengthening the neck muscles, the task of which is to compensate for the lack of functionality of the spine and help support weakened vertebrae. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should be regular.
Daily exercise is needed to strengthen the muscles. Such exercises can be very simple, including turning and tilting the head in different directions, and quite complex, involving the hands to help the cervical muscles. They can be done both at home and at work. For example, if you have to work all the time while sitting, then it is very useful to perform various exercises every hour of sitting at a table and a monitor. But it is necessary to do this only when there is no exacerbation of the disease and there is no pain syndrome. Otherwise, these same exercises can only worsen the condition.
It is also effective in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder girdle, for example, using light dumbbells in regular exercises. However, lifting weights such as kettlebells or barbells is contraindicated. Regular swimming activities can be helpful, as it relieves stress on the spine.
We looked at the symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.