Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease of the cervical spine, in which the destruction of the articular and intervertebral discs occurs. This disease affects ¾ of the world population over the age of 35.
Cervical osteochondrosis causes much more suffering than its lumbar, sacral, or thoracic counterparts, as it contains more nerve fibers.
Characteristics classification
Symptoms of this disease are associated with three major systems of the human body.
- The spinal cord is a violation of its integrity and compression.
- Peripheral nervous system: damage to its fibers.
- The vertebral artery is a violation of blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain.
Violation of these systems affects human health. The first symptoms are severe headaches.
Pain syndrome
Frequent headaches radiating to the neck are the first signs of the disease. Sometimes the pain migrates to the back of the head or shoulders. Unlike ordinary migraines, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine cannot be eliminated with the help of painkillers alone. This problem requires complex treatment.
Lack of air
Symptoms of lack of air very often accompany cervical osteochondrosis. This happens due to irritation of the phrenic nerve. It is difficult for a person suffering from migraine of the cervical spine to breathe deeply, it is particularly difficult to breathe. At night, patients may have short pauses in breathing, accompanied by snoring. If the patient's room is not ventilated, he develops hypoxia, which leads to reduced memory and concentration.
Nausea
Symptoms of nausea appear with a disease such as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, due to impaired blood circulation in the brain. Sometimes the symptoms of nausea are accompanied by vomiting, which appears when walking, turning and tilting the head. This is due to the lack of oxygen in the inner ear, the place where the center of balance is located.
Change in blood pressure
A person who has been found to have cervical osteochondrosis must constantly endure fluctuations in blood pressure. Similar symptoms can occur with both hypertension and hypotension. This occurs due to a poor supply of oxygen to the vasomotor center located in the medulla oblongata.
Ringing and tinnitus
These symptoms are associated with damage to the inner ear, as it is from there that the vestibular apparatus is controlled. Sometimes there is general hearing loss. Such symptoms are referred to by doctors as cochlear syndrome.
fainting
Loss of consciousness or fainting are common symptoms in people suffering from a disease such as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The cause of this phenomenon is a pronounced spasm of the arteries, resulting from irritation of the curved bone processes of the vertebrae, nerve endings.
Pharyngeal symptoms
Similar symptoms manifest as itching, dryness, or a foreign body sensation in the throat. This phenomenon is associated with an injury from the spinal cord of the nerve trunks.
Reduced vision
The eyes also suffer from the appearance of a disorder such as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Similar symptoms such as decreased vision occur due to damage from the spinal cord of the neurovascular trunks.
Methods of treatment
To date, you can recover from a neck migraine in the following ways:
- pharmacological therapy;
- physiotherapy treatment;
- treatment with folk remedies.
Medical therapy
Such treatment of neck migraine involves the use of tablets and injections of analgesics. This is necessary to eliminate pain in the neck, head and shoulders. Analgesic injections have the advantage of being quick.
In addition, it is necessary to use antispasmodic injections and tablets - these drugs are the most effective for eliminating spasms that appear in the arteries of the spine.
Thus, antispasmodic drugs protect the patient from fainting. Also, antispasmodic injections are used for the treatment of pregnant women. As these injections are safe for the mother and unborn baby.
Vascular drug treatment is also effective.
They help restore blood circulation to the affected areas of the neck. These injections relieve pain and partially help get rid of other symptoms.
No less effective is drug treatment based on the use of chondroprotectors. These drugs stop progressive osteochondrosis of the neck by restoring the cartilage tissue in the joints. The most effective preparations, which include collagen hydrolyzate. As this substance helps to regenerate the cells destroyed by the disease.
Physiotherapy
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck with the help of physiotherapeutic procedures is currently widely used. Most used:
- ultraviolet irradiation (UVI);
- impact of vibrations;
- electrotherapy.
Ultraviolet treatment helps to stop neck migraines, thanks to the analgesic, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects of the rays. Ultraviolet irradiation is used for migraine of the cervical spine on the back of the neck, in the subclavian region or in the upper part of the shoulder blades.
Exposure to vibrations, in addition to UVI, perfectly eliminates osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Above all, the vibrations relieve pain.
Treatment with electrotherapy allows you to eliminate pain, improve blood circulation, supply oxygen to brain cells. The most effective procedure is transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation.
Folk remedies
Since ancient times, grated potato and honey wraps have been used to treat cervical migraines. Also an effective remedy for osteochondrosis of the neck was a mixture of radish juice, aloe and liquid honey.
Many healers have prepared an ointment based on hop cones and pork fat. However, the most effective folk remedy for such a disease as osteochondrosis of the neck is a decoction of oregano, chamomile, parsley, nettle and burdock.
These herbs are poured with boiling water and infused in a dark place for 3 days. Drink this decoction one tablespoon, twice a day.
Such alternative treatment helps to cope with pain, improves blood circulation and saturates the brain with oxygen, which is so necessary for it.