Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is one of the most dangerous types of neurological diseases. What is this disorder, how does it manifest itself? What measures help prevent it? How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine? You will find the answers to these questions in this article.
Characteristics of the disease
Osteochondrosis in general terms is a degenerative modification of the intervertebral cartilaginous discs, which subsequently affects the bone tissue and the nervous system. What happens with this disorder? In the cartilage disc, which performs a shock-absorbing function in the structure of the spine, dehydration, or simply dehydration, begins due to metabolic failure. The nucleus begins to press on the ring surrounding it and the disc extends beyond the vertebrae. This phenomenon is called protrusion. If the membrane ruptures, an intervertebral hernia appears, which is even more dangerous.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a disease that brings a lot of pain and discomfort into a person's life. Unlike the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, the cervical vertebrae are more mobile, they are the smallest and are constantly under the influence of stress. The disease most often affects these particular segments of the spine. A large number of nerve and blood branches are concentrated in the cervical spine. Here passes an important large vertebral artery, which carries nutrients to the brain. The constricted state of this vessel is dangerous for the development of ischemia of the spinal cord or brain, as well as for stroke. If this artery and the nerve fibers passing into the cervical spine are affected, the person loses accurate coordination of movements, hearing and vision weaken, frequent dizziness and various neurological disorders are observed, which will be discussed below.
Reasons
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine occurs even at a young age. What causes the development of the disease? What are the causes that contribute to the onset of the disease, even in people under 30? Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the treatment of which requires a lot of time and patience, arises from two main factors:
- hypodynamia or sedentary lifestyle;
- malnutrition.
As a result, there is a violation of metabolism (metabolism) throughout the body, especially in bone and cartilage tissues, the level of salt in the blood increases, and, not finding a way out of the bloodstream, "refuge "in the tissues of the kidneys, liver and cervical spine. An unbalanced diet leads to a lack of nutrients in the cartilage, as a result of which pathological changes in the intervertebral discs begin. Osteochondrosis is particularly susceptible to people at risk.
We indicate the factors whose presence increases the probability of developing the disease:
- inheritance;
- age after 40 years;
- overweight;
- frequent hypothermia (not for nothing they say "don't have cold on the neck! ");
- endocrine system malfunctions, which disrupt metabolism;
- spinal injuries;
- systemic lupus erythematosus;
- rheumatism;
- nature of the activity: drivers, employees, cashiers, athletes, people engaged in heavy physical labor.
Symptoms
How does cervical osteochondrosis manifest itself? Symptoms of the disease and the nature of the pains that arise depend on which segments were damaged. In this regard, the following states can develop:
- vertebral artery syndrome;
- hypertensive syndrome;
- radicular syndrome;
- cervical migraine syndrome.
Let's take a look at each of them. With vertebral artery syndrome, severe headaches appear already in the early stages. A person is often lightheaded, the gait becomes unstable, and the clarity of vision decreases. Sudden head movements can lead to loss of consciousness. Radicular syndrome is characterized by a variety of manifestations. These include:
- neck pain or severe neck pain;
- creak when turning the head;
- weakness and tinnitus;
- numbness and pain in the arm;
- disturbance of auditory and visual functions;
- tinnitus;
- cervicobrachialgia, or pain that spreads from the neck to the arms;
- feeling of swelling and numbness of the tongue.
Cervical migraine syndrome is characterized mainly by impaired blood circulation in the tissues of the brain, which causes hypertension and the development of symptoms such as noise and ringing in the ears, congestion, dizziness, rapid pulse. The danger of this condition is the possibility of developing a spinal stroke. Hypertensive syndrome is accompanied by headache, aggravated by head movements, nausea and vomiting (especially in the morning), nervousness, pressure changes, the appearance of dark circles under the eyes, light-headedness.
Hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) of the brain develops. Cervical osteochondrosis often manifests itself as cardiac arrhythmia, in which a uniform heart rhythm is lost. Due to pinching of the lateral vertebral arteries, vegetative-vascular dystonia develops.
Diagnostics
The first step in diagnosing cervical osteochondrosis is the examination of the patient. A neuropathologist visually examines the state of the spine, back muscles and posture and determines the presence of protruding spinous processes by probing. On palpation the doctor, by reaction of the patient, will be able to understand which parts are affected by the pain. Hardware diagnostic methods are used:
- radiography;
- computed tomography;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- dopplerography.
The first method often involves introducing a contrast medium into a particular tissue (discography, angiography, etc. ). This is necessary in order to obtain more accurate information on the characteristics of the course of the disease.
Treatment
Your doctor will tell you how to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and not harm the body. Below are the basic rules and recommendations for dealing with this unpleasant disease, but the beginning of successful treatment is a visit to a neurologist. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is carried out using a whole range of methods. Among them:
- drug therapy;
- physiotherapy;
- traditional medicine;
- exercises.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is very dangerous, since important arteries that carry blood to the brain tissues pass through the processes of the vertebrae in this place. Therefore, taking medications and fulfilling the doctor's prescriptions must be approached with all responsibility.
Drug therapy
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine using drugs? Drug therapy of the disease includes the following means:
- pain medications;
- anti-inflammatory;
- vitamins;
- chondroprotectors.
Analgesics help relieve the manifestations of pain during an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis and are used for a short time. The attending physician may prescribe the medicines Tramadol, Tolperisone hydrochloride and Etorikoxib as anesthetics. In case of very severe pain, lidocaine injections can be used.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are designed to reduce inflammation, including drugs Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Piroxicam. These funds are also used externally. These are various ointments and gels: "Diclofenac", etc. Of the vitamins, the most valuable vitamins in terms of maintenance therapy for osteochondrosis are B vitamins, which can reduce the sensitivity of tissues and weaken the neurological manifestations of the disease.
Chondroprotector
They are formulated by pharmacologists to restore cartilage tissue. There are two active ingredients that make up such drugs: glucosamine and chondroitin. Both compounds can be included in a preparation or used separately each. Examples of chondroprotectors: glucosamine patches, chondroitin sulfate ointment, etc. These funds should be used for a long time, at least 3-6 months, otherwise you may not get the desired result.
Block
In case of severe pain, injections of drugs directly into the injury site help relieve the patient's condition. This injection is called a block. A mixture of drugs is usually used as a medicine. One of them has an analgesic effect, the other is designed to relieve inflammation. The block can only be performed by a highly qualified doctor, under no circumstances should you perform this procedure yourself! This can not only harm the patient's health, but also become a threat to her life. This injection is done in two ways:
- injection of medicine into the ligaments and tissues surrounding the joint;
- injection directly into the intervertebral disc.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapeutic procedures are very effective in cervical osteochondrosis. They accelerate recovery, have a beneficial effect on the whole body as a whole. Before talking about it, let's list the contraindications to physiotherapy:
- tumors, oncological diseases;
- blood diseases;
- acute dermatological diseases;
- taking drugs that can increase the effect of physiotherapy.
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine using physiotherapy? In this regard, the use of many methods has a good effect. For example, shock wave therapy is the application of acoustic waves to a lesion. It reduces inflammation, swelling, pain, stimulates collagen synthesis and improves tissue metabolism. Laser therapy, magnetotherapy, ultrasound treatment, vibration therapy are also used. The impact on the sore spot with low voltage impulse currents or diadynamic therapy reduces the severity of the pain. Electrophoresis with the drug "procaine" gives an analgesic effect during an exacerbation. Additional methods of physiotherapy are ultraviolet irradiation of the affected area and spinal traction or detensive therapy.
Physiotherapy exercises
Gymnastics for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine allows you to achieve tangible results. It is important that it is applied only in the final stage of treatment, as active movements in the neck area are strictly prohibited in the first stage and in the intermediate stage. The gymnastics is performed with a supportive cotton gauze collar worn on the cervical region. Resistance exercises are performed with the help of a doctor who tries to tilt the patient's head with his palm, and he, in turn, makes an effort to overcome the doctor's actions. This strengthens the muscular corset of the neck. A head-holding exercise is also helpful. It is as follows. The patient, lying on the couch, raises his head and keeps it in this position for 5 seconds. This time rises to 40-60 seconds if the pain and neurological syndrome have already been overcome. Therapeutic gymnastics involves the implementation of each exercise no more than 5 times in one approach.
Gymnastics for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is designed for:
- improves blood supply to the affected area;
- to strengthen the back and neck muscles;
- reduces the load on the vertebrae;
- normalizes joint mobility;
- accelerates glucose metabolism for active nutrition of the intervertebral cartilage discs.
In a disease such as cervical osteochondrosis, massage is required. It refers to the methods of manual therapy and is aimed at relaxing the muscles, improving blood circulation and lymphatic movement at the injury site.
Traditional medicine
Treatment of a disorder such as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, folk remedies is considered an auxiliary measure, and in no case the main therapy. The number of recipes using various herbs and products is very large. They widely use products such as lemon leaves, garlic, burdock or horseradish (as a compress), dandelion root, St. John's wort, yarrow, lavender and many others. The patient himself is responsible for his health when using traditional medicine.
Nutritional characteristics
How to cure cervical osteochondrosis? This question is asked by many. But how to eat with this disease, what foods will be useful? Let's list them:
- dairy products;
- lean meat and fish;
- jellied meat;
- jam;
- gelatin;
- fresh fruit and vegetables;
- sources of vitamin B: liver, nuts, brown rice, broccoli, buckwheat, brewer's yeast, green vegetables, kidneys;
- complex carbohydrates - wholemeal bread, cereals, vegetables;
- vegetable fats - olive, sunflower, linseed oil.
Do not forget about the products that can be harmful in the treatment of osteochondrosis. Do not abuse sweets, baked goods, alcohol, smoked meats and salty foods, spicy foods, animal fats, coffee and strong tea. Remove the sugar, potatoes and white bread from the menu.
Prevention
Don't neglect morning exercises and stretch your neck during the working day. It helps improve blood circulation, thus ensuring the supply of nutrients to the cartilage tissue and relaxing the muscles. Move more: Regular jogging, fitness classes are considered an important measure for the prevention of osteochondrosis. Excess weight often provokes the development of the disease, so try to follow the arrow on the scale. Do not overeat, do not abuse high-calorie foods, fatty and sugary foods. Eliminate all chronic infections in your body. Particular attention should be paid to the correct position of the body during sleep and rest: the neck muscles should not be squeezed.
For example, every patient should have an orthopedic pillow for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, and its use is also useful in the prevention of the disease. Resting on it relaxes the muscles of the neck and the blood vessels are not under severe pressure.
Cartilage health and diet
Separately, I would like to mention the tendency of girls and women to experiment with various diets, which are sometimes so cruel and low in calories that the body begins to use substances from its own tissues as a source of energy. Remember that any diet should be balanced, contain the necessary minimum of nutrients, mainly proteins, and be accompanied by the intake of vitamins and minerals. Otherwise, you risk not only becoming the owner of worn cartilage, which is very difficult and expensive to restore in the future, but also a number of unpleasant diseases. And remember that the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine will be successful only if the patient follows all the recommendations and prescriptions of the attending physician.