Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with the latest highly effective techniques, using modern equipment and under the guidance of experienced specialists.
Spinal diseases can cause a lot of unpleasant sensations in a person, especially if they affect the cervical region: there is a risk of damage to the spinal cord and brain. In addition, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine often leads to headaches, causes disorders of internal organs and contributes to the deterioration of blood circulation. Fortunately, today various treatment techniques have been developed that allow you to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms and restore a healthy condition of the spine.
In this article, we will tell you in detail about the characteristics of cervical osteochondrosis and describe the main methods of treatment. We hope that after reading it you will be able to choose the most effective way to treat this disease and avoid radical surgery.
What is cervical osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis of the cervix is a disease in which the soft pulp ossifies, which serves as an absorption function of the vertebrae. At the same time, blood vessels and nerve roots are involved in the mechanism of disease development.
A feature of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is the appearance of pain in the shoulders, arms, neck and head. In addition, patients experience dizziness, high blood pressure, oxygen starvation, loss of sensation on one side of the tongue, and other symptoms that characterize cardiovascular pathology. This is the reason for communicating with doctors of other specialties and significantly slows down the process of diagnosing the disease.
Most often, middle-aged and older people 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 cervical osteochondrosis and thesymptomswere 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 deteriorating diet and physical inactivity
Currently, there is a two-pronged 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 considered that the destruction of intervertebral formations occurs in the context of inflammatory and dystrophic processes caused by inappropriate lifestyle.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Problems with the diagnosis of this disease are due to the absence of pain in certain conditions and the indirect nature of the symptoms. In addition, a person may not feel the signs of the disease while regularly taking strong painkillers to minimize overall discomfort. All this can lead to serious disorders in the area of the cervical joints.
Among the obvious symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, 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 be present in the context of cervical problems. In some cases, it indicates brain disorders, vascular and heart dysfunction, inflammatory processes in the ear and nasopharynx, the presence of malignancies or any pathological conditions of the nervous system.
Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis and the need for treatment may have a non-systemic or systemic etiology.
In the first case, a person may express a feeling of shock, uncertainty while standing and someone semi-passable. At the same time, there is no sense of circular rotation.
As for systemic dizziness, then, more often than not, it is an indication of any vestibular disorders, dysfunction of the visual analysts and other changes that have occurred in the context of osteochondrosis. In this case, the patient can feel the circular rotation of the body or nearby objects.
If there is dizziness and the patient experiences symptoms such as acute headache, numbness in the upper chest, fainting or impaired coordination of movements, he should be treated urgently.
Headache with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The appearance of a headache can signal the presence of a wide variety of diseases. Most often, it occurs in women with a background of hormonal disorders, stressful situations, increased intracranial pressure, spasms in the brain, terminal nerve endings, inflammatory processes and other diseases.
can signal the presence of a wide variety of diseases. Most often, it occurs in women with a background of hormonal disorders, stressful situations, increased intracranial pressure, spasms in the brain, terminal 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 disturbance of blood supply to the brain, hypertension or coronary heart disease. Most often, such signs appear in the elderly suffering from the above diseases.
To determine the exact cause of headaches, you should consult an experienced specialist. In this case, it is recommended that you have an ECG and rule out the presence of cardiovascular disorders.
Pain of another location, characteristic of cervical osteochondrosis
Pain in the back of the head and scalp is not always a sign of osteochondrosis of the cervix. In some cases, the discomfort can spread from the neck to the arms and shoulders. Such symptoms are sudden in nature and can occur in the context of sudden movements, after intense sneezing or staying in one place during a night's sleep.
If the cause of the pain syndrome is the cartilage of the cervical spine, then it usually disappears after a certain period of time or disappears after manual treatment of 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 and including disability.
If we talk about osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and the need for its treatment, then patients experience the following sensations of pain:
- The appearance of a crisis during the rotation of the head.
- The presence of neck pain syndrome.
- Deterioration of sensitivity and 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 blood vessels and nerve endings, any disorder in this area can cause an increase in blood pressure. However, such jumps 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 the increase in pressure, the patient may experience other symptoms and treatment in this case involves the use of special anesthetic drugs. These include:
- The appearance of pain in the head area.
- Loss of sensitivity in the collar.
- Pain in the chest, arms and legs.
- A sharp rise in blood pressure after stressful situations, prolonged stay in one position, excessive muscle tension and other similar conditions.
The sharp deterioration of the patient's condition and the sudden increase in pressure indicate the urgent need to see a doctor.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis
As it progresses, the above disease goes through various stages, accompanied by specific symptoms. We will talk about them in more detail below.
Initial stage of osteochondrosis
As a rule, if the first degree of the disease occurs, patients may experience only slight discomfort. They can show pain only with sudden movements, tilting and turning of the head. Many patients report increased fatigue in the lumbar spine and back and a constant feeling of tension. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in the initial stage does not include takingmedicines. . . To recover, the patient only needs to performgymnasticswith cervical osteochondrosis and change your daily diet.
The second stage of the disease: characteristics
The second stage of the pathology is characterized by more intense sensations of pain that emit in the upper extremities and increase with bending and rotation of the head. Reasons for increased discomfort include: reduction in the size of the intervertebral discs and, as a result, pinching of the nerve endings. In this case, the patient notes a deterioration in ability to work, the appearance of absence, increased fatigue and the appearance of headache.
Third degree osteochondrosis
It is accompanied by an increase in pain with radiation to the upper extremities, as well as to the shoulders and neck. In this case, numbness may be observed in the muscles of the hands, which is associated with 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, the deep degenerative processes in the area of the intervertebral discs and their replacement by pathological tissue are felt. The need to treat cervical osteochondrosisin the stage of deteriorationmay be due to the defeat of many parts of the spine. In this case, patients report the presence of tinnitus, increased pain syndrome, severe dizziness, and decreased coordination of movements.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
Most often, the development of this pathology is due to daily sedentary 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 prolonged stay of the head in a state of overturning, which is typical for construction workers when performing repair activities.
As a rule, excessive pressure on the cervical spine inevitably leads to degenerative disorders in the area of the spinal discs. In addition, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the symptoms of this disease and the need for treatment may be due to the following factors:
- Violation of calcium metabolism
- Causes of a genetic nature.
- Thermal irritants
- During the exercise of extreme sports (treatment of sports injuries).
- Weakness?
- Long stay of a person in a position due to professional relationship.
- Portliness;
- Prolonged stressful situations.
- Injury to the neck and back of the head.
- Autoimmune processes that can cause the destruction of cartilage tissue.
Switching to a healthy diet and moderate physical activity can minimize the chance of developing osteochondrosis.
Syndromes in osteochondrosis of the cervix
The syndromes are represented by the simultaneous manifestation of many symptoms of the disease at the same time. With regard to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is characterized by the following syndromes: vertebral, vertebral arteries, cardiac and radical. These are what 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 points 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 is of a morphological nature (X-rays are taken to determine this symptom).
If the patient does not have at least one of the above points, then it does not make sense to talk about spinal syndrome.
Characteristics of the vertebral artery syndrome
The essence of the above syndrome is the damage to the vertebral arteries that supply blood to the brain. It is characterized by the simultaneous manifestation of the following symptoms:
- As part of the compression of the artery, the patient may feel dizzy, increase in blood pressure, tinnitus, nausea, etc.
- Due to irritation of the nerve roots, loss of sensitivity, appearance of "fly" in the eyes, acute headache and numbness.
- Lack of oxygen can cause severe pain in the head area, excessive drowsiness, decreased activity and decreased concentration.
Signs of heart syndrome
In addition to the symptom of the vertebral artery in cervical osteochondrosis, the need to treat patients also arises in the presence of heart 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 points appear:
- Burning sensation and acute pain syndrome in the chest area.
- Tachycardia;
- The appearance of severe weakness, excessive fatigue and shortness of breath.
Radical syndrome: characteristics
It is characterized by deterioration of neuromuscular treatment. In the presence of radical 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 chewing food, numbness in the area behind the ear, feeling of fullness in the tongue.
- The appearance of symptoms of sore throat, hiccups, key pain.
- Difficulty moving the upper limbs, discomfort in the shoulder area.
- Violations in the area of the forearm and shoulders.
- Loss of sensitivity in the area of the fingers.
Diagnostics
The main and most informative methods for the diagnosis of osteochondrosis include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI scans with a high degree of detail reflect the condition not only of the bone tissue of the spine, but also of the soft tissue - muscles, cartilage, blood vessels, nerves and intervertebral discs. If there are contraindications for magnetic resonance imaging (in the presence of metal prostheses, pacemakers), computed tomography is prescribed, but the information content of the method is much lower in terms of the diagnosis of osteochondrosis.
Is it possible to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?
With regard to cervical osteochondrosis, effective treatment of this disease is possible only with a complete review of lifestyle, continuous prevention and rehabilitation of the sanatorium. 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 more advanced cases, and extend periods of recession.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
In the first stage of osteochondrosis, the patient will be helped with conservative treatment without drugs. You need to correct your posture, pay attention to the equipment of the workplace, stop working for a few minutes every day to perform a simpletherapeutic gymnasticswith cervical osteochondrosis, which can be done directly at the office desk. Swimming, increased physical activity and the intake of complexes of vitamins and minerals 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 the most effective - with the help of shock waves. This process is noteworthy for its affordable cost. In addition, if a medical institution has special equipment, you can attend the UHT course completely free of charge.
The advantages of UHT include:
- Maximum performance
- Lack of discomfort during the procedure.
- The minimum probability of side effects.
- Reducing the need for invasive treatments
- Reducing the need for medication.
Drugs for osteochondrosis of the cervix
If you have cervical osteochondrosis and are interested in treatmentmedicalandeffective,You can find information about suitable drugs on the Internet. However, despite the variety of medications and the lack of need for a prescription, self-medication is not recommended. Most drugs 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 also recommended to relieve the general condition of the patient and reduce the dose of NSAIDs. By relieving muscle spasms and nervous tension at the same time, 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 may return when the weather changes, excessive stress and anxiety.
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 these are aimed at relieving muscle spasms, inflammation and pain.
Acupuncture. The essence of the method is to "wake up" biologically active points by inserting special thin needles in them at a depth of several centimeters. The procedure itself is painful, but helps relieve back pain. Several sessions are required.
Manual therapy. This method is effective if the patient haspinchcervical nerves, the corresponding symptoms were diagnosed and the need for treatment was identified. Nerves and blood vessels trapped by deformed vertebrae can be released by manually stretching the spine.
Hirudotherapy (leeches). Relieves inflammation and swelling due to biologically active substances secreted by leeches. Enhances blood circulation.
Shock wave therapy. Restores blood circulation and destroys osteocytes, helps cartilage tissue return to its normal structure. The patient already after 1-2 sessions feels a reduction in pain and swelling. The course of shock wave therapy includes up to ten procedures, can be prescribed as part of complex non-invasive treatment and during the recovery period after surgery. It has a number of contraindications and is used only after extensive examination by various specialists, including a neurologist, cardiologist and vertebrate.
Exercises for osteochondrosis of the cervix
If a person has cervical osteochondrosis, dailyhigh schools,developed to treat this disease, will help strengthen the muscular corset, which means - reducing the load on the cervical spine. Exercise therapy is indicated at all stages of the disease, as well as as a preventive measure. During exacerbations, a set of exercises should be done carefully.
Typical exercises for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- the head turns to the sides.
- the head tilts forward and backward.
- lift your shoulders with relaxed or firm hands, holding them in this position for 15-20 seconds.
- alternative tension of neck bends and stretches with a stationary head.
The exercises should be repeated 5-7 times. The duration of the course is 15-20 minutes.
Surgery
If there is no positive result after 6 months of conservative treatment, spinal fusion may be indicated. The procedure aims to immobilize the affected spine. It involves the removal of the intervertebral disc, the decompression of the nerve root and the placement of an implant or the creation of a normal height of the disc space. The operation has many contraindications and side effects. For example, spinal fusion can lead to spinal disability. Therefore, surgery is indicated only in extreme cases.
Diet and lifestyle
After surgical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, during the early recovery period, it is required to wear a fixing collar. During conservative treatment and at the end of the recovery period, a diet rich in calcium and vitamins, correction of usual postures and general posture, daily series of therapeutic exercises for the neck, orthopedic pillows are recommended.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home
If you have been diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis and its symptoms and want to undergohome treatment, We must remember that such an independent intervention can be exercised only in conjunction with the procedures prescribed by an expert.
Some experts recommend the useorthopedic pillowwith osteochondrosis of the cervix, and use heating agents such as pepper plaster, mustard plaster and alcohol compresses. According to others, only specialhigh schoolsfor treatment andprevention. . .
You can also resort to the help of traditional medicine recipes, which are based on the use of honey-potato compresses and sauces with natural ingredients. More information on such tools can be found on the Internet. However, only an experienced and specialized doctor can diagnose cervical osteochondrosis, diagnose its symptoms and prescribe the most effective treatment.
Preventive measures for osteochondrosis of the cervix
An examination by the treating physician once a year is required. A course of shock wave therapy may be prescribed. Hypothermia and infectious diseases, prolonged work on the computer in one place should be avoided. If you are traveling by plane or bus, use a neck support pad to relieve muscle tension and prevent congestion. For daily sleep, use special orthopedic pillows that ensure the correct position of the head.