Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is one of the most dangerous types of neurological diseases. What is this ailment, how does it manifest itself? What measures help to prevent it? How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine? You will find answers to these questions in this article.
Characteristics of the disease
Osteochondrosis in general terms is a degenerative modification of intervertebral cartilaginous discs, which subsequently affects the bone tissue and the nervous system. What happens with this ailment? In the cartilaginous disc, which performs a shock-absorbing function in the structure of the spinal column, dehydration, or simply dehydration, begins due to a 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, then 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 to 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. An important large vertebral artery passes here, carrying nutrients to the brain. The state of constriction of this vessel is dangerous by the development of ischemia of the spinal cord or brain, as well as stroke. If this artery and nerve fibers passing in the cervical spine are affected, then the person loses accurate coordination of movements, his 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 causes 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, in particular in bone and cartilage tissues, the level of salt in the blood rises, and they, not finding a way out of the bloodstream, find "refuge" in the tissues of the kidneys, liver andcervical 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 especially susceptible to people at risk.
Let's name the factors, the presence of which increases the likelihood of developing the disease:
- heredity;
- age after 40 years;
- overweight;
- frequent hypothermia (it’s not for nothing that they say “don’t get cold on your neck! ”);
- malfunctions of the endocrine system, disrupting metabolism;
- spinal injuries;
- systemic lupus erythematosus;
- rheumatism;
- nature of the activity - drivers, office workers, cashiers, athletes, people engaged in hard physical labor.
Symptoms
How does cervical osteochondrosis manifest itself? The symptoms of the disease and the nature of the pains that arise depend on which segments were damaged. In this regard, the following states may 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 dizzy, gait becomes wobbly, and vision clarity decreases. Sudden movements of the head can lead to loss of consciousness. Radicular syndrome is characterized by a variety of manifestations. These include:
- cervicalgia, or severe neck pain;
- crunching when turning the head;
- weakness and tinnitus;
- numbness and soreness in the arm;
- disorder 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 primarily by impaired blood circulation in the tissues of the brain, due to which hypertension occurs and symptoms such as noise and ringing in the ears, their congestion, dizziness, and rapid pulse develop. The danger of this condition is the possibility of developing a spinal stroke. Hypertensive syndrome is accompanied by headaches, aggravated by head movements, nausea and vomiting (especially in the morning), nervousness, sudden changes in pressure, the appearance of dark circles under the eyes, light-headedness.
Hypoxia (oxygen starvation) of the brain develops. Cervical osteochondrosis is often manifested by 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 spinal column, back muscles and posture, and determines the presence of protruding spinous processes by probing. On palpation, the doctor, by the patient's reaction, will be able to understand which parts are affected by the cause of the pain. From hardware diagnostic methods are used:
- radiography;
- computed tomography;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- dopplerography.
The first method often involves the introduction of a contrast agent into a particular tissue (discography, angiography, etc. ). This is necessary to obtain more accurate information about the features 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 the most 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. With very severe pain, it is possible to use Lidocaine injections.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are designed to reduce inflammation, among them are the drugs Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Piroxicam. Such 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.
Chondroprotectors
They are formulated by pharmacologists to restore cartilage tissue. There are two active substances that make up such drugs - glucosamine and chondroitin. Both compounds can be included in one 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 achieve the desired result.
Blockade
In case of severe pain, injections of drugs directly into the lesion site help to alleviate the patient's condition. This injection is called a blockade. 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 blockade can only be done by a highly qualified physician, in no case do this procedure yourself! This can not only harm the patient's health, but also become a threat to his 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 entire body as a whole. Before talking about them, we list the contraindications for physiotherapy:
- tumors, oncological diseases;
- blood diseases;
- acute dermatological diseases;
- taking medications that can enhance the effect of physiotherapy.
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine using physiotherapy? In this respect, 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. Also used are laser therapy, magnetotherapy, ultrasound treatment, vibration therapy. Impact on the sore spot with low voltage impulse currents, or diadynamic therapy, reduces the severity of pain. Electrophoresis with the drug "procaine" gives an analgesic effect during an exacerbation. Additional physiotherapy methods are ultraviolet irradiation of the affected area and spinal traction, or detensor therapy.
Physiotherapy exercises
Gymnastics for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine allows you to achieve tangible results. It is important that it is applied only at the final stage of treatment, since active movements in the neck area are strictly prohibited at the first and intermediate stages. Gymnastics is performed with a supporting cotton-gauze collar worn on the cervical region. Resistance exercises are carried out 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 hold exercise is also helpful. It is as follows. The patient, lying on the couch, raises his head and holds it in this position for 5 seconds. This time rises to 40-60 seconds if the pain and neurological syndrome has already been overcome. Therapeutic gymnastics provides for the implementation of each exercise no more than 5 times in one approach.
Gymnastics for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is designed to:
- improve blood supply to the affected area;
- to strengthen the muscles of the back and neck;
- reduce the load on the vertebrae;
- normalize joint mobility;
- accelerate glucose metabolism for active nutrition of intervertebral cartilaginous discs.
In such a disease as cervical osteochondrosis, massage is required. It refers to the methods of manual therapy and is aimed at relaxing muscles, improving blood circulation and lymph movement at the site of the lesion.
Traditional medicine
Treatment of such an ailment as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, folk remedies is considered as an auxiliary measure and in no case as the main therapy. The number of recipes using various herbs and products is very large. They widely use products such as lemon, garlic, burdock or horseradish leaves (as a compress), dandelion root, St. John's wort, yarrow, lavender, and many others. The patient himself bears responsibility for his health when using traditional medicine.
Nutritional Features
How to cure cervical osteochondrosis? This question is being 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;
- marmalade;
- jelly;
- fresh fruits and vegetables;
- sources of vitamin B - liver, walnuts, brown rice, broccoli, buckwheat porridge, brewer's yeast, green vegetables, kidneys;
- complex carbohydrates - whole grain bread, cereals, vegetables;
- vegetable fats - olive, sunflower, linseed oil.
Do not forget about products that can be harmful in the treatment of osteochondrosis. Do not overuse sweets, baked goods, alcohol, smoked meats and salty foods, spicy foods, animal fats, coffee and strong tea. Remove sugar, potatoes and white bread from the menu.
Prevention
Do not neglect your morning exercises, as well as stretching your neck during your workday. It helps to improve blood circulation, thereby ensuring the supply of nutrients to the cartilage tissue, and to relax 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 scales. Do not overeat, do not overuse 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 neck muscles, and the blood vessels do not experience strong pressure.
Cartilage health and diet
Separately, I would like to mention the tendency of girls and women to experience various diets, which are sometimes so cruel and low in calories that the body begins to use the substances of its own tissues as a source of energy. Remember that any diet should be balanced, contain the necessary minimum of nutrients, primarily protein, and be accompanied by the intake of vitamins and minerals. Otherwise, you risk not only becoming the owner of worn out 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.