Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease of the cervical spine, in which the destruction of the joint and intervertebral discs occurs. This disease affects ¾ of the world's population, older than 35 years.
Cervical osteochondrosis causes much more suffering than its counterparts from the lumbar, sacral or thoracic region, since it contains more nerve fibers.
Feature classification
The 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 to the shoulders. Unlike ordinary migraine, 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 especially difficult to take a breath. At night, patients may have brief pauses in breathing, accompanied by snoring. If the room in which the patient is located is not ventilated, he develops hypoxia, which leads to impaired 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 a 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 constantly has to endure fluctuations in blood pressure. Similar symptoms can be manifested by 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, since it is from there that the vestibular apparatus is controlled. Sometimes there is a 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 sensation of a foreign body in the throat. This phenomenon is associated with a lesion coming from the spinal cord of the nerve trunks.
Decreased vision
The eyes also suffer with the appearance of such an ailment as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Similar symptoms such as decreased vision occur due to damage coming from the spinal cord of the neurovascular trunks.
Methods of treatment
To date, you can heal from a migraine of the neck in the following ways:
- drug 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 injections and antispasmodic tablets. These drugs are the most effective for getting rid of spasms that appear in the arteries of the spine.
Thus, antispasmodic drugs protect the patient from fainting. Moreover, antispasmodic injections are used to treat pregnant women. Since these injections are safe for the mother and the unborn child.
Treatment based on vascular drugs is also effective.
They help restore blood circulation in 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 the progressive osteochondrosis of the neck, restoring the cartilage tissue of the joints. The most effective preparations, which include collagen hydrolyzate. Since this substance helps to regenerate cells destroyed by the disease.
Physiotherapy
The treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck with the help of physiotherapeutic procedures is currently widely used. Most used:
- ultraviolet irradiation (UVR);
- vibration impact;
- electrotherapy.
Ultraviolet treatment helps 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 the upper part of the shoulder blades.
Exposure to vibration, as well as UVI, perfectly eliminates osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Best of all, vibration relieves pain.
Treatment with electrotherapy allows you to get rid of 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 compresses 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 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 spoonful, twice a day.
Such alternative treatment helps to cope with pain, improve blood circulation and saturate the brain with oxygen, which is so necessary for it.