The cervical spine is the narrowest part of it, however, the daily load of supporting the head, ensuring its bends and the mobility of the shoulder joints is incomparably higher than theperformance of other parts of it.Given the poor lifestyle caused by eating habits, sedentary work and smoking, the risk of developing cervical osteochondrosis in people of middle age quadruple.
Despite such a prevalence of the disease, it is very difficult to identify cervical osteochondrosis in the early stages, since its symptoms are so diverse and, at first glance, unrelated to the problem of the spine, thata person may not see a doctor for years, considering that the reason for his poor health is completely different from disease.
Causes of the disease
In order to ensure the mobility of the vertebrae, there are intervertebral discs, made of cartilage tissue, between them. They provide cushioning during movement and give flexibility to the spine. The life span of intervertebral discs, fixed by nature, is more than 120 years, but changes in the chemical composition of the blood lead to rapid dehydration of cartilage tissue, the deposition of salts, which, in turn, contributesto rapid wear of discs and leads to their degenerative-dystrophic changes.
The reason for the change in blood composition is poor nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle in which the body cells do not need a lot of salt and it is deposited in bone tissue, liver andkidneys.In a forced sedentary lifestyle, the greatest amount of salt is deposited in the neck.
Cervical osteochondrosis can also occur as a result of microtraumas caused by vibration, for example in drivers, as well as the forced bad position of the head or strain in the neck caused by the working conditions andthe specificities of the profession.
What is the danger of cervical osteochondrosis
In the neck region, namely in the immediate vicinity of the cervical spine, there are nerve roots, as well as the vertebral artery, the task of which is to supply the brain with oxygen. With dehydration of the intervertebral discs of the neck, their deformation occurs, which narrows the gap between the vertebrae and leads to their injury during movement.In addition, the deposition of salts promotes the formation of bone spines - osteophytes, which can encroach on nerve roots, as well as on the artery.
In the process of development, the disease leads to a violation of the sensitivity of the neck, scapula, limbs, nape or, on the contrary, causes pain in these parts, depending on the pinched nerve roots.
Compression of the vertebral artery is fraught with insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain, which leads to the development of various disorders of its activity. Among the most dangerous consequences of cerebral hypoxia are hearing disturbances, decreased vision, strokes, partial and complete paralysis, mental disorders.
Cervical osteochondrosis is the most dangerous form of the disease because it has many irreversible consequences, while people with advanced stages of the disease usually seek help.
Symptoms
The cervical spine consists of 6 segments, through which various nerve roots pass, their violation results in various symptoms. Depending on which of the vertebrae of the neck are susceptible to osteochondrosis, the disease can manifest itself with various symptoms. Thus, radicular syndrome is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Violation of the sensitivity of the neck, scapula, fingertips, most often unilateral. Sharp pain in the neck, radiating to the back or the back of the head.
- Burning pain in the chest, the shoulder and also one of the fingers, depending on the affected nerve.
- Pain in the region of the heartcharacterized by its duration and intensification during sudden movements.
Compression of an artery, as well as small vessels, can lead to brain disorders, the symptoms of which can be listed as follows:
- Visual impairment, appearance of "flies" in front of the eyes, blurred images.
- With insufficient nutrition of the cerebellum, dizziness, nausea, disturbances of consciousness may appear, the soil disappears under the feet.
- If the blood supply to the brain is disturbed, there is a risk of hypoxia, and the body's reaction is to increase the pressure necessary to increase blood flow.
- Oxygen deficiency also causes a strong and unreasonable fear causing episodes of nausea.
- Possible difficulty in coordination and hearing.
- When lymphatic circulation is impaired, intracranial pressure occurs, expressed in headache of parietal and occipital parts, pressure on eyeballs, tinnitus.
These varied symptoms and various individual manifestations of the disease often do not immediately suggest back problems, especially since at first pain and stiffness in movements may be absent. And only a good specialist, having carried out differential diagnoses, excluding other diseases characterized by the same symptoms, can identify cervical osteochondrosis.
Processing
Treatment of osteochondrosis is quite a long process and includes various methods of traditional and traditional medicine. The main tasks defined by the doctor when choosing therapy are to relieve pain, restore mobility of the vertebrae and metabolic processes, recharge cartilage tissue, as well as eliminate swelling and inflammation of thesoft tissue of the neck. There are different methods by which the objectives described above are achieved, including taking medication, rubbing with ointments, physiotherapy and special gymnastics. Hirudotherapy, acupuncture, and traditional medicine recipes are used as additional treatment.
The main component in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is the initiative of the patient and strict compliance with the doctor's prescriptions.
Let's take a closer look at how to treat cervical osteochondrosis, as well as the characteristics of the techniques:
Drugs
Distinguish between the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine during exacerbation and remission. So, in case of acute pain, the doctor may prescribe:
- Analgesicsin the form of tablets, injections, the task of which is to relieve the symptoms of acute pain.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugsin the form of injections that relieve the inflammatory process. However, the side effects accompanying the use of NSAIDs do not allow their use for a long time.
- muscle relaxantsrelieve muscle spasms and free up pinched vessels, nerves and arteries.
- Blockade of novocaine.This method is used for an acute attack accompanied by stiffness and pain in the neck. Treatment is carried out under the supervision of a doctor.
During the period of remission, the main treatment is the intake of chondroprotectors produced in the form of powders and capsules, suspensions and ointments. Chondroprotectors, based on glycosaminoglycans and chondroitin sulphates, have a number of positive effects on the cartilage tissue of the spine, namely restoring the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc, eliminating the pain syndrome and stopping the development ofdisease.
Ointments for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are prescribed at the discretion of the doctor and have various effects, including:
- pain reliever;
- restoration of the cartilage structure; anti-inflammatory
- ;
- warming;
- complex.
In addition, cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by compression of the nerve roots and arteries, which leads to a number of symptoms, to eliminate which, the appropriate drugs are prescribed.
Physiotherapy
In addition to the main treatment, physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed, the purpose of which is to eliminate pain, improve microcirculation in soft tissues and restore metabolic processes. Some procedures, for example, electrophoresis, are used in conjunction with medicinal ointments, while achieving the maximum effect of the drug.
In addition to electrophoresis, shock wave therapy, laser therapy, ultraviolet radiation and magnetotherapy are also used.
A similar effect is obtained with manual massage or acupuncture. A prerequisite for such treatment is high qualifications and medical training of specialists in these areas.
Cervical osteochondrosis in remission can be treated with physiotherapy exercises. Correctly selected exercises eliminate the symptoms of pain and contribute to the removal of salt deposits.
Folk remedies
Among the methods of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine recognized by official medicine, there are many folk recipes based on the healing properties of plants that have anti-inflammatory, warming and restoring metabolic processes.
The most common active ingredients in various interpretations are horseradish, Adam's root, aloe, ginger, garlic, hops, pine nuts, honey and lemon. They are used for the preparation of rubs, ointments, tinctures, compresses, mixtures for ingestion, as well as medicinal baths. Traditional methods perfectly relieve symptoms and also restore neck mobility.