Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine using the latest highly effective techniques, using modern equipment and under the guidance of experienced specialists.
Diseases of the spine can give a person many unpleasant sensations, especially if they affect the cervical region: there is a risk of damage to the spinal cord and the brain. In addition, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine often leads to headaches, causes disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and contributes to the deterioration of blood circulation. Fortunately, today several therapeutic techniques have been developed that allow you to eliminate unpleasant symptoms and restore a healthy condition of the spine.
In this article, we will tell you in detail about the features of cervical osteochondrosis and describe the main methods of its 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?
Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease in which the soft pulp ossifies, which serves as a cushioning function between the vertebrae. At the same time, blood vessels and nerve roots are involved in the mechanism of the development of the disease.
A characteristic feature of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is the appearance of pain in the shoulders, occiput, neck and head. In addition, patients note the appearance of dizziness, increased blood pressure, lack of oxygen, loss of sensitivity on one side of the tongue and other symptoms characteristic of cardiovascular pathologies. This becomes the reason for contacting doctors of other specialties and significantly slows down the process of diagnosing the disease.
Most often, people of middle and older age categories are prone to ossification of the tissues of the upper part of the spine. This is due to the poor distribution of dynamic and static loads on the human skeleton.
However, if previously cervical osteochondrosis and itssymptomshave been diagnosed in people over 45 to 50 years old, but now the age of patients with this disease is significantly younger. Today it affects young people aged 20 to 40, which is associated with a deterioration of diet and sedentary lifestyle.
Currently, there is a dual approach to the problem of the cervical spine: it is considered to be 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 assumed that the destruction of intervertebral formations occurs against the background of inflammatory and dystrophic processes caused by improper lifestyle.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Problems in diagnosing this disease are due to the absence of pain in certain situations and the implicit nature of the symptoms. Additionally, a person may not feel the signs of the disease while taking strong pain relievers regularly to minimize overall discomfort. All of this can lead to serious problems with 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 this later.
Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis
Dizziness may not always manifest itself against the background of problems with the cervical spine. In some cases, this indicates disorders of the brain, dysfunctions of blood vessels and heart, inflammatory processes of the ear and nasopharynx, the presence of malignant neoplasms or any pathology of the nervous system.
Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis and the need for its treatment may have a non-systemic or systemic etiology.
In the first case, a person may express a feeling of dizziness, uncertainty while standing, and some semi-fainting. At the same time, there is no circular direction of rotation.
As for systemic dizziness, most often these are signs of vestibular disorders, malfunctions of visual analyzers and other changes that have occurred against the background of osteochondrosis. In this case, the patient can feel the circular rotation of the body or nearby objects.
If dizziness is present and the patient simultaneously develops symptoms such as sharp pain in the head, numbness in the upper part of the chest, fainting or impaired coordination of movements, he should be hospitalized. emergency.
Headache with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The onset of a headache can signal the presence of a wide variety of ailments. Most often it occurs in women against the background of hormonal disturbances, stressful situations, increased intracranial pressure, brain spasms, pinched nerve endings, inflammatory processes and other diseases.
can signal the presence of a wide variety of diseases. Most often it occurs in women against the background of hormonal disturbances, stressful situations, increased intracranial pressure, brain spasms, pinched nerve endings, inflammatory processes and other diseases.
Pain andnoise in the headwith cervical osteochondrosis, causing the need for treatment, is often mistaken for symptoms of acute disturbance of blood supply to the brain, high blood pressure, or coronary heart disease. Most often, such signs occur in the elderly suffering from the above diseases.
To determine the exact cause of the headache, you should consult an experienced specialist. In this case, it is recommended to undergo 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 head is not always a sign of cervical osteochondrosis. In some cases, the discomfort can spread from the neck to the arms and shoulders. These symptoms are sudden in nature and can occur against the background of sudden movements, after a sudden sneeze, or while staying in one position during a night's sleep.
If the cause of the pain syndrome is chondrosis of the cervical spine, it usually goes away after some time or goes away after manual therapy in the cervical spine.
It should be noted that massage in this area is carried out only after a thorough examination of the patient. With an unprofessional approach, there is a high risk of deterioration of the patient's condition, up to disability.
If we talk about osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and the need for its treatment, patients note the following painful sensations:
- The appearance of a cracking sound when turning the head;
- The presence of pain syndrome inside the neck;
- Deterioration of sensitivity and the 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 disturbance in this area can trigger an increase in blood pressure. However, such jumps are temporary in nature, manifest as short-term spasms, and are not symptoms of hypertension.
In addition, if there is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, in addition to an increase in pressure, the patient may have other symptoms, and treatment in this case includes the use of special anesthetics. These include:
- The appearance of pain in the head area;
- Loss of feeling in the cervix;
- Pain in the chest, arms and legs;
- A sharp increase in blood pressure after stressful situations, prolonged stay in one position, excessive muscle tension and other similar situations.
A sharp deterioration in the patient's condition and a sharp increase in pressure indicate an urgent need to consult a doctor.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis
As it develops, the above disease goes through several stages, accompanied by specific symptoms. We will discuss this in more detail below.
Osteochondrosis at the initial stage
Typically, if the 1st degree of the disease occurs, patients may experience only minor discomfort. They can show pain only with sudden movements, tilting and turning their 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 at the initial stage does not involve takingdrugs. . . To recover, the patient only has to performgymnasticwith cervical osteochondrosis and change the daily diet.
The second stage of the disease: features
The second stage of the pathology is characterized by more intense pain sensations that radiate to the upper extremities and increase with bending and rotation of the head. The reasons for the increased discomfort include: a reduction in the size of the height of the intervertebral discs and, as a result, pinching of the nerve endings. In this case, the patient notes a deterioration in working capacity, the appearance of distractions, increased fatigue and the appearance of pain in the head.
Third degree osteochondrosis
It is accompanied by an increase in pain with irradiation in the upper limbs, as well as the shoulders and neck. In this case, numbness of the muscles of the hands can be observed, which is associated with the appearance of an intervertebral hernia. Additionally, patients may complain of severe weakness and dizziness.
The last stage of the disease
At the final stage, deep degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs and their replacement with pathological tissues are felt. The need for treatment of cervical osteochondrosisat the stage of exacerbationmay be due to the defeat of several segments of the spine. In this case, patients report the presence of tinnitus, increased pain syndrome, the appearance of severe dizziness and impaired 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 on the chair, and his head is constantly tilted forward. The same can be said about a prolonged stay of the head in an overturned state, typical of employees of construction specialties, when performing repair activities.
Usually, excessive stress on the cervical spine inevitably leads to degenerative disorders in the vertebral discs. In addition, cervicospinal osteochondrosis, symptoms of this disease and the need for its treatment may be due to the following factors:
- Violation of calcium metabolism;
- Causes of a genetic nature;
- Thermal irritants;
- When practicing extreme sports (treatment of sports injuries);
- Hypodynamia;
- Long stay of a person in a position because of his professional affiliation;
- Obesity;
- Prolonged stressful situations;
- Injury to the neck and back of the head;
- Autoimmune processes that can cause destruction of cartilage tissue.
Transitioning to a healthy diet and moderate physical activity can minimize the likelihood of developing osteochondrosis.
Cervical osteochondrosis syndromes
Syndromes are represented by the simultaneous manifestation of several symptoms of the disease at once. As for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is characterized by the following syndromes: vertebral, vertebral arteries, cardiac and radicular. It is about them that 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 signs is observed:
- Painful sensations when you have to turn your neck;
- Inability to turn the neck;
- The presence of a disorder in the intervertebral region or in the vertebral body, of a morphological nature (to determine this symptom, x-rays are taken).
If the patient is missing at least one of the above signs, it makes no sense to talk about spinal syndrome.
Features of vertebral artery syndrome
The essence of the above syndrome is damage to the vertebral arteries that supply blood to the brain. It is characterized by the simultaneous manifestation of the following symptoms:
- Against the background of compression of the artery, the patient may experience dizziness, increased blood pressure, the appearance of tinnitus, nausea, etc. ;
- Due to irritation of the nerve roots, loss of sensitivity, the appearance of "flies" in the eyes, sharp pain in the head and numbness may be observed;
- 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 for treatment of the patient also arises in the presence of cardiac syndrome. Many patients report a condition that is characteristic of coronary artery disease or that resembles symptoms of a myocardial infarction. In this case, the following signs take place:
- A burning sensation and acute pain syndrome in the sternum area;
- Tachycardia;
- The appearance of severe weakness, excessive fatigue and shortness of breath.
Radicular syndrome: characteristics
It is characterized by a deterioration of neuromuscular conduction. In the presence of radicular syndrome, the patient may experience loss of sensitivity or, conversely, severe pain syndrome. In addition, 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, pain in the collarbone;
- Difficulty moving the upper limbs, discomfort in the shoulders;
- Violations in the forearm and shoulder blades;
- Loss of sensitivity in the fingers.
Diagnostic
The main and most informative methods for diagnosing 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 tissues - muscles, cartilage, blood vessels, nerves and intervertebral discs. If there are contraindications to MRI (the presence of metal prostheses, pacemakers), computed tomography is prescribed, but the informative content of the method is much lower in terms of the diagnosis of osteochondrosis.
Is it possible to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?
As for cervical osteochondrosis, effective treatment of this disease is possible only with a complete overhaul of the lifestyle, constant prevention and recovery in a 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. Nevertheless, you can significantly alleviate your condition, even in the most advanced cases, and lengthen the periods of remission.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
At the first stage of osteochondrosis, the patient will be helped by conservative treatment without medication. You need to correct your posture, pay attention to the equipment in the workplace, interrupt work for a few minutes every day to perform a simple operation. remedial gymnasticswith cervical osteochondrosis, which can be done directly at the office desk. Swimming, increased physical activity and the intake of vitamin and mineral complexes will have a positive effect on the entire musculoskeletal system.
Benefits of shock wave therapy
If the patient suffers from osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and its symptoms, then a new method of treatment is considered the most effective - with the help of shock waves. This procedure is notable for its affordable cost. In addition, if a medical institution has special equipment, you can take the UHT course completely free of charge.
The advantages of UHT include:
- Maximum efficiency;
- Lack of discomfort during the procedure;
- The minimum likelihood of side effects;
- Reduce the need for invasive treatments
- Reduce the need for medication.
Medication for cervical osteochondrosis
If you have cervical osteochondrosis and are interested in treatmentmedicinalandeffective,you can find information on suitable medications on the Internet. However, despite the variety of drugs and the lack of prescription, self-medication is not recommended. Most medicines have side effects and contraindications, it is also important not to overdose.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).They are used to relieve swelling and pain.
Muscle relaxants, sedatives
They are prescribed in addition to relieve the general condition of the patient and reduce the dose of NSAIDs. By simultaneously relieving muscle spasms and nervous tension, you can achieve the best therapeutic effect.
At the end of treatment, doctors usually recommend buying nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the home first aid kit, as neck pain may return when the weather changes, overwork and stress.
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, available in classical and alternative medicine. All are aimed at relieving muscle spasms, inflammation and pain.
Acupuncture. The essence of the method is to "wake up" the biologically active points by inserting special fine needles into them at a depth of several centimeters. The procedure is painful in itself, but it helps relieve pain in the spine. Several sessions are necessary.
<16_img_centerxx>Manual therapy. This method is effective if the patient haspinchingnerves in the cervical spine, 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 caused by biologically active substances secreted by leeches. Strengthens blood circulation.
Shock wave therapy. Restores blood circulation and destroys osteophytes, helps cartilage tissue to regain its normal structure. The patient already after 1-2 sessions feels a decrease in pain and swelling. The shock wave therapy course consists of up to ten procedures, it can be prescribed as part of complex non-invasive therapy and during the rehabilitation period after surgery. It has a number of contraindications and is used only after a thorough examination by several specialists, including a neurologist, a cardiologist and a vertebrologist.
Exercises for cervical osteochondrosis
If a person has cervical osteochondrosis, dailyexercises,developed for the treatment of this disease, will help strengthen the muscle corset, which means - reduce 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 series of exercises should be performed with caution.
Typical exercises for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- the head turns to the sides;
- the head tilts forward and backward;
- lift the shoulders with relaxed or fixed hands, keeping them in this position for 15-20 seconds;
- alternating tension of the flexors and extensors of the neck with a stationary head position.
The exercises should be repeated 5-7 times. The duration of the lesson is 15 to 20 minutes.
Surgical intervention
In the absence of a positive effect after 6 months of conservative treatment, vertebral arthrodesis may be indicated. The procedure aims to immobilize the affected vertebral segment. It includes removing the intervertebral disc, decompressing the nerve root, and placing an implant or creating a physiological height of the disc space. The operation has a lot of contraindications and side effects. For example, spinal fusion can lead to spinal disability. Therefore, surgery is only indicated in extreme cases.
Food and lifestyle
After the surgical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, at the beginning of the rehabilitation period, wearing a fixation collar is mandatory. During conservative treatment and at the end of the rehabilitation period, a diet rich in calcium and vitamins, correction of usual postures and posture in general, a series of daily therapeutic exercises for the neck, orthopedic pillows are recommended.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home
If you are diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis and its symptoms and wish to undergohome treatment,it should be remembered that such independent intervention can be performed only in combination with the procedures prescribed by a specialist.
Some experts recommend usingorthopedic pillowwith cervical osteochondrosis, and use warming agents such as pepper dressing, mustard dressings, and alcohol compresses. According to others, only oneexercisesfor processing andprevention. . .
You can also resort to traditional medicine recipes, based on the use of honey-potato compresses and dressings with natural ingredients. You can find more information about these tools on the Internet. However, only an experienced and highly qualified doctor can diagnose cervico-thoracic osteochondrosis, identify its symptoms and prescribe the most effective treatment.
Preventive measures for cervical osteochondrosis
An examination by the attending physician is required once a year. A course of shock wave therapy may be prescribed. Hypothermia and infectious diseases, prolonged work at the computer in one position should be avoided. If you are traveling on a long plane or bus, use a neck pillow to relieve muscle tension and prevent congestion. For daily sleep, use special orthopedic pillows that ensure the correct position of the head.