In this article, we will discuss the symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. What is this pathology? How does it manifest?
Osteochondrosis is a disease that is practically the most common in the world. Many people after the age of 30 suffer from this pathology in various forms. There is also a tendency to rejuvenate the disease, ie lower the age threshold. This may be due to the fact that there are now more and more people who are mainly engaged in work, where a person spends most of their time sitting and leading a sedentary lifestyle. By the way, such a disease is dangerous and every person must know what cervical osteochondrosis is, how it occurs, how to treat it and how to recognize its symptoms.
The main causes of the disease
The person is designed so that the vertical position of the spine can lead to the fact that the vertebrae will become more and more compressed over time, thus allowing the bones and cartilage tissue to gradually degrade and deform.
The spine always starts with the cervical region which has seven vertebrae. This is a particularly vulnerable part of it, as there is increased mobility in this area. Such a disease of the cervical spine is reflected, above all, on the discs themselves, because they are a weak point in the spine.
The incidence of degenerative disc disease of the cervicothoracic region is aided by factors such as the small size of the vertebrae and the relative weakness of the neck muscles. In addition, poor blood supply to cartilage tissue affects the development of the disease. What does all this mean?
Judging by this, it seems that the development of this disease is a long and complex process in which it is very difficult to identify the cause. Although a link has been found between a sedentary lifestyle and osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic spine, a similar disease is often found in trained people, especially athletes, due to the fact that they have an increased load on the cervical spine. They lift different weights (bars, weights), which leads to deformation of the discs. So everything needs a measure.
In the elderly and the elderly, as a rule, such degradation of vertebral structures is an inevitable process, which in turn is associated with the aging of the body and the weakness of its defenses. But there may also be a pathological type of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the symptoms of which occur due to internal or external negative factors. This includes:
- various back injuries;
- rachiocampsis;
- heavy weight;
- improper posture;
- hypodynamics;
- hard physical work;
- disturbed metabolic processes;
- hypothermia;
- overwork, stress;
- infectious diseases;
- heredity;
- congenital pathologies or special features of the physique.
Stages of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The pathology has four stages. Sometimes it is quite difficult to determine which stage of the disease is present in a patient, according to a general analysis, because most often the level of bone degradation cannot match the symptoms observed in the patient.
The first stage of the disease
At this stage, destructive actions are already taking place in the vertebrae. But the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are not yet very pronounced. People may not notice them or associate these signs with spinal disease, calling it stress or banal overload.
The second stage of the disease
As already mentioned, the symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are closely related.
At this stage, the disc becomes noticeably thinner and cracks appear on its surface. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis at this stage are observed in constant pain, numbness of the face, weakness.
The third phase
How do the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifest at this stage? Herniated discs appear, cervical vessels and muscles are affected. The person notices dizziness and pain in the back of the head.
The fourth stage of the disease
In osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, osteophytes often occur - a proliferation of bone tissue that protects the vertebrae from stress, resulting in nerve contraction. This is characterized by stiffness of movement and damage to adjacent joints.
Signs of cervical osteochondrosis
The main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are:
- Sharp pains in shoulders and neck.
- Muscle weakening.
- Increased sweating.
- Impaired coordination.
- Numbness in the hands.
- Dizziness.
- Hypertension.
- Decreased hearing and vision.
- Headache.
These common symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can manifest at all stages of the disease. In most cases, only a few characters from this list are visible, while others may be completely absent. A patient who encounters them for the first time practically does not diagnose cervical osteochondrosis. In this case, you can turn to different doctors - cardiologists, neurologists, therapists, surgeons. A reliable diagnosis can eventually be identified with a significant delay.
Danger of pathology
Not everyone knows the symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.
The first symptoms of osteochondrosis can appear as early as 20 years of age, while the pain and discomfort are mild, so many people choose to wait, hoping the symptoms will pass, delay a visit to the doctor and not start treatment. The symptoms in the early phase of osteochondrosis can really disappear on their own, but this disease will not disappear from the person. If prevention and therapy are not carried out, osteochondrosis begins to develop further, and this can be dangerous to human health.
What are the dangers of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?
In the first stage, the symptoms are mild, so most people prefer not to take this disease seriously. But if the patient does not start treatment at the beginning of development, it can lead to dangerous, serious complications. The consequences of a neglected phase are a condition in which a person is unable to perform their functions. This can often be accompanied by lesions on adjacent wards. Such abandoned osteochondrosis will lead to very dangerous consequences, followed by disability.
In addition, the following can be developed:
- bulging intervertebral discs;
- protrusions and intervertebral hernias;
- disc loss;
- lumbago or sciatica;
- spinal canal spinosis.
In special cases, the above diseases are forced to undergo surgical intervention, and the consequence of the advanced stage is disability.
The above problems are characteristic of osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic spine.
Complications of the disease
The danger of the disease lies in the fact that the cervical region is connected to the vessels that supply the brain with blood. The consequences of cervical osteochondrosis are sleep disorders, migraines, vision problems, dizziness. With advanced disease, these symptoms will become more noticeable. In cervical osteochondrosis there is a possibility of accompanying problems:
- high or low blood pressure and vascular dystonia;
- thyroid disease;
- vestibular disorders;
- hypertension or hypotension;
- stroke;
- epicondylitis;
- humeroscapular periarthrosis.
Diagnosis of cervical spine pathology
The symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are of interest to many.
You must consult a therapist for a correct diagnosis. He will refer other specialists - neurologists, vertebrologists, orthopedists.
The following types of studies are included to diagnose the disease:
- CT scanner;
- radiography;
- MRI;
- Doppler scan.
An X-ray reveals the presence of growths, vertebral displacement, salt and osteophyte deposits, disc seals. With the help of computed tomography, you can get a fairly comprehensive picture of the organs, in this case the cervical spine. It will allow a detailed description of the stages of the pathological process, as well as the nature of nerve contraction, the height of the discs and the structure of osteophytes. Magnetic resonance imaging gives an even more detailed picture of the structure of the spine. An ultrasound can help determine how blood flow has changed in the large blood vessels, which is caused by the disease.
Treatment of this disease
The symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are interrelated.
In order for a person to be able to resist disease, medicine is developing many methods. There are also therapies that you can use at home. But this procedure is long and a complete recovery is unlikely, especially in old age. But it is also worth noting that it is possible to stop and slow down the pathological processes in the spine at any stage of the disease.
In the early stages of the disease, methods of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are generally conservative. Several methods can be used for therapy:
- physiotherapy;
- medicines;
- massage;
- physiotherapy;
- special devices for fixing the spine.
If such a disease has passed into an extreme phase, while the osteochondral structure of the spine is destroyed, then osteochondrosis of the neck should be cured by surgical intervention.
Drugs for pathology therapy
Necessary drugs for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- analgesics;
- vitamins;
- chondroprotectors;
- anti-inflammatory drugs;
- antispasmodics.
When there is an acute pain syndrome, which is associated with osteochondrosis, the most important task is its removal. In such cases, oral pain medications are taken, but if their effect is not noticeable, novocaine blockade may be used.
The symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are often controversial for many.
Antispasmodics are often taken. Muscle relaxants show the greatest efficiency in osteochondrosis. As painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, the patient can use ointments that contain nonsteroidal drugs.
If there are signs associated with impaired blood supply to the brain and vertebral artery syndrome, it is necessary to use drugs that eliminate their unpleasant manifestations - drugs that lower blood pressure and nootropic drugs.
The symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are no longer a secret.
Physiotherapy exercises
Physiotherapy is the simplest and most affordable type of therapy and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, and it is also very effective. You can also do physiotherapy at home. In cervical osteochondrosis, the saturation of the classes does not play a big role, only their regularity is needed. First of all, physical education is designed to strengthen the neck muscles, whose task is to compensate for the lack of functionality of the spine and help support weakened vertebrae. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should be regular.
Daily exercise is needed to strengthen muscles. Such exercises can be very simple, including turning and tilting the head in different directions, and quite complex, involving the arms to help the neck muscles. They can be done both at home and at work. For example, if you have to work constantly while sitting, then it is very useful to perform various exercises every hour of sitting at a table and monitor. But this should be done only when there is no worsening of the disease and no pain syndrome. Otherwise, these same exercises can only make the condition worse.
It is also effective in treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine to strengthen the shoulder girdle muscles, for example, use light dumbbells in regular exercise. However, lifting weights, such as kettlebells or barbells, is contraindicated. Regular swimming activities can be helpful as they reduce stress on the spine.
We examined the symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.