Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease that causes degeneration of the soft intervertebral pulp into ossified tissue.Pathogenesis also affects nerve roots and blood vessels.Pathology is difficult to diagnose, because it is disguised as various disorders.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
There are many reasons for the development of cervical osteochondrosis, but many of them are associated with changes in the cartilage tissue due to the accumulation of salts in the blood and lymph.With proper nutrition and constant physical activity, salts are normally consumed and not collected.Otherwise, the cartilage tissue will become less mobile, lose flexibility, and the vertebrae will begin to move, pinching the arteries and nerve endings.
With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, degenerative changes occur in which osteophytes develop - bony growths in the cervical vertebrae that cause irritation and muscle strain, which further worsens the patient's condition.
In most cases, changes and disorders in the cervical spine are caused by a sedentary lifestyle.Cervical osteochondrosis is especially known to office workers who have to sit for 8 hours a day and who do not do any sports.
Earlier, it was generally accepted that osteochondrosis is a disease that affects people of mature age, but today the disease has become much younger.Young people sometimes start to feel the first symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis while still at school or college, which is associated with a sedentary lifestyle and poor posture.
Cervical osteochondrosis also affects people who do physical work at work, because heavy loads on the back, combined with an uncomfortable body position and long-term back injuries, negatively affect the health of the neck, causing overload in this area.Experts include other reasons for the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- excess weight;
- heredity;
- improper diet;
- disorder of metabolic processes;
- constant stress;
- hypothermia;
- flat feet;
- lifting heavy objects with weak back muscles;
- spinal injury.
The degree of development of cervical osteochondrosis
Doctors determine the stage of development of cervical osteochondrosis based on the patient's symptoms and complaints.
First degree
With minimal clinical manifestations, the patient may feel pain in the neck of low intensity, which intensifies when the head is rotated.During the examination, specialists sometimes detect muscle strain.
Second degree
The patient feels pain in the neck of greater intensity, which can radiate to the arm and shoulder.The cause of pain can be abrasion of the intervertebral disc and pinched nerves.The pain intensifies when turning and tilting the head.A person's performance decreases, weakness appears and headaches begin.
Third degree
In this phase, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis intensify, and the pain becomes constant and radiates to the upper limb and shoulder.Weakness appears in the hands, which gradually become numb due to the formation of herniated intervertebral discs.The patient is overcome by dizziness and weakness, and a medical examination diagnoses limited mobility in the cervical spine and pain when touching the neck.
Fourth degree
The intervertebral disc is completely destroyed and replaced by connective tissue.Vertigo becomes stronger, tinnitus occurs, movement coordination worsens.This is due to the involvement in the process of the vertebral artery, which is responsible for supplying the cerebellum and the occipital lobe of the brain with oxygen and nutrients.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
- The symptoms of the development of cervical osteochondrosis differ from the manifestations of this disease in other parts of the spine.This is explained by the peculiarity of the structure of the human body: the vertebrae are located closer to each other, and the height of the intervertebral discs is not very high, so symptoms appear even with minor pathologies.
Let's consider the main signs by which cervical osteochondrosis can be diagnosed:
- Pain.They can be localized in different places (neck, nape, shoulder or arm).Pain in the arm and shoulder occurs when the nerve root that innervates the upper limbs is compressed.Pain in the back of the head is associated with spasms of the cervical muscles attached to the occipital bone.
- Weakness in the limbs.Weakness appears in the hands due to damage to the roots that contain the motor nerves that innervate the muscles of the hand.
- Decreased hand sensitivity.The symptom is felt when the root with the sensory nerves innervating the skin of the hands is damaged.Sometimes, along with the loss of sensitivity, there may be numbness of the fingers or hands due to cervical osteochondrosis.
- Limited mobility of the cervical spine and crunching.They appear due to the wear of the intervertebral discs and the appearance of growths on the vertebrae, as well as when the small joints between the neck vertebrae are affected.
- Dizziness, weakness and poor coordination of movements.These symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis occur when the vertebral artery, which passes through a special channel through the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae, is involved in the process.Fibrous tissue is formed, the vertebrae move, the blood flow in the artery is disturbed - this leads to a deterioration of the blood supply to the back of the brain and the cerebellum.
- Deterioration of vision, hearing and numbness of the tongue.These are signs of serious deterioration of the blood supply to the cerebellum and the occipital region of the brain with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
How to treat neck osteochondrosis?
Without timely treatment, cervical osteochondrosis actively develops, and solving negative pathologies will be much more difficult.This can only be done with the help of long-term complex treatment.Doctors prescribe different treatment methods to their patients:
- manual therapy;
- laser exposure;
- vacuum therapy;
- pharmacopuncture;
- dry traction;
- electrical stimulation etc.
A few sessions help to get rid of the pain, but the course of treatment should not be interrupted.
If conservative treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck fails, the patient may be referred to surgery.The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the damage to the vertebrae and the techniques used.Success also depends on the patient's age.
Conservative treatment methods include the following:
- physiotherapy;
- therapeutic exercises;
- massage for osteochondrosis;
- other methods (corsets, medicinal baths, herbal remedies for osteochondrosis, etc.)
Doctors resort to drug treatment during exacerbations to quickly relieve pain and inflammation.With the help of intravenous and intramuscular injections, you can stimulate metabolic processes and blood circulation in the body.
Therapeutic gymnastics (physical therapy) is a set of special exercises for osteochondrosis, the goal of which is to strengthen muscle tissue and correct posture.Physical education makes the ligamentous-muscular system more flexible, normalizes the nutrition of the intervertebral discs, promotes the creation of a muscular corset and reduces the load on the vertebrae.
Physiotherapy includes procedures using lasers, ultrasound, magnetic fields and low-frequency currents.Using these techniques helps speed up the patient's recovery and increases the effectiveness of other procedures.Unlike drug treatment, physiotherapeutic methods have no side effects.
For the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, a special neck corset is sometimes used, which is also effective in prevention.A procedure called reflexology, in which experts influence selected areas of the human body, has proven to be excellent.Spinal traction relieves pain in the cervical region and joints, helps to restore its anatomical shape and increases the intervertebral interval.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
After a course of treatment for cervical osteochondrosis, you must follow the doctor's advice to prevent the development of the disease in the future.First of all, you need to monitor the position of the body so that the spine is not overloaded.You can stretch your back muscles.
You cannot stand for a long time and make sharp turns and tilts of the head.Do not lift weights with outstretched arms, but rather first sit down, take the weight in your hands and only then lift with it.When carrying heavy bags or other objects in your hands, change your hand or distribute the load evenly.
Control your posture while working.Get used to regular exercises by changing your body position.You should sleep on a medium firm mattress with an orthopedic pillow.When you get out of bed, lean on your hands to avoid straining your back.
Always drink a glass of water before exercising and wear comfortable shoes that support your feet.After sitting for a long time in an uncomfortable position with your body bent, stretch or hang from the bar.
Swimming strengthens the muscular corset well, and strengthening and contrast showers are also beneficial.Eat a varied diet and avoid fatty and salty foods.Lean better on lean meats, grains, dairy products and vegetables.