Cervical osteochondrosis is considered to be the most common spinal disease in people of working age. Persistent degenerative-dystrophic changes in the intervertebral disc continuously lead to pathological changes in the vertebrae and ligament apparatus.
The disease is rarely detected in the first stages of its development, as the sick person may initially count its symptoms as normal fatigue or mental stress.
But it is precisely with the first possible violation, through conservative treatment and by lifestyle changes, to prevent further pathological processes in the cervical spine.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
The most common signs of cervical osteochondrosis include:
- sick. Painful sensations of varying severity can be not only in the neck, but also in the hands and head.
- Weakness in the upper limbs. It occurs due to damage to the motor nerve roots that normalize the hand muscles.
- Decreased sensation occurs when sensory nerves are compressed and damaged.
- Restriction of movement in the neck.
- Dizziness.
- Loss of coordination in movement.
- With severe compression, the blood supply to the brain becomes worse, and this can lead to visual impairment, nerve disorders, and hearing loss.
Cervical osteochondrosis with a long course interferes with lung and heart function. The most characteristic symptoms of osteochondrosis in the cervical region are pain and dizziness, they have their own developmental features.
Pain in cervical osteochondrosis
Painful manifestations in people with cervical osteochondrosis occur due to damage to the peripheral parts of the nervous system. The painful sensation can be persistent, it is defined in medicine by the term cervicalgia, and the pain can also appear suddenly, abruptly, that is, the "neck space" expands.
A major role in the development of pain is assigned to painful impulses that depart from receptors located in pathologically altered areas of the spine.
Pain in osteochondrosis has the following characteristics:
- Neck pain occurs mostly in the morning. Exacerbated by twisting, awkward movements, coughing. From the neck, the pain can spread to the shoulders, upper back and chest. Gradually, by evening, the pain became less noticeable.
- Periodically, sick people may experience sharp pain, they are described as "shooting", "piercing".
- The pain often radiates to the arms and reaches the hands, where it is indicated by numbness of the fingers.
- Cervical osteochondrosis is a common cause of recurrent pain in the occipital area of the head.
- Pain in the chest area is possible, such discomfort in its manifestation often resembles cardiac pathology.
Pain in cervical osteochondrosis leads to restriction of movement, to muscle spasm. In addition to pain, there is also a decrease in sensitivity in the neck, arms, and shoulder girdle.
Dizziness
Dizziness in cervical osteochondrosis occurs due to violation of the patency of blood vessels that feed and supply oxygen to different parts of the brain.
The degree of vascular compression affects the intensity and duration of vertigo. Manifestations of osteochondrosis symptoms are often accompanied by:
- the sensation of the floor shaking under your feet;
- loss of balance;
- nausea;
- tinnitus;
- visual impairment, flickering flies and lightning in front of the eyes.
Dizziness may stop after rest and immobility is ensured, but this phenomenon will disappear completely only after a course of treatment for osteochondrosis.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
The changes that occur in osteochondrosis in the cervical spine are due to a lack of nutrients and blood circulation. The same pathology develops under the influence of the following causes:
- Metabolism is disturbed.
- Hypodynamia, that is, insufficient physical activity.
- Transferred injuries.
- Constant forced position of the body. Prolonged tension of the neck muscles often occurs in drivers, office workers.
- Anomalies in the development of the spinal column, these include scoliosis, incorrect posture.
In recent years, there has been a tendency to increase the number of patients with cervical osteochondrosis among adolescents. Doctors associate this with computer games and nervous tension.
Treatment
Medication treatment of patients diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis should begin as early as possible. This prevents further changes in spinal tissue and quickly improves overall well -being.
Below we consider the main groups of drugs used in the treatment of osteochondrosis.
| Name of drug/group | Application |
|---|---|
| NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) | These drugs reduce inflammation and swelling, under the influence of which the pain disappears. |
| Vasodilator (antiplatelet agent) | Medications that increase blood flow and damaged nerve nutrition. |
| Relax your muscles | Medicines that relieve muscle cramps. |
| vitamin B | Assign to increase the flow of metabolic processes in the body. |
| Chondroprotectors | Drugs that restore pathologically altered cartilage tissue. |
| Analgesic | Prescribed for severe pain. |
Since NVPS has several side effects, the dose of the drug and the general course of its use must be chosen with the physician individually for each patient. Make sure you consider all the contraindications.
Home treatment
Against the background of drug therapy and during the recovery period, treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is also carried out by other methods. The most common groups of them include herbal medicine, exercise therapy, physiotherapy, adherence to special diets. All of these methods help improve metabolic processes, normalize blood circulation, strengthen the muscular corset, and reduce the inflammatory response. Adherence to the whole complex of therapeutic measures allows you to eliminate not only the uncomfortable sensations, but also prevent further pathological changes in the discs and vertebrae.
Exercise
After relieving acute pain in patients with osteochondrosis, doctors recommend doing physical exercise. Specially selected exercise therapy strengthens the neck muscles and the entire spine, improves disc nutrition and blood circulation.
In the early stages of the development of osteochondrosis, it is an exercise that leads to a complete restoration of joint mobility.
The simplest exercise for cervical osteochondrosis is to tilt the head sideways, forward, backward. A doctor who will take into account all the changes in the spine identified during the examination of the patient will help you choose the right set of exercises.
Herba
The use of herbs for osteochondrosis aims to relieve inflammation, swelling and improve metabolic processes in the body. The following recipes are popular:
- 10 grams of buckthorn, 40 grams of birch leaves and 50 grams of willow bark must be chopped and mixed well. The broth is prepared from two tablespoons of collection and half a liter of water, all this is boiled for 10 minutes, infused and cooled. You should drink this decoction in a glass twice a day for at least two weeks.
- Compressed horseradish. A slice of horseradish should be watered with boiling water, attached to the neck and tied with a scarf. Such compresses are best done at night, when using them, a slight burning sensation will be felt.
Lifestyle
Proper nutrition in osteochondrosis will contribute to the normalization of metabolism. A hard diet for this disease does not exist, except when you need to lose weight, because changes in the disc often occur with obesity.
Make sure you have protein in the daily menu for people with osteochondrosis, it is found in meat, dairy products, fish, chicken, legumes, cereals. Protein is well absorbed if this product is combined with plant foods.
Coffee, tea, strong alcohol should be omitted, as these drinks do not allow the absorption of essential trace elements.
In addition to medications, exercise, diet, physiotherapy help a person with osteochondrosis in treatment. Massage, swimming and yoga provide excellent results in relieving pain and strengthening the muscular corset. Most importantly, the chosen method of treatment should be done several courses a year, this will allow you to forget about the exacerbation of osteochondrosis.
Movement is everything
Osteochondrosis develops with physical inactivity, which means that in order to improve spinal function in this area, it is necessary to change your lifestyle. Physical activity, daily exercise, prudent sports allow you to forget about the uncomfortable sensations in osteochondrosis. People who engage in sedentary work need to take regular breaks during the working day to do simple physical exercises.