Osteochondrosis of the cervix is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic pathology. If left untreated, it progresses rapidly, provoking an increase in symptoms. In the course of the disease, the stages of remission are replaced by relapses, in which the condition significantly worsens. He suffers from severe, sharp, piercing pain, stiffness of the cervical spine, dizziness, sudden spikes in blood pressure and headaches. With exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis insufficient intake of analgesics. It is necessary to act on the causes of clinical manifestations - muscle spasm, displacement of the intervertebral discs and vertebrae, compression of muscle roots and blood vessels through bone growths.
After the diagnosis, the vertebrologist prepares a treatment regimen. For the transfer of cervical osteochondrosis in a stage of stable remission, drugs from different clinical and pharmacological groups, physiotherapeutic procedures, gentle therapeuticGymnastics.
Causes of recurrence
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In most cases, there are no symptoms preceding the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis. The person feels great, is engaged in daily activities, plans things for the near future. Suddenly there is a sharp, piercing pain, for the removal of which it is urgently necessary to take a comfortable horizontal position of the body. This allows you to briefly reduce the severity of the pain syndrome before visiting a doctor. Only in 15-20% of cases before exacerbation there are slight discomfort - pain, pulling pain, "goose bumps", tingling in the back of the neck, shoulders and sometimes forearms. Due to the already deteriorating blood circulation in the cervical spine and brain, there is weakness, apathy, mental and physical performance.
Cervicago or cervical lumbago appears after a few hours or days. A person experiences such severe pain that when visiting a doctor, one of the issues that interests him is the possibility of preventing recurrence. To prevent exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, you need to know the reasons for its occurrence:
- You have been in a stressful environment for a long time. People who are acutely aware of even ordinary daily conflicts often suffer from various chronic pathologies, including diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Negative emotions negatively affect the functioning of all vital systems. In patients with cervical osteochondrosis, they provoke muscle spasms, circulatory disorders in the brain, neck and back of the head;
- continuous static and dynamic loads. Prolonged exposure to a computer, typewriter, microscope leads to a deterioration in the blood supply of cartilage tissues with oxygen, nutrients and biologically active substances. With osteochondrosis2, 3 degrees of severity, a few hours are sufficient for relapse. Sleeping in an awkward position on too soft a mattress or pillow also leads to this;
- sudden movements of the neck. Involuntary intense rotation or tilting of the head can lead to displacement of discs and vertebrae, compression of nerve roots or blood vessels through bone growths;
- hypothermia, a sharp change in the climatic zone. Vertebrologists note that patients with exacerbations of osteochondrosis most often turn to them in the fall or spring. During the off-season, relapses provoke a drop in temperature. It happens in the fall for natural reasons, and in the spring - because of the desire to quickly get rid of warm heavy clothes;
- respiratory, intestinal, urogenital infections, exacerbation of any chronic diseases. In this case, the sharp decline in immunity causes the recurrence of pathology of the cervix.
Also, osteochondrosis is exacerbated by improper massage, weight lifting, excessive physical activity. Recurrence very often occurs as a result of non-compliance with medical recommendations regarding diet, drinking, medication.
Clinical presentation
Methods of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical or cervicothoracic spine depend on the severity of its symptoms. They are not as intense in pathology of 1, 2 degrees, when a small amount of cartilage is damaged. Osteochondrosan 3 or 4 stages are also characterized by acute clinical manifestations provoked by several negative factors at once. The cartilaginous intervertebral discs have lost their cushion properties, and the distance between the vertebrae has decreased significantly. Therefore, in the event of a sudden displacement of the vertebrae, nerves and blood vessels can be compressed at the same time. The vertebrologist conducts treatment taking into account the following symptoms of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis:
- shooting, suturing, pain, pulling pain in the cervicobrachial or thoracic area;
- irradiating pain in the back of the head, arms, forearms, shoulders, chest;
- persistent or paroxysmal pain syndrome;
- increased pain during movement, rotation of the shoulders, raising the arms.
Neck and shoulder pain is one of the signs of exacerbated pathology.
When examining a patient, the vertebrologist reveals signs of muscle spasm, pain in the paravertebral points, stiffness of movements and smoothness of physiological lordosis. An unnatural position of the human body also allows a person to suspect deterioration. He strongly pulls the neck up, turning the whole body to the side to reduce the intensity of pain. Osteochondrosis of moderate and high severity is manifested by neurological disorders as a result of damage to sensitive, motor, ie vegetative functional structures. For example, when the spinal roots are compressed, there is a sensation of "creeping creeping", the skin of the forearms and occipital area loses sensitivity, becomes pale and cool to the touch. Patients complain of weakness in the hands, dizziness, headache, nausea, decreased vision and / or hearing.
Visual impairment almost always accompanies exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.
Recurrences of cervical osteochondrosis are manifested in psycho-emotional instability, insomnia, hypertension, and sometimes in syncope - short-term fainting caused by sudden movements of the neck.
First aid in case of relapse
The pain that occurs during a relapse is so severe that one simply freezes in place for fear of making unnecessary movement. It should be soothed, preferably laid on a hard surface. Place a flat pillow or a folded pillow under your back. blanket so that the patient is comfortable and the intensity of the pain syndrome decreases.
Now you need to call the ambulance team. The fact is that in some cases, with exacerbation of osteochondrosis, a person is unable to swallow a pill. Doctors who come on call will inject an analgesic solution intramuscularly or intravenously. If necessary, they also use means to restore cerebral circulation or hospitalize a person for further treatment in a hospital setting.
Transporting a patient to a hospital.
While the ambulance is on the road, the patient should feel better. How to relieve exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis:
- if swallowing function is preserved, give an anesthetic tablet;
- Gently rubbing gels to relieve pain will help reduce pain;
- The patient should not be allowed to stand or bend, as his coordination of movements may be impaired.
Self-medication is strictly forbidden before the doctor's arrival - use warming agents, massage the neck to relieve muscle spasm. If an attack of osteochondrosis is accompanied by an inflammatory process in the paravertebral structures, ie, such events will provoke the development of irreversible complications.
Treatment of acute osteochondrosis
Treatment of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis begins with the elimination of the main symptom - acute stabbing pain. The vertebrologist may prescribe intramuscular administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
The use of drug blockades with hormonal drugs is applied. Glucocorticosteroid solutions together with anesthetics are injected into the area of the vertebrae or the strangled spinal root. After eliminating severe pain, therapy is continued with tablets or topical agents.
How treatment for exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis continues at home:
- taking NSAIDs in tablets, capsules, pills for 5-7 days. The drugs should be combined with proton pump inhibitors to prevent ulceration of the gastric mucosa. If this recommendation is ignored, then after a cup attack of osteochondrosis, hyperacid gastritis will need to be treated;
- use of NSAIDs in the form of gels, ointments, creams from the first day of treatment for 7-10 days. The funds should be applied in a thin layer on the pain area 2-3 times a day and rubbed lightly;
- use of heating agents. After the inflammation stops, on about the 3rd day of therapy, doctors prescribe warming agents to improve blood circulation and stimulate regeneration. Rub in a small amount 1-3 once a day. Transdermal products such as pepper patch can help deal with pain;
- administration or parenteral administration of muscle relaxants. They have analgesic effects by eliminating muscle spasm, usually provoked by compression of nerve endings.
What else to do in case of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, what medications to take or perform medical procedures, the vertebrologist decides. If the patient has not used chondroprotectors before relapse, then from the first days of therapy he should be prescribed drugs that stimulate the recovery of cartilage tissue. To accelerate the recovery of all functions of the cervical spine will allow intramuscular injection of chondroprotectors.
The use of B vitamins will significantly speed up the patient's recovery. Pyridoxine, thiamine, cyanocobalamin, nicotinamide, riboflavin improve the innervation of damaged discs and vertebrae, stabilize the central and autonomic nervous system.
Non-drug therapy
For 3-4 days of treatment, the patient is shown bed rest. All dynamic loads on all parts of the spine are excluded. For several hours or throughout the day, patients are advised to wear a Shants collar, the required height which the doctor will determine. The use of an orthopedic device helps to reduce the load on the cervical spine, prevents the intensification of painful sensations.
The Shants collar secures the cervical vertebrae.
Nutrition for cervical osteochondrosis during exacerbation should be partial - 5-6 times a day. It is necessary to exclude from the diet foods high in salt or spices. Their use provokes fluid retention in the body and increased puffiness. Nutritionists recommend eating more fruits, grains, salads of fresh vegetables.
In severe recurrence, the innervation of some parts of the body is disrupted due to nerve damage. And the compression of the spinal cord causes conduction disorders - para- and tetraparesis of the hands, dysfunction of internal organs. Therefore, doctors strongly recommend not to independently eliminate the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis by drowning the pain with pills. Only adequate therapy will help to avoid the dangerous consequences of recurrence of chronic pathology.
How to forget about joint pain and osteochondrosis?
- Joint pain limits your movement and full life. . .
- You worry about discomfort, crunch and systemic pain. . .
- You may have tried a bunch of medications, creams and ointments. . .
- But judging by the fact that you read these lines, they didn't help you much. . .
The term "osteochondrosis" characterizes the destructive processes occurring in one or another part of the human musculoskeletal system.
In some patients, this disease affects the joints of the limbs, but with a probability of 95% osteochondrosis is localized in any part of the spine.
The spine is the main axis of the human body, performs many important functions and is an almost indispensable element of the musculoskeletal system.
Disruption of the structure of any part of the spine can lead to irreversible consequences and seriously impair the patient's quality of life.
Osteochondrosis of the spine can affect one of the three parts of the colon: cervical, thoracic or lumbar, and can also be localized in several sections.
The disease of each of the departments of the spine has its own characteristics of the course and individual symptoms, as well as some nuances in the tactics of treatment of osteochondrosis.
How does cervical osteochondrosis work?
According to the changes in the structures of the spine, the patient's complaints and the methods of treatment, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is classified into 3 stages of the course.
Step 1
Inflammation of the cervical spine
This degree rarely has a clinical picture, some patients complain of:
- Recurrent headaches;
- Discomfort in the neck and back.
The changes that occur at this stage of the disease affect some vertebrae and intervertebral discs, the elasticity of the annulus fibroids decreases and there is a slight compression of the roots of the spinal nerve
Step 2
The degeneration of the structures of the spine is clearer, the intervertebral discs can practically not perform their functions, there is pressure on the nervous processes and blood vessels, this causes the symptoms of the disease.
Patients report frequent headaches, dizziness, decreased efficiency. At this stage, most calls for qualified medical care occur, but some spinal injuries are now irreversible.
Step 3
Oxochondrosis of the cervical spine reaches its peak. Massive lesions of the bone and ligament apparatus.Strong clinical picture:
- Severe headaches;
- Nausea, lack of coordination;
- Sleep problems;
- Visual and hearing impairments.
Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease characterized by alternating periods of exacerbation and stages of remission (calm).
Exacerbation of the disease - a stage of the chronic course in which there are symptoms of the disease, deterioration of the patient's well-being
The stage of remission is a period that occurs after treatment or alone, characterized by an inconspicuous course of the disease withoutclear clinical picture.
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in the second and third stages is reduced to minimizing the phases of exacerbation and prolonging the period of remission.
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exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis
Competent treatment, physiotherapy, exercise, proper nutrition and lifestyle help the body fight osteochondrosis and can increase the remission time of the disease.
A number of causes can provoke a sudden exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, causing a recurrence of the symptoms of the disease.
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The frequency, duration and intensity of periods of exacerbation are individual and depend on the cause of the appearance, presence or absence of treatment, as well as on the personal characteristics of the organism, its compensatory and adaptive properties.
Causes of exacerbation
Spinal degeneration leads to cervical osteochondrosis
It is quite difficult to perform laboratory tests that allow to reliably determine the factor that provokes the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the spine.
The list of causes is based on long-term observations of orthopedists and neurologists for patients, an in-depth analysis of possible predisposing factors, after which patients report a deterioration in well-being.
The causes of exacerbations can be exogenous and endogenous - caused by internal or external influences.
Endogenous causes include progressive degeneration of the spine and weakening of the compensatory and adaptive properties of the body.
Among the exogenous factors most likely to provoke exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis:
- The presence of inadequate load on the spine or a change in the predominant posture (lifting weights, strength sports, changing the type of activity);
- Stress, nervous breakdowns;
- Undergoing a session or course of manual therapy by an incompetent person;
- Seasonality (revealed a large number of exacerbations of cervical spine disease in the fall);
- Hormonal shakes (menstruation, pregnancy, menopause);
- Diseases that weaken the body (respiratory viral infections, infectious diseases, periods of exacerbation of other chronic diseases);
- Fast weight gain.
How to determine that osteochondrosis has worsened?
The disease is evidenced by the presence of discomfort in the neck and head, deterioration of general health.
Sometimes the exacerbation phase begins at lightning speed, with intense headaches.
In 70% of cases, a rapid exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis can be predicted: the patient notices a feeling of heaviness or dull pain in the back of the neck, the complaints intensify in the morning.
The presence of predisposing factors against the background of the onset of symptoms of the disease confirms the version of exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
All types of symptoms during exacerbation
The symptoms that appear during an exacerbation of chronic spinal disease largely coincide with the general symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
The most common symptom of exacerbation is pain.
The intensity, nature and location can be very different: pain in the back of the neck or one of its parts, headache in the back, parietal tubercles, pain in the clavicle, shoulder.
Dangerous manifestations of pain can be symptoms similar to those of myocardial infarction:
- Scapular pain;
- Chest pain;
- Pain in the left limb.
Some patients report painful sensations only when moving the head or arm in the shoulder joint.
Exacerbation of chronic cervical osteochondrosis can cause a number of neurological symptoms, if they are present, it is necessary to carefully examine the patientto rule out more serious pathologies: <strong>
- Sleep, concentration, memory disorders;
- Loss of coordination, loss of balance, fainting;
- Sensation of flies in front of the eyes, goose bumps, buzzing in the ears;
- Dizziness;
- Nausea to vomiting;
- Diction disorder;
- Decrease or increase the sensitivity of the arm, shoulders, neck.
The presence of these symptoms cannot be ignored. The effect of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine on the blood vessels supplying the brain can lead to the most dangerous complication of cervical osteochondrosis - stroke.
How long does the deterioration last?
The duration of the exacerbation phase may vary depending on the season (in the cool season, the activation of osteochondrosis may take longer and more painful), the reasons that caused the recurrence of symptoms of spinal disease, individual characteristics ofthe patient's body and the treatment provided.
Experts call the following time frames <strong stages of exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- Severe symptoms - up to 1 week, more often - 4-5 days;
- Retaining some discomfort in the affected area, headache - up to 3 weeks after the relief of severe attacks;
- The total period of exacerbation is considered standard - about 1-1, 5 months.
Aggravation of cervical osteochondrosis during pregnancy
The body of a pregnant woman undergoes complex physiological changes, has a colossal hormonal surge, complete redistribution of the center of gravity of the body, changes in the absorption and assimilation of minerals and nutrients.
These readjustments have a serious impact on the musculoskeletal system, the spine is under severe stress.
Pregnant women who have a history of such a disease as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, in 50% of cases recurrence of the disease. This is due to the changes that the spine undergoes.
The symptoms of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis in pregnant women are the same as in all other patients.
The difficulties lie in choosing a treatment regimen, as when prescribing drugs it is necessary to take into account the possible effect of the drug on the fetus.
To alleviate exacerbations in pregnant women, the choice is made of ointments that do not penetrate the baby, in rare cases with severe pain are prescribed complex anesthetic pills or injections.
Many pregnant women resort to treatment with non-traditional methods, recipes from traditional medicine that are more gentle on the fetus.
What should I do in case of exacerbation?
If you have symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, do not delay a visit to an orthopedic surgeon or neurologist.
Only a specialist can fully assess the patient's condition, the causes that led to the worsening of the disease, as well as prescribe the correct, safe and effective treatment.
Before visiting a doctor, try to avoid stress on the affected spine.
In the absence of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or individual intolerance, you can take a pill of narcotic and anti-inflammatory drug.
In case of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosisis prohibited:
- Warm the neck or back of the head in a bath using warming compresses or other methods;
- Get massage sessions;
- Self-medication.
Methods for the treatment of acute cervical osteochondrosis
The exacerbation of treatment with cervical osteochondrosis drugs is aimed at eliminating the symptoms of the disease and early recovery of the patient's well-being and effectiveness.
The table shows the main methods of treatment of diseases of the cervical spine, indicating the most common drugs.
Before using any of the medicines on the list, consult your doctor.
| Drug Group | Target |
|---|---|
| Painkillers / NSAIDs | Relieve pain, reduce inflammation in the affected area |
| Muscle relaxants | Relieve muscle spasm |
| Diuretics | Reduce swelling in the inflamed spine and reduce pressure on the nerve roots |
| Chondroprotectors | Reconstruction of vertebral structures |
| Vitamins | Improving metabolism, chemical reactions |
| Nootropics | Restoration of nerve impulse conduction along nerve processes |
A visit to a qualified osteopath in the acute stage will "release" the restrained nervous process and will alleviate some of the symptoms of the disease.
How else can you ease the aggravation at home?
If a visit to the doctor is currently impossible, there are several recipes on how to slightly alleviate the condition of a patient with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine before providing medical care:
- Take a warm, relaxing shower;
- Roll up your neck with a natural wool garment;
- Apply herbal compresses to the affected area. For these purposes, use onions, sage, mint;
- Make butter and mummy ointment 1: 1.