Osteochondrosis is a disease that is one of the most common in the world.Most people after 35 years have osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in one form or another.Recently, there has been a tendency to increase the number of suffering from a severe disease and to rejuvenate the disease, reduce the threshold at a lower age.This is due to the fact that an increasing number of people around the world are engaged in sitting work and lead a sedentary lifestyle.In the meantime, the disease is quite dangerous and every person needs to know what it is - osteochondrosis, how it manifests itself and how it is treated, to be able to recognize their symptoms and to initiate timely treatment.
Reasons
Osteochondrosis is one of the few diseases that are only characteristic of humans.In other animals, this disease is not found.The reason for this is such a distinctive feature of a person as direct.The vertical arrangement of the spine leads to the fact that the vertebrae are pressed against each other, and the bones-chrishabi tissue of the spine gradually breaks down and deform.
The human spine begins with the cervical region.There are seven vertebrae in total - from the first to the seventh.The vertebrae are separated from each other by intervertebral discs.The uterus of the uterus is a particularly vulnerable part of it, which is connected, first of all, with increased mobility of the vertebrae in this area.In the cervical region, the disease affects the first on the discs, which are a weak spot in the structure of the spine.
The spread of cervical osteochondrosis is also facilitated by such factors as the small size of the vertebrae and the relative weakness of the neck muscles.Also, the development of cervical osteochondrosis is significantly affected by the lack of blood supply to cartilage tissue.
In this way, the development of the disease is a complex and prolonged process and there is no reason.Although a link has been established between a person's stuck work and the presence of cervical osteochondrosis in it, however, the disease is common in trained people, especially athletes, to increase the load on the cervical spine when lifting weights.
In older people, as a rule, degradation of vertebrates is an inevitable process associated with aging of the body and the weakening of its defenses.The most common pathological type of osteochondrosis of the cervical part is detected, in which external or internal negative factors play the main role.
Factors contributing to the development of osteochondrosis of the neck:
- Stand -up
- Spine curvature
- Back injuries
- Overweight
- Firm physical work
- Sedentary
- Sedentary
- Violation of metabolic processes
- Frequent hypothermia
- In an uncomfortable posture during sleep
- Stress, fatigue
- Hereditary factors
- Infectious diseases
- Individual characteristics of body structure, for example, too long or too short
The degree of development of cervical osteochondrosis
The disease has four stages.It is not always easy to determine the stage of the disease by analyzing the symptoms, since sometimes the degree of degradation of bone-reduction may not correspond to the symptoms observed in the patient.
First degree
The destructive processes begin in the tissue of the vertebrae bones.As a rule, at this stage of osteochondrosis of the cervical region the symptoms are poorly expressed.Patients either do not notice them or do not bind to spinal diseases, but attribute stress and fatigue.
Second degree
Reducing the height of the disc begins, cracks appear on its surface.The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis at this stage are manifested in constant pain, weakness, numbness of the individual areas of the face.
Third degree
Discs, cervical vessels and muscles are formed.The patient has dizziness, pain in the back of the head.
Fourth degree
Osteophytes appear - bone tissue growth, which protects the vertebrae from the load, leading to nerve disturbance.This leads to stiffness of movement and damage to adjacent joints.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Muscle weakness
- Sweating
- Tingling
- Violation of coordination
- Dizziness
- Vision and hearing deterioration
- Increase in blood pressure
- Headache
These spinal osteochondrosis, characteristic of osteochondrosis, symptoms can be present at all stages of the disease.In most cases, only a few symptoms are observed in the list and others may be absent from a person who has first encountered such signs of the disease, not always suspects cervical osteochondrosis.Therefore, he can contact various doctors - therapists, cardiologists, neuropathologists, surgeons.And the correct diagnosis as a result can be made with significant delay.
Cervical osteochondrosis syndromes
With cervical osteochondrosis, several syndromes have been detected, that is, typical conditions that have a complex of characteristic characteristics.They manifest themselves depending on what nerves and arteries are affected by the disease:
- Vail Arttery Syndrome
- Carden syndrome
- Hypertonic
- Rook syndrome
- Cervical migraine syndrome
Spinal artery syndrome is one of the most unpleasant and dangerous complications in cervical osteochondrosis.This is due to the fact that blood flow is reduced along the artery passing the spine and the supply of the brain.The syndrome manifests itself in symptoms such as systemic or periodic dizziness, wearing and vision.In some cases, a seizure may occur.There is often a variety of syndrome, which consists of the fact that in the normal state the blood flow in the artery is normal, but when it rotates the head in one direction or another, it can fall sharply.
Cardin syndrome develops when the nerve roots are squeezed, which innervation of the diaphragm or thoracic muscle.As a result, the patient may have pain that resembles cardiac, although the heart does not appear in the heart.However, the syndrome can be characterized by such phenomena as tachycardia, hypotension and arrhythmia.
Hypertension syndrome is also one of the most dangerous complications.Unlike spinal artery syndrome, it is caused by leakage not the arteries but the veins, which complicates blood flow from the head.The syndrome leads to an increase in intracranial pressure, which can occur in symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headache.
Cervical migraine syndrome has little in common in its etiology with classic migraine.It manifests itself in the most severe pain in the back of the head.The pain is paroxysmal in nature, last up to ten hours and are accompanied by vomiting.
Rest Syndrome is the most common syndrome for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.It is caused by compression of individual nerve roots in the cervical vertebrae.It can be expressed in neck pain, nape, shoulder blades, shoulders, tingling and weakening of the tone of the individual sections of the hands (until the inability to perform some kind of manipulation) and neck.
Very often several syndromes or individual symptoms characteristic of different syndromes can be observed at once.
As you can see, with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the manifestation of the disease is multifaceted and far from always the patient is able to properly recognize the cause of their occurrence.If you are facing such symptoms, this is an occasion to see a doctor.
Diagnostics
To install the diagnosis, it is recommended that you contact the therapist.He will give a target to specialists - an orthopedist, a vertebologist, a neurologist.
The following types of studies are used for diagnostics:
- Radiography
- Computed tomography
- Magnetic tomography
- Ultrasound scanning the vessels of the neck
X -ray allows you to determine the displacement of the vertebrae, the presence of growths - osteophytes and physiological deposits, discs seals.Computed tomography consists in creating a series of X -ray photos that give a voluminous idea of the body, in the case of the cervical spine.It allows you to describe in detail the degree of pathological process - the nature of the compression of the nerves, the structure of osteophytes, the height of the discs, etc.Magnetic resonance, based on the physical effect of nuclear magnetic resonance, gives an even more detailed structural picture of the spine.Ultrasound of the neck of the neck helps to identify changes in blood flow to the main vessels of the neck caused by the disease.
Treatment
How to Treat Cervical Osteochondrosis and Is It Treated at All?In order to fight the disease, medicine has developed many methods.Some treatment methods can be used at home.But this process is a long and complete cure is unlikely, especially in the elderly.However, it is possible to slow down and stop the destructive processes in the spine at every stage of the disease.
In the initial stages of the disease, methods are usually conservative.Several ways are used to treat cervical osteochondrosis:
- Medication
- Medical physical education
- Physiotherapy
- Massage
- Special tools for fixing the spine
If the disease has moved to the last stage and has a serious destruction of the bone structure of the spine, then the surgery can also be used to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Medication
The following types of medicines are used:
- Chondroprotectors
- Vitamins
- Analgesics
- Anti -inflammatory drugs
- Antispasmodics
In acute pain syndrome associated with osteochondrosis, the priority task is to eliminate it.As a rule, oral preparations are used, but with their inefficiency, the blockade of novocaine is used in severe cases.
Muscle cramps use antispasmodics.They demonstrate the largest effectiveness for osteochondrosis.Ointments containing non -steroidal drugs may be used as anti -inflammatory and painkillers.
In the presence of syndromes associated with blood disorders and blood supply to the brain - hypertension and spinal artery syndrome, medicines are taken that relieve the side effects of these syndromes - drugs that lower pressure and nootropic agents.
Medical physical education
Medical physical education is the most simple and most affordable type of treatment for cervical osteochondrosis and at the same time is quite effective.Physical upbringing can also be done at home.With osteochondrosis, the intensity of the classes does not play a decisive role, only their regularity is necessary.First, physical education is designed to strengthen the muscles of the neck, which compensate for the insufficient functionality of the spine and help it maintain weakened vertebrae.
Daily classes are recommended to strengthen the neck muscles.They can be completely simple, consisting of turns and slopes of the head in different directions and more complex, including the help of the neck muscles from the hands.They can be performed both at home and at work.For example, if the work is stuck, it is useful to do such exercises after sitting on a table or monitor.However, they can only be performed outside the period of exacerbation of the disease and in the absence of pain.Otherwise, they can only worsen the condition.
It is no less effective to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder girdle, for example, using regular classes with light dumbbells.However, lifting weights (weights, bars) is contraindicated.Regular swimming, the unloading of the spine is also useful.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a method of treatment that uses some physical fields and radiation to affect the body.The positive property of physiotherapy is that it has a minimum number of contraindications.
The following physiotherapy methods are used to treat osteochondrosis:
- Ultrasound
- Laser therapy
- Exposure to the magnetic field
- Electric Effect (Electrophoresis)
The magnetic field has a positive effect on the damaged tissues of the body and has an anti -inflammatory and analgesic effect.Ultrasound improves metabolic processes in tissues, relieves swelling.The same can be said for laser therapy.Electrophoresis is most commonly used in a bunch of medicines as the use of electrical current accelerates their absorption by the body.
Massage
Massage reduces the increased muscle tone, which causes spasm and reduces the flow of lymph, which causes swelling.The procedure helps to improve blood circulation in the affected area, which stops the process of destruction of the intervertebral discs.
Other methods of treatment
To reduce the load on the cervical compartment, a special device is used - a chantzz collar that fixes the neck in a constant normal position.It is recommended to wear it while exacerbating with pain syndrome or with prolonged sitting.
To avoid exacerbation, you need to organize a place to sleep.The pillow should not cause a curvature of the neck, and the mattress should be firm and even.In some cases, special sleeping devices can help - an orthopedic mattress and a pillow.