Osteochondrosis is a progressive degenerative change affecting the intervertebral disc. Pathology can appear in any part of the spine, but most often affects the cervical spine.
The problem should not be ignored, because over time the symptoms increase, and the pathology itself can lead to serious health problems.
What's that
The human spine consists of individual vertebrae, between which there are certain spacers - intervertebral discs. It is formed by cartilage tissue and acts as a shock absorber, protecting the vertebral bone tissue from abrasion and destruction, but at the same time it becomes flat and wears out.
Usually, such a process occurs together with the aging of the human body and begins no earlier than 50-55 years. But every year the pathology becomes younger, cases of premature wear of cartilage tissue have been recorded even in young people (25-30 years).
A high percentage of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine compared, for example, with the lumbar spine, is associated with the load on this particular part, due to the need to maintain the skull in an upright position.
The weight of an adult's head can reach 3-5 kg: the weight of the skull bones is about 1400 g, about the same as the weight of the brain, about 500 g is the mass of blood circulating in the skull.
Characteristic of the cervical spine is the location of the vertebrae closer to each other and the thickness of the intervertebral disc is smaller, which leads to complications even with small changes in it.
Because of development
Factors that contribute to the development of pathological changes in cartilage tissue:
- sedentary lifestyle;
- forced tense posture during work (driving, at the computer);
- overweight;
- state of nervous tension;
- neck injury;
- muscle weakness.
The neck muscles try to balance the load caused by these factors, resulting in their stiffness. Blood circulation, cartilage tissue nutrition and metabolic processes are disturbed, which leads to changes in its structure.
The following also play a role in premature aging of the intervertebral disc:
- hereditary predisposition;
- autoimmune diseases that trigger the degeneration of cartilage tissue;
- congenital pathology of spinal development.
Stages and symptoms of pathological development
Degenerative changes go through several stages, which are accompanied by certain symptoms:
Stage 1. The symptoms are still practically invisible. At this stage, you can stop or slow down the pathological process without the help of drugs (diet, exercise). Patients may feel:
- discomfort in neck and shoulder muscles, their tension, hardness;
- mild pain when turning or tilting the head;
- infrequent and low-intensity headaches (most often appear after static or heavy work, nervous experience).
Stage 2. The height of the intervertebral disc decreases, compression of nerve endings occurs, so severe pain appears in the neck, especially when performing movements and turns. Muscle spasms disrupt the blood supply to the skull, so symptoms related to vascular insufficiency are added. The person notices:
- throbbing in neck joints when turning head;
- decreased visual acuity;
- tinnitus;
- dizziness;
- frequent headaches for no apparent reason;
- numbness of the face and neck, loss of sensitivity in the skin of the hands and cervical collar area;
- shooting pains radiating to shoulder blades;
- sleep disorder.
Stage 3. A herniated disc is formed (its core protrudes into the spinal canal), which leads to disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. Symptoms may include:
- numbness of the hands, paralysis of the upper limbs is possible;
- pain affects the entire cervical collar area and can radiate to the heart area;
- "floating" appears in the eyes, nausea and vomiting;
- a lump in the throat or pain, such as a sore throat;
- the skin on the upper body may not be felt at all;
- dizziness occurs with almost any movement;
- headache is characteristic of migraine.
Stage 4. Characterized by complete destruction of the disc:
- tinnitus may remain;
- dizziness may be accompanied by loss of consciousness;
- Coordination disorders appear, because the blood supply to the cerebellar region of the brain is reduced.
A single intervertebral disc is very rarely affected. Usually the process involves the entire department. The destruction of individual disks may be at different stages.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis includes instrumental examination and complex evaluation of symptoms.
From the instrumental method, the main information will be provided by:
- radiography - will show changes in the structure of the spine, but at an advanced stage of pathology;
- computed tomography - shows changes in the vertebrae, but intervertebral hernia and spinal cord compression are difficult to distinguish;
- magnetic resonance imaging - allows you to see the intervertebral hernia and the direction of its growth;
- Ultrasound duplex scanning - shows the speed of blood flow in the suspected area of osteochondrosis.
When making a diagnosis, the doctor relies on the syndrome shown in the patient. A syndrome is a combination of symptoms of a disorder.
With cervical osteochondrosis, the following syndromes can develop:
Vertebral- indicates that the pathological process involves bone and cartilage tissue. Manifesto:
- limited neck mobility;
- pain when turning the neck;
- structural changes in the vertebrae or intervertebral discs (shown by x-ray).
Vertebral artery syndrome– means that the vertebral artery, which supplies blood to the brain, is involved in the pathological process. Main symptoms:
due to lack of blood flow:
- noise in the ears;
- dizziness;
- dizziness and vomiting;
- pressure surge;
caused by irritation of arterial nerve endings:
- severe headache (migraine);
- numbness of the skin on the scalp;
- "floating" in the eye or temporary blindness;
caused by oxygen starvation;
- fainting;
- lethargy;
- loss of ability to concentrate on anything;
- depression;
- panic attack.
Heart.Symptoms similar to problems with the cardiovascular system:
- pain in the sternum (sometimes like a burning sensation);
- shortness of breath and fatigue;
- heart rate acceleration.
Koreshkovy.Related to nerve impulse conduction disorders depending on the damage to a certain pair of roots covering the cervical area:
- install 1-2 roots - pain or numbness in the back of the head;
- Third pair - tongue numbness, difficulty chewing food;
- 4th pair - pain in the collarbone, lump in the throat, difficulty swallowing food;
- 5th pair - difficulty moving the arm with problems concentrated in the shoulder area;
- 6th pair - discomfort in the area of the shoulder blade and forearm;
- 7th pair - numbness of the hands, more often the middle and index fingers;
- 8th pair - ring and little finger numbness.
Treatment options
Only an integrated approach can be used for the treatment of osteochondrosis. The fight against pathology can even last for years.
Drug therapy
The use of drugs for cervical osteochondrosis is aimed at:
- relieves pain;
- relieves inflammation and swelling;
- reduce muscle tension in the neck area;
- improve blood circulation;
- protect cartilage tissue from destruction and promote its recovery.
To diagnose and treat cervical osteochondrosis, you need to contact a neurologist. If the clinic has a vertebrologist who deals directly with diseases of the spine, you can immediately contact him.
Your doctor may prescribe the following medications:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - relieve inflammation and swelling, reduce pain.
- Vitamin B - helps improve the function of nerve tissue.
- Chondroprotectors – protect cartilage tissue from destruction and restore its structure.
- Drugs that increase blood flow.
- Muscle relaxants are drugs that relieve muscle spasms.
Physiotherapy methods
Physiotherapy methods can quickly alleviate the patient's condition and combined with medication:
- Electrophoresis– exposure of the affected area to low intensity electric current. Delivers the medicine directly to the problem area. It is usually prescribed with anesthetic to relieve pain or with medication to increase blood flow to the cervical area.
- Ultrasound– has anti-inflammatory properties, improves blood flow and metabolic processes.
- Magnetotherapy- helps to quickly relieve tissue swelling and improve metabolic processes.
- Laser therapy– helps improve blood circulation at the exposure site, and also has an anti-inflammatory effect.
massage
While undergoing drug and physiotherapeutic treatment, it is better to undergo a massage of the cervical collar area from a specialist.
Self-massage can be used in the future, only with caution, without trying to repeat the depth of impact shown by a professional massage therapist.
When performing the procedure, the specialist uses classic massage techniques:
- stroking – activates the surface layer of the skin;
- squeeze – connect the inner layers of the skin;
- rubbing - warms the muscles and relaxes them, improves blood circulation;
- kneading - affects very deep tissues, so it is used with caution;
- vibration - knocking and shaking that ends the procedure.
Manual therapy
Sometimes, with cervical osteochondrosis, it is recommended to consult a chiropractor. But this technique causes conflicting reviews: in some cases it definitely helps, in others it almost makes it worse. The bottom line is this:
- There is no doubt that a chiropractor must be a highly qualified doctor with medical education and qualifications as a neurologist or orthopedic traumatologist.
- Manual therapy for cervical osteochondrosis has many contraindications. Two people with the same symptoms may receive different answers about the need for manual therapy - one can and should, the other can't.
To contact a chiropractor there must be strict indications and no contraindications. They are determined by the attending physician and given instructions for this type of therapy.
A highly qualified chiropractor will not work with a patient without reviewing the x-ray results.
Treatment at home
Traditional treatment recipes or the use of any home remedies should be discussed with a doctor first, because in each specific case they can help or worsen the situation.
This applies, for example, to the needle applicator used. It consists of plastic spikes attached to a wide tape, which a person applies to the painful area (you can lie on it). Thorns cause irritation of skin receptors and increase local blood circulation. But it should not be used for infectious and vascular diseases.
It is also popular to heat the diseased area with a mustard plaster or bag of salt or sand. But with vascular disease this can also be dangerous.
Therapeutic exercise (physical therapy)
Therapeutic exercise is the safest method of treating cervical osteochondrosis. It is recommended to do it during the period of exacerbation and in the future - to prevent the disease.
The patient should not feel pain during exercise. Doing it "through the pain" is not only not beneficial, but can also harm your health.
The simplest but most effective movements are turns, bends and turns of the head. It is strictly forbidden to do this at high speed and amplitude. Movement should be almost imperceptible. Despite such low movements, exercise ensures blood flow and improves its circulation in the neck area.
Collar shants
The Shants Collar is a rigid head support that relieves tension from the neck muscles and prevents movement that can cause pain. It is recommended to wear both during treatment and for the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis.
The collar is always worn. The spine is installed in the correct position and does not exert pressure on each other, as well as on blood vessels and nerve endings. As a result, pain disappears, blood circulation becomes normal and many pathological symptoms disappear.
If 5-7 cervical vertebrae are unstable, bandages should not be used, as it is not possible to secure them in the correct position. It is also not recommended to wear a collar if the thyroid gland is enlarged.
Use of orthopedic pillows
Often, osteochondrosis worsens due to compression of cervical arteries and nerve roots while sleeping on an uncomfortable pillow. Orthopedic pillows ensure a horizontal position of the spine at night.
By itself, it will not cure osteochondrosis, but it will reduce the condition, and will also be a good measure to prevent the development of degenerative processes in the spine.
Prevention
There are simple rules that, if followed, will help prevent premature aging of the intervertebral disc:
- monitor your weight, exceeding the norm by 10 kg creates a critical load on the entire spine;
- try not to lift or carry heavy objects;
- if you have to carry a heavy bag, hold it alternately in your right and left hand (or better use a backpack that will distribute the load evenly across your back);
- every half hour of static work should alternate with light exercise to relieve muscle tension and improve blood circulation;
- It is useful to engage in physical education and sports training, for example, swimming, but running, jumping, and lifting weights are dangerous to the spine;
- to sleep, use an orthopedic mattress and pillows.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can significantly worsen a person's quality of life. The disease can be treated at an early stage, but even if it develops, the daily performance of a set of exercises, compliance with preventive rules, massage and other measures prescribed by the doctor allow you to live a comfortable life.