Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Osteochondrosis is one of the most widespread diseases in the world.Most people after 35 years suffer from osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in one form or another.Recently, there has been a tendency to increase the number of people suffering from severe forms of the disease and to rejuvenate the disease, lowering its lower age threshold.This is because an increasing number of people around the world work sedentary jobs and lead sedentary lifestyles.Meanwhile, the disease is quite dangerous and any person should know what it is - osteochondrosis, how it manifests itself and how it is treated, be able to recognize its symptoms and start treatment in a timely manner.

Causes of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is one of the rare diseases characteristic only of men.This disease does not occur in other animals.The reason is such a distinctive human characteristic as walking upright.The vertical position of the spine leads to the fact that the vertebrae press on each other and the osteochondral tissue of the spine gradually deteriorates and deforms.

The human spine starts from the cervical region.There are a total of seven vertebrae in this section – from the first to the seventh.The vertebrae are separated from each other by intervertebral discs. The cervical spine is a particularly vulnerable part of it, which is associated, first of all, with the increased mobility of the vertebrae in this area.In the cervical region, the disease is mainly reflected in the discs, which are a weak point in the structure of the spine.

The prevalence of cervical osteochondrosis is also facilitated by factors such as the small size of the vertebrae and the relative weakness of the neck muscles.In addition, the development of cervical osteochondrosis is strongly influenced by insufficient blood supply to the cartilage tissue.

Thus, the development of the disease is a complex and long process and has no single cause.Although a connection has been established between a person's sedentary work and the presence of cervical osteochondrosis, the disease nevertheless often occurs in trained people, especially athletes, due to the increased load on the cervical spine when lifting weights.

In older people, as a rule, the breakdown of spinal structures is an inevitable process associated with the aging of the body and the weakening of its defenses.However, there is the most common pathological type of cervical osteochondrosis, in which external or internal negative factors play a major role.

Factors contributing to the development of osteochondrosis of the neck:

  • Bad posture
  • Spinal curvature
  • Back injuries
  • Overweight
  • Hard physical work
  • Sedentary work
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Frequent hypothermia
  • Uncomfortable position while sleeping
  • Stress, overwork
  • Hereditary factors
  • Infectious diseases
  • The individual body structure presents, for example, a neck that is too long or too short.

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, because sometimes the degree of osteochondral tissue breakdown may not correspond to the symptoms observed in the patient.

A patient with symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis consulted a doctor

First degree

Destructive processes begin in the osteochondral tissue of the vertebrae.As a rule, at this stage of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms are mild.Patients do not notice them at all or do not associate them with spinal diseases, but attribute them to stress and overwork.

Second degree

The height of the disc begins to decrease and cracks appear on its surface.Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis at this stage are manifested by constant pain, weakness and numbness in certain areas of the face.

Third degree

Herniated discs form, cervical vessels and muscles are damaged.The patient feels dizziness and pain in the back of the head.

Fourth degree

Osteophytes appear - growths of bone tissue that protect the vertebrae from stress, which leads to pinched nerves.This leads to stiffness of movement and damage to nearby joints.

Cervical osteochondrosis: symptoms

The main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:

  • Neck and shoulder pain
  • Muscle weakness
  • Increased sweating
  • Numb hands
  • Loss of coordination
  • Dizziness
  • Deterioration of vision and hearing
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Headaches

These symptoms, typical of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, can be present at all stages of the disease.In most cases, only a few symptoms from the list are observed and the rest may be absent.A person who first encounters such signs of the disease does not always suspect that he suffers from cervical osteochondrosis.So he can contact different doctors - therapists, cardiologists, neurologists, surgeons.And therefore, the correct diagnosis can be made with a significant delay.

Numbness of the hands due to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Syndrome

With cervical osteochondrosis, several syndromes arise, that is, typical conditions with a complex of characteristic signs.They manifest themselves depending on the nerves and arteries affected as a result of the disease:

  • vertebral artery syndrome
  • cardiac syndrome
  • hypertensive syndrome
  • radicular syndrome
  • cervical migraine syndrome

Vertebral artery syndrome is one of the most unpleasant and dangerous complications of cervical osteochondrosis.It is caused by a reduction in blood flow in the artery that runs along the spine and supplies blood to the brain.The syndrome manifests itself with symptoms such as systemic or periodic dizziness, weakened hearing and vision.In some cases, fainting may occur.A variant of the syndrome is often observed in which, under normal conditions, the blood flow in the artery is normal, but when the head is turned in one direction or another, it can drop sharply.

Cardiac syndrome develops when the roots of the nerves innervating the diaphragm or pectoral muscle are compressed.As a result, the patient may experience pain reminiscent of cardialgia, even if there is no direct effect on the heart.However, the syndrome can be characterized by phenomena such as tachycardia, hypotension and arrhythmia.

Hypertension syndrome is also one of the most dangerous complications.Unlike vertebral artery syndrome, it is caused by compression of the veins rather than the arteries, which impedes the flow of blood from the head.The syndrome causes increased intracranial pressure, which can manifest with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and headache.

Cervical migraine syndrome has little in common in its etiology with classic migraine.It manifests itself as severe pain in the back of the head.The pain is paroxysmal, lasts up to ten hours and is accompanied by vomiting.

Radicular syndrome is the most common syndrome in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.Caused by compression of individual nerve roots in the cervical vertebrae.It can be expressed by pain in the neck, back of the head, shoulder blades, shoulders, numbness and weakening of the tone of certain areas of the arms (up to the impossibility of carrying out manipulations) 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 manifestations of the disease are multifaceted, and the patient is not always able to correctly recognize the cause of their occurrence.If you experience similar symptoms, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

Diagnosis

A neurologist prescribes tests to a patient to diagnose cervical osteochondrosis.

To establish a diagnosis, it is recommended to consult a therapist.He will refer to specialists - an orthopedist, a vertebrologist, a neurologist.

The following types of studies are used for diagnosis:

  • X-ray
  • CT scan
  • Magnetic tomography
  • Ultrasound of the neck vessels

X-rays allow you to determine the displacement of the vertebrae, the presence of growths - osteophytes and salt deposits, and compaction of the discs.CT scanning involves creating a series of X-rays that give a three-dimensional view of an organ, in this case the cervical spine.It allows you to detail the degree of the pathological process - the nature of nerve compression, the structure of osteophytes, the height of the discs, etc.Magnetic resonance imaging, based on the physical effect of nuclear magnetic resonance, provides an even more detailed structural image of the spine.Ultrasound of the neck vessels helps identify changes in blood flow in the large vessels of the neck caused by the disease.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home

How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home and is it treatable?To combat disease, medicine has developed numerous methods.Some treatments can be used at home.But this process is long and complete recovery is unlikely, especially in old age.However, it is possible to slow down and stop the destructive processes in the spine at any stage of the disease.

In the early stages of the disease, methods are usually conservative.Several methods are used to treat cervical osteochondrosis:

  • Drugs
  • Therapeutic exercise
  • Physiotherapy
  • Massage
  • Special means for fixing the spine

If the disease has progressed to the last stage and serious destruction of the osteochondral structure of the spine occurs, then surgical intervention can be used to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

Drugs

The following types of drugs are used:

  • Chondroprotectors
  • Vitamins
  • Painkillers
  • Anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Antispasmodics

In case of acute pain syndrome associated with osteochondrosis, the first priority is its elimination.Typically, oral medications are used, but if these are ineffective, anesthetic blockade is used in severe cases.

For muscle spasms, antispasmodics are used.Muscle relaxants demonstrate the greatest effectiveness in osteochondrosis.Ointments containing non-steroidal drugs can be used as anti-inflammatories and pain relievers.

In the presence of syndromes associated with impaired circulation and blood supply to the brain - hypertensive and vertebral artery syndrome, drugs are taken that relieve the adverse effects of these syndromes - hypotensive agents and nootropic drugs.

Therapeutic exercise

Physiotherapy is the simplest and most accessible type of treatment for cervical osteochondrosis and, at the same time, quite effective.Physiotherapy can also be done at home.With osteochondrosis, exercise intensity does not play a decisive role;only regularity is necessary.First of all, physical education is aimed at strengthening the neck muscles, which compensate for the insufficient functionality of the spine and help it support weakened vertebrae.

Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Daily exercises are recommended to strengthen the neck muscles.They can be very simple, involving turning and tilting the head in different directions, or more complex, including assisting the neck muscles with the hands.They can be done both at home and at work.For example, if the work is sedentary, then it is useful to do such exercises after an hour at a desk or monitor.However, they can only be carried out outside the period of exacerbation of the disease and in the absence of pain.Otherwise, they can only make the situation worse.

No less effective is strengthening the muscles of the shoulder girdle, for example, through regular exercises with light dumbbells.However, lifting heavy objects (weights, dumbbells) is contraindicated.Regular swimming, which relieves stress on the spine, is also helpful.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is a treatment method that uses certain physical fields and radiation to influence the body.A positive property of physiotherapy is that it has a minimal number of contraindications.

The following physiotherapy methods are used to treat osteochondrosis:

  • Ultrasound exposure
  • Laser therapy
  • Impact of the magnetic field
  • Exposure to electric current (electrophoresis)

The magnetic field has a positive effect on damaged tissues of the body and has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.Ultrasound improves metabolic processes in tissues and relieves swelling.The same can be said for laser therapy.Electrophoresis is most often used in combination with medications, because the use of electric current speeds up their absorption by the body.

Massage

Massage for cervical osteochondrosis

Massage reduces increased muscle tone, which causes spasms, and reduces lymphatic flow, 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 treatments

What to do with cervical osteochondrosis if classic home treatment methods do not help?To reduce the load on the cervical spine, a special device is used - a Shants collar, which fixes the neck in a constant normal position.It is recommended to wear it during exacerbations of pain or during prolonged sedentary work.

In order to avoid exacerbations, you also need to organize a place to sleep.The pillow should not cause neck curvature and the mattress should be firm and even.In some cases, special sleeping pills - an orthopedic mattress and pillow - can help.