Today, the disease has become very "young" and more and more often people over the age of 25 are exposed to it, although more recently the age of 30-35 was considered risky. Pathologies of the cervix are more common, so you should be able to quickly identify the symptoms of the disease to begin treatment.
So what is cervical spine osteochondrosis called? This term characterizes the degenerative-dystophilic process in the intervertebral disc, which acts as a kind of shock absorber between the segments of the spine. This situation causes changes in its structure and anatomy, segments and articular elements of the cervical spine. Osteochondrosis of the neck is characterized by symptoms of acute pain that require timely treatment.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
Where does cervical osteochondrosis come from? A little below are the factors whose chronic or acute action causes an increase in neck stress. As a result, the body compensates for the increased loads by working the muscles, although due to the constant tension, spasms occur in them due to circulatory disorders. Together, these factors cause degenerative changes in the spine, changes in its structure, problems with blood nutrition and metabolism. Then comes in terms of changes in the intervertebral joints, there is an excess growth of bone tissue in the spinal segments.
Let us list the factors contributing to the development of the disease:
- Scoliosis and poor posture.
- Excess weight.
- Stay in wrong and unnatural positions for a long time.
- Regular overload of the spine and cervix, for example, due to work peculiarities.
- Low mobility, sedentary physical inactivity.
- Spinal cord injury in the past.
- Metabolic problems.
- Excessive physical activity.
- Stress overload, prolonged susceptibility to depression.
- Inheritance factor.
- Abnormal development of the spine.
Degree of cervical osteochondrosis
It is necessary to distinguish between the terms "stage" and "degrees", which characterize osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. We will discuss the stages a little later, now we will talk about the degrees that depend on the general clinical condition and complaints of the patient, have different symptoms and therefore require different treatment.
- First degree - 1. . . Osteochondrosis of the cervix is characterized by minor manifestations of the disease, the main symptoms being pain in the neck area, which often does not appear, intensifies if you turn your back. They may be accompanied by slightly tense muscles.
- Second degree - 2. . . The severity of the pain and symptoms is much stronger and they can affect the shoulder area. This is due to the fact that the intervertebral disc became lower, causing nerve entrapment. The pain syndrome increases with movement, the feeling of weakness and headache causes a decrease in work.
- Third degree - 3. . . This development of cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by the formation of hernias in the intervertebral space. The differences from the previous degrees are in the symptoms, which are even more pronounced and painful - it gives more strength to the shoulder and arm, in them it is possible to feel numbness and weakness. The disease is accompanied by the same headache, weakness, limited neck mobility, and palpation reveals a distinct pain syndrome.
- Fourth degree - 4. . . This quality is characterized by complete destruction of intervertebral disc tissues. Problems with the blood supply to the brain most likely occur through the vertebral artery, which carries blood to and around the brain. Against this background, there are difficulties in coordination, dizziness, wheezing in the ears.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Cervical osteochondrosis has some differences from osteochondrosis in other areas. They are formed due to the closer arrangement of the segments to each other, due to the more complex structure of the first two segments - the atlas and the axis. In addition, there are fewer shock absorbers between the backbone elements and, consequently, they disintegrate and disintegrate faster. In addition, it is cervical osteochondrosis, which often causes the spinal nerves to contract.
Osteochondrosis of the cervix - the most common symptoms are:
- Painful sensations. . . They are characterized by different localization - in the back of the head, shoulder and cervical regions. The onset of pain in the shoulder joint indicates the pressure on the nerve that is responsible for transmitting pain impulses to this site. Occipital pain reflects the presence of neck muscle spasm due to circulatory difficulties in this area. There may be pain in the spine, the presence of convulsions.
- Weakness in hands. . . It manifests itself due to damage to the nerve responsible for the motor activity of the upper extremities.
- Poor sensitivity of hands. . . Damaged nerve that irritates the skin on the arm.
- Restricted movement, crisis. . . This is the result of low height of the intervertebral disc, bone growth in the vertebral segments, the presence of small affected structures.
- Coordination problems, feeling of weakness and dizziness. . . Due to the progression of the pathology, fibrous tissue is formed. This in part leads to narrowing of the vertebral artery, which has its own channel in the vertebral elements. This reduces the lumen of the vessels, creating a blood deficit in the occiput and brain area.
- Hearing, sight, speech problems. . . They further develop narrowing of the vessels that feed the brain and occipital area.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made in the presence of characteristic symptoms and complaints. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is diagnosed by various methods, mainly aimed at visualizing the condition of the injured part. Most commonly used:
- Radiography. It is not very informative, shows only the presence of deviations, it is mainly suitable for early diagnosis.
- პიუComputed tomography. Compared to radiography, the presentation of pathologies of the cervical spine segments is improved, but it does not determine exactly the presence of the hernia, what size it is. In addition, this procedure can not determine the "narrowing" of the spinal cord canal.
- Magnetic resonance imaging. Such a diagnosis is the most modern, it is characterized by an increased content of information, it allows you to assess in detail the defects of bone structure, the condition of the intervertebral discs, the presence of hernias, their size and direction of growth.
- If there is a suspicion of deterioration in the current in the vertebral arteries, additional diagnosis is made using an ultrasound duplex scanning procedure. Such research accurately determines the presence of obstructions that reduce blood flow velocity.
Based on the data obtained at the time of diagnosis, we can talk about different stages:
- Stage 1, Characterized by minor disorders of spinal anatomy.
- Stage 2. . . Perhaps the insecurity of the position of the spine relative to each other, the movement, the rotation relative to the axis of the spine, the intervertebral disc may have a slightly reduced height.
- Stage 3. . . The disc shrinks by a quarter of its height, the joints change, bone tissue growths, the intervertebral foramen, and the spinal canal are noted.
- Stage 4. . . It is still more aggravated than the previous one. The disc is significantly reduced in height, with deep joint pathologies and extensive bone growth, the spinal canal and spinal cord are severely compressed.
Treatment of cervical spine osteochondrosis
The main methods of such treatment are: drug therapy, physiotherapy, massage of the injured area, therapeutic gymnastics. Consider some methods.
Medication treatment
Only a competent specialist should prescribe any drug.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs of non-steroidal origin. Their action is the effective removal of the pain syndrome, the inflammatory and edematous process of the captured nerve endings.
- Vitamin B is taken to improve metabolic processes in the spine and nerves.
- Medications that increase blood flow. Used to feed altered nerve endings and improve blood circulation to the brain.
- Chondroprotectors are used to repair cartilage and intervertebral disc tissue.
- Muscle relaxants, antispasmodics.
Physiotherapy
- Electrophoresis. . . Delivery of drug ions to the desired part of the pathology using electric field action. Novocaine anesthesia is performed before the procedure, and aminophylline is also used to improve blood flow.
- By ultrasound. . . Relieves inflammation, pain, promotes metabolism at the site of application.
- Magnetotherapy. . . Has an analgesic effect, relieves swelling.
- Laser therapy. . . The treatment is carried out under the influence of light waves of special frequency. It relieves inflammation well and promotes blood circulation.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is allowed only in the absence of exacerbation of the disease. The techniques will be effective in the absence of pain and discomfort during performance, in addition, they are very effective as a means of prevention. Here are some basic exercises:
- Start on the bump and place your bent hands on the floor. Perform the head and body lifts for 60-90 seconds, keeping the spine straight, and then smoothly return to the original position. Do 2-3 repetitions.
- Sit on your back and lower your arms along your torso. Turn your head to the left, to the right, in turn, try to reach the floor with your ear. Do 5-7 repetitions with each side.
- In a sitting position, inhale, lean forward and try to reach the chest with your head. Then, on the exhale, lean back, tilt your head back. Do 12 repetitions.
- In a sitting position, place your hands on your forehead. Use bilateral forehead pressure on the palm and vice versa. Continue for half a minute and repeat 3 times.
- Neat rotation of chapters on pages, 5-7 rotations each. If you have dizziness, then reduce the number of repetitions, or slow down.
Cervical Osteochondrosis: Question-Answer
Did it happen that cervical osteochondrosis should be treated with surgery?
This happens, but in the rare cases when conservative treatment does not give effect after half a year of its onset. In such situations, chronic pain and stretching of the nerve endings are usually found.
How long can you take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs?
Most of these drugs affect the condition of the gastric mucosa, so their frequent and regular use is not recommended. The exact duration of medication is determined by the attending physician who has information about the stage of osteochondrosis in the patient as well as the accompanying pathologies.
Are Chondroprotective Remedies Effective For Restoring Damaged Intervertebral Disc Tissue?
There is no proven effect of taking such medications, which is why doctors rarely recommend them.
What to do at home when there is no aggravation to avoid aggravation in the future?
For prophylactic purposes it would be best to use physiotherapy exercises, cervical massage, denial of significant physical activity.