Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.

Currently, according to medical statistics, almost all people over 25-30 years old complain about the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.The disease affects this spine more often than others.Pathology is a progressive degenerative process affecting intervertebral discs and vertebrae located in the neck.The disease is common among men and women the same.This is a dangerous and complex form of osteochondrosis, since large blood vessels that supply the brain and a large number of nerve endings are located in the neck.Violations of innervation and blood flow lead to a deterioration in the brain to oxygen and nutrients.

Signs of the disease

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are more pronounced than in other parts of the spinal column, even with minor damage.This is due to the fact that in the neck the vertebrae are located close to each other, and the intervertebral discs have a small height.Such an anatomical feature contributes to the fact that with osteochondrosis, nerve endings, spinal cord, blood vessels are more often compressed.

General symptoms:

• pain syndrome;
• weakness and decrease in sensitivity in the upper extremities;
• restriction of neck mobility;
• violations of coordination of movements;
• frequent dizziness;
• general weakness;
• Deterioration of the functioning of the organs of perception (hearing, vision, touch, taste).

The pains are more often localized in the neck, give them to the back of the head, shoulders, arms.The upper limbs hurt if the nervous spine is pinched by the damaged vertebra, which is responsible for their innervation.The pain in the back of the head is due to spastic contractions of the neck muscles attached to the occipital bones, and a violation of blood circulation in this area.

The weakness of the hands is observed in patients if the nervous spine is involved in the pathological process that ensures the innervation of the muscle structures of the upper limbs. The restoration of mobility and a characteristic crunch when the neck is rotated or tilted arise if bone growths appear on the cervical vertebrae, the height of the intervertebral discs is reduced, the joints located between the vertebrae are affected.

The vertebrae in the neck have transverse processes that form a canal in which the artery that feeds the brain runs.With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the vertebrae are displaced, connective tissue is growing on them.This leads to compression of the cervical artery, a deterioration in the blood supply to the cerebellum and the back of the brain.As a result, a person has frequent dizziness, coordination of movements, general weakness is disturbed.In advanced cases, if the artery is involved in the pathological process or strongly pushed, then the supply of cerebellum blood, the occipital part and the brain stem worsen significantly.In this case, the functionality of the organs of hearing and vision, numbness of the tongue and fingers is reduced.

Signs of the disease depend on which of the eight vertebrae is affected by a dystrophic or inflammatory process.Disorders of sensitivity and movement lead to damage to the cerebrospinal roots on which certain vertebrae affects.Depending on this, the following manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis are observed:

• The first vertebra - the neck and the occipital part of the head are numb, their sensitivity decreases;
• the second - pain in the crown and nape is felt;
• The third - pain is felt and sensitivity is reduced in that part of the neck where the squeezed spinal spine is located, the intensity of taste sensations is reduced, and speech impairments are present;
• The fourth - pain radiates in the shoulder, scapula, the patient is disturbed by cardiac pain, breathing disorders, and the tone of the muscles of the neck decreases;
• fifth - pain is observed in the neck, given to the outer surface of the shoulder;
• The sixth - pain in the neck is radiated into the shoulder blade, felt in the forearm and thumbs;
• seventh - pain is given to the shoulder blade, the back of the shoulder, forearm and fingers (from the second to the fourth);
• The eighth - pain spread from neck to shoulders, forearms and little finger.

Depending on the prevalence of the lesion, four degrees of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine differ.This is not the stage of the disease, but the severity of symptoms, due to how common the pathological process is, what vertebrae it affects.

• At the first degree, clinical symptoms are absent or manifested minimally.Patients complain of slight pain, intensifying during the movements of the head.The treatment begun at this stage of the disease will be effective.However, people often ignore disturbing symptoms or do not feel them, so they do not consult a doctor.
• The aggravation of the pathological process enhances symptoms.In the second stage, pain becomes more pronounced, give to the upper limbs, shoulder blades.At this stage in the development of the degenerative process, the height of the intervertebral disc is reduced, as a result of which the nerve fiber is pinched.This becomes the cause of increasing pain.The second degree of osteochondrosis of the cervical region is characterized by the appearance of headaches, a deterioration in well -being, a decrease in working capacity.
• The third degree of cervical osteochondrosis is distinguished by the formation of a hernia of the affected intervertebral disc.The mobility of the neck is limited, with palpation the patient feels severe pain.With this spread of the pathological process, pain becomes constant, radiating to the upper limbs.The tension of the muscles attached to the occipital bones is felt.Patients complain of frequent dizziness, general weakness, numbness of the hands.
• The fourth degree of cervical osteochondrosis is diagnosed when the intervertebral disc is completely destroyed by a dystrophic process.It is replaced by fibrous tissue, which leads to a significant limitation of mobility.The spinal cord and blood vessels flying in the neck are affected.Such changes are characterized by a significant deterioration in the blood supply to the cerebellum and the occipital of the brain.Oxygen starvation leads to a violation of coordination of movements, hearing impairment, vision, language, speech disorders.

Methods of treatment

Timely seeking a doctor when the first alarming symptoms appear, unpleasant sensations in the neck, reaction from the nervous system will prevent the progression of degenerative changes.Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis consists of a complex of therapeutic measures.Among them:

• taking medications;
• massage;
• physiotherapy physical education;
• Physiotherapeutic procedures.

Drug therapy

Doctors prescribe anti -inflammatory drugs to reduce the intensity of pain, reduce the inflammatory process and swelling of the nervous spine.Chondroprotectors restore damaged cartilage tissue in the intervertebral disk.Musorelaxants relax the muscles of the neck, relieve spasm.Medicines to improve blood flow help to resume impaired blood supply to the brain.B vitamins activate metabolism in nerve tissues.With intense pain, the doctor can prescribe analgesic drugs.If the patient has a pronounced pain syndrome, then the analgesics are inserted parenterally, after the pain is subside, they switch to tablets.

Physiotherapeutic methods

Physiotherapy is an effective way to combat osteochondrosis of the cervical region.It is imperative to treat this disease using such techniques, following which the following results are achieved:

• the intensity of pain decreases;
• The restoration of the affected bone, cartilage and muscle tissues is activated;
• Spasm and tension in the muscles are removed;
• an inflammatory process is stopped;
• The delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the affected area and brain improves.

The most effective in the treatment of osteochondrosis are the following types of procedures:

• drug electrophoresis (the affected area acts with electric shock, which, in addition to activating blood flow and restoration of tissues, improves the delivery of the acting substance of the drug to the tissues affected by degenerative process);
• Ultrasound therapy (metabolic processes in the diseased area are activated, pain decreases, inflammation is stopped);
• magnetotherapy (relieves swelling from the affected area, which helps to reduce the intensity of pain);
• Laser therapy (improves blood circulation in the pathological process, has an anti -inflammatory effect).

Medical physical education

Exercises are prescribed during the period when acute manifestations of the disease are stopped.During gymnastics should not be felt discomfort and soreness.The complex should be performed upon reached a persistent remission to prevent relapse.

• Take a position lying on the stomach, raise your head and body, leaning on your hands.The back is straight, the breath is deep and even.Linger in a position for a minute or two, then slowly take the starting position.The number of repetitions is 3.
• The position is lying on the stomach, hands along the body.Slowly turn your head, trying to touch your ear to the floor.Repeat 6 times on each side.
• Sitting or standing, tilt your head on an inhalation, trying to reach your chin to the chest.On the exhale, smoothly take your head back, raising your eyes to the ceiling.The number of repetitions is 10-15.
• A good exercise to strengthen the cervical muscles is to press the forehead against the hands pressed to it.To achieve the effect, you need to press the palms on the forehead and the forehead on the palm of your hand for 30 seconds.Repeat three times.
• Rotate your head in a circle.Do the exercise slowly, smoothly.In each direction - 10 revolutions each.The occurrence of dizziness during movements is unacceptable.If this happens, you should immediately stop.

Massage

The course is prescribed by a doctor during the absence of acute pain, only a specialist with a medical education can conduct it.With such a disease, it is not recommended to contact non -professionals.

Therapeutic effects of massage of the collar area:

• the blood flow and lymph in the affected area improves;
• muscles relax, spasm is removed;
• The intensity of pain decreases.

Surgical intervention

The operation is shown if conservative therapy does not bring results within six months, the patient is tormented by severe pain, signs of damage to nerve fibers and myelopathy are observed.If osteochondrosis of the cervical region proceeds with complications, there is a threat of a stroke, there is a strong squeezing of the spinal cord, then the operation is needed.

According to the indications, they resort to the following types of surgical interventions:

• Endoscopic discoctomy - removal of part or a whole intervertebral disc;
• laminotomy - excision of bone ligaments and overgrown particles of bone tissue (often combined with laminoplasty - the establishment of artificial plates to expand the spinal canal);
• laser vaporization of the disc nucleus - the breakdown of the nucleus of the intervertebral disc with a laser beam simultaneously with the destruction of its destroyed fragments;
• Cold -plasma nucleoplasty - instead of an endoscope, a long and thin hollow needle is used, which is introduced into the intervertebral disc, an electrode that has a cold -plated effect is delivered through it to the destruction site.

The neck is a complex organ in which large blood vessels, the spinal cord pass.They are easy to damage, so they resort to surgery in no more than 5% of cases.Surgical treatment is often accompanied by the development of complications.Among them:

• inflammatory process in tissues or membranes of the spinal cord;
• osteomyelitis;
• The formation of scars leading to a narrowing of the arterial and spinal canals.

Operations on the cervical spine are complex and require a long rehabilitation period.The restoration of the patient after surgery takes a term of six months or more.

Prevention

To prevent the development of cervical osteochondrosis, it is necessary:

• monitor the position of the spine and neck;
• lead an active lifestyle, move more;
• When doing physical exercises, it is necessary to be careful, to observe the correctness of the execution, since even minor injuries can affect the condition of the musculoskeletal system;
• take care of the correct position of the body during sleep, purchase an orthopedic or anatomical mattress;
• Correctly equip a workplace where a person spends a lot of time;
• regularly engage in physical culture;
• monitor the diet, ensure the receipt of all useful minerals necessary for the bone fortress, especially magnesium and calcium;
• Constantly undergo dispensary examinations for the timely detection of osteochondrosis.

Prevention will help prevent degenerative changes in the cervical spine, protects from pain, dizziness, numbness of the limbs and other unpleasant symptoms.