To date, the disease has become very "younger" and is increasingly exposed to people aged 25 and over, although in recent times the age of 30 to 35 has been considered risky. Cervical pathologies are more common, so you need to be able to quickly recognize the symptoms of the disease to begin treatment.
And what is called osteochondrosis of the cervical spine? This term characterizes the degenerative-dystophilic process in the intervertebral disc, which acts as a type of shock absorber between the segments of the spine. This situation leads to changes in its structure and anatomy, segments and articular elements of the cervical spine. Osteochondrosis of the neck is characterized by severe pain symptoms that require timely treatment.
Causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Where does cervical osteochondrosis come from? Below are the factors whose chronic or severe effects lead to increased stress on the neck. As a result, the body compensates for the increased workload of the muscles, however, due to constant tension, they experience cramps with impaired blood circulation. Together, these factors lead to degenerative changes in the spine, changes in its structure, problems with food and metabolism. The order of changes in the intervertebral joints follows, there is an excessive proliferation of bone tissue in the segments of the spine.
Here are the factors that contribute to the development of the disease:
- Scoliosis and poor posture.
- Overweight.
- Stay in the wrong and unnatural positions for a long time.
- Regular overexertion of the back and cervical spine, for example, due to the peculiarities of work.
- Poor mobility, sedentary physical inactivity.
- Spinal cord injury in the past.
- Metabolic problems.
- Excessive physical activity.
- Stress overexertion, prolonged sensitivity to depression.
- Heredity factor.
- Abnormal development of the vertebrae.
Degree of cervical osteochondrosis
It is necessary to know the concepts of "stage" and "degree", which characterize osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. We will consider the stages a little later, we will now 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. . . Cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by minor manifestations of the disease, the main symptoms are pain in the neck area, which does not appear often, intensifying if you turn your head. They can be accompanied by slightly tense muscles.
- Second degree - 2. . . The severity of the pain and symptoms are much stronger and they can give the shoulder area. This is due to the fact that the intervertebral disc became lower in height, which led to nerve contraction. Pain syndrome tends to increase with movement, feeling weak and headaches lead to decreased performance.
- Third degree - 3. . . This development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is characterized by the formation of hernias in the intervertebral space. The differences from the previous stages are in the symptoms, which are even more pronounced and painful - they give the shoulder and arm more intensely, they may have a feeling of numbness and weakness. The disease is accompanied by the same headache, weakness, mobility of the neck is limited, and palpation reveals a pronounced pain syndrome.
- Fourth degree - 4. . . This degree is characterized by complete destruction of the intervertebral disc tissue. Problems with the brain's blood supply are likely, especially, through the spinal artery that delivers blood to the cerebellum and occiput. In this context, there are difficulties with coordination, dizziness, tinnitus.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Cervical osteochondrosis has some differences from osteochondrosis in other areas. They are formed due to the closer arrangement of the segments towards each other, the more complex structure of the first two segments - atlas and axis. In addition, there are fewer shock absorbers between the elements of the spine, so they wear out and break down faster. In addition, cervical osteochondrosis often leads to compression of the spinal cord nerves.
Cervical osteochondrosis - the most common symptoms:
- Painful sensations. . . They are characterized by different localization - in the nape, shoulder and cervical part. The appearance of pain in the shoulder joint indicates the pressure on the nerve responsible for transmitting the pain impulse at this place. Occipital pain reflects the presence of neck muscle spasms due to difficulties with blood flow in this area. Maybe a feeling of pain in the spine, the presence of crunch.
- Weakness in hand. . . It is manifested due to damage to the nerve responsible for the motor activity of the upper limbs.
- Poor sensitivity in the hand. . . The nerve innervating the skin on the arm is damaged.
- Restricted movement, crushing. . . This is due to the small height of the intervertebral disc, bone growth in the segments of the spine, the presence of small affected structures.
- Coordination problems, feeling weak and dizzy. . . Due to the progress of the pathology, fibrous tissue is formed. It partially leads to narrowing of the vertebral artery, which has its own channel in the elements of the spine. This reduces the lumen of the vessel, creating a deficit of blood in the back of the head and the cerebellum.
- Problems with hearing, sight, speech. . . They are a further development of the narrowing of the vessel that feeds the brain and occipital zone.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made in the presence of characteristic symptoms and complaints of the person. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is diagnosed by various methods, mainly aimed at visualizing the condition of the damaged part. Most commonly used:
- Radiography. It is not too informative, it only shows the presence of deviations, it is mostly suitable for early diagnosis.
- Computed tomography. Compared with radiography, the presentation of pathologies of the segments of the cervical spine is improved, but does not accurately determine the presence of hernia, which is the size. In addition, this procedure cannot determine the ‘narrowing’ of the spinal canal.
- Magnetic resonance imaging. Such a diagnosis is the most modern, it is characterized by an increased content of information, it allows you to make a detailed assessment of the defects of the bone structure, the condition of the intervertebral discs, the existence of hernias, their size and direction of growth.
- If there is a suspicion of worsening of the current in the vertebral arteries, additional diagnostics is performed by the procedure of ultrasound duplex scanning. Such a study accurately determines the presence of obstacles that reduce the speed of blood flow.
Based on the data obtained during the diagnosis, we can talk about different phases:
- Phase 1, characterized by minor violations of the anatomy of the vertebrae.
- Phase 2. . . Probably disrespecting the position of the vertebrae relative to each other, displacement, rotation relative to the axis of the spine, the intervertebral disc may have a slightly reduced height.
- Phase 3. . . The height of the disc is reduced by a quarter, the joints are changed, there are growths of bone tissue, impermeability of the intervertebral foramen and spinal canal.
- Phase 4. . . It is still worse than the previous one. The height of the disc is greatly reduced, behind deep joint pathology and extensive bone growth, the spinal canal and the passages under the spinal cord are strongly compressed.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The main methods of such treatment are: drug therapy, physiotherapy, the use of massage of the affected area, therapeutic gymnastics. Let's take a closer look at some methods.
Drug treatment
The prescription of any medicine must be performed only by a competent specialist.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs of non-steroidal origin. Their action is the effective removal of the syndrome of pain, inflammatory and edematous process of pinched nerve endings.
- Vitamin B is taken to improve metabolic processes in the vertebrae and nerves.
- Drugs that increase blood flow. It is used to nourish altered nerve endings and improve blood flow to the brain.
- Chondroprotectors used to repair cartilage and intervertebral disc tissue.
- Muscle relaxants, anti-spasms.
Physiotherapy
- Electrophoresis. . . Delivery of drug ions to the desired part of the pathology by the action of an electric field. Prior to the procedure, novocaine anesthesia is performed, and aminophylline is used, which improves blood flow.
- Ultrasound. . . Relieves inflammation, pain, improves metabolism at the site of application.
- Magnetotherapy. . . It has an analgesic effect, relieves swelling.
- Laser therapy. . . The treatment is performed by exposure to light waves of a special frequency. It alleviates inflammation and improves blood circulation.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is allowed only in the absence of worsening of the disease. The techniques will be effective in the absence of pain and discomfort during the performance, and they are also very effective as a means of prevention. Here are some basic exercises:
- Lie on your stomach with your arms folded on the floor. Lift your head and torso for 60-90 seconds, keeping your back straight, and then return smoothly to your original position. Do 2-3 reps.
- Lie on your stomach, arms outstretched towards your torso. Turn your head left, right, in order, trying to reach the floor with your ear. Do 5-7 reps on each side.
- In a sitting position, inhale, bend forward, trying to reach your head to your chest. Then, on the exhale, on the contrary, lean back, tilting your head back. Do 12 reps.
- In a sitting position, place your palms on your forehead. Apply forehead pressure to the palm and vice versa. Continue for half a minute, repeating 3 times.
- Neat unobstructed rotation of the head to the side, 5-7 rotations. If you feel dizzy, reduce the number of repetitions or slow down.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine: question - answer
Does it happen that osteochondrosis of the cervical spine must be treated with surgery?
This happens, but in those rare cases where conservative treatment does not give effect half a year after onset. In such situations, chronic pain and constriction of nerve endings are usually present.
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 doctor who has information about the stage of osteochondrosis in the patient, as well as whether there are accompanying pathologies.
Are chondroprotective drugs effective in repairing tissue of damaged intervertebral discs?
Confirmation of the effect of taking such drugs has not been proven, which is why doctors rarely recommend them.
What to do at home when there is no deterioration to avoid deterioration in the future?
For preventive purposes, it will be best to use physiotherapy exercises, massage of the cervical zone, refusal of significant physical activities.