Osteochondrosis is a degenerative condition of the bones that most commonly affects the spine and knees. This primarily causes excruciating pain and movement problems. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a complex treatment.
Osteochondrosis - what is it?
It is based on the violation of endochondral ossification. However, this condition is the result of local hyaline cartilage ischemia in the metaphyses of the growing bone. This condition is often called juvenile osteochondrosis precisely because it develops in the developing skeletal system.
In patients with osteochondrosis, the cartilage tissue is ischemic, depleted, and dies as a result. The cartilage does not mineralize, but ossifies, and then separates from the bone on which it was formed because it is not very strong. Separation of cartilage from bone may be due to mechanical factors.
Osteochondrosis can manifest in various forms, but patients often have:
- Osteochondrosis of the spine, which in most cases involves the lumbar or cervical spine.
- Osteochondrosis of the knee with a load on the tuberous tibia that makes up the knee joint.
In this article, we will pay special attention to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine (SHO).
Osteochondrosis - causes
Osteochondrosis is a disease whose degenerative-dystrophic causes largely depend on the form of the disease that occurs in a particular patient. In the case of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, its development may be the result of a violation of the tension of the structures responsible for the stabilization of the spine. The cause of the disease can also be a gradual loss of cushioning properties of intervertebral discs. As for osteochondrosis of the knee, it usually occurs as a consequence of an avulsive fracture of the tibial tuberosis. This is an overload that results from an imbalance between the cross section of the muscle, the surface of its adhesion and the forces acting on too small an area, i. e. the tuberosity of the tibia.
Characteristics of osteochondrosis of the cervical segment
Osteochondrosis of the cervical segment of the spine differs in its manifestations from osteochondrosis of the lumbar and thoracic segments.
The neck area contains many blood vessels and nerves, including the vertebral artery, which enters the spinal canal. Therefore, in osteochondrosis of the cervical segment of the spine, when the vertebrae move, nerve formations appear on the lateral sections (which can irritate the muscles and areas around the ligaments).
When the spinal artery constricts due to narrowing of the artery (stenosis), the blood supply to the brainstem and cerebellum is reduced.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are caused by the following factors: spinal root compression (cervical radiculitis), spinal cord compression (myelopathy), spinal cord damage due to circulatory disorders associated with stenosis (narrowing) of arteries and veins.
Radicular syndromes (cervical sciatica)
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are associated with compression (compression) of the nerve roots. The pain can start from the neck to the shoulders and spread to the outer surface of the shoulders, forearms and fingers. It can affect the sensitivity of the skin on the forearm, hand and fingers.
Spinal artery syndrome
Headache (paroxysmal, persistent, impulsive, which intensifies when turning the head), dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus.
SHO treatment
In the acute stage, accompanied by severe pain, topical application of painkillers and corticosteroids is indicated to relieve muscle tension in the motor segment of the spine and reduce pain.
Combinations of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antispasmodics, analgesics and vitamins are effective.