Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is a degenerative and dystrophic disease of one of the sections of the spine. With the development of the disease, the intervertebral discs of the neck suffer the most, and the damage also extends to the articular surfaces, ligaments and vertebrae.

Cervical osteochondrosis is a degenerative and dystrophic disease of one of the sections of the spine. With the development of the disease, the intervertebral discs of the neck suffer the most, and the damage also extends to the articular surfaces, ligaments and vertebrae. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine depends on the current stage of the disease. Pathology occurs mainly in patients over 30 years old, but cases are also recorded in young people, especially if a person leads an unhealthy lifestyle and is at risk.

The most common symptom is severe pain in the neck area, which can spread along the spine, move to the upper extremities, deform into a severe headache. Below we will consider which symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are better to start treatment, find out the causes of the disease and the methods used to combat the problem.

Causes and risk factors

The main reason for the development of osteochondrosis in humans is the ability to walk upright acquired with evolution. When walking, the vertebrae exert excessive pressure on each other. Every year this leads to the fact that the amount of intervertebral fluid and connective tissue between the vertebrae decreases, as a result, the bones begin to rub against each other, causing severe pain.

The longer the osteochondrosis of the cervical region develops without the necessary treatment, the less chance there is of stopping the degenerative processes. In old age, it is almost impossible to restore connective tissue.

Cervical osteochondrosis in the elderly is a predominantly natural process that is not associated with the influence of external factors. If the problem begins to develop at an early age, the pain intensifies too quickly, then the cause of such a violation should be found.

The development of cervical osteochondrosis at an early age is most often due to the following factors:

• Lack of physical activity in daily life. In the modern world, a person leads a mostly sedentary life - he works in the office all day, spends time in the evening sitting on the couch or at the computer, often drives a car;
• When performing work tasks, the human body often assumes a tense, unnatural position (a strong forward deflection when working at a computer);
• Excessive sports. The opposite reason is to play sports with uncontrolled loads. The problem is faced not only by ordinary citizens, but also by professional athletes;
• The reasons that cause the wrong position of the spine are flat feet, wearing uncomfortable shoes with heels, scoliosis, arthritis, etc.
• Abuse of junk food, obesity;
• Severe hypothermia of the cervical spine;
• Nervous tension - frequent stress in everyday life and at work, lack of adequate sleep at night.

Vertebral syndrome

The symptom complex is associated with damage to the bones and cartilage of the spine. He understands:

• reduced mobility in the cervical region;
• pain when turning the head;
• X-ray signs of damage to the vertebrae themselves and the space between them.

vertebral artery syndrome

Symptoms are caused by a narrowing or spasm of the vertebral arteries, which are partly responsible for the blood supply to the brain. It is manifested by the following symptoms:

• noise in the ears;
• dizziness;
• blood pressure jumps;
• nausea and vomiting;
• headache;
• visual impairment;
• decrease in working capacity;
• drowsiness;
• fainting.

Heart syndrome

It resembles a condition with damage to the heart muscle and includes:

• pain or burning sensation behind the breastbone;
• weakness and fatigue;
• Rapid impulse.

radicular syndrome

The condition is associated with damage (compression or pinching) of the nerve roots emerging from the spine in the cervical region. Depending on the level of damage, a person may experience:

• numbness or pain in the back of the head;
• numbness of the tongue;
• collarbone pain, difficulty swallowing, hiccups;
• discomfort in the shoulders, aggravated by hand movements;
• pain in the shoulder blades and forearms;
• numbness of the index and middle fingers;
• numbness of ring finger and little finger.

Most often, several nerve roots are simultaneously involved in the pathological process, as a result of which several characteristic symptoms are observed at once.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

All these risk factors and lifestyle features lead to the fact that the intervertebral discs in the cervical region are undernourished. If the problem is not identified and eliminated, the discs will gradually begin to collapse, the distance between them will decrease, which will lead to constant friction of the bones against each other. As the connective tissue is depleted, bony growths begin to form on the spines, which are prone to uncontrolled growth. In advanced cases, the growths begin to put pressure on the surrounding tissues, blood vessels, nerves located in the cervical spine.

Cervical osteochondrosis does not develop instantly, in the absence of proper treatment of the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the problem is aggravated. The full course of the disease can be divided into 4 stages. The symptoms that the patient experiences directly depend on the current stage of the problem. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include:

• Discomfort in the neck that extends to the shoulder area;
• The appearance of pain in the cervical region during sports;
• Stiffness when turning the neck;
• Private headaches that are not caused by external factors;
• When you change the position of the head, you can hear a characteristic crack;
• Numbness and loss of feeling in certain areas of the skin on the back of the head, shoulders, arms, neck;
• Hypoxia of trophodependent organs;
• Development of pathologies of the circulatory system;
• Severe pain leads to complete immobilization of the upper shoulder girdle.

The more advanced the disease, the more the patient feels discomfort. In the later stages of the problem, the patient's quality of life deteriorates significantly. Symptoms common to all stages of the problem include headache, ringing or noise in the ears, visual defects, nausea and vomiting with a sudden change in head position.

Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, it is advisable to seek medical attention immediately. The earlier a problem is diagnosed, the more likely it is to be completely resolved. A neurologist is engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis of the spine.

After the patient's call, the neurologist will interview the patient and, based on his complaints, conclude that the disease is present. Most often, patients complain of pain, discomfort, problems with movement of the upper extremities. After the interview, the doctor will perform a visual examination of the patient. Will be assessed:

• correct posture;
• How angled are the shoulder blades, shoulders, and hip bones;
• Location of the line of spinous processes along the spine.

A visual examination allows you to determine what pathological processes began in the spine, how much they affected the spine and surrounding tissues.

The final diagnosis is not established solely on the basis of examination and questioning of the patient. Additional examinations are necessary. Most often the patient is sent for x-rays, computed tomography. If for some reason it is impossible to make a definitive diagnosis, the patient is referred for magnetic resonance imaging. Additional examinations include dopplerography, the procedure allows you to find out what condition the circulatory system is in in the cervical region.

Degrees of cervical osteochondrosis

The choice of methods of treatment of osteochondrosis directly depends on the stage of the disease, which is diagnosed in a particular patient. It is customary to subdivide 4 stages of osteochondrosis, the division is conditional, since some symptoms may pass from one stage to another or may not appear at all.

1 degree

The initial stage of the problem, at this stage, if pain is felt, it is often attributed to stress or other disorders (poor sleep, prolonged exposure to an uncomfortable position). The patient may experience mild stiffness and limitation of movement, especially sudden movements. If you seek treatment for cervical osteochondrosis at this stage, you can eliminate the symptoms at home. To completely get rid of the problem, it will be possible to limit yourself to special exercises and visits to physiotherapy procedures. For prevention, it will be useful to start an active lifestyle (it is enough to take 20 minutes of daily walks in the fresh air), to adjust the diet (exclude too fatty, fried, salty foods, give preference to fermented milk products, fruits and vegetables, foods with enough calcium and trace elements, necessary for the restoration of connective and cartilage tissue).

2 degrees

The pain intensifies, begins to become permanent. Sudden movements and turns bring discomfort, the patient is faced with a severe headache, begins to notice that he is very tired from everyday activities. Often patients are distracted, thinking only of the pain. Some experience numbness in certain areas of the face.

3 degrees

In the area of damaged discs, hernias begin to develop, which causes dizziness and weakness in the arms. It hurts not only in the head and neck, the pain gradually spreads to the entire shoulder girdle.

4 degrees

A characteristic process is the destruction of intervertebral discs, the replacement of "empty places" with connective tissue. This leads to pinched nerves, the pain becomes unbearable, does not go away without taking special medications. The patient experiences dizziness, especially with sharp turns of the head and a change in body position, ringing appears in the ears, sleep is disturbed, quality of life deteriorates significantly, disability is possible if notis not processed.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

The doctor selects the appropriate method for treating the patient, depending on the stage of the disease. The most commonly used drug treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in combination with a visit to physiotherapy. In advanced cases, surgery may be required to remove overgrown connective tissue and bony processes.

Conservative treatment

Most often based on taking certain medications. Drug treatment helps reduce pain, eliminate muscle tension and localize inflammation. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as painkillers, are used.

Often the doctor also includes chondroprotectors in the prescription. This group of drugs activates the restoration of destroyed tissues in the region of the intervertebral discs.

These drugs are prescribed in the form of injections or tablets. A good therapeutic result is shown by ointments based on NSAIDs. They are rubbed into the damaged area, relieving pain in 10-20 minutes. The main advantage of ointments is a local effect on the painful area and a minimal effect on other organs.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy procedures have several goals at once:

• Localization of the inflammatory process;
• Removal of muscle spasms;
• Pain syndrome relief;
• Launch of regenerative processes;
• Increased general and local immunity;
• Restoration of the normal position of nerve fibers, elimination of compression and pinching.

Most often, with cervical osteochondrosis, the following procedures are prescribed:

1. Shock wave therapy. Using a special device, an acoustic wave is directed directly to the cartilage tissue of the spine, which has been damaged. As a result, metabolic processes are launched, salt and calcium deposits are destroyed, which interferes with the normal movement of joints and vertebrae. The procedure is characterized by a cumulative effect, often the first results become noticeable only 2-3 months after the start of treatment.
2. Acupuncture. Acupuncture is often used to treat and prevent cervical osteochondrosis. It is important that the procedure be carried out only by a qualified doctor, otherwise you risk not only experiencing a lack of effect, but also an aggravation of the current condition. The essence of the procedure is that special needles are installed on biologically active points, forcing the body to start metabolic processes, stimulate the production of natural painkillers.
3. Massage. The main goal is to reduce pain and improve blood circulation in the damaged area of the cervical segment of the spine. With proper massage, the muscles acquire a lost tone, as a result, it is possible to eliminate the risk of recurrence of osteochondrosis in the future. When visiting the first massage sessions, the patient is faced with severe pain, it is important not to stop treatment because of pain, but to follow all the procedures prescribed by the doctor.

Operation

It is prescribed mainly in advanced stages of the disease, when the use of drugs and visits to physiotherapy procedures do not bring results. The indication for surgery is catastrophic narrowing of the spinal canal.

Modern methods of surgery allow the patient to be discharged from the hospital after 3-5 days and switch to outpatient treatment of the symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis. Over the next three months, the patient undergoes rehabilitation.

Physiotherapy

A correctly selected set of exercises for osteochondrosis can not only improve the general condition of the patient, but also speed up the process of treating the disease. There are several effective exercises:

1. Turns and tilts the head in different directions. The exercise is performed in a sitting position, it is important not to jerk, all movements should be smooth with a gradual increase in the number of repetitions and the amplitude of the slope.
2. The head tilts to the side with resistance. Body position - sitting at the table, one elbow is on the table, while the palm presses the temple. Tilt your head towards your hand, while creating a slight resistance.
3. Shoulder lift. Raise your shoulders as high as possible and fixate yourself in this position for a moment.
4. Self-knead the back of the head and neck with your fingertips. It is important that the movements are gentle and do not cause pain. You can perform self-massage in any comfortable position.

It is important not to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home without consulting a neurologist, a set of exercises should be agreed with your doctor.

Manual therapy for cervical osteochondrosis

The manual therapy treatment relieves muscle tension and joint blockages, relieves pain and restores the capacities of the musculo-articular apparatus. The doctor assesses the condition of the muscles, determines the sore spots and the degree of springiness of the vertebral joint. In addition, through active and passive movements of the hands, it affects damaged tendons, ligaments and muscles. Manual therapy treatment is contraindicated in acute inflammation and instability of the vertebrae.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture for cervical osteochondrosis is performed using sterile needles, which are inserted into pre-selected points at different depths and left for some time. The needles are chosen very fine to minimize discomfort. The procedure relieves pain, activates microcirculation, normalizes metabolic processes, improves overall health and increases the effectiveness of drug therapy.

Kinesiology taping

This is the imposition of an elastic bandage in the form of the letter Y on the area of the cervical zone while maintaining the mobility of the neck. Bands for cervical osteochondrosis relieve pain, inhibit inflammation and support the paravertebral muscles.

Orthopedic collars

A collar for osteochondrosis of the cervical region is necessary in the acute period of the disease. It fixes bones and joints, reducing the load on the affected segment. The collar also corrects the position of deformed vertebrae and bones of the skeleton and relieves pain.

Depending on the degree of fixation, orthopedic collars are of several types:

• soft splint (Schanz neck). This product is made of dense and elastic polyurethane foam in a fabric cover with a closure in the form of Velcro, buttons or plastic fasteners. With its help, you can adjust the volume of the collar. A flexible tire is worn from 2 weeks to 4 months, every two hours of use, you have to take a break;
• inflatable collar. Consists of a dense and flexible material. The duration of treatment depends on the stage of osteochondrosis. At first, it is recommended to wear the collar for five minutes twice a day, gradually increasing the time to 30 minutes. An inflatable collar is worn to prevent cervical osteochondrosis;
• semi-rigid collar. A semi-rigid neck corset is made of polyurethane with a clasp at the back. Compared with a soft splint, it fixes the neck more firmly. It comes in different sizes;
• stiff collar. Made of thermoplastic material with front and rear stirrup. It is made according to individual sizes and is recommended to be used for the entire course of treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.

Complications of osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis causes disruption of the most important structures: blood vessels and nerves. Without treatment, the disease can lead to the following complications:

• ischemic stroke;
• loss of sensation or motor function of the hand;
• difficulty swallowing;
• violation of the thyroid gland;
• loss or significant reduction in visual acuity.

In addition, damage to the intervertebral discs and joints leads to a significant limitation in the mobility of the neck.

What is dangerous osteochondrosis of the cervix

Many patients complain of neck and head pain at the same time. Patients should choose a certain position in which the pain decreases or seems less acute. It's not always comfortable, so performance is reduced.

As the disease progresses, the disc protrusion grows, the intervertebral tissues are destroyed and the spaces decrease. At the last stage of the disease, the disc is completely destroyed and connective tissue forms in its place. As a result, the patient has a mobility limitation: for example, he cannot turn or tilt his head.

If time does not cure osteochondrosis in the cervical region, it can lead to spinal cord compression, disability and paralysis.

Prevention

The main rule of preventive measures is that they must be comprehensive and constantly observed. Only then will they bring the expected result. Prevention is shown to people at risk.

1. Watch your posture. The ideal position of the body - the head and the back are on the same line. Always make sure your shoulders are straightened, your stomach is tucked in, and your chest is up. The gait also plays a role - it should be elastic and regular. Never give yourself indulgence, at the initial stage it is important to discipline yourself, in the future correct posture will become a habit.
2. Well organized workplace. When working, the shoulders should be relaxed, the constant tension of the lumbar belt has a direct effect on the cervical spine. Basic requirements - a chair with a comfortable backrest and armrests, a monitor at eye level, a keyboard below the elbows (the angle between the shoulder and the forearm is about 120 degrees). During labor, get into the habit of taking a break every 40 to 50 minutes with basic stretching exercises.
3. Adjust the car seat correctly. Many motorists are faced with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine due to the fact that they install the driver's seat not according to the rules, but in a convenient way. The correct position of the body on the chair - the whole spine touches the back, and not just the shoulders. It is advisable to purchase special lumbar pillows that will help support the body in the desired position. With a long ride, it is important to go out on the streets after 1. 5-2 hours and warm up.
4. Watch your diet. Cervical spine problems are often associated with the patient not eating properly. Dangerous foods that increase the risk of osteochondrosis include: white bread, rich products, sweets, dishes high in salt and sugar, fried and fatty foods. The main danger is refined sugar - the substance contributes to the leaching of calcium from the body. Include legumes and nuts, protein-rich foods, seasonal vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. Low-fat fermented dairy products - kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, plain yogurts - will also have a positive effect. If you have an overweight problem, consult a nutritionist.
5. Daily physical activity. Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home with the help of physical education is an excellent prophylactic against diseases of the spine. It is important to do exercises at an easy pace, without exceeding the permissible load. If there is no time for a full set of exercises, make a rule to go for daily walks.
6. Massage. Correct techniques restore muscle tone, relieve tension, start metabolic and regenerative processes in the body. It is not necessary to consult specialists, the correct massage of the cervical spine can be done independently.
7. Proper sleep. During the day, the intervertebral discs experience increased stress, complete relaxation and rest can be achieved only during a night's sleep. For the prevention of osteochondrosis, it is important to organize the right place to sleep and keep track of the time (at least 8 hours).

Sanatorium treatment and its benefits

The sanatorium specializes in identifying the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and treating diseases of the musculoskeletal system, including osteochondrosis of various localizations. Procedures are selected individually for each patient, taking into account the degree of damage to the tissues of the spine, the presence of concomitant diseases, the patient's age and possible contraindications.

An integrated approach is practiced - a combination of drug treatment with physiotherapy and physiotherapy exercises. This approach helps to forget about the problem forever.

A positive effect in the treatment of symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervico-thoracic spine also demonstrates mud therapy, manual and hardware massage, various physiotherapy.