Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is more common than any other - it does not spare either the elderly or young people over the age of 20. People around him complain about his manifestations on a daily basis, writing off their feelings either towards magnetic storms, or towards energy vampires, or towards more prosaic, but still far from the truth, explanations.
The localization of the disease in the cervical spine, which includes 7 vertebrae, is explained by the fact that the intervertebral discs in this area are the thinnest. Therefore, their drying and destruction leads to nerve obstruction and vertebral abrasion much faster - after all, the distance between the bones is already small. It is also affected by poor development of the neck muscles, which a minimal person uses minimally.
Alas, the non-inflammatory process in the spine remains unnoticed for a long time, until the degeneration of the intervertebral discs passes into the second stage and the pain becomes a constant companion. But even this alarming sign is often ignored by people, attributing it to fatigue or even getting used to it, as an everyday "background". Let's find out why you can't ignore the headache, whether the mother was right when she said "don't turn your head" and how to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine to bring chronic disease into permanent remission.
Symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis
Discomfort from cervical osteochondrosis spreads to the head, neck and limbs of the shoulder girdle. In the initial stages, no special complaints are noticed - usually patients feel tingling in the neck more often, which does not seem surprising at all during office work. The gap between the vertebrae gradually decreases, the load on the ligament apparatus, the muscles of the neck, shoulders and back increases, and the blood flow in the brain and spinal cord worsens. This leads to a whole chain of nonspecific symptoms; The combination of several of these is a good reason to visit a doctor.
Osteochondrosis of the 1st degree of the cervical spine
Signs of early-stage cervical osteochondrosis include:
- local muscle tension;
- stiffness of movements and reduction of their amplitude (when turning the head, rotating the shoulders) after a long stay in one position;
- the need to constantly support your head with one hand while sitting to avoid fatigue and discomfort;
- fatigue and frequent headaches;
- increased irritability and chronic fatigue;
- inability to sleep fast due to trying to comfortably break the pillow in a comfortable way;
- darkening of the eyes, the appearance of "flies" after the load on the cervical spine or during the morning / sharp ascent;
- crushing and other external sounds when tilting the head;
- appearance of the so-called "Lumbago" in the area from the back of the head to the shoulder blades;
- decreased sensitivity on fingertips, burning in hands;
- unusual feeling of weakness in the hands, reduced endurance and muscle strength;
- high blood pressure - arterial hypertension;
- voice change, hoarseness for no reason, snoring, heaviness, "swelling" in the head.
Grade 2 cervical spine osteochondrosis
- chronic pain syndrome - head, neck or shoulder may have pain continuously for 2-3 days or longer;
- sleep problems - difficulty falling asleep or waking up, often waking up in the middle of the night due to nightmares caused by oxygen loss;
- high meteosensitivity;
- the appearance of pain and cramps in the muscles and internal organs, especially if it is necessary to maintain the same position for a long time or change it;
- inability to press the chin to the chest and tilt the head back without pain;
- head fall syndrome - clearly noticeable pain when trying to sit without leaning on your head;
- stiffness of the hands ("hands do not obey"), the appearance of neck pain with minimal stress on the upper limbs;
- tinnitus and blackheads in front of the eyes, dizziness and even fainting;
- clamps appear;
- heart disorders;
- migraine;
- constant nausea;
- excessive growth of connective tissue ("thick skin") in the neck-collar area.
Ignoring the signs of cervical osteochondrosis abounds in nerves and large vessels located next to the spine that tighten when the spine is moved. Complications of the disease include:
- paresis (restriction, weakness of movement), and even paralysis of the hands - one or both sides;
- intervertebral hernia - a common cause of disability and disability, all the way to the need for a wheelchair;
- vertebral artery syndrome causing dizziness and noise in the head, 25% leading to ischemic stroke;
- rapid impairment of memory, cognition, vision and hearing;
- Impaired coordination of movements, which causes difficulties even when traveling in transport.
How to treat cervical spine osteochondrosis
Pharmacotherapy and physiotherapy are used to fight osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as well as massage and hydromassage of the cervix, therapeutic gymnastics, swimming, balneological and mud treatments, electrophoresis, phonophoresis, acupuncture, ultrasound, NL wave laser, another type of apparatus. The symptoms and treatment of cervical spine osteochondrosis vary significantly in the stages of remission and exacerbation. Thus, for example, massage in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine during the inflammatory process is strictly contraindicated - to begin with, topical ointments and creams are used. In the acute period, it is important to restore blood circulation and tissue nutrition, alleviate spasm and improve the patient's quality of life. Therapy, aimed at the regeneration of cartilage tissue and osteophytes, is carried out exclusively in remission.
Surgery is used extremely rarely - mainly to remove concomitant pathologies, such as hernias, vertebral displacement.
Grade 1 cervical osteochondrosis responds well to treatment and may even progress to permanent remission with less acute episodes. It is common for treatment to include lifestyle changes, maintenance of the muscular and ligament apparatus with the help of therapeutic exercises. Grade 2 disease has a less optimistic prognosis: in this case, treatment is aimed at alleviating the pronounced negative symptoms, preventing further destruction of the spine.
In some cases, therapy is needed for diseases that have become a kind of catalyst for degenerative changes in cartilage. These include curvature of the spine, problems with the endocrine system, incl. hormonal disorders, metabolic disorders, insomnia, depression, alcohol and nicotine addiction, overweight, hereditary diseases.
Timely treatment of cervical spine osteochondrosis improves motor functions, prevents macrotraumatization of the spine, adjacent tissues, nerves, large vessels and the organ system. If medical recommendations are followed and daily maintenance therapy is followed, the development of osteochondrosis can be slowed down and the mobility of the spine maintained until old age.
Medicines for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
At the onset of the disease, patients are shown to receive chondroprotectors, rehydration, and nutrient saturation with cartilage tissue. Vitamin-mineral and antioxidant complexes are actively used, incl. of natural origin. Drugs for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are used mainly externally or orally - in the form of warming, locally irritating, anti-inflammatory ointments, tablets, capsules. In the case of osteochondrosis of the 2nd degree, in addition to the above, analgesics, antispasmodics (muscle relaxants), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are also used. Treatment is carried out for life, but some drugs (painkillers, glucocorticosteroids, etc. ) are prescribed in courses because of their safety.
Chondroprotectors
Chondroprotectors in medicine are drugs that contain glycosaminoglycans and chondroitin sulfates. The names "glucosamine" and "chondroitin" are more common in household use. As a structural backbone, cartilage acts as the “building blocks” that the body uses to repair intervertebral discs. Reception of chondroprotectors is complex - they have a beneficial effect on all joint surfaces in the body and inhibit the development of not only cervical but also other types of osteochondrosis, as well as arthrosis and other degenerative cartilage diseases. These drugs should be taken for life and for a permanent duration - since cartilage is deprived of blood vessels, they are nurtured by the diffuse method. This means that the growth of new cells is very slow - the first results are noticed only after 3-6 months of taking drugs containing chondroitin.
Osteochondrosis oils of the cervical spine
Ointments with vasodilating, anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous effects are used to treat cervical osteochondrosis. To improve blood circulation, bee or snake venom is often introduced into their composition, and propolis and natural essential oils are used to strengthen the walls of blood vessels. With a mild pain syndrome, local analgesic creams or irritating ointments may be prescribed to distract the patient from the discomfort. Heating ointment activates trophic and metabolic processes in tissues, preventing their destruction and curbing the degenerative process.
Tablets for cervical spine osteochondrosis
In the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, tablets play a supporting role. In the form of tablets, analgesics of complex action are usually prescribed, which have an anti-inflammatory effect. Antispasmodics may be prescribed to relieve acute pain.
In osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is especially important to take medications that strengthen blood vessels and improve blood microcirculation. This helps to curb the negative effect this disease has on the brain, leading to its hypoxia and malnutrition.
Injections
Injections for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are performed topically to remove a local inflammatory process that is not sensitive to other methods of exposure. Blockades of lidocaine and novocaine have also been reported with severe pain syndrome. They represent the introduction of an anesthetic cocktail (it can contain over a dozen components - non-steroidal non-steroids, glucocorticosteroids, decongestants, hyaluronic acid and other ingredients for nourishing and rehydrating cartilage). Spinal blockades should only be performed by specialists, due to the high risk of damage to the spinal cord and nerve endings during the injection, as well as due to the possible existence of contraindications.
A diet rich in protein and moderate carbohydrates helps prolong the effect of medications. The inclusion of sea fish, shellfish and other foods rich in gelling agents, calcium and vitamin D3 in the menu has a positive effect on resistance to remission.
Exercises for cervical spine osteochondrosis
The first sessions of physical therapy (exercise therapy) are conducted under the supervision of a doctor. He also chose a mini set of daily exercises.
To prevent and treat cervical osteochondrosis, perform a simple warm-up:
- Sitting in a chair, turn your head left and right, trying to describe it in a semicircle of 180 degrees. If the disease has not yet been felt or is in the first stage, you can throw your head back and slowly turn it clockwise and counterclockwise.
- Raise your shoulders as high as possible and lock them in that position for a few seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat.
- Place your palm on your forehead and trying to slowly lower your head. After 10 reps, place your palm on your temple and repeat with the side bends.
- With your shoulders raised, try to make a circle around your lower neck.
- Finish the set of exercises with a strong self-massage, feeling the spine and muscles well and warming the skin. Avoid pain while doing so.
Feel free to supplement this list with general tone exercises.
In addition to therapy for exercising osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is important to observe an orthopedic regimen. It is designed to free the spine when doing household chores and during sleep. For patients with osteochondrosis of the first degree, special orthopedic pillows and mattresses, car and other headrests and travel pillows are highly desirable. The workplace also needs to be rebuilt according to physiological needs - for example, buying a high-backed chair and armrests that follow the anatomical curves of the back, adjusting the height of the table and seat, ensuring a comfortable monitor position, etc.
For osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, sit with your back straight against the back of the furniture. The position of the feet is equally important - the lower legs should be straight perpendicular to the floor and the feet on the floor. Bent arms (about 75 degrees) should lie relaxed, without constant tension, on the table. It is unacceptable to spend free time lying next to a laptop. When using the computer in bed, use the stand.