Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.

Currently, according to medical statistics, almost all people over the age of 25-30 complain about the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.This disease affects the spine more frequently than other diseases.Pathology is a gradual degeneration process that affects the disc and vertebrae located on the neck.This disease is common in both men and women.This is a dangerous and complex form of osteocartilage degeneration, because the large blood vessels that supply the brain and a large number of nerve ends are located in the neck.Invasion of nerves and blood flow causes the brain to worsen oxygen and nutrition.

Signs of disease

The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are more pronounced than other parts of the spine, even with minor injuries.This is due to the fact that the vertebrae are close to each other at the neck and the height of the intervertebral discs is small.Such anatomical features contribute to the fact that osteochondrosis, nerve ends, spinal cord, blood vessels are more often compressed.

General Symptoms:

• Pain syndrome;
• Weakness and sensitivity in the upper limbs are reduced;
• Limitations of neck mobility;
• Violations of coordination of actions;
• Often dizzy;
• universal weakness;
• Functions of the sensory organs (hearing, vision, touch, taste) deteriorate.

Pain is more common around the neck, and they are placed on the head, shoulders, and the back of the arms.If the nerve spine is pinched by the damaged vertebrae and the upper limb is injured, this is the cause of its nerves.Pain at the back of the head is caused by spastic contraction of the neck muscles attached to the neck bones and erosion of the area that violates blood circulation.

If the neurospine is involved in the pathological process of the nerves that ensure the muscle structure of the upper limbs, weakness in the hand is observed in the patient.When the neck rotates or tilts, if bone growth occurs on the cervical spine, the height of the disc decreases, and the joints between the vertebrae are affected, the mobility and characteristic tightening will be restored.

The vertebrae of the neck has a lateral process, forming a duct for the arteries that allow the cerebral arteries to operate.The osteocartilage of the vertebrae becomes, the vertebrae moves, and connective tissue grows on it.This leads to compression of the cervical artery and worsening of the blood supply to the cerebellum and the back of the brain.As a result, a person often experiences dizziness, coordination of movement, and general weaknesses are disturbed.In advanced cases, if the arteries are involved in pathological processes or are strongly driven, the supply of blood in the cerebellar, the supply of blood, the occipital part and the brainstem is significantly worsened.In this case, the function of the hearing and vision organs, the numbness of the tongue and fingers is reduced.

The signs of the disease depend on which of the eight vertebrae is affected by malnutrition or inflammatory processes.Diseases of sensitivity and exercise can damage the cerebrospinal roots affected by certain vertebrae.Based on this, the following manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis were observed:

• The first vertebrae - the neck and occipital bones of the head are numb, and their sensitivity is reduced.
• The second - Feeling pain in the crown and the neck;
• Third time - feeling pain, in the part of the neck where the spine is squeezing the spine, the sensitivity is reduced, the intensity of the taste is reduced, and there is a speech disorder;
• The fourth pain spreads on the shoulder, and the patient is disturbed by heart pain, respiratory disorders, and the tone of the neck muscles is reduced.
• Fifth - Pain on the shoulder surface was observed on the neck;
• Sixth time - The pain in the neck is radiated into the shoulder blade bone, feeling the forearm and thumb;
• Seventh time - shoulder blade, back of shoulder, forearm and fingers (from second to fourth);
• The eighth pain spreads from the neck to the shoulders, forearms and little fingers.

According to the prevalence of the lesion, osteochondrosis in the cervical spine differs.This is not the stage of the disease, but the severity of the symptoms, because of how common the pathological process affects the vertebrae.

• To the first degree, clinical symptoms are non-existent or minimally expressed.The patient complained about mild pain, which was exacerbated during head movements.Treatment at this stage of the disease will be effective.However, people often ignore disturbing symptoms or feel them, so they don’t consult a doctor.
• The aggravation of the pathological process enhances the symptoms.In the second stage, the pain becomes more pronounced, giving the upper limbs, shoulder blade bones.During this stage of development, the height of the disc is reduced, so the nerve fibers are pinched.This becomes the cause of increased pain.The second degree osteochondrosis in the cervical area is characterized by headache, worsening of the wellbore and reduced working ability.
• The third degree of cervical osteochondrosis is formed by hernia in the affected intervertebral disc.The neck has limited mobility and the palpation patient feels severe pain.As the pathological process spreads, the pain becomes constant and radiates to the upper limbs.The tension of the muscles attached to the occipital bone is felt.Patients complain about frequent dizziness, general weaknesses, and numbness of their hands.
• When the disc is completely destroyed by the malnutrition process, a fourth degree cervical osteochondral disease is diagnosed.It is replaced by fibrous tissue, which leads to a significant limitation of mobility.The blood vessels flying around the spinal cord and neck are affected.This change is characterized by a significant deterioration in the blood supply of the cerebellar and the blood supply of the occipital bone of the brain.Oxygen starvation leads to violations of coordination of exercise, hearing impairment, vision, language, and speech impairment.

Treatment method

The first shocking symptoms appear when seeking a doctor in time, unpleasant feelings in the neck, and the reaction of the nervous system will prevent the development of degenerative changes.The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis includes a series of treatment measures.Among them:

• Take medicine;
• massage;
• Physical Therapy Sports;
• Physical therapy procedure.

Drug Therapy

Doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the intensity of the pain, reduce the inflammatory process and swelling of the nerve spine.Cartilage protector restores damaged cartilage tissue in the intervertebral disc.musorelaxant relaxes the muscles in the neck and relieves cramps.Drugs that improve blood flow help restore damaged blood supply to the brain.B vitamins activate metabolism in neural tissue.Due to severe pain, doctors can prescribe pain medication.If the patient has obvious pain syndrome, the analgesics are inserted parenterally and after the pain decreases, they switch to the tablet.

Physical therapy methods

Physical therapy is an effective way to combat osteochondrosis in the cervical area.Such techniques must be used to treat the disease, and the following results can then be achieved:

• The intensity of the pain is reduced;
• Activate the recovery of affected bones, cartilage and muscle tissue;
• Removes spasms and tension in muscles;
• The inflammation process stopped;
• Deliver oxygen and nutrients to the affected area and the brain improves.

The most effective method in osteocartilage is the following types of methods:

• Drug electrophoresis (the affected area acts with electric shock, which in addition to activate blood flow and tissue recovery, can also improve the delivery of the drug's action substance to tissue affected by the degradation process);
• Ultrasound therapy (metabolic processes in the affected area are activated, pain is reduced, inflammation is stopped);
• Magnetic therapy (reduces swelling in affected areas, which helps reduce the intensity of the pain);
• Laser therapy (improving blood circulation during pathological processes and has anti-inflammatory effects).

Medical Sports

Exercise was started when the acute manifestations of the disease were stopped.During gymnastics, you should not feel discomfort and soreness.This complex should be performed after continuous remission to prevent recurrence.

• Lying on your stomach, raising your head and body, and leaning on your hands.The back is straight and the breath is deep and even.In position for a minute or two, then slowly occupy the starting position.The number of repetitions is 3.
• Position lying on the belly, hands along the body.Slowly turn your head and try to touch your ears to the floor.Repeat 6 times per side.
• Sitting or standing, tilting your head onto the suction pose, trying to reach your chin to your chest.As you exhale, smoothly lift your head back and lift your eyes to the ceiling.The number of repetitions is 10-15.
• A good exercise to strengthen the cervical muscles is to press your forehead against the hands pressing on the hands.To achieve the effect, you need to press the palm of your forehead and the forehead on your palm for 30 seconds.Repeat three times.
• Rotate the head in a circle.Practice slowly and smoothly.In every direction - 10 revolutions in every direction.Dizziness during exercise is unacceptable.If this happens, you should stop immediately.

massage

This course is prescribed by a doctor in the absence of acute pain and can only be performed by experts in medical education.It is not recommended to contact non-professionals with this disease.

The therapeutic effects of massage areas:

• Blood flow and lymph in affected areas are improving;
• Relax muscles and remove spasms;
• The intensity of the pain is reduced.

Surgical intervention

If conservative therapy does not produce results within six months, the procedure will show severe pain, signs of nerve fiber damage and bone marrow disease.If osteocartilage in the cervical area becomes a complication, the threat of stroke and the compression of the spinal cord is large, surgery is required.

Based on these signs, they resort to the following types of surgical interventions:

• Endoscopic disc surgery - remove parts or entire discs;
• Laminotomy - granules that remove bone ligaments and bone tissue (usually combined with laminoplasty - establish artificial plates to expand spinal ducts);
• Laser evaporation of the disc nucleus - the decomposition of the nucleus of the intervertebral disc with the laser beam and destroys the debris it destroys;
• Using cold hematocritoplasty – rather than endoscopes, a long, thin hollow needle is introduced into the disc, which is transmitted to the site of destruction through the electrodes through which the cold effect is delivered.

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

• inflammatory processes in the tissue or membrane of the spinal cord;
• osteomyelitis;
• The formation of scars leads to narrowing of the arteries and spine.

The operation of the cervical spine is very complicated and requires a long period of recovery.It takes six months or more to recover after the surgery.

prevention

In order to prevent the development of cervical osteochondrosis, it is necessary to:

• Monitor the position of the spine and neck;
• Live an active lifestyle and move more;
• When performing physical exercise, you must carefully observe the correctness of the execution, because even minor injuries can affect the condition of the musculoskeletal system.
• Purchase orthopedic or anatomical mattresses while taking care of the body during sleep;
• Correctly equip a workplace where one spends a lot of time;
• Regularly engage in sports culture;
• Monitor diet to ensure that all the useful minerals needed for bone fortresses are received, especially magnesium and calcium;
• Continuously undergo pharmacy examinations and timely detection of osteochondrosis.

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