According to medical statistics, cervical osteochondrosis is a relatively common disease in recent years. Everyone has experienced its unpleasant symptoms at least once in their lifetime.
The disease itself is a malfunction of the cervical intervertebral disc. After all, the maximum constant load occurs in this part of the human spine.
The neck area consists of 7 intervertebral discs. Because his muscles are very weak and are constantly bearing their burdens, various injuries and work interruptions may occur. Due to all these factors, cervical osteochondrosis begins to develop.
Type of disease
Osteochondrosis is an insidious disease that may not manifest itself for a long time. There are several stages in the development of this disease:
- First-degree cervical osteochondrosis (shown as the initial disease of the spine);
- Degree 2 cervical osteochondrosis (the distance between the cervical intervertebral discs begins to decrease);
- Third degree cervical osteochondrosis (the intervertebral disc ring is completely destroyed and the entire spine begins to deform seriously);
- 4 degree cervical osteochondrosis (the last stage of disease progression, which can lead to disability).
Causes of disease occurrence and development
Like any other disease, cervical osteochondrosis has its own causes and developmental factors. Until a few decades ago, only the elderly were susceptible to this disease. In addition, men after the age of 40 who are engaged in heavy physical labor can also suffer from cervical osteochondrosis.
Nowadays, cervical osteochondrosis is becoming more common, affecting young people over 20 years old. There are many reasons leading to the development of cervical and thoracic spine diseases:
- Existing overweight;
- Incorrect posture, leading to 1 or 2 degree curvature of the spine;
- Hard physical labor or professional sports, resulting in various spinal injuries;
- Causes of stress and severe emotional stress;
- Muscle weakness in the cervical and thoracic area;
- Suddenly stop exercising after a long training period;
- Work related to sitting in front of a computer or being in one position for a long time.
If you find that you meet the listed reasons, then you belong to the so-called risk group. In this case, it is necessary to prevent cervical osteochondrosis.
Manifestations of the disease
With 1 degree osteochondrosis, a person will not actually feel any symptoms of the developing disease. Only the initial contraction of the neck muscles begins.
Second-degree cervical osteochondrosis usually presents as mild pain in the neck and thoracic region. This occurs because the distance between the intervertebral discs is reduced and the nerve endings are squeezed.
Levels 3 and 4 of this disease cannot be ignored. In this case, the deformity of the spine can be observed with the naked eye, not to mention how a person feels.
The main and more common symptoms of this disease include:
- Severe persistent headache;
- Buzzing in his head;
- Impaired movement and coordination;
- Deterioration of vision and dental health;
- Cerebrovascular accidents, insomnia and various nervous system problems.
At 1, 2, 3, or 4 degrees of the disease, the pain spreads to the shoulder joint and arm area. One feature that distinguishes this symptom from other diseases is that the discomfort changes in intensity and concentration according to the position of the neck and head rotation.
Disease syndrome
All symptoms that appear in osteochondrosis may be erroneously confirmed, and therefore, an erroneous diagnosis may appear. This is why, for existing symptoms, it is necessary to find out all the reasons for their occurrence. Therefore, medicine knows several syndromes that distinguish their origins:
Nerve root syndrome
In this case, the nerve is squeezed, and a person will feel pain and numbness in a certain part of the neck. Unpleasant feelings will spread to the back, shoulder blade area and arms;
Stimulus Reflex Syndrome
It manifests as severe, unbearable pain in the back of the head, which spreads to the entire neck. In most cases, it occurs during strenuous exercise or head rotation;
Vertebral artery syndrome
In this case, the name speaks for itself. The arteries are squeezed, and the patient will feel a severe throbbing headache, which may cause loss of consciousness or vomiting;
Heart syndrome
It is manifested by increased heart rate, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. Usually, in this case, a wrong diagnosis is made and treatment for angina is started.
treatment
For osteochondrosis, a person will always receive immediate treatment. His strategy is chosen according to the degree of the disease. Therefore, at 1 or 2 degrees, it is possible to fully recover after treatment. In the later stages, medical correction usually aims to prevent complications and improve the quality of life.
first aid
What should I do when the first symptoms of the disease appear? First, you need to relieve the pain in the neck and chest area. To do this, you need to take analgesics, lie down or relax regularly.
The next step is to see a doctor to get the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Conservative treatment
For a confirmed osteochondrosis, conservative treatment is usually prescribed. Show that the patient is taking anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. Various gels or ointments can be used to relieve swelling and inflammation. In addition, the doctor can prescribe a course of massage and therapeutic exercises. Physical therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is prescribed in almost all cases.
Surgery
In rare cases, severe advanced osteochondrosis can be operated on. In this case, the patient goes to sleep with the help of general anesthesia, and then removes the bone formation between the cervical and thoracic vertebral discs. After the operation, the patient will receive further conservative treatment or physical therapy.
Precaution
As the age of onset of cervical thoracic spine osteochondrosis is getting younger and younger, everyone needs to prevent it. This is especially true for those who are in danger.
Important rules
The prevention of cervical osteochondrosis includes the following simple but very important rules:
- Pay attention to your posture and don't let it bend;
- Don't let the spine bear heavy objects;
- The head cannot move suddenly;
- Don't be nervous, avoid stress;
- Don’t catch a cold, don’t get too cold;
- Get rid of bad habits and switch to proper nutrition.
Special practice
To protect yourself from such diseases, you need to perform preventive exercises:
- Put the palm of your hand on your forehead, tighten your neck muscles, then move your hand to the back of your head and repeat the exercise. You need to do 3 sets of 7 seconds;
- Place the palm of your hand on the temples, and at the same time tighten the neck muscles, repeat the similar action with the other hand, the time and frequency are the same as the first paragraph;
- Tilt your head back, and then slowly extend your chin to your chest, you need to do 3 times;
- Turn your head in different directions-you need to do this exercise slowly, without sudden movements;
- Tilt your head back, first touch one shoulder with your ear, and then touch the other side, repeat the exercise 5 times.
If you have symptoms of one or more diseases, please contact your doctor immediately. Maybe you will only receive physical therapy, this will be the end of it. Don't delay, don't start the disease.
Do your daily gymnastics. Instead of getting sick later, do basic exercises.
Ask your doctor how to sleep with cervical osteochondrosis. Obey all the rules and be healthy!