Few people over 25 years old now have no spinal problems. One of the most common pathologies is the injury of the cervical vertebrae. If left untreated, it will inevitably progress and cause more and more discomfort to the patient.
What is osteochondrosis
Cervical osteochondrosis is a degenerative dystrophic change of joints and intervertebral discs.
As cervical osteochondrosis progresses, the following symptoms begin to appear:
Vision and hearing loss;
Numbness of the tongue;
As the neck turned sharply, its eyes became darker and dizzy;
There is a throbbing pain in the back of the head, which can radiate to the temples and the top of the head;
Cervical spine and shoulder pain can interfere with the patient even during sleep and can be aggravated by exercise or fatigue;
Stiff neck, especially in the morning;
Sternal pressure
Shortness of breath, lack of air feeling.
Because the spinal cord is not getting enough nutrition, the range of motion and the sensitivity of the upper and lower limbs are significantly reduced.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
The propensity for neck osteochondrosis is hereditary. In addition, common causes of pathological development are:
Unbalanced diet;
Scoliosis;
flatfoot;
Frequency;
pressure;
Spinal injuries and bruises;
Excessive physical activity;
Rheumatism;
A sedentary lifestyle;
overweight.
refer to! The main cause of osteochondrosis is the disorder of mineral metabolism, which may be related to calcium deficiency or hormone disorder. Women often face this pathology during pregnancy and menopause.
diagnosis
In order to determine the degree of degenerative changes in the spine, the following diagnostic methods are used:
Doppler ultrasound of carotid and vertebral arteries. Allows you to detect spastic blood vessels and whether the blood supply to the brain and spinal cord is disrupted.
Hearing examination to test the function of the hearing organs.
Ultrasound.
CT and MRI of the head and cervical spine. Its purpose is to assess the diseased area, check the position of the intervertebral disc, and detect compression of the spinal cord and blood vessels.
blood test.
X-rays in the early stage of the pathology.
Neuro-EMG shows the presence of inflammation, compression, and nerve damage.
Double scan of blood vessels in the head.
refer to! All these procedures are most conveniently completed in one place, for example, in a treatment and rehabilitation center, where modern equipment is used for diagnosis.
Which doctor treats
If symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis occur, you cannot start treatment immediately. First, you should make an appointment with a neurologist. The expert will conduct an examination and then refer the patient to the necessary studies.
important! Performing manual therapy and other types of treatment without a preliminary diagnosis may cause injury and exacerbate existing problems.
treatment method
Once the diagnosis is made, the patient can continue treatment. Leading specialists work in treatment and rehabilitation centers, so the possibility of complications is very small.
The main method of treating cervical osteochondrosis is manual therapy. Experts perform massage to relax the neck and shoulders, restore the spine and joints to their natural positions, and normalize lymph flow and blood circulation.
Manual therapy is usually combined with therapeutic exercises to strengthen the neck muscles. In addition, medication and physical therapy are used to get rid of pathology.
result
After treatment, the nerve endings are not squeezed, the spine is stabilized, and the pain disappears or lessens. Chiropractors can straighten the vertebrae and increase the distance between damaged discs, thereby eliminating friction.
important! 2nd and 3rd degree osteochondrosis cannot be completely cured. However, treatment and rehabilitation will enable the patient to restore the damaged spinal function as much as possible.
Rehabilitation and lifestyle restoration
In the treatment and rehabilitation center, not only the diagnosis and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, but also rehabilitation measures. The patient leaves the center in good health and is ready to resume a normal lifestyle as soon as possible.
Rehabilitation aims not only to restore the function of the spine, but also to prevent damage to healthy tissues. The formulation of the plan took into account the severity of the pathology and the presence of complications. Physiotherapy procedures, massages, exercise therapy, mud applications have proven themselves. If the patient still has pathological symptoms, he will be prescribed a drug blocker.
Lifestyle of cervical osteochondrosis
To avoid recurrence of the disease, the following recommendations must be followed:
Change your body position at least every half an hour;
Do not lift loads that weigh more than 5 kg;
Walk more, do physical therapy, swimming, Pilates;
It is best not to use a bag, but a backpack;
When sitting still for a long time, rest for ten minutes every hour.
important! The position of the human body in sleep is very important. You need to lie on your back and sleep on a moderately firm orthopedic mattress and orthopedic pillow. In this case, the head and neck should be placed on the pillow, and the shoulders should be placed on the mattress.
Early treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is the most effective, so you should not delay seeing a neurologist. However, regardless of the degree of damage to the joints and intervertebral discs, it is possible to prevent the progression of the disease and improve the quality of life. For this reason, it is important not to waste time and follow expert advice.