Osteochondrosis usually refers to degenerative changes in any joint cartilage. Thus, this pathological condition can occur in all joints of the musculoskeletal system. However, the most pronounced symptoms, for example, headaches and headaches, as well as heart pain, are noted in the case of cervical osteochondrosis, that is, damage to the cartilaginous tissue between the vertebrae of the cervicobrachial spine.
According to WHO statistics, about 60% of Europeans suffer from osteochondrosis to one degree or another. In men, the disease appears approximately 10 years earlier than in women. Representatives of the most severe sex face symptoms at around 45 years of age. The female half is 55-60 years old, respectively. At the same time, experts warn about the rejuvenation of this disease. If you don't take timely action, literally in the next decade, the number of 30-year-old patients with osteochondrosis will increase significantly.
Causes of osteochondrosis
Dystrophic changes in the pulp occur for several reasons. The natural aging of the cartilaginous tissue must be placed first, which, unfortunately, is an objective and irresistible circumstance. However, as mentioned above, this disease is getting younger and younger, which is no longer associated with aging, but with other reasons.
In young patients, the disease occurs due to metabolic disorders associated, as a rule, with an inadequate diet. The abundance of fats and the low vitamin content in foods are the reason why cartilage literally begins to "starve" and reach a state of dystrophy.
Another provocative factor is physical inactivity. Read the forums where people who have encountered this disease communicate and you will see that most of them are still relatively young residents of megacities, who, as a rule, are engaged in mental work involving a long sitting position. The low motor activity of the cervical vertebrae leads to a loss of cartilage elasticity in the intervertebral discs.
As a result of poor nutrition and related metabolic disorders, as well as due to physical inactivity, the pulp begins to degenerate, becoming increasingly dense. In the more advanced stages of osteochondrosis, there is a complication that manifests itself in the replacement of bone cartilaginous tissue and in the thickening of intervertebral discs. This leads to compression of the nerve roots and blood vessels located here. The involvement of elements of the nervous and vascular systems in the pathological process determines the specific course of osteochondrosis.
Specificity of the disease
The difficulty in dealing with the disease is in its late diagnosis, which is explained by the disguise of osteochondrosis under other pathologies. People are wasting precious time and do not address this pathology, because they are unaware of its presence. And patients cannot be blamed for that. If the pressure increases, we treat hypertension. Stabbed heart - let's go to cardiology. The head hurts regularly and now the person cannot sleep without ibuprofen or analgine. It doesn't even occur to us that we need to see a neurologist.
In the meantime, just a few visits to a specialist of this profile will allow you to begin the process of restoring the cartilage of each cervical vertebra, which will gradually eliminate both false hypertension and suspected angina pectoris, constant headachesand other symptoms associated with the cervical-shoulder picture, the spine, it seems to us, does not seem to be connected.Timely detection of the condition prevents further pulp dystrophy and allows you to treat osteochondrosis at home and on an outpatient basis - without hospitalization. Unfortunately, most patients turn to a neuropathologist with sufficiently severe injuries to the intervertebral discs - when the neck starts to hurt unbearably.
Diagnostic methods
The diagnosis of osteochondrosis is a complex task. The research may take time, but its costs are justified, since the early treatment of this disease avoids the worst case scenario - surgery to replace the ossified intervertebral disc, during which the pinched nerve roots are released and full-function implants or simple height compensatorsare installed. element removed from the spine. The type of solution required for a given patient is determined by the orthopedist after a comprehensive diagnosis.
Since the disease, as indicated above, is masked, it is first necessary to make sure that the symptoms are not associated with problems in other organs. For example, in case of heart pain, it is necessary to have a cardiac exam and confirm the absence of heart disease. Comprehensive diagnosis will allow you to not only confirm suspected osteochondrosis, but also to discover the general state of the body along the way.
The final diagnosis is made based on the results of the X-ray examination of the cervicobrachial spine in the frontal and lateral projections. A more informative method is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It allows you to more accurately determine the location of dystrophic changes. Thanks to this, the doctor has the opportunity to prescribe literally one-off treatment.
Treatment with folk remedies at home
The advantage of osteochondrosis, if that word is used in this case, is that the patient can be treated at home, without compulsory hospitalization. The course of treatment includes taking special medications and performing exercises in the exercise therapy complex.
The drugs (their types) used to treat osteochondrosis at home are shown in the table below.
| Painkillers | In most cases, they are pills, sometimes capsules. These funds are intended to relieve pain in the cervical spine. |
| Anti-inflammatory | Hormonal drugs that interrupt the inflammatory process resulting from changes in the intervertebral cartilage. It also relieves pain. |
| Chondroprotectors | Medicines containing components for the restoration of cartilage tissue, such as hyaluronic acid. Designed for long-term use. |
| Muscle relaxants | Means to relax muscle tension. These drugs are taken only under the supervision of an attending physician. Use is limited due to the large list of contraindications. |
| External | Polishes, gels and so on. Anti-inflammatories, analgesics and heating are used. Before using these funds, you need to consult an expert. |
| Vitamins | Prepared with vitamins that improve the conductivity of nerve fibers and the functioning of the peripheral nervous system in general. These are group B vitamins, as well as A and C. In some cases, vitamin D is prescribed. |
It should be understood thatour list of drug types does not provide reasons for self-medication. A specific agent with indication of the dosage and taking into account the pathogenesis of each individual case can only be prescribed by an accredited neurologist. The thoughtless adherence to television advertisements “recommending” the best drugs for osteochondrosis does not bring about the cure of this disease, but, on the contrary, a worsening of the situation. BE CAREFUL!
Injection therapy
In the treatment of osteochondrosis, in addition to taking pills and applying ointments, medication injection is used. There is a wide variety of injectable drugs. Treatment courses include all types of injections, including the following:
- subcutaneous; intramuscular
- ; intravenous
- ; epidural
- .
Injections are more effective compared to oral medications and all kinds of folk remedies. The blood flow quickly delivers the agent to the sore spot, which explains the rapid healing effect. And, for example, with an epidural injection, the drugs are injected directly into the spinal cord and begin to act instantly.
Vitamins and other supportive drugs are usually injected subcutaneously. Anti-inflammatories and chondroprotectors are injected intramuscularly. For example,injections of an anti-inflammatory, so popular with patients, are injected into muscle tissue. Medicines are injected intravenously to speed up cerebral circulation. This is necessary in the case of enlarged intervertebral discs that compress blood vessels, through which the blood transports oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Epidural injections are performed with the aim of blocking severe pain when other methods of pain relief are ineffective. With this injection, the needle passes between the vertebral processes and distributes the anesthetic directly to the spinal cord. This procedure is performed only by a trained professional anesthesiologist.
Injections are fully effective only with the condition of regular exercise in medical gymnastics. That is, the administration of medication alone is not sufficient for the complete treatment of osteochondrosis. Only in combination with exercise therapy is it possible to relieve the symptoms of the disease and, in the future, restore the affected cartilage tissue.
What to do during exacerbations?
Although osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is chronic and more or less imperceptible for long periods of time, patients sometimes experience exacerbations. In each patient, they occur at different intervals and can occur unpredictably. During these periods, it is important to take timely measures to prevent a significant deterioration in the state.
Exacerbation Provocators
Exacerbations in osteochondrosis, as in any other disease, do not occur, as they say, out of the blue. Acute conditions are usually caused by the following factors:
- stress;
- non-professional massage;
- meteorological phenomena;
- visit to a thermal bath (sauna);
- Excessive physical activity after prolonged physical inactivity.
In women, osteochondrosis is usually exacerbated during menstruation. Alcohol abuse is also a powerful provoking factor.
Symptoms of exacerbation
The symptomatology of osteochondrosis exacerbations in each patient manifests itself differently and is determined by the general clinical picture of the pathogenesis. For example,cervical and headache in acute conditions are seen by all patients and the loss of sensation to numbness of the face during exacerbations is not felt by everyone, but it nevertheless occurs quite frequently. And, of course, during this period, the symptoms of the diseases under which osteochondrosis is masked are exacerbated. These are heartaches, dizziness, tinnitus, hot flashes and so on. Exacerbations are especially dangerous, during which inflammation of the cervical spine occurs.
Relief measures for exacerbations
In the period of aggravated osteochondrosis, you should consult your doctor first. It is not necessary to ignore this rule, since delaying in this matter can be a disservice. The neurologist will assess the patient's condition and recommend measures for an effective and, most importantly, safe way out of the crisis.
Normally, during acute conditions of osteochondrosis, painkillers and anti-inflammatory injections are prescribed. But gymnastics during this period must be stopped. On the contrary, the patient must remain calm. It is unacceptable to wrinkle the neck - this can make the condition worse. It is advisable to transfer the aggravation in the supine position and fix the head at the same time, placing a roll or at least one rolled sheet underneath.
An important place in reducing the frequency of exacerbations is played by its prevention, which is limited to maintaining the correct motor regime in everyday life.A patient with osteochondrosis should monitor posture, keep his head straight and avoid sudden movements. In humid and cold climates, it is necessary to protect the cervical vertebrae from hypothermia. And, of course, you shouldn't forget about medical gymnastics for a minute - you need to do it regularly. This is the key to the course of osteochondrosis without exacerbations.
2 degrees of illness
Neuropathologists distinguish 3 degrees of osteochondrosis - 1st, 2nd and 3rd, respectively. In most patients, the disease is recorded in the second stage. This is due to the following points. 1 degree disease is characterized by the appearance of short-term pain in the neck, similar to an electrical discharge. In the initial stage, the fibrous ring, which holds the central part of the intervertebral disc, begins to collapse. The guideline for the diagnosis of grade 1 osteochondrosis is pupil dilation, which is not associated with other body phenomena.
The number of patients with grade 1 osteochondrosis is not very large. The disease at this stage is transient and can be eliminated (with timely treatment) or moves quickly to the second stage - if the moment is missed. The situation in the number of patients with grade 3 osteochondrosis is similar. It is also small. This is due to the fact that in most cases doctors are able to start treatment in a timely manner and avoid the transition of pathology from the second stage to the third. The disease of this degree is characterized by symptoms such as acute neck pain, which does not subside even after taking analgesics, partial loss of upper limb control, constant dizziness and, frequently, fainting. 3rd degree osteochondrosis is usually treated by surgery, as drug therapy is often ineffective.
Because most patients suffer from 2nd degree osteochondrosis, this form of the disease is of the greatest interest from a clinical point of view, and it is in the treatment of the disease at this stage that the most experience is accumulated. According to statistics, the proportion of patients with stage II osteochondrosis among all patients with this pathology is about 75%.
The specificity of this form of the disease is its chronic course with short periods of exacerbation. The second degree differs from the first by the continuous decrease in the space between the vertebrae. That is, the intervertebral disc does not yet collapse, as in the case of the third stage, but it becomes significantly thinner, which leads to the pinching of nerve roots and causes all the classic symptoms of osteochondrosis.
As the 2nd degree pathology is the most widespread, speaking in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in general, it implies the implementation of therapeutic measures in relation to this particular form of the disease. And they, we repeat, include drug therapy and physical therapy exercises. The well-performed treatment eliminates the disease and prevents its transition to the third stage with an almost inevitable operation to replace the intervertebral discs.
Main symptoms and appropriate treatment
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative lesion that is difficult to diagnose in the intervertebral discs. Most of the time, it is found by people aged 45-50 years, but in recent years the pathology has "rejuvenated" and now neuropathologists usually see patients in their 30s.
The difficulty in detecting osteochondrosis is explained by the "simulated" nature of the disease course - when disguised as other pathologies. The cause of the disease is a deterioration in the elasticity of cartilage tissue, which forms a cushioning pulp between the vertebrae. Cartilage becomes thinner and denser. As a result, the nerve roots are compressed (the so-called root infraction), which leads to the following symptoms:
- head and headaches;
- increased blood pressure;
- decreased sensitivity of the facial area (until numbness);
- partial paresis of the upper limbs.
All of these symptoms are certainly accompanied by pain in the neck. This pain is often mild and does not force the patient to take pain medication. Ignoring the mild pain in the neck, the patient does not raise the alarm about osteochondrosis, but tries to treat other pathologies, for example, angina pectoris or hypertension, which he probably does not have.
Treatment methods
According to modern approaches, osteochondrosis occurs in waves. At first, it manifests itself in the form of exacerbation (acute period). Then, the symptoms weaken and a subacute period begins. The third stage is remission, the state of which continues until the next exacerbation. The task of treating osteochondrosis is to quickly interrupt the acute phase, relieve the patient's condition in the subacute period and ensure long-term remission.
During the acute and subacute phases, the patient uses analgesics and anti-inflammatories. In these steps, an effective solution is to use a Shants gauze collar, which gives the head a position in which the neck muscles relax, which eliminates pain. During the remission period, drug treatment with chondroprotectors that improve the quality of cartilage tissue and a set of therapeutic physical exercises are indicated. Exercise is even more important than hyaluronic acid injections because healthy physical activity naturally stimulates the formation of collagen fibers in the cartilage.
Type of cervicothoracic pathology
Strictly speaking in a formal way, cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis are two different forms of the disease. However, they are usually combined. This is due to the fact that the cervical and thoracic spine are closed together, which connects these two types of pathology of the intervertebral discs. That is, with the dystrophic changes in the cervical vertebrae, practically the same violations are observed in the thoracic region. Therefore, these two forms of the disease are combined, especially since their symptoms are very similar to each other. The main symptom is pain. In cervical ostecondrosis, the pain is located in the neck, in the case of cervicothoracic lesions, pain in the sternum is added.
Common symptoms include the following:
- facial numbness;
- head and headache;
- blood pressure instability;
- loud hum.
In case of injury to the thoracic vertebrae, the list is complemented by impaired movement coordination, activation of arthrosis of the shoulder joints, numbness of the hands.
Treatment of the cervicothoracic spine
Treatment is prescribed after a complete diagnosis using X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The treatment of osteochondrosis is complex - drugs and physiotherapy. Drug therapy involves the use of anti-inflammatories and painkillers.An important part of treatment is the use of chondroprotectors that directly restore cartilage tissue in the intervertebral space. Physiotherapeutic measures include compresses and the use of all types of ointments, in addition to physical therapy exercises.
If osteochondrosis is detected in the thoracic spine, a professional massage is indicated. The effects of massage trigger the natural processes of regeneration of cartilage tissue. Massage is more effective in eliminating the disease in the thoracic vertebrae than gymnastics, since the spine in this location is not flexible and, therefore, when performing exercises, it is not always possible to provide a normal range of motion for each vertebra. A massage therapist, by contrast, is able to have a precise effect on a diseased intervertebral disc. Only you should contact a spine massage specialist who has an appropriate certificate. In addition, the massage therapist must be licensed.
Timely measures to eliminate cervicothoracic osteochondrosis will prevent surgery to replace a destroyed intervertebral disc with an endoprosthesis. Early diagnosis of pathology and discipline in outpatient treatment with folk remedies and remedies will save money. If you have the slightest suspicion of osteochondrosis, see a neurologist. But better. . .
Be sure to consult your doctor before treating illnesses. This will help to take individual tolerance into account, confirm the diagnosis, make sure the treatment is correct and exclude negative drug interactions. If you use prescriptions without consulting a doctor, it is at your own risk. All information is presented for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical aid. All responsibility for the application is yours.