Cervical osteochondrosis is a chronic degenerative dystrophic pathology. If left untreated, it progresses rapidly, causing increased symptoms. During the course of the disease, the stages of remission are replaced by relapses, in which the condition the person is deteriorating significantly. He suffers from intense, sharp and penetrating pain, stiffness of the cervical spine, dizziness, sudden rise in blood pressure and headaches. With exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, insufficient analgesic intake. It is necessary to act on the causes of clinical manifestations - muscle spasm, displacement of intervertebral discs and vertebrae, compression of muscle roots and blood vessels by bone growth.
After diagnosis, the vertebrologist will outline a therapeutic regimen. To transfer cervical osteochondrosis to the stage of stable remission, drugs from various clinical and pharmacological groups, physiotherapeutic procedures, saving therapeutic thermodynamics.
Reasons for relapse
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In most cases, there are no symptoms that precede the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis. The person feels good, dedicates himself to day-to-day activities, plans things for the near future. Suddenly, there is a strong and penetrating, for whose elimination it is urgently necessary to assume a comfortable horizontal position of the body. This allows you to briefly reduce the severity of your pain syndrome before visiting a doctor. Only in 15-20% of cases, before exacerbation, there are weak uncomfortable feelings - pain, pulling pains, "chills", numbness in the neck, shoulders and sometimes forearms. Due to the already deteriorated blood circulation in the cervical spine and brain, weakness, apathy, mental and physical performance appear.
Cervicago, or cervical lumbago, occurs after a few hours or days. The person feels such severe pain that, when going to the doctor, one of the issues that interests him becomes the possibility of preventing a relapse. To prevent cervical exacerbation, cervical osteochondrosis, you need to know the reasons for its appearance:
- being in a stressful environment for a long time. People who are experiencing acutely, even common everyday conflicts, often suffer from several chronic pathologies, including diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Negative emotions negatively affect the functioning of all vital systems. In patients with cervical osteochondrosis, they cause muscle spasms, circulatory disorders in the brain, neck and neck;
- continuous static and dynamic loads. A long stay at a computer, a typewriter, a microscope leads to a deterioration in the blood supply to the cartilage tissues with oxygen, nutrients and biologically active substances. With osteochondrosis2, 3 degrees of severity, several hours are sufficient for a relapse. Sleeping in an uncomfortable position on a very soft mattress or pillow also leads to this;
- sudden movements of the neck. An intense unintended turning or tilting of the head can lead to dislocation of discs and vertebrae, compression of nerve roots or blood vessels by bone growth;
- hypothermia, a sudden change in the climatic zone. Vertebrologists note that in most cases patients with exacerbations of osteochondrosis turn to them in the fall or spring. In the off-season, relapses cause a decrease in temperature. It happens in autumn for natural reasons and in spring - because of the desire to quickly get rid of heavy, warm clothes;
- respiratory, intestinal, urogenital infections, exacerbations of any chronic diseases. In this case, a sharp drop in immunity becomes the cause of the recurrence of cervical pathology.
In addition, osteochondrosis is exacerbated by incorrect massages, weight lifting and excessive physical activity. The onset of relapse often occurs as a result of non-compliance with medical recommendations on nutrition, alcohol consumption, medication.
Clinical presentation
The methods of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical or cervicothoracic spine depend on the severity of the symptoms. They are not as intense in the pathology of 1, 2 degrees, when a small amount of cartilage tissue is damaged. And for osteochondrosis in 3 or 4 stages, acute clinical manifestations are characteristic, caused by several negative factors at the same time. The cartilaginous intervertebral discs lost their cushioning properties and the distance between the vertebrae decreased significantly. Therefore, with a marked displacement of the vertebra, nerves and blood vessels can be compressed simultaneously. The vertebrologist conducts treatment, taking into account the following symptoms of an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis:
- stitches, stitches, pain, pulling pains in the cervicobraquial or thoracic region;
- irradiation of pain in the back of the head, arms, forearms, shoulders, chest;
- persistent or paroxysmal pain syndrome;
- increased pain during movement, rotation of the shoulders, lifting of the arms.
Pain in the neck and shoulders is one of the signs of an exacerbated pathology.
When examining a patient, the vertebrologist reveals signs of muscle spasm, pain in the paravertebral points, rigidity of movement, mild physiological lordosis. An unnatural position of the human body also makes it possible to suspect an aggravation. He strongly pulls his neck up, turns his whole body to the side to reduce the intensity of the pain. Osteochondrosis of moderate and high severity is manifested by neurological disorders as a result of damage to the sensory, motor, and vegetative functional structures. For example, when the spinal roots are compressed, there are sensations of "crawling", the skin of the forearms and the occipital region loses sensation, it becomes pale and cold to the touch. Patients complain of weakness in their arms, dizziness, headaches, nausea, decreased vision and / or hearing.
Visual impairment almost always accompanies an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.
The recurrence of cervical osteochondrosis is manifested by psychoemotional instability, insomnia, arterial hypertension and, at times, syncope - short-term fainting that occurs with sudden movements of the neck.
First aid for relapse
The pain that occurs during a relapse is so acute that the person simply freezes in place, fearing to make an unnecessary movement. It should be smoothed out, preferably placed on a hard surface. Place a flat or folded pillow under your back. a blanket for the patient to be comfortable and the intensity of the pain syndrome to decrease.
Now it is necessary to call the ambulance team. The fact is that in some cases, with the exacerbation of osteochondrosis, the person is unable to swallow a pill. Doctors who answer the call will inject an analgesic solution intramuscularly or intravenously. If necessary, they also use means to restore cerebral circulation or to hospitalize a person for further treatment in a hospital setting.
Transporting the patient to the hospital.
While the ambulance is on its way, the patient should feel better. How to relieve cervical osteochondrosis exacerbation:
- if swallowing functions are preserved, give an anesthetic tablet;
- gently rubbing the pain relieving gels will help reduce pain;
- the patient should not stand up, bend over, as his coordination of movements may be impaired.
Before the doctor arrives, it is strictly forbidden to self-medicate - use warming agents, massage the neck to relieve muscle spasms. If an attack of osteochondrosis is accompanied by an inflammatory process in the paravertebral structures, then such events will cause the development of irreversible complications.
Treatment of osteochondrosis in the acute phase
Treatment of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis begins with the elimination of the main symptom - acute and penetrating pain. The vertebrologist may prescribe intramuscular administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
The use of medicinal blocks with hormonal drugs is practiced. Glucocorticosteroid solutions together with anesthetics are injected into the area of the vertebrae or the strangulated spinal root. After the elimination of severe pain, therapy continues with topical pills or agents.
How the treatment of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis continues at home:
- take NSAIDs in tablets, capsules, tablets for 5-7 days. Medicines should be combined with proton pump inhibitors to prevent ulceration of the gastric mucosa. If this recommendation is neglected, then after tasting an attack of osteochondrosis, hyperacid gastritis will have to be treated;
- use of NSAIDs in the form of gels, ointments, creams from the first day of treatment for 7 to 10 days. The funds should be applied in a thin layer to the area of pain 2 to 3 times a day and rubbed lightly;
- use of heating agents. After the inflammation subsides, around the third day of therapy, doctors prescribe agents with a warming effect to improve blood circulation and stimulate regeneration. They are rubbed in a small amount 1-3 once a day. Transdermal products, such as pepper patches, can help deal with pain;
- parenteral intake or administration of muscle relaxants. They have analgesic effects eliminating muscle spasm, usually caused by compression of nerve endings.
What else to do with an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, what medications to take or perform medical procedures, the vertebrologist decides. If the patient has not used chondroprotectors before relapse, then, from the first days of therapy, he should be prescribed drugs that stimulate the restoration of cartilage tissue. To accelerate the restoration of all cervical spine functions, intramuscular injection of chondroprotectors will be possible.
The use of B vitamins will significantly speed up the patient's recovery. Pyridoxine, thiamine, cyanocobalamin, nicotinamide, riboflavin improve innervation in the area of damaged discs and vertebrae, stabilize the central and autonomic nervous system.
Non-drug therapy
For 3-4 days of treatment, the patient is at rest in bed. Any dynamic loads in all parts of the column are excluded. For several hours or all day, patients are recommended to wear a Shants collar, the required height that the doctor will determine. The use of an orthopedic device helps to reduce the load on the cervical vertebrae, prevents the intensification of painful sensations.
The Shants collar fixes the cervical vertebrae.
Nutrition for cervical osteochondrosis during an exacerbation should be fractionated - 5-6 times a day. It is necessary to exclude foods rich in salt or spices from the diet. Its use causes fluid retention in the body and increased swelling. Nutritionists recommend eating more fruits, cereals, fresh vegetable salads.
In severe relapse, the innervation of some parts of the body is disturbed due to nerve damage. And spinal cord compression becomes the cause of conduction disorders - para- and tetraparesis of the hands, dysfunction of internal organs. Therefore, doctors do not strongly recommend eliminating the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis independently, suppressing pain with pills. Only the proper therapy will help to avoid the dangerous consequences of a pathological relapse.
How to forget joint pain and osteochondrosis?
- Joint pain limits your movement and full life. . .
- You are concerned about discomfort, crushing and systematic pain. . .
- You may have tried a lot of drugs, creams and ointments. . .
- But judging by the fact that you're reading these lines, they didn't help much. . .
The term "osteochondrosis" characterizes the destructive processes that occur in one or another part of the human musculoskeletal system.
In some patients, this disease affects the joints of the extremities, but with a 95% probability, osteochondrosis is located anywhere in the spine.
The spine is the main axis of the human body, performs many important functions and is an almost irreplaceable element of the musculoskeletal system.
Violating the structure of any part of the spine can lead to irreversible consequences and severely worsen the patient's quality of life.
Osteochondrosis of the spine can affect one of three sections of the spine: cervical, thoracic or lumbar, and also be located in several sections.
The disease of each section of the spine has characteristics specific to the course and individual symptoms, as well as some nuances in the treatment tactics for osteochondrosis.
How does cervical osteochondrosis occur?
According to changes in spine structures, patient complaints and treatment methods, cervical spine osteochondrosis is classified into 3 stages of the course.
Stage 1
Inflammation of the cervical spine
This degree rarely presents a clinically expressed image, some patients complain of:
- Recurring headaches;
- Discomfort in the neck and occipital region.
The changes that occur at this stage of the disease affect some vertebrae and intervertebral discs, the elasticity of the fibrous ring decreases and there is a slight compression of the spinal nerve roots
Stage 2
The degeneration of the spinal structures is more pronounced, the intervertebral discs are practically unable to perform their functions, there is pressure on the nervous processes and blood vessels, this causes the symptoms of the disease.
Patients report frequent headaches, dizziness and decreased performance. At this stage, most calls for qualified medical care occur, but some spinal injuries are already irreversible.
Stage 3
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine reaches its peak. Massive lesions of the bony and ligamentous system.
Strong clinical picture:
- Severe headaches;
- Nausea, lack of coordination;
- Sleep problems;
- Visual and auditory disorders.
Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease characterized by alternating periods of exacerbation and stages of remission (calm).
The exacerbation of the disease is a phase of the chronic course, in which the symptoms of the disease manifest, the patient's well-being deteriorates.
The remission stage is a period that occurs after treatment or on its own, characterized by an imperceptible course of the disease without a pronounced clinical picture.
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in the second and third stages is reduced to minimize the phases of exacerbation and prolong the remission period.
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Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis
Performing competent treatment, physiotherapy, gymnastic exercises, adequate nutrition and lifestyle help the body to fight osteochondrosis and can increase the time of remission of the disease.
A number of reasons can cause a sudden exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, causing a recurrence of the symptoms of the disease.
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The frequency, duration and intensity of exacerbation periods are individual and depend on the cause of the onset, the presence or absence of treatment, as well as on the organism's personal characteristics, its compensatory and adaptive properties.
Causes of exacerbations
Spinal degeneration leads to cervical osteochondrosis
It is quite difficult to perform laboratory tests that allow to determine with certainty the factor that caused the manifestation of osteochondrosis symptoms of the spine.
The list of reasons is based on long-term observations by orthopedic doctors and neuropathologists for patients, a thorough analysis of possible predisposing factors, after which patients have noticed a deterioration in well-being.
The causes of exacerbations can be exogenous and endogenous - caused by the influence of inside or outside the body.
Endogenous causes include progressive degeneration of the spine and weakening of the body's compensatory and adaptive properties.
Among the exogenous factors, the following are the most likely to cause an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis:
- Presence of inadequate load on the spine or alteration of the predominant posture (weight lifting, playing strength sports, changing the type of activity);
- Stresses, nervous shocks;
- Undergoing a manual therapy session or course by an incompetent person;
- Seasonality (revealed a large number of exacerbations of cervical spine disease in autumn);
- Hormonal tremors (menstruation, pregnancy, menopause);
- Diseases that weaken the body (respiratory viral infections, infectious diseases, periods of exacerbation of other chronic diseases);
- Fast weight gain.
How to determine if osteochondrosis has worsened?
An exacerbation of the disease is evidenced by the presence of discomfort in the neck and head, a deterioration in the general state of health.
Sometimes the exacerbation stage begins at the speed of light, with severe pain in the head.
In 70% of cases, a rapid exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis can be predicted: the patient notices a feeling of heaviness or uncomfortable pain in the neck, complaints intensify in the morning.
The presence of predisposing factors in the context of the manifestation of the symptoms of the disease confirms the version about the exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
All types of symptoms during exacerbation
The symptoms that occur during an exacerbation of a chronic spinal disease largely coincide with the general symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
The most common symptom of an exacerbation is pain.
The intensity, nature and location can be varied: pain in the neck or in one of its parts, headaches in the occiput, parietal tubercles, pain in the clavicle, shoulder.
Dangerous manifestations of pain can be symptoms similar to those of myocardial infarction:
- Pain in the scapula;
- Chest pain;
- Pain in the left limb.
Some patients report painful sensations only when moving their head or arm on the shoulder joint.
The exacerbation of chronic cervical osteochondrosis can cause a series of neurological symptoms; if present, it is necessary to carefully examine the patientto rule out more serious pathologies:
- Sleep disorders, concentration, memory;
- Loss of coordination, loss of balance, fainting;
- Sensation of flies in front of the eyes, chills, ringing in the ears;
- Dizziness;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Diction violation;
- Decreases or increases the sensitivity of the arm, shoulder blades, neck.
The presence of these symptoms cannot be ignored. The influence of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine on blood vessels that irrigate the brain can lead to the most dangerous complication of cervical osteochondrosis - stroke.
How long does the aggravation last?
The duration of the exacerbation stage may vary depending on the season (in the cold season, the activation of osteochondrosis may be more time-consuming and painful), reasons that caused the resumption of the symptoms of the spine disease, individual characteristics of the patient's body and thetreatment offered.
Experts call the following deadlines thestages of exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- Serious symptoms - up to 1 week, more often - 4-5 days;
- Retention of some discomfort in the affected area, headaches - up to 3 weeks after relief from severe attacks;
- The general period of exacerbation is considered standard - about 1-1, 5 months.
Worsening of cervical osteochondrosis during pregnancy
A pregnant woman's body undergoes complex physiological changes, a colossal hormonal wave occurs, a complete redistribution of the body's center of gravity, mineral absorption and assimilation and nutrient changes.
These rearrangements have a serious impact on the musculoskeletal system, the spine is under severe stress.
Pregnant women with a history of disease such as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, in 50% of cases, relapse of the disease. This is due to the changes that the spine undergoes.
The symptoms of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis in pregnant women are the same as in all other patients.
The difficulty lies in choosing the therapeutic regimen, as when prescribing medications, it is necessary to take into account the possible effect of the medication on the fetus.
To relieve exacerbation in pregnant women, ointments that do not penetrate the baby are chosen, in rare cases, in case of severe pain, complex anesthetic pills or injections are prescribed.
Many pregnant women resort to treatment with non-traditional methods, recipes from traditional medicine, which are softer for the fetus.
What to do in case of exacerbation?
If you have symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, do not postpone a visit to an orthopedic surgeon or neurologist.
Only a specialist can fully assess the patient's condition, the reasons that led to the worsening of the disease, as well as prescribe the correct, safe and effective treatment.
Before visiting a doctor, try to avoid stress on the affected spine.
In the absence of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or individual intolerance, an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory pill can be taken.
In case of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosisis prohibited:
- Warm your neck or neck in a bath, using heating pads or other methods;
- Receive massage sessions;
- Self-healing.
Methods for the treatment of acute cervical osteochondrosis
The worsening of drug treatment for cervical osteochondrosis aims to eliminate the symptoms of the disease and restore the patient's well-being and performance early.
The table shows the main methods of treatment of diseases of the cervical spine, indicating the mostcommon.
Before using any of the drugs on the list, consult your doctor.
| Drug group | Target destination |
|---|---|
| Painkillers / NSAIDs | Pain relief, reduction of inflammation in the affected area |
| Muscle relaxants | Relief from muscle spasm |
| Diuretics | Reducing swelling in the inflamed spine and reducing pressure on nerve roots |
| Chondroprotectors | Reconstruction of column structures |
| Vitamins | Improving metabolism, chemical reactions |
| Nootropics | Restoring the conduction of nerve impulses along nerve processes |
A visit to a qualified osteopath in the acute phase will "release" the contained nervous process and relieve some of the symptoms of the disease.
How else can you relieve an exacerbation at home?
To visit a doctor at the moment is impossible, there are several recipes to relieve the condition of a patient with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine a little before providing medical care:
- Take a hot, relaxing bath;
- Wrap your neck in a natural wool garment;
- Apply herbal compresses to the affected area. For these purposes, use onions, sage, mint;
- Make mummy 1: 1 butter and ointment.