Cervical osteochondrosis of the neck is a common pathology accompanied by unpleasant symptoms. The disease is characterized by degenerative dystrophic processes in the spine. They are caused by inadequate body position, posture disorders, insufficiently active lifestyle. To reduce the symptoms of the pathology, you must consult a doctor in a timely manner.
What is cervical osteochondrosis?
This term is understood as a progressive degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the intervertebral discs, which are located in the cervical spine. As a result, deformation and depletion of the vertebral bodies occurs. This leads to decreased blood circulation and nerve conduction in the neck.
The disease can be isolated or combined with lesions in other parts of the spine - lumbar or thoracic. According to ICD-10, cervical spinal osteochondrosis is coded under the code M42.
Possible complications of the disease
Many people are interested in the danger of cervical osteochondrosis. In the absence of timely and appropriate therapy, the condition can lead to negative health consequences. This includes the following:
- protrusion of intervertebral discs and hernia formation;
- rupture of the disc with compression of nerves and blood vessels - if the spinal cord is pinched, there is a risk of death; radiculopathy;
- the appearance of osteophytes;
- paresis and paralysis.
The main symptoms and signs of cervical osteochondrosis
The disease develops gradually and is initially asymptomatic. Therefore, the diagnosis is usually made in advanced cases. The main symptoms of the condition include the following:
- Pain in the neck and occipital region that worsens with physical effort or cough.
- Crunching in the movements of the head.
- Loss of sensation in the hands, burning in the shoulder blades.
- Headaches that are located in the occiput and spread to the temples.
- General weakness, increased fatigue.
- Decreased visual acuity.
- Tinnitus.
- Hearing impairment.
- Increased heart rate.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
The first signs of the disease usually appear after 35 years. Recently, however, the pathology started to develop at a younger age - 18-30 years. Most of the time, the problem is faced by people who are forced to stay in the same position for a long time.
The main causes of cervical osteochondrosis include the following:
- hereditary tendency;
- violation of metabolic processes;
- infectious diseases, intoxication of the body;
- dietary disorders - deficiency of fluids, vitamins, microelements;
- overweight;
- traumatic spinal injuries;
- bad posture;
- spinal instability;
- insufficiently active lifestyle;
- flat feet;
- influence of unfavorable environmental factors;
- frequent changes in body position;
- being in an uncomfortable position for a long time;
- excessive physical activity; hypothermia;
- stressful situations;
- using wrong sleeping pillows.
What are the different degrees of illness?
The disease develops gradually. There are 4 degrees of cervical osteochondrosis, each of which has specific characteristics:
- The first is accompanied by the appearance of cracks in the intervertebral discs. This process is accompanied by mild pain and stiffness of movement. Pathology has a wavy course. With the deterioration of the immune system or increased load, osteochondrosis worsens. If you don't act on time, there is a risk of aggravating the abnormal process.
- Second - at this stage, the destruction of the intervertebral discs continues and its protrusion is observed. This process is accompanied by clamping of nerve endings. A person has constant pain that increases with movement. At this stage, there is a decrease in work capacity, numbness in the hands.
- The third is accompanied by the appearance of an intervertebral hernia. In such a situation, muscle tissue and nerve endings are involved in the pathological process. As a result, there is pain in the neck and in the occipital region, a feeling of weakness in the hands. With vascular lesions, there is a risk of decreased visual acuity, dizziness and tinnitus. Sometimes the disease leads to fainting.
- Fourth - this phase is accompanied by bone growth. As a result, the pressure on nerve endings increases. With this form of osteochondrosis, the mobility of the neck decreases, the spine becomes less flexible. As a result, a person cannot perform simple head movements.
Why should you see a doctor immediately?
If osteochondrosis symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor - neurologist or orthopedist. Otherwise, the pathology will have dangerous health consequences.
First, the doctor must assess physical activity and the intensity of neck pain. In addition, the specialist is interested in loss of sensation and other disorders.
Based on the results of the preliminary examination, additional procedures are prescribed. First, the radiography is performed. This is done in several projections. If a hernia is suspected, a CT or MRI scan may be required. If there is a violation of blood flow, reoencephalography and fundus examination are necessary.
Treatment is prescribed based on the results of the diagnostic test. With the development of cervical osteochondrosis, the following categories of drugs are used more often:
- Painkillers - help to deal with pain.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - eliminate inflammation and deal with swelling.
- Antispasmodics - help to relieve muscle spasms.
- Preparations to improve blood circulation.
- Chondroprotectors - help to restore the structure of the intervertebral discs.
- Vitamins B - improve the functioning of nerve tissues.
In addition to drug therapy, other methods are prescribed. This includes massage, remedial gymnastics and physical therapy. The use of osteopathy is highly effective. In this case, there is a mild effect on the affected muscles and vertebrae. In some cases, the doctor is advised to use a special orthopedic device - Shants' collar.
Manual therapy is considered an effective way to treat the condition. Your methods are selected individually. The procedure consists of a punctual effect on the musculoskeletal elements. Thanks to this, it is possible to activate blood flow, improve lymph movement and normalize metabolic processes. Manual therapy improves the mobility of the musculoskeletal system, strengthens the immune system and helps prevent complications of osteochondrosis.
Spine traction is often used. For stretching, special equipment is used. The procedure helps to increase the distance between the vertebrae to normal size and to deal with disturbances in the structure of the spine.
If acute cervical osteochondrosis is observed and intervertebral hernias appear, causing decreased sensitivity and decreased blood circulation, there is a need for surgical intervention.
The duration of treatment depends on the severity of osteochondrosis. Most of the time, the therapy is carried out in long courses. To improve your condition, you should definitely make adjustments to your lifestyle. To do this, you need to eat well, give up bad habits and play sports.
Prevention of osteochondrosis of the neck
To prevent cervical osteochondrosis from occurring, you need to follow certain recommendations:
- timely eliminate curvature of the spine;
- play sports to form a muscular corset;
- eat foods that provide calcium and magnesium to the body;
- normalizes body weight;
- follow doctors' recommendations when working on a computer.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a serious condition that leads to negative health consequences. In order to deal with the violation, it is necessary to make the correct diagnosis in time. Therefore, any discomfort in the neck area should be a reason to see a doctor.
How is the treatment going?
Medical consultation: make anamnesis, myofascial diagnosis, functional diagnosis.
How are you?
Collect anamnesis - analyze the disease, identify limitations and contraindications, explain the principles of kinesiotherapy, the characteristics of the recovery period.
Myofascial diagnosis is a method of manual diagnosis, in which the doctor assesses the range of motion of the joints, identifies painful seals, edema, hypo or hypertonia of the muscles and other changes.
Functional diagnosis (performed in the rehabilitation room) - the doctor explains how to do certain exercises on the device and observes: how the patient performs them, with what range of movement he can work, which movements cause pain, with what weight the patient canwork, how the cardiovascular system reacts. Problem areas are identified. The data is inserted on the card. The emphasis is placed.
Based on the results of the doctor's initial examination and functional diagnosis, a preliminary individual treatment program is drawn up.
It is desirable to have you:
- for back pain - MRI or CT scan (MRI or CT scan) of the problem area;
- for joint pain - x-rays;
- in the presence of concomitant diseases - extracts from medical history or outpatient card;
- comfortable (sports) clothes and shoes
Start classes with an instructor
At the beginning of the treatment cycle, the doctor together with the patient develop a treatment plan, which includes the date and time of the treatment session, follow-up visits to the doctor (usually 2 to 3 times a week).
The basis of the treatment process consists of treatment sessions in the rehabilitation room using exercise machines and gym sessions.
Rehabilitation simulators allow you to accurately dose the load on individual muscle groups, providing an appropriate mode of physical impact. The treatment program is prepared by the doctor individually for each patient, taking into account the characteristics of the organism. Control is performed by qualified instructors. At all stages of recovery, it is important to observe the correct movement and breathing technique, to know your weight patterns when working on simulators, to follow the prescribed treatment regime and to follow the recommendations of experts.
Joint gymnastics sessions help restore visual coordination, improve joint mobility and spine elasticity (flexibility) and are an excellent preventive system for independent use.
Each treatment cycle - 12 sessions. Each class is supervised by an instructor. The duration of a treatment session is 40 minutes to 1. 5 hours. The instructor prepares a program taking into account the patient's comorbidities and condition on the day of class. Teaches the technique of performing exercises and monitors the correction of execution. A second consultation with a doctor is held every 6th class, changes and additions to the program are made, depending on the dynamics.
How many loops will it take?
This is individual for each person and depends on the progression of the disease.
Important to know:
- how long have you had this problem (stage of the disease);
- how your body is prepared for physical activity (you do gymnastics, any type of sport);
- what result you want to achieve.
If the disease is at an early stage and the body is prepared, a treatment cycle is sufficient. (example - young people from 20 to 30 years old, playing sports. We focus their attention on the technique of performing exercises, breathing, stretching, excluding "wrong" exercises harmful to problem areas. These patients are trained, acquire the ability to "take care of the body», Receive recommendations in case of exacerbation and continue to do so on your own).
Each organism is individual and the program for each patient is individual.