How to cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and what is the reason for its appearance?This issue worries those women and men who are forced to solve the problems with health problems daily: from annoying discomfort in the neck to severe headaches and other troubles.
The main reason for the development of the disease is to reduce the distance between the vertebrae due to the destruction of the cartilage between them.
For reference.Osteochondrosis in the cervical spine is a degenerative-dystroph progressive disease, is widely used due to excessive mobility of the vertebral in the neck.Osteochondrosis of the spine causes uncontrolled physical activity, injuries and weak muscle corset.All these causes ultimately lead to the development of cervical osteochondrosis.
Etiology of the disease
The main reason why cervical osteochondrosis develops is to reduce the distance between the vertebrae due to the gradual destruction of the cartilage between them.Any unsuccessful position provokes the vertebrae shift, and the vessels and nerves are pinched.
The most characteristic causes of the development of osteochondrosis:
- Genetic predisposition to the disease.
- Excess weight and metabolic disorder.
- Frequent infections, intoxication of the body.
- Poor, inferior nutrition with the minimum intake of vitamins, trace elements and fluids, which leads to deformation of the vertebrae.
- The curvature of the spine, injuries, bruises, fractures, violation of posture (osteochondrosis of the initial department).
- Flat feet and instability in the spinal segments, including in the bodies of the cervical vertebrae.
- Work associated with lifting weights or frequent changes in the position of the body (jerking, turning).
- A sedentary lifestyle, poor ecology.
- Performing hard work with an undeveloped bone muscular system, which leads to the deformation of the vertebra.
- A long -term forced position of the body, nervous overvoltage and stress.
- “Wrong” sleep pillows that change the position of the vertebrae of the cervical region.
A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of the disease.
It is important to remember that the beginning of osteochondrosis can not be noticed.That is why, with any unpleasant sensations in the neck, it is necessary to contact a specialist in a timely manner.
The following causes of osteochondrosis are theoretical, but found in practice:
Involutionary
They are associated with impaired tissue trophics during the aging of the body, which primarily applies to the intervertebral discs and vertebrae, where a large number of blood vessels pass.
Hormonal
Together with hormonal disorders, dystrophic changes (osteochondrosis) occur in the body, involving the intervertebral discs in the process.
Vascular
They are observed in case of violation of segmental circulation and water-salt metabolism.Subsequently, dystrophic changes are formed in tissues and organs, including neck osteochondrosis.
Infectious
The infection that occurred in the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine and surrounding tissues disrupts the diffusion of the lymphatic fluid and leads to a change in tissues and cervical vertebrae in the nutrition.This is what causes degenerative changes in the spine inherent in osteochondrosis.
Bioelectricity
Inversion of vector forces of bioelectric fields in the intervertebral disk occurs due to injuries, overloads and temperature changes.Ultimately, osteochondrosis of the spine appears and most often polysegent.
Mechanical
Injuries and significant overloads to the spine lead to a violation of the integrity of the fibrous ring and dystrophy of the cervical spine discs.
Anomaline
This refers to congenital anomalies of the spinal column and its individual structural parts.At the same time, the healthy vertebrae of the cervical region take on a double load, which leads to their rapid wear and development of the neck osteochondrosis.
Functional
Primary pathological changes relate to muscle tissue due to congenital or acquired factors.An uneven contraction of muscles in one plane provokes neck osteochondrosis.
Stages of the disease
Cervical osteochondrosis has four degrees of disease.They are characterized by special symptoms and changes that affect the cervical region:
- In the 1st degreeDamage to the pulpos nucleus occurs as a result of a violation of metabolic processes.It becomes less elastic, drys out and does not cope with the loads in the cervical spine.In the 1st degree, the patient does not feel pain, only occasionally stiffness occurs.Treatment at this stage of damage to the cervical region is most effective, a simple massage course helps.
- In 2 degreesDamage to the fibrous ring occurs, microcracks form on the side and rear surfaces of the vertebral disk.The patient with pathology in this degree begins to feel pain in the neck.
- In 3 degreesThe bone structure undergoes changes, the fibrous ring is deformed and torn.All nearby tissues, nerves and blood vessels suffer, a lack of air, noise in the ears and head are felt by the patient.Osteochondrosis of the neck in 3 degrees is characterized by the appearance of aching pain in the back of the head, turning the head becomes very difficult.
- In 4 degreesThere is a degenerative restoration of the spine, the process lasts about a year.In a deformed vertebra, a change in bone tissue growth occurs (in breadth grows).The sick spine gradually turns into a static painless frozen bone column.
Only timely prevention of osteochondrosis will help prevent the development of the disease.
The primary manifestations of osteochondrosis, including polyseggmentary, are found after 35 years, and the older the person, the more often patients complain of a specialist about the pain in the neck.The most common causes of pathology are in our time a long stay at the computer and driving a car.Such forced positions of the spine lead to destabilization in the spinal column.
Characteristic clinical manifestations
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis have a pronounced personality and differ from the symptoms of the manifestation of the disease in other spine.This is due to the features of the structure of the vertebrae and the fact that they are much closer than in the thoracic and lumbar sections.That is why even with the most minor pathologies, cervical osteochondrosis makes itself felt faster.
The following signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are the most characteristic:
Pain
The very first symptom that gives a person to know about the beginning of the problem in the neck.It can be localized: neck, back of the head, shoulder, top of the hand.If a spine of the nerve is involved in the pathological process, which “is responsible” for the innervation of the upper part of the hand, there are unpleasant sensations resembling a weightlift.Pain in the back of the head occurs with severe cramps of the muscles of the neck attached to the occipital bone.In addition, blood flow is disturbed, which provokes the appearance of symptoms of poor blood supply in the brain.
Weakness in the hands
Such a symptom is caused by damage to the nerve root and fibers that carry out the motor function and innervating the muscles of the hands.
The symptom of the disease can be weakness and poor sensitivity in the hands.
Poor sensitivity in the hands
This symptom is explained by damage to sensitive nerve fibers innervating the skin.
Crown and restriction of neck mobility
These are characteristic symptoms indicating the “drying” of the intervertebral disc.In addition, bone tissue growth occurs and degeneration in small joints located between the cervical vertebrae.
Bad coordination
Symptoms indicate that cervical osteochondrosis progresses.The nerves and the vertebral artery are squeezed, and when the fibrous tissue is formed and the vertebrae displacement, the blood flow worsens, which leads to the occurrence of symptoms indicating poor blood supply to the cerebellum and brain.In severe cases, the following symptoms develop: hearing loss, numbness of the language, vision problems.
As you can see, osteochondrosis is by no means a harmless disease, which symptoms eloquently talk about eloquently.
The principles of therapeutic measures
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in men and women is based on stopping all the symptoms of the disease and eliminating the causes why cervical osteochondrosis developed.Symptoms are mainly associated with compression of the nerve fibers and blood vessels, therefore it is primary to eliminate edema, inflammation and restore normal blood supply.Cervical osteochondrosis in the initial stages successfully retreats when the physiotherapy exercises are involved, when the medicine does not resort to the help.
The success of treatment depends only on the team work of qualified doctors.
With the development of cervical osteochondrosis, the local therapist, which is almost always addressed primary, helps little.As a rule, its treatment is only symptomatic, but it is not able to completely find out and eliminate the cause of the disease.Therefore, the success of treatment depends only on the team work of qualified doctors: vertebroneurologist, neurologist, surgeon, physiotherapist and masseur.
The treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical region is important to start at the very early stage, otherwise, in the 2-3 stages, a strong change in the vertebrae occurs and the treatment will be long, difficult and not always effective.The basis for the treatment of problems in the neck is to take drugs, physiotherapy, massage and therapeutic exercises.
Preparations used for cervical osteochondrosis:
- NSAID.
- Vitamin preparations.
- Medications that improve blood flow.
- Musorelaxants.
- Chondroprotectors.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is carried out using the following physiotherapeutic methods:
- Ultrasound (relieves pain, improves metabolic processes).
- Electrophoresis (delivery of medicines to a problem area).
- Laser therapy (relieves inflammation and improves blood circulation).
- Magnetotherapy (relieves tissue edema).
Cervical osteochondrosis should not be underestimated.Very often in men and women there is a slight discomfort in the neck, especially with a long sitting at the computer or in another forced position.At the very beginning, you do not need to take medicines, but try to eliminate the cause or periodically do easy charging (at work or at home).Indications for surgical treatment: lack of effect of conservative treatment (medicine, physiotherapy, gymnastics), constant pain, myelopathy, disturbance of cerebral circulation.