Cervical osteochondrosisis a disease in which there is malnutrition or gradual destruction of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral joints and intervertebral discs of the neck.
How to carry your head on your shoulders effortlessly?
If you find it difficult to turn your head when someone calls you on the street, if your neck literally no longer holds up and only causes you pain, then it's time to be examined for osteochondrosis.
The cervical part is the most susceptible to injury because it is the most mobile and at the same time has a weak muscular corset.The body creates a large load on small moving vertebrae.And the spinal canal itself is quite narrow.It can easily become jammed under any pressure.
Thousands of people feel a feeling of heaviness in the back of their heads or a tingling sensation in their hands every day.And without realizing the danger, they call such physiological manifestations fatigue, and sometimes a cold.The neck area contains many blood vessels and nerve endings.With osteochondrosis, the vertebral artery is compressed, thereby supplying nutrients to the cerebellum, medulla oblongata and the posterior parts of the brain.As a result, a person's coordination of movements is impaired, the sense of balance may be lost, vision decreases, hearing deteriorates and sometimes this phenomenon leads to a stroke.
Fact.According to WHO statistics, people aged 30 to 40 are increasingly suffering from cervical osteochondrosis.Doctors explain this trend with a massive decline in physical activity.And the prevalence of this disease in developed countries is 60-80%.
Syndromes and symptoms of osteochondrosis
- Stenosis (narrowing syndrome of the spinal canal): Compression of spinal cord vessels by herniated discs, osteophytes (bone tissue growths) or thickened spinal ligaments.This disrupts blood circulation in the affected area.The person begins to feel constricted and experiences noticeable pain in the cervical spine.Numbness and tingling are noted in the upper and lower extremities
- Radicular syndrome: Compression of the nerve roots by the intervertebral disc.This leads to headaches, which manifest themselves as aching, burning or pulsating impulses, sometimes the sensations resemble the symptoms of hypertension.With this syndrome, speech defects and disorders of the sense of smell, hypertrophy of the facial muscles, damage to the sensitivity of the tongue muscles and a feeling of “clogging” of the throat due to lumps can occur.Breathing is interrupted, the person suffers from snoring and their nose is often “stuffed up” for seemingly no reason.
- Vertebral artery syndrome: arises from compression (squeezing) of the vertebral artery.Its main companion is throbbing pain.Seizures can affect the parietal lobe, the area above the eyebrows, and the temporal and occipital lobes.
- Heart syndrome:are similar to angina pectoris attacks but last much longer.The pain is reflected in the diaphragm.In individual cases, this phenomenon is accompanied by high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmias.
The main reasons for the development of the disease
- metabolic problems;
- lifestyle with low physical activity;
- hereditary predisposition;
- Age-related ossification;
- Tension in the muscles, causing posture changes;
- Lack of fluid and vitamins in the daily diet;
- Remaining in an uncomfortable position for a long time, which increases pressure on the intervertebral discs and spine;
- Excess weight or strain on the spine from wearing heels;
- All types of spinal injuries;
- Lifting weights regularly;
- Autoimmune diseases (the process of self-destruction of the immune system), leading to the degeneration of cartilage tissue;
- Stress, which leads to muscle spasms and impaired blood flow to the intervertebral discs;
- Hypothermia.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
During the initial examination of the patient, the doctor can make the initial diagnosis of “osteochondrosis of the cervical spine” or simply the cervical spine.The expert determines:
- human body type;
- posture position;
- line of spinous processes;
- neck side contours and angles of the shoulder blades;
- localization of pain points and pain level;
- Flexibility area of the spine
- Muscle relief.
All this together will tell you exactly how the disease progresses.Next, the doctor will order a series of tests:
- digital radiography;
- CT (computed tomography);
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging);
- Doppler ultrasound of the main arteries of the brain: a special ultrasound sensor determines the state of blood flow and the vascular walls.
Treatment method for cervical osteochondrosis
The doctor will help you find the optimal solution to the problem.And he offers you a variety of treatment methods: medication in combination with physiotherapy or he prescribes an operation that is gentle on the body.
Conservative treatment– This is primarily a drug therapy.It relieves pain, relieves muscle tension and reduces inflammation.For this purpose, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics are prescribed.The prescription list also includes chondroprotectors to activate regenerative processes in the cartilage tissue of the joint, as well as B vitamins and external preparations: gels and ointments with NSAIDs.
PhysiotherapyThis in turn saturates the nutrient medium of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral disc and promotes cartilage regeneration.The doctor will also prescribe remedial gymnastics exercises - to strengthen the muscle corset and develop the flexibility of the ligament apparatus.He can conduct an introductory lesson with you so that you can carry out the exercises correctly on your own in the future.
Surgical treatmentThis makes sense when medication and physical interventions are unavoidable.He is turned to when the patient's spinal canal is catastrophically narrowed.The surgical procedure was called an anterior cervical discectomy.The surgeon immobilizes the affected spinal segment and removes the intervertebral fracture that is pressing on the spinal nerve.Over time, the vertebrae between which the disc was removed grow together.This is called spinal fusion.For better adhesion, a specialist can perform an operation with stabilization through a cage - that is, the intervertebral space is filled with an artificial insert.
After 3-5 days, the operated patient is discharged from the hospital for outpatient treatment.Rehabilitation lasts on average about 3 months and depends on the implant used and the patient's professional activity.
What is the best way to build a lifestyle for a person diagnosed with neck osteochondrosis?
The daily routine should include compulsory walking, while jumping and running should be avoided.Sitting for a long time is contraindicated;Swimming is beneficial - it not only strengthens muscle tone, but also relieves cramps that strain the body.It is advisable to take a hot shower in the evening (except during treatment of the cervical spine during an exacerbation of the disease).It is also important to pay attention to your diet.Eat foods rich in magnesium and calcium - nuts, dairy products and seafood, legumes.You must avoid alcohol.
Is it possible to visit the sauna during an exacerbation of osteochondrosis?
Warming usually benefits the patient, but after intensive steaming, you must avoid immersion in cold water.You shouldn't run out into the cold either.Otherwise the disease will worsen.Cervical osteochondrosis is sensitive to temperature changes, including climatic ones.Autumn cold, for example, can have a negative impact on well-being.
What complications can occur after cervical osteochondrosis?
If you do not start treatment in time when the first signs of the disease appear, your neck may literally stop listening to you.And the complications of this disease are quite serious.There is a risk of protrusion - the so-called "protrusion" of the intervertebral disc beyond the spine, which can subsequently lead to an inguinal hernia.Nerve roots in the neck area can be injured.Or osteophytes (bone growths on the vertebrae) can occur.Complications often include weakening of the muscles or paresis - a condition in which the head begins to droop to the side or forward.In this section, in the processes of the cervical vertebrae, there are vertebral arteries that supply blood to the brain.Disturbance of this blood circulation is one of the most serious phenomena.Reluctance to seek treatment can lead to neuralgia, deafness and even loss of vision.However, if the problem is addressed at an early stage of its development, the disease can be prevented.
Why do you need a Shants collar?
This is an orthopedic brace made of flexible material that is used to immobilize the neck in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.However, you cannot wear such a neck fixation device for a long period of time, as the muscles may weaken over time and you get used to involuntarily tilting your head to the side without additional support.The Shants collar prevents the vertebrae from moving and maintains the corrective effect after a massage session.It absorbs the weight of the head and distributes it evenly across the collarbone and base of the neck.At the same time, the head remains in the correct position.