Sometimes orthopedists or surgeons diagnose patients with a strange sound at first glance - "the cervical lordosis is straightened." What does it mean? It is immediately difficult to understand whether it is good or bad. After all, the term “lordosis” itself is associated with pathological curvature in the majority, and therefore, if it is straightened, what kind of problem can it be? However, our spine has several physiologically determined, that is, normal bends that provide strength and flexibility to our body.
And just this diagnosis - “straightening of the cervical lordosis” - suggests that in the neck there is no necessary bending due to the physiology of the human body. And an excessive load is placed on this section of our spine. As a rule, people with a straightened spine in the neck involuntarily bend the lower back to smooth out this undesirable effect. And from here - muscle pain and impaired blood supply. But these are only the most superficial manifestations of this ailment.
So, let's figure out if the lordosis of the cervical spine is straightened, what does this mean?
How does the problem arise?
Smoothed or straightened lordosis of the cervical spine is a consequence of problems in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system of the body. It usually occurs in adulthood or in older people with an inactive lifestyle. In this case, lordosis refers to the natural curvature of the spine in the neck forward. Exactly the same should normally be in the lumbar region.
These bends prevent the development of the so-called kyphosis, that is, excessive bending in the thoracic region. The vertebrae in the neck area change their normal position due to poorly developed muscle corset. As a rule, such a process does not go unnoticed and entails other problems. First of all, displacement from the correct position of the vertebrae of the lumbar and thoracic regions.
Many now have a diagnosis - cervical lordosis is straightened. What does this mean and the causes of this phenomenon will be considered below.
Gait change
A gait in people with such a disease is quite characteristic: the neck is slightly extended forward, and a slight hump is visible in the thoracic region. The loin, on the contrary, is curved in the opposite direction, and the pelvis is shifted back. And a person with these disorders has to make an effort not to lose his balance: he spreads his legs widely when walking. This is called a duck’s gait.
When the cervical lordosis is straightened - what does it mean? This is of interest to many patients.
Causes of occurrence
In the case of straightening of the cervical lordosis, the patient is prone to rapidly onset fatigue, and severe headaches can often disturb him. The causes of this condition can be either congenital (less commonly) or acquired.
It is characteristic of those mature people who do not have the habit of monitoring their health, move a little and sit a lot. Naturally, in modern living conditions, when a mass of people spend a large amount of time in front of a computer, this disease is becoming more common.
That's what it means - the cervical lordosis is straightened. The causes of the disease do not end there.
Sometimes this ailment develops due to spinal injury. Rehabilitation measures help to cope with the disease in the initial stages, but if they are ignored, the problem will become more and more serious.
Not everyone knows what this means - the cervical lordosis is straightened.
Symptoms of a straightened cervical lordosis
A patient with this disease may experience the following symptoms:
- fatigue;
- frequent and severe headaches;
- dizziness;
- a sharp increase in body weight due to metabolic disorders in the body;
- loss of vertebral integrity and discomfort in this regard.
What is the danger?
If the stage of lordosis straightening is small, then the symptoms can manifest almost imperceptibly. The patient attributes his fatigue to overwork at work, etc. He can see the causes of headaches in stress or magnetic storms. However, over time, the symptoms intensify, and the broken bend of the body becomes visible to the naked eye. Naturally, the sooner a visit to the orthopedist occurs, which will diagnose and prescribe treatment, the better.
What does this mean - cervical lordosis is straightened, you can check with your doctor.
Consultation with a doctor
As a rule, the surgeon or orthopedist can make this diagnosis already at the patient’s first visit. To determine the deviation of the bend of the cervical spine from the norm, the doctor uses a special ruler. And for confirmation, the patient must undergo an X-ray examination. After all necessary procedures, treatment begins, the purpose of which is to restore the integrity of the spine and its natural deflections.
Visits to a specialist should be regular, because he needs to monitor the dynamics of positive processes and adjust his appointments. In most cases, it is possible to get rid of the problems associated with the fact that the cervical lordosis is straightened. What does it mean?
Treatment
This disease is not cured solely by medications, although in some cases they are still prescribed. The most important thing that will help to cope with the ailment is physiotherapy exercises, which will need to be done regularly, and the instructor’s supervision is simply necessary here. Even the simplest exercises should not be done on their own, as their incorrect performance is fraught with deterioration. Exercise therapy refers to conservative therapies for straightening cervical lordosis.
Exercises
A correctly selected set of exercises, regular classes and instructor control - all this will be very effective if you are responsible in your business. After several classes under the supervision of a physical therapy specialist, they can continue to be done at home. Massage for this disease is also recommended if there are no contraindications.
Wearing a corset
Conservative methods also include wearing a corset or bandage, using a special orthopedic chair (for example, in the workplace).
Another measure is spinal traction. This procedure should be carried out under the strict supervision of a physician and on a specially designed simulator for this. The advantages of the method are the relaxation of tension in the cervical region and the increase in intervertebral space.
As we already said, in some cases, patients are prescribed some medications. Their main goal is to relieve pain and strengthen the ligaments and tissues of the spine. This method is not the main one in the treatment of cervical lordosis rectification; therefore, it is not often used. However, the attending physician may prescribe vitamins and mineral supplements to improve the patient's blood circulation and immunity.
Folk methods
There are also folk remedies for relieving the symptoms of this disease. For example, applying white clay helps relieve pain, as do compresses from burdock or birch leaves. Honey also contributes to pain relief in this case. Compresses from these funds are wrapped in a warm scarf and left overnight. However, you should be wary of allergic reactions.
We examined what this means - the cervical lordosis is straightened. A photo will help to visually see how this disease manifests itself.
Operation
If all other methods have not helped the patient, then there remains only a surgical option. During surgery, the doctor corrects the spine so that it is fixed in its natural position. Sometimes an artificial implant is inserted into a vertebra damaged by an illness. Recovery after such surgery takes from several months to one and a half years.
But in most cases, conservative therapy helps. And if you have achieved improvement, you should not abandon the exercises recommended for you and return to your previous lifestyle so that the lordosis does not smooth out again.
So the diagnosis is quite serious - the cervical lordosis is straightened. What does this mean, we explained.