There is probably no person in the world who is not tormented by back pain. This is not surprising, because most often the lifestyle of modern people is a sedentary, sedentary work, complemented by an evening rest on the couch in front of the TV. At the same time, the poses in which a person is usually located are far from ideal. This state of affairs contributes to the development of a wide variety of diseases, one way or another connected with the spine.
One of the most terrible, according to many patients, diagnoses is an intervertebral hernia of the cervical spine. Of course, such a disease is very unpleasant, but, nevertheless, it is subject to quite successful treatment. The fundamental factor in the process of getting rid of the disease is the actions of doctors and the patients themselves. This is not to say that a hernia of the cervical spine is a simple disease. It requires considerable effort from both sides. An essential circumstance here is also age. As a rule, a patient under the age of fifty copes with the disease quite successfully.
First of all, it should be noted that a hernia of the cervical spine is manifested in most cases as a complex form of osteochondrosis. The causes of this disease often become physical activity and improper body position when they are performed. Very often, the patient does not pay attention to minor pain in the back after such exertion. This is what becomes an excellent soil for the further development of curvatures with complications. Excessive vibrations, injuries, excess weight and lack of exercise only exacerbate the situation.
Among all the possible ailments associated with the human spine, hernia of the cervical spine most often leads to disability. Symptoms in most cases are manifested by numbness of the fingers on the hands, pains in the shoulder, arm or head. Also, the process of hernia formation may be accompanied by dizziness and increased blood pressure. When squeezing the nerve roots of the protruded portion of the intervertebral disc, various pains begin to be felt.
Knowing what kind of pain the patient is experiencing, a specialist can determine the location of the hernia. For example, if the fifth nerve root was pinched, then the person will have weakness and pain in the forearm, and there will be no numbness. When the sixth root is clamped, it is felt in the thumb on the hand, accompanied by soreness in the biceps. When the seventh nerve root is clamped, the middle fingers and the outer part of the forearm are numb in the patient. It also hurts in the thumbs and triceps. Infringement of the eighth root leads to weakness, numbness and tingling of the lower part of the arm. Of course, the individual characteristics of each person play a large role in the manifestation of symptoms, therefore, to concretize the diagnosis, there is a need for a more accurate determination of the location of the hernia, as well as its size, MRI is prescribed.
The most important thing in the process of treating a hernia formed in the cervical spine is a timely visit to a doctor. The sooner an ailment is discovered, the easier it will be to get rid of it later. If the protrusion process has not gone too far, you can do without any intervention by the surgeons. In this case, the patient is prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that can relieve pain and muscle tension, as well as stop the inflammatory processes. Along with drug treatment, a course of physiotherapy and cervical traction are prescribed. It is very important to conduct therapeutic massage and physical education sessions that will help to increase muscle tone and form the so-called muscle corset. It will support the vertebrae, thereby reducing the likelihood of pain. If such actions still did not bring the desired result, then an operation is performed, during which the infringement of the nerve fibers is eliminated and the factors influencing it are removed.