Almost the entire population of the country over 25 years old suffers from osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. It is the neck that suffers the most. Why this disease occurs and how to deal with it, the article will tell.
Causes of osteochondrosis
Why does osteochondrosis occur? Some actions in life carry an increase in the load on the spine, especially on its cervical spine. As a result, a muscle spasm occurs that disrupts blood circulation in the compression zone. In the absence of a sufficient amount of blood entering any organ, changes begin to occur in it. So in the case of intervertebral discs of the spine. With spasm, changes occur in their structure, vertebrae, growths appear.
What causes the pathology?
- Due to incorrect posture.
- Overweight.
- Sedentary work.
- Spinal injuries.
- Great physical exertion.
- Heredity.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Cervical osteochondrosis is manifested even with minor pathology, which is associated with a very close location of the vertebrae to each other.
- Pain. It can be localized in various areas: neck, nape, shoulder. If the hand is affected, then we are talking about compression of a particular nerve root responsible for this area. The back of the head most often suffers from circulatory disorders due to spasm of the neck muscles.
- Weakness in the hands, decreased sensitivity of the hands.
- Freedom of movement in the cervical region is limited, since the height of the intervertebral disc is reduced.
- The intervertebral discs compress the artery, thereby impairing blood flow. As a result of this, brain tissue, lacking sufficient nutrition, starve, causing dizziness.
- The most severe cases of osteochondrosis are manifested in numbness of the tongue, loss of hearing and vision due to almost completely blocked blood flow to the brain.
Osteochondrosis develops in the following four degrees, which differ in the clinical picture and complaints of patients. In this case, we are not talking about the stages of the disease.
- In the period of the first degree, the cervical region does not hurt intensely, the patient may not complain about his condition. Only an examination will reveal tense muscles.
- If a second degree is present, then the pain in intensity is much greater than with the first degree. This is because the height of the intervertebral disc has decreased, and the nerve roots are impaired.
- In the presence of a third degree, more severe pain is observed, giving to the arm or shoulder, the muscles of which are numb. Disc herniation occurs. With this degree, dizziness often occurs, the mobility of the cervical region is very limited.
- If we are talking about the fourth degree, then the intervertebral disc is already completely destroyed, there is severe dizziness, and coordination of movements is disturbed.
Diagnosis of the disease
The doctor who came to the patient’s examination is first questioned in detail, figuring out his lifestyle, work, and symptoms that concern him. It also turns out whether a person is genetically disposed to a similar disease.
Then a thorough examination of the neck is performed at its various positions, palpation of the affected areas. These methods only make it possible to suspect the patient has osteochondrosis.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis with complete confidence can be quite easily done using an examination.
- By radiography of a specific spine. This method should not be used in the late stages of the disease due to the fact that it gives a minimum of information.
- With computed tomography, changes in the vertebral discs will be visible, but it is impossible to consider hernias.
- The best diagnostic method in this case is magnetic resonance imaging. The picture will show the slightest changes, the presence of hernias.
Osteochondrosis Treatment
An effective treatment for cervical osteochondrosis is to use an integrated approach to the disease. It combines drugs and physiotherapy. If it is not possible to achieve favorable consequences by the indicated methods, they resort to surgical intervention already.
Conservative treatment consists in taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins, muscle relaxants. The former are designed to reduce inflammation and pain. If the pain is not severe, then ointments or gels applied externally will help. Taking vitamins helps improve blood circulation, leading to enhanced brain nutrition.
But all medical methods will not be enough if the cause of osteochondrosis lies in a person’s lifestyle, and he remains unchanged. If neck pain arises from constant work at the computer, then it is necessary to include some physical exercises in the working rhythm to warm up the neck.
Excellent results are achieved using physiotherapy: electrophoresis, water procedures, massage, therapeutic exercises. Hirudotherapy and manual therapy also greatly alleviate the discomfort.
Everyone knows the statement that the disease is easier to prevent than to cure it later. This fully applies to osteochondrosis. All achievements in the fight against the disease will be reduced to zero if you continue to do the same things as before the disease: to move a little, not to engage in sports, and to allow excess weight. All this can again lead to pathologies of the intervertebral discs and osteochondrosis. Therefore, during sedentary work, it is recommended to periodically do self-massage, dispersing stagnant blood and providing an influx of nutrients to the brain.
In addition, it is recommended to regularly eat fully, relax at night, and not gain excess weight. With a disease, you can not lift weights, especially if physical training is at zero.