Spinal health is one of the main conditions for the proper functioning of the whole body and internal organs. But, unfortunately, not everyone takes care of their back on an ongoing basis. As a result, doctors often have to make a diagnosis such as protrusion and even a hernia. These diseases are too serious to be ignored, so this topic should be given special attention.
Signs of a Spinal Disease
The main condition for overcoming any health problem is timely diagnosis. The main sign that not everything is fine with the spine is pain in the back.
A constant or periodic sensation of extreme discomfort can cause spinal diseases. Symptoms may vary in some cases. For instance, people with neck problems often suffer from “shooting” or acute neuralgia, and they also experience aching, cramping pain.
Problems with the spine can also be indicated by a violation of the sensitivity of the skin of the back, lower leg, femur of the legs, buttocks, fingers of the upper and lower extremities. In such cases, the patient feels cold in problem areas, numbness and even partial paralysis of the arms and legs.
Sometimes spinal diseases, symptoms which are usually manifested in the back due to the fact that the nerve root can be partially restrained by the extended disk, negatively affect the work of specific organs.
Cervical
A lot of people spend most of their time sitting. As practice shows, most of them are sitting incorrectly. For this and other reasons (for example, trauma), thousands of inhabitants develop diseases of the cervical spine. And one of the most common diagnoses is protrusion.
With such a problem, the pulpous core of the disc extends beyond its natural boundaries. This can lead to pinched nerves and other serious problems.
Most often, protrusion of the cervical spine discs is a consequence of the development of osteochondrosis. Therefore, do not ignore the discomfort and mild pain during head movement. At the first sign of cervical problems you must immediately consult a doctor and start treatment. Eliminating tissue deformation is much easier than rupturing the pulp nucleus.
Key signs of the disease
Such a problem as protrusion of the cervical spine, can be determined by specific symptoms. It is necessary to know them, because the result and the speed of treatment directly depend on the timely treatment of a specialist.
It is worth noting that while the disease is at the initial stage of development, there is no serious discomfort in the neck. An exception is those situations when a slightly displaced disk rests against the nerve root.
If the artery leading to the brain is constricted, then cervical protrusion will make itself felt through the following symptoms:
- headaches, dizziness;
- numbness of the fingers;
- the spread of pain to the region of the upper and lower extremities;
- strong jumps in blood pressure;
- when the weather worsens, aching pain appears in the upper limbs.
Since in the early stages of protrusion virtually invisible, with any hints of pain in the shoulder girdle or base of the head, you need to go to the doctor. Only on time treatment started can prevent the appearance of a hernia.
What is the danger of dorsal disc protrusion?
Since the displacement of the intervertebral cartilage tissue occurs gradually, the protrusion process can be divided into several stages.
Dorsal is a displacement towards the spinal canal, in which up to 50% of the intervertebral disc protrudes. In this situation, the spinal cord is under significant pressure, which causes severe pain. The patient's condition significantly worsens if the deformable disk begins to put pressure on the nerve root as well.
If you have to deal with such a stage of deformation as dorsal protrusion of the disc, timely diagnosis becomes more important than ever. Indeed, if you lose time and allow the problem to worsen, then the surgeon will have to fight with a hernia.
Effective diagnostics
In order to identify the presence of protrusion of the cervical spine disks in time, it is necessary to choose the most accurate methods for identifying the disease.
You need to start with computed tomography. It is this type of diagnosis that can bring maximum clarity regarding the condition of the patient’s back.
Next, the doctor should carefully study the symptoms, paying particular attention to pain in the cervical region, tingling in the fingers, as well as a change in skin tones.
Modern treatment methods
In the treatment of protrusion of the cervical spine discs, surgery can be dispensed with, but only if the diagnosis has not been delayed.
As a rule, doctors prescribe physiotherapy procedures that are designed to establish metabolic processes in the cervical spine. Also, patients are often advised to take various medications to relieve pain.
Promotes rapid recovery and reduced mobility. A more relaxed lifestyle creates favorable conditions for neutralizing disk inflammation.
Special corsets, as well as electrophoresis, can be of great help in the treatment of protrusion. Such methods of neutralizing disk deformation, such as massage of the cervical spine, therapeutic diet and gymnastics, have also proved their effectiveness.
Of course, all these restorative techniques should be carried out under the constant supervision of a qualified doctor.
Protrusion Prevention
Those who do not intend to have problems with intervertebral discs in the future need to follow the simple instructions of doctors.
First of all, you need to monitor your posture. If you have to work while sitting, it is important to get up and stretch your back every 50 minutes using special exercises. Protrusion of the cervical discs is unlikely to disturb those who constantly visit the pool. It is also worth protecting your back from hypothermia and dealing with excess weight, because, according to statistics, overweight people are faced with the need to treat protrusion much more often than those who keep themselves in shape.
It will be useful to abandon the frequent use of fatty foods and alcohol, which contribute to the development of degenerative changes in the cervical discs. Also, you never need to lift very heavy objects, all the more sharply, as there is a risk of injury.
However, exercising in the gym can help protect your back from damage. The main thing is to correctly calculate the weight of the shells and constantly consult with a trainer.
The consequences of advanced protrusion
If for a long time to ignore such a problem as deformation of the cervical disc, it is logical to expect the occurrence of a hernia.
This type of spinal disease is much more serious than protrusion. In fact, a hernia is a rupture of the fibrous ring, and as a result, protrusion of the pulpous nucleus of the disk. Such a diagnosis cannot be ignored, otherwise the intervertebral cartilage tissue will contract more and more due to uneven loading, which can lead to compression of the spinal cord.
As a result, a person suffering from a hernia may become disabled. With the development of dystrophic lesions of the spinal cord, weakness and numbness in the legs or (in the case of the cervical region) paresis (paralysis) of the hands begins.
Symptoms of hernia
As in the case of protrusion, the protrusion of the pulpous nucleus of the disk at first may pass unnoticed. Pain is felt only when the core of the disc begins to put pressure on the nerve roots.
And if the hernia in the cervical spine reaches its critical state, that is, it becomes large and begins to pinch the structure of the spinal canal, the patient will experience such vivid symptoms as stiffness in the movements of the head and hands, numbness of the fingers, dizziness, weakening of the muscles of the upper shoulder girdle, etc. the result may even be paralysis of the upper limbs.
How does a hernia appear between the vertebrae C5-C6 and C6-C7
Such a phenomenon as a rupture of the fibrous ring and subsequent protrusion of the pulpous nucleus, in most cases appears in the lumbar region and neck. In this regard, a herniated disc C5-C6 is especially common.
It is worth noting that, depending on the location of the problem, the symptoms may vary. For example, in the case of a hernia between the C6-C7 vertebrae, the patient will have difficulty bending and unbending his fingers. Moreover, the so-called limb budding will begin to appear. With a similar diagnosis, pain and numbness will be felt in the back of the shoulder. The same symptoms can be transmitted to the forearm, as well as to the back of the hand.
But if a hernia of the C5-C6 disk has developed, then the lateral part of the arm begins to grow numb in the elbow area. In the same place pain will be felt. In addition, in a person with such a hernia, there is leakage and tingling of the index and thumb, with a concomitant development of weakness in the biceps.
Hernia treatment
In most cases, people who are faced with disk disruption are advised by doctors to restrict their movements and wear a special corset that stabilizes the position of the cervical spine. You will also have to take painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs and relaxants to relieve muscle spasms. Do not do without visiting sessions of therapeutic massage. An important role in the healing process is played by gymnastics aimed at strengthening the muscles.
Only in the case when the therapy is unable to give the desired result, the operation of the cervical spine is prescribed.
But this is not the best option, since some types of operations will focus on the fusion of the vertebrae, which means loss of mobility. But even in the case when, after surgical intervention, the cervical spine remains mobile, there remains the risk of a reappearance of a hernia. Plus, surgery is a very dangerous process, as the nerve root can be affected.
Obviously, diseases developing in the cervical spine are a serious problem that cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is important to introduce preventive measures into your lifestyle on an ongoing basis, and in case of manifestation of suspicious symptoms, immediately make an appointment with the doctor.