Osteochondrosis is a disease that progresses and develops in large numbers of people every day. The main reason for it is called a sedentary lifestyle, which contributes to the deformation of the intervertebral discs and squeezing of the spinal nerves. Panic attacks with cervical osteochondrosis are manifested by an unjustified sense of fear and require a thorough examination of the patient.
Causes of the disease with osteochondrosis
Doctors associate panic attacks with osteochondrosis with squeezing the cervical arteries, which supply oxygen-rich blood to the brain, as well as the necessary trace elements for its proper functioning.
Since osteochondrosis is characterized by a thinning and deformation of the intervertebral discs, displacement of the cervical vertebrae and the formation of bone growths, the arterial trunks are pinched and the proper blood supply and nutrition of the brain are disturbed.
Panic attacks with cervical osteochondrosis are manifested not only by external symptoms, but also by changes in the internal environment of the body:
- blood pH changes;
- disrupted calcium metabolism;
- the amino acid profile of the blood changes.
All these disorders lead to changes in the bone structure of the vertebrae and cause the appearance of an unreasonable feeling of fear and anxiety.
Alternative Causes of Panic Attacks
In addition to osteochondrosis, there are other reasons that can provoke the appearance in a person of unreasonable fears and anxieties:
- pregnancy and the postpartum period, especially accompanied by severe postpartum depression;
- lack of trace elements and vitamins (magnesium and zinc), contributes to the progression of the disease;
- genetic characteristics of the body - in the case when there is intensive production of adrenaline (hormone of the brain substance of the adrenal glands);
- general overstrain of the body (physical, mental, mental);
- the use of medications (stimulating and hormonal contraceptives);
- alcohol abuse;
- mental illness.
One of the most common causes of panic attacks is severe stress. In modern life, it is almost impossible to avoid stressful situations that negatively affect the state of mental health and the general work of the body.
Symptoms of the disease
Panic attacks with cervical osteochondrosis are manifested not only by a sense of unreasonable fear. The following symptoms accompany the disease:
- increased heart rate and heart rate;
- the appearance of shortness of breath;
- excessive sweating;
- feeling of suffocation or difficulty breathing;
- digestive disorders and discomfort in the abdomen;
- nausea;
- insomnia;
- pain in the chest, especially localized in the region of the heart;
- feeling of trembling, chills;
- fainting condition ;
- loss of a clear mind, confusion of thoughts;
- frequent urination;
- fear of death, madness and uncontrollable acts.
The severity of symptoms depends on the degree of disease progression and degenerative changes in the cervical spine.
Symptoms of a severe degree of the disease
Panic attacks with cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which are listed above, indicate a severe form of osteochondrosis. In this case, a feeling of unreasonable fear may be accompanied by:
- cramps
- numbness and tingling of the limbs;
- loss of balance;
- dizziness
- visual and auditory impairment.
During the development of the disease, the patient may experience a decrease in fear when panic attacks occur.
What factors trigger panic attacks?
Panic attacks with cervical osteochondrosis occur with prolonged and severe stress, localized in the cervical region, with a long stay in an uncomfortable position, changing weather conditions, psychological or physical overwork. The arterial pressure in these cases is increased, and the brain is disturbed, as a result of which the development of panic attacks progresses.
The clinical picture of osteochondrosis and attacks is aggravated by the patient's fear of new attacks. Frequent stressful situations or finding a person in uncomfortable conditions (in a confined space or place with a large crowd of people) affect panic attacks in cervical osteochondrosis. Patient reviews about the course of the disease sometimes help to be more calm about the occurrence of symptoms of unjustified fear.
Duration and frequency of panic attacks
Typically, the average duration of a panic attack is twenty to thirty minutes. With cervical osteochondrosis, a feeling of fear can last from two minutes to several hours.
The frequency of manifestation also has a wide time limit. Perhaps the occurrence of attacks only once or twice a month, and in some cases they can be repeated several times a day.
Patients often indicate the sudden appearance of attacks, but when working with a specialist, it is always possible to establish the cause of their occurrence, which depends on a specific circumstance or situation.
Panic attacks with cervical osteochondrosis: treatment, drugs
For the treatment of osteochondrosis and panic attacks as one of its symptoms, it is necessary to use both medication and physiotherapeutic treatment. The following medicines are related to drug treatment:
- painkillers (No-shpa, Ketanov);
- anti-inflammatory non-steroidal nature ("Diclofenac", "Ibuprofen");
- improving blood circulation and metabolic processes in the body ("Vazobral", "Vinpocetine");
- mineral and vitamin complexes;
- chondroprotectors ("Rumalon", "Alflutop");
- antidepressants and sedatives (Bellaspon, Afobazol, Grandaksin).
In some cases, reflexology is actively used. Acupuncture and acupuncture through exposure to the biological active points of the body allow you to control and improve its work.
Panic attacks in cervical osteochondrosis: treatment with physiotherapeutic procedures and herbal remedies
Physiotherapeutic procedures include:
- physiotherapy exercises;
- manual therapy;
- stone therapy (hot stone massage);
- magnetic vacuum therapy (can massage).
Herbal preparations have recently gained great popularity, which allow solving several problems at once:
- harmonize the psycho-emotional state;
- normalize metabolic processes;
- calm the nervous system;
- improve transmission of nerve impulses;
- strengthen immunity;
- balance the work of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
Reception of herbal remedies allows to improve the general condition of the patient, reduces the frequency and duration of panic attacks, improves brain function.
Panic attacks and cervical osteochondrosis are associated only by a part of specialists, while the rest believe that these diseases are absolutely independent from each other. They connect the reason for the development of panic attacks with problems in the work of the autonomic nervous system.