Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, the treatment of which will be described in this article, is observed not only in adults, but also among young people. The reason for the development of this ailment is a long stay in a sitting position, for example, while working at a computer. Treatment of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis in most cases is allowed to drift. However, this is fraught with the appearance of unpleasant complications, which consist in constant headaches, extending to the neck, back, shoulder blades and arms. If you do not start treatment of exacerbations of cervical osteochondrosis in a timely manner, then hearing, vision, and concentration of attention may decrease. And this causes a lot of problems in human life.
The development of cervical osteochondrosis
This unpleasant disease begins unnoticed, and at the initial stage of its development is almost not felt by patients. Only an MRI or X-ray can indicate small changes that occur in the cartilaginous intervertebral discs. Also, using these diagnostic examinations, you can see a decrease in height and small cracks in the intervertebral discs. This all provokes compression of the nerve roots, resulting in aching pain in the head and neck.
As the disease develops, the patient's symptoms are more often observed, and they no longer pass independently and quickly. The destruction of the intervertebral discs continues , resulting in subluxations of the cervical vertebrae. Sometimes patients have the so-called falling head syndrome. Due to the weakening of the neck muscles, the person’s head leans forward, the patient complains of severe pain. At the third stage of the development of the disease, dizziness, shooting pains in the neck, a feeling of nausea, and also a weakening of the sensitivity of the hands are also added to the pain. In order to avoid such complications, it is necessary to start treatment of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis in time.
Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis
At any stage of the development of the disease, the patient may experience exacerbation, especially for the elderly. This is due to the fact that age-related degeneration of cartilage tissue independently causes symptoms of exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the treatment of which will be described below. In addition, exacerbations can be observed in the following cases:
- During weight lifting, abrupt movement of the head or increased physical exertion.
- During nervous strain and stress, when the patient develops a muscle spasm.
- During a massage session with some unskilled specialist. To protect yourself from such unpleasant consequences, you must always warn the massage therapist that there are any problems with the back. If the patient is not sure of the qualifications of a massage therapist, it is best to refrain from such a procedure.
- During changes in air temperature. The fact is that the temperature difference provokes inflammatory processes. Quite often, osteochondrosis worsens when the patient sweats, and then is under a refreshing breeze or air conditioning.
- When visiting a bath or sauna. A visit to such places is useful in itself, but you should not dive into or drench in cold water. This temperature contrast only enhances the symptoms of exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Treatment in this case will be a little more complicated than at the initial stage of development of this disease.
- With advanced osteochondrosis. The fact is that a disease without treatment does not pass on its own, but only intensifies with time, periodically reminding itself in the form of an exacerbation.
Signs and symptoms of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis
Methods of treating this disease are selected after examination of the patient. In order to contact a medical institution in time, one should not ignore the first signs of the development of this disease. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are as follows:
- Radicular syndrome, which is accompanied by severe pain, localized in the neck and covering the entire area to the shoulder blades. Due to severe pain, the patient is forced to keep his head in the same position, and all movements are accompanied by severe pain. In most cases, this phenomenon is observed in the morning, and the muscle at the same time, from the painful side, feels firm and painful to the touch. Shooting pain can also radiate to the arm or shoulder. The patient feels a slight tingling, as well as crawling ants. These symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis appear due to the infringement of the nerve roots that pass in the intervertebral foramen.
- The so-called vertebral artery syndrome, which develops due to compression of the artery passing through the spinal column inside the holes. With the development of this symptom, a headache is observed, which is localized with only one side. Pain also appears in the back of the head, which pulsates or is accompanied by a burning sensation. This pain can go to the forehead, crown and temples. Memory impairment, dizziness, high blood pressure, impaired vision and hearing are also signs of vertebral artery syndrome.
- Cardiac syndrome, which is often confused by patients with an attack of angina pectoris. This syndrome is observed due to irritated roots in the pectoralis major muscle. During pinching of these nerves, the patient develops an attack of soreness and a strong heartbeat. At the same time, a person cannot relax, often breathing heavily. Signs intensify during sudden head movements, as well as coughing and sneezing.
Provocative factors
Before proceeding with the treatment of exacerbations of cervical osteochondrosis at home, you need to know exactly what factors cause this ailment. This will help in the future to avoid possible unpleasant symptoms. The most common provoking factors of this disease are the following:
- Strong load on the cervical spine. Such a load occurs during sedentary work, when the patient is in an unnatural position for a long time. In most cases, office workers and drivers suffer from this ailment.
- Excessive emotionality, as well as frequent stress. The fact is that experiences can cause muscle spasm in the neck, so a person is disturbed in sleep, and an aggravation of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis appears, the treatment of which can be carried out independently.
- Careless or sudden movement, as well as improper massage.
- Autumn time. The fact is that with the advent of autumn, the human body is rebuilt to a new biological rhythm, as a result of which there is an exacerbation of some existing chronic diseases. In addition, the cause of relapse may be frequent hypothermia.
- Disturbed hormonal background.
First aid
Speaking about treatment methods for exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, one should also consider the features of first aid. If the patient has an exacerbation of this disease, then it is necessary:
- Call an ambulance.
- Lay the patient in bed, place a small pillow under his neck.
- Give the patient any pain medication, such as Ibuprofen, Analgin, Midokalm or Diclofenac. It should be noted that the drug will affect the patient approximately 30 minutes after application.
- On the back of the neck should be applied cream "Diclofenac", "Ketonal" or "Indovazin".
- When the ambulance team examines the victim, he can be taken to a hospital or left at home, where it will be possible to independently carry out medical treatment of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.
Drug therapy
Therapy of this disease should be carried out under the strict supervision of a specialist. In the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in the acute stage, the doctor, depending on the reaction of the human body to taking medications, can replace the drug or connect some additional drugs. In most cases, with the drug therapy, the following drugs are used:
- Pain medications such as Ibuprofen, Indomethacin, Ketanov, Diclofenac and others. They are recommended to be used several times a day after meals. These drugs can not only reduce soreness, but also reduce inflammation, which are localized in the pinched nerves.
- Chondroprotectors, for example, Mukosat, Arthra, Chondroxide. With prolonged use, these drugs prevent the destruction of cartilage. To restore cartilage, chondroprotectors must be taken for more than six months.
- Muscle relaxants, for example, Finlepsin, Sirdalud, Midokalm, which contribute to the relaxation of tense muscles.
- Medications that contain B vitamins in their composition. Neurovit, Zifort, Milgamma should be included in such a preparation.
- Nootropic drugs, for example, "Tiocetam", "Piracetam", "Aminalon".
- Medicinal vascular agents, for example, "Vinpocetine", "Betaserc".
- Diuretic drugs, for example, "Furosemide", which is prescribed to relieve swelling.
In addition, it is worth paying attention to the fact that in the treatment of exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, various physiotherapeutic procedures are also prescribed, for example, electrophoresis, acupuncture, ultrasound therapy. To improve the metabolic processes in the soft tissues and reduce inflammation, these procedures are simply necessary.
Manual therapy
For the treatment of exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the drugs are recommended to be used in combination with manual therapy. This procedure involves stretching, bending, extension of the joints, due to which mobility and normalization of blood flow are restored. In this case, it is worth paying attention to the fact that these exercises are performed only under the supervision of a doctor who has sufficient practical experience. The fact is that incorrect movements can provoke some disturbances in the spinal column, as well as disability of the patient.
Folk remedies
Treatment of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis at home involves the use of traditional medicine recipes. However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that before using them, you should always consult a doctor. You should also know that alternative medicine is only an addition to the main treatment.
Horseradish leaf compress
To treat symptoms of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, compresses based on horseradish leaves can be used. This plant should be doused with boiling water, cooled and applied to the place where the pain is localized. After that, you need to wrap your neck with a scarf or towel. A compress of horseradish leaves is done at night. To get rid of unpleasant symptoms, 5-10 procedures are enough.
Celery Infusion
With osteochondrosis, celery-based infusion has a beneficial effect on the human body. To prepare it, you will need 1 liter of boiled water, as well as 3 g of celery root, which should be finely grated. The root is filled with water, after which it is infused for 8 hours. After this, the composition should be filtered and consumed in the amount of one teaspoon before meals three times a day.
In the same way, a tincture based on celery seeds is prepared. To do this, you need one glass of boiling water and one tablespoon of the seeds of this plant. Seeds are poured with hot water and infused for a couple of hours. After this, the tincture is filtered, taken one spoon 3 times a day.
Flour and vinegar compress
To prepare this compress, you need to combine half a pack of butter, one tablespoon of flour and one chicken egg. Stir all the ingredients carefully, add one tablespoon of vinegar. Store the finished mass in a place that is protected from sunlight. The composition should be stored under such conditions for two days. When the film appears on top, it must be removed and discarded. After this, the finished mixture is rubbed into problem areas.
Disease prevention
As a rule, any disease is easier to prevent than to treat it for a long time. It is easy to activate blood flow and muscle condition at home. For this, it is recommended to use additional treatment with can massage. Such therapy should be used until the patient has an improvement in well-being. This folk method is widely known and effective. During this procedure, all movements should be performed smoothly. In no case should you touch the vertebrae.
To prevent the development of cervical osteochondrosis, it is necessary to adhere to some recommendations:
- Refuse too soft bed and mattress for sleeping.
- The back of the work chair should be firm.
- It is forbidden for a long time to be in the same position. Periodically, a person must move.
- Keep a safe distance when reading books or sitting at the computer.
- Stressful situations and nervous strain should also be avoided.
Many experts also recommend resorting to acupuncture procedures for prevention.
As for the diet, you should add more nuts, legumes, fish and seafood, as well as dairy products to the diet. The fact is that this food contains a large amount of calcium and magnesium. In parallel with this, alcohol should be discarded.
If a person follows such simple recommendations, he will be able to defend himself against the painful signs of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis. Relapse of this disease is successfully treatable. To do this, you just need to choose the right methods of therapy. At the first symptoms of this pathology, you must seek help from a medical institution.