Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine: symptoms and treatment

Spinal diseases are a serious pathology that changes the normal physiology of both the axial skeleton and the entire organism as a whole.Damage to only one cervical region leads to disruption of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, organs of vision and hearing, shoulder and elbow joints.Therefore, every person who cares about their health needs to know the reasons for the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, its main symptoms, methods of treatment and prevention.

What is cervical osteochondrosis

The human cervical spine consists of 7 vertebrae connected by elastic discs.Normally, the vertebrae are located close to each other, securely hold the head, and participate in movement.The first signs of the disease appear in a person aged 25-45 years.Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebra develops - a degenerative-dystrophic change in the intervertebral discs.Their decrease leads to compression and displacement of nerves and blood vessels.If osteochondrosis is not treated, the disease begins to progress rapidly.

Causes of development of cervical osteochondrosis

Let's consider the main causes of cervical osteochondrosis:

• lack of physical activity, or vice versa, excessive stress;
• sedentary life, sedentary work;
• poor posture such as scoliosis;
• constant stress, nervous tension.

Other causes of cervical osteochondrosis are injuries, hereditary diseases: genetic predisposition, intrauterine trauma.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are very diverse and depend on the stage of development of the disease:

1st degree	The symptoms are mild, sometimes there are small lumbago, sleep disturbances, and a headache.But minor first signs do not cause great concern, so people do not consult a doctor.
2nd degree	The photographs show protrusions and a decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs.The pain becomes constant, stiffness and numbness in areas of the face and head appear.A cough appears.Migraine pain develops, nausea and dizziness intensify.Sleep is disturbed and fatigue increases.Impairments in cardiovascular activity are observed.
3rd degree	The development of intervertebral hernias in cervical osteochondrosis leads to compression of nearby tissues - vessels, nerves.Severe, aching pain in the back of the head and neck appears, dizziness and nausea appear.Patients feel weakness and numbness in their hands.Muscle tone changes, tension in the neck muscles appears.Patients experience the development of sclerosis.
4th degree	The appearance of osteophytes leads to narrowing of the intervertebral foramina, pinched nerves, and damage to joints.All symptoms intensify and become permanent.At this stage, there is a decrease in signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, due to the fact that the vertebrae practically grow together and mobility decreases.Lack of treatment at this stage can lead to disability.

Since from each vertebra the nerves approach certain organs, the localization of the damage can be determined by the clinical manifestations of the disease.

Cervical osteochondrosis syndrome

With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, compression and pinching of the spinal nerve roots occurs.This pathology is rare.This is due to the fact that the cervical ligaments are strong, and hernial protrusions practically do not come out of the intervertebral foramina.

Radicular syndromes

Radicular syndromes are caused by oxygen starvation of the latter.

Irritative-reflex syndromes

Irritative-reflex syndromes are characterized by burning, sharp occipital or cervical pain.It occurs when moving the head after prolonged tension caused by a long, immobile state of the neck.Also, unpleasant sensations occur in the chest and shoulder joints.

Cardiac syndrome

Cardiac syndrome resembles angina pectoris.Patients complain of heart pain that appears during physical or emotional stress.But when examining the functioning of the heart, no pathology is detected, and heart medications do not bring relief.Cardiac syndrome develops in suspicious people with a tendency to phobias.For treatment, such patients may need the help of a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

Why is cervical osteochondrosis dangerous?

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is an insidious disease.One of the greatest dangers is narrowing of the heart (coronary) vessels, which can lead to a heart attack.

Severe headaches with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine lead to a decrease in a person’s memory and performance, and the inability to perform professional duties.

Changes in the vertebrae and intervertebral discs cause numbness of the roots, accompanied by dysfunction of the corresponding organs or leading to disability.

Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis

If you have neck problems, you should consult a neurologist or orthopedist.The diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis is made on the basis of the patient’s complaints, life history, examination, examination.

To clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct x-rays, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging to identify protrusions or hernias.For symptoms of cerebral circulatory disorders, ultrasound of the neck vessels, brain encephalography, and fundus examination are performed.If there is a variety of symptoms affecting other organ systems, additional diagnostics are carried out, which are prescribed by a cardiologist or rheumatologist.

How to treat cervical osteochondrosis

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis should always be carried out comprehensively.All measures are aimed not only at eliminating pain, but also at eliminating other pathological symptoms.Treatment is carried out using such methods and means as:

• drug therapy;
• massage;
• physical therapy;
• unconventional methods;
• surgical intervention.

Drug treatment

Drug therapy for osteochondrosis is aimed at reducing pain in the cervical spine, restoring vascular blood flow, and maintaining motor and mental activity.Main groups of drugs:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs	The drugs relieve inflammation, eliminate pain, and have an antipyretic effect. Attention: You cannot take these drugs for a long time, as they can cause side effects - liver damage, peptic ulcers, hematopoietic disorders and increased thrombus formation.
Muscle relaxants	Reduce muscle tone and spasm.
Vascular drugs	They improve blood flow in the vessels, relieve headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, flashing “sights”, and help restore memory.
Venotonics	Venotonics are prescribed when there is a violation of the venous blood flow of the head.
Antispasmodics	Reduces cerebral vascular spasms.
General tonics: ginkgo biloba, ginseng	Prescribed for liquor hypotension.
Serotonin receptor agonists	Increases arterial tone.
Neurotropes	Prescribed for dizziness and tinnitus.
Diuretics	Reduce swelling in pinched tissues.
Chondroprotectors	Prevents the destruction of cartilage tissue and intervertebral discs.
Sedatives and antidepressants	Reduce nervous tension, anxiety, depression, depression, and increased fatigue.
B vitamins, complex vitamin preparations	Improves trophism (nutrition) of cartilage and nervous tissue.Prescribed in the form of tablets or injections (during an exacerbation).

Attention: Drugs for the treatment of osteochondrosis, in addition to their therapeutic effect, may have side effects and have serious contraindications.Therefore, do not self-medicate under any circumstances.Only a specialist, a neurologist, can prescribe the necessary medications, individually select the dose and determine the duration of taking the medications.

First aid for a disease in the stage of severe exacerbation is therapeutic and drug blockades, which only a specialist has the right to carry out.

Surgical treatment for osteochondrosis

Surgical treatment is prescribed for cervical osteochondrosis only in extreme cases, for example, with the formation of osteophytes (marginal growths of bone tissue of the vertebrae), spondylolisthesis (vertebral displacement) or stenosis (narrowing) of the spinal canal.Surgery is prescribed only if all other treatment methods have failed to produce a positive effect.

The operations are as gentle as possible, using microsurgical instruments and a microscope.Surgeons most often perform endoscopic operations or microdiscectomy.During the operation, ligaments are excised, affected vertebral fragments are removed, and hernial protrusions are excised.The postoperative period is usually long, but the prognosis for rehabilitation is favorable.

Massage

Massage performed outside the period of exacerbation is prescribed to consolidate the therapeutic effect or for preventive purposes.It is usually prescribed in a course of 10-14 sessions, several times a year.Purpose of massage:

• improve lymph flow;
• normalize blood circulation;
• relax the neck muscles, collar area;
• improve nutrition of cartilage tissue;
• prevent further development of the disease;
• reduce the risk of relapse.

Which massage to choose - manual or mechanical, which also helps well with cervical osteochondrosis, is decided only by the doctor.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapeutic procedures complement other types of treatment and have a beneficial effect on the health of the cervical spine.Physiotherapy procedures are prescribed in the remission stage, relieve pain, muscle spasms, strengthen muscles, and restore motor activity.For osteochondrosis, the following is most often used:

• balneotherapy;
• detensor therapy;
• laser therapy;
• magnetic therapy;
• UV therapy.

Unconventional methods of treatment

Non-traditional treatment methods complement official ones and help to quickly cope with problems in the cervical spine.

1. Acupuncture.Inserting needles into special, painful points along the spinal column relieves muscle tension, relieves pain, reduces inflammation, and improves blood circulation.
2. Dry or underwater extraction.It is prescribed to elevate the vertebrae and increase the distance between them.Thanks to this procedure, pain subsides, blood circulation is restored, and the load on the joints is reduced.
3. Needle applicator.The needle-shaped spikes of the applicator affect active points of the cervical spine, restore function, and reduce inflammatory processes in muscle and cartilage tissue.
4. Leeches.Not very presentable in appearance, but medicinal leeches have a unique saliva, the components of which relax muscles, improve trophism in affected tissues, reduce swelling, and relieve pain.
5. Hydrotherapy.Water douches, saunas, and baths with medicinal herbs complement traditional forms of treatment.
6. Foot massage.Effectively affects the entire body, relieves fatigue, pain, improves metabolic processes in the spine.

Therapeutic exercise

This disease does not like movement, therefore, in order to get rid of such a serious scourge, it is necessary for physical exercise to become firmly established in our lives.Therapeutic gymnastics can be done daily, except during periods of exacerbation.A doctor can help you choose the right exercises, and the first sessions can be done in a physical therapy room under the supervision of a medical professional.

The task of a physical therapy specialist is to show how to perform exercises correctly, to help choose the correct rhythm, amplitude, and duration of exercises.In the future, you need to do physical therapy at home, not forgetting that the load must be increased gradually, and any movements must be performed smoothly.

Daily exercises help strengthen the neck muscles, reduce the load on the intervertebral discs, and serve as a good prevention of osteochondrosis.

Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis

It's no secret that prevention is the best treatment.And the sooner you do it, the fewer health problems there will be in the future.

When to start preventive measures?Of course, it’s better from childhood.If you are the parent of a preschooler, do not limit the child’s natural desire for physical activity.It is not necessary to enroll him in a sports section - let him run, jump on the street, buy a jump rope, a hoop, a bicycle, a scooter.Set up a sports corner at home, come up with or find interesting exercises on the Internet, turn them into a game, and have fun doing it yourself.

If your child is already a schoolchild, pay attention to how he sits at the desk, whether he is comfortable, and whether he has to bend over too much over notebooks and textbooks.Remember that when sitting on a chair, a child's knees should be bent at an angle of 90 degrees?The same degree should be between the hips and spine.If the angle is not maintained, then you need to adjust the height of the chair or table.The chair should have a comfortable seat, armrests, and a high back on which you can lean your elbows while relaxing.

Pay attention to the height of the monitor - when sitting, your eyes should look at the top of the monitor, and the keyboard should be located below elbow level.Check how comfortable it is for you and your child to sit at your desk.Are you comfortable if you have a sedentary job at an office desk?If not, think about how you can help yourself.Maybe you can change the height of your chair, raise the monitor, or invest in an elegant footrest.

Watch your posture while working.No offense, remember how animals sit, for example your favorite dog, resting the entire surface of the buttocks on the floor, stretching out the lower back, without bending over like a donut.After 15-20 minutes you need to take a short rest.While at home, it’s easier to do a warm-up - you can stand up, stretch with pleasure, do a few dance moves to the music, and stretch your neck.

What can you do in the office if the natural desire to often leave the desk is not welcome?You can use a seated warm-up:

1. Smooth turns of the head left and right, up and down, rotation in a circle, clockwise and counterclockwise (be careful not to get dizzy);
2. Press your chin to your neck, then to your chest and turn your head left and right;
3. Place your palm on your forehead and press it as hard as possible (10 seconds), then move your palm to your right, left temple, and back of your head.Do you feel your neck muscles tense?Amazing;
4. Massage your neck, starting from the occipital opening to the shoulders, knead the shoulders, then gently, several times run your fingers from the occipital to the shoulders to ensure a uniform outflow of blood.

The warm-up will be incomplete if you do not take care of the condition of the lower spine and arms:

1. Rotate your shoulders: 10 times forward and backward, up and down;
2. Bring your shoulder blades together and spread them apart, feel how pleasantly your back muscles tense and thank you.These muscles are engaged in static work, supporting our body in an upright position.But they also get tired faster than others, especially kids.This is why children so often strive to change their sitting position.And there is no need to scold them for this;
3. To help relax the pelvic spine, tense and relax your gluteal muscles several times;
4. Move to your legs, tense and relax the muscles of your thighs, then your shins, toes, repeat this exercise several times;
5. Squeeze your hands into a lock, make a “wave” several times, including your hands, elbows, and shoulders in the work;
6. Make a fist with four fingers and rotate your thumbs several times clockwise and counterclockwise;
7. Work with your hand - clench your fist tightly, then straighten your hand with force, and spread your fingers wide.

These exercises, depending on the number of repetitions, can take from 3 to 5 minutes.You can do several approaches per day.You may ask why you need to do exercises for the whole body if only the cervical spine is bothering you.The fact is that the entire spine usually suffers, so a general preventative warm-up will only bring benefits.

Interesting: Estonian healer Luule Viilma writes that any illness is given to a person in order to have time to understand his life.And the faster a person realizes his mistakes in life, the faster the recovery will occur.According to L. Viilma, fear of being guilty, accusation, excessive demands on oneself and others are the cause of this disease.Understanding why the illness occurred, forgiving yourself and others is a way to get rid of everything bad and restore health.

Physical activity and simple exercises must be included in your daily routine.You don't have to study for hours, especially if you don't have time for it.On the Internet you can find videos with short warm-ups.To lose weight and reduce the load on the problematic part of the spinal column, you should pay attention to the system of exercises using the Tabata method, which suggests performing exercises at a high pace, with certain intervals of rest and load.

Attention: Before performing such physical activity, you need to consult with specialists and choose the optimal exercises.You cannot practice using such a system during periods of exacerbation of osteochondrosis.

To ease the load on the cervical vertebrae, it is a good idea to take care of a comfortable body position while sleeping.For your neck and head, using the perfect orthopedic pillow is an ideal option.

What else can be said about prevention?Of course, this is a reasonable diet, monitoring your body mass index, exercise, walks in nature and, most importantly, the desire to be healthy.Our health is in our hands, and every person needs to use this gift.