Cervical region osteochondrosis is a severe pathology, characterized by degenerative-distribution changes in the structure of intervertebral discs. This violation usually leads to dangerous complications. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to ignore it. To deal with the disease, you must consult a timely expert.
The essence of the pathology
Cervical spine osteochondrosis is a pathology in which the smooth intervertebral pulp is transformed into bone tissue. This causes a pinch of blood vessels and nerve fibers.
The characteristics of the disease include pain syndrome. It is located on the neck, shoulders, upper back, head. Many patients are confronted with dizziness, pressure fluctuations, nausea, air deficiency.
Dystrophic changes in the area of the cervical region are usually found in the Middle Ages and at advanced age. This is due to the vertical position of the skeleton and the resources of cargo distribution.
Doctors observe that the disease occurs earlier in men. This happens at 45-50 years. Women face the manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis, later 50 to 55 years.
Reasons
A variety of factors leads to development of this form of the disease. The main causes of cervical osteochondrosis include the following:
- Insufficient physical activity. People who carry an inactive lifestyle have exhaustion of the back muscles, supporting the spine. The deposition of salts that appear due to lactic acid can aggravate this state of things. The weakened spinal column is easily deformed and becomes less mobile.
- Obesity. Overweight appearance is a great danger to the musculoskeletal system. In addition to increasing loads in the spine, adipose tissues take the beneficial substances needed to maintain muscle tone and cartilage.
- Long stay in a real position. This disease is often found in drivers and people involved in intellectual work. After a prolonged stay in a suffocated state, cartilaginous tissues gradually lose elasticity. Over time, intervertebral discs acquire an unnatural configuration.
- Nutrition disorders. For the body to function properly, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins must be present in the diet in sufficient quantities. Irrational nutrition causes a violation of tissue structure and leads to its rapid destruction.
- Damage on the back. This can cause pressure redistribution in the cartilage, which causes a change in its structure and shape.
- Pathology of the musculoskeletal system. This category includes scoliosis, rheumatism, bone tuberculosis.
Often cervical osteochondrosis is the result of a hereditary tendency. In this case, pathology develops without the influence of significant factors.
To avoid the appearance of the disease, you need to start therapy in a timely manner.
Disease stages
There are several stages of pathology, each of which is characterized by certain resources:
- The first - the main feature of the state is the instability of the spine. It manifests itself in the initial lesions of the intervertebral discs;
- The second - the main manifestation is protrusion. This condition is characterized by a decrease in cracks between the vertebrae, a gradual violation of fibrous ring integrity. Often, there is pain caused by nerve compression;
- The third - at this stage, the fibrous ring is completely destroyed. This implies the occurrence of intervertebral hernia. This condition is characterized by severe damage to the spine;
- The room is the hardest. At this stage, with any movement, acute pain occurs. Sometimes the condition improves, but this indicates the appearance of bone structures that connect the vertebrae. This implies a decrease in motor activity and causes disability.
Symptoms
This form of osteochondrosis is characterized by special manifestations. This is due to the place near the cervical vertebrae and the low height of the discs. Therefore, even small changes cause serious manifestations. In addition, this form of osteochondrosis is often accompanied by compression of cephalorequidal roots.
The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include the following:
- Pain. They are located in several areas - the back of the head, neck, shoulder waist, hands. The discomfort in the hands or waist shoulder is due to a pinch of the nerves. Occipital pain syndrome is associated with spasms of neck muscle tissue and circulatory disorders.
- Weakness in the hands. This signal is due to damage to the motor nerves responsible for innervation of the muscles of the hands.
- Weakening of sensitivity in the hands. This feature is due to damage to the roots, which include sensitive fibers responsible for innervation of the skin of the hands.
- Reducing the motor activity of the neck, the appearance of the crisis. Such symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis become the result of a decrease in the height of the discs. They are also defeated by intervertebral joints and the formation of bone growth in vertebrae.
- Weakness, loss of coordination of movements and dizziness. These manifestations are due to damage to the vertebral artery. Fibrous tissue formation and vertebral displacement causes problems with blood flow in the arteries. As a result, there is a deterioration in blood flow in the occipital area of the brain and cerebellum.
- Hearing deterioration, language numbness, weakening of visual acuity. These symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis are due to worsening the situation and the progression of brain circulation disorders.
Diagnostic methods
To identify neck osteochondrosis, you need to perform various diagnostic procedures.The most informative studies include the following:
- Magnetic resonance imaging is the most informative study that allows you to evaluate the condition of vertebrae and the discs between them. In addition, with the help of this procedure, you can detect hernias, evaluate your size and location.
- X -Ray - This procedure is one of the most affordable search methods. However, it often becomes non -informative, especially in the last stages of the disease.
- Computed Tomography - Allows you to identify the presence of changes in the vertebrae structure. However, the presence of hernias or compression of the spinal cord to diagnose this way is quite difficult.
- Duplex ultrasound scan - helps to detect blood flow disorders in the vertebral artery. The procedure allows you to detect obstacles and a slowdown in blood flow in the vessels.
Treatment Methods
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is selected taking into account several factors. This is done, depending on the stage of the disease, the form of the disease, the severity of the symptoms.
The main therapy methods include the following:
- Conservative therapy - may be drug and not -drug;
- Surgical intervention;
- A combination of conservative methods and surgical treatment.
Physiotherapy Methods
The treatment of cervical spine osteochondrosis necessarily requires the use of the main physiotherapy methods.
The most effective procedures include the following:
- Electrophoresis using medications. Under the influence of the electric current, the medication particles penetrate the desired area. Euphine and festoine are used for the procedure. Thanks to this, it is possible to stimulate blood circulation and have an analgesic effect.
- Exposure to ultrasound. Thanks to this procedure, it is possible to deal with pain and stop inflammation. This technique also activates metabolic processes in the body.
- Magnetotherapy. With your help, you can deal with edema and get an analgesic effect.
- Laser exposure. This method helps normalize blood circulation and helps deal with inflammation.
The most effective exercises should include the following:
- Lie up in the stomach, rest your hands on the floor, lift your head and trunk. It is worth ensuring that the backs remain straight. In this position, it is necessary to remain 1-2 minutes. Then it sinks carefully on the floor. Make 2-3 repetitions.
- Lie in your stomach, stretch your hands, turn your head on the left side and tap your ear to the floor. Movement similar to the right performance. Do 6-7 times in each direction.
- Sit down and breathe, bend. Touch the chest with a chin. After that, exhale, deviate yourself, throw your head back. Realize 10-15 repetitions.
- Sit down, put your palms on your forehead. Press your head in your arms for 30 seconds. In total you need to make 2-3 repetitions.
- Slowly rotate your head in different directions. In each direction you need to make 10 rotations. When dizziness appears, the exercise should be stopped.
Massage
To eliminate the signs of cervical osteochondrosis, you must definitely have a massage. The procedure should be performed as carefully as possible without making efforts. The movements should be extended to the neck, the place of the collar and the rear area.
It is better to massage in a position lying on the stomach.In extreme cases, the procedure is allowed.
The technique is based on the use of such techniques:
- WORKING - implies influence on the surface areas of the skin. To do this, the palms or fingertips need to caress the back, moving from the head to the upper third of the back. You can also make zig -zag movements.
- Squeezing - It consists of the effects on the deep areas of the skin on the upper third of the back. To do this, with the thumb and the indicator, the skin is captured. This should be done very carefully, without affecting tissues in the vertebral area.
- Coping - The procedure is performed to heat the skin and increase blood circulation in the collar region. It should be done very carefully, without affecting the thorny sections of the vertebrae.
- Kneading - It is quite rare as it implies the effect on deeply localized tissues. This can only aggravate an anomaly.
With osteochondrosis, self -massage can be performed.To do this, it is convenient to sit and use the methods of caressing and rubbing the neck and shoulders. It is advisable to complement the procedure with ointments that contribute to increased blood flow and relieve pain in the affected area.
Surgical treatment
Surgical intervention is shown in the following cases:
- The presence of neurological deviations is a violation of motor activity, weakness or loss of hand sensitivity, loss of control over defecation. When these symptoms appear, you can suspect persistent nerve damage. Therefore, it is so important to perform the operation to eliminate compression.
- The presence of constant pain, which violates a person's quality of life and cannot be eliminated by conservative methods.
With the development of cervical osteochondrosis, the following operations can be performed:
- Front cervical dyscoctomy and spondylodeza. The operation is performed through the frontal surface of the neck. The procedure aims to remove the affected disc, the decompression of the nerve fibers and the implementation of a special device to maintain the desired distance between the vertebrae.
- Replacing the intervertebral disc. In this case, the affected disc is removed and instead is artificial. Thanks to this procedure, it is possible to maintain motor activity.
Surgical interventions to eliminate neurological symptoms have high efficiency. According to separate estimates, it is 80-90 %. However, these methods are not effective enough in eliminating the pain associated with osteochondrosis.
Possible dangers
Cervical osteochondrosis is a serious type of pathology. In this area of the spine, there are many nerves and vessels responsible for brain nutrition. In addition, cervical vertebrae fit firmly. Therefore, even minor changes in this area cause squeeze or displacement of blood vessels and nerves.
Cerebral blood flow disorders cause migraine appearance, vegetable dystonia, hypertension. There is also a risk of problems in the functioning of the respiratory system, heart and blood vessels. Many people are disturbed by hearing, visual acuity decreases, the coordination of movement suffers.
In difficult situations, cervical osteochondrosis causes vertebral artery syndrome. This vase is responsible for the blood supply for the cerebellum and an oblong brain. With artery compression, there is a risk of cerebral ischemia and the development of stroke of the spine.
In addition, pathology can cause damage to nerve roots. This manifests itself in the form of growth formation, appearance of radiculopathy, loss of motor activity. The most difficult consequence of the disease is the compression of the spinal cord, which can lead to a fatal result.
Prevention
To avoid the development of pathology, it is worth observing simple rules:
- Systematically practice sports;
- Eat properly;
- Take preparations for vitamins and chondroprotectors prescribed by a doctor;
- Avoid a long stay in an uncomfortable position;
- Use orthopedic furniture;
- Choose clothes and shoes for the season, especially in winter.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a very dangerous disease that can lead to negative health consequences.
To avoid serious complications, you should consult a doctor in a timely manner and clearly follow your recommendations.