Speaking of osteochondrosis, we mean pathological changes in the intervertebral discs with degenerative changes in the cartilage. This pathology can affect all parts of the spine. At the same time, cervical osteochondrosis occurs in about a quarter of all cases of this condition. As a rule, it mainly affects patients of working age, from 30 to 50 years old.
Anatomical features
To understand why osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae develops, you should familiarize yourself with the features of the anatomy of the cervical spine. It is made up of 7 vertebrae. And if in the thoracic and lumbar regions the vertebrae are relatively homogeneous, then here they are different in their structure. In fact, in the cervical region, the movements of the shoulder girdle and of the head are of great complexity and amplitude. Furthermore, the movable neck passes into a relatively static thoracic region. Therefore, 1, 2 and 7 vertebrae differ significantly from each other
Through the cervical region, in addition to the spinal cord and spinal nerves, the peripheral nerves originating from the brain pass. Some of them, such as the vagus, innervate the diaphragm and abdominal organs. In addition to the nerves, the main blood vessels pass here. And if the blood supply through the carotid arteries and the outflow through the jugular veins do not suffer from osteochondrosis, the vertebral artery is often involved in the pathology with osteochondrosis of the neck. It passes through the holes in the transverse processes of 2-6 vertebrae and accounts for about 15% of the total volume of blood entering the brain. With cervical osteochondrosis, this artery can spasm or be squeezed by tense muscles or a displaced disc.
The reasons
The reason why osteochondrosis of the cervical spine developed in this particular case cannot always be determined. It has been established that osteochondrosis is not an independent disease. This is a pathological condition or syndrome caused by other diseases or negative factors, including:
- Inheritance
- Systematic violations of posture in schoolchildren, office workers
- Poor diet with deficiency of vitamins and minerals
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Frequent mechanical shocks, such as bumps, jolts from drivers
- Concomitant diseases of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, organs of the endocrine system
- Weakened immunity.
Symptoms
By itself, osteochondrosis is a painless process. Dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs are not felt by the patient. The disease makes itself felt only when the consequences of cervical osteochondrosis appear: displacement of the intervertebral disc in the posterolateral direction with irritation of nearby nerve fibers, impaired blood circulation through the vertebral artery. It is then that various sensory, motor and neurological disorders appear. Osteochondrosis of the neck is distinguished by the following symptoms:
- Neck pain
- Pathological tension of the neck muscles
- Limitation of movements in the cervical region
- Decreased sensitivity and mobility of the shoulder girdle and upper limbs
- Headache, dizziness
- Unstable gait due to coordination disturbances
- Nausea, urge to vomit
- Intermittent increases in blood pressure
- Visual disturbances: a feeling of darkening and flickering of flies in front of the eyes
- Sometimes pain or feeling of a lump in the throat, toothache
- Insomnia, or vice versa, pathological sleepiness
- Emotional lability: crying, irritability.
Pain in cervical osteochondrosis is the main symptom. It is the pain syndrome that makes the patient see a doctor. The nature of the pain depends on which cervical segment is affected by osteochondrosis. When the upper cervical segments are violated, the skin of the back of the head, crown and the eyebrow region hurts. If the pathology has developed in the middle and lower section, the pain in the neck radiates to the interscapular space, shoulder girdle and upper limbs.
An exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis begins with the cervicago, a sharp pain that resembles a back pain. Cervical sciatica later develops with pain, movement disorders and muscle tension. The main cause of exacerbations is hypothermia. Along with local symptoms, cerebral symptoms, due to vertebral artery syndrome, are also noted. Headache and dizziness can be so severe that the patient can lose consciousness.
Flow characteristics
Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease. And in the absence of treatment it is in constant progress. In this regard, 4 degrees are distinguished, which reflect the symptoms and functional disorders in the cervical region.
- The intervertebral disc tissue thickens. Displacement of the disc is minimal, however, already at this stage, the fibrous sheath of the outer disc is flaky. In the cervical vertebrae, the uncinate processes increase the compensation. Manifestations - neck pain, cervical.
- Narrowing of the intervertebral spaces and the lumen of the spinal canal. Pathological mobility leads to subluxations of individual vertebrae and instability of the cervical spine as a whole. Sensory and motor disorders of the upper limbs. Vertebral artery syndrome.
- Further narrowing of the spinal canal and the spaces between the vertebrae. The formation of herniated discs, as a result of which symptoms increase.
- Irreversible structural disorders - spondylolisthesis (displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other) and spondylosis (pathological growths of the bone tissue of the vertebrae). Destruction of the discs with the exhalation of their nucleus pulposus. Persistent brain and movement disorders.
Treatment
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck is carried out using drugs and physiotherapy procedures. Massages, physiotherapy exercises, manual therapy, and acupuncture are also effective. The main group of drugs consists of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Also, in relation to cervical osteochondrosis, local use of gel NSAIDs and ointments is preferable. Among the means for local treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, local irritants and chondroprotectors are shown. The treatment can be supplemented by the ingestion of immunostimulants and vitamin-mineral complexes.
Physiotherapy procedures (UHF, amplipulse, electrophoresis) have a similar effect: they eliminate pain, relieve muscle spasm, increase blood circulation and metabolism in the tissues of the neck. This is also facilitated by massage of the collar area with osteochondrosis. The neck is a vulnerable area. The slightest damage to the cervical spine is fraught with serious consequences. Therefore, the massage movements should be smooth, directed along the muscles. For the same reason as the fragility of the neck, all special measures (manual therapy, cervical traction) must be carried out by experienced specialists with great care. And during recreational gymnastics, static loads are favored with frontal and temporal zones resting on the palmar surface of the hand, maximum bending of the head forward and to the sides.
Prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is aimed at eliminating the provoking factors. Hypothermia should be avoided. Office workers, programmers, and avid Internet users are recommended a 15-minute break for health-enhancing gymnastics during each hour. And of course, good nutrition and avoiding excess weight. And at the slightest sensation of pain and discomfort in the cervical region, it is best to use the Shants immobilizer collar. At the same time, attention should be paid to the treatment of existing chronic diseases of other organs and systems.
Cervical osteochondrosis: symptoms, signs and treatment
Today a disease such as osteochondrosis is very common and in many people it causes feelings of fear and great fear. As medical practice has shown, several main causes contribute to the appearance of the disease, which, as a rule, are provoked directly by patients. To avoid this disease and prevent its occurrence, it is necessary to know its main symptoms and causes.
Causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae
Most often, osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae manifests itself in the form of a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the intervertebral disc. As practice shows, the disease appears and develops against the background of metabolic disorders occurring in the cervical region. In this case, there is a significant change in the structure and structure of the individual vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
The course of the disease in osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is slightly different from osteochondrosis, which affects other parts (we are talking about the lumbar and thoracic form of osteochondrosis). This type of disease is more dangerous, as it contributes to the direct violation of the root, which starts from the brain of the spinal nerve and, therefore, disrupts the blood supply to the cerebral vessels due to direct violation and compression of the blood vessels.
In addition, the structure of the vertebrae (in this case, more tightly intertwined) in the cervical region is slightly different from the others, therefore, with the appearance of any changes in the pathology, one of them undergoes a noticeable disruption in the normal functioning of the entire spine . That is why, with cervical osteochondrosis, the patient can be disturbed by such obvious signs as: frequent dizziness, reduced sensitivity of the muscles and skin of the hands, neck, face, constant headache, unpleasant ringing and noise in the ears or noise in the head, impaired hearing or vision, increased feeling of fatigue, shaky and unsteady gait, loss of coordination and so on.
So, it is necessary to pay great attention to the fact that osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae appears as a result of:
- lifting heavy objects and loads;
- work directly related to a constant change in the position of the body: we are talking about extension, flexion, circular movements, turns;
- active sports and physical education;
- incorrect posture during the position of the body lying, sitting, standing, as well as when lifting and carrying weights;
- genetic disposition;
- adverse weather conditions.
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Often, the symptoms of osteochondrosis in the early stages of its manifestation may not manifest themselves in any way. Having already passed into a more advanced stage, the disease begins to manifest itself with frequent cramping pains during head and neck movements. However, the symptoms of osteochondrosis are quite diverse and are explained by changes and degenerative disorders in the structure of the cartilage, or the result of a strong pinching by a displaced disc of the vertebral artery, which passes between the discs.
Ache
The most important and earliest symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae are pain, which in the first stage can pass quickly and then become chronic. The pain may appear in the region of the occipital, shoulder and neck muscles and become stronger when turning or tilting the head and neck. Depending on where the injury is located, the pain can be aching and permanent. And it can dim for a while or be shooting and sharp. Also, any movement of the head and neck becomes difficult over time, which is associated with constant muscle tension in the neck area.
When the spinal artery is squeezed by cartilage tissue, intervertebral disc, or tense muscles, a person may be plagued by a cervical migraine (a headache that occurs due to lack of oxygen in the tissues and weakening of the blood circulation), a sharp jump in upward pressure, short-term loss and impairment of consciousness, the appearance of ringing in the ears, hearing problems, the appearance of "flies" in front of the eyes, visual impairment. The headache is sometimes accompanied by vomiting or nausea.
Nausea
Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae can be accompanied by nausea. In addition, nausea is associated with impaired blood circulation in the vessels of the brain. Quite often, a person loses his appetite, as a result of which a lack of nutrients occurs in the body, and the overall weight decreases. In severe cases, the disease is accompanied by vomiting, which appears when tilting the head, turning and even just when walking. As already mentioned above, this is due to a violation of the blood flow process and insufficient oxygen supply to the inner ear, where the center of balance is located.
Lack of air
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae include such a symptom as lack of air. It appears with a direct lesion of the cervical region and is expressed in irritation of the phrenic nerve. As a result, it becomes difficult for a person to breathe, the patient does not have enough air, there is a lack of oxygen, shortness of breath begins to haunt, and severe suffocation can even occur.
As a rule, the lack of air is accompanied by snoring, especially during an uncomfortable position of the head at rest. This condition leads to the fact that a person wakes up very tired and absolutely broken, is disturbed by general malaise and weakness. Prolonged stay in this state leads to a decrease in concentration, memory impairment and irreversible changes in brain tissue.
Ringing and tinnitus
The signs of cervical osteochondrosis sometimes manifest themselves in the form of ringing and noise in the ears. It's just that the vestibular apparatus is enriched with blood exclusively from the vertebral artery system. That is why, with inflammation of the cervical region, a violation of the function of the inner ear occurs, as a result, a person is tormented by ringing and tinnitus. Sometimes, hearing impairment is added to the symptoms described.
Pharyngeal signs
Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae can also manifest itself in this way. Often a person is disturbed by an unpleasant and constant feeling of dryness and sweat in the throat, difficulty swallowing, tickling and itching, a foreign body sensation. All these symptoms are directly related to the violation of the vascular and nerve trunks flowing from the spinal cord.
Visual impairment
The most common and frequent sign of cervical osteochondrosis is a deterioration in visual acuity. This is due to the fact that the visual analyzer is enriched with blood not only from the carotid, but also from the vertebral arteries. When these arteries are compressed, visual damage occurs. Additionally, patients may complain of:
- low pressure;
- atherosclerosis of the arteries of the brain;
- inability to focus on a topic;
- "swimming" or flashing points;
- feeling of veil or fog in front of the eyes.
In this condition, doing eye exercises or wearing glasses does not show a positive effect. Only with appropriate treatment is there an improvement in vision.
Sudden loss of consciousness
The most dangerous and unpleasant sign that occurs with osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebra is an unexpected loss of consciousness. This is due to a temporary cessation of blood flow through the arteries of the brain. Thus, a pronounced spasm of the arteries is obtained, which occurs from the side of the deformed processes of the bones of the vertebrae, in response to irritation of the nerve endings.
But after losing consciousness, a person can recover quickly if they are given time to lie down and raise their legs to improve blood supply to the brain and increase blood flow from the legs.
Pressure instability
Symptoms of osteochondrosis do not end with the symptoms described above. Often there is a spasm or instability of blood pressure, which appears due to impaired blood supply. In addition, the pressure decreases sharply or, conversely, increases. The person's condition is deteriorating and he needs complete rest.
Dizziness
Osteochondrosis is often accompanied by dizziness. In this case, such a phenomenon can have a spontaneous character. Dizziness is caused by a lack of oxygen reaching the inner ear canals. These channels are found in the brain and are fully responsible for balance. Dizziness can occur with any movement of the neck or head. Often and with a sharp rise from a lying position.
How to cure osteochondrosis?
If a person notices one or more of the above symptoms and indicated behind him, the initial action of him should not be self-treatment on the recommendations of friends and relatives, but a timely visit to the appropriate doctor. The actions of a specialist are aimed at conducting tests to identify the root cause of osteochondrosis, as well as choosing the right treatment.
Treatment of the disease, taking into account the patient's condition and degree of her, is complex. During treatment, the doctor may prescribe therapeutic exercises, massage, the use of drugs aimed at removing the causes of inflammation and relieving pain.
Therapeutic treatment
The drug treatment regimen is represented by the following groups:
- Chondroprotectors: allow you to stop the destruction of cartilage and contribute to the restoration of cartilage tissue.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): effective removal of inflammation and pain, low risk of side effects, possibility of long-term use.
Treatment of osteochondrosis symptoms with ointments is quite popular, but ineffective. As a rule, ointments from the NSAID group or ointments that contain irritants are used for treatment.
B vitamins are used against osteochondrosis.
Folk methods of treatment
Recipes for rubbing and ointments for the treatment of osteochondrosis:
- Lemon. In the juice of a lemon, you need to add as much iodine as the juice has been squeezed. Mix. This composition is for external use only. With a tampon soaked in this solution, a stripe is drawn along the entire spine every evening.
- Honey rub. Mix a glass of honey, alcohol, aloe juice and radish. Add to 1 tbsp. L. dry mustard and mix well. Apply compresses for several hours.
- Vinegar and eggs. Make a mixture of vinegar and an egg: add the vinegar to the egg and let it dissolve completely. Then add 90 gr. butter and mix. A homogeneous mass of white color, similar to oil, should come out. Rub the solution into the painful areas.
- Peppercorns with camphor and bile. It will take 300 gr. medical bile and a couple of bottles of camphor alcohol. Mix the ingredients in a glass bowl, add 3 chili pods and let it brew for a week. Apply compresses for 5-7 hours. Shake the paste well before use.
Osteochondrosis, like all other diseases, is much easier to prevent than to cure completely. In order to never suffer from this disease, it is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle by alternating between different sports. Nutrition must be fortified and complete, smoking should not be the norm. By following simple rules, you will have a better chance of living to old age without deteriorating your quality of life and pain.