Cervical osteochondrosis is a chronic disease caused by degenerative changes in the cervical intervertebral discs. As the disease progresses, the surrounding structures become involved in the pathological process, which causes the development of many unpleasant symptoms. The treatment of the disease is complex, conservative and includes the use of drugs and non-drug methods.
Cause
The exact reasons are not known. The theory that the development of the disease is associated with age-related changes has not been confirmed, since today this pathology is diagnosed even in adolescence.
The factors that trigger the development of the disease are as follows:
- low physical activity, sedentary lifestyle;
- mechanical neck injuries;
- sedentary work with a high static load on the cervical spine;
- uncomfortable mattresses and pillows;
- obesity;
- circulatory disorders;
- scoliosis and other postural defects;
- connective tissue dysplasia;
- metabolic disorders.
Syndromes and symptoms
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis do not appear immediately. The disease can develop without symptoms for a long time, or it can disguise itself as other pathologies. The most common symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- tinnitus - usually occurs when changing position after a long standing position;
- dizziness - the patient sometimes feels as if objects are spinning in front of his eyes;
- pain in the neck, back of the head - the intensity of the pain depends on the extent of the pathological changes;
- feeling of lack of air - the patient cannot take a deep breath;
- visual impairment - occurs in later stages;
- nausea, vomiting - also associated with damage to the blood supply to certain parts of the brain due to compression of the key arteries by deformed plates;
- sore throat, dry throat, foreign body sensation;
- pressure changes poorly controlled by drugs;
- numbness of the fingers;
- shoulder pain.
In addition to the general clinical symptoms, a number of characteristic syndromes can also be distinguished:
Spine:
- pain when turning the neck;
- limited mobility;
- X-rays show signs of damage to the vertebrae and discs.
Heart:
- burning sensation and pain in the chest;
- increased fatigue, weakness for no reason;
- tachycardia.
Vertebral artery. This syndrome occurs as a result of narrowing of the vertebral artery that supplies blood to the brain. It manifests itself in tinnitus, dizziness and blurred vision.
Koreshkovy. It occurs due to pinching or compression of the nerve roots exiting the cervical spine.
Platoon
Stages of the disease:
- The patient feels slight discomfort in the neck area. The intervertebral discs begin to lose stability.
- Pain appears. The discs are deformed, the fibrous ring begins to die, and the vertebrae move closer together.
- Movement of the neck is limited. Nausea and dizziness may occur when turning the head. A constant lack of blood in the brain leads to symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, reduced performance and fatigue. The discs become thinner, the vertebrae begin to rub against each other, the annulus fibrosus is destroyed, and an intervertebral hernia develops.
- The neck area is immobilized, the blood supply to the brain is completely cut off. To correct this condition, the patient must constantly take special medications. The vertebrae begin to fuse.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis can be difficult due to the non-specific clinical picture and the wide variety of possible symptoms. The patient may need the help of several specialists (surgeon, neurologist, cardiologist, vertebrologist, orthopedist and others) at the same time.
At the meeting, the doctor listens to the patient's complaints, collects an anamnesis, performs an examination and makes a preliminary diagnosis.
To confirm this, the following can be prescribed:
- blood analysis;
- MRI of the neck - makes it possible to identify pathological changes even in the initial stages of the disease, when the clinical manifestations are not yet very pronounced; with the help of the test, you can assess the current condition of the vertebrae and discs, identify deformations, the presence of osteophytes, compression of nerves and blood vessels;
- Dopplerography of the carotid arteries - makes it possible to measure the degree of compression and damage of blood vessels, the speed of blood flow;
- myelography with the help of contrast - allows identification of pinched nerves;
- ECG - for the differential diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases.
Treatment
Drug therapy includes taking the following drug groups:
- NSAIDs. Effectively relieves inflammation, pain and swelling. These are means of symptomatic therapy that do not affect the causes of the disease. NSAIDs can be used in short courses of 10-14 days.
- Angioprotectors, means for accelerating blood flow. Improves cerebral circulation, protects blood vessels from damage.
- Glucocorticosteroids. Effectively relieves pain and nerve compression. Medicines in this group have many side effects and should only be taken as prescribed by a doctor if NSAIDs and pain relievers do not help.
- Chondroprotectors. It improves the health of the intervertebral discs, influencing the causes of the disease. They inhibit the destruction of cartilage tissue and improve the shock-absorbing properties of the discs.
Non-pharmacological treatment may include the use of the following techniques:
- Exercise therapy. Regular exercise strengthens muscles and relieves cramps. We recommend taking lessons (at least in the beginning) under the guidance of a professional
- Manual therapy. Cramped neck muscles are one of the main causes of pain in this disease. Properly performed manual therapy helps to get rid of spasms, compression of blood vessels and nerves. As a result, the nutrition of the discs improves, the cerebral circulation normalizes, and the pain disappears.
- Kinesio taping. The application of special bands relaxes the muscles, relieves cramps, swelling, and inflammation and keeps the spine in a physiologically correct position.
- Orthopedic devices. In order to minimize the load on the cervical spine, it is recommended to use orthopedic mattresses and pillows for sleeping. In addition, some patients are advised to wear a special device (Schanz collar) that fixes the neck in the correct position.
- Massage. An effective remedy against the cervical form of the disease. It perfectly relieves swelling, pain, congestion, improves local blood circulation, relieves muscle spasms. Do not massage if you have acute neck pain.
- Physiotherapy. Another effective technique. The sessions are held several times a year on a course. This allows you to get rid of unpleasant symptoms, relieve muscle spasms and slow down the further progression of the disease. For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, laser therapy, magnet therapy, mechanotherapy, traction therapy, hydromassage, UVT and mud therapy are most often used.
If conservative therapy does not bring results and the disease continues to progress, then surgical treatment may be prescribed.
- operations to remove intervertebral hernias;
- removal of the vertebral arch or spinous processes leads to decompression of the spinal cord roots;
- removing part of the disc core to repair the herniation.
The doctor decides on the way to treat the disease for each patient. Self-medication is prohibited and can lead to the development of many complications.
Complications
If the disease is ignored, the following complications may develop:
- VSD;
- oxygen starvation of the brain;
- arterial hypertension;
- blurred vision, retinal dystrophy;
- respiratory spasm;
- violation of the act of swallowing due to dysfunction of the esophagus;
- dysfunction of the thyroid gland;
- spasms and numbness of the neck muscles;
- chronic pain in the upper body that is not relieved by pain relievers;
- hormonal imbalances.
Prevention
In order to minimize the risk of developing the disease, you should follow the following recommendations:
- maintain posture;
- properly equip the workplace so that neck strain does not occur;
- Healthy food;
- stop smoking and drinking alcohol;
- avoid neck injuries;
- move more, exercise;
- do not overcool;
- control weight;
- sleeping on a special orthopedic mattress and pillow;
- do gymnastics regularly to avoid the development of congestion;
- prevents curvature of the spine;
- regularly attend massage courses to improve blood flow and relieve congestion;
- do not sit for a long time with your head tilted forward;
- If you experience discomfort in the neck area, you should make an appointment with a specialist and undergo an examination, this will help identify possible changes in the discs at an early stage, which will greatly facilitate treatment and improve the prognosis.