Cervical osteochondrosis: symptoms of what threatens, consequences

Osteochondrosis is one of the most common pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

A few decades ago, it was believed that this is a problem mainly of aged people, but currently cervical osteochondrosis was "younger".This means that it can bother youth, which bothers not only patients but also doctors.

Medicine is actively seeking ways to effectively combat this condition.What is this disease, how does it manifest itself, because of what is developing and how to get rid of it?

DISEASE DESCRIPTION

It is a degenerative-distribution change in intervertebral discs.Cervical osteochondrosis is accompanied by its damage, a decrease in its height, as well as damage to the joints, the vertebrae of this area.

In the process of human life, vertebrates wear out, the amount of humidity in them is significantly reduced, which is necessary for normal functioning.Moreover, in joints, bones, the processes of mineral metabolism are violated.All of this leads to the fact that they lose strength, the cervical region becomes unstable, its tissues acquire pants.This, in turn, can become the fact that vertebrae are displaced, intervertebral hernias are often formed, the disease of this area of the spine is progressing.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical region develops at various stages:

• In the first stage, the core of the pulp is dehydrated - the interior of the intervertebral disc, which consists of a gelatinous substance (chondrin) and a half liquid mass (fibers that form connective tissue).Already during this period, the mechanism of destruction of bone cheese tissues is launched;
• The second stage is characterized by the omission of the vertebrae, as a result of which there is a sagging muscles and ligaments;
• In the third stage, the protrusion of disc content is pronounced, hernias are formed.At this stage, there is often damage to the cervical muscles and vessels;
• The increased mobility of vertebrae causes the body to a response that the functionality of this department of the musculoskeletal system.The result is the occurrence of bone growths on the surface of the vertebrae - osteophytes.Along with these processes, fibrous tissue also grows.These formations involve this area of the spine, clogging -a.

With the development of the disease, this part of the spine is becoming increasingly difficult to perform its functions, and a person experiences tangible discomfort.

Syndromes and symptoms of osteochondrosis

The main signs of the disease:

• Pain in the neck, chest, upper back, shoulders.They may appear in other parts of the body.The occurrence of pain is explained by muscle tweezers and nerve endings.If there is pain in the thoracic region, perhaps cervical osteochondrosis develops.In this case, it may be hard and short, but regularly emerge, and not pronounced, but prolonged (not retreat for several weeks);
• Often the symptom of the disease is headaches;
• Dizziness.They, like the previous symptom, manifest due to the fact that the artery is squeezed, providing the brain nutrients, oxygen.For the same reason, the patient usually feels general weakness, tires quickly, even with less physical and mental stress;
• The feeling of weakness in the hands.This symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is directed due to the pinch of nerve endings involved in the regulation of motor activity;
• Decrease (or increase) the sensitivity of the upper limbs.In advanced stages, the patient may stop moving them completely;
• The rigidity of the upper back, thoracic region, the presence of sensations of pulling;
• Discomfort when performing the head spins.Many patients cannot make movements totally.Usually they are accompanied by a crisis that appears as a result of structural changes in intervertebral discs;
• Vision vision, hearing.Osteochondrosis of cervical shows manifests due to insufficient blood supply to the cerebellum.They are usually felt in the last stages of disease development.

The pathology is accompanied by several syndromes:

• KORESHKA.It is accompanied by pain in the shoulder blades, shoulders and occurs due to pinches of nerves in the neck;
• Vertebrate.Its main characteristics are headaches, which apply mainly to occipital and temporal regions;
• Reflection.This syndrome is accompanied by intense pain, neck discomfort.In many patients, these symptoms become more tangible in head movements.Often they give their chests, shoulders;
• Cardinal.Led by discomfort in the heart.Its manifestations are similar to signs of angina chest and sometimes it is difficult to differentiate these conditions.

The main causes of disease development

Age-related changes in the body do not go unnoticed by the musculoskeletal system.The older a person becomes, the more pronounced the mineral imbalance becomes, loss of moisture tissues.All of this serves as the reasons for the development of pathology.

But cervical osteochondrosis can manifest its symptoms in young people, in this case the occurrence of the disease is associated with other provocative, among which are the most common: they are:

• Inadequate posture;
• Excessive weight, due to which the spine experiences huge loads.In addition, it is usually the cause of a violation of metabolic processes, because bone tissues wear out faster;
• Long physical effort, weight lifting;
• A sedentary lifestyle, because a person moves small and stagnant processes are developing;
• Violation of the spine structure - congenital or acquired;
• Genetic conditionality;
• The presence of lesions of the musculoskeletal system;
• Autoimmune diseases that cause the degeneration of bone stretch tissues;
• Frequent tensions, nervous shocks, other negative states of the nervous system.

Diagnosis

If the symptoms of the disease appear, you should contact an orthopedist or traumatologist.A patient's complaints may immediately suspect the disease they are associated.

But to make an accurate diagnosis, these diagnostic measures are usually prescribed:

• Radiography.Within the structure of this technique, photos of certain areas are taken to study them in detail.The study allows us to detect formations that form during the course of the disease, tissue deformation, discusions of discs;
• Magnetic resonance tomography.Thanks to this method of diagnosis, it is possible to analyze the condition of tissues, identify hernias and even establish their size, which is important to determine the stage of development of the pathology;
• Computed tomography.This method of diagnosis provides the same information as magnetic resonance imaging therapy, but it is very difficult to determine with your help;
• Electromyography.This technique allows you to establish the consequences of the course of the disease.Thanks to this, nerve conductivity is determined.In the case of cervical spine osteochondrosis, it is significantly reduced, which serves as one of the pathology signs.

If there is a violation of blood circulation, an ultrasound examination can be used, which allows you to determine its speed and detect barriers that make it difficult to be.

The treatment methodology for cervical spine osteochondrosis

First of all, therapy aims to reduce pain, relief from the patient's condition.The second important goal of treatment is to prevent the disease from progressing.To solve these problems, an integrated approach is used to involve all available measures for medications that can be used for a specific patient.

The main therapy methods are:

• Physiotherapy;
• Conservative treatment;
• Surgical intervention (if necessary).

Effective additional measures are massage, properly organized loads for cervical osteochondrosis, proper nutrition, excluding foods that lead to weight gain.In this case, foods should saturate the body with useful, mineral substances.It is not necessary to follow the position of life, you just need to correctly compose your diet, regulate the amount of food consumed.

Physiotherapy

This method of treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is most often used as an additional therapeutic measure combined with other methods.Its advantage is not only high efficiency, but also security for the whole human organism.It is not able to cause exacerbation of other pathologies in the patient.

Physiotherapeutic procedures are used more often:

• Laser therapy.On the part of the column, which defeat affected, exposure to the flow of light is exposed.It has a cure and anti -inflammatory effect, helps to eliminate pain;
• Electrotherapy.The essence of the methodology is the effect on the body with electric fields.Thanks to him, the process of treatment of the disease is accelerated, pain, unpleasant sensations that accompany it are weakened;
• Magnetotherapy.This method provides the formation of a bioelectric field that triggers the recovery process at the level of the body itself;
• Shock wave therapy.If cervical osteochondrosis is detected, treatment with this method provides the supply of an acoustic wave.Contributes to the normalization of metabolic processes, blood flow and recovery processes.This method allows you to eliminate pain;
• Ultraviolet radiation.The body is informed of high frequency sounds that have anesthetic and anti -inflammatory effects, contribute to the restoration of tissues;
• Mudley, Balneotherapia(Treatment with mineral waters).Both methods involve saturation of tissues affected with mineral and useful elements taking bath, pools, bathrooms, applying therapeutic agents to the skin.Thanks to these methods, it is possible to eliminate pain, accelerate the patient's recovery.

Conservative treatment

It mainly involves the use of medicines.

In the structure of how cervical osteochondrosis is treated with conservative methods, several groups of medicines that have different effects are used.

Most of the time it is:

• Aine(anti -non -esteroids).Thanks to them, they can deal with pain, inflammatory processes that can develop in tissues, aggravating the course of the disease.Usually these medicines are prescribed in the form of gels, ointments;
• Condropoprotectors.These are very effective drugs designed to prevent additional development of the disease.In addition, they contribute to the launch of tissue regeneration processes;
• Painkillers.The medicines of this category are used as anti -inflammatory and painkillers;
• Vasodilate drugs.Thanks to them, it is possible to improve blood flow, because the severity of pain is reduced and the patient's recovery time is reduced;
• Antispasmodic.These medications contribute to spasm removal, significantly reduce nerve sensitivity.Therefore, they have an analgesic effect.

How to treat the disease should only be determined by the doctor.It can combine medications from different groups to improve its therapeutic effect and intensity.In some cases, the use of a category of medicine is sufficient.Depends on the specific case.

Surgical treatment

He has to resort to him away from always.Surgical intervention may be necessary if there is a threat of central nervous system infliction, spinal brain, large vessels, nerve beams.All of this can lead to very negative consequences.The need for the operation is determined only by the doctor.It also selects the form of surgical intervention, but they are like this:

• Microdyscectomy.This surgical method is one of the most used.It provides the removal of hernral protrusion, which presses the vessels, nerve endings, nearby muscle tissue;
• Laminectomy.This is an operation to remove (complete or partial) from vertebral arches, ligaments, facet joints;
• Nucleoplasty laser.The technique involves the removal of part of the pulp nucleus in the affected area through a laser;
• Endoscopic surgery.This technique is performed using an endoscope and is assigned to remove hernias;
• Arthrodesis.This type of surgical intervention is used to combine several (usually two) vertebrae if they are unstable;
• Transplantation.An operation to plant bone tissue, through which the area between the vertebrae is filled if the intervertebral disc has been completely removed.

Complications

It is impossible to leave the disease without attention.Tissue growth is full of serious consequences, including:

• Paresis, hands paralysis (one or both);
• Stroke;
• Defeat of the central nervous system;
• Spinal cord injury;
• Loss (partial or complete) vision, hearing.

In a severe course of the disease and lack of treatment, the patient may even remain disabled.Other organs may also suffer from the disease - the heart, the digestive system, the lungs.

When to go to the doctor?

It is not worth postponing a visit to the doctor, because without treatment the pathology will progress with confidence.

It is necessary to contact a doctor when they appeared and, for several days, these symptoms do not retreat:

• Discomfort;
• Pain in the cervical region;
• Increased fatigue;
• Dizziness, headaches.

For starters, you can visit the therapist who, by complaints, the initial inspection will determine which expert should be contacted the most.

Exclusive treatment methods

In the fight against this disease, not just the methods listed above are used.In search of a solution to the problem, patients resort to unusual methods, the most popular are:

• Manual therapy- A technique that provides the effect on the painful area with the hands.It differs from massage, because, in addition to muscles, joints, bones, vertebrae, discs are elaborated;
• Hirudotherapy- The struggle against sickness with leeches, which, with a bite, releases biologically active substances in the human body, whose main is Girudin.It helps clean blood vessels, improve their condition.Thanks to this, blood flow is normalized and, as a result, the patient's well improves;
• Reflexology.People are better known as acupuncture.With your help, there is an effect on biologically active points to start the body's healing processes at the cellular level.

If you decide to resort to these therapy methods, you will need to find an experienced and competent expert.Otherwise, these manipulations may result in a deterioration in the patient's condition if they are performed incorrectly.

Can I contact a masseuse?

If the patient does not have against -indications to him, he will be very useful correctly.Do not resort to him if there is a pinch of nerve endings.If you exceed cervical osteochondrosis, you have decided to handle the house with the help of massage, only a professional with high qualifications and great experience should perform it.

The procedures will help normalize blood flow, initiate the process of tissue regeneration, improve the overall good, eliminate muscle cramps.But it should be borne in mind that, as the only way to treat it, it is not used.

Why is an orthopedic pillow?

During sleep, it is important that the head, shoulders, neck are in the correct and comfortable position.Common soft and low pillows are not always able to provide this, while orthopedic options are designed only for the body to assume the correct position.

The materials, the way they are made, allow us to simultaneously relax cervical vertebrae and ensure their uniform location.They are not placed under the shoulders (because it leads to the curvature of the spine), but directly under the head.Due to their properties, orthopedic pillows serve not only to prevent various diseases in the cervical region.Its use is an additional measure in your treatment.

Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis at home

One of the conditions to improve the condition is to maintain the sick mass muscle mass.But physical exercise for cervical osteochondrosis should be compiled correctly so as not to harm the treatment of the disease.They must have an active promotion nature.This means that they should help strengthen muscles, but at the same time contribute to improving blood flow, eliminating stagnant processes and relieving pain.

Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis may include the following exercises:

• Standing in a position where the feet are parallel and are placed on the width of the shoulders, stretch the head up.At the same time, it is advisable to feel that you, as if someone is pulling up.In this position, describe 5 circles per circle every hour and 5, forgive it.The amplitude of rotation should not be large so as not to hurt the cervical vertebrae;
• The legs are in the same position as they were in the previous exercise.with cervical osteochondrosis.Put your hands in the stomach so that a palm covers the second.Stretch your head forward, as if drawing your nose to the wall.The shoulders must remain in place.In this position, lower your head up and down without throwing it back.During the performance of this exercise with the development of cervical osteochondrosis, you should not feel discomfort, pain, sensations to pull.Repeat the movements in both directions at least 10 times;
• Perform the same manipulations of the previous paragraph, only take your head back and not forward;
• Sit in a chair, holding the body evenly and just make the head of the head (5-6 in each direction).Do this gently, slowly, trying to feel all mm in the cervical region;
• Rest your forehead in the palm of your hand.The second must resist, and you try to overcome it.It should not be difficult to be zealous - the pressure must be tangible, but not leading to pain.Manipulations 8-10 times and then take a break in 15 to 20 seconds.After a break, do the exercise again, but change your hand;
• Lift your shoulders as high as possible, exhaling.Hold in this position for about 10 seconds.When inhalation, relax the shoulders and repeat these actions 8 to 10 times;
• In a sitting or lying position, massage the back of the neck, performing tidy movements with the fingertips.

It is recommended that these exercises for cervical osteochondrosis are performed by patients who develop cervical osteochondrosis.

It is necessary to prevent the disease - eating properly, showing physical (but not traumatic) activity, monitoring its weight.As prevention, special gymnastics should be performed.You can use a set of exercises presented in this article.