Osteochondrosis is a disease in which the vertebrae are damaged, which causes compression of the intervertebral discs. This leads to pain due to pinched nerve fibers. Narrowed blood flow leads to disturbances in the work of internal organs. When this disease manifests itself in the cervical spine, it affects the flow of blood to the soft tissues of the head and brain, disrupting the passage of nerve impulses to the central nervous system.
Why does cervical osteochondrosis occur?
This condition can be caused by:
- Hereditary predisposition to decrease the volume of intervertebral discs.
- Back, neck or limb injuries.
- Weakening of skeletal muscles.
- Difficult working conditions.
- Improper or excessive weight training.
- Infectious diseases.
- Shoes that cause changes in gait, which increases the load on the spine.
- Unbalanced diet.
- Genetic diseases.
Most of the causes that provoke cervical osteochondrosis and its symptoms can be prevented.It is necessary to create the right conditions for work, as well as choose physical activities that strengthen the muscles that support the spine. But it is not always possible to do it in time, because a person rarely thinks about a problem that does not yet exist.Therefore, you need to know what are the most common signs of osteochondrosis of the neck:
- reduced range of motion;
- constant or throbbing pain;
- cracking of the vertebrae when moving the head;
- headaches that do not go away with medication;
- numbness of one or more limbs;
- trembling of limbs or involuntary contraction of muscles;
- dizziness, loss of movement coordination or consciousness;
- tinnitus (ringing or ringing in the ears);
- problems with remembering or using learned information;
- memory loss;
- problems with the work of the rectal sphincter and bladder neck.
Each neck osteochondrosis is unique, and affects different functions of the body, so some of the symptoms may be absent. But patients always have difficulty turning their head, pain, and when the condition worsens, headache and dizziness.
How to determine the disease at home
Pain from osteochondrosis can be pulsating, short-term and long-term and constantly disturb a person. When the neck is affected, the discomfort extends to the shoulder girdle, and is most often located on the side of the working arm. In this case, the pain can be in the neck and between the shoulder blades, and affect the entire arm.
The complexity of the diagnosis stems from the fact that discomfort can change over time, due to changes in body position, stress or other reasons. Therefore, the first signs of osteochondrosis can be attributed to overstrain or muscle strain. But over time, attacks of pain and stiffness become more frequent and intense, which requires determining the cause and starting treatment.
It is quite difficult to independently determine the cause of pain in cervical osteochondrosis at home.In order for suspicions of osteochondrosis to be justified, it is necessary to exclude other options. Most often, the pain is caused by muscle strain, improper posture while sleeping or at work. Therefore, it is necessary to improve these conditions in order to understand whether they are the primary source of unpleasant sensations.
If the neck problems continue, then it is a serious symptom that can talk about osteochondrosis and other diseases, such as:
- tumors;
- infections;
- nerve root compression.
Therefore, you should consult a doctor and have an X-ray taken. This will let you know if there are any injuries or other signs of outside influence.
After finding out that the neck is affected by osteochondrosis, regardless of the methods of obtaining information, it is still not clear what caused the disease. You can independently determine only the violation of working conditions, workload and injury. Other diseases can be recognized only after a complete examination - this is necessary, because an infection affecting the spinal column or other similar disorders pose a serious threat to health and life.
How to treat osteochondrosis with drugs and folk remedies
After the diagnosis, you should adopt a treatment plan that will be developed by the doctor or that you can create yourself. When choosing its points, it is important to emphasize an integrated approach in the selection of funds and the systematic implementation of all recommendations.
What to do with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- administer medication;
- use folk remedies;
- conduct physiotherapy;
- change the lifestyle in order to eliminate the root cause of the disease.
Medicines include:
- Oral and local preparations that relieve pain and inflammation, but do not contain steroid substances.
- Pain relievers containing corticosteroids.
- Muscle relaxants.
- Antidepressants (if the work of the central nervous system is depressed, which caused a violation of the emotional background).
- Anti-inflammatory ointments.
- Patches for pain relief.
Folk methods include:
- Herbal decoctions and infusions used orally. The effect of the means depends on the raw materials used for them. These can be general strengthening compounds that saturate the body with useful substances, as well as painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Compresses - most often warming up, in order to relieve the spasm of the neck muscles and allow the spine to return to its original position.
- Rubbing - rubbing folk remedies into the skin, often combined with massage or self-massage. It has a different direction of action, but it is most often used to relieve pain, warm up and relax muscles.
Physiotherapy includes:
- Massage performed by medical staff - medical interventions have a beneficial effect on the spinal column and back muscles. In the case of a neck injury, you cannot use the services of a massage therapist who specializes in conducting only relaxation sessions.
- Self-massage - properly performed actions help to warm the neck muscles, relieve spasms and restore blood circulation in the cervical and shoulder area.
- Improving working conditions, choosing the right furniture to maintain proper posture, and in the case of sedentary work - frequent breaks during which physical movements are performed.
- Increasing the number of walks by using shoes with shock-absorbing soles. Walking helps to create a proper load on the back, especially in the lumbar region, due to which the clamps in the skeletal muscles are removed, and the spine returns to the anatomically correct position.
- Performing a warm-up in the morning, including exercises for the neck and shoulder girdle, as well as working on other parts of the body. In this case, all movements are done only with your own weight, or in rare cases, light dumbbells are allowed.
- Sauna or bath - visiting a steam bath with a course of 10-12 times can significantly reduce tension in the back muscles and activate metabolic processes in the body.
- Procedures prescribed by a doctor and carried out with the help of special equipment (electrophoresis, etc. ).
In addition, swimming in the pool is a good way to maintain optimal muscle tone, relieve spasms and eliminate atrophy. This must be done constantly, and start as soon as the inflammation stops. The first visits should be given a moderate load on the shoulder belt, after which it should be gradually increased until swimming becomes a full-fledged training.
According to the doctor's recommendations, remission occurs quickly enough if the disease has not turned into a moderate or severe form. But it is important to remember that even complete disappearance of symptoms is not a sign of cure.