More and more people are choosing jobs that do not require a lot of physical activity. This inevitably affects people's health. So, one of the most common diseases is cervical osteochondrosis.
As a result of this disease, joint cartilage and bone tissue changes. Earlier, this term united a large number of diseases, but now it means only degenerative conditions of the spine.
Why is the cervical region most often affected? It is he who has increased mobility and a large number of neurons and blood vessels. Before learning how to treat cervical osteochondrosis, eliminate the cause of the disease.
Causes of disease
Osteochondrosis does not always present with acute symptoms. Due to anatomical characteristics, changes in the intervertebral discs do not always cause pain or similar. This is why the disease often goes unnoticed.
Cervical osteochondrosis often develops for several reasons:
- sedentary lifestyle;
- lack of physical activity, salt deposits develop in the liver, kidneys, vertebrae;
- metabolic disease.
In addition, risk factors should be considered. They do not necessarily lead to illness, but in unfavorable circumstances they can manifest:
- the body goes through inevitable changes with age;
- whether the ancestors had cervical osteochondrosis;
- often hormonal disorders lead to metabolic disorders;
- some chronic diseases, such as lupus erythematosus or rheumatism, can lead to cartilage thinning;
- hypothermia.
Stages of the disease
Cervical osteochondrosis, like many other diseases, includes several stages of development.
- So, in the first stage, the destruction of intervertebral discs is noticed, the danger of this moment is that there is no severe pain, maximum discomfort in the neck. Due to changes in the structure of the disc, nerve roots are compressed - this is the source of the disease. As a rule, with a timely diagnosis, it is possible to completely cure the disease. It is important to properly prescribe treatment and follow all the doctor's recommendations.
- In the second stage, in addition to the destruction of the discs, the displacements of the cervical vertebrae begin. If the treatment was not successful or the diagnosis was not made earlier, osteochondrosis becomes chronic. The patient may have "tilted head syndrome", where you need to hold your head in a certain position to relieve pain. A typical symptom is severe pain.
- The third stage is the development of hernias and protrusions, as well as the effect on internal organs. Because with such development of the disease, the cervical vertebrae compress the blood vessels, resulting in disruption of blood flow to the brain. This causes headaches, nausea, dizziness and the like. In rare cases, numbness of the limbs may occur. With a bad development of events, a stroke is possible. The danger of this stage of the disease is that the pain is not so intense. Many people are sure that the disease has passed, that everything is cured, and meanwhile the destruction in the spine continues. It's all about cartilage tissue, because it's exactly the cause of pain, but in the third stage - it's completely destroyed. Sometimes hearing and coordination disorders develop.
There are also specific characteristics of the course of cervical osteochondrosis. Depending on which parts of the spine are damaged, there are several syndromes. Each of them has a different kind of pain.
Syndromes of cervical osteochondrosis
For example, cervical osteochondrosis can cause migraines. This happens with hypertension. As a result of its appearance, intracranial pressure increases, which brings pain. Due to high blood pressure, there is a risk of developing a stroke.
Also, headache is often the result of compression of the vertebral arteries.
With this syndrome, there is a decrease in visual acuity, dizziness, and coordination disorders. All this happens due to lack of oxygen in the brain. Fainting is possible with sudden head movements.
Compression of spinal roots is much more dangerous, because this syndrome has a complex of symptoms. First of all, the pain is localized in the neck and radiates to the forearm, sometimes it can radiate to the hands. In the early stages of the disease, crunching can be heard when turning the neck. Further pinching of the root causes respiratory disorders, a feeling of coma in the throat. Due to the fact that the nerves in the cervical vertebrae are tightly connected to the face, when the roots are compressed, numbness of the tongue or reduced mobility can be observed.
If the spine is not treated in time, the symptoms will only intensify and become more pronounced. Due to the lack of oxygen in the brain, malfunctions begin and this can lead to numerous mental illnesses (depression, anxiety disorder, hyperventilation, etc. ).
It is important to distinguish between cervical osteochondrosis and epilepsy in time. They are often confused due to the tension of the whole body and a brief loss of consciousness.
Modern diagnostic methods are used for this. Due to changes in the work of the cervical and thoracic vertebrae, there is a disturbance in the work of the heart, as a result, symptoms of tachycardia and arrhythmia appear. Another non-obvious manifestation of the disease is swelling under the eyes. They are caused by the compression of the lateral vessels of the spine.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
Before starting spine treatment, it is necessary to see a neurologist to clarify the diagnosis. Thanks to modern methods of studying the body, medicine is armed with a large arsenal of techniques for detecting diseases. In recent times, the most that a neurologist could offer was an X-ray and an external examination. As a rule, such methods did not give an effective result, which is why osteochondrosis is often detected in serious stages of development. The lack of X-rays is the inability to see the entire picture of the disease. She is currently scheduled for a CT scan or MRI. These are quick, high-quality studies that have virtually no contraindications.
After receiving the images, you need to consult a doctor.
Medical assistance
The question "how to treat cervical osteochondrosis" will be answered by a verterbrologist. This is a narrow focus of neurology, which studies the spine and related diseases. Before prescribing drugs, the doctor must prescribe a series of measures to restore blood circulation and relieve swelling. There is no unequivocal opinion about non-traditional methods of treatment. As a rule, in addition to consultations with a neurologist, the patient will need the help of a surgeon, masseur, and physiotherapist. In severe stages of the disease, the recovery period requires more time.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis during exacerbation?
In such a pathological condition as the aggravation of cervical osteochondrosis, symptoms are manifested in the form of pain, limited mobility, various sensitivity disorders and tissue trophism. The first step is pain relief. There are different medicines for this purpose. For example, you can use a pepper patch. Due to the warming effect, it perfectly copes with the task. Any analgesics would be helpful. To get rid of edema - take any diuretic. As home remedies, you can cook cranberries or cranberries or special herbal preparations.
If medicines do not help, you can use a needle applicator. Due to the point effect, it helps relieve pain, reduce swelling and improve blood flow. The main thing to remember is that after providing first aid, you must always consult a doctor.
Treatment of vertigo in cervical osteochondrosis is not so important. It is important to remove the primary cause of the disease. To maintain the condition, the doctor prescribes drugs that can thin the blood and restore blood flow to the brain. Additional bonus of these drugs: improvement of memory and normalization of sleep.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine consists not only of taking medication, but also of massage and physical education. In order to further prevent the occurrence of cervical spine diseases, it is necessary to form the correct muscle corset of the back. In some cases, self-massage can also be effective. For him, you can apply such simple techniques as rubbing and caressing, as well as vibrations.
Alternative medicine
One of the types of non-traditional treatment of osteochondrosis is manual therapy. Its essence is to influence certain points of the body, allowing you to set bones and joints. In danger? The fact that a non-specialist can seriously injure a client, because nerves are a delicate thing. Any careless movement can cause paresis or paralysis. How to treat osteochondrosis in other ways?
Ambiguous opinion is created around acupuncture. In contrast to manual therapy, the action on the diseased areas is carried out point by point, by means of needles. Its danger is that not knowing the injection zones can seriously worsen the patient's condition. The applicator works on the same principle.
Even more controversial is the naming of homeopathy. Its advantage is that the drugs have side effects and do not need to be taken often. Homeopathic medicines do not have this drawback. But their benefits have not been scientifically proven.
In any case, if you experience pain in your spine or neck, contact your doctor as soon as possible. It is better to treat any disease in the first stages, then the success of its cure is quite real forever. Do not refuse to take the medicine in moments of exacerbation.