Osteochondrosis of the neck is a degenerative-dystrophic disease of the cervical spine, which is characterized by damage to the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs and adjacent bone structures with the appearance of reactive inflammation and dysfunction of the spine.
Cervical osteochondrosis can be felt at any age.It is believed that in persons prone to degenerative cartilage changes, the first manifestations of the disease are observed in the school years.Indeed, today this disease has become much younger, so it is diagnosed much more often in patients younger than 45-55 years.
In most clinical cases, cervical osteochondrosis is the result of age-related changes in the human body.Among other common causes of the disease, scientists cite genetic predisposition, sedentary lifestyle, bad posture, intense physical activity on the spine, excess weight and abnormal development of the bone system.
It is known that cervical osteochondrosis differs in clinical manifestations from other types of diseases (thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis).This can easily be explained by the structural characteristics of the cervical spine and the functions assigned to it.
Regardless of the degree of neglect of the pathological process, its prevalence and localization, experts cannot ignore it.It is important to understand that over time the disease will only progress and at some point result in irreversible consequences.Therefore, you should not hope for a case or try to treat the problem yourself, but when the first signs of osteochondrosis of the neck appear, immediately seek qualified help from a specialist.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Since the cervical vertebrae have a different structure, and they also differ from the rest of the spine due to their proximity to each other, it is understandable why cervical osteochondrosis differs clinically from variants of the disease in the thoracic and lumbar regions.Osteochondrosis is often accompanied by very severe pain, disturbances in normal blood circulation in the cervical vessels and pinched nerve bundles.
Among the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- intense pain in the neck and back of the head, widespread headaches, pain in the upper shoulder girdle and arms;
- muscle weakness or loss of sensation in the upper extremities;
- appearance of crunching when turning the head;
- complicated head movements to the side;
- frequent dizziness, vertigo, general weakness that occurs when the vessels in the neck that supply the brain are compressed;
- impairment of memory and coordination, hearing problems and the like.
During its development, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine goes through several stages, each of which has its own characteristics and is characterized by a number of specific clinical signs:
- Phase 1 - the beginning of degenerative-dystrophic degeneration of the osteochondral tissue of the cervical spine, which is accompanied by subtle changes in the patient's health (such patients may have: periodic weakness, dizziness, short-term headaches);
- Phase 2 – thinning and rupture of the intervertebral discs occurs, which is clinically manifested by the development of persistent pain, pronounced weakness, fatigue and numbness in different parts of the face, neck and upper extremities;
- Stage 3 – herniation of intervertebral discs occurs, which is accompanied by pain in the back of the head, serious problems with normal blood flow in the tissues and conditions before fainting;
- Stage 4 - the bone tissue of the vertebrae begins to grow and compresses the nerve roots, which leads to disruption of their functioning, persistence of the pain syndrome and the appearance of severe stiffness in movements.
The diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the spine can only be confirmed by a doctor during the examination of the patient and a detailed diagnosis of his condition.The choice of effective treatment tactics depends on the degree of development of the pathological process, its prevalence and the presence of complications.It is important to understand that the treatment of a disease such as cervical osteochondrosis should be carried out by a qualified and experienced specialist.Otherwise, the patient not only risks receiving ineffective therapy, but also faces the consequences of illiterate care.
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Treatment of exacerbations of cervical osteochondrosis should be comprehensive.In such therapeutic schemes, specialists can use both medical methods of alleviating disease symptoms, as well as physiotherapeutic techniques, massage, physical therapy, and the like.
Regardless of the method of action on the affected spine, all methods of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine have several goals:
- elimination of pain syndrome;
- restoration of lost sensitivity in different parts of the face and upper extremities;
- strengthening of the muscles and ligaments that support the vertebrae;
- relief of local inflammation and reduction of tissue edema;
- removing the consequences of pinched nerve roots;
- preventing the progression of the pathological process.
As medical therapy for osteochondrosis, doctors often prescribe drugs from the group of analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, B group vitamins, glucocorticoids and chondroprotectors.Therapeutic gymnastics and physiotherapy can achieve good results in the treatment of diseases.
Surgical correction of disorders in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is the last measure, which is used in the absence of the effect of conservative treatment.
Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis
Therapeutic gymnastics is an effective method of removing the manifestations of osteochondrosis, which also helps to avoid the progression of the pathological process and achieve a stable remission.A set of physical exercises is selected individually.Its volume and nature depend on the degree of complexity of the disease, its clinical manifestations and the presence of the consequences of the disease in the person.
Among the main clinical effects of therapeutic exercises, the following should be highlighted:
- strengthening the muscular corset of the back and the ligaments that hold the cervical vertebrae in the correct anatomical position;
- posture alignment;
- improvement of blood flow in soft tissues;
- normalization of innervation.
It is important to remember that a person should not feel pain or discomfort while performing the exercises.Therapeutic exercises can be used for therapeutic purposes, as well as to prevent the development of osteochondrosis.
Benefits of massage
With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, massage helps to increase the tone of the muscle layer and relieve pain.Today, experienced massage therapists use different massage techniques in their practice, but the most effective for osteochondrosis are:
- caressing to stimulate the upper muscle layers, which starts from the neck area, gradually moving to the collarbone and armpit area;
- rubbing, which helps improve blood flow and relieve tension;
- squeezing, as a method of influencing the deeper parts of the skin, is performed by grasping the tissue over the neck;
- kneading, which affects the deep layers of neck tissue and, if performed incorrectly, can harm the patient.
Massage procedures should only be performed by an experienced specialist.An illiterate approach to treatment can cause the patient's osteochondrosis to worsen and even cause severe consequences.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy procedures for neck osteochondrosis can be used as monotherapy, as well as in combination with other effective techniques.They can improve the condition of muscle tissue, remove local swelling and soothe irritated nerve fibers.The most common and popular physiotherapy methods for osteochondrosis today are balneotherapy, electrophoresis, UHF therapy, magnetic therapy, phonophoresis and acupuncture.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy, which is designed to normalize blood flow in the affected areas, relieve muscle spasms and relax the paracervical muscles, has proven itself well in neck osteochondrosis.This method can significantly improve the clinical picture of the disease and prevent its exacerbations.In addition, manual tissue manipulation prevents the progression of the pathological process and prevents its complications.
Prevention
In order to prevent the development of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cervical spine, doctors recommend the following simple rules, in particular:
- lead an active lifestyle, regularly perform gymnastic exercises, visit the swimming pool;
- give up bad habits;
- when working while sitting, provide yourself with a sufficient number of breaks during which you will warm up;
- ensure a healthy and sound sleep on an orthopedic mattress with a good pillow.
When the first signs of the development of cervical osteochondrosis appear, you should not delay a visit to a specialist or self-treat them.It should be understood that only timely provision of qualified help in the initial stages of the development of the disease helps to completely eliminate its unpleasant manifestations and prevent the progression of the process.