To date, the disease has become much "younger" and more and more people 25 and older are being exposed to it, although recently it has been considered risky for people between the ages of 30 and 35. Cervical pathologies are more common, so you need to quickly recognize the symptoms of the disease to begin treatment.
So what is cervical spine osteochondrosis? This term describes the degenerative-dystophilic process in the intervertebral disc, which acts as a kind of shock absorber between the segments of the spine. This condition causes changes in the structure and anatomy, segments and joint elements of the cervical spine. Osteochondrosis of the neck is characterized by acute pain symptoms that require timely treatment.
Causes of cervical lumbar osteochondrosis
Where does cervical osteochondrosis come from? Below we list the factors that cause increased stress during chronic or acute exposure. As a result, the body compensates for the increased load by the work of the muscles, but due to the constant tension, spasms of circulatory disorders occur. Together, these factors cause degenerative changes in the spine, changes in structure, blood nutrition and metabolic problems. Then comes the change in the intervertebral joints, there is an excessive growth of bone tissue in the spinal segments.
Let's list the factors that contribute to the development of the disease:
- Scoliosis and poor posture.
- Excess weight.
- Stay in the wrong and unnatural positions for a long time.
- For example, due to the nature of the work, for example, regular overload of the back and cervical spine.
- Low mobility, sedentary physical inactivity.
- Spinal cord injury in the past.
- Metabolic problems.
- Excessive physical activity.
- Excessive stress, long-term susceptibility to depression.
- Heredity factor.
- Abnormal development of the vertebrae.
Degrees of cervical osteochondrosis
It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of 'stage' and 'degree' that characterize cervical lumbar osteochondrosis. We will look at the stages later, and now we will talk about the degrees, which depend on the general clinical condition and complaints of the patient, have different symptoms and therefore require different treatment.
- First degree - 1. . . Cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by small manifestations of the disease, the main symptoms of which are often invisible pain in the neck, exacerbated if you turn your head. They may be accompanied by slightly tense muscles.
- Second degree - 2. . . The pain and symptoms are more severe and can spread to the shoulder area. This is due to the low height of the intervertebral disc, which in turn leads to nerve compression. Pain syndrome tends to increase with movement, a feeling of weakness and headaches lead to decreased performance.
- Third degree - 3. . . This development of cervical lumbar osteochondrosis is characterized by the formation of a hernia in the intervertebral space. The differences from the previous degrees are in the symptoms, which are more pronounced and painful - they give more tightness to the shoulder and arm, they may feel numbness and weakness. The disease is accompanied by the same headache, weakness, limited neck mobility, and palpation reveals a different pain syndrome.
- Fourth degree - 4. . . This degree is characterized by complete destruction of intervertebral disc tissue. Problems with the blood supply to the brain are possible, especially through the cerebellar and vertebral arteries that supply blood to the back of the head. Against this background, there are difficulties with coordination, dizziness, noise in the ears.
Symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis
Cervical osteochondrosis is somewhat different from osteochondrosis in other regions. They occur due to the closer arrangement of the segments relative to each other, and the more complex structure of the first two segments - the atlas and the axis. In addition, there are fewer shock absorbers between the lumbar elements and therefore they wear and tear more quickly. In addition, it is cervical osteochondrosis, which causes compression of the spinal nerves.
Cervical osteochondrosis - the most common symptoms:
- Painful feelings. . . They are characterized by different localization - behind the head, shoulders and cervical regions. The formation of pain in the shoulder joint indicates that there is pressure on the nerve that is responsible for transmitting pain impulses in this area. Occipital pain reflects the presence of spasm of the neck muscles due to difficulties with blood flow in this area. Maybe a feeling of pain in the vertebrae, the presence of a crisis.
- Weakness in the hands. . . It manifests itself due to damage to the nerve responsible for motor activity of the upper extremities.
- Weak sensitivity in the hands. . . The nerve that innervates the skin of the arm is damaged.
- Limited movement, crisis. . . This is the result of low height of the intervertebral disc, bone growth in the lumbar segments, the presence of small affected structures.
- Coordination problems, weakness and dizziness. . . Due to the development of pathology, fibrous tissue is formed. Leads to partial contraction of the vertebral artery, which has its own channel in the spinal elements. This reduces the vascular lumen by creating anemia in the occiput and cerebellum.
- Hearing, vision, speech problems. . . It is the further development of vasoconstriction that feeds the cerebellar and occipital area.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis is made when a person has characteristic symptoms and complaints. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is diagnosed in different ways, mainly to see the condition of the injured part. Most commonly used:
- Radiography. Not very informative, only indicates the presence of deviations, mainly suitable for early diagnosis.
- Computed tomography. Compared with radiography, the rate of pathology of the cervical spine is improved, but it does not accurately determine the presence and size of the hernia. In addition, this procedure cannot determine the ‘narrowing’ of the canal by the spinal cord.
- Magnetic resonance imaging. Such a diagnosis is the most modern, characterized by increasing information content, allows a detailed assessment of bone structure defects, the condition of the intervertebral discs, the presence of hernias, the direction of growth and development.
- If there is a suspicion of deterioration of the current in the vertebral arteries, additional diagnostics is performed using an ultrasound duplex scanning procedure. Such a study accurately determines the presence of obstacles that reduce the speed of blood flow.
Based on the information obtained during the diagnosis, we can talk about different stages:
- Stage 1, is characterized by minor abnormalities of the anatomy of the vertebrae.
- Stage 2. . . It is possible that the position of the vertebrae relative to each other, displacement, rotation relative to the spinal axis, the intervertebral disc may have a slightly reduced height.
- Stage 3. . . The disc is lowered to a quarter of its height, the joints are changed, there is an increase in bone tissue, the density of the intervertebral foramen and spinal canal.
- Stage 4. . . It's even worse than before. The height of the disc is significantly reduced, there are deep articular pathologies and extensive bone growth, the spinal canal and the passages under the spinal cord are strongly compressed.
Treatment of cervical spine osteochondrosis
The main methods of such treatment are: drug treatment, physiotherapy, the use of massage of the affected area, therapeutic gymnastics. Let's take a closer look at some of the methods.
Drug treatment
The prescription of any medication should only be administered by a qualified professional.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Their action is the effective removal of the pain syndrome, the inflammatory and edematous process of clamped nerve endings.
- Vitamin B is taken to improve metabolic processes in the vertebrae and nerves.
- Drugs that increase blood flow. It is used to nourish the altered nerve endings and improve blood flow to the brain.
- Chondroprotectors used to repair cartilage and intervertebral disc tissue.
- Muscle relaxant, anti-spasm.
Physiotherapy
- Electrophoresis. . . Delivery of drug ions to any part of the pathology using the effect of an electric field. Prior to the procedure, novocaine anesthesia is performed and aminophylline, which improves blood flow, is also used.
- Ultrasound. . . Eliminates inflammation, pain, promotes metabolism at the site of application.
- Magnetotherapy. . . Has an analgesic effect, eliminates swelling.
- Laser therapy. . . The treatment is performed by exposure to light waves of a specific frequency. Eliminates inflammation well and promotes blood circulation.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is allowed only if the disease does not worsen. The techniques will be effective in the absence of pain and discomfort during exercise, in addition, they are very effective as a means of prevention. Here are some basic exercises:
- Lie on your stomach and place your bent arms on the floor. Perform head and torso lifts with the back straight for 60-90 seconds and smoothly return to the original position. Repeat 2-3 times.
- Lie on your stomach with your arms extended down your torso. Turn your head left and right, trying to reach the ground with your ears. Repeat 5-7 on each side.
- In a sitting position, breathe in, lean forward, try to reach the chest with your head. Then, on exhalation, on the contrary, bend your head back. Repeat 12 times.
- Put your palms on your forehead while sitting. Apply the mutual pressure of the forehead to the palm and vice versa. Repeat 3 times and continue for half a minute.
- Rotate the heads sideways without rushing, 5-7 turns each. If you feel dizzy, reduce the number of repetitions or slow down.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine: question-answer
Should cervical lumbar osteochondrosis be treated with surgery?
This happens, but rarely in half a year after the start of conservative treatment. In such cases, there is usually chronic pain and constriction of the nerve endings.
How much non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can you take?
Most of these drugs affect the condition of the gastric mucosa, so frequent and regular use is not recommended. The exact duration of the drug is determined by the attending physician, who has information about the stage of osteochondrosis in the patient and the presence of concomitant pathologies.
Are chondroprotective drugs effective in repairing damaged intervertebral disc tissue?
The effects of such drugs have not been confirmed, and as a result, doctors rarely recommend them.
What to do at home in the absence of ignition to avoid future fires?
For prophylactic purposes, the best would be physiotherapy exercises, cervical massage, avoidance of significant physical activity.