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Cervical osteochondrosis: treatment and symptoms

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine signals itself with pain

Neck pain is a warning sign.Maybe it's just too much stress and you just need to rest and relax.But what to do if the pain is associated with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?It is important to pay close attention to symptoms and treatment, because complications can affect the most important organ - the brain.

What is cervical osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative disease of the osteochondral system of the body.This causes the destruction of the cervical intervertebral discs, the growth of the bone tissue of the vertebrae and the formation of growths on their surfaces.

The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, the first of which is connected to the skull.The anatomical and functional unit of the spine is the motion segment of the spine.It is an articular complex through which the spine moves.The complex consists of two vertebrae, an intervertebral disc, articular surfaces of the vertebrae (facets), nerves, ligaments and muscles.

Osteochondrosis begins with damage to the intervertebral disc and affects all surrounding tissues.Over time, the process leads to a violation of the biomechanics of the spine as a whole.With the development of osteochondrosis, ruptured intervertebral discs and compression of nerve roots and blood vessels can occur.

Pathological processes in the intervertebral disc go through four stages: nutrition, weakening of the ligaments, damage to the disc and compression of nerves.

  • Stage 1

    Nutritional and metabolic conditions of the intervertebral disc are disturbed.Due to their design, the discs receive energy only when they are moving.If it is not there, degenerative changes in the tissue begin: the disc is starved and dehydrated.Water loss causes the intervertebral disc to be unable to perform its shock absorbing functions.The load on the fibrous ring increases, cracks and tears appear in it.At this time, small pains may appear.

  • Stage 2

    In the second stage, the ligamentous apparatus of the movement segment of the spine weakens.The connection becomes pathologically mobile.The pathological process in the disk worsens, rupture (prolapse) begins - leakage of the pulpous nucleus through cracks in the fibrous ring.The pain is cyclical.

  • Stage 3

    Then, the intervertebral disc is permanently damaged.The nucleus pulposus of the disc extends beyond the annulus fibrosus.The resulting hernia can touch the nerve roots.The inflammatory process develops.This is manifested by the exacerbation of pain, which is called radicular syndrome.

  • Stage 4

    In the fourth stage, the lesion affects the nearby tissues.Compression of the radicular artery is possible, which leads to insufficient blood supply to the spinal cord.As a result, part of the spine can be completely immobilized.

First signs and main symptoms

At the beginning of the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, discomfort, restriction of movement, pain in the neck area appear.It is often ignored.

Over time, the pain intensifies, painful, burning, headache, neck, shoulder blades, shoulders ache - perhaps this is the development of vertebral artery syndrome.The artery is compressed or spasmed, blood flow is disturbed.

In the 1-2 stages of cervical osteochondrosis, ophthalmological problems associated with vascular spasm often arise.Darkness in the eyes, tremors, the appearance of "floaters", colored spots in front of the eyes - all these are signs of osteochondrosis.

The most common symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis:

  • Migraine, dizziness, nausea and cough;
  • Hearing impairment, pain in the ear, face;
  • Motor disorders in arms and legs.The sensitivity of the skin on the head may disappear;
  • Pain in the hand.If a nerve root is pinched, the entire area it sends impulses to can be damaged or "collapsed."

In addition to the above symptoms, three main pain syndromes can be distinguished:accompanied by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.A syndrome is a complex of all symptoms.Identifying the underlying pain syndrome is important because the entire treatment regimen is based on pain relief.But it is impossible to eliminate it without knowing its origin.

  1. Myofascial syndrome- pain in skeletal muscles and adjacent fascia.The disorder is associated with overload that causes spasm, hypertonicity and painful knots within the muscle (trigger points).
  2. Radicular syndrome- pain caused by long-term compression of spinal nerve roots.The process of herniation in spinal osteochondrosis leads to compression of nerve fibers and subsequent inflammatory reaction.The pain spreads along the nerve.
  3. Facet syndrome- pain in the vertebral joints.Vertebrae from the second cervical have articular processes that are connected to each other by facet joints.With osteochondrosis, the intervertebral discs are destroyed, their height decreases, and this causes the articular capsules of the facet joints to be in constant tension.It causes pain.Moreover, the pain increases towards the end of the day, especially with prolonged forced posture.

Causes of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine

One of the main causes of osteochondrosis is the evolution of the spine to high vertical loads.Human ancestors walked on all fours like other mammals.They did not suffer from osteochondrosis, because the intradiscal pressure in the horizontal position of the body is two times less than in the vertical position.By evolutionary standards, the transition to an upright posture occurred not long ago, and the spine simply did not have time to adapt to the high vertical load.So, in addition to walking upright, a person also acquired diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The structure of the human neck makes it even more sensitive.The human neck is made up of seven small movable vertebrae that fit together like a child's pyramid.This structure can hardly be called stable outside the resting state.In addition, the muscle frame in this area is weak and the loads can be high - all this makes the neck vulnerable.Any injury is fraught with complications.Even if the damage is in another part of the spine, the redistribution of the load can be the cause of osteochondrosis.

Another factor is aging.The formation of skeletal and cartilage tissue is completed by the age of 21, after which the process of irreversible aging (degeneration) begins.Cartilage tissue is nourished only by diffusion, and if the intervertebral disc does not receive enough nutrients, it gradually begins to deteriorate.

In addition, it contributes to the development of cervical osteochondrosis:

  1. Autoimmune diseases.They involve the body's own cells in the pathological process of cartilage tissue destruction.
  2. Infections, hormonal imbalance, slow metabolism - all these circulatory disorders can also serve as factors in the development of osteochondrosis.
  3. Sedentary lifestyle, working conditions in which a person spends most of his time in a forced static position.
  4. High loads that cause injury can cause compression.
  5. Genetic defects associated with weakness of the musculoskeletal system and low cartilage tissue.

The spinal canal in the cervical spine is very narrow, so high loads, any disorder or injury can cause compression of the spinal cord.And this is very dangerous.

In addition, a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels pass through this area.If the blood supply to the brain stops, a stroke can occur.

Diagnostics

During the initial diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, the doctor collects the patient's medical history.He learns what hurts and how, with what intensity, during exercise or at rest, at what time of day it hurts more, and whether there are injuries in the cervical spine.

During the examination of the neck, the doctor feels the cervical vertebrae and muscles, lymph nodes;assess range of motion, rule out or confirm radicular syndrome.

After that, laboratory diagnostics are prescribed to exclude autoimmune diseases: total blood count, ESR, rheumatoid factor, HLA B27 antigen.

Radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging play a key role in diagnosis.

  • Radiographyhelps to assess the state of bone structures;images do not show soft tissues and cartilage.A contrast agent is injected to visualize these structures: angiography, discography, myelography.
  • Computed tomography (CT).This method also uses the principle of radiography, but with the help of computer processing, it is possible to obtain a series of images of longitudinal and transverse sections in which bone and cartilage tissue are visible.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).It is the "gold standard" in the diagnosis of pathologies, including cartilage and soft tissue.MRI allows to understand not only the structure of organs and tissues, but also their activity.In the case of osteochondrosis, a frequent complication is a hernia of the spine.MRI allows determining the process of hernia formation at an early stage.

Treatment

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is based on conservative methods.First, the pain syndrome is eliminated, then various procedures are prescribed.However, in the most extreme cases, when the pain persists for more than three months and medications do not help, surgery is the only option.

Non-surgical treatment methods

Osteochondrosis affects the osteochondrosis system for many years, so treatment will take time.You have to be patient.Goals of conservative treatment:

  1. Eliminate pain.
  2. Eliminate inflammation.
  3. Restore the functions of the spinal roots.
  4. Strengthen the muscle corset and ligaments.

Conservative treatment includes drug therapy and physical therapy.Medicines help relieve pain during flare-ups, and physiotherapy helps the body begin self-healing processes.

In severe pain with radicular syndrome, "blockades" are performed: the drug is applied near the inflamed spinal nerve root.

Physiotherapy treatment is based on natural and artificially recreated physical factors: cold, heat, electric current, magnetic radiation, laser, etc.To recreate them, special devices, devices and manual methods are used.

  • Laser therapy— biological activation of intervertebral disc recovery processes.The body begins to heal itself.
  • Plasma therapy (PRP therapy)- injections of plasma isolated from the patient's blood.Plasma is rich in platelets, growth factors and hormones.After injections, local immunity increases and regeneration processes begin.
  • Acupuncture- stimulation of nerve endings with special needles.It improves metabolism in the affected areas and relieves pain.
  • Shock wave therapy- exposure to high frequency waves.It allows you to start natural recovery processes.
  • Kinesitherapy- movement therapy.It can be active (physical therapy) and passive (massage, traction).Exercise therapy strengthens back muscles, relieves tension and pain.It is selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
  • Manual therapy and massage- effect on soft tissues and joints to restore balance and synchronize processes in the body.Restore mobility and relieve pain.
  • Find out- gluing special patches to the skin in places where it is necessary to influence the muscle stretch and compression receptors.It can both relax and tone up.

In case of acute pain, the patient is recommended to wear special bandages and collars around the neck to reduce the burden on the spine.

The positive effect of conservative treatment is achieved within 2-3 months.If there is no result, surgical intervention is recommended to the patient.

Surgical methods for the treatment of osteochondrosis

In the case of cervical osteochondrosis, surgery is an extreme measure that requires special instructions.Surgery is recommended if:

  1. Pain cannot be relieved by therapeutic treatment for more than 3 months.
  2. He has a herniated disc.
  3. Loss of sensation in the limbs.

Post-operative rehabilitation also takes time and may include therapeutic treatment.

Cervical osteochondrosis is a complex degenerative disease.It cannot remain without treatment.Such serious disorders in the musculoskeletal system can lead to disability.Neck pain can become chronic, and osteochondrosis can spread to several parts of the spine.Timely prevention can prevent the development of this disease.

Prevention

Daily physical activity is necessary to keep your cervical spine healthy.Nutrition of the intervertebral discs occurs during movement, so it is extremely necessary.It is important that loads are optimal and regular.

If the work involves being in a constant static position, you need to periodically warm up.At home, after a working day, you can lie on your back for a while on a flat surface with a pillow under your neck.This method will help restore the neck curve of the spine and relieve muscle tension.

Correct posture during sleep is important in the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis.If a person wakes up in the morning with neck pain, it means that the muscles have not had time to rest and recover.An individually selected orthopedic pillow will help here for 3-5 years.