Existing methods of treating cervical osteochondrosis aim to reduce symptoms, prevent complications, prevent further destruction of the cartilage and bone tissue of the spine, and prevent the patient from becoming incapacitated.
Osteochondrosis is a degenerative-destructive pathological process that captures first the intervertebral disc and then the vertebra itself.
It is necessary to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical region immediately after the first signs of the disease appear.
Mechanisms for the development of osteochondrosis
The spine consists of the vertebrae and the intervertebral discs located between them. The intervertebral disc has a gelatinous nucleus pulposus in the center, surrounded on the periphery by a dense fibrous ring. The nucleus pulposus is hydrophilic - saturated with moisture and characterized by high elasticity. Due to the elastic properties of the intervertebral discs, cushioning and mobility of the spine are provided.
In people over the age of 20, the discs begin to gradually lose their elasticity. This is due to the obliteration of the vessels that fed the discs, and the additional blood supply is due to the diffusion from the bodies of the adjacent vertebrae. In cartilaginous tissue, against the background of a lack of nutrients, regeneration processes slow down - the disc begins to "age". Initially, the nucleus pulposus dehydrates, loses its elasticity, becomes flat, which increases the load on the annulus fibrosus. Microcracks, stress zones, breaks, delamination appear in the ring structure.
The degenerated disc projects into the spinal canal and irritates the nerve endings of pain receptors located in the posterior longitudinal ligament.
Features of the pathological process in cervical osteochondrosis are associated with the anatomical structure of this spine: different structure and size of the cervical vertebrae, tighter articulation in the intervertebral joints and underdeveloped muscle structure. With a prolonged static load on the cervical region (work on a computer), weak muscles do not hold the head well and the main load falls on the spine.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in a specialized clinic is carried out using a unique technology based on the combination of manual therapy, electrophoresis and photodynamic laser therapy under the supervision of physicians.
The main reasons that lead to the development of osteochondrosis:
- Congenital or acquired anomalies of the spine.
- The body's natural aging processes.
- genetic predisposition.
- Long-term static and dynamic overload of the spine: forced posture, hypodynamia.
- Passion for spine-dangerous sports: professional wrestling.
- Smoke.
- Autoimmune diseases with damage to connective tissue - collagenoses.
- Inadequate nutrition with a predominance of carbohydrates and fatty foods, with a deficiency of proteins, vitamins, micro and macro elements.
- Overweight, obesity.
- Spinal injuries and diseases.
Osteochondrosis of the spine - is there such a diagnosis?
In English medicine, this term refers to a completely different group of diseases that have nothing to do with our "native" osteochondrosis. In the International Classification of Diseases - a book by which all neurologists should be guided when indicating a diagnosis - there are terms such as "osteochondrosis of the spine in adults", "juvenile osteochondrosis of the spine", "osteochondrosis of the spine, unspecified".
However, sometimes this diagnosis is not fully justified, when the doctor really cannot fully figure out what is going on with the patient. Under this term, diseases such as:
- myofascial pain syndrome- a condition in which a spasm occurs constantly in the same muscles.
- Muscle injury.After an injury, the pain starts to bother and after a while they go away on their own.
- otolithiasisA condition in which calcium salt crystals build up in the inner ear. They lead to dizziness - they are sometimes confused with a manifestation of diseases of the spine.
- Headache.They are also often linked to degenerative changes in the cervical spine. In fact, they often have other causes.
Take care, book an appointment now, without delaying treatment.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine
The standard set of therapeutic measures for disease exacerbation looks like this:
- Anti-inflammatory and analgesic.The doctor may prescribe Voltaren, Movalis, ibuprofen and other medications.
- If the pain is too bad and doesn't go away- use novocaine blockade. The doctor, equipped with a needle and syringe, injects an anesthetic in special places where it blocks the transmission of nerve impulses for pain.
- Physiotherapy helps:drug electrophoresis with novocaine, ultrasound, ultraviolet irradiation, diadynamic currents.
- If pain constantly leaves you in nervous tension,Prescribe medication to help calm him down.
- To the area of painapply dry heat.
- To unload the column,different types of traction are used. The patient can be placed on a special bed with an elevated headboard and secured with rings under the armpits. Underwater traction in the pool is also used.
- The doctor may recommendyou visit a chiropractor, acupuncture sessions.
- during an exacerbationuse special orthopedic devices that help to unload the muscles and support the spine - corsets, collar Shants.
When the exacerbation passes, you need to take steps that will help prevent a new one. Therapeutic exercises and massages help to strengthen the muscles that support the spine. Book physical therapy courses. Good for swimming. All treatment methods for osteochondrosis have contraindications, they must be used wisely, so self-medication is not the best choice. Visit a doctor.
Sometimes the symptoms of the disease, despite treatment, continue to grow, the patient's condition worsens. In this case, the neurologist may raise the question of surgical treatment.
Why should you visit a doctor soon? First of all, "real" osteochondrosis is not such a harmless disease. Over time, it can render a person incapacitated if left untreated. Second, the symptoms can be caused by the same myofascial pain syndrome - a neurologist will be able to quickly detect the cause of the pain and eliminate it.
Back pain is a symptom that, according to statistics, more than 90% of people have experienced it at least once in their lives. Most often it is attributed to osteochondrosis. Not all people with back pain go to the doctor. Many are treated on their own with drugs that can be obtained without a prescription at a pharmacy, folk remedies. Sometimes this "treatment" brings temporary relief - and in the meantime, the disease may continue to progress, and perhaps next time, the back or lower back will "twist" much more.
An experienced neurologist will be able to correctly assess the symptoms of osteochondrosis, understand its causes and prescribe the correct treatment for osteochondrosis.
With pain - the main manifestation of osteochondrosis - you can fight it more or less successfully for a long time with the help of painkillers and anti-inflammatories, some folk remedies. But this does not solve the main problem, pathological changes in the spine continue to grow.
Over time, this is fraught with compression of the spinal cord and the arteries that feed it, the development of serious neurological complications: severe weakening, even complete loss, of movement and sensation, impaired bladder control, rectum.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis
In its development, cervical osteochondrosis, as a disease, goes through several stages:
I stage. The initial period is characterized by local neck pain, aggravated by rotation and tilting of the head. There is a smoothness of cervical lordosis and muscle tension. Morphological changes begin in the structure of intervertebral discs: drying of the nucleus pulposus, cracks in the annulus fibrosus.
II stage. Neck pain increases with irradiation to the arm, shoulder. Severe headaches, weakness, decreased joint efficiency. Destruction of the annulus fibrosus continues, signs of pathological mobility and instability of the vertebrae appear.
Phase III. Neck pain is severe, constant, radiating to the arms and shoulders. The muscles of the hands become weak, numbness of the upper limbs is noted. Patients have headaches, dizziness, disturbances of orientation in space. At this stage, the annulus fibrosus is completely destroyed. The gelatinous nucleus pulposus is not fixed, passes the vertebrae and enters the spinal canal, forming a hernia. The hernia protrusion compresses the nerves and blood vessels, which leads to impaired blood circulation in the cervical spine.
Step IV. This is the final stage of the disease. The cartilage of the intervertebral discs is replaced by connective tissue, adjacent segments of the spine are involved in the pathological process. Joints grow together, become immobile (ankylosis). The patient's condition is serious: severe pain not only in the neck, but also in the arms, in the chest, between the shoulder blades, signs of a stroke, sensitivity disorders. This is a life-threatening condition that can result in a stroke.
The success of the treatment is 90% dependent on the physician's experience and qualifications.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is made on the basis of: patient complaints, characteristic clinical picture, anamnesis of the disease, data from a neurological and orthopedic examination of the patient using modern diagnostic methods: radiography, magnetic and computed tomography , and the results of functional tests.
After making an accurate diagnosis, the doctor decides how to treat osteochondrosis of the neck in this patient, which technique should be applied in a particular case.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Cervical osteochondrosis is treated symptomatically, mainly by conservative methods, which include:
- Drug therapy, which includes analgesics, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, B vitamins.
- Physiotherapy methods: electrophoresis, laser therapy.
- Manual therapy.
- Acupuncture.
- Physiotherapy.
Surgical intervention is used extremely rarely when there is a real threat of developing a stroke, paralysis or violation of internal organs.
At this stage in the development of medical science, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine cannot be completely cured, but further progress of the pathological process can be avoided and the state of the affected spinal segment can be stabilized.
An integrated approach, sparing the nature of the therapeutic methods applied, makes it possible to effectively treat even advanced forms of cervical osteochondrosis.
The main methods of treating cervical osteochondrosis in a modern clinic
Manual therapy and osteopathy. This method of manual impact in problem areas of the spine, whose objective is to restore the normal physiological position of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. During the procedure, compression of the spinal nerve roots is eliminated, the neck muscles relax in the area of pathological changes.
Electrophoresis is a method of administering medication directly to the area of the affected spinal segment. Prescribe medications that improve blood circulation, relieve inflammation and muscle spasm.
Photodynamic phototherapy. The method is based on the ability of a photosensitive preparation to be activated by laser radiation. A layer of medicinal substance is applied to the skin in the area of the affected segment, which, penetrating deeply into the tissues for 10-13 cm, has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.
The author's three-component technique, including manual therapy, electrophoresis, and laser therapy, allows you to quickly relieve pain, remove swelling from surrounding tissues, improve blood supply to the area of inflammation, and activate the metabolic processes of cartilage tissue that is damaged intervertebral discs. . The aim of treatment is not only to reduce pain and improve the patient's condition, but also to act on various parts of the pathological process, prevent further destruction of the intervertebral discs and the destruction of the vertebrae themselves.
The techniques used for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck in modern clinics have been tested in the best manual therapy centers in Europe and the USA, are safe, effective, have virtually no contraindications and are well tolerated by patients even in older age groups.
Recommendations on what to do with cervical osteochondrosis, the patient will receive after consulting a neurologist, depending on the stage of the disease, severity of symptoms, comorbidities and test results.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical region
Osteochondrosis of the neck is a degenerative disease in which there is literally "premature aging", "wear and tear" of the intervertebral discs, joints, vertebrae in the cervical spine.
Some facts about the disease:
- Osteochondrosis of the neck occurs in men and women with equal frequency.
- Most of the time, people in their 30s and 60s get sick.
- As a rule, pathology occurs in people who at work have to constantly be in the same position and perform monotonous movements.
- The cervical spine has some structural features, due to which the disease can have many different manifestations.
What features of the cervical spine cause the symptoms of osteochondrosis?
- There are openings in the lateral processes of the vertebrae - the carotid arteries pass through them on the right and left, which supply blood to the brain.
- In the cervical region passes the initial part of the spinal cord - it contains fibers that carry nerve impulses to all parts of the body, provide movement, sensitivity. If there is compression of the spinal cord in the neck, neurological disorders occur throughout the body.
- This section of the spine has great mobility, and this predisposes to osteochondrosis (although, in most cases, the disease still develops in the lower back - not only does it have high mobility, it also experiences the most stress).
- In the neck, nerve roots emerge from the intervertebral foramina, forming the cervical and brachial nerve plexuses. They are responsible for movements in the muscles of the neck, arms, shoulder girdle, skin sensitivity, regulation of autonomic functions.
- The first vertebra does not have a massive front part - the body - is a bony ring that is placed on the tooth - a bony outgrowth on the second vertebra. This allows the head to turn from side to side.
Neck pain, headaches, feeling of weakness, numbness in the hands are symptoms that should make you look for a neurologist. Examination by a specialist and examination with modern equipment will help to understand the causes of the pathology and to take the most effective measures.
What happens to the vertebrae in cervical osteochondrosis?
The incomprehensible medical term "degenerative process" refers to the following pathological changes that occur in the cervical spine:
- First, the lesion in osteochondrosis covers the intervertebral discs. They become thinner, thus reducing the distance between adjacent vertebrae. On its outside, small gaps, microcracks are formed. Over time, this can lead to a herniated disc.
- As a result of damage to the discs, the stability of the connection of the vertebrae is disturbed.
- Suffers from osteochondrosis of the cervical and intervertebral joints - spondylarthrosis develops. It also promotes compression of nerve roots.
- The pathological process extends to the vertebrae themselves. Due to the fact that the functions of the intervertebral discs are impaired, the load on them increases. The spine tries to compensate for this violation, bony protuberances appear on it - osteophytes.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
During an exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebra, traction is used (the patient is placed on a bed with an elevated headboard, and the head is fixed with a special loop) to unload the intervertebral discs. For the same purpose, you need to use a Shant collar. To relieve pain, painkillers and anti-inflammatories are prescribed. With severe pain that does not go away, the doctor may perform a block: inject an anesthetic solution in the area of the affected nerve roots. Physiotherapy is used: ultrasound treatment, electrophoresis with novocaine.
When the exacerbation disappears, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine includes massage, physical therapy, physical therapy.
One of the main signs of cervical osteochondrosis is neck pain. Many people facing this symptom do not go to the doctor, but prefer to treat "chondrosis" with home methods. There are at least two good reasons to refuse self-treatment and consult a specialist doctor.
First of all, analgesics and folk methods, although they help to relieve pain for a while, do not solve the main problem. Pathological changes in the spine continue to grow. Over time, this threatens with more serious consequences. To the extent that surgery may be necessary.
Second, neck pain occurs not only with osteochondrosis. There are many other reasons. Only a doctor can understand and prescribe the correct treatment.
Physiotherapy
The treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis is a long processrequiring an integrated approach. After getting rid of the primary symptoms, you can proceed with using various physical therapy procedures:
- UHF Therapy.Exposure to high frequency electromagnetic field. It has an anti-inflammatory, analgesic effect and also promotes the launch of regenerative processes.
- Amplipulse.Low frequency currents are applied to problem areas of the body. There is an expansion of blood vessels, getting rid of pain and spasms.
- Phonophoresis and electrophoresis.The introduction of drugs into deep tissues using ultrasound and direct current.
Massage procedures are also widely used, which are possible only after removing the inflammatory process. Massage promotes muscle relaxation, eliminating spasms.
Diet - complex treatment of osteochondrosis
With this disease, it is necessary to act in a complex way, therefore, changing the diet is a completely effective method of treatment. The diet is pretty consistent with the generally accepted understanding of the concept of healthy eating, so try adding the following types of foods to your diet:
- Citrus fruits (in the absence of allergies).
- Olive oil.
- Fresh herbs and vegetables.
- Mineral water.
- Fish and foods rich in phosphorus, protein, magnesium and calcium.
- Dairy and dairy products.
An excellent auxiliary tool will be ready-made vitamin complexes, which can be found in a wide variety of pharmacy chains. Remember that all medications should only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.
What Symptoms of Osteochondrosis of the Cervical Spine Should Make You See a Doctor?
The main symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is pain. It can occur in different places, depending on the level at which the pathological process is located: in the neck, in the shoulder girdle, in the arm, in the region of the heart. By nature, pain sensations are dull, they can be burning, painful.
Other manifestations of the disease:
- Headaches, dizziness, "flies before the eyes", noise, ringing in the ears.
- Weakness in the muscles of the neck, shoulder girdle, arms.
- Violation of skin sensitivity.
- Shoulder-shoulder periarthritis: painful neck pain that passes into the arm, difficulty in abducting the arm above 90°, weakness and atrophy of the shoulder girdle muscles.
- Shoulder-hand syndrome: pain in the shoulder and hand, swelling and stiffness of the fingers, weakness and atrophy of the muscles of the hand.
- Vertebral artery syndrome. Bone growths appear on the vertebrae, which compress the nerves, resulting in a reflex spasm of the vertebral artery, which participates in the blood supply to the brain. The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are accompanied by constant headaches that start at the back of the head, spread to the temples, to the crown, nausea, noises in the head, ringing in the ears, flickering of bright spots before the eyes.
- Anterior scalene syndrome. There is an anterior and middle scalene muscle in the neck - they are close together and between them there is a small space in which nerves and blood vessels pass. With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the scalene anterior muscle becomes tight and compresses them, resulting in symptoms such as pain on the inner surface of the forearm, shoulder, and fingers. Sometimes the pain radiates to the back of the head. The skin on the hand may become cold, pale, and numbness may occur.
- epicondylitis syndrome. In the lower part of the shoulder, on the sides of the elbow joint, there are bony protrusions - epicondyles. With epicondylitis syndrome caused by cervical osteochondrosis, pain occurs in them, which increases when pressed. Other symptoms also occur: neck pain, pain when pressing certain points in the region of the cervical vertebrae.
If two sections of the spine are affected at the same time, with cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms may include pain between the shoulder blades, in the region of the heart.
With osteochondrosis, the risk of intervertebral hernia and stroke increases. If you have any of the symptoms listed above, see your doctor.
Conclusion
Now you know how to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine without resorting to the use of surgical intervention. The operation is the most radical method of treatment when the disease is already underway and there is no other way out. But it is in your power to do so so as not to bring your health to such a state.