The dystrophic changes of the intervertebral discs are called osteochondrosis. This problem can occur in people of any age; the dysfunction of the intervertebral disc leads to the development of many serious accompanying problems. How to prevent the development of cervical osteochondrosis? What drugs and alternative therapies are used in treatment?
Cervical Cartilage-What is
The cervical spine consists of 7 vertebrae and 8 pairs of nerve nodes. The background of the development of cervical osteochondrosis is the degeneration of intervertebral dental pulp into vitreous tissue. In this case, pathological changes will affect the ends of nerve fibers and important blood vessels. In most cases, pathology affects the 7th and 8th vertebrae.
The disease is carefully disguised as other pathological forms, manifested by headache attacks and neck discomfort. Patients may complain of dizziness, nausea and stress problems. In most cases, the disease is confused with heart and blood vessel problems.
Important! Usually, in the context of vertebrae problems, a person starts to lose consciousness suddenly, feels insufficient air, and the tongue may become numb.
Cervical osteochondrosis is most common in people over 30 years old, which is caused by the special position of human bones, continuous statistics and dynamic loads. The disease is rapidly getting younger, and recently, osteochondrosis has occurred even in adolescents.
Causes of diseases
The development of osteochondrosis is affected by physiological and pathological processes. They are closely related to each other, and in medical practice, they are always considered together.
Physiological changes are caused by age-related irreversible spinal cartilage processes. They are located in the central part of the intervertebral disc and appear as fibrous tissue sandwiching the dental pulp. Discomfort can occur when the nerve endings are stimulated.
Pathological changes-In this case, the area of inflammation extends beyond the cartilage tissue, causing severe stimulation of nerve endings and vasoconstriction. They appear in the context of improper nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle, appearing in teenagers and middle-aged people.
Important! In rare cases, cervical osteochondrosis can disappear on its own or manifest itself in the form of short-term attacks. The human body has many compensation and protection functions, which can offset the pathological changes of cartilage within a period of time.
Cause:
- Sedentary people lack regular physical exercise;
- is often forced to stay in an uncomfortable position;
- Overweight;
- Nerve overload, high pressure;
- neck and occipital bone injuries;
- Hypothermia.
The cause of osteochondrosis may be congenital abnormalities, autoimmune diseases.
Main features
Cervical osteochondrosis is not always manifested by pain in a specific part of the spine, and the clinical manifestations of the disease are usually vague.
The main symptoms are dizziness, migraine, and sudden changes in blood pressure.
In case of emergency hospitalization:
- Numbness, loss of muscle mobility in the face or shoulder straps;
- Headaches increase, usually accompanied by a decrease in happiness;
- Lack of coordination;
- Lose consciousness.
Cervical pain often radiates to the shoulder straps and upper limbs. A distinctive feature of the pain syndrome is that the pain syndrome is paroxysmal in nature, usually after waking up, after sudden exercise, during laughter, coughing and sneezing.
Important! If the sixth vertebra undergoes pathological changes, pain syndrome can be observed on the thumb, and if the seventh vertebra is damaged, the middle finger will be affected.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women appear later than men-the average age is 50-55 years.
The relationship between osteochondrosis and other diseases
Cervical osteochondrosis and blood pressure-the link between these pathologies has long been established. For osteochondrosis, it is precisely the sharp drop in pressure during the day that is characteristic, and persistent hypertension is not inherent in the disease.
The increased stress of osteochondrosis is accompanied by migraine, head noise, pain in arms, legs, and chest. At the same time, the skin sensitivity in the collar area is significantly reduced, and the pressure will arouse pressure jumps and stay in an uncomfortable position for a long time.
Cervical osteochondrosis and dizziness-occur in the context of severe pain syndrome, impaired cerebral circulation and nerve signal transmission, vestibular apparatus problems.
Osteochondrosis is most commonly manifested as non-general dizziness-there is no sensation of rotating objects, but the person is very sick and it is difficult to stand upright.
Important! With the frequent attacks of dizziness, it is necessary to visit not only a neuropathologist, but also an otolaryngologist to rule out the presence of pathological changes in the nasopharynx.
In almost 90% of cases, headache is accompanied by osteochondrosis. It occurs in the context of vasospasm, pinching of nerve endings, and increased intracranial pressure. It manifests in different ways-throbbing, dull.
The headache of osteochondrosis is similar to the feeling of high blood pressure, angina, heart attack, and stroke.
In the context of cerebral circulatory disorders, panic attacks accompany osteochondrosis. At the same time, a person will experience unreasonable fear and physical discomfort. The duration of the attack is 2-3 minutes to an hour, and can be repeated several times a day. A panic attack is accompanied by a heavy head, constant tears, drowsiness and drowsiness. In a severe attack, you need to take sedatives and see a psychologist regularly.
In the context of persistent pain, phobia and depression occur with osteochondrosis, which is a compulsive change in the usual lifestyle.
Diagnostic method
People with osteochondrosis may suffer pain in the head, chest, back of the arms-the blurred image of this disease greatly increases the difficulty of the initial diagnosis.
Prevent people from timely diagnosis and abuse of painkillers. One feels healthy without suffering. When an irreversible process occurs in the cervical joint tissue, please seek medical help later.
Important! Only a neurologist can deal with osteochondrosis.
The external examination is to identify the mobility and pain of the neck. After that, the doctor prescribed several X-ray prescriptions for projection and computed tomography. If a hernia is suspected, an MRI scan should be performed. Doppler ultrasound is performed to assess the condition of arteries and blood vessels.
Principles of drug treatment
Medication is aimed at eliminating pain, inflammation, and restoring normal mobility and blood circulation.
Main drug categories:
- analgesics in the form of tablets and injections are designed to eliminate pain syndrome;
- Non-steroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Cartilage protectants help restore cartilage tissue;
- Muscle relaxants can relax muscles and are used as an aid to relieve pain-they contain glycerin, benzimidazole, and have many contraindications.
- Vitamin complex-must contain all vitamins of B, D, E group, retinol, ascorbic acid;
- Artificial analogues of histamine-help eliminate the problems of vestibular devices;
- Refers to topical medicines in the form of gels and ointments-help improve blood circulation, relieve cramps and pain, keep warm, and relieve pain.
Important! The vitamins contained in food are not enough to treat osteochondrosis.
Drugs that improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis are mandatory components of the treatment. They can dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow. Nootropic drugs can improve the metabolic process of the brain, restore memory and thinking ability.
is rarely used for osteochondrosis surgery. Surgery is essential for signs of upper limb paralysis, acute circulatory diseases and cerebral edema.
Other treatment methods include massage, push-pull manual therapy, a certain dose of traction, relaxation techniques and acupuncture.
How to treat osteochondrosis at home
Home therapy involves regular special exercises and the use of special orthopedic equipment. As a supportive treatment, you can use traditional medicine recipes.
Shants collar is designed to eliminate tension in the spine, reduce stress, and strengthen neck muscles. The head and neck are fixed in the correct position, which frees you from insomnia and prevents the progression of pathological changes. You don't need to wear the collar all day, but 2-3 hours before bed.
Self-massage will help eliminate pain and cramps, while applying ointment to improve blood flow. The procedure should be carried out while sitting in a comfortable and relaxed posture. It is necessary to stroke, rub in a circle, not only touching the neck but also the shoulder straps.
Important! Cervical osteochondrosis, except for baths and saunas, prohibits any form of heating.
Rehabilitation bath can relieve pain and inflammation, and relax the spine. The drinking program should be done every other day, and the course includes 15-20 programs.
Bath recipe:
- Mix 150 grams of chamomile and mint, and brew the mixture into 5 liters of boiling water. Let stand for 2 hours and filter.
- Take 20 grams of mint, balsam and birch leaves. After filtering for 2 hours, the collection was brewed in 6 liters of boiling water.
- To prepare the sage infusion, you need 300 grams of the herb and 5 liters of boiling water. The healing solution will be ready within 2 hours.
For oral administration, you can prepare infusion in grass-this will help quickly eliminate inflammation, cramps and pain. Brew 6 grams of grass in 230 ml of boiling water and place it in an airtight container for an hour. 3 times a day, 15 ml each time.
A solution made of 15 grams of sea salt and 1 liter of water helps to cope with osteochondrosis. Bring the mixture to a boil and cool completely. In the composition, apply moist natural fabric to the back of the neck.
Possible complications
Through timely diagnosis and proper treatment, cervical osteochondrosis can progress without any special complications. Otherwise, severe pathological changes will occur, leading to disability.
Why is cervical osteochondrosis dangerous?
- Vertebral artery syndrome-functional and organic changes caused by cerebral blood circulation disorders;
- Hypertension, arrhythmia;
- Upper limb numbness, weakness, muscle atrophy;
- Herniation, hernia;
- VSD;
- Nervous system diseases.
Physical therapy for osteochondrosis
Exercise therapy for cervical osteochondrosis can restore the nutrition of damaged tissues and restore blood circulation.
During remedial gymnastics, it is strictly forbidden to rotate the head forcibly and bend sharply. Only imitating such actions is allowed. You can do a set of exercises of no more than 2 minutes-prolonged load may cause complications of osteochondrosis.
Shishonin has developed an effective exercise method for cervical spine chondropathy. The principle is that all actions must be carried out smoothly, and each position must be fixed for 15-30 seconds. When doing gymnastics, there should be no pain, and each exercise should be repeated 5 times.
Exercise instructions:
- Sit upright and tilt your head to the right. When muscle tension occurs, fix your posture. Incline 5 slopes on each side.
- Bend your head forward and backward similar to the previous exercise.
- Stretch the chin alternately to the left and right shoulders. The back is straight and you cannot round it.
- Rotate the head left and right at each position for 30 seconds.
- Continue to turn, but use other arms. When turning to the right, the right hand should be placed on the left shoulder, and vice versa.
- Close your palms, raise your arms above your head, and turn to the sides.
- Straighten your arms, turn them sideways and slightly back, and extend your chin forward.
Preventive measures
The steps to prevent osteochondrosis are very simple. If carried out regularly, serious health problems can be avoided. Prevention is especially necessary for the elderly and those who spend a lot of time sitting.
How to prevent osteochondrosis:
- Wash at least 10 minutes a day;
- Visit the bathroom and sauna regularly to eliminate neck cramps and tightness;
- Sleep on orthopedic pillows and special mattresses;
- Perform a small warm-up every hour for 5 minutes while sitting.
The best exercises to prevent osteochondrosis are swimming, yoga, aerobic exercises, and special gymnastics to strengthen cervical muscles.
It is forbidden for people in danger to run, jump or fit in. The key weight is 10 kg, and two hands should be used to carry the weight. In addition, you can use a corset that protects the spine.
Sergei Bubnovsky described measures to prevent osteochondrosis very well. In his book, you can find out which back pain is dangerous, how to recover without injections and corsets, and find a series of special exercise methods.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease that can affect everyone. Timely diagnosis and prevention, a healthy and active lifestyle will help to avoid serious pathological changes in the spine, and make you healthy and happy.