Osteocondrosis is a disease that is one of the most common in the world.Most people after 35 years have osteochondosis of the cervical column in one form or another.Recently, there has been a tendency to increase the number of suffering from a serious form of the disease and to rejuvenate the disease, a decrease in the lower age threshold.This is due to the fact that an increasing number of people around the world is engaged in the session work and leads a sedentary lifestyle.In the meantime, the disease is quite dangerous and any person should know what it is - osteochondrosis, how it manifests itself and how it is treated, to be able to recognize its symptoms and start treatment in a timely manner.
Causes
Osteocondrosis is one of the few diseases that are characteristic only for humans.In other animals, this disease is not found.The reason for this is such a distinctive feature of a person as simple.The vertical arrangement of the spine leads to the fact that the vertebrae is pressed on each other and the chryshabi bone tissue of the spine is gradually degrading and deformed.
The human vertebral column begins with the cervical region.In total, there are seven vertebrae in this department - from the first to seventh.The vertebrae are separated from each other by the intervertebral discs.The cervical column is a particularly vulnerable part of it, which is associated, first of all, with greater mobility of the vertebrae in this area.In the cervical region, the disease is reflected, first of all, on the discs, which are a weak place in the structure of the spine.
The prevalence of cervical osteochondrosis is also facilitated by factors such as the small dimensions of the vertebrae and the relative weakness of the neck muscles.In addition, the development of cervical osteochondrosis is strongly influenced by the lack of blood supply to the cartilage tissue.
Therefore, the development of the disease is a complex and prolonged process and does not have a single cause.Although a connection has been established between the sedentary work of a person and the presence of cervical osteochondrosis in him, however, the disease is often found in trained people, in particular the athletes-two for an increase in the load on the cervical column when weighing.
In the elderly, as a rule, the degradation of vertebrates is an inevitable process associated with the aging of the body and weakening its protective forces.However, the pathological type of cervical osteochondrosis is often found, in which external or internal negative factors play the main role.
Factors that contribute to the development of osteochondosis of the neck:
- Violation of posture
- Curvature of the spine
- Back injury
- Overweight
- Hard physical work
- Sedentary work
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Violation of metabolic processes
- Frequent hypothermia
- In an uncomfortable pose during sleep
- Stress, overload
- Hereditary factors
- Infectious diseases
- Individual characteristics of the body structure, for example, too long or too short
The degree of development of cervical osteochondosis
The disease has four phases.It is not always easy to determine the stage of the disease through the analysis of symptoms, since sometimes the degree of degradation of the bone-cheaese tissue may not correspond to the symptoms observed in the patient.
The first degree
The destructive processes begin in the tissue of the bone skin of the vertebrae.As a rule, in this phase of the osteocondrosis of the cervical region, the symptoms are weakly expressed.Patients or not noticing them at all or do not associate with the diseases of the spine, but attribute stress and overload.
The second degree
A decrease in the height of the disc begins, the cracks appear on its surface.The symptoms of cervical osteocondrosis in this phase occur in constant pain, weakness, numbness of the individual sections of the face.
The third degree
Drin of records are formed, the cervical vessels and the muscles are damaged.The patient has dizziness, pain in the occipital part of the head.
The fourth degree
Osteophytes appear: the growth of the bone tissue that protect the vertebrae from the load, which leads to the violation of the nerves.This leads to the rigidity of the movements and damage to the nearby joints.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of osteochondosis of the cervical column:
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Muscle weakness
- Increase in sweating
- Numbness of the hands
- Violation of coordination
- Dizziness
- Vision and deterioration of hearing
- Increase in blood pressure
- Heachache
These spinal osteochondrosis typical of osteochondrosis, the symptoms may be present in all phases of the disease.In most cases, only a few symptoms are observed from the list and the rest can be absent from a person who has met these signs of the disease for the first time, always does not suspect cervical osteochondosis.Therefore, it can contact various doctors: therapists, cardiologists, neuropathologists, surgeons.And the correct diagnosis accordingly can be carried out with a significant delay.
Cervical osteochondosis syndromes
With cervical osteochondrosis, there are several syndromes, that is typical conditions that have a complex of characteristics characteristics.They manifest themselves depending on what nerves and arteries are influenced because of the disease:
- Vail artery syndrome
- Cardial syndrome
- Hypertensive syndrome
- Rook syndrome
- Cervical migraine syndrome
Spinal artery syndrome is one of the most unpleasant and dangerous complications with cervical osteochondosis.It is due to the fact that the blood flow is reduced along the artery that passes along the spine and the supply of the brain.The syndrome occurs in symptoms such as systemic or periodic dizziness, wearing and vision.In some cases, a fainting may occur.There is often a variety of syndrome, which consists in the fact that in the normal state the blood flow in the artery is normal, however, when turning the head in one direction or another, it can fall abruptly.
Cardial syndrome develops when it tightens the roots of the nerves that the innervation of the diaphragm or thoracic muscle.As a result, the patient may have pain reminiscent of cardialgia, although the heart does not occur in the heart.However, the syndrome can be characterized by phenomena such as tachycardia, hypotension and arrhythmia.
Hypertension syndrome is also one of the most dangerous complications.Unlike the vertebral artery syndrome, it is caused by crushing not the arteries, but the veins, which complicate the flow of blood from the head.The syndrome leads to an increase in intracranial pressure, which can occur in symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headache.
Cervical migraine syndrome has little in common in its etiology with classical migraine.It manifests itself in the strongest pain in the occipital part of the head.The pains are paroxysmal nature, last up to ten hours and are accompanied by vomiting.
Rest syndrome is the most common syndrome for osteochondrosis of the cervical column.It is caused by the compression of the individual roots of nerves in the cervical vertebrae.It can be expressed in neck pain, neck, shoulder blades, shoulders, intertwine and weakening of the tone of the individual sections of the hands (up to the impossibility of performing a sort of manipulation) and neck.
Very often several syndromes or individual characteristic symptoms of different syndromes can be observed simultaneously.
As you can see, with the osteochondosis of the cervical column, the manifestation of the disease is multifaceted and far from always the patient is able to correctly recognize the cause of their occurrence.If it is faced with similar symptoms, then this is an opportunity to see a doctor.
Diagnostics
To install the diagnosis, it is recommended to contact the therapist.It will give a reference to the specialists: an orthopedist, a vertebrologist, a neurologist.
The following types of research are used for diagnosis:
- Radiography
- Computerized tomography
- Magnetic tomography
- Ultrasound scan of neck vases
X -Ray allows you to determine the movement of the vertebrae, the presence of growth - osteophytes and saline deposits, sigls.The computerized tomography consists in the creation of a series of x -rase images that give a voluminous idea of the body, in this case, on the cervical column.It allows you to detail the degree of pathological process - the nature of the compression of the nerves, the structure of the osteophytes, the height of the discs, etc.Magnetic resonance imaging, based on the physical effect of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, provides an even more detailed structural picture of the thorns.The ultrasound of the neck of the neck helps to identify the changes in the blood flow in the main vessels of the neck caused by the disease.
Treatment
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis and is treated?To combat disease, medicine has developed many methods.Some treatment methods can be used at home.But this process is a long and complete cure is unlikely, especially in old age.However, it is possible to slow down and stop destructive processes in the spine at any phase of the disease.
In the initial stages of the disease, the methods are generally conservative.Several ways are used to treat cervical osteochondrosis:
- Medicines
- Medical physical education
- Physiotherapy
- Massage
- Special tools to fix the spine
If the disease has moved to the last stadium and there is a serious destruction of the spin -drawn structure of the spine of the spine, then surgery can also be used to treat osteochondosis of the cervical column.
Drugs
The following types of drugs are used:
- Condroprotectors
- Vitamins
- Analgesics
- Anti -inflammatory drugs
- Antispasmodic
In acute pain syndrome associated with osteochondrosis, the priority task is to eliminate it.As a rule, oral preparations are used, however, with their inefficiency, the block of novocaine is used in more serious cases.
With muscle cramps, antispasmodic are used.They demonstrate the greatest effectiveness for osteochondrosis.As an anthmmotor and painkillers, nail counters containing non -star drugs can be used.
In the presence of syndromes associated with circulatory disorders and blood supply to the brain - hypertension and vertebral artery syndrome, drugs are taken which relieves undesirable effects of these syndromes - drugs that minors pressure and nootropic agents.
Medical physical education
Medical physical education is the simplest and most convenient type of treatment for cervical osteochondosis and, at the same time, quite effective.Physical education can also be done at home.With osteochondrosis, the intensity of the classes does not play a decisive role, only their regularity is necessary.First of all, physical education is designed to strengthen the muscles of the neck, which compensate for the insufficient functionality of the spine and help to maintain weakened vertebrae.
To strengthen the muscles of the neck, the daily lessons are recommended.They can be completely simple, consisting of curves and inclinations of the head in different directions and more complex, including the help of the muscles of the neck from the hands.They can be performed both at home and at work.For example, if the work is sedentary, it is useful to do such exercises after sitting on a table or monitoring.However, they can only be performed outside the period of exacerbation of the disease and in the absence of pain.Otherwise, they can only worsen the condition.
No less effective is the strengthening of the shoulder belt muscles, for example, using regular classes with light dumbbells.However, weight lifting (weights, rods) is contraindicated.It is also useful to swim regular, download the spine.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a treatment method that uses some physical fields and radiation to make the body.A positive property of physiotherapy is that it has a minimum number of contraindications.
The following physiotherapy methods are used to treat osteocondrosis:
- Exposure to ultrasound
- Laser therapy
- Exposure to the magnetic field
- Electric current effect (electrophoresis)
The magnetic field positively affects the damaged tissues of the body and has an anti -inflammatory and analgesic effect.Ultrasound improves metabolic processes in tissues, relieves swelling.The same can be said about laser therapy.Electrophoresis is often used in a pile of drugs, since the use of electric current accelerates their absorption by the body.
Massage
The massage reduces the increase in muscle tone that causes spasm and reduces the flow of sap that causes swelling.The procedure helps to improve blood circulation in the affected area, which interrupts the process of destruction of intervertebral discs.
Other methods of treatment
To reduce the load on the cervical compartment, a special device is used: a singing collar, which fixes the neck in a constant normal position.It is recommended to wear it during the exacerbations with pain syndrome or with prolonged seat.
To avoid exacerbations, you should also organize a place to sleep.The pillow should not cause neck curvature and the mattress should be rigid and even.In some cases, special sleep devices can help: orthopedic mattress and pillow.