Cervical osteochondrosis is a chronic disease caused by degenerative changes in the cervical intervertebral discs. As the disease progresses, the surrounding structures are involved in the pathological process, which leads to the development of a number of unpleasant symptoms. The treatment of the disease is complex, conservative and includes the use of drug and non-drug methods.
Reasons
The exact reasons are unknown. The theory that the development of the disease is related to age-related changes has not been confirmed, because today this pathology is diagnosed even in teenagers.
Factors that can lead to the development of the disease include:
- low physical activity, sedentary lifestyle;
- mechanical neck injuries;
- sedentary work with high static load on the cervical spine;
- uncomfortable mattresses and pillows;
- obesity;
- circulatory disorders;
- scoliosis and other postural defects;
- connective tissue dysplasia;
- metabolic disorders.
Syndromes and symptoms
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis do not appear immediately. For a long time, the disease may develop asymptomatically or be hidden as other pathologies. The most common symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis:
- tinnitus - usually occurs when changing position after staying in a stationary position for a long time;
- dizziness - the patient periodically feels as if objects begin to rotate in front of his eyes;
- pain in the neck, back of the head - the intensity of the pain depends on the degree of pathological changes;
- a feeling of lack of air - the patient cannot take a deep breath;
- visual impairment - occurs in the later stages;
- nausea, vomiting - also associated with impaired blood supply to certain parts of the brain due to compression of the main arteries by deformed discs;
- sore throat, dry throat, foreign body sensation;
- pressure changes poorly controlled by drugs;
- numbness of the fingers;
- shoulder pain.
In addition to general clinical signs, several characteristic syndromes are distinguished:
Vertebra:
- pain when turning the neck;
- impaired mobility;
- X-rays show signs of damage to the vertebrae and discs.
Heart:
- burning and pain in the chest;
- increased fatigue, unexplained weakness;
- tachycardia.
Vertebral artery. This syndrome is caused by narrowing of the vertebral artery that supplies blood to the brain. Tinnitus is manifested by dizziness and blurred vision.
Koreshkovy. It occurs due to compression or compression of the nerve roots coming from the cervical spine.
Stages
Stages of the disease:
- The patient feels slight discomfort in the neck area. Intervertebral discs begin to lose stability.
- Pain appears. The disks are deformed, the destruction of the fibrous ring begins, the vertebrae are closer to each other.
- Neck movements are limited. Nausea and dizziness may occur when turning the head. A constant lack of blood in the brain causes symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, reduced performance and fatigue. The discs become thinner, the vertebrae begin to rub against each other, the fibrous ring is destroyed, and intervertebral tears are formed.
- The neck becomes immobile, the blood supply to the brain is completely disrupted. To correct this condition, the patient must constantly take special medications. The vertebrae begin to fuse together.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis can be difficult due to the non-specific clinical picture and wide variability of possible symptoms. The patient may need the help of several specialists (surgeon, neurologist, cardiologist, vertebrologist, orthopedist and others) at once.
During the admission, the doctor listens to the patient's complaints, collects an anamnesis, conducts an examination and makes a preliminary diagnosis.
To confirm this, the following can be set:
- blood test;
- MRI of the neck - allows to identify pathological changes even at the initial stage of the disease, when the clinical manifestations are still not very clear; with the help of this study, you can evaluate and determine the current condition of the spines and discs. the presence of deformations, osteophytes, compression of nerves and blood vessels;
- Dopplerography of cervical arteries - allows to evaluate the degree of compression and damage of blood vessels, the speed of blood flow;
- myelography using contrast - allows identifying compressed nerves;
- ECG - performed for differential diagnosis with cardiovascular diseases.
Treatment
Drug therapy includes taking the following drug groups:
- NSAIDs. Effectively eliminate inflammation, pain, swelling. These are symptomatic therapy tools that do not affect the causes of the disease. NSAIDs can be used in short courses of 10-14 days.
- Angioprotectors, means that accelerate blood flow. Improves brain circulation, protects blood vessels from damage.
- Glucocorticosteroids. Effectively relieve pain and nerve compression. Medicines in this group have many side effects and should be taken only as prescribed by a doctor if NSAIDs and analgesics do not help.
- Chondroprotectors. By affecting the causes of the disease, it improves the health of the intervertebral discs. They prevent the destruction of cartilage tissue and improve the shock absorbing properties of discs.
Non-drug treatment may include the use of the following methods:
- Exercise therapy. Regular exercise strengthens muscles and relieves spasms. It is recommended to conduct the lessons (at least at the initial stage) under the guidance of a specialist
- Manual therapy. Spasm of the neck muscles is one of the main causes of pain in this disease. Properly performed hand therapy helps to get rid of spasms, compression of blood vessels and nerves. As a result, nutrition of discs improves, brain circulation normalizes, pain disappears.
- Kinesio taping. The application of special bands relaxes the muscles, relieves spasm, swelling, inflammation and at the same time keeps the spine in a physiologically correct position.
- Orthopedic devices. To minimize the load on the cervical spine, it is recommended to use orthopedic mattresses and pillows for sleep. In addition, some patients are advised to wear a special device (Schanz collar) that straightens the neck in the correct position.
- Massage. It is an effective remedy against the cervical form of the disease. Perfectly removes swelling, pain, congestion, improves local blood circulation, relieves muscle spasms. Do not massage if you have severe neck pain.
- Physiotherapy. Another effective technique. Sessions are held in courses several times a year. This makes it possible to get rid of unpleasant symptoms, eliminate muscle spasms and slow down the further development of the disease. For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, laser therapy, magnetic therapy, mechanotherapy, traction therapy, hydromassage, UVT and mud therapy are most often used.
If conservative therapy fails and the disease continues to progress, surgical treatment may be prescribed.
- operations to eliminate intervertebral tears;
- removal of the vertebral arch or spinous processes leads to decompression of the spinal cord roots;
- removing part of the disc nucleus to repair the herniation.
The decision on how to treat the disease is made by the doctor individually for each patient. Self-medication is prohibited and may lead to the development of a number of complications.
Complications
If the disease is neglected, the following complications may develop:
- VSD;
- oxygen starvation of the brain;
- arterial hypertension;
- blurred vision, retinal dystrophy;
- respiratory spasm;
- violation of the act of swallowing due to the dysfunction of the esophagus;
- thyroid gland dysfunction;
- Cramps and numbness of neck muscles;
- chronic pain in the upper body that is not relieved by analgesics;
- hormonal imbalances.
Prevention
To minimize the risk of developing the disease, you should follow the following recommendations:
- maintain posture;
- properly equip the workplace to prevent neck strain;
- Healthy food;
- stop smoking and drinking alcohol;
- avoid neck injuries;
- move more, exercise;
- do not overcool;
- weight control;
- sleeping on a special orthopedic mattress and pillow;
- do gymnastics regularly to prevent the development of congestion;
- prevent curvature of the spine;
- regularly undergo massage courses to improve blood flow and remove congestion;
- do not sit for a long time with your head bent forward;
- If you feel discomfort in the neck area, you should make an appointment with a specialist and undergo an examination, this will help identify possible changes in the discs at an early stage, which will greatly facilitate treatment and improve the prognosis.