Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is a degenerative process of injury to the intervertebral discs and cartilage tissue, gradually passing to the vertebrae. In an untreated state, osteochondrosis leads to terrible diseases like radicular syndrome, humeroscapular periarthrosis, etc.
At the moment, cervical osteochondrosis, the causes of which can be very different, affects every third person. But despite his mass character, he is extremely insidious and does not condone a careless attitude towards himself. How to treat cervical osteochondrosis, regardless of the stage of development? First you need to understand what kind of disease it is - cervical osteochondrosis and the reasons that caused it.
Causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The main reason for the development of the disease is the same as for other parts of the spine - a sedentary and more sedentary lifestyle. This applies to both the younger generation over 20 years of age and people who have just crossed the 40-year mark: with age, the results of an unbalanced diet, lack of vitamins and calcium in the body, metabolic disorders and salt deposition are felt more intensely.
Add here infectious, toxic, endocrine diseases and genetic predisposition, and now your head hurts with osteochondrosis, it is difficult to turn your neck to the side, the aching pain does not allow you to think about anything else. This causes an increase in pressure and violation of nerve endings. There is a state of numbness, tingling, heaviness - symptoms that turn into headaches with osteochondrosis, which begins to make itself felt. By the way, cervical osteochondrosis and pressure, especially increased pressure, is a natural process, as the arteries become clogged and interfere with the output.
Initially, the development of cervical osteochondrosis begins with the intervertebral discs: under the influence of negative factors, the nucleus pulposus begins to lose moisture, elasticity and microcracks. As a result, the shock-absorbing functions of the disc deteriorate and the load on the underlying vertebrae increases. Microcracks also form in them and osteophytes (bone outgrowths) appear so that the vertebra copes with the area of increasing load. But the additional mass of osteophytes begins to put pressure on the nerve roots or compresses the vertebral artery. And a headache with cervical osteochondrosis is the first symptom you need to pay attention to.
In the future, subluxations occur in the intervertebral joints, the neck muscles need to be in tension all the time to keep the vertebrae in their previous state. But the muscles get tired of the tension and the load falls back on the vertebrae, thus aggravating the development of osteochondrosis.
If you have a headache with osteochondrosis, you feel a constant spasm of the neck muscles, periodically you want to have a massage - consult a doctor. The clinics offer qualified medical care in a variety of areas, including medical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, manual therapy and massage.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
If you began to suffer from dizziness, numbness in the muscles of the neck and back, headaches - run to the doctor, there are obvious signs of manifestations of osteochondrosis. Cervico-brachial osteochondrosis, manifested by the above symptoms, is an unpleasant disease if left untreated.
The risk group is:
- experienced drivers;
- people who are constantly sitting at the computer;
- people with spinal diseases;
- students.
All these people spend most of their time in a position with a fixed position of the muscles, which leads to spasm.
1st degree cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by sharp pain, lumbago. Similar back pain occurs with lumbosacral osteochondrosis lumbago. Muscles untrained due to a sedentary lifestyle do not get enough nutrition and start to age. This can happen in your 20s or 50s. Degenerative destruction of the vertebrae turns into 2nd degree osteochondrosis of the cervical region.
The signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in stage 2 are inflammatory processes, capsule ruptures and the appearance of osteophytes. This process can last for several years, then it becomes extinct, then it flares up again, simultaneously causing the "falling head syndrome", when the patient is forced to squeeze the head with the hands to reduce the headache. Another symptom indicative of cervical osteochondrosis is dizziness, the treatment of which cannot be started.
Previously, to make the diagnosis, only an external examination and radiographs were needed. But in this case, the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis would be unreliable, as radiographs cannot show a complete picture of the development of the disease. This requires computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging - procedures that indicate foci of inflammation, circulatory disorders, pathologies and neoplasms.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
The treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine begins with the diagnosis, first of all, the restoration of the tone of the spasmodic muscles. The pain in cervical osteochondrosis at the initial stage of the disease is not as severe and does not require medical treatment. It will be enough to take a course in special massage or manual therapy, review working conditions and switch to a healthier lifestyle: sitting at the computer less, moving more and doing light physical work.
But, if you feel dizzy, osteochondrosis does not allow you to turn your neck and the pain does not give you rest - you need comprehensive medical treatment. In this case, to relieve pain, the doctor prescribes analgesics (in the acute phase - injections), then tablets, ointments and gels with a warming effect. Professionally done cervical osteochondrosis massage will also bring great relief and relieve pain for a while.
The main steps in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- removal of the pain syndrome;
- edema removal;
- normalization of blood circulation;
- strengthening muscles and increasing tone;
- restoration of tissue regeneration.
Comprehensive treatment for cervical osteochondrosis consists of treatment with medicines and acupuncture techniques, acupuncture and reflexology, manual therapy and massage, folk remedies and homeopathic preparations.
All medical prescriptions and therapeutic procedures can be obtained in clinics, where you will have at your disposal offices equipped with modern equipment, hospitals and professional doctors with extensive experience. For the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis to be made correctly and the appropriate treatment to be carried out, a whole team of doctors from a narrow specialty will be needed: a vertebrologist and a surgeon, a massage therapist and a neurologist, a physical therapist.
Prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical region
Cervical osteochondrosis, headache, dizziness, back pain, burning pain in the neck and shoulders are symptoms that prevent a person from living a normal life. But all this can be avoided if you stick to simple things: a correct and healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, more physical activity and therapeutic exercises.