Osteochondrosis is a disease of the skeletal system, characterized by changes in cartilage tissue. As a result of the development of the disease, the person's working ability decreases, blood circulation and the integrity of the spinal discs are disturbed. Most often, the disease develops as a result of obesity, physical inactivity, frequent spending time at the computer or driving a car.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as it develops, is characterized by the following symptoms:
Neck pain with cervical osteochondrosis
- Persistent headaches. Patients with osteochondrosis generally have a headache, which is aggravated by a sudden turn of the neck or a sudden movement of the head.
- Neck pain that can radiate to the shoulder area. It often appears in the morning, immediately after sleep, decreases or disappears completely after warming up the neck muscles.
- Cervical lumbago, characterized by sharp pain in the neck, hardening of the muscles in the affected area and limited mobility.
- Pain in sternum or gallbladder. Patients usually suspect that they have pathology of the cardiovascular system, but taking nitroglycerin does not alleviate the pain. When cervical osteochondrosis is manifested by pain in the sternum, patients complain of a decrease in muscle strength in the arms.
- In almost all patients with osteochondrosis, you may hear a characteristic crunch and creak if you ask the person to tilt their head in different directions.
- Hoarseness of voice.
- Osteochondrosis of the neck can be manifested by stiffness of the tongue, fingertips (the symptom occurs as a result of compression of nerves and blood vessels located along the intervertebral discs.
- Increased blood pressure.
- Paresis of limbs, decreased muscle strength in limbs.
The cause of the above symptoms is damage to the connective tissue and intervertebral discs with their subsequent deformation. As a result of pathological processes, the discs are overgrown with bone formations, creating osteophytes that squeeze and damage blood vessels and nerve pathways.
Stages of the disease
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine develops in several stages. The more the patient's disease progresses, the more symptoms it becomes, the more serious the complications of the disease become.
Grade 1 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by damage to the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc. When the body's metabolism is disrupted, the nucleus pulposus, which is the structure of biopolymer compounds, is destroyed. Initially, it loses water, gradually dries out and therefore reduces in size. Its strength decreases significantly and the spine becomes harder to cope with physical activity. At this stage of the disease, the person does not feel pain, does not seek medical help. If you begin to recognize osteochondrosis at this stage, the patient will not need medication.
Grade 2 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by damage to the annular fibrosus on the intervertebral disc. Cracks and tears appear on the surface of the disc as a result of a strong and uneven load on the spine. Due to the fact that the annular fibrosus becomes thinner, the nucleus is completely squeezed into the resulting tears and cracks, spreading them. As a result, the disc increases in size, begins to protrude beyond the edges of the vertebrae. This phenomenon is called disc protrusion. Grade 2 cervical osteochondrosis is the stage of the disease in which a person first feels pain.
Grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by the formation of a hernia. The annular fibrosus not only thins, but also ruptures, so the nucleus pulposus "flows" into the subglottic space, forming a herniated disc. As a result of the development of the process, all the surrounding tissues suffer - ligaments and muscles, nerves and blood vessels.
Over time, the skeletal system of the vertebrae changes: the edges of the vertebrae change shape, become ribbed and even sharp. The muscles around the altered skeletal system involuntarily contract, thus limiting the mobility of the spinal column. All nerve fibers that pass through the spinal cord are damaged, and nerve impulses are conducted from the brain to organs and tissues. It is important that the symptoms of osteochondrosis occur depending on the site of osteochondrosis.
Grade 4 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by degenerative spinal reconstruction. After destructive processes in the body, recovery processes begin to prevail. The fourth phase lasts about a year. During this time, the nature of bone growth in the deformed vertebra changes. The bone begins to grow in width, causing the area of the vertebrae to increase. Such growths are called osteophytes in medicine. Thanks to them, the mobility of the injured spine is reduced, and the processes of its destruction are stopped. Over time, the sedentary spine becomes completely a static bone column.
And if the pain syndrome is reduced, the compressed nerves and blood vessels remain in place, not only compressed by the discs and vertebrae, but also by the created osteophytes. Such processes must be properly treated to prevent the consequences of the disease.
Complications of cervical osteochondrosis
The main consequences of the development of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- Vascular disorders (artery compression);
- Creating hernias of varying severity;
- Spinal cord injury;
- Osteophyte formation;
- Limited mobility of the spine.
What complications can cervicothoracic osteochondrosis have? The most dangerous consequence is a deterioration in the blood supply to the brain. As a result of compression of the arteries, less blood enters the brain, and the gray matter is poorly supplied with oxygen.
If a patient develops vertebral artery syndrome - when the key bloodstream to the brain is constricted, the person suffers from dizziness and fainting.
In addition to impaired consciousness, patients with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine also have impaired vision and hearing. In addition to numbness of the limbs, it is possible to develop Dupuytren's syndrome, which is characterized by stiffness of the hands. As a result of the development of the syndrome, the mobility of the fingers is lost.
Hypertension and vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD) are considered common complications. A cosmetic defect that occurs as a result of the development of osteochondrosis is the formation of ridges ("embankment" of cartilage tissue on the back of the head).
Treatment Methods
The choice of treatment for cervical osteochondrosis depends on the stage of the disease. Medical treatment consists of prescribing nonsteroidal drugs, analgesics, and antispasmodics by a physician. The dosage of the drug is adjusted at the discretion of the physician.
Physical therapy is often prescribed to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. With the help of exercises, you can not only eliminate pain, but also reduce inflammation, strengthen your back muscles and reduce the risk of complications.
Massage generally has a strengthening effect. After the massage course, the patient with osteochondrosis will lose tension and pain, and the blood supply will increase.
When medications are not helpful, doctors must prescribe surgery. During the operation, doctors remove the parts of the intervertebral disc that compress the nerve roots.
The best treatment is a combination of several methods. Medical treatment must be combined with massage, physiotherapy exercises and gymnastics.
Some doctors believe that acupuncture and herbal remedies are effective treatments.
Prevention
You can use simple methods to reduce pain and prevent the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. For a start, each person must be constantly in a position that eases the load on the spine. It is necessary to remember about exercises that mix muscles and support metabolic processes in the spine. To achieve a positive result, it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations.
Key recommendations:
- Distribute physical activity evenly on the spine. To do this, limit vertical loads, avoid sudden movements and exercises that can damage the spine. Falling or jumping from a great height should be avoided.
- Do not carry heavy objects by stretching your arms in front of you. Before lifting an object off the floor, you must not bend forward, but squat.
- Do not move objects in one hand, it is desirable to distribute the load on both limbs. If this is not possible, you should place the load in a suitcase on wheels or in a backpack.
- If you need to carry a heavy load, you need to put on a wide belt or buy a special corset before work.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- The best prevention of the disease is swimming, regular gymnastics, contrast showering.
- Stressful situations should be avoided.
- You need to remember the rules of a balanced diet.
- Get rid of bad habits.
It is necessary to understand that it is much easier to prevent the disease than to treat it long and persistently. If surgery is not needed in the early stages of the disease, then the later stages of osteochondrosis require surgery.