Cervical osteochondrosis

Timely treatment of the disease increases the chances of a quick and successful recovery. But in any case, it is better not to allow the development of diseases, especially such serious ones as cervical osteochondrosis.

Definition of cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is a fairly common disease that has been affecting younger people more and more lately. The disease affects the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine. Often the development of the pathological process of degenerative-dystrophic changes is facilitated by the incorrect position of the body, for example, due to long work at the computer.

Among other things, the problem can be triggered due to genetic predisposition, poor posture, uncomfortable sleeping position and sedentary lifestyle. Despite the fact that this type of osteochondrosis develops rather slowly, it tends to progress.

In elderly patients, this disease is mainly combined with other degenerative processes, for example:

• interspinous arthrosis;
spondylosis;
• uncovertebral arthrosis and so on.

Symptoms

As for the most characteristic symptoms, first of all, we can notice the appearance of acute pain caused by pinching the nerve endings. The pain is often focused in the lumbar, cervical and back. In addition, you can find other syndromes:

• heart syndrome- consists of several symptoms that are similar in the manifestation of angina pectoris. This syndrome develops during irritation of the roots of the pectoralis major muscle or the phrenic nerve. Therefore, a person experiences painful sensations of pressure in the area of ​​the heart muscle, which can occasionally occur and last for several hours. Sneezing or sudden head movements often make the pain worse. Moreover, no changes on the cardiogram can be detected during painful attacks;
• radicular syndrome- occurs in the case of constriction of nerve endings in the cervical spine. At this point, pain is felt that can radiate not only to the forearm, shoulder or shoulder blade, but also to the lumbar region. The patient may experience slight tingling or more pronounced sensations, depending on how much osteochondrosis has begun;
• irritative-reflex syndrome- manifested by burning pain in the back of the head and neck. Such symptoms often occur after waking from sleep, during sharp turns of the head, coughing and sneezing. Moreover, pain can manifest not only in the shoulder area but also in the chest area;
• Spinal artery syndromeis ​​one of the typical manifestations of the disease characterized by the appearance of a burning or pulsating headache that is more localized in the temporal or occipital region. This syndrome often causes constant pain, but can sometimes occur and subside.

Pay attention!In the presence of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, experts notice in a person increased fatigue, which can cause damage to hearing and vision.

As for the other main symptoms of the disease, they include:

• Compression of blood vessels, which causes an increase in blood pressure;
• severe headaches that occur due to impaired blood circulation in the brain. This type of pain can cause the patient to use pain relievers regularly;
• vision and hearing problems;
• painful, rather severe pains in the neck and shoulders, which can sometimes be aggravated by a sharp and very unpleasant "lumbago";
• grinding and crushing when tilting the head or turning to the sides;
• decrease in muscle strength in the arms due to chest pain;
• dizziness.

Important!As soon as you notice the first symptoms of this disease, it is necessary to seek the help of a neurologist as soon as possible.

Reasons

The main causes of osteochondrosis are as follows:

1. Metabolic disorders that adversely affect the normal state of cartilage in the intervertebral discs.
2. Insufficient mobility of the cervical spine, which leads to fluid loss, which, in turn, negatively affects the elasticity of cartilage.
3. Microtrauma of the cervical spine, during tilts, turns and so on.
4. Poor heredity, which makes disk security margins very low.

Treatment

The process of therapy directly depends on the stage of the disease and is based on an integrated approach. On average, treatment lasts from 1 to 3 months, after which it is necessary to support the elimination of symptoms with preventive measures for another 1 year.

The main treatment is carried out in 2 directions, depending on the patient's health condition and the degree of neglect of the disease. As for conservative treatment, this includes taking medication and exercising. Surgical treatment is carried out only if the conservative drug has not given any effect.

It is importantto follow a diet and be sure to follow the recommendations regarding therapeutic exercises.

Conservative treatment is aimed at relieving pain, restoring and normalizing the work of the spine and preventing unwanted changes. A number of therapeutic measures are used in such therapy:

• spinal traction (traction). Using special medical equipment, the spine is stretched to increase the distance between the vertebrae;
• drug therapy. The use of drugs during this disease is mainly aimed at relieving pain, relieving inflammation and general normalization of metabolic processes in the body;
• physiotherapy. Thanks to such procedures it is possible not only to reduce pain, but also to improve the effect of taking medication. Such methods are also used during the rehabilitation period. In this case, laser beams, ultrasonic waves, low-frequency current, work with magnetic fields and so on are often used;
• kinesitherapyand exercise-based exercise;
• manual therapy. Such treatment is chosen individually for each patient;
• massage. Thanks to massage you can speed up blood circulation in the tissues, remove clamps and muscle cramps, generally improve the blood supply to the tissues of the whole body.

Despite the fact that drugs alone cannot cure osteochondrosis, they can help restore the blood supply to the tissues. Therapy should be comprehensive, only in this case we can talk about the effectiveness of treatment. In addition to taking medication, it is imperative to engage in physical therapy, follow a diet, and give up bad habits.

In the absence of pain or severe dystrophic changes, taking over-the-counter medications is inappropriate. The following types of medication are used to treat this disease and relieve pain:

• means for regeneration as well as for prevention of cartilage tissue degeneration: hyaluronic acid and analogues;
• to alleviate inflammatory processes;
• preparations for improving blood supply to tissues: B vitamins;
antispasmodics;
• antioxidants: vitamins N, E and C.

Medicines can be prescribed not only as tablets and capsules for oral administration, but also as injections or topical ointments / creams. If there are acute complications, medications are used to block the nerve endings.

Along with drug therapy, it is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. Drink at least 1. 5 liters of water a day.

One and a half liters of water a day is the recommended norm for the health of joints and the whole body.

Of course, you can also use herbal teas, fruit drinks, dried fruit compotes or mineral water. Coffee, strong black tea, alcohol and carbonated beverages should be eliminated from the daily diet.

Prevention

The main causes of osteochondrosis are ignoring the needs of the body, heavy loads and improper diet. Therefore, prevention should be based on the complete elimination of negative effects on the spine and prevention of pathological changes. For these purposes, it is sufficient to adhere to the usual rules of a healthy lifestyle (healthy lifestyle):

• only moderate physical activity during sports: exercise in the morning, gymnastics, athletics, if wrestling types, then contactless, swimming is a great option;
• in case of a long stay in one position, for example, during inactive work, it is very important to take breaks, at least once in 45-60 minutes. During this period, you need to give the body 5-15 minutes for a little warm-up, which will restore normal blood circulation. Also, it is very important to pay attention to the correct choice of office chairs or armchairs, giving preference to those that will support the spine, control the correct position of the hands at the table and feet on the floor. Try to monitor your posture on your own (shoulders should be in a relaxed position and back straight);
• It is important to try to control your emotionality in case a convulsive reaction occurs during stress. For these purposes, you need to learn relaxation techniques and attend massage systematically for general body strengthening;
• For sleeping it is best to choose an orthopedic mattress with a flat surface. Of course, it won’t be as soft as a feather bed, but its elasticity will ensure proper body position;
• Drinking plenty of water and eating a proper diet help not only maintain metabolism, but also strengthen the whole body:

Mental condition also negatively affects the condition of the joints.

• In case you need to move or lift heavy objects, it is very important to do it as smoothly as possible, without sudden bumps and jerks from the half-squat position. It will not be superfluous to use a special carrying strap;
• The important thing is to choose high-quality orthopedic shoes without high heels, with sufficient foot width. It is also possible to reduce the load on the spine by timely replacement of worn-out shoes, which is especially important for women. In summer, on the dacha, the sea, if possible, you should walk barefoot on different surfaces, thus strengthening the muscles of the feet.

It is important to rememberthat prevention is much better and easier than subsequent treatment of the disease.

Exercises

Under no circumstances should you start physical activity and exercise without a prescription or before the pain syndrome subsides. The specialist must first alleviate all acute symptoms. In the presence of pain symptoms, gymnastics will be painful.

There are a few really effective and simple exercises. They can be performed not only at home, but also anywhere, including work or even on the road.

When starting to perform the exercises, in all cases the initial posture is sitting on a chair, hands folded on the knees:

It's worth starting to warm up:

1. In the starting position you have to slowly turn your head to one side until it stops and then to the other. At this point, you need to feel the neck muscles stretch. As soon as the neck is turned to one side until it stops, you need to turn it a few more degrees as carefully as possible, avoiding sudden movements and fixing it in this state for 5 seconds. Experts recommend starting any warm-up exercise to strengthen the neck muscles. It is enough to perform 5 turns in each direction to develop the strength and flexibility of the door.
2. Next, you need to tilt your head so that your ear is close to your shoulder. It is worth noting that at this point the shoulder must remain motionless. At maximum access you need to fix the position. Be careful not to cause discomfort or pain in the procedures. It is enough to perform such slopes 5 times for each side.

Then move on to the main exercises:

1. After completing the warm-up, you can move on to certain exercises that can give a good result. In the starting position, you should rest your hand on your right temple. Now you should try to tilt your head to the right, and your hand should prevent this at this point. The effort should have been such that it was heavy, but the head was still gradually tilted in this direction. 10 slopes will suffice for each side. Naturally, the hand also needs to be changed.
2. Next, you need to grab the back of the head, and creating resistance, try to tilt your head back 5 times.
3. Exactly the same exercise must be done in case of resting the palms on the forehead. Through resistance you need to pull your chin into your chest. That will be enough for 5 turns forward.
4. The conclusion of the training can be warming up the trapeze, which is performed by lowering and raising the shoulders. At the highest point, you need to lock yourself in for a few seconds, then lower them and relax completely. Enough for 10 reps.
5. Finish the exercise by stretching your neck in different directions. This set of exercises must be performed every day. This is an excellent option for warming the neck osteochondrosis.

In addition to strength training, neck flexibility exercises can be included. They will help not only to strengthen the neck muscles, but also the tendons. Warming up will make your neck more mobile.

Exercise experts recommend not only for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, but also for all people over 30 years of age. The problem is that at this age muscle fibers lose their flexibility, so it is important to maintain them, along with the overall health of the body.

1. You need to pull your chin to your chest and at this point help with your hands and arms.
2. Very carefully, you need to tilt your head to the side with your hands to touch your shoulder with your ear.

Only the right treatment for the first symptoms of osteochondrosis will allow you to quickly deal with this problem and return to a normal life, without pain and discomfort.

Next, you need to perform a few circular movements of the head in one direction and then in the other. 8 turns for each side will suffice. The exercise must be done very carefully. For safety reasons, you can hold your head with your hands.