Cervical osteochondrosis is a chronic disease caused by degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs of the neck. As the disease progresses, the surrounding structures are involved in the pathological process, which causes the development of a series of unpleasant symptoms. The treatment of the disease is complex, conservative and includes the use of drugs and non-drug methods.
Causes
The exact reasons are unknown. The theory that the development of the disease is related to changes in age has not been confirmed, because today this pathology is diagnosed even in adolescents.
Factors that can cause the development of the disease are:
- low physical activity, sedentary lifestyle;
- mechanical neck injuries;
- sitting work with a large 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 can develop asymptomatically or be masked as other pathologies. The most common signs of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- tinnitus - usually occurs when changing position after a long stay in a stationary position;
- dizziness - the patient occasionally feels as if objects are beginning to spin 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 later stages;
- nausea, vomiting - are also associated with impaired blood supply in certain parts of the brain due to compression of key arteries by deformed discs;
- sore throat, dry throat, foreign body sensation;
- changes in pressure that are poorly controlled by drugs;
- numbness of the fingers;
- shoulder pain.
In addition to general clinical signs, several characteristic syndromes are distinguished:
Vertebral:
- pain when turning the neck;
- impaired mobility;
- X-rays show signs of damage to the vertebrae and discs.
cardiac:
- burning and pain in the chest;
- increased fatigue, unexplained weakness;
- tachycardia.
Vertebral artery. This syndrome occurs as a result of narrowing of the vertebral artery, which supplies the brain with blood. It is manifested by tinnitus, dizziness and blurred vision.
Koreshkovy. It is caused by pinching or compression of the nerve roots coming out of the cervical spine.
Phases
Stages of the disease:
- The patient feels slight discomfort in the neck area. Intervertebral discs begin to lose stability.
- Pain occurs. The discs are deformed, the destruction of the fibrous ring begins, and the vertebrae come closer to each other.
- Door movements are limited. When turning the head, nausea and dizziness may occur. A constant lack of blood in the brain leads to symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, reduced performance and fatigue. The discs become thinner, the vertebrae begin to rub against each other, the annulus fibrosus is destroyed and intervertebral hernias form.
- The neck area is immobilized, blood flow to the brain is completely disrupted. To correct this condition, the patient must constantly take special medications. The vertebrae begin to fuse.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis can be difficult due to the non-specific clinical picture and the high variability of possible symptoms. A patient may need the help of several specialists at once (surgeon, neurologist, cardiologist, vertebrologist, orthopedist and others).
During the appointment, the doctor listens to the patient's complaints, collects anamnesis, performs an examination and makes a preliminary diagnosis.
The following may be prescribed for confirmation:
- blood analysis;
- MRI of the neck - allows you to identify pathological changes even at the initial stage of the disease, when clinical manifestations are not yet too pronounced; with the help of this study, you can assess the current condition of the vertebrae, discs, identify the presence of deformations, osteophytes, compression of nerves and blood vessels;
- Cervical artery dopplerography - allows you to assess the degree of compression and damage of blood vessels, the speed of blood flow;
- myelography using contrast - allows you to identify pinched nerves;
- ECG - is done for differential diagnosis with cardiovascular diseases.
Treatment
Drug therapy includes taking the following groups of drugs:
- NSAIDs. They effectively relieve inflammation, pain, and swelling. These are means of symptomatic therapy that do not affect the causes of the disease. NSAIDs can be used in short courses of 10-14 days.
- Angioprotectors, agents for accelerating blood flow. Improves cerebral circulation, protects blood vessels from damage.
- Glucocorticosteroids. Effectively relieves pain and nerve compression. Medicines from this group have many side effects and should be taken only on the recommendation of a doctor if NSAIDs and analgesics do not help.
- Chondroprotectors. It improves the health of the intervertebral discs, affecting the causes of the disease. They inhibit the destruction of cartilage tissue and improve the shock-absorbing properties of discs.
Non-drug treatment may include using the following techniques:
- Exercise therapy. Regular training strengthens muscles and relieves cramps. Teaching (at least in the initial phase) is recommended to be done under the guidance of an expert
- Manual therapy. Neck muscle spasm is one of the main causes of pain in this disease. Properly performed manual therapy helps to get rid of spasms, compression of blood vessels and nerves. As a result, nutrition of the discs improves, cerebral circulation normalizes, and pain disappears.
- Kinesio taping. The application of special tapes relaxes the muscles, relieves spasms, swelling, inflammation and at the same time maintains the spine in a physiologically correct position.
- Orthopedic devices. In order to reduce the load on the cervical spine, it is recommended to use orthopedic mattresses and sleeping pillows. In addition, some patients are recommended to wear a special device (Schanz collar), which fixes the neck in the correct position.
- Massage. An effective medicine against the cervical form of the disease. Perfectly relieves swelling, pain, congestion, improves local blood circulation, relieves muscle spasms. Do not massage if you have acute neck pain.
- Physiotherapy. Another effective technique. Sessions are held on courses, several times a year. This allows you to get rid of unpleasant symptoms, relieve muscle spasms and slow down the further progression of the disease. For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, mechanotherapy, traction therapy, hydromassage, UVT, mud therapy are most often used.
If conservative therapy does not give results, and the disease continues to progress, then surgical treatment may be prescribed.
- operations to remove intervertebral hernias;
- removal of the vertebral arch or spinous processes leads to decompression of the spinal cord root;
- removal of part of the disc to repair the hernia.
The decision on the way to treat the disease is made by the doctor individually for each patient. Self-medication is prohibited and can lead to the development of numerous complications.
Complications
If the disease is neglected, the following complications may develop:
- VSD;
- starving the brain of oxygen;
- arterial hypertension;
- blurred vision, retinal dystrophy;
- respiratory spasm;
- violation of the act of swallowing due to esophageal dysfunction;
- thyroid dysfunction;
- spasms and numbness of the neck muscles;
- chronic pain in the upper part of the body that is not relieved by analgesics;
- hormonal imbalances.
Prevention
To reduce the risk of developing the disease, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- maintain posture;
- equip the workplace properly so as not to strain the neck;
- Healthy food;
- stop smoking and drinking alcohol;
- avoid neck injuries;
- move more, exercise;
- do not catch a cold;
- weight control;
- sleep on a special orthopedic mattress and pillow;
- do gymnastics regularly to avoid the development of congestion;
- prevent curvature of the spine;
- regularly undergo massage courses to improve blood flow and relieve congestion;
- do not sit for a long time in a position with your head tilted forward;
- If you feel discomfort in the neck area, you should make an appointment with a specialist and undergo an examination; it will help detect possible disc changes at an early stage, which will greatly facilitate treatment and improve the prognosis.