Today, cervical osteochondrosis has become much younger. The reason for this is considered to be an increase in living conditions, a significant reduction in mobility during work and rest, and a craze for fast food. They lead to metabolic imbalance and increase the trauma of intervertebral cervical discs even with minor physical exertion or shocks.
Therefore, it is not surprising that there are many requests on the Internet - osteochondrosis of the cervical spine: symptoms and treatment. We give a brief overview of these questions, because they are always of an individual nature, and a vertebrologist or neurologist can answer them only in agreement.
Characteristics of the disease
In osteochondrosis of the neck, the discs of the intervertebral space are destroyed. They usually have cushioning and protective functions.
Located between the vertebrae, they prevent the bodies of the vertebrae from touching each other. During walking and more active movements, they can be compressed, giving the spine flexibility. In addition, due to the disc-ligamentous apparatus, passages are created for the nerves exiting the spinal cord.
When the discs and ligaments are destroyed, the vertebrae begin to rub against each other. Friction causes pain and other discomfort in the neck. As the vertebrae come closer to each other, the nerves are compressed, and additional symptoms occur in those parts of the body that are responsible for the affected neurons. Neurological symptoms appear.
Osteochondrosis can affect any part of the spine, and the symptoms will be different. Disk destruction can occur in several areas at once.
The greater burden falls on the lumbar part of the spine, which means that the discs and ligaments here are most susceptible to changes. But osteochondrosis of the cervical region causes the most suffering in people. After all, the main blood vessels for the brain pass through the neck, and there are many nerves and nerve endings.
Statistics show that the cervical region is most often affected. Of all the parts of the spine, it is the most mobile. On the video on the Internet, you can see how the disease develops and its complications.
The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women basically do not differ from the symptoms that occur in men. There is one difference: the most common symptom of the disease in women is headache.
Causes
Classic causes of the development of cervical osteochondrosis include:
- poor mobility, lack of adequate physical activity;
- disorders in metabolic processes;
- salt deposits, especially in the cervical region;
- unbalanced diet;
- incorrect body position when working at the computer, driving a car or during other static activities.
If you have a predisposition to deforming joint disease or salt deposits, the risk of developing the disease increases due to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Classification of clinical manifestations
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, symptoms and treatment of pathology are closely related, but complex therapy is prescribed only after instrumental clarification of the diagnosis. Currently, there is the following classification of manifestations.
Radicular syndromes or cervical radiculitis
Radicular syndromes is the medical term for a group of symptoms that occur due to pinched nerve roots located between the cervical vertebrae. At first, such compression manifests itself in the form of paresthesia - numbness, a burning sensation and a feeling of "crowded skin" on the skin.
Ignoring and not treating such manifestations leads to further progression of the disease. Acute (quick or delayed) pain occurs, which develops into a chronic pain syndrome.
Manifestations characteristic of cervical radiculitis depend on the localization of degenerative processes, i. e. between which vertebrae were the nerve roots clamped:
Irritative-reflex syndrome
Pain in irritative-reflex syndrome when the roots of the lower cervical vertebrae are compressed occurs between the shoulder blades.
This syndrome is characterized by diffuse, burning sharp pain in the neck, nape of the neck, or upper back. They occur after sleeping, or during the beginning of movement after a long static position. It is possible that the pain will radiate painfully to the heart or shoulder joint.
Vertebral artery syndrome
Osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine, symptoms (and their treatment) can manifest as signs combined in the vertebral artery syndrome:
- headaches - pointy, pulsating or burning, spreading diffusely;
- places of localization - above the eyebrows, in the temples, crown, on the back of the head;
- the pain is constant, but sometimes occurs in the form of attacks;
- pain intensity increases after the first movements from static positions;
- in weakened persons, nausea may develop, impaired movement coordination, and dizziness and fainting may occur;
- Possible decrease in hearing and visual acuity, "bunnies" in the eyes, tinnitus, snoring.
Note! Often the only signs of cervical osteochondrosis are pharyngeal symptoms. These include: pain, dryness and/or difficulty swallowing. However, the cost of ignoring such symptoms can be huge. These symptoms are characteristic of some inflammatory diseases that can develop into cancer.
Cardiac syndrome
The preliminary diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is often complicated by the presence of cardiac syndrome in the patient.
It is characterized by:
- increased heart rate;
- attacks or prolonged pain in the heart area, which are often mistaken for angina pectoris;
- Chest pain worsens after sudden movements or heavy lifting.
Therefore, if angina is detected, an experienced doctor will send the patient to take an X-ray of the cervical and thoracic vertebrae, because with a parallel diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment at home will be specific.
For example, a vertebrologist is obliged to warn the patient that if the "heart pain" is not relieved by nitroglycerin or another coronary artery dilator, then they should not be taken several times in a row in a short period of time. It is enough to drink ibuprofen or nurofen forte.
For your information! There is another way in which you can distinguish a real angina attack from a painful coronary syndrome. With the latter, the patient can walk quickly.
Minor symptoms
Nausea
The feeling of nausea and belching are the result of problems with blood circulation in the brain. Often, patients associate this symptom with nutritional errors, begin to limit the amount of food they eat and change their diet.
Nausea and belching by themselves can reduce appetite. All these phenomena lead to the fact that a person begins to lose body weight, and the balance of nutrients in the body is disturbed.
An attack of nausea can end in vomiting, which also occurs with careless turning of the head, bending of the body or strong physical exertion. In this case, poor circulation leads to insufficient nutrition of the inner ear and the center of balance.
A feeling of suffocation
The sensation of shortness of breath occurs when the phrenic nerve is compressed in the cervical region of the spinal column. This important nerve is an element of the cervical plexus and regulates how deep the breath is and how often the breathing movements are performed.
Patients complain of difficulty breathing with all their strength. Shallow breathing leads to a decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the blood, shortness of breath, and in severe cases, suffocation.
Breathing may stop at night, often occurring together with a snoring attack. Night problems arise if a person lies in an uncomfortable position, and the head and neck are not in an anatomically correct position.
If these complaints are accompanied by unsatisfactory hygiene of the room where the person sleeps, when the room is poorly ventilated, dusty and there is no flow of clean air at night, the patient experiences hypoxia. Lack of oxygen occurs in all tissues of the body, waking up the patient will not feel rested
Sensation of tinnitus
Tinnitus occurs due to problems with blood supply to the vestibular apparatus. The blood vessels to it pass through the cervical vertebrae of the spinal column.
Disorders in parts of the inner ear cause sensations of different sounds:
- background hissing;
- ringing, screeching.
A complex of such complaints is usually called cochlear or cochlear syndrome.
Important: if the patient does not consult a doctor with these symptoms, hearing acuity will decrease over time.
Patients often think that such disorders are related to the hearing analyzer itself. Even a doctor can find it difficult to understand the situation, especially if there are no clear signs of osteochondrosis.
However, when there are problems with the vertebra, there are specific auditory symptoms. Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebra can be distinguished by the characteristics of its occurrence, so sounds occur when a person stays in one position for a long time.
Throat problems
Often, osteochondrosis can be felt only through a complex of pharyngeal symptoms:
- Sore throatoccurs regardless of food intake, the difference between the onset of symptoms and sudden movements of the head and neck can be traced.
- Feeling of a foreign body in the throatappears and disappears.
- There are complaints of itching and dry throat, strong unpleasant sensations can cause the patient's desire to cough. Coughing will cause an increasingly pronounced feeling of dryness and scratching. These complaints are the result of simultaneous damage to nerve fibers and blood vessels.
Important: such symptoms can be observed with inflammation in the area of the cervical vertebrae and with the appearance of tumors.
Vision problems
Deterioration of visual function is less common in people with atherosclerotic lesions of blood vessels and with a decrease in general pressure.
The vessels that supply the eyes also pass through the cervical vertebrae with their osteochondrosis, the following complaints occur:
the appearance of a "veil" in the eyes; reduced clarity and sharpness of vision; the appearance of black dots or sticks; difficulty focusing on a particular subject.
Symptoms are not constant. Patients note that vision sometimes worsens and sometimes improves.
A characteristic symptom of osteochondrosis is the inability to influence the state of vision with the help of glasses, drugs and gymnastics. Eliminating the symptoms is only possible after the root cause of the problem has been eliminated.
Loss of consciousness
Impaired blood flow to the brain can lead to loss of consciousness or syncope. This happens when blood flow to the brain is temporarily cut off.
In this case, the tightening does not necessarily occur in the cervical region; In response to this effect, there is a significant spasm in the arteries.
Consciousness returns to a person quite quickly. This is facilitated by changing the position of the body. A person who has lost consciousness must be placed in a horizontal position and raise their legs. In this way, blood from the lower body will help to return blood to the suffering brain.
As a rule, such short-term conditions do not carry complications or consequences. If the blood flow disorder in the brain is more severe, the consequences are possible.
Important: after losing consciousness, the patient must consult a doctor for examination and prevention of repeated attacks.
Despite the short duration of the condition, a person who has lost consciousness must call an ambulance.
Blood pressure problems
The presence of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine causes an increase in blood pressure. For the elderly and the elderly, this can be particularly noticeable. This is due to the fact that the center responsible for the vascular response to changes in the external environment is located in the brain and also suffers from insufficient blood supply.
The presence of irritating factors in the form of a deformed vertebra worsens the situation. Thus, VSD symptoms arise against the background of cervical osteochondrosis. Depending on the person's predisposition, hypertensive or hypotensive crises occur. Often one type of crisis gives way to another.
Temperature fluctuations
Temperature fluctuations are not a specific symptom of osteochondrosis. If the body temperature rises, it means that there is a focus of infection or a neoplasm in the body. The immune system reacts in the form of temperature.
However, patients may feel heating and even burning of the skin at the problem site, i. e. along the nape of the neck.
When several symptoms come together, a person starts to feel bad. The general state of health worsens, the mood drops, irritability and inattention appear. A patient with severe pain or blurred vision becomes difficult to perform daily tasks and perform productive work activities.
Important: if any complaint, even not related to spine problems, prevents you from leading a normal normal lifestyle, you should contact a specialist as soon as possible and determine the cause of concern.
Risk of disease
Cervical osteochondrosis represents a great danger, because the affected area is the most important vascular pathways that supply the brain and spinal cord with numerous nerve branches. All symptoms of osteochondrosis have a significant negative impact on the patient's well-being and quality of life.
But this disease has life-threatening complications:
- Intervertebral hernia is considered the next stage in the development of osteochondrosis. Occurs in the absence of treatment. People who suffer from neck or back pain for a long time without going to the doctor receive just such a diagnosis.
- Compression of the processes of the spinal cord causes their damage and radiculopathy develops. In addition, growths and osteophytes form on the vertebrae. All this threatens the patient with the loss of mobility and sensitivity of the areas for which the affected nerve fibers are responsible.
- One of the most dangerous complications is the vertebral artery syndrome with cervical osteochondrosis. This artery supplies important parts of the brain - the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum. When this vessel is compressed by osteochondrosis, ischemia of the spinal cord and brain occurs. There is a risk that the condition will end in a stroke.
- If the disease is not treated for years, with the presence of vertebral deformities, there is a possibility of damage to the spinal cord itself, which is located inside the spinal column. The price of lack of treatment is organ injuries incompatible with life.
If a person discovers symptoms of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, he should contact a specialist as soon as possible. Deformation of the vertebrae can lead to severe spinal cord trauma, which is very dangerous for a person.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Cervical osteochondrosis symptoms and home treatment require specialist approval. The video in this article with a set of exercises for the neck muscles has not been published. There are plenty of them on YouTube.
However, you should know that the instructions for exercise therapy with this diagnosis prohibit:
- yoga;
- perform any jumping movements;
- pump up the muscles of the shoulder girdle and neck with dynamic exercises, especially with weights or resistance.
Important! If there is a worsening of cervical osteochondrosis, symptoms and treatment with physical exercises, self-massage and physiotherapeutic procedures are suspended. Visiting a chiropractor is also prohibited in the acute period. Rest and therapy with painkillers or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory tablets and ointments are indicated.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis with folk remedies is not very effective and is possible as an auxiliary method of therapy in the rehabilitation phase. Nevertheless, vertebrologists praise the treatment with leeches and categorically do not recommend that bee sting treatment will also help in therapy.
Allergy is an insidious disease whose onset is impossible to predict, and an acute allergic reaction - Quincke's edema can lead to anaphylactic shock and be fatal.
Among the non-traditional methods for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, we can recommend:
dynamic and static yoga classes; Wushu, Taiji and Qigong gymnastics; acupuncture and Su-Jok.
In addition to daily physical exercises, it is necessary to give up bad habits, follow the daily drinking regime and balance the diet, and also do special morning exercises for osteochondrosis of the lumbar region. The weekly menu should contain raw and semi-cooked vegetables, seasonal fresh fruit, fermented milk drinks and daily meals.
Natural meat of dietary varieties and fish from the herring or salmon family should be eaten every other day. Replace coffee and tea with rosehip broth and natural juices.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is a long process that will last not months, but years. Osteochondrosis cannot be cured, but significant remission can be achieved. The results will depend only on the patient himself, his diligence in following the recommendations and maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.
FAQ
What are the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can manifest as pain in the neck, shoulders, arms, dizziness, tinnitus, numbness or tingling in the hands and limited mobility of the neck.
How can you treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home?
To alleviate the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, you can use relaxation methods, exercises to strengthen the neck muscles, massage, warm compresses, and the use of ointments and pain relievers.
What exercises help with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?
Stretching and strengthening neck muscles, head rotation, bending and turning the neck, as well as exercises to improve posture are useful for strengthening the neck muscles and alleviating the symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis.
Useful tips
Tip #1
With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is recommended to perform special exercises to strengthen the muscles of the neck and back. This will help improve blood circulation and reduce stress on the spine.
Tip #2
You can use cold compresses or warm compresses to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Cold helps reduce swelling, while heat improves blood circulation and relaxes muscles.
Tip #3
It is important to monitor your posture and avoid staying in the wrong position for a long period of time. Regular breaks to stretch and adjust your work position can reduce stress on the cervical spine.