Do you feel pain in your back and numbness in your limbs?These are the first signs of osteochondrosis.Insufficient mobility in lifestyle, sedentary work, stress on the neck and spine lead to cartilage wear and moisture loss, resulting in damage.
In cervical osteochondrosis, degenerative changes occur in the intervertebral discs.Not only the discs are damaged, but also the vertebrae and joints in the cervical region.If the disease is not treated for a long time, the general condition of the patient worsens: constant headaches, the appearance of vertebral hernia, deterioration of cerebral circulation, due to which cognitive functions decrease.
Reasons for the development of osteochondrosis
Improper sitting position, in which the neck is pulled forward, leads to the development of cervical disease.In this case, there is excessive pressure on the intervertebral discs, which leads to changes in the nucleus pulposus and compression of blood vessels.This is the position that a person takes at a workplace in front of a computer.Therefore, office workers are most often exposed to the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
In addition, the reasons for the development of pathology can be:
- improper load distribution when carrying bags;
- overly soft place to sleep (the spine bends in an unnatural shape);
- genetic predisposition;
- lack of vitamins and microelements in the diet;
- disorders of the endocrine system;
- curvature of the spine and poor posture during active body growth;
- cervical vertebrae injuries;
- the presence of bad habits.
Stages of the disease
Only an experienced doctor after examination and palpation can determine whether your pain symptoms are signs of the development of cervical osteochondrosis and at what stage the disease is.In total, cervical osteochondrosis goes through four stages of development:
- Nucleus pulposus - the central part of the intervertebral disc undergoes moderate dehydration during the first phase.As a result, the support and cushioning functions of the intervertebral discs are gradually lost.In the first stage, you will feel pain during sudden movements, hypothermia and prolonged stay in one position.
- The second stage of development is characterized by the appearance of congestion and spasms, which compress capillaries and blood vessels, preventing normal blood circulation.As a result, the frame of the intervertebral disc becomes thinner, forming a bulge (protruding forward or backward).Under the influence of excessive load, osteophytes are formed on the cervical vertebrae.Painful sensations are localized in one place;with sudden turns and tilting of the head, dislocations of the neck vertebrae may occur.
- Extrusions occur as a result of thinning of the intervertebral discs.The edge of the nucleus pulposus breaks the fibrous ring and extends beyond the edges of the vertebral body.Muscles and nerve endings are compressed.Pain is felt in the neck, back and limbs.
- In the fourth stage of the disease, intervertebral discs move and central and lateral hernias form.In addition, scars form on the discs, which leads to immobility of the affected joint.The patient feels constant pain in the back, which radiates to other parts of the body, a constant feeling of fatigue, asymmetry of body parts occurs.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifest differently depending on the degree of development of the pathology.In the early stages, it can appear without any symptoms.Neck and back pain can only occur if you stay in one position for a long time or bend or turn suddenly.
In the later stages of development, a crunch is heard in the spine, back pain spreads to other limbs, and numbness occurs in parts of the body.During the formation of osteophytes and extrusion, the following occurs:
- headaches in the back of the head and the parietal part;
- speech disorders and numbness of the tongue;
- reduced sensitivity of the skin of the neck;
- breathing disorders;
- changes in blood pressure;
- heart beat disorders;
- noise and congestion in the ears;
- fainting.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in women are much more pronounced than in men.This is due to the fact that women have a predisposition to vascular diseases and a more fragile structure of the bone segments of the spine.Signs of the disease begin to appear when the intervertebral discs change.This leads to disruption of normal blood circulation and causes severe headaches, dizziness and neurosis.Worsening of the disease in women often occurs during menopause, when the body is subject to hormonal changes.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men are similar to those in women;erectile dysfunction can be considered separately.
Headache in cervical osteochondrosis is caused by poor circulation in the brain and spinal cord.When the vertebrae become misaligned, they compress the arteries and the oxygen content of the blood decreases.Unfortunately, such pain may not go away even after taking strong painkillers.Therefore, it is important to approach solving the problem comprehensively.Vertigo with cervical osteochondrosis can be accompanied by darkening of the eyes and the appearance of tinnitus.This happens because the spasmed muscles cause a decrease in the oxygen supply to the brain.
Lump in the throat with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as well as burning, difficulty breathing and muscle spasms are common.The disease causes compression of the nerve fibers of the cervical spine on the head and neck.Disorders of nerve impulses cause sore throat.
Due to spasms of blood vessels and irritation of nerve endings, blood pressure jumps occur.Increased lower pressure in osteochondrosis indicates that the blood supply to certain areas of the brain is disturbed, because the vertebral artery is compressed by the intervertebral discs.As a result, there is oxygen starvation and an increase in blood pressure.
How is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine diagnosed?
Pathology diagnosis begins with a consultation with a specialist.At the first manifestations of osteochondrosis, consult a rheumatologist, neurologist, surgeon or traumatologist-orthopedic.The doctor will ask about the symptoms and the frequency of their occurrence;you need to provide the specialist with a complete medical history and the results of previous studies (if any).The specialist will perform a visual examination and palpation and refer you to tests.During the examination, the doctor pays special attention to neck mobility, muscle tone, skin sensitivity and identifies the most painful areas.
An informative and safe diagnostic method - MRI of the cervical spine - is prescribed to determine the state of muscles, ligaments, blood vessels and detect inflammatory processes or tumors.During MR osteochondrosis, the patient lies on a special sliding table with his back.Rollers are placed on the patient's head to reduce muscle tension, and the limbs are secured with belts.Any slight movement during the procedure can affect the quality of the results.The table is then moved into the tomograph area.The procedure does not cause pain.The tomograph makes a lot of noise during the scan, so you can use headphones to avoid discomfort.
If magnetic resonance imaging is contraindicated, there are other diagnostic methods such as computed tomography and radiography.X-ray is only suitable for primary diagnosis and does not provide a layer-by-layer image of the affected tissue.However, this study is the simplest and most economical, which allows you to examine the patient's body in several projections.Due to the strong exposure of the body to radiation, radiography cannot be done often.
During a computed tomography scan, the scan is performed using one or more beams of ionizing radiation.They pass through the human body and are recorded by detectors.The detectors move along the patient's body in opposite directions and record up to 6 million signals.The image shows tissues of different density with precise definition of organ boundaries and affected areas in cross-sectional form.The process allows you to get an image layer by layer.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis will be determined only by a doctor after an examination, study of the anamnesis and obtaining the results of hardware diagnostics.If the disease is diagnosed at an early stage, treatment will be carried out with conservative methods.In the treatment of osteochondrosis, it is important to adhere to an integrated approach - take medication, engage in physical therapy, go to therapeutic massage and avoid heavy physical activities.
First of all, you need to relieve the pain.Analgesics and local painkillers are prescribed for this purpose.For severe muscle spasms, an orthopedic collar is prescribed.After eliminating the pain syndrome, it is necessary to stop the inflammatory process and restore normal blood circulation.For this purpose, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapy is carried out.Therapeutic exercises and swimming are prescribed as additional measures.You can do physical exercises both at home and with a trainer.
If osteochondrosis has become severe, the doctor may prescribe surgery.Surgery is resorted to in rare cases, when the pathology develops against the background of other diseases - scoliosis, herniated intervertebral discs, curvature or displacement of the spine, injuries.
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in women is not particularly different from the treatment of men.However, doctors often recommend that women do external wraps to warm up and strengthen the neck muscles.
Experts recommend prevention of various back diseases from early childhood.To do this, you need to form the correct posture while walking and sitting at the table.Proper nutrition and proper strengthening of the back muscles will help you avoid negative consequences in the future.