Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a change in the cartilaginous structure and nearby muscles-ligaments, causing the loss of their regenerative capacity. In the first stage of this process, there is a gradual decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc. Because of this, there is a violation of metabolic processes in its core and the appearance of cracks in the fibrous ring.
If there is no timely treatment, osteophytes appear on the tissues and cartilage. Because of this, the mobility of the cervical spine is significantly reduced, which leads to the appearance of a significant pain syndrome. According to studies conducted in many countries of the world, almost everyone at the age of 30-35 has various signs of osteochondrosis.
Symptoms of various stages of osteochondrosis
Depending on the stage and severity of the disease, the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis can be:
- Headache;
- noise or ringing in the ears;
- severe nausea;
- lack of coordination;
- pain and throbbing when turning the head;
- visual and hearing impairment.
Do not forget that cervical osteochondrosis refers to a chronic disease in which the symptoms vary depending on the specific stage of the development of the disease. Because of this, the patient may experience some signs that indicate a certain degree of change in the cervical spine:
- Tolerable pain in the neck that occurs during physical activity, as well as discomfort during normal head rotation, appears in the early stages of the disease, when there is a slight decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine.
- Sharp pain and a feeling of stiffness when twisting the neck, as well as spasms and headaches appear during the period of abnormal growth of cartilage tissue, with a decrease in the height of the spinal disc and the appearance of cracks in the fibrous ring.
- Acute pain in the neck that does not go away for a long time, numbness and partial loss of sensitivity of the skin area in the cervical region is recorded when the fibrous ring breaks and intervertebral hernia is formed, as well as when the spine is deformed.
Loss of mobility of the neck and upper shoulder girdle with severe pain that lasts for a long time is one of the signs of cervical osteochondrosis of the 4th degree, when many osteophytes develop and the intervertebral disc structure is gradually replaced by scar tissue.
Causes of cervical spine osteochondrosis
The main cause of problems with the cervical spine is an unbalanced and excessive load. As a rule, osteochondrosis occurs due to age-related changes in the spinal column, injuries to the cervical spine or metabolic disorders. In addition, the following factors contribute to the appearance of this disease:
- genetic predisposition. If a person has a congenital weakness of the connective tissue, he may have a functional disorder of the cervicothoracic spine.
- Vertebral instability. Increased mobility of the upper part of the spine often leads to a deterioration in the depreciation properties of the intervertebral discs.
- Diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The mobility of the cervical spine is very often reduced due to anomalies in the development of the skeletal system, scoliosis, flat feet and rheumatic diseases.
- Low physical activity. A sedentary and sedentary lifestyle contributes to the deformation of the vertebrae and the deterioration of connective tissue.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
To identify the cause of the disease, it is mandatory to conduct a survey and examination of the patient, determine the pain zone and the level of mobility of the spine, and evaluate the quality of reflexes.
Various methods are used to diagnose this disease, including:
- Multi-slice radiography and tomography. These instrumental diagnostic methods have proven themselves to be the best for determining changes in the cervical spine at the final stages of the disease's progression, when bone and cartilage lesions of the spine become clearly visible.
- magnetic resonance imaging. Currently, to determine the changes that occur in the cervical spine, this diagnostic method is most often used, because with its help doctors can detect the disease in the early stages of its occurrence.
- Duplex scanning of the head and neck arteries. This type of instrumental examination is carried out to assess the quality of blood flow and identify vasoconstriction. This method is most often used by doctors to determine the cause of headaches and dizziness in patients.
In addition, ultrasound examination of nearby organs, ECG of the heart, blood and urine tests may be prescribed.
Expert opinion
Despite the fact that this disease cannot be completely cured, you do not need to be too afraid of it. If adequate measures are taken in time, then almost all manifestations of the disease can be minimized. For example, you need to learn how to constantly monitor the correct body position, because this can increase the load on the spine. In addition, we must not forget that some sports are dangerous for the cervical spine.
I strongly advise many of my patients to avoid competitive sports where there is a high risk of injury of all kinds. It is better to make a choice in favor of hiking, skiing and swimming. Such physical activity will have a positive effect on all parts of the spine.
Conservative methods of treatment of osteochondrosis
If cervical spine disease is detected at an early stage, then conservative methods are used to treat it. They allow you to prevent the further development of the disease, relieve unpleasant symptoms and restore the mobility of the upper spine.
Conservative methods of treatment of cervical osteochondrosis include:
- Medical treatment.In this case, the doctor prescribes several drugs that make it possible to effectively relieve pain and stop the inflammatory process. In addition, modern methods contribute to the restoration of blood circulation. Most often, hormonal drugs, analgesics, chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants and other drugs in the form of tablets and injections are used for this purpose.
- Physiotherapy treatment.As a rule, physiotherapy is prescribed in addition to drug therapy. This can be therapeutic massage, acupuncture, laser exposure, magnetotherapy, UHF therapy and other procedures that help relax the neck muscles, eliminate spasms and normalize blood circulation.
- Physiotherapy.This is a very important part of cervical spine treatment. The fact is that special physical exercises help not only strengthen the muscular skeleton and straighten your posture, but also increase the blood supply to the upper part of the spine. First, the doctor chooses a set of 6-8 exercises, and then adds new ones, gradually increasing physical activity.
Surgical methods of osteochondrosis treatment
If there is no effect of conservative treatment methods or in advanced cases of the disease, it is necessary to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine using surgical methods. The main task of the surgeon is to eliminate the pressure on the nerve roots, arteries, spinal cord and other structures in the corresponding area.
To solve this problem, the following types of operations on the cervical spine are used:
- microsurgical discectomywhere the doctor, under the control of a microscope, performs an intervertebral hernia cut with incomplete or total removal of the intervertebral disc;
- laminectomy, which provides partial or complete resection of the vertebral arch, spinous process, facet joints and ligaments to reduce the load on the spinal cord roots;
- endoscopic surgerywith the removal of hernias, tumors and degenerative-dystrophic changes through small access using an endoscope;
- laser nucleoplastywith a puncture in which a laser light guide is inserted, which is necessary to remove small fragments of the nucleus of the intervertebral disc.
Prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Many patients mistakenly think that cervical osteochondrosis disappears immediately after conservative therapy or surgery. But any treatment method can only stop or slow down the progression of the disease. That is why, after undergoing treatment, a person should adhere to the following measures for the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis:
- lead a healthy and active lifestyle;
- avoid heavy lifting;
- sleep on orthopedic mattresses and pillows;
- frequent swimming pools;
- do a set of sports exercises;
- be careful when turning your head;
- maintain a balanced diet.
Restoration
A rehabilitation plan is prepared according to the level of pathology, the patient's health condition, as well as age, weight and general well-being. This program may include medical massage, exercise therapy and physiotherapy. This will help improve health, avoid complications and relapse.
Question and answer
Which doctor should I contact with cervical spine problems?
Diagnosis and treatment of this problem is carried out by neurologists and traumatologists-orthopedics.
What medicine can be used to relieve pain in the cervical spine?
The appointment of painkillers should be done by an experienced doctor after a thorough examination and diagnosis.
What are the possible problems with the spine if I do not play sports at all?
Unfortunately, problems with the spine eventually appear in almost everyone. To avoid serious complications, it is necessary to exercise regularly, as well as take prophylactic chondroprotectors and multivitamins.