Unfortunately, today, due to cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms of headache and neck pain are common to almost every adult.And in 70% of the population over 25 years old (maybe earlier), such symptoms occur periodically.The doctor makes a diagnosis: cervical osteochondrosis and prescribes treatment, depending on the stage and nature of the disease.
What is cervical osteochondrosis?
This is a degenerative change in the intervertebral disc of the spine that occurs due to uneven loading on the spine.Vertebral bodies from the first cervical region to the seventh are gradually deformed, exhausted and destroyed.The main and main symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is a headache, while pain sensations can be reflected in the neck, chest, as well as in the shoulders and other parts of the spine.The cervical spine is connected to all its parts: thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal.All vertebrae are sequentially connected to each other vertically.And any violation of the cervical vertebrae affects the overall function of the spine.
Why can headache be considered the main symptom of cervical osteochondrosis?
The cervical region is the most mobile of all parts of the spine and the most vulnerable.It contains very small vertebrae, much thinner than the vertebrae of the other parts.In addition, the neck must support the head at all times when walking upright.Neck muscle tension leads to constant spasm of the blood vessels of the head and neck.Hence headaches that occur from time to time, or last for hours or days.A large number of muscles connect the back of the head to the neck.Eight short deep muscles provide a connection between the occipital bone and the first and second cervical vertebrae.Two deep muscles connect the back of the head to each of the seven cervical vertebrae.The neck longissimus and capitis muscles connect the back of the head and each vertebra to each other.Tension and spasms in any muscle can cause headaches and neck pain.Therefore, it is necessary to fight headaches, starting with the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.
Other causes of cervical osteochondrosis
The following factors can be named as causes of cervical osteochondrosis:
- hereditary tendency
- sedentary lifestyle
- overweight
- heavy load on the spine
- stress and nervous shock
- metabolic disorders
- wearing the wrong shoes
- malnutrition
- pregnancy period
As you can see, there is no specific reason that leads to the development of cervical osteochondrosis.The process of degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc usually occurs slowly and is imperceptible.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis
Often a person does not suspect that he has a disease such as cervical osteochondrosis, symptoms, sensations, headaches and neck pain, preferring to ignore it, or limit himself to taking painkillers.However, the development of osteochondrosis occurs in several stages:
- In the first stage, discomfort begins in the neck during long walks, sitting for a long time at the computer or driving in one position.In this case, a small compaction begins to form in the intervertebral disc.Degenerative changes in the vertebrae in the early stages.
- In the second stage of the development of osteochondrosis, long-term pain occurs in the back of the head, in the temporal part of the head, and in the neck.There may be noise in the ears, pain when tilting or turning the head.The mobility of the neck vertebrae begins to decrease, and protrusion of the intervertebral disc is possible.
- In the third stage, a headache attack is pronounced.The person feels dizzy, lack of air, shortness of breath.There may be pain in the shoulders and various parts of the spine.Neck mobility is limited.The fibrous ring of the intervertebral disc is destroyed, the nucleus pulposus loses its elasticity.Degenerative changes in the vertebral disc are pronounced.
- The last stage of development of cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by the presence of intervertebral hernia.Most damaging changes are irreversible.Almost all parts of the spine are affected.Treatment can only be done through surgery.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Along with headaches and pain in the neck, depending on the level of development of the process of cervical osteochondrosis, several symptoms can be mentioned that accompany this disease:
- Feeling heavy in the head
- Click on the vertebrae when turning or tilting the head
- Throbbing feeling in the neck
- Tinnitus and fullness
- Dizziness
- Numbness in the shoulder or shoulder blade
- Chest pain
- Feeling of lack of air
- Lump in throat
- Nausea
- Double vision, spots in front of eyes
- Increased body temperature
- Increased blood pressure
Symptoms may occur suddenly or regularly.Often pain in the neck and back of the head makes itself felt in the evening.Sitting still in one position for hours is time consuming.The vertebral artery that carries blood to the brain is pinched and spasmed.As a result of the manifestation of circulatory disorders, the brain is mainly affected.Often, spasms of the arteries and muscles in the neck area lead to limited mobility.A person temporarily, or most often, for a long period, cannot turn his neck.Dizziness, noise and ringing in the ears, a sense of congestion also occur due to decreased blood flow from the vertebral artery to the head.Dizziness can be systemic and non-systemic.With systemic vertigo, a person experiences the sensation of an object spinning in a circle around him.With non-systemic dizziness, there is no sensation of circular rotation, but there is an unsteadiness when the body stands, and nausea may also be present.
Often with cervical osteochondrosis, pinched nerves occur.This condition is caused by the displacement of the vertebrae to one side of the spinal column.A misplaced spine compresses nerve endings, which leads to spasm of blood vessels and a feeling of lack of air.With a prolonged lack of oxygen, a person may experience shortness of breath.Rapid heartbeat, compression pain in the heart area, increased blood pressure are common accompanying symptoms with damage to the intervertebral disc of the cervical spine.
Consequences and complications of cervical osteochondrosis
When normal blood flow in the vertebral arteries is disrupted, the autonomic nervous system suffers.Blood vessel spasms and blood pressure spikes can cause fainting.In case of fainting, first aid should be given to the person immediately.It is necessary to position the body so that the legs are higher than the head, this will lead to normal blood circulation in the neck and activate the flow to the brain.Sometimes, in order to expand the cervical vertebrae and stretch the stiff neck when the body is in one position for a long time, a person starts strongly and quickly turning his head left and right.As a result, the spasm of the vertebral artery, instead of a state of relief, the person begins to feel dizzy, ringing in the ears, and a sharp headache, which can also cause an increase in blood pressure and fainting.
The main and common complication of cervical osteochondrosis is the appearance of intervertebral hernia and protrusion.A herniated disc is the result of the degradation and destruction of the intervertebral disc.With hernias and protrusions, compression and protrusion of the contents of the fibrous ring occurs in any direction.In this case, the person feels constant pain due to the friction of intervertebral discs compressed against each other.The most severe complication of cervical osteochondrosis can be considered a disease - myelopathy, in which the spinal cord is destroyed.Myelopathy is most often localized in the cervical spine.With this disease, a person feels numbness or tingling in the legs, weakness and involuntary twitching of body muscles, pain appears in the chest and between the shoulder blades.
Diagnosis and detection of cervical osteochondrosis
If you have one or more symptoms that indicate the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis, you should see a doctor.A neurologist or orthopedist will examine the patient to assess the pain and mobility of the cervical spine, identify related symptoms and recommend the necessary diagnostic measures.The most reliable in our time is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).As a result of the examination, the presence of cervical osteochondrosis, as well as protrusion or hernia, can be detected with 100% accuracy in the patient.Contraindications for magnetic resonance diagnostics include the presence of a pacemaker in the patient.Children and pregnancy are not contraindications due to the fact that MRI does not involve x-ray exposure.Unlike X-rays, where only the skeletal bones are visible, with magnetic resonance imaging all soft tissues, muscles, ligaments, discs, spinal cord in the neck and nerve fibers are visible.X-ray, as a method of detecting cervical osteochondrosis, is only applicable in the early stages of the disease.The advantages of this examination method are speed, accessibility and low cost.X-rays can only reveal the extent of changes in the intervertebral disc, excluding the examination of soft tissues, muscles and nerve fibers in the neck.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
To prevent the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis, some tips can be listed:
- Avoid heavy lifting.If you have to lift something heavy, you need to properly distribute the load throughout the spine.
- Avoid sitting for a long time in one position, avoid watching TV for hours without changing your body position.
- Beds and pillows for sleeping and resting should be comfortable.Orthopedic mattresses and anatomical orthopedic pillows, selected according to individual size, are desirable.
- It is necessary to follow the rules to avoid curvature of the posture.The correct and flat position of the head, neck and back when walking and sitting ensures the health of not only the cervical region, but also the entire spine.
- A proper diet with plenty of protein foods, grains, fruits and vegetables will supply the body with the necessary vitamins and microelements.
- Including foods such as jelly, jellied meat, sea fish and seafood containing collagen in your diet will undoubtedly be beneficial for skeletal bones, ligaments and cartilage.
- The correct and sufficient use of clean water will prevent the contents of the intervertebral disc from drying out and the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis.
- Exercise and physical activity are very important at any age.In addition to walking in the fresh air, jogging, swimming, water aerobics, yoga and Pilates are very useful.
Treatment.Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis sensation
To treat cervical osteochondrosis, drugs, physiotherapy, massage, special exercises and gymnastics are used, and in extreme cases, surgical intervention is not excluded.Analgesics are successfully used to relieve pain.Nonsteroidal drugs are indicated to relieve the inflammatory process.For muscle spasms, doctors recommend relaxants.For normal neck muscle spasms, you need to wear a special orthopedic collar.Anti-inflammatory ointments are used to reduce pain.For mild cervical osteochondrosis, without exacerbation, physiotherapy procedures are prescribed.Well proven in the treatment of neck osteochondrosis: magnetic therapy, electrophoresis, UHF and shock wave therapy.During physiotherapy, the inflammatory process in the body decreases and the blood supply to the cervical spine improves.Regular massage is also indicated for osteochondrosis.
Among the exercises for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, 5 basic exercises are widely used, performed at a slow pace.The exercise should be repeated three to five times.
- Exercise one.It consists of slowly turning the head left and right.The shoulder remains motionless.
- Exercise two.It is necessary to press on the forehead with the palm of your hand, slightly straining the neck muscles.
- Exercise three.It consists of tilting your head to the left and right, while when tilting to the left, you should lower your head as low as possible and touch your left ear to your left shoulder, and when tilting to the right, touch your right ear to your right shoulder.
- Exercise four.It is recommended to press with your left palm on the temple on the left side of the head, and likewise with your right palm on the temple on the right side of the head.
- Exercise five.Slowly tilt your chin towards your neck, while turning your head first to the left, then to the right.
This simple but effective exercise can be done every day with 10-15 minutes of free time.
Conclusion
In our body, the spine has five parts.The cervical spine deserves special attention.Due to the complex symptoms, the presence of many concomitant diseases and the lack of adequate control, the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis is a serious problem.Starting with the usual mild discomfort in the neck, without appropriate treatment, the intervertebral disc begins to undergo degenerative changes, causing a lot of inconvenience to a person.Dizziness, pain in the occipital and temporal part of the head, neck pain, ringing and noise in the ears are the main, but not the only, symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.To prevent cervical osteochondrosis from developing into irreversible changes and consequences at its stage of occurrence, you should follow simple rules of nutrition and water regime, regularly do physical exercises, monitor your posture and the position of your head while walking, standing or sitting.Prolonged immobilization of the body is contraindicated.