Do you have back pain and numbness in your limbs?This is the first sign of osteochondrosis.Inadequate mobility in lifestyle, sedentary work, pressure on the neck and spine cause wear and loss of moisture, resulting in damage.
With cervical osteochondrosis, degenerative changes occur in the intervertebral discs.Not only the disc is damaged, but also the vertebrae and joints in the cervical region.If the disease is not treated for a long time, the general well-being of the patient worsens: constant headaches, the appearance of vertebral hernia, deterioration of cerebral circulation, as a result of which cognitive function decreases.
Reasons for the development of osteochondrosis
Incorrect sitting position, where the neck is pulled forward, leads to the development of cervical disease.In this case, excessive pressure occurs on the intervertebral disc, which leads to changes in the nucleus pulposus and compression of blood vessels.This is the position a person takes at work 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 may be:
- improper load distribution when carrying bags;
- a bed that is too soft (the spine bends in an unnatural shape);
- genetic predisposition;
- lack of vitamins and microelements in the diet;
- endocrine system disorders;
- curvature of the spine and poor posture during active body growth;
- cervical vertebra injury;
- the presence of bad habits.
Disease stage
Only an experienced doctor after examination and palpation can determine whether your pain symptoms are signs of the development of cervical osteochondrosis and the degree of development of the disease.Overall, cervical osteochondrosis goes through four stages of development:
- Nucleus pulposus - the middle part of the intervertebral disc during the first stage is moderately dehydrated.As a result, the support and shock-absorbing function of the intervertebral disc is gradually lost.During the first stage, you will experience pain with sudden movements, hypothermia, and being in one position for a long time.
- 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 intervertebral disc frame becomes thinner, forming a protrusion (bulging forward or backward).Under the influence of excessive loads, osteophytes form on the cervical vertebrae.The sensation of pain is localized in one place;with a sudden turn and tilt of the head, dislocation of the cervical vertebrae can occur.
- Extrusion is formed due to thinning of the intervertebral disc.The edge of the nucleus pulposus breaks the fibrous ring and extends beyond the edge 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, the intervertebral disc is displaced and central and lateral hernias are formed.In addition, scars form on the disc, which leads to impaired joint immobility.Patients experience persistent back pain, which radiates to other parts of the body, constant fatigue, and asymmetry of body parts occurs.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis manifest themselves differently depending on the stage of development of the pathology.In the early stages it can occur without symptoms.Pain in the neck and back can only appear if you are in one position for a long time, or bend or turn suddenly.
In the final stage of development, a throbbing sound is heard in the spine, back pain radiates to other limbs, and numbness occurs in the body.During osteophyte formation and extrusion, the following occurs:
- headache in the back of the head and parietal part;
- speech disorder and tongue numbness;
- decreased sensitivity of the neck skin;
- respiratory disorders;
- changes in blood pressure;
- heart beat disorder;
- noise and congestion in the ears;
- passed out
Symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis in women are much more pronounced than in men.This is due to the fact that women have a tendency to vascular diseases and the structure of the spinal bone segments is more fragile.Signs of the disease begin to appear when the intervertebral disc changes.This leads to disruption of normal blood circulation and causes severe headaches, dizziness, and neurosis.The severity 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 women;erectile dysfunction can be observed separately.
Headaches with cervical osteochondrosis are caused by poor circulation in the brain and spinal cord.When the vertebrae become misaligned, it compresses the arteries and the oxygen content in the blood decreases.Unfortunately, such pain may not go away even after taking strong painkillers.Therefore, it is important to approach problem solving holistically.Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis may be accompanied by darkness of the eyes and the appearance of tinnitus.This happens because the muscle spasms cause a reduction in the supply of oxygen to the brain.
A lump in the throat with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as well as burning, difficulty breathing and muscle spasms are common occurrences.This disease causes compression of the nerve fibers of the cervical spine to the head and neck.Disturbances in nerve impulses cause sore throat.
Due to spasm of blood vessels and irritation of nerve endings, a jump in blood pressure occurs.A lower pressure increase in osteochondrosis indicates that the blood supply to certain areas of the brain is affected, because the vertebral arteries are compressed by the intervertebral discs.As a result, oxygen starvation occurs and blood pressure increases.
How is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine diagnosed?
Pathological diagnosis begins with a consultation with a specialist.At the first manifestation of osteochondrosis, consult a rheumatologist, neurologist, surgeon or traumatologist-orthopedic.The doctor will ask about the symptoms and their frequency of occurrence;you need to provide the specialist with a complete medical history and the results of previous studies (if any).The specialist will conduct a visual examination and palpation, and refer you for tests.During the examination, the doctor pays special attention to neck mobility, muscle tone, skin sensitivity and identifies the most painful area.
In order to identify the condition of muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, and detect inflammatory processes or tumors, an informative and safe diagnostic method is prescribed - MRI of the cervical spine.During MRI of osteochondrosis, the patient lies on a special sliding table with his back.A roller is placed on the patient's head to relieve muscle tension, and the limbs are tied with a belt.Any small movement during the procedure can affect the quality of the result.Next, the table moves to the tomograph area.This procedure does not cause pain.The tomograph makes a lot of noise while scanning, so you can use headphones to avoid discomfort.
If MRI is contraindicated, there are other diagnostic methods such as computed tomography and radiography.X-rays are only suitable for primary diagnosis and do not provide a layer-by-layer image of the affected tissue.However, this study is the easiest and most economical, allowing you to examine the patient's body in several projections.Due to the strong radiation exposure to the body, radiography should not be done frequently.
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 the detector.The detector moves along the patient's body in opposite directions and records up to 6 million signals.The image displays tissues of different densities with precise definition of organ boundaries and affected areas in section form.This procedure 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, studying the medical history and obtaining hardware diagnostic results.If the disease is diagnosed at an early stage, treatment will be carried out using conservative methods.In the treatment of osteochondrosis, it is important to adhere to an integrated approach - take medications, engage in physical therapy, go for therapeutic massages and avoid strenuous physical activity.
First of all, you need to relieve the pain.For this purpose, local analgesics and painkillers are prescribed.For severe muscle spasms, orthopedic collars are prescribed.After the pain syndrome has been eliminated, it is necessary to stop the inflammatory process and restore normal blood circulation.For this purpose, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapy is carried out.As an additional measure, therapeutic exercises and swimming are prescribed.You can do physical exercises at home and with a trainer.
If osteochondrosis has become severe, the doctor may prescribe surgery.Surgery is performed in rare cases, when the pathology develops against the background of other diseases - scoliosis, herniated intervertebral disc, curvature or displacement of the spine, injuries.
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in women is not very different from the treatment of men.However, doctors often recommend women do external compresses to warm and strengthen the neck muscles.
Experts recommend preventing various back diseases from early childhood.To do this, you need to form the correct posture while walking and sitting at your desk.Eating well and strengthening your back muscles will help you avoid negative consequences in the future.