Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is the result of a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition. The first signs of the disease can appear at the age of 25; if treatment is not started, serious complications will occur. In the treatment of the disease, an integrated approach is used - drug treatment, diet therapy, physical therapy and physiotherapy.

Causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Cervical osteochondrosis is degenerative-dystrophic changes in the discs and intervertebral joints, which lead to decreased mobility of the neck and severe pain. The main reason for the development of the disease is a violation of mineral metabolism, which causes bones and joints to become less strong. ICD-10 codes – M42, M50–54.

Why does cervical osteochondrosis occur?

• overweight, sedentary lifestyle;
• poor posture, scoliosis;
• rheumatism;
• flat feet;
• VSD;
• poor nutrition.

Injuries, bruises of the spine, excessive physical activity and stress can provoke the development of deformation of the cervical vertebrae. In women, osteochondrosis often occurs during pregnancy, menopause - against the background of hormonal changes, the amount of calcium decreases, bone tissue becomes fragile.

Important! Predisposition to osteochondrosis is hereditary.

General symptoms and signs

With a constant increase in the load on the cervical vertebrae, muscle spasm occurs, the vessels of the cervical spine are compressed, blood circulation is interrupted, disruptions in metabolic processes occur - the structure of the intervertebral discs changes, they are deformedand start to come out. across the spine.

How is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifested:

• radicular syndrome - against the background of compression of nerve endings, pain appears that spreads from the neck to the shoulder blades, forearms and covers the front chest wall;
• weakness of the muscles in the arms, visible swelling of the neck;
• when you move your head, you hear a characteristic crackle;
• weakness, chronic fatigue, changes in blood pressure;
• lack of coordination, often dizziness, attacks accompanied by nausea, vomiting;
• deterioration of vision and hearing, noise, ringing in the ears;
• numbness of limbs, tongue;
• frequent migraines;
• in women aged 45-65, pain, numbness and tingling in the upper extremities appear during sleep; the attacks may recur several times during the night.

With cervical osteochondrosis, nutrition and blood supply to the brain are interrupted, neurotic disorders occur - anxiety, irritability, mood swings, sleep disturbances.

Classification of cervical osteochondrosis

With the development of osteochondrosis, it passes through several stages of development, each of which has characteristic signs. In the photo you can see how the affected part of the spine looks in different stages.

The rate of development of the disease:

1. Grade 1 osteochondrosis - the initial stage occurs without particularly pronounced symptoms, the person is disturbed by rare and small pains when turning and tilting the head, the back muscles tire quickly.
2. Osteochondrosis of the 2nd degree - the vertebrae become unstable, the nerve is pressed, the unpleasant sensations in the neck become pronounced, radiating to the shoulder and arm. Additional symptoms are increased fatigue, frequent headaches in the occipital region, lack of mind.
3. Osteochondrosis of the 3rd degree - the pain becomes chronic, covers the upper back, arms, severe muscle weakness is observed, the limbs become numb, an intervertebral hernia develops, and dizziness attacks often occur.
4. Grade 4 osteochondrosis - complete destruction of the intervertebral discs occurs, they are replaced by connective tissue, the pathological process covers several segments of the spine. There is a lack of coordination, dizziness attacks become more frequent and tinnitus appears.

Acute osteochondrosis is a consequence of the chronic form of the disease, characterized by a strong attack of sharp pain that appears suddenly after waking up.

Which doctor should I contact?

If signs of cervical osteochondrosis appear, you should visit a neurologist; some hospitals have a vertebrologist - a specialist who treats diseases of the spine.

Diagnostic methods

Advanced forms of osteochondrosis have a pronounced clinical picture, which allows an initial diagnosis to be made already during the initial examination. Instrumental diagnostic methods will help identify the degree of degenerative changes in the vertebrae.

The main types of examinations for osteochondrosis:

• X-Ray- the method is effective only in the early stages of the development of the pathology;
• MRI– the structure of bone structures, the size and direction of the development of intervertebral hernias and the condition of the spinal cord are clearly visible on the screen;
• c T- the method is less effective than MRI, as it does not provide accurate information about the presence and size of the hernia;
• duplex scan– allows you to see blood circulation disorders;
• electroneurography- indicates the presence of constrictions, inflammations and other nerve damage;
• rheoencephalogram– prescribed for problems with blood supply to the brain.

For a targeted and complete study of the condition of certain vertebrae, discography is performed - a contrast agent is injected into the intervertebral disc, which allows you to see the smallest changes in the tissue and distinguish scar changes from a hernia.

Methods for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

In the initial stage of development, osteochondrosis can be cured without medication, it is enough to review the diet, daily routine and regularly perform a series of special exercises. In advanced forms of the disease, effective treatment is possible only with the use of various medications that help stop degenerative changes in the vertebrae.

The complex of therapeutic measures necessarily includes physical procedures - electrophoresis with drugs, ultrasound, magnetic therapy, laser therapy. These methods help to cope with pain, inflammation, tissue swelling, improve metabolic processes and blood circulation.

First aid

Painkillers will help relieve pain due to osteochondrosis. You can warm the affected area with mustard plaster or pepper plaster.

To reduce the swelling of inflamed tissues, drink rose decoction and other diuretics. Massaging the inflamed area with an ice cube will help relieve severe neck pain; continue the procedure until the skin becomes slightly red.

Physiotherapy

Exercise therapy is prescribed during the recovery period; during an exacerbation of osteochondrosis, physical exercise is contraindicated; gymnastics is simple, you can do it at home and you should do it regularly.

Bubnovsky's gymnastics for the treatment and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis:

1. In a standing position, lower your arms freely along your body. Turn your head forward, try to reach your chest with your chin, fix the position on the count of 3. Turn your head back, chin look up, count to 3. Return to the starting position.
2. In a standing position, turn your head to the right, left and fix the position at each extreme point for a few seconds. Repeat 3 times on each side.
3. In a standing position, tilt your head to the right, left, try to reach your shoulder with your ear and hold the position for 30 seconds. Perform 6 repetitions in each direction.
4. Standing, hands on your belt, chin parallel to the floor, lying forward. Turn your head, rest your chin on your shoulder, turn your torso a little, hold for half a minute. Do 6 repetitions in each direction; mild pain in the spine may occur.
5. In a sitting position, back straight, hands on knees. Extend straight arms to the sides, move back a little, at the same time tilt your head back, return to the starting position, repeat 5 times.
6. In a sitting position, turn your head to the right, place the palm of your left hand on your right shoulder, the elbow parallel to the floor, the right hand rests on the knee, return to the starting position. Perform 6 repetitions in each direction.
7. In a sitting position, raise your arms above your head, tie them tightly, bend your elbows a little, turn your head to the side until a slight pain appears, fix the position at the extreme point for a few seconds. Repeat 6 turns in each direction.

Take a 30-second break between exercises. Before starting gymnastics, you should take a warm shower and do some smooth movements of the head in different directions to warm up your muscles. After finishing the exercise, light stretching will help to avoid discomfort the next day.

Drug treatment

Drug therapy for osteochondrosis is aimed at eliminating unpleasant sensations, restoring vertebral mobility and slowing down degenerative changes in tissues. Acute pain attacks are relieved with NSAID or corticosteroid injections, while the chronic form of the disease is treated with ointments and tablets.

How to treat osteochondrosis:

• NSAIDs– produced in the form of tablets and products for external use, eliminate swelling and pain;
• corticosteroids– relief of acute pain syndrome;
• B vitamins- restoration of metabolic processes in tissues;
• chondroprotectors- promote the restoration of cartilage tissue;
• drugs to improve blood circulation and brain nutrition;
• nootropics- improves brain function and memory;
• muscle relaxants- elimination of muscle spasms;
• For local treatment, ointments and gels with anti-inflammatory, warming effects are used.

For drug therapy to be effective, it is necessary to combine it with exercise therapy and adhere to a diet, otherwise no drug will help to get rid of osteochondrosis.

Important! If conservative treatment has no effect, surgery is prescribed.

Folk remedies

Traditional treatment should be used as a complement to drug therapy and physical exercise; unconventional methods will not help to completely get rid of the disease.

What to do for cervical osteochondrosis at home:

1. Pour boiling water over a fresh horseradish leaf, cool a little, apply the inside to the neck, secure with a thin natural cloth. Do the procedure before going to bed, let the compress work all night.
2. Grate the raw potatoes on a fine grater and mix in equal proportions with warm liquid honey. Use the mixture for compresses, perform the procedure 1-2 times a week.
3. Mix a raw egg with 100 ml of sunflower oil, 20 ml of vinegar and 20 g of flour, put the mixture in a dark place for 48 hours, remove the film from the surface. Apply the product to the inflamed area before going to bed and store in the refrigerator.
4. In May, collect pine buds up to 2 cm long, cut into thin slices and place in a dark glass container. For 1 part of raw materials, take 2 parts of sugar, put the medicine in a dark place for 2 weeks. Drink 5 ml of the mixture three times a day, do not swallow it immediately, keep it in your mouth for 2-3 minutes. The duration of the course is 15-20 days, repeated 2-3 times a year.
5. Grind 150 g of peeled garlic and 400 g of cranberries, put the mixture in a glass container, after 24 hours add 800 ml of honey, mix. Take 5 ml of medicine three times a day before meals.

A cabbage leaf coated with honey will help you cope with severe pain and remove excess salts; fix the compress on the neck with a warm scarf and leave it overnight.

Massage for cervical osteochondrosis

Massage helps strengthen muscle tone, improve blood circulation in tissues; in severe forms of osteochondrosis, sessions are performed by a specialist. In mild forms of the disease, self-massage will help for prevention - treatment is carried out at home.

Massage technique:

1. Warm up your muscles– with both hands, run intensively along the back, side surface of the neck from top to bottom. Warm-up time: 2 minutes.
2. Press the edge of your palm to the bottom of the neck,move in a sliding motion to the hair growth area, then to the shoulder joints.
3. Make circular rubbing movements with the fingertips of both handsin the occipital region from the hairline to the forearms - from the spine to the ears and back.
4. Squeeze the neck muscles from the bottom up, then in the opposite direction.
5. Blow from the back of the head to the shoulder blades– perform after any type of exercise.

Important! Do not massage protruding vertebrae, lymph nodes or carotid arteries.

diets

The purpose of the diet for osteochondrosis is to provide the body with collagen and protein; these substances participate in the synthesis of cartilage tissue; most of them are found in aspic, jelly fish and jelly.

Prohibited Products	Authorized products
any alcoholic beverages; fatty meat, refractory fat, smoked meat; soups with rich juices; hot, spicy dishes, canned food, marinades; mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup; radish, radish, horseradish, onion, garlic; fast food, semi-finished products; fast carbohydrates - sweets, baked goods, pasta made from premium flour; potatoes; Limit salt intake to 5 g per day.	diet meat; fish, seafood; fermented milk products; cereals; light soups; black bread; honey, jam, marmalade, lozenges, nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal cookies; fresh and ripe vegetables and fruits; eggs; vegetable oils; natural juices, green tea, fruit drinks.

Important! To avoid dehydration of intervertebral disc tissue, you should drink at least 2. 5 liters of clean water without gas per day.

Consequences and possible complications

In the cervical region, the vertebrae are located close to each other, the height of the intervertebral discs is small, so various complications of osteochondrosis occur even with small degenerative changes in the bone tissue.

Why is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine dangerous?

• frequent migraine attacks;
• heart rhythm disorders, atherosclerosis;
• protrusion, intervertebral hernia, growth of vertebral bones;
• serious brain pathology;
• narrowing of the lumen of the vertebral artery, which leads to the development of VSD, cerebral hypertension and disability;
• spinal tap.

Important! With advanced osteochondrosis, compression of the spinal cord occurs, which can be fatal.

Contraindications for cervical osteochondrosis

To live a full life with osteochondrosis, it is necessary to avoid actions that can provoke pain and aggravation of the disease.

What not to do with cervical osteochondrosis:

• sleep on a very hard or soft mattress, on a high pillow;
• lift weights; if you need to lift something heavy, you should do it with a straight back and bent knees;
• carry a bag on one shoulder;
• when the pathology worsens, make active movements of the head and neck;
• smoke, drink alcohol;
• walk without a scarf in cold weather, sit in a draft, near an air conditioner;
• stay in an uncomfortable position for a long time, sitting;
• wear high heels;
• I crack my neck.

Thermal procedures - heating compresses, visiting a bath, heating with a blue lamp - can be done only in the stage of remission of the disease. During an exacerbation, the heat will relieve the pain only for a short time, but soon the unpleasant sensations will return and the degree of their manifestation will increase.

Disease prevention

To maintain the health of the spine, it is enough to follow the simple rules of prevention.

How to avoid cervical osteochondrosis:

• get rid of excess weight;
• do gymnastics every morning, do swimming, yoga, dance;
• spend more time outside, morning walks are especially beneficial;
• eat right, control salt intake, follow a drinking regimen;
• when you work sitting, do a neck warm-up every hour and watch your posture;
• keep your neck warm;
• get enough sleep, avoid physical, mental and emotional fatigue.

Get proper sleep. Only your head, neck and shoulders should rest on the pillow on the mattress and a small pillow should be placed under your feet. It is better to sleep on your back or in the fetal position; in case of aggravation of the disease, only on your side. The mattress is orthopedic, medium firm, the rectangular pillow, orthopedic, 15-20 cm high. With the correct position of the body in sleep, the spine is straight, there are no deviations in different parts, the muscles are relaxed.

Cervical osteochondrosis is a chronic, slowly progressive disease; the signs of the disease do not appear immediately. A competent combination of traditional and folk methods of treatment, gymnastics and diet will help to cope with unpleasant symptoms, and simple preventive measures will help to avoid the recurrence of the pathology.