Osteochondrosis is a disease of the musculoskeletal system. According to statistics, about 90% of the population suffers from it. Most patients are not even aware of it, because the initial forms of the disease develop asymptomatically.
Another part of the person only periodically feels discomfort in the back area, sees it as fatigue and goes untreated. Among all types of osteochondrosis, the defeat of the cervical spine prevails. If the treatment is started on time, there is a good chance of getting rid of the disease.
The essence of osteochondrosis
Two mechanisms are involved in the development of osteochondrosis: dystrophic and degenerative. The first involves a violation of the trophism (nutrition) of the intervertebral cartilage (discs). The second is a consequence of dystrophy - organic changes in the structure of cartilage tissue and vertebrae.
The essence of the disease is as follows: circulatory disorders in certain areas of the back lead to depletion and dehydration of the cartilage tissue. Along with the liquid, it loses its nutritional components. As a result, the cartilage loses its elasticity and firmness - it sags. The distance between the vertebrae decreases, their staticity is violated (constancy of position). They can move and nestle against each other, while pinching nerve roots.
With osteochondrosis, the cartilage wears down at an accelerated rate.
If the dystrophy persists, the muscles that support the spine also lose tone. The vertebrae sag even more. Due to increased friction, protrusions develop - damage to the cartilage capsule with the protrusion of its contents outward.
Then the natural defense mechanism of the spine is triggered. Bone growths - osteophytes appear in them. They must ensure a stable position of the vertebrae. However, the growth of osteophytes often goes beyond “need”. Too large growths also exert pressure on the remains of cartilage, nerve fibers. In addition, they are solid. The spine loses its elasticity, the "adjacent discs" can be damaged. The patient loses his mobility, suffers from severe pain. The result of advanced osteochondrosis is disability.
Due to blood congestion, osteochondrosis is accompanied by a deposition of salts in areas adjacent to the cartilage. Such "accumulations" exacerbate the development of the disease, accelerating damage to cartilage and vertebrae.
Why is the neck injured more often
The cervical spine is the most sensitive and the most fragile. Its elements are the smallest and are not suitable for heavy loads. However, the neck muscles are not involved in all types of physical activity. Hence the chronic blood congestion and malnutrition of the spinal joints. If a person does not play sports, the risk of cervical osteochondrosis increases significantly. Most people very rarely use their neck for mundane tasks.
The main cause of osteochondrosis is a hypodynamic lifestyle. Lack of exercise, combined with passive recreation, leads to muscle weakness and disturbed vascular tone. Neck disease causes prolonged stay in one position. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is considered the lot of office workers and IT professionals.
Excessive physical activity leads to muscle hypertonia. Being constantly in a tense state, they also cause stagnant processes. Indirect causes of the disease include improper nutrition (an excess of salts and fats in the diet), metabolic disorders. The disease can be triggered by autoimmune processes, a lack of nutrients (vitamins and minerals), endocrine diseases and psycho-emotional shocks (as they are also accompanied by muscle overload).
How to recognize cervical osteochondrosis
Early osteochondrosis does not manifest itself in any way. At the 1st stage of development, the cartilage is dehydrated. It is not noticeable from the outside, does not cause physical discomfort. The disease can be discovered by chance, when examining the spine for injuries or other complaints.
In stage 2, the cartilage collapses. Its height decreases, its damping capacity deteriorates. The first symptoms may appear at this stage. Their characteristic is periodicity. Discomfort in the neck is clearly felt, then subsides. Periodically disappears completely. Sometimes a person feels pain in the neck. They appear after physical exertion or a long stay in one position (sitting or standing). Unpleasant sensations appear in the morning, as the patient "paces", they weaken and are remembered in the late afternoon. If salts are deposited in the cervical region, a person hears a crunch in the spine when turning around. "Clicking" when tilting the head doesn't hurt.
In stage 3, the nerve roots may be partially trapped. This is accompanied by severe painful sensations. Patients complain of lumbago and sharp, sudden pain in the neck. Discomfort arises after a static position. Unlike the early stages, he worries more often. A person's neck "gets tired" in a short time. There may also be aching pain. They attack the patient in the evening and at night.
Congestion of the cervical spine leads to stroke. It manifests itself by headaches (sometimes migraines), tinnitus, dizziness. With persistent hypoxia (lack of oxygen), there is a feeling of "goosebumps" on the scalp, often on one side. There are also secondary symptoms - the patient quickly gets tired, feels weak, drowsy (for no apparent reason), sometimes sleep is disturbed.
Along with the listed symptoms, the mobility of the joints of the cervical spine changes. Some movements of the head or neck are accompanied by sharp pain. The patient unconsciously reduces their amplitude, trying to maintain a comfortable position.
Stage 4 of osteochondrosis is accompanied by protuberances and the appearance of osteophytes. Damage to the nerve roots resulting in a persistent pain syndrome. If the inflammation develops during the process of changes, the pain becomes permanent. A person has more and more headaches, visual impairments (deterioration of vision at dusk, "flies", blurred image). Neck mobility is severely limited. The patient avoids turning the neck, if necessary, turns the whole body. When nerves are damaged, pain, "goose bumps" or numbness in the shoulder blades, shoulders, forearms, and even hands occur.
Diagnostics
The above complaints should be directed to a neurologist, orthopedist or vertebrologist. The doctor will question the patient, conduct an examination. During the examination, he will check the sensitivity of the points, the reflexes, the mobility of the cervical spine. If osteochondrosis is suspected, an additional examination will be prescribed. It includes an x-ray of the cervical spine in several projections.
If there are no specific abnormalities on the x-ray, but the patient still has complaints, an MRI or CT scan is ordered. With these methods, osteochondrosis can be detected even in the early stages.
How to be treated
Even if the patient has all the signs of osteochondrosis, it is best to see a doctor. Only a specialist can objectively assess the extent of the destruction, distinguish chondrosis from other diseases, make the correct diagnosis and individually select a treatment scheme.
This disease takes a long time to develop. Exacerbations of osteochondrosis can periodically occur and go away on their own. The patient still needs to be examined.
The disease is treated on an outpatient basis. Surgical intervention (to remove osteophytes) is an extreme measure, which is used only for severe damage to the nerve roots with severe pain syndrome. Conservative treatment can almost always be removed.
Osteochondrosis (depending on the stage) is treated for 1 to 3 months. Therapy must be comprehensive. Medicines alone are essential here. Even after the start of improvement, the patient should monitor his activity and take preventive measures. The main task of treatment is to stop degenerative processes. Relief of symptoms with medication relieves the patient's condition only for a while. There are several ways to treat osteochondrosis at home.
Drug treatment
With the help of drugs, you can eliminate inflammation, relieve pain, provide the body with useful substances and improve the nutrition of the cartilage of the cervical spine. Pain relievers are used as symptomatic treatment. In the inflammatory process, pain is eliminated with the help of NSAIDs. Medicines are prescribed as tablets (if symptoms are moderate) or injections (if pain is severe).
To eliminate muscle hypertonicity, muscle relaxants are prescribed in conjunction with NSAIDs. These funds enhance the effect of analgesics, providing them with "free access" to the focus of inflammation. Pain relievers are used as quickly as possible (5-10 days) due to the risk of side effects.
Chondroprotectors are prescribed to increase elasticity and restore cartilage. In the acute period, these are injections. Doctors recommend long-term (3-6 months) use of capsules or tablets as maintenance therapy.
To increase the effectiveness of the treatment, taking pills can be combined with the use of external agents (ointments, gels, patches). Pepper or menthol patches, ointment pain relievers will relieve severe pain. Also, osteochondrosis can be treated with chondroprotective ointments.
To improve the trophism of the joints, B vitamins and vascular preparations are prescribed.
Folk remedies
In the recipes of traditional medicine there are many recommendations for the treatment of osteochondrosis. As with the traditional approach, folk remedies can be used internally or externally.
The most potent topical mixtures:
- Horseradish compress.Horseradish root is rubbed on a fine grater, spread the porridge on gauze, applied to the neck, covered with a film, wrapped with a bandage, left for 2 hours, washed off with waterclear, the procedure is carried out 10 days in a row before bedtime.
- Compress with potatoes. Rub 3 large potatoes, add 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of mustard, spread the mixture on a cheesecloth and tie it on the painful area for 1 hour, apply a compress 2 times perday for 2 weeks.
- Red pepper lotions.2 hot red chilli pods are crushed into a porridge, mixed with a chopped aloe leaf, poured with a glass of alcohol, a day later the gauze is moistened in the mixture, applied to the neckfor 15-20 minutes, washed in cold water. The treatment lasts 2 weeks.
Compresses with mustard and pepper are good for increasing blood circulation.
Inside you can take infusions, decoctions and tinctures. All recipes are aimed at normalizing metabolism, removing salts, eliminating inflammation:
- Parsley broth.3 tablespoons of parsley seeds are ground in a coffee grinder. Pour the mass with a liter of boiling water, simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes. After complete cooling, filter. It is taken orally 100 ml 2 times a day for 15 days.
- Tincture of barberry.10 g of a mixture of dried roots and bark bark (available in pharmacies or herbalists) are poured into 100 ml of alcohol or vodka. The mixture is placed in a dark place for 10 days. After exercise, take 30 drops orally three times a day half an hour before meals.
- Celery infusion.Pour a tablespoon of grated celeriac with a liter of water. Bring to a boil over low heat, turn off immediately. After a day, filter, take 3 tablespoons before meals three times a day. The treatment lasts 1 month.
Before using traditional medicines you should make sure that you are not allergic to their components. If, when using compresses, a strong burning sensation occurs, you need to remove the bandage and rinse the remaining mixture under running water.
Physiotherapy, exercise therapy and massage
Physiotherapy is often prescribed by doctors to treat osteochondrosis. It can be warming up with medical ultraviolet light, exposure to low frequency currents, magnetotherapy, electrophoresis or phonophoresis. Such manipulations are carried out in a hospital, using special equipment. They eliminate inflammation and improve drug access to cartilage tissue. The combination of medication and physiotherapy can quickly relieve unpleasant symptoms. The course will require 10 to 15 procedures. To achieve a stable result, all types of physiotherapy should be completed completely (do not interrupt).
Physiotherapy for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck includes simple exercises. They can be performed independently in the morning and evening, as well as between jobs. Physical education can be done while sitting or standing.
Exercises for cervical osteochondrosis can include the following exercises:
- For 2 minutes, first turn your head clockwise, then counterclockwise (2 sets);
- gently lower the head forward, backward and to the sides (15 times in each direction);
- lift your shoulders as high as possible, leaving the neck and head still (15-20 times);
- rotate shoulders forward or backward, keeping neck and head still (1 minute in each direction);
- bend your palms, pressing with fingertips in the center of the forehead, gently pass through the temporal regions, along the neck, to the collarbones (10 times);
- without changing the position of the chin, gently pull the neck back (the chin is brought back), then forward, to the sides (without tilting or turning the face);
- bring your palms together in a lock behind your back, pull your arms back, lift and stretch your neck as high as you can, stay in an extended position for 15 seconds (3 times).
For osteochondrosis, massage is considered the best way to improve blood circulation in the neck. It is best if the patient takes a full course (10-15 sessions) with a qualified specialist. If this is not possible, you can knead your neck yourself at home.
Self-massage quick start guide:
- first, the neck muscles should be warmed up: rub the back of the head with the pads of the fingers or the edge of the palm;
- kneading involves gentle pressure followed by muscle relaxation - kneading with 4 collected pads and a thumb;
- lightly pinch the skin of the neck to improve blood circulation;
- with a light finger pressing on both sides of the spine, pass along the entire cervical region;
- To relax the back of the head, tap lightly with your palm or fingers.
Each step of the massage ends with a light touch of the palm. To enhance the effect, the neck is massaged with ointment. After the massage, you need to make sure that the cervical region is warm.
Massage your neck only with your palms or fingertips (not with your fist).
All methods of treating osteochondrosis should be supplemented with diet. A classic healthy diet involves the use of lean meat, fish, seafood, whole grain cereals, and lots of vegetables. Food should be boiled, baked or steamed.
During the entire duration of the diet, it is necessary to reduce the amount of salt consumed, to abandon fast food and sweets. It is important to drink at least 1. 5 liters of water per day. It is useful to eat jellies and jellies to strengthen the joints.
With an integrated approach, the symptoms of the disease will disappear within a week and the destruction of the cartilage will be completely stopped.