Do you experience back pain and numbness in your limbs?These are the first signs of osteochondrosis.Insufficient mobility in lifestyle, sedentary work, stress on the neck and spine lead to cartilage wear and loss of moisture, which leads to damage.
With cervical osteochondrosis, degenerative changes occur in the intervertebral discs.Not only the discs are damaged, but also the vertebrae and joints in the cervical region.If the disease is not treated for a long time, the patient's general well-being deteriorates: constant headaches, the appearance of spinal hernia, deterioration of cerebral circulation, leading to a decrease in cognitive functions.
Reasons for the development of osteochondrosis
Incorrect sitting position, in which the neck is pulled forward, leads to the development of cervical disease.In this case, excessive pressure occurs on the intervertebral discs, which leads to changes in the nucleus pulposus and compression of the blood vessels.This is the position that a person occupies in their workplace, 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 can be:
- poor load distribution when carrying bags;
- excessively soft sleeping place (the spine bends into 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 growth of the body;
- injuries to the cervical vertebrae;
- presence of bad habits.
Stages of the disease
After examination and palpation, only an experienced doctor can determine whether your painful symptoms are signs of the development of cervical osteochondrosis and at what stage of development of the disease.In total, cervical osteochondrosis goes through four stages of development:
- Nucleus pulposus - the central part of the intervertebral disc undergoes moderate dehydration during the first stage.As a result, the supporting and cushioning functions of the intervertebral discs are gradually lost.During the first stage, you will experience pain related to sudden movements, hypothermia, and staying in the same position for a long time.
- The second stage of development is characterized by the appearance of congestion and spasms that compress capillaries and blood vessels, preventing normal blood circulation.As a result, the structure of the intervertebral disc becomes thinner, forming a protrusion (bulging forward or backward).Under the influence of excessive load, osteophytes are formed on the cervical vertebrae.The painful sensations are localized in the same place;with sharp turns and tilts of the head, dislocations of the cervical vertebrae may occur.
- Extrusions form as a result of thinning of the intervertebral discs.The edge of the nucleus pulposus breaks the annulus fibrosus and extends beyond the edges of the vertebral body.Muscles and nerve endings are compressed.The pain is felt in the neck, back and limbs.
- At the fourth stage of the disease, the intervertebral discs are displaced and central and lateral herniations are formed.Additionally, scarring forms on the discs, leading to immobility of the affected joint.The patient experiences constant back pain, which radiates to other parts of the body, a constant feeling of fatigue and asymmetry of body parts occurs.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifest themselves differently depending on the stage of development of the pathology.In the early stages, it can occur with virtually no symptoms.Neck and back pain can only occur if you stay in the same position for a long time or bend or turn suddenly.
In later stages of development, a cracking sound is heard in the spine, back pain radiates to other limbs, and numbness occurs in certain parts of the body.During osteophyte formation and extrusion, the following events occur:
- headaches in the back of the head and in the parietal part;
- speech disturbances and numbness of the tongue;
- decreased sensitivity of the skin of the neck;
- respiratory problems;
- changes in blood pressure;
- heart rhythm disturbances;
- noise and congestion in the ears;
- fainting.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in women are much more pronounced than in men.This is due to the fact that women have a predisposition to vascular diseases and a more fragile structure of the bone segments of the spine.Signs of the disease begin to appear when the intervertebral discs change.This leads to disruption of normal blood circulation and causes severe headaches, dizziness and neuroses.An exacerbation of the disease in women often occurs during menopause, when the body is subject to hormonal changes.
The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men are similar to those in women;erectile dysfunction can be observed separately.
Cervical osteochondrosis headaches are caused by poor circulation in the brain and spinal cord.When the vertebrae become misaligned, they compress the arteries and the oxygen content of the blood decreases.Unfortunately, this pain may not go away even after taking strong pain relievers.Therefore, it is important to approach solving the problem holistically.Dizziness associated with cervical osteochondrosis may be accompanied by darkening of the eyes and the appearance of tinnitus.This happens because muscle spasms cause a reduction in oxygen supply to the brain.
A lump in the throat accompanied by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as well as burning, difficulty breathing and muscle spasms are common.The disease causes compression of nerve fibers from 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, increases in blood pressure occur.Lower and increased pressure in osteochondrosis indicates that the blood supply to certain areas of the brain is impaired, since the vertebral artery is compressed by the intervertebral discs.As a result, a lack of oxygen occurs and blood pressure increases.
How is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine diagnosed?
Diagnosis of pathology begins with consultation with a specialist.At the first manifestations of osteochondrosis, consult a rheumatologist, neurologist, surgeon or traumatologist-orthopedist.The doctor asks about the symptoms and the frequency of their appearance;you must provide the specialist with a complete medical history and results of previous studies (if applicable).The specialist will perform a visual examination and palpation and refer you for tests.During the examination, the doctor pays particular attention to neck mobility, muscle tone, skin sensitivity and identifies the most painful areas.
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 an MRI of osteochondrosis, the patient lies on a special sliding table with his back.Rollers are placed on the patient's head to relieve muscle tension, and the limbs are secured with belts.Any slight movement during the procedure can affect the quality of the result.Then the table passes into the tomograph area.The procedure does not cause pain.The tomograph makes a lot of noise while scanning, so you can use headphones to avoid any discomfort.
If MRI is contraindicated, there are other diagnostic methods such as CT and x-ray.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 simplest and most economical, allowing you to examine the patient's body in several projections.Due to the body's high exposure to radiation, x-rays cannot be performed frequently.
During a CT scan, an analysis is performed using one or more beams of ionizing rays.They pass through the human body and are recorded by detectors.The detectors move along the patient's body in opposite directions and record up to 6 million signals.The image shows tissues of different densities with precise definition of organ boundaries and affected areas in cross-sectional form.The procedure allows you to obtain 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 examination, study of medical history and obtaining the results of hardware diagnosis.If the disease was 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 - taking medications, undergoing physical therapy, undergoing therapeutic massage and avoiding strenuous physical activity.
First, you need to relieve the pain.For this purpose, local painkillers and analgesics are prescribed.In case of severe muscle spasms, an orthopedic collar is prescribed.After the pain syndrome is 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 additional measures, therapeutic exercises and swimming are prescribed.You can exercise both at home and with a trainer.
If osteochondrosis has become serious, the doctor may prescribe surgical intervention.Surgery is used in rare cases, when the pathology develops against the background of other diseases - scoliosis, intervertebral disc herniation, curvature or displacement of the spine, injuries.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in women is not particularly different from men.However, doctors often recommend that women do external compresses to warm and strengthen the neck muscles.
Experts recommend preventing various back diseases from early childhood.To do this, you must adopt correct posture when walking and sitting at your desk.Eating right and properly strengthening your back muscles will help you avoid negative consequences in the future.