What is cervical osteochondrosis, causes and symptoms, treatment

Speaking of osteochondrosis, we mean pathological changes in the intervertebral disc with degenerative changes in the cartilage. This pathology can affect all parts of the spine. At the same time, cervical osteochondrosis occurs in about a quarter of all cases of this condition. As a rule, it mainly affects patients of working age - from 30 to 50 years.

Anatomical features

To understand why osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae develops, you should familiarize yourself with the anatomical features of the cervical spine. It consists of 7 vertebrae. And if in the thoracic and lumbar regions the vertebrae are relatively homogeneous, then here they differ in structure. In fact, in the cervical region, the movements of the shoulder girdle and head are large in complexity and amplitude. In addition, the mobile neck passes through the relatively static thoracic region. Therefore, 1, 2, and 7 vertebrae are significantly different from each other

Through the cervical region, in addition to the spinal cord and spinal cord, pass the peripheral nerves originating from the brain. Some of them, such as the vagus, innervate the diaphragm and abdominal organs. In addition to nerves, major blood vessels pass through here. And if the blood supply through the carotid artery and the outflow through the jugular vein does not suffer from osteochondrosis, then the vertebral artery is often involved in pathology with osteochondrosis of the neck. It passes through the hole in the transverse process of 2-6 vertebrae, and accounts for about 15% of the total amount of blood entering the brain. With cervical osteochondrosis, this artery can be spasmed or squeezed by strained muscles or a displaced disc.

The reasons

Why osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has developed in this particular case cannot always be determined. It has been established that osteochondrosis is not an independent disease. These are pathological conditions or syndromes caused by other diseases or negative factors, including:

• Ancestry
• Systematic violation of posture among school students, office workers
• Poor nutrition with a lack of vitamins and minerals
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Frequent mechanical impacts, such as shocks, vibrations from the driver
• Concomitant diseases of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, organs of the endocrine system
• Weak immunity.

symptoms

By itself, osteochondrosis is a painless process. Dystrophic changes in the intervertebral disc are not felt by the patient. This disease makes itself felt only when the consequences of cervical osteochondrosis appear - displacement of the intervertebral disc in the posterolateral direction with irritation of nearby nerve fibers, impaired blood circulation through the vertebral artery. That's when various sensory, motor and nervous disturbances appear. Osteochondrosis of the neck is distinguished by the following symptoms:

• Pain in the neck
• Pathological tension of neck muscles
• Restriction of movement in the cervical region
• Decreases sensitivity and range of motion in the shoulder girdle and upper limbs
• Headache
• Unstable gait due to coordination disorders
• Nausea, the urge to vomit
• Intermittent increase in blood pressure
• Visual disturbances - a feeling of darkness and flashes flying in front of the eyes
• Sometimes pain or sensation of a lump in the throat, toothache
• Insomnia, or rather, pathological sleepiness
• Emotional lability - tearfulness, irritability.

Pain in cervical osteochondrosis is the main symptom. This pain syndrome is what makes the patient see a doctor. The nature of the pain depends on which cervical segment is affected by osteochondrosis. When the upper cervical segment is violated, the skin of the back of the head, crown and superciliary area hurts. If the pathology has developed in the middle and lower part, then the neck pain radiates to the interscapular space, to the shoulder girdle and to the upper limbs.

The severity of cervical osteochondrosis begins with cervicago - a sharp pain that resembles back pain. After that, cervical sciatica develops with pain, movement disorders and muscle tension. The main cause of exacerbation is hypothermia. Along with local, cerebral symptoms are also observed, due to vertebral artery syndrome. Headaches and dizziness may be so severe that the patient may lose consciousness.

Flow characteristics

Osteochondrosis is a chronic pathology. And if there is no treatment continues to develop. In this regard, 4 degrees are distinguished, which reflect symptoms and functional disorders in the cervical region.

1. Intervertebral disc tissue thickens. Displacement of the disc is minimal, however, already at this stage, the outer fibrous disc sheath is peeling. In the cervical vertebrae, the uncinate process increases compensation. Manifestations - cervicalgia, cervix.
2. Narrowing of the intervertebral space and the lumen of the spinal canal. Pathological mobility leads to subluxation of individual vertebrae and instability of the cervical spine as a whole. Sensory and motor disturbances in the upper limbs. Vertebral artery syndrome.
3. Further narrowing of the spinal canal and intervertebral space. Formation of disc herniation, as a result of which symptoms increase.
4. Irreversible structural disorders - spondylolisthesis (displacement of vertebrae relative to each other) and spondylosis (pathological growth of vertebral bone tissue). Destruction of the disc with the expiration of its nucleus pulposus. Brain disorders and constant movement.

Treatment

Treatment of neck osteochondrosis is carried out using drugs and physiotherapy procedures. Massage, physiotherapy exercises, manual therapy and acupuncture are also effective. The main group of drugs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Moreover, in relation to cervical osteochondrosis, the local use of NSAIDs in gels and ointments is better. Among the means for local treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, local irritants and chondroprotectors are indicated. Treatment can be supplemented by taking immunostimulants and vitamin-mineral complexes.

Physiotherapy procedures (UHF, amplipulse, electrophoresis) have the same effect - they relieve pain, relieve muscle spasms, improve blood circulation and metabolism in the neck tissue. This is also facilitated by the massage of the collar zone with osteochondrosis. The neck is a vulnerable area. Slight damage to the cervical spine is fraught with serious consequences. Therefore, massage movements should be smooth, directed along the muscles. Due to the same fragility of the neck, all special measures (manual therapy, cervical traction) should be carried out by an experienced specialist with caution. And in the course of recreational gymnastics, priority is given to static loads with frontal and temporal areas located on the palmar surface of the hand, maximum bending of the head forward and to the side.

Prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is aimed at eliminating provoking factors. Hypothermia should be avoided. Office workers, programmers, avid Internet users are recommended a 15-minute break for health-improving gymnastics every hour. And, of course, good nutrition and avoiding excess weight. And at the slightest sensation of pain and discomfort in the cervical region, it is better to use the Shants immobilizing collar. At the same time, attention should be paid to the treatment of existing chronic diseases in other organs and systems.

Cervical osteochondrosis: symptoms, signs and treatment

Today, a disease like osteochondrosis is very common, and in most people it causes a great feeling of fear and dread. As medical practice shows, several main causes contribute to the appearance of the disease, which, as a rule, is directly provoked by the patient. To avoid this disease and prevent its occurrence, you need to know its symptoms and main causes.

Causes of cervical vertebrae osteochondrosis

Often, osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae manifests itself in the form of degenerative-dystrophic lesions of the intervertebral disc. As practice shows, the disease appears and develops against the background of metabolic disorders that occur in the cervical region. In this case, there are significant changes in the structure and structure of individual vertebrae and intervertebral discs.

The course of the disease in osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is slightly different from osteochondrosis, which affects other parts (we are talking about lumbar and thoracic forms of osteochondrosis). This type of disease is more dangerous, because it contributes to the direct violation of the root, which departs from the brain of the spinal cord and, thus, disrupts the blood supply to the brain vessels due to the direct violation and compression of blood vessels.

In addition, the structure of the vertebrae (in this case, more closely intertwined) in the cervical region is slightly different from the others, therefore, with the appearance of any changes in pathology, one of them experiences a significant disturbance in normal conditions. works the entire spine. That is why, with cervical osteochondrosis, patients may be disturbed by obvious symptoms such as: frequent dizziness, impaired sensitivity of the muscles and skin of the hands, neck, face, constant headaches, unpleasant ringing and ringing in the ears or noiseinside. head, hearing or vision impairment, increased sensory fatigue, shaky and unsteady walking, loss of coordination and so on.

Therefore, you need to pay great attention to the fact that osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae appears as a result of:

• lifting heavy objects and loads;
• work directly related to continuous changes in body position - we are talking about extension, bending, circular movement, rotation;
• active sports and physical education;
• incorrect posture when lying down, sitting, standing position, as well as when lifting and carrying weight;
• genetic predisposition;
• bad weather conditions.

The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Often, the symptoms of osteochondrosis in the early stages of its manifestation may not show themselves in any way. Having passed to a more advanced stage, the disease begins to manifest itself with frequent cramping pain during any movement of the head and neck. However, the symptoms of osteochondrosis are quite diverse and are explained either by degenerative changes and disturbances in the structure of the cartilage, or as a result of severe pinching by the displacement disc of the vertebral artery, which passes between the discs.

ill

The most important and first symptom of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is pain, which in the first stage can pass quickly, and then become chronic. Pain may appear in the area of the occipital muscles, shoulders and neck and become stronger when turning or tilting the head and neck. Depending on the location of the lesion, the pain can be aching and permanent. And it can subside for a moment or shoot and sharp. In addition, any movement of the head and neck becomes difficult over time, which is associated with constant muscle tension in the neck area.

When the spinal artery is compressed by cartilage tissue, intervertebral discs or tense muscles, a person can be tormented by cervical migraine (headache that occurs due to oxygen starvation of tissues and poor blood circulation), a strong jump inward. upward pressure, short-term loss and disturbance of consciousness, the appearance of ringing in the ears, hearing impairment, the appearance of "flies" in front of the eyes, visual impairment. Headaches are sometimes accompanied by vomiting or nausea.

Nausea

Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae may be accompanied by nausea. Moreover, nausea is associated with impaired blood circulation in the brain vessels. Often, a person loses his appetite, as a result of which a lack of nutrients occurs in the body, and the overall weight decreases. In more severe cases, the disease is accompanied by vomiting, which appears when tilting the head, turning, and even just walking. As mentioned above, this is caused by a violation of the blood flow process and insufficient oxygen supply to the inner ear, where the center of balance is located.

Lack of air

Symptoms of cervical vertebrae osteochondrosis include symptoms such as lack of air. It appears with a direct wound in the cervical region and is expressed in irritation of the phrenic nerve. As a result, it becomes difficult for a person to breathe, the patient does not have enough air, lack of oxygen, shortness of breath begins to torture, and severe shortness of breath may occur.

As a rule, lack of air is accompanied by snoring, especially during an uncomfortable position of the head while resting. This situation leads to the fact that a person wakes up very tired and completely broken, he is disturbed by general lethargy and weakness. Staying in this state for a long time leads to a decrease in concentration, memory impairment and irreversible changes in brain tissue.

Ringing and tinnitus

Signs of cervical osteochondrosis are sometimes manifested in the form of ringing and noise in the ears. Only the vestibular apparatus is enriched with blood exclusively from the vertebral arterial system. That is why, with inflammation of the cervical region, a violation of the function of the inner ear occurs, as a result, a person is tormented by ringing and tinnitus. Sometimes hearing impairment is added to the described symptoms.

Pharyngeal signs

Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae can also manifest in this way. Often a person is disturbed by an unpleasant and persistent feeling of dryness and sweat in the throat, difficulty swallowing, tingling and itching, foreign body sensation. All these symptoms are directly related to the violation of the vascular and nerve trunks running from the spinal cord.

Visual impairment

The most common and frequent sign of cervical osteochondrosis is a deterioration in visual acuity. This is due to the fact that the visual analyzer is enriched with blood not only due to the carotid, but also due to the vertebral artery. When these arteries are compressed, visual disturbances occur. In addition, patients may complain of:

• low pressure;
• atherosclerosis of cerebral arteries;
• inability to focus on the subject;
• "swimming" or flashing dots;
• a feeling of veiling or fog in front of the eyes.

In this situation, doing eye exercises or using glasses does not show a positive effect. Only with appropriate treatment is there an improvement in vision.

Sudden loss of consciousness

The most dangerous and unpleasant sign that occurs with osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is an unexpected loss of consciousness. This is caused by the temporary cessation of blood flow through the arteries of the brain. Therefore, significant arterial spasm is obtained, which occurs from the side of the deformed process of the vertebral bone, in response to irritation of the nerve endings.

But after losing consciousness, a person can recover quickly if given time to lie down and elevate his legs to improve blood supply to the brain and increase blood flow from the legs.

Pressure instability

Symptoms of osteochondrosis do not end with the symptoms described above. Often there is spasm or instability of blood pressure, which appears as a result of impaired blood supply. In addition, the pressure either drops sharply, or, on the contrary, increases. The person's condition is deteriorating, and he needs complete rest.

Dizziness

Osteochondrosis is often accompanied by dizziness. In this case, such a phenomenon may have a spontaneous character. Dizziness is caused by a lack of oxygen reaching the inner ear canal. This channel is located in the brain and is fully responsible for balance. Dizziness can occur with any movement of the neck or head. Often and with a sudden rise from a lying position.

How to cure osteochondrosis?

If a person sees one or more of the above symptoms and shows the symptoms behind them, then the initial action should not be self-treatment on the recommendation of friends and relatives, but a timely visit to the appropriate doctor. The specialist's actions are aimed at conducting tests to identify the main cause of osteochondrosis, as well as choosing the right treatment.

The treatment of the disease, taking into account the patient's condition and level, is complex. During treatment, the doctor may prescribe therapeutic exercises, massage, the use of drugs aimed at eliminating the cause of inflammation and relieving pain.

Therapeutic treatment

Drug treatment regimens are represented by the following groups:

• Chondroprotectors - make it possible to stop the destruction of cartilage, and contribute to the recovery of cartilage tissue.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - effective removal of inflammation and pain, low risk of side effects, possibility of long-term use.

Treatment of symptoms of osteochondrosis with ointment is quite popular, but ineffective. As a rule, NSAID group ointments or ointments containing irritants are used for treatment.

B group vitamins are used against osteochondrosis.

Folk treatment methods

Recipes for rubs and ointments for the treatment of osteochondrosis:

• Lemon. In the juice of a lemon, you need to add iodine as much as the juice is squeezed. Mix it up. This composition is for external use only. With a swab soaked in this solution, a strip is drawn every evening along the entire spine.
• Apply honey. Mix a glass of honey, alcohol, aloe juice and radish. Add to 1 tbsp. l. dry mustard and mix well. Apply the compress for several hours.
• Vinegar and eggs. Make a mixture of vinegar and one egg: add the vinegar to the egg and let it dissolve completely. Then add 90 gr. butter and stir. A homogeneous mass of white color, resembling oil, should come out. Rub the solution into the painful area.
• Corn pepper with camphor and gall. It will take 300 gr. medical bile and several bottles of camphor alcohol. Mix the ingredients in a glass bowl, add 3 hot peppers and let it brew for a week. Apply the compress for 5-7 hours. Shake the paste thoroughly before use.

Osteochondrosis, like all other diseases, is easier to prevent than to cure completely. In order not to suffer from this disease, you need to live a healthy lifestyle with different sports alternately. Nutrition must be enriched and complete, smoking should not be a habit. By following simple rules, you will have more chances to live to old age without deterioration in quality of life and pain.