Cervical osteochondrosis

Timely treatment of the disease can increase the chances of a quick and successful recovery. But in any case it is better not to allow the development of a disease, especially such a serious one as cervical osteochondrosis.

Definition of cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is a fairly common disease that is increasingly affecting younger people. The disease affects the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine. Often the development of the pathological process of degenerative-dystrophic changes is facilitated by an incorrect position of the body, for example, due to prolonged work on the computer.

Among other things, the problem can be triggered by a genetic predisposition, poor posture, an uncomfortable place to sleep and a sedentary lifestyle. Despite the fact that this type of osteochondrosis develops quite slowly, it tends to progress.

In elderly patients, this disease is mainly combined with other degenerative processes, for example:

• interspinal arthrosis;
• spondylosis;
• uncovertebral osteoarthritis and so on.

Symptoms

As for the most characteristic symptoms, in the first place, one can note the appearance of sharp pains that arise from pinching nerve endings. The pain is often concentrated in the lumbar, cervical and back. You can also find other syndromes:

• heart syndrome- consists of several symptoms that are similar in manifestation of angina pectoris. This syndrome develops during irritation of the roots of the pectoralis major muscle or diaphragmatic nerve. Therefore, a person experiences painful sensations of a pressing nature in the area of ​​the heart muscle, which can periodically occur and last for several hours. Sneezing or sudden movements of the head often aggravate the pain. In addition, no changes in the cardiogram can be detected during painful attacks;
• radicular syndrome- occurs when the nerve endings in the cervical spine are compressed. At this point, pain is felt, which can radiate not only the forearm, shoulder or shoulder blade, but also the lumbar region. The patient may feel a slight tingling or more pronounced sensation, depending on how much osteochondrosis has started;
• irritative-reflex syndrome- manifested by a burning sensation in the neck and neck. Such symptoms often occur after waking from sleep, during sudden dizziness, coughing and sneezing. In addition, pain can occur not only in the shoulders but also in the chest;
• spinal artery syndromeis ​​one of the typical manifestations of the disease, which is characterized by the appearance of a burning or throbbing headache, which is more localized in the temporal or occipital region. Constant pain often occurs with this syndrome, but sometimes it can occur and subside.

Pay attention!In the presence of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, specialists note in a person increased fatigue, which can cause damage to hearing and vision.

As for the other main symptoms of the disease, they include:

• Compression of blood vessels, which causes an increase in blood pressure;
• severe headaches that occur due to impaired blood circulation in the brain. This type of pain can cause the patient to use painkillers regularly;
• vision and hearing problems;
• painful, quite severe pain in the neck and shoulders, which can sometimes be exacerbated by a sharp and very unpleasant "lumbago";
• grinding and crushing when tilting the head or turning to the side;
• decrease in muscle strength in the arms due to chest pain;
• dizziness

Important!As soon as the first symptoms of this disease are noted, it is necessary to seek help from a neurologist as soon as possible.

Causes

The main causes of osteochondrosis are the following:

1. Metabolic disorders that adversely affect the normal state of cartilage in the intervertebral discs.
2. Insufficient mobility of the cervical vertebrae, due to which there is a loss of fluid, which in turn negatively affects the elasticity of cartilage.
3. Microtrauma of the cervical spine, during tilting, turning the head, etc.
4. Poor heredity, which makes disk security limits very small.

Treatment

The process of therapy directly depends on the stage of the disease and is based on an integrated approach. On average, treatment lasts from 1 to 3 months, after which it is necessary to help eliminate the symptoms with preventive measures for another 1 year.

The main treatment is carried out in 2 directions, depending on the patient's health condition and the level of neglect of the disease. As for conservative treatment, this includes medication and exercise. Treatment with surgery is performed only if the conservative does not give any effect.

It is importantto follow a diet and follow the recommendations for therapeutic exercises.

Conservative treatment is aimed at relieving pain, restoring and normalizing the functioning of the spine and preventing adverse changes. Such therapy uses a whole range of therapeutic measures:

• spinal traction (traction). With the use of special medical equipment, the spine is stretched to increase the distance between the vertebrae;
• drug therapy. The use of drugs during this disease is aimed mainly at relieving pain, relieving inflammation and general normalization of metabolic processes in the body;
• physiotherapy. Thanks to such procedures it is possible not only to reduce pain, but also to improve the effect of medication. Such methods are also used during the rehabilitation period. In this case, laser beams, ultrasonic waves, low-frequency current, work with magnetic fields, etc. are often used
• kinesitherapyand exercise-based exercise;
• manual therapy. Such treatment is chosen individually for each patient;
• massage. Thanks to the massage you can speed up the blood circulation in the tissues, remove the clamps and muscle spasms, and generally improve the blood supply to the tissues of the whole body.

Despite the fact that drugs alone cannot cure osteochondrosis, they can help restore blood supply to tissues. Therapy should be comprehensive, only in this case we can talk about the effectiveness of treatment. In addition to taking medication, it is mandatory to engage in physical therapy, follow a diet and give up bad habits.

In the absence of pain or severe dystrophic changes, taking over-the-counter medications is inappropriate. The following types of drugs are used to treat this disease and relieve pain:

• means for regeneration as well as for prevention of degeneration of cartilage tissues: hyaluronic acid and analogues;
• to relieve inflammatory processes;
• preparations for improving the blood supply to tissues: B vitamins;
• antispasmodics;
• antioxidants: vitamins N, E and C.

Medicines can be prescribed not only as tablets and capsules for oral administration, but also as injections or topical ointments / creams. If there are acute complications, drugs are used to block the nerve endings.

Along with drug therapy, it is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. Drink at least 1, 5 liters of water a day.

One and a half liters of water a day is the recommended norm for the health of the joints and the whole body.

Of course, you can also use herbal teas, fruit drinks, dried fruit compotes or mineral water. Coffee, strong black tea, alcohol and carbonated beverages should be eliminated from the daily diet.

Prevention

The main causes of osteochondrosis are ignoring the requirements of the body, heavy loads and poor nutrition. Therefore, prevention should be based on the complete elimination of adverse effects on the spine and the prevention of pathological changes. For these purposes, it is enough to adhere to the usual rules for a healthy lifestyle (healthy lifestyle):

• only moderate physical activity during sports: morning exercises, gymnastics, athletics, if the types of wrestling, then non-contact, swimming is a great opportunity
• in case of prolonged stay in one position, for example during sedentary work it is very important to take breaks, at least once every 45-60 minutes. During this period, you should give your body 5-15 minutes for a little warm-up, which will restore normal blood circulation. It is also very important to pay attention to the correct choice of office chairs or armchairs, giving preference to those that will support the spine, control the correct position of the hands on the table and legs on the floor. Try to observe your posture on your own (your shoulders should be in a relaxed position and your back should be straight);
• It is important to try to control your emotionality in case a spasmodic reaction occurs during stress. For these purposes, you need to learn relaxation techniques and attend regular massages to generally strengthen the body;
• For sleeping it is best to choose an orthopedic mattress with a flat surface. Of course, it will not be as soft as a feather, but its elasticity will ensure the correct position of the body;
• Drinking plenty of water and eating right helps not only to maintain metabolism, but also to strengthen the whole body:

Mental condition also has a negative effect on the condition of the joints.

• If you need to move or lift heavy objects, it is very important to do it as smoothly as possible, without sudden attacks and pulls from a squat. It will not be superfluous to use a special support belt;
• An important point is the choice of high quality orthopedic shoes without high heels, with sufficient leg width. It is also possible to reduce the load on the spine by timely replacement of worn shoes, which is especially important for women. In summer, in the country, the sea, if possible, you should walk barefoot on various surfaces, thus strengthening the leg muscles.

It is important to rememberthat prevention is much better and easier than subsequent treatment of the disease.

Exercises

Under no circumstances should you start doing physical activity and exercise without a doctor's prescription or before relieving the pain syndrome. The specialist must first alleviate all acute symptoms. In the presence of symptoms of pain, gymnastics will be painful.

There are some really effective and simple exercises. They can be performed not only at home, but everywhere, including at work or even on the road.

When you start doing the exercises, in all cases the initial position is sitting in a chair, arms folded at the knees:

It's worth starting with a warm-up:

1. In the starting position you should slowly turn your head to one side until it stops, and then to the other. At this point, you should feel the neck muscles stretch. As soon as the neck is turned to one side until it stops, you should rotate it a few more degrees as carefully as possible, avoiding sudden movements and fixing it in this position for 5 seconds. Experts recommend starting each exercise with a warm-up to strengthen the neck muscles. It is enough to make 5 turns in each direction to develop the strength and flexibility of the neck.
2. You should then tilt your head so that your ear is close to your shoulder. It is worth noting that at this point the shoulder should remain still. With a maximum approach, you need to fix the position. Be careful not to cause discomfort or pain. It is enough to perform such inclinations 5 times for each country.

Then move on to the basic exercises:

1. Now after the warm-up you can move on to specific exercises that can give a good result. In the starting position you should rest your hand on your right temple. Now you should try to tilt your head to the right and your hand should prevent this at this point. The effort should be such that it was heavy, but the head should still gradually tilt in this direction. 10 slopes will suffice for each country. Of course, the hand also needs to be changed.
2. Then you need to grab the back of the head and creating resistance, try to tilt your head back 5 times.
3. Exactly the same exercise should be done in case of relaxation of the palms of the forehead. With resistance, you should pull your chin to your chest. That will be enough for 5 turns ahead.
4. The conclusion of the workout can be the warm-up of the trapeze, which is done by lowering and raising the shoulders. At the highest point you need to lock for a few seconds, then lower them and relax completely. Enough for 10 repetitions.
5. Complete the exercise by stretching your neck in different directions. This set of exercises should be performed every day. This is a great opportunity to warm the neck with osteochondrosis.

In addition to strength training, neck flexibility exercises may be included. They will help not only to strengthen the muscles of the neck, but also the tendons. Warming up will make your neck more mobile.

Exercises are recommended by specialists not only for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, but also for all people over 30 years. The problem is that at this age, muscle fibers lose their flexibility, so it is important to maintain them along with the overall health of the body.

1. The chin should be pulled to the chest and at this point to help the head with your hands.
2. Very carefully, you should tilt your head to the side with your hands to touch your shoulder with your ear.

Only the right treatment for the first symptoms of osteochondrosis will allow you to deal with this problem as quickly as possible and return to normal life without pain and discomfort.

Then you have to make several circular movements of the head in one direction and then in the other. 8 spins will be enough for each side. The exercise should be done very carefully. For safety reasons, you can hold your head with your hands.