Osteochondrosis of the cervix

Osteochondrosis is a disease of the skeletal system, characterized by changes in cartilage tissue. As a result of the development of the disease, a person's ability to work decreases, blood circulation and the integrity of the spinal discs are disrupted. Most often, the disease develops as a result of obesity, physical inactivity, frequent devotion to the computer or driving a car.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as it develops, is characterized by the following symptoms:

Neck pain with cervical osteochondrosis

• Persistent headaches. Patients with osteochondrosis mainly experience headaches, which are aggravated by a sharp turn of the neck or by a sudden movement of the head.
• Neck pain that may radiate to the shoulder area. It often appears in the morning, immediately after sleep, decreases or disappears completely after warming the neck muscles.
Cervical back pain, characterized by severe neck pain, stiffening of the muscles in the affected area and limited mobility.
• Chest or gallbladder pain. Patients often suspect cardiovascular pathology, but taking nitroglycerin does not relieve the pain. When cervical osteochondrosis presents with chest pain, patients complain of reduced muscle strength in the arms.
• In almost all patients with osteochondrosis, you can hear a characteristic jolt and scream if you ask a person to tilt their head in different directions.
• Hoarse voice.
• Osteochondrosis of the neck can be manifested by numbness of the tongue, fingertips (a symptom occurs as a result of compression of the nerves and vessels adjacent to the intervertebral discs.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Trimming of the limbs, reduced muscular strength in the limbs.

The cause of the above symptoms is the damage of the connective tissue and the intervertebral discs with their consequent deformation. As a result of pathological processes, the discs are flooded with bone formations, osteophytes are formed, which compress and destroy blood vessels and nerve pathways.

Stages of the disease

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine develops in various stages. As the patient's disease progresses, the more symptoms occur, the more severe the complications of the disease.

Category 1 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by damage to the nucleus accumbens of the intervertebral disc. When metabolism is disrupted in the body, the pulposus nucleus, which is a structure of biopolymer compounds, is destroyed. Initially, it loses water, dries gradually and therefore decreases in size. His stamina decreases significantly and it becomes more difficult for the spine to cope with physical activity. At this stage of the disease, a person does not feel pain, does not seek medical help. If you begin to recognize osteochondrosis at this stage, then the patient will not need medication.

Grade 2 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by damage to the fibrous ring in the intervertebral disc. Cracks and tears appear on the surface of the disc as a result of strong and uneven load on the spine. Due to the fact that the fibrous ring becomes thinner, the nucleus is completely compressed into the resulting tears and cracks, thus extending them. As a result, the disc increases in size, beginning to protrude beyond the ends of the vertebrae. This phenomenon is called disc protrusion. Grade 2 osteochondrosis of the cervix is ​​the stage of the disease in which a person first feels pain.

Grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by hernia formation. The fibrous ring not only becomes thinner, but breaks, so the nucleus "flows" into the sublingual space, forming a hernia. As the process progresses, all the surrounding tissues suffer - ligaments and muscles, nerves and blood vessels.

Over time, the skeletal system of the vertebrae changes: the ends of the vertebrae change shape, become streaked and even sharp. The muscles around the modified bone system contract involuntarily, thus limiting the mobility of the spine. All the nerve fibers that run through the spinal cord are disrupted, the conduction of nerve impulses from the brain to the organs and tissues is disrupted. It is important that the symptoms of osteochondrosis appear depending on the location of the osteochondrosis.

Grade 4 osteochondrosis of the cervix is ​​characterized by degenerative reconstruction of the spine. After destructive processes in the body, the recovery processes begin to prevail. The duration of the fourth stage is about one year. During this period, the nature of the bone growth in the deformed vertebra changes. The bone begins to grow in width, due to which the area of ​​the vertebrae increases. Such growths in medicine are called osteophytes. Thanks to them, the mobility of the injured spine is reduced and its destruction processes are suspended. Over time, the sitting vertebra becomes completely a static pillar of bone.

And if the pain syndrome is reduced, the pinched nerves and blood vessels remain in place, compressed not only by the discs and vertebrae, but also by the formed osteophytes. Such processes must be properly treated to prevent the consequences of the disease.

Complications of cervical osteochondrosis

The main consequences of the development of cervical osteochondrosis are:

• Vascular disorders (compression of arteries);
• Formation of hernias of varying severity.
• Spinal cord injury?
• Formation of osteophytes?
• Limited mobility of the spine.

What complications can cause cervical osteochondrosis? The most dangerous consequence is the deterioration of the blood supply to the brain. As a result of the compression of the arteries, less blood enters the brain and the gray matter is poorly supplied with oxygen.

If a patient develops vertebral artery syndrome - when the blood key in the brain stings, then the person suffers from dizziness, fainting.

In addition to impaired consciousness, patients with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine have vision and hearing problems. In addition to numbness of the limbs, it is possible to develop Dupuytren's syndrome, which is characterized by sclerosis. As a result of the development of the syndrome, the mobility of the fingers is lost.

Hypertension and vascular dystonia (VVD) are considered common complications. A cosmetic defect that occurs as a result of the development of osteochondrosis is the formation of the edges ("mound" of cartilage tissue at the back of the head).

Treatment methods

The choice of treatment for cervical osteochondrosis depends on the stage of the disease. Medical treatment consists of prescribing non-steroidal drugs, analgesics and anticonvulsants by a doctor. The dosage of the drug is adjusted at the discretion of the doctor.

Physiotherapy is often prescribed to treat cervical osteochondrosis. With the help of exercises, you can not only remove the pain, but also reduce the inflammation, strengthen your back muscles and reduce the risk of complications.

Massage has a general strengthening effect. After a course of massage, a patient with osteochondrosis will lose tension and pain and the blood supply will increase.

When medication is not helpful, doctors should prescribe surgery. During surgery, doctors remove parts of the intervertebral disc that compress the nerve roots.

The best treatment is a combination of many methods. Medical treatment should be combined with massage, physical therapy exercises and exercise.

Some doctors believe that acupuncture and herbal remedies are an effective treatment.

Prevention

Simple methods can be used to reduce pain and prevent the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. First of all, each person must be constantly in a position to relieve the load on the spine. It is necessary to remember about exercises that knead the muscles and support metabolic processes in the spine. To achieve a positive result, it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations.

Basic suggestions:

• Distribute physical activity evenly across the spine. To do this, limit vertical loads, avoid sudden movements and exercises that can damage the spine. Falling or jumping from great heights should be avoided.
• Do not carry heavy objects with your arms outstretched in front of you. Before lifting an object off the floor, do not bend forward, but wipe down.
• Do not move objects with one hand, it is recommended to distribute the load at both ends. If this is not possible, then you should place the load in a suitcase on wheels or in a backpack.
• If it is necessary to carry a heavy load, then you should wear a wide belt or buy a special corset before work.
• Wear comfortable shoes.
• The best prevention of the disease is swimming, regular exercise, showering with contrast.
• You need to avoid stressful situations.
• You need to remember the rules of a balanced diet.
• Get rid of bad habits.

It is essential to understand that it is much easier to prevent a disease than to cure it for a long time and persistently. If surgery is not required in the early stages of the disease, then the later stages of osteochondrosis require surgery.