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Cervical osteochondrosis: treatment and symptoms.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifests itself with pain.

Neck pain is a warning sign.Maybe it's just too much effort and you should just relax and rest.But what if the pain is associated with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?It is important to pay close attention to symptoms and treatment, because complications can affect the most important organ: the brain.

What is cervical osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative disease of the osteochondral system of the body.It leads to the destruction of the cervical intervertebral discs, the growth of bone tissue of the vertebrae and the formation of growths on their surfaces.

The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, the first of which articulates with the skull.The anatomical and functional unit of the spine is the spinal movement segment.This is a joint complex due to which the spine moves.The complex consists of two vertebrae, an intervertebral disc, the articular surfaces of the vertebrae (facets), nerves, ligaments and muscles.

Osteochondrosis begins with damage to the intervertebral disc and affects all surrounding tissues.Over time, the process leads to an alteration of the biomechanics of the spine as a whole.With the development of osteochondrosis, intervertebral disc herniations and compression of nerve roots and blood vessels may form.

Pathological processes in the intervertebral disc go through four stages: malnutrition, weakening of the ligaments, damage to the disc and compression of the nerves.

  • Stage 1

    The nutritional and metabolic conditions of the intervertebral disc are altered.Due to their structure, the discs are only activated in motion.If it is not there, degenerative changes in the tissue begin: the disc starves and dehydrates.The loss of water leads to the fact that the intervertebral disc cannot perform shock absorption functions.The load on the annulus fibrosus increases, cracks and tears appear.At this point, mild pain may appear.

  • Stage 2

    In the second stage, the ligamentous apparatus of the spinal segment weakens.The connection becomes pathologically mobile.The pathological process in the disc worsens, herniation (prolapse) begins - leakage of the nucleus pulposus through cracks in the annulus fibrosus.The pain becomes periodic.

  • Stage 3

    The intervertebral disc is then permanently damaged.The nucleus pulposus of the disc extends beyond the annulus fibrosus.The resulting hernia can affect the nerve roots.An inflammatory process develops.This is manifested by an exacerbation of pain, the so-called radicular syndrome.

  • Stage 4

    In the fourth stage, the injury affects nearby tissues.Compression of the root artery is possible, resulting in insufficient blood supply to the spinal cord.As a result, a section of the spine may become completely immobilized.

First signs and main symptoms.

At the beginning of the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, discomfort, limitation of movement and pain appear in the neck area.Many times this is not given importance.

Over time, the pain intensifies, becomes painful, burning, headache, pain in the neck, shoulder blades, shoulders;perhaps this is developing into vertebral artery syndrome.The artery becomes pinched or spasms and blood flow is interrupted.

In stages 1-2 of cervical osteochondrosis, ophthalmological problems associated with spasms in the vessels often arise.Darkening of the eyes, blinking, the appearance of "floaters", colored spots before the eyes - all these are symptoms of osteochondrosis.

The most common symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis:

  • Migraines, dizziness, nausea and cough;
  • Hearing impairment, ear pain, face;
  • Motor disorders in arms and legs.The sensitivity of the skin on the head may disappear;
  • Pain in the hand.If a nerve root is pinched, the entire area it sends impulses to may hurt or "fall off."

In addition to the above symptoms, three main pain syndromes can be distinguished:Accompanying osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.A syndrome is a whole complex of symptoms.It is important to determine the main pain syndrome, since the entire treatment regimen is based on eliminating pain.But it is impossible to eliminate it without knowing its origin.

  1. myofascial syndrome- pain in skeletal muscles and adjacent fascia.The disorder is associated with overload, which causes spasms, hypertonicity and painful nodes within the muscle (trigger points).
  2. radicular syndrome- pain caused by prolonged compression of the spinal nerve roots.The process of hernia formation in spinal osteochondrosis leads to pinching of nerve fibers and a subsequent inflammatory reaction.The pain spreads along the nerve.
  3. facet syndrome- pain in the vertebral joints.The vertebrae of the second cervical have articular processes that are connected to each other by facet joints.With osteochondrosis, the intervertebral discs are destroyed, their height decreases and this leads to the fact that the joint capsules of the facet joints are in constant tension.It causes pain.Additionally, the pain increases towards the end of the day, especially with prolonged forced postures.

Causes of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine.

One of the key causes of osteochondrosis is the evolutionary maladaptation of the spine to high vertical loads.Human ancestors walked on four legs, like other mammals.They did not suffer from osteochondrosis, since in a horizontal position of the body the intradiscal pressure is twice less than in a vertical position.By the standards of evolution, the transition to an upright posture occurred not so long ago and the spine simply did not have time to adapt to the high vertical load.So, along with walking upright, a person also contracted diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The structure of the human neck makes it even more vulnerable.The human cervical region consists of seven small mobile vertebrae, which articulate with each other like a children's pyramid.This structure can hardly be considered stable outside the resting state.In addition, the muscle structure in this area is weak and the loads can be high, all of this makes the neck vulnerable.Any injury is fraught with consequences.Even if the damage occurred elsewhere in the spine, load redistribution may be the cause of osteochondrosis.

Another factor is aging.The formation of the skeleton and cartilage tissue is completed by the age of 21, and then the irreversible process of aging (degeneration) begins.Nutrition of the cartilage tissue is carried out solely by diffusion, and if the intervertebral disc does not receive enough nutrients, it begins to gradually deteriorate.

Additionally, the development of cervical osteochondrosis is facilitated by:

  1. Autoimmune diseases.They involve the body's own cells in the pathological process of destruction of cartilage tissue.
  2. Infections, hormonal imbalance, slow metabolism - all these circulatory disorders can also act as factors in the development of osteochondrosis.
  3. Sedentary lifestyle, working conditions in which a person spends most of his time in a forced static position.
  4. High loads that cause injury can cause compression.
  5. Genetic defects associated with weakness of the musculoskeletal system and inferiority of cartilage tissue.

The spinal canal in the cervical spine is very narrow, so high loads, any disorder or injury can cause compression of the spinal cord.And this is very dangerous.

In addition, a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels pass through this area.If blood stops flowing to the brain in the proper volume, a stroke can occur.

Diagnosis

During the initial diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, the doctor collects the patient's medical history.Find out what hurts and how, with what intensity, during exercise or at rest, what time of day it hurts the most, if there have been injuries to the cervical spine.

During an examination of the neck, the doctor palpates the cervical vertebrae and muscles, lymph nodes;evaluates range of motion, excludes or confirms radicular syndrome.

After that, to exclude autoimmune diseases, laboratory diagnostics are prescribed: general blood count, ESR, rheumatoid factor, HLA B27 antigen.

The main role in the diagnosis is played by x-ray, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

  • Radiographyhelps to evaluate the state of bone structures;Soft tissues and cartilage are not shown in the images.To visualize these structures, a contrast agent is injected: angiography, discography, myelography.
  • Computed Tomography (CT).This method also uses the principle of radiography, but with the help of computer processing it is possible to obtain a series of images of longitudinal and transverse sections in which bone and cartilage tissue can be seen.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).It is the “gold standard” in the diagnosis of pathologies, including cartilage and soft tissues.MRI provides information not only about the structure of organs and tissues, but also about their function.In the case of osteochondrosis, a common complication is a hernia of the spine.MRI allows you to diagnose the hernia formation process in the early stages.

Treatment

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is reduced to conservative methods.First, the pain syndrome is relieved, and then various procedures are prescribed.But in the most extreme cases, when the pain does not go away for more than three months and medications do not help, surgery is the only option.

Non-surgical treatment methods.

Osteochondrosis has affected the osteochondrosis system for many years, so treatment will take time.You have to be patient.Objectives of conservative treatment:

  1. Eliminate pain.
  2. Relieve inflammation.
  3. Restore the functions of the spinal roots.
  4. Strengthen the muscle corset and ligaments.

Conservative treatment includes pharmacotherapy and physical therapy.Medications help relieve pain during exacerbations, and physical therapy helps start the body's self-healing processes.

During severe pain with radicular syndrome, so-called "blocks" are performed: the drug is administered very close to the inflamed spinal nerve root.

Physiotherapeutic treatment is based on natural and artificially recreated physical factors: cold, heat, electric current, magnetic radiation, laser and others.To recreate them, special devices, devices and manual techniques are used.

  • laser therapy— biological activation of the regeneration processes of the intervertebral disc.The body begins to heal itself.
  • Plasma therapy (PRP therapy)- injections of plasma isolated from the patient's blood.Plasma is rich in platelets, growth factors and hormones.After injections, local immunity increases and regeneration processes begin.
  • acupuncture- stimulation of nerve endings with special needles.Improves metabolism in affected areas, relieves pain.
  • Shock wave therapy- exposure to high frequency waves.Allows you to start natural recovery processes.
  • Kinesitherapy- movement therapy.It can be active (physiotherapy) and passive (massage, traction).Exercise therapy strengthens back muscles, traction relieves tension and pain.Selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
  • Manual therapy and massage.- Impact on soft tissues and joints to restore balance in the body and synchronize processes.Restore mobility and eliminate pain.
  • Recording- stick special patches on the skin in places where it is necessary to influence the compression and stretch receptors of the muscles.It can relax and improve tone.

During periods of acute pain, the patient is recommended to wear special bandages and collars around the neck to relieve the load on the spine.

The positive effect of conservative treatment is achieved within 2 to 3 months.If there is no result, the patient is recommended to undergo surgery.

Surgical methods for treating osteochondrosis.

Surgery in the case of cervical osteochondrosis is an extreme measure that requires special indications.Surgery is recommended if:

  1. The pain cannot be relieved with therapeutic treatment for more than 3 months.
  2. There is a herniated disc.
  3. Loss of sensation in the extremity.

Postoperative rehabilitation also takes time and may include therapeutic treatment.

Cervical osteochondrosis is a complex degenerative disease.It cannot be left untreated.These serious disorders of the musculoskeletal system can lead to disability.Neck pain can become chronic, and osteochondrosis can spread to various parts of the spine.Timely prevention can prevent the development of this disease.

Prevention

To keep the cervical spine healthy, daily physical activity is necessary.Nutrition of the intervertebral discs occurs during movement, so it is extremely necessary.It is important that the loads are optimal and regular.

If the work involves constantly being in a static position, periodic warm-up is necessary.And at home after a day at work, you can lie on your back for a while on a flat surface, placing a cushion under your neck.This method will help restore the cervical curve of the spine and eliminate muscle tension.

In the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, correct posture during sleep is important.If a person wakes up in the morning with neck pain, it means that the muscles have not had time to rest and recover.An orthopedic pillow will help here, which is selected individually for 3-5 years.