Cervical osteochondrosis is a chronic disease caused by degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs of the neck. As the disease progresses, the surrounding structures become involved in the pathological process, which causes the development of a number of unpleasant symptoms. Treatment of the disease is complex, conservative and includes taking drugs and non-pharmacological methods.
Causes
The exact reasons are unknown. The theory that the development of the disease is associated with age-related changes has not been confirmed, since today this pathology is diagnosed even in adolescents.
Factors that can trigger the development of the disease include:
- poor physical activity, sedentary lifestyle;
- mechanical injuries to the neck;
- sedentary work with high static load on the cervical spine;
- uncomfortable mattresses and pillows;
- obesity;
- circulatory disorders;
- scoliosis and other postural defects;
- connective tissue dysplasia;
- metabolic disorders.
Syndromes and symptoms
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis do not appear immediately. For a long time, the disease can develop asymptomatically or masquerade as other pathologies. The most common signs of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- tinnitus - usually occurs when changing position after a long stay in a stationary position;
- dizziness: the patient periodically has the sensation that objects begin to rotate before her eyes;
- pain in the neck, back of the head: the intensity of the pain depends on the degree of pathological changes;
- sensation of lack of air: the patient is unable to take a deep breath;
- visual damage - occurs in later stages;
- nausea, vomiting - are also associated with reduced blood supply to some parts of the brain due to compression of key arteries by deformed discs;
- sore throat, dry throat, foreign body sensation;
- blood pressure changes poorly controlled by drugs;
- numbness of the fingers;
- shoulder pain.
In addition to general clinical signs, several characteristic syndromes are distinguished:
Vertebral:
- pain when turning the neck;
- reduced mobility;
- X-rays show signs of damage to the vertebrae and discs.
Cardiac:
- burning and pain in the chest;
- increased fatigue, causeless weakness;
- tachycardia.
Vertebral artery. This syndrome occurs due to narrowing of the vertebral artery, which supplies blood to the brain. It manifests itself with tinnitus, dizziness and blurred vision.
Koreshkovy. It occurs due to pinching or compression of the nerve roots exiting the cervical spine.
Phases
Stages of the disease:
- The patient feels slight discomfort in the neck area. The intervertebral discs begin to lose stability.
- Pain appears. The discs are deformed, destruction of the fibrous ring begins, and the vertebrae move closer to each other.
- Neck movements are limited. When you turn your head, nausea and dizziness may occur. A constant lack of blood in the brain leads to symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, reduced performance and fatigue. The discs become thinner, the vertebrae begin to rub against each other, the fibrous ring is destroyed, and intervertebral hernias form.
- The neck area is immobilized, the blood supply to the brain is completely cut off. To correct this condition, the patient must constantly take special medications. The vertebrae begin to fuse together.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis can be difficult due to the non-specific clinical picture and the wide variability of possible symptoms. The patient may need the help of several specialists at once (surgeon, neurologist, cardiologist, vertebrologist, orthopedist and others).
At the appointment, the doctor listens to the patient's complaints, collects the medical history, carries out an examination and makes a preliminary diagnosis.
To confirm this, the following may be prescribed:
- blood analysis;
- MRI of the neck - allows you to identify pathological changes even at the initial stage of the disease, when clinical manifestations are not yet too pronounced; with the help of this study it is possible to evaluate the current state of the vertebrae, discs, identify the presence of deformations, osteophytes, compression of nerves and blood vessels;
- Dopplerography of the cervical arteries: allows you to evaluate the degree of compression and damage to the blood vessels, the speed of blood flow;
- contrast myelography: allows you to identify pinched nerves;
- ECG: performed for differential diagnosis with cardiovascular diseases.
Treatment
Drug therapy involves taking the following groups of drugs:
- NSAIDs. Effectively relieves inflammation, pain, swelling. These are means of symptomatic therapy that do not affect the causes of the disease. NSAIDs can be used in short cycles of 10-14 days.
- Angioprotectors, means accelerating blood flow. Improves cerebral circulation, protects blood vessels from damage.
- Glucocorticosteroids. Effectively relieves pain and nerve compression. Drugs from this group have many side effects and should be taken only as prescribed by your doctor if NSAIDs and painkillers do not help.
- Chondroprotectors. Improves the health of intervertebral discs, influencing the causes of the disease. They inhibit the destruction of cartilaginous tissue and improve the shock-absorbing properties of the discs.
Non-drug treatment may include the use of the following techniques:
- Physical therapy. Regular training strengthens muscles and relieves spasms. It is advisable to carry out the lessons (at least in the initial phase) under the guidance of a specialist
- Manual therapy. Spasmed neck muscles are a major cause of pain in this disease. Correctly performed manual therapy helps to get rid of spasms, compression of blood vessels and nerves. As a result, the nutrition of the discs improves, cerebral circulation is normalized and the pain disappears.
- Kinesiotaping. The application of special tapes relaxes the muscles, relieves spasms, swelling, inflammation and at the same time keeps the spine in a physiologically correct position.
- Orthopedic devices. To minimize the load on the cervical spine, it is recommended to use orthopedic mattresses and pillows for sleeping. In addition, some patients are advised to wear a special device (Schanz collar), which fixes the neck in the correct position.
- Massage. An effective remedy against the cervical form of the disease. Perfectly relieves swelling, pain, congestion, improves local blood circulation, relieves muscle spasms. Do not massage if you suffer from acute neck pain.
- Physiotherapy. Another effective technique. The sessions take place in courses, several times a year. This allows you to eliminate unpleasant symptoms, relieve muscle spasms and slow down the further progression of the disease. For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, mechanotherapy, traction therapy, hydromassage, UVT and mud therapy are often used.
If conservative therapy does not give results and the disease continues to progress, surgical treatment may be prescribed.
- operations to remove intervertebral hernias;
- removal of the vertebral arch or spinous processes leads to decompression of the roots of the spinal cord;
- removal of part of the disc nucleus to repair a herniation.
The decision on how to treat the disease is made by the doctor individually for each patient. Self-medication is prohibited and can lead to the development of a number of complications.
Complications
If the disease is neglected, the following complications may develop:
- VSD;
- lack of oxygen in the brain;
- hypertension;
- blurred vision, retinal dystrophy;
- respiratory spasm;
- violation of the act of swallowing due to dysfunction of the esophagus;
- dysfunction of the thyroid gland;
- cramps and numbness of the neck muscles;
- chronic pain in the upper body that is not relieved by pain relievers;
- hormonal imbalances.
Prevention
To minimize the risk of developing the disease, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- maintain posture;
- adequately equip the workplace so that neck tension does not occur;
- Healthy food;
- stop smoking and drinking alcohol;
- avoid neck injuries;
- move more, exercise;
- do not overcool;
- check your weight;
- sleep on a special mattress and orthopedic pillow;
- do gymnastics regularly to avoid the development of congestion;
- prevent curvature of the spine;
- regularly undergo massage courses to improve blood flow and relieve congestion;
- do not sit for a long time in one position with the head tilted forward;
- If you feel discomfort in the neck area, you need to make an appointment with a specialist and undergo an examination; this will help to timely identify any changes in the discs, which will greatly facilitate treatment and improve the prognosis.