Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is a degenerative process of damage to the intervertebral discs and cartilage tissue, gradually passing to the vertebrae. In an untreated state, osteochondrosis leads to such terrible diseases as radicular syndrome, humeroscapular periarthrosis, etc.
At the moment, cervical osteochondrosis, the causes of which can be very different, affects every third person. But, despite his mass character, he is extremely insidious and does not forgive a careless attitude towards himself. How to treat cervical osteochondrosis, regardless of the stage of development? First you need to understand what kind of disease it is - cervical osteochondrosis and the reasons that caused it.
Causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The main reason for the development of the disease is the same as for other parts of the spine - a sedentary, more sedentary lifestyle. This applies both to the younger generation over 20 years of age and to people who have just crossed the 40-year mark: with age, the results of an unbalanced diet, lack of vitamins and calcium in the body, metabolic disturbances, and salt deposition are felt more acutely.
Add here infectious, toxic, endocrine diseases and genetic predisposition, and now your head hurts with osteochondrosis, it is difficult to turn your neck to the side, dull aching pain does not allow you to think about anything else. This causes an increase in pressure and infringement of nerve endings. There is a state of numbness, tingling, heaviness - symptoms that turn into headaches with osteochondrosis, which begins to make itself felt. By the way, cervical osteochondrosis and pressure, especially increased pressure, is a natural process, since the arteries become clogged and interfere with outflow.
Initially, the development of cervical osteochondrosis begins with the intervertebral discs: under the influence of negative factors, the nucleus pulposus begins to lose moisture, elasticity, and microcracks form. As a result, the shock-absorbing functions of the disc deteriorate and the load on the underlying vertebrae increases. Microcracks also form in them and osteophytes (bone outgrowths) appear in order for the vertebra to cope with the increasing load area. But the additional mass of osteophytes begins to put pressure on the nerve roots or compresses the vertebral artery. And a headache with cervical osteochondrosis is the very first symptom that you need to pay attention to.
In the future, subluxations occur in the intervertebral joints, the muscles of the neck have to be in tension all the time in order to keep the vertebrae in their previous state. But the muscles get tired of tension and the load again falls on the vertebrae, thereby aggravating the development of osteochondrosis.
If you have a headache with osteochondrosis, you feel a constant spasm of the neck muscles, you periodically want to get a massage - consult a doctor. The clinics offer qualified medical care in many areas, including medical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, manual therapy and massage.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
If you began to suffer from dizziness, numbness in the muscles of the neck and back, headaches - hurry to the doctor, there are obvious signs of manifestations of osteochondrosis. Cervical-brachial osteochondrosis, manifested by the above symptoms, is an unpleasant disease if left untreated.
The risk group is:
- experienced drivers;
- people who are constantly sitting at the computer;
- people with diseases of the spine;
- pupils.
All these people spend most of their time in a position with a fixed position of the muscles, which leads to their spasm.
Cervical osteochondrosis of the 1st degree is characterized by sharp pain, lumbago. Similar backaches occur with lumbago of lumbosacral osteochondrosis. Untrained muscles due to a sedentary lifestyle do not receive enough nutrition and begin to age. This can happen both at the age of 20 and at 50. Degenerative destruction of the vertebrae then turns into osteochondrosis of the cervical region of the 2nd degree.
Signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in stage 2 are inflammatory processes, capsule ruptures and the appearance of osteophytes. This process can last for several years, then dying out, then becoming inflamed again, simultaneously causing the "falling head syndrome", when the patient is forced to squeeze his head with his hands to reduce the headache. Another symptom indicating cervical osteochondrosis is dizziness, the treatment of which cannot be started.
Previously, in order to make a diagnosis, only an external examination and x-rays were required. But in this case, the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis would not be reliable, since x-rays cannot show a complete picture of the development of the disease. This requires CT and MRI - procedures that indicate foci of inflammation, circulatory disorders, pathologies and neoplasms.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine begins with the diagnosis, first of all, the restoration of the tone of spasmodic muscles. Pain in cervical osteochondrosis at the initial stage of the disease is not so strong and does not require medical treatment. It will be enough to take a course of special massage or manual therapy, review working conditions and switch to a healthier lifestyle: sit less at the computer, move more and engage in light physical labor.
But, if you feel dizzy, osteochondrosis does not allow you to turn your neck and the pain does not give you rest - you need a comprehensive and medical treatment. In this case, to relieve pain, the doctor prescribes analgesics (in the acute stage - injections), then tablets, ointments and gels with a warming effect. Massage for cervical osteochondrosis, done professionally, will also bring great relief and relieve pain for a while.
The main stages in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- removal of pain syndrome;
- removal of edema;
- normalization of blood circulation;
- strengthening muscles and increasing tone;
- restoration of tissue regeneration.
Comprehensive treatment for cervical osteochondrosis consists of treatment with medicines and acupuncture techniques, acupuncture and reflexology, manual therapy and massage, folk remedies and homeopathic preparations.
All doctor's prescriptions and therapeutic procedures can be obtained in clinics, where you will have at your service offices equipped with modern equipment, hospitals and professional doctors with extensive experience. In order for the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis to be made correctly and appropriate treatment to be undertaken, a whole team of doctors of a narrow specialty will be required: a vertebrologist and a surgeon, a massage therapist and a neurologist, a physiotherapist.
Prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical region
Cervical osteochondrosis, headache, dizziness, backache, burning pain in the neck and shoulders are symptoms that prevent a person from living a normal life. But all this can be avoided if you stick to simple things: a correct and healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, more physical activity and therapeutic exercises.