Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is a degenerative process of damage to the intervertebral discs and cartilage tissue, gradually moving to the vertebrae. In an untreated condition, osteochondrosis radicular syndrome, humeroscapular periarthrosis, etc. causes such terrible diseases.
Currently, cervical osteochondrosis, the causes of which can be very different, affects every third person. However, despite his massive character, he is extremely cunning and does not forgive a careless attitude towards himself. Regardless of the stage of development, how to treat cervical osteochondrosis? First of all, you need to understand what kind of disease it is - cervical osteochondrosis and its causes.
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 young generation over 20 years old and to people who have just passed the age of 40: with age, the consequences of unbalanced nutrition, lack of vitamins and calcium in the body, metabolic disorders and deposition of salts. feels sharper.
Add to this infectious, toxic, endocrine diseases and genetic predisposition, and now you have a headache with osteochondrosis, it is difficult to turn your neck to the side, a dull aching pain does not allow you to think about anything else. This leads to increased pressure and disruption of nerve endings. There is numbness, tingling, heaviness - symptoms that turn into a headache with osteochondrosis begin to make themselves felt. By the way, cervical osteochondrosis and pressure, especially increased pressure, is a natural process, because the vessels are blocked and interfere with the outside.
First, the development of cervical osteochondrosis begins with the intervertebral discs: under the influence of negative factors, the nucleus pulposus begins to lose moisture and elasticity, and microcracks form. As a result, the cushioning functions of the disk deteriorate and the load on the vertebrae under it increases. Microcracks are also formed in them, and osteophytes (bone protrusions) are formed to cope with the increased load area of the vertebra. However, the additional mass of osteophytes begins to put pressure on the nerve roots or compress the vertebral artery. Headache with cervical osteochondrosis is the first symptom you should pay attention to.
In the future, subluxations occur in the intervertebral joints, the neck muscles must always be in tension to keep the spine in the previous position. But the muscles get tired from the tension, and the load falls back 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 want to massage from time to time - consult a doctor. Clinics offer specialized medical care in many areas, including medical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, manual therapy and massage.
Diagnosis of cervical spine osteochondrosis
If you start to suffer from dizziness, numbness in neck and back muscles, headaches - hurry to the doctor, there are obvious signs of osteochondrosis. Cervical-brachial osteochondrosis, manifested by the above symptoms, is an unpleasant disease if not treated.
Risk group:
- experienced drivers;
- people who are constantly sitting at the computer;
- people with spinal diseases;
- pupils.
All these people spend most of their time in a fixed position of the muscles, which causes them to spasm.
Cervical osteochondrosis of the 1st degree is characterized by acute pain, lumbago. Similar back pain occurs with lumbago of lumbosacral osteochondrosis. Due to a sedentary lifestyle, untrained muscles do not get enough nutrition and begin to age. It can happen at the age of 20 or 50. Degenerative destruction of the vertebrae later turns into grade 2 cervical osteochondrosis.
In the 2nd stage, the signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are inflammatory processes, rupture of capsules and the appearance of osteophytes. This process can last for several years, then dies, then flares up again and also causes "falling head syndrome", in which the patient is forced to squeeze his head with his hands to relieve the headache. Another symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is dizziness that cannot be treated.
Previously, only external examination and x-rays were required to make a diagnosis. However, in this case, the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis will not be reliable, because X-rays cannot show the full picture of the development of the disease. For this, CT and MRI are required - procedures that show 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, with the restoration of spasmodic muscle tone. In the initial stage of the disease, the pain in cervical osteochondrosis is not so strong and does not require medical treatment. It will be enough to take a special course of massage or hand 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 - comprehensive and medical treatment is necessary. In this case, to relieve pain, the doctor prescribes analgesics (in the acute stage - injections), then tablets, ointments and gels with a warming effect. Professionally performed massage for cervical osteochondrosis will also bring great relief and relieve pain for a while.
The main stages in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- elimination of pain syndrome;
- elimination of edema;
- normalization of blood circulation;
- strengthen and tone muscles;
- restoration of tissue regeneration.
Complex treatment of cervical osteochondrosis consists of medication and acupuncture methods, acupuncture and reflexology, manual therapy and massage, folk remedies and treatment with homeopathic preparations.
All medical prescriptions and therapeutic procedures are available in service offices equipped with modern equipment, hospitals and clinics staffed by highly experienced professional doctors. In order to correctly diagnose cervical osteochondrosis and carry out appropriate treatment, a whole team of narrowly qualified doctors will be required: vertebrologist and surgeon, massage therapist and neurologist, physiotherapist.
Prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical region
Cervical osteochondrosis, headache, dizziness, back pain, burning pain in the neck and shoulders are symptoms that prevent a person from leading a normal life. But all this can be avoided if you stick to simple things: proper and healthy lifestyle, balanced diet, more physical activity and therapeutic exercises.