Diseases of the musculoskeletal system are one of the most common diseases on Earth.Few people manage to avoid them completely, especially after 40 years, although experts admit that problems with the spine, muscles and joints have “younger”, and very young people are increasingly complaining about pain.
The fault of this is the way of life, which has already become familiar to many: inactivity, prolonged stay in one position (most often behind gadgets and monitors), lack of physical activity.As a result, posture is disturbed, salts and other harmful substances accumulate in the body, the functions of the musculoskeletal system are impaired, and as a result, internal organs can be deformed.
Most often, osteochondrosis is found out of such diseases, to which people are subject to both older and fairly young age, and among osteochondrosis-problems with the lumbosacral and cervical spine.The second most frequency type of osteochondrosis, cervical, is an unpleasant disease, and in addition - progressive, without treatment, a significantly worsening lifestyle up to disability.This means that it is necessary to recognize the symptoms of this disease in a timely manner and in time contact an orthopedist or a vertebrologist for treatment.
How cervical osteochondrosis develops
If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle or, by virtue of his profession, is in the same position for a long time, then the risk of meeting osteochondrosis is very high.With the development of the disease, changes occur in intervertebral discs, they are deformed and change their structure.
Intervertebral discs are located between the vertebrae, their task is to maintain the spine, to make it flexible and durable.There are seven vertebrae in the neck, with the help of which the head is supported and rotated, the neck and so on are bending.The cervical vertebrae are located very close to each other, so they are injured and shifted even from minor physical exertion.The danger of the disease lies in the fact that the nerve endings of the spinal nerves are affected, due to which the vessels that supply the brain of the brain are affected.In turn, the brain does not receive vital substances, and this can lead to the development of a number of other, more serious diseases that can cause disability and even death of the patient.
There are many reasons for the occurrence and development of cervical osteochondrosis.Among the most common and frequent reasons are the following:
- impaired metabolism in the body, in particular, in the cervical region, hormonal imbalance;
- salt deposition;
- low physical activity, sedentary lifestyle;
- long stay in one pose (at the computer, the steering wheel of the car, and so on);
- improper nutrition;
- Excess weight;
- injuries and bruises of the neck;
- hypothermia of the body.
Osteochondrosis also occurs against the background of chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system, such as scoliosis or rheumatism.
In addition, an osteochondrosis often leads a genetic predisposition of the body.
But whatever the reasons, osteochondrosis must be treated as soon as its first symptoms appear.
Signs of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis in this spine does not always arise sharply and unexpectedly.Most often, it develops slowly, and the symptoms intensify over time, their number increases.The more the vertebrae are damaged and the nerve roots are damaged, the more noticeable the signs are.
The first symptom that needs to be paid to is the pain of different strength in the cervical spine, which gives to other parts of the body - the back of the head, forehead, ears, forearm, shoulder, chest, and so on.In case of pain, consult a doctor to determine whether it is really osteochondrosis, which is often similar in symptoms with other diseases.
Other signs of osteochondrosis
- The pain in the neck is enhanced by loads or turns of the head;
- The patient feels numbness, burning or tingling in the limbs;
- headaches and dizziness, a breakdown, the patient can complain about darkening and flies in his eyes, noise in his ears;
- With a sharp turn of the head, fainting is likely.
Osteochondrosis is also characteristic of cervical osteochondrosis:
- violation of coordination;
- pain in the heart;
- Deterioration of vision and hearing.
Varieties of osteochondrosis
Depending on the type of pinching of the nerve and the nature of the development of the disease, doctors distinguish several syndromes:
- spine syndrome;
- vertebral artery syndrome;
- Cardial syndrome.
The root syndrome is a pinching of the first pairs of cervical nerve endings.The pains are felt in the neck, they are given into a shoulder blade, lower back, shoulder, forearm.
With the syndrome of the vertebral artery, the patient experiences a pulsating pain in the back of the head or temples or burning pain in the neck, the back of the head, which enhances the head, during sleep, with coughing, gives it to the chest, shoulder.
With cardiac syndrome, the symptoms first resemble angina pectoris, but the pain does not pass after taking nitroglycerin, lasts several hours and can intensify when moving and deep breathing.
Symptoms of damage to specific vertebrae
Treatment of osteochondrosis is prescribed based on which nerve ending was damaged.There are only eight of them, each of them is above the cervical vertebra.It is possible to determine which of the vertebrae is struck by symptoms corresponding to a certain nervous spine.
Damage to the nervous ending and characteristic pains
- The first and second departments: the sensitivity of the back of the head, pain in the parietal and occipital region is broken;
- third section: numbness of the neck in the pinched area, impaired speech, sensitivity of the tongue;occurs very rarely;
- The fourth department: pain and numbness in the collarbone and/or shoulder, violations of the respiratory system, heart pain;
- Fifth section: shoulder pain, pain in the outer surface of the shoulder, impaired sensitivity of the limbs;
- The sixth and seventh departments: pain in the neck, blade, forearm, back, lower back, impaired sensitivity of the hands, fingers;The most frequent defeat;
- eighth section: pain in the neck, back, elbow, numbness of the little fingers of all extremities, cyanosis of the legs and hands due to poor circulation, lack of skin sensitivity, radiating to the legs.
Diagnosis and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
To reliably establish the diagnosis of “cervical osteochondrosis”, you must definitely consult a doctor.Many symptoms of osteochondrosis are similar to signs of other diseases, so it is important not only in time to begin treatment of osteochondrosis, but also not to miss another pathology.
In case of suspicion of osteochondrosis and signs of pinching of the nerve endings, the doctor prescribes radiography, with data failure-computed or magnetic resonance tomography, ultrasonic additional dopplerography and duplex scanning.
Based on these studies, the nature of the pain syndrome and the totality of other symptoms, you can determine which discs are damaged, and begin the necessary treatment, which will restore affected vertebrae and nerve roots and will not allow complications of osteochondrosis to develop.
The treatment is prescribed by the doctor, it is usually complex.First of all, it should relieve pain symptoms, which, with cervical osteochondrosis, are sometimes practically unbearable and spread not only to the neck, but also to other parts of the body.
To do this, use painkillers in tablets, but in the case of overly severe pain, non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs, as well as warming and painkillers, are indicated.
Since drugs and ointments only relieve pain and other symptoms of neck osteochondrosis, but do not get rid of its cause.After the painful sensations are reduced, the patient is prescribed massages, physiotherapy, and physiotherapy.The patient shows a diet, drugs that improve blood circulation and support the body functions, in tablets and injections, as well as chondroprotectors that help protect and restore fabrics of the intervertebral discs.
In some cases, baths, paraffin applications, reflexology, hirudotherapy are prescribed as additional treatment to the patient.Folk methods of treating cervical osteochondrosis often also quickly help to return the patient to the usual lifestyle, but they should only be used in combination with traditional methods and after consulting a doctor, since traditional medicine can have contraindications, and the use of its prescriptions can harm the body so weakened by the body.
Complications and prevention of the disease
Do not forget: treatment for cervical osteochondrosis should be started as quickly as possible.The longer you pull on a visit to the doctor, the more difficult it will be to cure the disease, and in the meantime it can cause various complications.Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is very dangerous in that in this section there are many blood vessels and nervous plexuses that feed the brain.
Any violation can cause problems with brain circulation, neurological disorders, including migraines and hypertension, affect the heart, respiratory system, hearing, vision.
If you start osteochondrosis, more serious consequences are possible in the form of cerebral ischemia, spinal stroke or radiculopathy - a disease in which processes form on the affected vertebrae, partially or completely depriving the body of sensitivity and mobility.But this is not the worst thing, since in severe cases of osteochondrosis, the spinal cord is compressed, which can cause the death of the patient.
Therefore, it is very important to listen to the symptoms as soon as possible and turn to a specialist who will help you return to a full life.And in order to avoid such a disease as cervical osteochondrosis, you need to move more, do not avoid physical activity, monitor weight, eat properly and in a balanced one, and also regularly visit an orthopedist or vertebrologist.