Osteochondrosis - degenerative changes in the articular cartilage, accompanied by partial destruction of the discs between the vertebrae. Cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by a slow destruction, developing over the years, of the tissue between the vertebrae that support the head. If in the last century the disease was diagnosed mainly in people aged thirty and older, today orthopedists make such a diagnosis even for schoolchildren. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is long. Even during the remission period, maintenance therapy courses should be taken.
Symptoms of the disease in the early stages
The size of the cervical vertebrae is smaller than that of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. But the load on them is significant - every day a person's neck performs many complex movements. Office workers who are forced to sit in the same position at the computer for many hours in a row often develop osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae. Treatment in this case involves not only the elimination of pain, but also a mandatory change in lifestyle. Sitting inactive for many hours in front of the monitor is a great test for the spine.
The following causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae can be distinguished:
- inheritance;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- extreme physical activity;
- neck injuries;
- cervical spine abnormalities;
- constant incorrect position of the body during sleep.
Orthopedics and neurology distinguish four stages of the disease. In the first two, the disease does not cause severe pain, but it cannot be ignored.
In the first stage, the disease manifests itself as frequent headaches, a slight pulling sensation in the neck. Almost all patients do not attach importance to such mild symptoms. Headaches are attributed to fatigue or lack of sleep. Most patients prefer to simply take an analgesic pill.
Over time (sometimes this process can go on for several years), the disease inevitably passes into the second stage. The danger of osteochondrosis is that the so-called radicular syndrome often develops. Most often, it manifests itself in the second stage and is further aggravated as osteochondrosis progresses. Radicular syndrome is a pinching of the nerve endings in the cervical vertebrae. After that, many other pathologies join the headache. This is a deterioration of vision and hearing, impaired functioning of the vestibular apparatus, unbearable migraine with and without aura, numbness of the hands.
As a rule, patients go to the doctor only after manifestations of radicular syndrome. Above all, they care only about their symptoms. The treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae and the necessary rehabilitation will not be able to neutralize all the consequences that radicular syndrome entails. You can only temporarily stop the development of the disease and prevent even greater complications.
Manifestations of the disease in the later stages.
There is also a third and fourth stage of the disease, which is simply impossible not to notice. Even patients who have a surprising disregard for their own health sound the alarm and go see a doctor.
The third stage of cervical osteochondrosis, if not accompanied by radicular syndrome, brings the patient a frequent excruciating headache. Characterized by the appearance of pain directly in the neck and shoulders. The patient is forced to use ointments with a warming and analgesic effect continuously. Massage helps very well in the third stage. It is important to understand that it will not work to get rid of the disease completely. Only long-term remission can be achieved - this is the goal of treatment.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae in the fourth stage - a noticeable skew of the spine with the naked eye and severe pain in this area. If there is also a radicular syndrome, then the patient often experiences very severe dizziness, he may faint after making one or another sudden physical movement. Depending on where and how severely the nerve ending was pinched, serious impairment of vision or hearing is possible.
In the later stages, the appearance of an irritative reflex syndrome is also possible, in which severe pains in the back of the head of a throbbing nature are frequent, as well as pains descending to the thoracic spine. They can reach such a force that the patient cannot fall asleep or perform normal body movements. Such symptoms are also possible with a strong displacement of the vertebrae. Cervical osteochondrosis in the late stages in 90% of cases is accompanied by irritative reflex or radicular syndrome.
There are cases in which the disease is complicated by two of these pathologies at the same time. In this case, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae with folk remedies will not work. An integrated approach is important, which involves the use of both specialized (injections, massage, physiotherapy, painkillers) and general (swimming, exercise therapy, lifestyle) methods.
Symptoms according to damaged nerve roots
Osteochondrosis of the first cervical vertebra is accompanied by numbness in the occipital region in the early stages of the development of the disease. In the later stages, the appearance of severe pain in this area. The best treatment is the use of ointments with a heating and anesthetic effect, as well as massage. Once every six months, it is necessary to inject preparations of vitamins of group B.
Osteochondrosis of the 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae is accompanied by a violation of the sensitivity of the extremities and the appearance of pain in the forearms, thoracic region. Treatment - massage of the cervical neck area and those parts of the body that go numb. Regular use of B vitamins is shown on an ongoing basis (at least once every six months, optimally once a quarter). Physiotherapy is also effective.
Osteochondrosis of the sixth cervical vertebra is accompanied by pain in the shoulders and neck. Frequent headaches. Vision may begin to deteriorate: myopia and astigmatism develop. The principles of treatment are the same as in the event that other vertebrae are affected. Only with concomitant symptoms (impairment of vision and hearing), you should also pay attention to it. Regularly engage in visual hygiene, do eye exercises, instill special drops that relax the optic nerve.
Osteochondrosis of the seventh cervical vertebra is accompanied by damage to the nerve ending in the region of the fifth, sixth and seventh vertebrae. It occurs in both men and women at any age. This is the most common osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae. Symptoms of pinched C6 and C7 nerve endings are periodic numbness of the fingers and hands, pain in the neck, forearm and lower shoulder blade, back and lower back.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis: which doctor to contact
To diagnose and prescribe a course of treatment for osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, you need to register for a consultation with a neuropathologist and an orthopedist. A neurologist can prescribe remedies for the manifestations of the disease, which affect the state of the nerve endings. This makes sense if the disease is accompanied by root syndrome. The orthopedist will assess the condition of the spine and diagnose the presence of additional diseases: scoliosis, lordosis, etc.
For the diagnosis and accurate assessment of the state of the intervertebral discs, the following research methods are used:
- Bone scan.
- computed tomography
- Magnetic tomography.
- Sonography of the vessels of the neck.
Each of them is completely safe for health and does not carry any threat of excessive exposure. Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, the treatment of which will be carried out for the rest of life, can be made after a simple visual examination. Any orthopedist can easily do this. An exception is the first stage of the disease, when no visible pathologies of the cervical region are noted.
Treatment methods of traditional medicine.
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae? Whatever method is chosen, it should be remembered that in order to achieve remission, you will need to regularly monitor the condition of the neck. Osteochondrosis cannot be completely cured. After some time, the symptoms will definitely make themselves felt again, and their intensity will directly depend on the patient's attitude to his own health.
Here is a list of the most effective measures to get rid of the symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- physiotherapy;
- massage of the cervical neck area;
- Take analgesics;
- a course of vitamins of group B;
- physiotherapy;
- swimming.
The patient must remember that he should not engage in athletics (running, jumping, plyometrics), strength exercises. This will inevitably lead to an aggravation of the condition. You can't sit in one position for a long time. Even if office work involves spending long hours in front of the monitor, once an hour you need to get up and do a ten-minute warm-up in the neck area, light stretching.
Complex of physiotherapy exercises for cervical osteochondrosis.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae at home can be carried out with the help of special exercises. They must be performed daily, otherwise a noticeable result cannot be expected.
- Stand up straight, on the line. Raise your hands, breathe, stand on your toes and stretch as far as you can. Do several repetitions.
- Starting position: standing, back straight, arms freely lowered along the body. Touch left ear to left shoulder, right ear to right shoulder. Perform ten times in each direction at a slow pace, without making sudden movements.
- The starting position is the same as in the previous exercise. Touch your chin to your breastbone, then gently and gently tilt your head back. If the movement is accompanied by pain or discomfort, it should be abandoned.
- Sit in a chair or on a hard floor with your back straight. You can cross your legs in a lotus position. Make circular rotations of the head, first clockwise and then counterclockwise.
- Lie down on the hard floor on your stomach. The arms and legs are extended. Exercise "boat" - tear off the surface of the head, arms and legs and try to raise them as high as possible. Stay in this position as long as possible. This exercise is useful not only for the cervical spine, but also for the thoracic and lumbar spine.
Physiotherapy exercises should be performed carefully, at a slow pace. Sudden movements can lead to increased pain.
If it is possible to perform exercises after a warm-up therapeutic massage of the cervical neck area, wonderful. This way of combining two treatment methods at once is very good.
Pain blocking syndrome in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
The main group of drugs that are used in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis with displacement of the vertebrae are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Also, in connection with cervical osteochondrosis, local use of NSAIDs in gels and ointments is preferable.
In this regard, ointments and creams with snake and bee venom in the composition are effective. Among the means for local external use, local irritants and chondroprotectors are shown.
If the pain is too severe, strong pain relievers can be used all at once. Sometimes osteochondrosis is exacerbated by colds. In this case, to eliminate all the symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections and chondrosis, drugs based on the active ingredient paracetamol will help.
The use of B vitamins in traditional disease therapy.
Why do neuropathologists invariably prescribe vitamins of group B as part of the complex treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae? The explanation is very simple. With radicular syndrome, the nerve endings suffer, and vitamins are the easiest way to support their functioning. The most effective form of application is intramuscular injection. When taken orally, the B vitamins are only partially absorbed. When administered intramuscularly, they almost instantly enter the bloodstream.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae at home.
For complex treatment, it is not necessary to go to the hospital. It is quite possible to achieve remission at home. It is very good if the patient can inject independently. So you can't be in the clinic every day.
Methods for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae with folk remedies:
- Baths with salt and soda bring a reduction in pain, relaxation of the whole body. This is especially good before bed. You must take a full bath of water at a moderate temperature and dissolve in it a kilogram of salt and about 500 grams of soda.
- Paraffin applications are excellent. Melt paraffin or wax, cool to a comfortable temperature and apply to the damaged area. Such compresses can be done 2 times a week.
- To reduce the inflammatory process, you can take a decoction of herbs. You need to mix 1 tbsp. iflowers of St. John's wort, chamomile, calendula and yarrow. To them add 1 tbsp. thyme and dandelion leaves. Now you need to take 2 tbsp. Ithe resulting mixture and pour a liter of boiling water, insist. For 3 weeks it is enough to take a decoction of 1/4 part of a glass 3 times a day.
- If you do not trust pharmaceutical preparations, you can prepare an ointment for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. You will have to take coriander fruits, birch buds, dandelion roots, peppermint in equal parts. Grind three tablespoons of the mixture into a powder, pour in 1/2 cup of boiling water and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. To the resulting mass add 75 g of vegetable oil and pork fat. Cool and rub on those affected 4 times a day. Store the ointment in the refrigerator.
- Good help with osteochondrosis and compresses. For example, from honey and potatoes. Grate a large tuber on a fine grater and mix it with honey in a 1: 1 ratio. The resulting mixture is applied to the affected area for 45 minutes.
With osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, massage is the number 1 remedy for reducing tension and pain. To do massage therapy yourself, you need good flexibility. Older people often cannot even raise their arms to the desired height. But they find a way out of the situation - they ask one of the younger relatives to give them a massage.
Patient feedback on the outcome of therapy.
According to numerous reviews of orthopedic and neurological patients, the optimal method of treatment is the use of all procedures in combination. It is useless to use only methods of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae with folk remedies.
Some patients note that a course of procedures with a good massage therapist literally brought them back to life, increased their working capacity.
Some patients respond positively exclusively to physical therapy exercises. They began to exercise regularly at home, bought a subscription to the pool for therapeutic swimming courses. Yoga and regular exercises to stretch the spine have helped some. Feelings after such asanas: lightness in the body, absence of pain, stress relief.
If you regularly load your body with this type of activity, you can enter a long-term remission and forget about the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.