Cervical osteochondrosis is a chronic disease caused by degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc of the neck. As the disease progresses, the surrounding structures are involved in the pathological process, which causes the development of several unpleasant symptoms. Treatment of the disease is complex, conservative and includes taking drugs and non-drug methods.
Cause
The exact reason is 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:
- low physical activity, inactive lifestyle;
- mechanical neck injury;
- sedentary work with a 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, this disease can develop asymptomatically or masquerade as another pathology. The most common symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- tinnitus - usually occurs when changing position after a long stay in a stationary position;
- dizziness - the patient periodically feels as if an object begins to spin in front of his eyes;
- pain in the neck, back of the head - the intensity of the pain depends on the degree of pathological changes;
- feeling of lack of air - the patient cannot take a long breath;
- visual impairment - occurs at a later stage;
- nausea, vomiting - also associated with impaired blood supply to certain parts of the brain due to compression of the main artery by a defective disc;
- sore throat, dry throat, foreign body sensation;
- changes in pressure that are poorly controlled by medications;
- finger numbness;
- shoulder pain.
In addition to general clinical signs, several characteristic syndromes are distinguished:
Vertebrae:
- pain when turning the neck;
- impaired mobility;
- X-rays show signs of damage to the vertebrae and discs.
Heart:
- burning and pain in the chest;
- increased fatigue, weakness for no reason;
- tachycardia.
Vertebral artery. This syndrome occurs due to narrowing of the vertebral artery, which supplies blood to the brain. Manifested by tinnitus, dizziness, and blurred vision.
Koreshkovy. It occurs due to pinching or compression of the nerve roots coming out of the cervical spine.
level
Disease stage:
- The patient feels some discomfort in the neck area. Intervertebral discs begin to lose stability.
- Pain appears. The disc becomes deformed, the destruction of the fibrous ring begins, and the vertebrae become closer to each other.
- Neck movement is limited. When turning the head, nausea and dizziness may occur. Persistent lack of blood in the brain leads to symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, decreased performance, and fatigue. The disc becomes thinner, the vertebrae begin to rub against each other, the fibrous ring is destroyed, and an intervertebral hernia is formed.
- The neck area does not move, the blood supply to the brain is completely interrupted. To correct this condition, the patient must always take special medication. The vertebrae begin to fuse together.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis can be difficult due to the non-specific clinical presentation and wide variety of possible symptoms. Patients may need the help of several specialists at once (surgeons, neurologists, cardiologists, vertebrologists, orthopedists and others).
At the appointment, the doctor listens to the patient's complaints, collects anamnesis, conducts an examination and makes a preliminary diagnosis.
To verify this, the following may be set:
- blood analysis;
- MRI of the neck - allows you to identify pathological changes even in the early stages of the disease, when the clinical manifestations are not yet very clear; with the help of this study you can evaluate the current condition of vertebrae, discs, identify the presence of deformations, osteophytes, compression of nerves and blood vessels;
- Dopplerography of the cervical artery - allows you to assess the degree of compression and damage to blood vessels, the speed of blood flow;
- myelography using contrast - allows you to identify a pinched nerve;
- ECG - performed for differential diagnosis with cardiovascular diseases.
Treatment
Drug therapy includes taking the following drug groups:
- NSAIDs. Effectively relieves inflammation, pain, swelling. This is a symptomatic therapy that does not affect the cause of the disease. NSAIDs can be used in short courses of 10-14 days.
- Angioprotectors, meant to speed up blood flow. Improves brain circulation, protects blood vessels from damage.
- Glucocorticosteroids. Effectively relieves pain and nerve compression. Drugs in this group have many side effects and should be taken only as prescribed by the doctor if NSAIDs and analgesics do not help.
- Chondroprotectors. Improving the health of the intervertebral disc, affecting the cause of disease. They prevent the destruction of cartilage tissue and improve the shock absorption properties of the disc.
Non-drug treatment may include the use of the following techniques:
- Exercise therapy. Regular exercise strengthens muscles and relieves cramps. Classes (at least at the initial stage) are recommended to be conducted under expert guidance
- Manual therapy. Cramped neck muscles are one of the main causes of pain in this disease. Correctly performed manual therapy helps relieve spasms, compression of blood vessels and nerves. As a result, disc nutrition improves, brain circulation becomes normal, and pain disappears.
- Kinesio Recording. The use of special tape relaxes the muscles, relieves spasms, swelling, inflammation and at the same time maintains the spine in the correct physiological position.
- Orthopedic device. To minimize the load on the cervical spine, it is recommended to use orthopedic mattresses and pillows for sleep. In addition, some patients are recommended to wear a special device (Schanz collar), which fixes the neck in the correct position.
- massageEffective medicine against the cervical form of this disease. Perfectly relieves swelling, pain, congestion, improves local blood circulation, relieves muscle spasms. Do not massage if you have acute neck pain.
- Physiotherapy. Another effective technique. Sessions are held in the course, several times a year. This allows you to get rid of unpleasant symptoms, relieve muscle spasms, and slow down the further development of the disease. For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, laser therapy, magnetic therapy, mechanotherapy, traction therapy, hydromassage, UVT, and mud therapy are most often used.
If conservative therapy is ineffective and the disease continues to progress, then surgical treatment may be prescribed.
- operation to remove intervertebral hernia;
- removal of the vertebral arch or spinous process leads to decompression of the spinal cord root;
- removal of part of the disc core to repair the herniation.
The decision on how to treat this disease is made by the doctor individually for each patient. Self-medication is prohibited and can lead to the development of several complications.
Complications
If the disease is neglected, the following complications may occur:
- VSD;
- brain oxygen starvation;
- arterial hypertension;
- blurred vision, retinal dystrophy;
- respiratory spasms;
- violation of the act of swallowing due to esophageal dysfunction;
- thyroid gland dysfunction;
- spasms and numbness of neck muscles;
- chronic pain in the upper body that is not relieved by analgesics;
- hormonal imbalance.
Prevention
To minimize the risk of developing the disease, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- maintain posture;
- equip the workplace correctly so that neck strain does not occur;
- Nutritious food;
- stop smoking and drinking alcohol;
- avoid neck injuries;
- move more, exercise;
- don't be too cold;
- control weight;
- sleep on special orthopedic mattresses and pillows;
- do gymnastics regularly to avoid the development of congestion;
- avoid curvature of the spine;
- regularly undergo massage courses to increase blood flow and relieve congestion;
- do not sit for a long time in a position with the head tilted forward;
- If you experience discomfort in the neck area, you should make an appointment with a specialist and undergo an examination, this will help identify possible changes in the disc at an early stage, which will facilitate treatment and improve the prognosis.