Cervical osteochondrosis is a chronic disease caused by degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs in the neck. As the disease progresses, the surrounding structures become involved in the pathological process, causing the development of a series of unpleasant symptoms. Treatment of the disease is complex, conservative and includes taking medications and non-pharmacological methods.
Causes
The exact reasons are 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, sedentary lifestyle;
- mechanical neck injuries;
- sedentary work with 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, the disease can develop asymptomatically or disguise itself as other pathologies. The most common signs of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- tinnitus - usually occurs when changing positions after a long stay in a stationary position;
- dizziness - the patient periodically feels as if objects begin to rotate in front of his eyes;
- pain in the neck, nape of the neck: the intensity of the pain depends on the degree of pathological changes;
- feeling of shortness of breath: the patient cannot breathe deeply;
- visual impairment - occurs in later stages;
- nausea, vomiting - also associated with poor blood supply to certain parts of the brain due to compression of key arteries by deformed discs;
- sore throat, dry throat, foreign body sensation;
- pressure changes that are not well controlled by medications;
- numbness of fingers;
- Shoulder pain.
In addition to general clinical signs, several characteristic syndromes are distinguished:
Vertebral:
- pain when turning the neck;
- reduced mobility;
- X-rays show signs of damage to the vertebrae and discs.
Cardiac:
- burning and pain in the chest;
- increased fatigue, unexplained weakness;
- tachycardia.
Vertebral artery. This syndrome occurs as a result of narrowing of the vertebral artery, which supplies blood to the brain. It is manifested by tinnitus, dizziness and blurred vision.
Koreshkovy. It occurs due to pinching or compression of the nerve roots that exit the cervical spine.
Stages
Stages of the disease:
- The patient feels slight discomfort in the neck area. The intervertebral discs begin to lose stability.
- Pain appears. The discs are deformed, the destruction of the annulus fibrosus begins, and the vertebrae become closer to each other.
- Neck movements are limited. When turning your head, nausea and dizziness may occur. The constant lack of blood to the brain causes symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, decreased performance and fatigue. The discs become thinner, the vertebrae begin to rub against each other, the annulus fibrosus is destroyed, and intervertebral hernias form.
- The neck area is immobilized and the blood supply to the brain is completely interrupted. To correct this condition, the patient must constantly take special medications. The vertebrae begin to fuse.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis can be difficult due to the non-specific clinical picture and the wide variability of possible symptoms. The patient may need the help of several specialists (surgeon, neurologist, cardiologist, vertebrologist, orthopedist and others) at once.
At the appointment, the doctor listens to the patient's complaints, collects a history, conducts an examination and makes a preliminary diagnosis.
To confirm this, the following can be prescribed:
- blood test;
- MRI of the neck allows you to identify pathological changes even at the initial stage of the disease, when the clinical manifestations are not yet too pronounced; With the help of this study you can evaluate the current state of the vertebrae and discs, identify the presence of deformations, osteophytes, compression of nerves and blood vessels;
- Dopplerography of the cervical arteries - allows you to assess the degree of compression and damage to blood vessels, the speed of blood flow;
- myelography with contrast - allows you to identify pinched nerves;
- ECG: performed for differential diagnosis with cardiovascular diseases.
Treatment
Drug therapy includes taking the following groups of drugs:
- NSAIDs. Effectively relieves inflammation, pain and swelling. These are means of symptomatic therapy that do not affect the causes of the disease. NSAIDs can be used in short cycles of 10 to 14 days.
- Angioprotectors, means to accelerate blood flow. Improves cerebral circulation, protects blood vessels from damage.
- Glucocorticosteroids. Effectively relieves pain and nerve compression. Medicines in this group have many side effects and should only be taken as prescribed by a doctor if NSAIDs and pain relievers do not help.
- Chondroprotectors. Improves the health of the intervertebral discs, influencing the causes of the disease. They inhibit the destruction of cartilage tissue and improve the shock absorption properties of the discs.
Non-pharmacological treatment may include the use of the following techniques:
- Exercise therapy. Regular training strengthens muscles and relieves spasms. It is recommended that classes (at least at the initial stage) be held under the guidance of a specialist.
- Manual therapy. Spasmed neck muscles are one of the main causes of pain in this disease. Manual therapy performed correctly helps eliminate spasms, compression of blood vessels and nerves. As a result, the nutrition of the discs improves, cerebral circulation is normalized and pain disappears.
- Kinesio tape. The application of special tapes relaxes the muscles, relieves spasms, swelling, inflammation and at the same time keeps the spine in a physiologically correct position.
- Orthopedic devices. To minimize the load on the cervical spine, it is recommended to use orthopedic mattresses and pillows for sleeping. Additionally, some patients are recommended to use a special device (Schanz collar) that fixes the neck in the correct position.
- Massage. An effective remedy against the cervical form of the disease. Perfectly relieves swelling, pain, congestion, improves local blood circulation and relieves muscle spasms. Do not massage if you have acute neck pain.
- Physiotherapy. Another effective technique. Sessions are held in courses, several times a year. This allows you to get rid of unpleasant symptoms, relieve muscle spasms and slow down the progression of the disease. For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, mechanotherapy, traction therapy, hydromassage, UVT and mud therapy are most often used.
If conservative therapy does not give results and the disease continues to progress, surgical treatment may be prescribed.
- operations to remove intervertebral hernias;
- removal of the vertebral arch or spinous processes leads to decompression of the roots of the spinal cord;
- Removal of part of the nucleus of the disc to repair a hernia.
The decision on how to treat the disease is made by the doctor individually for each patient. Self-medication is prohibited and can cause a number of complications.
Complications
If the disease is neglected, the following complications may develop:
- VSD;
- lack of oxygen to the brain;
- arterial hypertension;
- blurred vision, retinal dystrophy;
- respiratory spasm;
- violation of the act of swallowing due to dysfunction of the esophagus;
- thyroid gland dysfunction;
- cramps and numbness of the neck muscles;
- chronic upper body pain that is not relieved by pain relievers;
- hormonal imbalances.
Prevention
To minimize the risk of developing the disease, the following recommendations should be followed:
- maintain posture;
- Properly equip the workplace so that neck strain does not occur;
- Healthy food;
- stop smoking and drinking alcohol;
- avoid neck injuries;
- move more, exercise;
- do not cool too much;
- control weight;
- sleep on a special orthopedic mattress and pillow;
- do gymnastics regularly to avoid the development of congestion;
- prevent curvature of the spine;
- regularly undergo massage courses to improve blood flow and relieve congestion;
- do not sit for a long time in a position with your head tilted forward;
- If you feel discomfort in the neck area, it is necessary to make an appointment with a specialist and undergo an examination, this will help identify possible changes in the discs at an early stage, which will greatly facilitate treatment and improve the prognosis.