Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is a degenerative process of damage to the intervertebral discs and cartilage tissue, which gradually passes to the vertebrae. In an untreated state, osteochondrosis leads to such terrible diseases as radicular syndrome, humeroscapular periarthrosis, etc.
At the moment, cervical osteochondrosis, the causes of which can be very different, affects one in three people. But, despite his mass character, he is extremely insidious and unforgiving of a negligent attitude towards himself. How to treat cervical osteochondrosis, regardless of the stage of development? First you need to understand what kind of disease it is: cervical osteochondrosis and the reasons that caused it.
Causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The main reason for the development of the disease is the same as in other parts of the spine - a sedentary and more sedentary lifestyle. This applies both to the new generations over 20 years of age, and to people who have just passed the age of 40: with age, the results of an unbalanced diet, lack of vitamins and calcium in the body, metabolic disorders and salt deposit feel more acutely.
Add here infectious, toxic, endocrine diseases and genetic predisposition, and now your head hurts with osteochondrosis, it is difficult to turn the neck to the side, dull, aching pain does not allow you to think about anything else. This causes an increase in pressure and the violation of nerve endings. There is a state of numbness, tingling, heaviness - symptoms that turn into a headache with osteochondrosis, which begins to make itself felt. By the way, osteochondrosis and cervical pressure, especially the increase in pressure, is a natural process, as the arteries become clogged and interfere with the outflow.
Initially, the development of cervical osteochondrosis begins with the intervertebral discs: under the influence of negative factors, the nucleus pulposus begins to lose moisture, elasticity, and microcracks are formed. As a result, the cushioning functions of the disc deteriorate and the load on the underlying vertebrae increases. In them, microcracks are also formed and osteophytes (bone growths) appear so that the vertebra can cope with the increase in the load area. But the additional mass of osteophytes begins to put pressure on the nerve roots or compress the vertebral artery. And a headache with cervical osteochondrosis is the first symptom you need to pay attention to.
In the future, subluxations occur in the intervertebral joints, the neck muscles must always be in tension to keep the vertebrae in their previous state. But the muscles get tired of the tension, and the load again falls 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 periodically get a massage - consult a doctor. The clinics offer qualified medical care in many areas, including medical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, manual therapy and massage.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
If you began to suffer from dizziness, numbness of the muscles of the neck and back, headache - hurry to the doctor, there are obvious signs of manifestations of osteochondrosis. Cervicobrachial osteochondrosis, manifested by the above symptoms, is an unpleasant disease if left untreated.
The risk group is:
- experienced drivers;
- people who are constantly sitting at the computer;
- people with spinal diseases;
- pupils.
All these people spend most of their time in one position with a fixed position of the muscles, which leads to their spasm.
1st degree cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by acute pain, low back pain. Similar back pain occurs with low back pain of lumbosacral osteochondrosis. Untrained muscles due to a sedentary lifestyle do not get enough nutrition and begin to age. This can happen both at the age of 20 and at 50. The degenerative destruction of the vertebrae then turns into 2nd degree osteochondrosis of the cervical region.
Signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in stage 2 are inflammatory processes, capsule ruptures and the appearance of osteophytes. This process can take several years, then die out, and then become inflamed again, simultaneously causing the "drooping head syndrome", when the patient is forced to squeeze his head with his hands to reduce the headache. Another symptom that indicates cervical osteochondrosis is dizziness, the treatment of which cannot be started.
Previously, only an external examination and x-rays were needed to make a diagnosis. But in this case, the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis would not be reliable, since X-rays cannot show a complete picture of the development of the disease. This requires CT and MRI - procedures that indicate 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, the restoration of the tone of the spasmodic muscles. Pain in cervical osteochondrosis in the initial stage of the disease is not so strong and does not require medical attention. It will be enough to take a course in special massage or manual therapy, review the working conditions and move to a healthier lifestyle: sit less at the computer, move more and engage in light physical work.
But if you are dizzy, osteochondrosis does not allow you to turn your neck and pain does not give you rest - you need comprehensive medical treatment. 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 cervical osteochondrosis massage will also bring great relief and relieve pain for a while.
The main stages in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- removal of pain syndrome;
- removal of edema;
- normalization of blood circulation;
- strengthen muscles and increase tone;
- restoration of tissue regeneration.
Comprehensive treatment for cervical osteochondrosis consists of treatment with drugs and techniques of acupuncture, acupuncture and reflexology, manual therapy and massage, folk remedies and homeopathic preparations.
All medical prescriptions and therapeutic procedures can be obtained in clinics, where you will have service offices equipped with modern equipment, hospitals and professional doctors with extensive experience. In order for the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis to be made correctly and appropriate treatment to be undertaken, a whole team of doctors of a narrow specialty will be needed: a vertebrologist and a surgeon, a massage therapist and a neurologist, a physiotherapist.
Prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical region
Cervical osteochondrosis, headache, dizziness, back pain, burning in the neck and shoulders are symptoms that prevent a person from living a normal life. But all of this can be avoided if you stick to simple things: a correct and healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, more physical activity and therapeutic exercises.