In the modern world, the resonance of the disease with cervical osteochondrosis can hardly be overestimated. Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is much more common than in other vertebral regions. Almost everyone over the age of twenty-five has this disease, to one degree or another.
Cervical osteochondrosis develops mainly due to a sedentary lifestyle, which is especially facilitated by the historical transition of a person from physical to mental work, which, albeit to a moderate degree, is accompanied by sitting work.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a degenerative-dystrophic disease of the cervical spine, leading to damage to the intervertebral discs, which is common in general for osteochondrosis disease. Since this section of the spine is, by its nature, quite mobile, but at the same time vulnerable due to an underdeveloped muscular corset, any negative impact on the neck or back first of all affects the cervical region. Due to the fact that degenerative changes most often develop in the most mobile vertebral sections, it is precisely the nerve endings at the level of C5 . . . C7 those that suffer more frequently in the cervical region.
Since the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are very controversial, they are not always considered only symptoms of this disease, which often leads to seeking help from specialists in other fields of medicine. Let's consider them in a little more detail.
Symptoms
Due to the fact that the cervical spine is quite compact, compared to its other departments, even a slight strain on the neck muscles or displacement of the vertebrae of the cervical spine can cause compression or pinching of the nerve roots, which It may also affect vessels located in this department. Well, osteophytes - bone growths, in the popular treatment called "salt deposition" and formed in the conditions of the development of the disease with cervical osteochondrosis, lead, as a result, only to significant deterioration in the course of the disease.
Clinical manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis disease, that is, its symptoms, can be divided into reflex symptoms and radicular symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include the so-called "lumbago", which is expressed in the appearance of sharp pains in the neck, markedly intensifying with any movement. In view of this, patients often take some kind of forced and more comfortable head position. In addition, it is quite possible that a typical "crunch" occurs when turning or other movements of the head.
With cervical osteochondrosis, patients often experience headaches that are compressive in nature and radiate to the eyeballs or the temporal part of the head. Also, sometimes at the same time, the sharpness of visual perception can decrease, as if "everything floats before the eyes. "
Vertebral artery syndrome can also develop when its nerve plexus is irritated, which very often, due to dizziness in the patient, is misdiagnosed as a violation of the blood circulation of the brain. Such a symptom of cervical osteochondrosis can manifest itself with sudden movements of the head and be complicated by nausea and possible vomiting.
In addition to the above, the reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis also include a cardiological syndrome, in which there are sensations similar to an attack of angina. But such a manifestation of symptoms of osteochondrosis is usually combined with a complex of other signs of this disease, therefore it usually does not cause difficulties in making a correct diagnosis.
Radicular symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Radicular symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, as a rule, appear due to compression of the ending of the spinal nerve - the root. In this case, the sensory disturbances that affect motor functions depend entirely on which particular nerve root is injured, namely:
- C1 - decreased sensitivity in the back of the head;
- C2 - the appearance of pain in the parietal or occipital region of the head;
- C3 - violation of sensitivity and the appearance of pain in the neck, where the spinal root was injured, with a very possible violation of speech function, due to loss of sensitivity of the tongue and control over it;
- C4 - the appearance of pain and decreased sensitivity in the dorsal humeroscapular region, as well as pain in the region of the heart and liver, with a simultaneous decrease in muscle tone of the neck and possible respiratory disorders of respiratory function;
- C5 - decreased sensitivity and pain on the outer surface of the shoulder;
- C6: pain radiating from the cervical region to the scapula, the external surface of the shoulder, the forearm, and beyond the wrist to the thumb;
- C7 - the same pain as in C6, but radiating from the scapula to the posterior surface of the shoulder, and beyond the forearm to fingers 2 and 4, with decreased sensation in the area of pain;
- C8: Decreased sensation and pain from the neck to the shoulder, and then from the forearm to the little finger of the hand.
Treatment
Cervical osteochondrosis is a rather complex and extremely unpleasant disease, the treatment of which requires consistency, duration and stages. Therapeutic treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, first of all, is aimed at the complete cessation of pain symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and the elimination of inflammation in the neck area affected by the disease.
Patients, in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, are treated with classic analgesics, such as analgin, ketorol or baralgin. Although recently, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have also been very popular in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, effectively relieving pain and reducing inflammatory activity.
Among other things, chondroprotectors are also used in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, which slow down the process of destruction of cartilage tissues, and, according to many experts, also contribute to the process of their regeneration. Also, patients are prescribed the use of B vitamins, which improve metabolic processes in the patient's body.
But the use of external gels or ointments for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is not effective, but it makes sense, since in the process of rubbing them into the skin, additional massage is carried out in the cervical region of the spine.
Physiotherapy procedures are further combined with traditional pharmacological treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, and in particular, the use of magnetotherapy through special medical devices that have earned a well-deserved fame among specialists and patients is especially effective. In addition to the above, therapeutic massage, physiotherapy exercises and manual therapy are also used. But, in especially severe cases of the disease, surgical intervention may also be necessary.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis disease.
In itself, the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis is not difficult. Recommended:
- maintain an active and healthy lifestyle,
- sports, or at least morning exercises,
- competent organization of the workplace,
- observance of the regime of work and rest,
- during prolonged work in a sitting position - during working hours, warm up several times and ensure the correct position of the head and posture during work.
It is also important to choose a comfortable pillow and mattress to sleep on. But for those who already suffer from this disease, the daily use of specialized orthopedic products for comfortable sleep is strongly recommended.