Currently, according to medical statistics, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis complain about almost all people in the age of 25-30 years. The disease affects the spine more than others. Pathology is a progressive degenerative process affecting the intervertebral discs and vertebrae located in the neck. The disease is prevalent among men and women alike. This is a dangerous and complex form of osteochondrosis, as in the neck are two large blood vessels that supply the brain, and a large number of nerve endings. Innervation and blood flow lead to deterioration provide the brain with oxygen and nutrients.
Signs of the disease
The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are more pronounced than in other parts of the spine, even for minor injuries. POV this is because the vertebrae in the neck are located close to each other, and intervertebral discs have a small height. This anatomical feature helps to ensure that osteochondrosis often compressed the nerve endings, spinal cord, blood vessels.
Common symptoms:
- pain syndrome;
- weakness and decreased sensation in the upper extremities;
- the limited mobility of the neck;
- violation of coordination of movements;
- frequent dizziness;
- weakness;
- the deterioration of the functioning of the senses (hearing, sight, touch, taste).
Pain usually localized in the neck, radiating to the neck, shoulders, hands. Upper limb hurt, if damaged vertebra trapped nerve root that is responsible for their innervation. Pain in the neck due to spasmodic contractions of the neck muscles attached to occipital bone, the violation of blood circulation in this area.
Weakness in hands can occur in patients, if involved in a pathological process the nerve root, provides innervation m asovih structures of the upper extremities. The limitation and characteristic crunch when turning or tilting of the neck arise, if on the cervical vertebrae joints are bone spurs, intervertebral disc height decreases, the affected joints are located between the vertebrae.
The vertebrae in the neck are transverse processes, which form a channel in which the artery that feeds the brain. Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae shift, they are growing connective tissue. This leads to compression of the cervical arteries, deterioration of blood supply of the cerebellum and posterior brain. As a result, of the person frequent dizziness, disturbed coordination of movements, weakness. In severe cases, if the artery is involved in the pathological process or severely pinched, the blood supply of the cerebellum, occipital and brain stem deteriorates significantly. This decreases the functionality of the organs of hearing, vision, experienced numbness of the tongue, fingers.
The symptoms depend on which of the eight affected vertebrae degenerative or inflammatory process. To disorders of sensation and motion result in damage to the spinal roots can be affected by certain vertebrae. Depending on this, there are manifestations of cervical degenerative disc disease:
- the first vertebra – numb neck and the occipital part of the head, reduced their sensitivity;
- the second one feels pain in the area of crown and nape;
- the third felt the pain and reduced sensitivity in the part of the neck, where the spinal nerve root is pinched, reduced the intensity of taste sensations, present speech disorders;
- fourth – pain radiating in the shoulder, the scapula, the patient concerned about cardiac pain, respiratory disorders, lowered tone of muscles of the neck;
- fifth – marked pain in the neck, radiating to the outer surface of the shoulder;
- sixth – pain in the neck radiating to the shoulder blade, felt in the forearm and thumb;
- seventh – give pain in the shoulder blade, back of shoulder, upper arm and fingers (with another on the fourth);
- eighth – the pain spread from the neck to the shoulders, arms and fingers.
Depending on the extent of the lesion there are four degrees of cervical osteochondrosis. This is not the stage of the disease, and the severity of symptoms due to how widespread pathological process that it affects the vertebrae.
- When the first clinical symptoms are absent, or occur minimally. Patients complain of mild pain is worse when moving the head. Effective the treatment will be initiated at this stage of the disease. However, people often ignore troubling symptoms or don't feel them, so to the doctor, do not apply.
- The strengthening of the pathological process increases the symptoms. In the second stage the pains become more pronounced, given in the upper limb, the scapula. At this stage of the development of the degenerative process of the intervertebral disc height decreases, resulting in a pinched nerve fibers. This causes the pain intensifies. Another degree of degenerative disc disease of the cervical characterized by headache, deterioration of health, decreased performance.
- Third degree cervical degenerative disc disease is characterized by a herniation of the affected intervertebral disc. The limited mobility of the neck, palpation the patient feels pronounced pain. With this spread of the pathological process pain become constant, often radiating to the upper extremity. Felt stress the muscles that attach to the occipital bone. Patients complain of frequent dizziness, weakness, numbness in the hands.
- The fourth degree of cervical degenerative disc disease is diagnosed when the intervertebral disc is completely destroyed by the degenerative process. It is replaced by fibrous tissue, which leads to a significant limitation. The affected spinal cord and neck are blood vessels. Such changes are characterized by a significant deterioration of blood supply of the cerebellum and the occipital part of the brain. Oxygen starvation leads to loss of coordination, hearing, vision, numbness of tongue, speech disorders.
Treatments
Timely access to a doctor at the first symptoms of anxiety, unpleasant sensations in the neck, the reactions from the nervous system will prevent the progression of degenerative changes. Treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease consists of a complex of therapeutic measures. Among them:
- medications;
- massage;
- physiotherapy;
- physiotherapy.
Drug therapy
Doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the intensity of pain, reduction of inflammation and edema of the nerve root. Chondroprotectors to restore damaged tissue in the intervertebral disc. Muscle relaxants relax the neck muscles, relieve spasm. Medicines to improve blood flow helping to restore blood supply disturbance of the brain. B vitamins activate the metabolism in nerve tissue. Under intense pain the doctor may prescribe analgesic drugs. If the patient has severe pain, the analgesics are injected parenterally, once the pain subsides, go on the pill.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is an effective method of dealing with osteochondrosis of the cervical. To treat this disease using such techniques, the results of which are achieved the following results:
- decreases the intensity of the pain;
- aktiviziruyutsya recovery of the affected bone, cartilage and m of asovih tissues;
- relieves spasms and muscle tension;
- stopped by the inflammatory process;
- improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the affected area and the brain.
The most effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis are the following types of procedures:
- iontophoresis (on the affected area is exposed to an electric current, which in addition to activation blood flow and tissue repair improves the delivery of active substance of the drug in the affected degenerative process of the tissues);
- ultrasound therapy (aktiviziruyutsya metabolic processes in the diseased area, reduced pain, relieved inflammation);
- magnetic therapy (reduces swelling on the affected area, reduces pain intensity);
- laser therapy (improves blood circulation in the pathological process, has anti-inflammatory effect).
Physiotherapy
Exercises assigned during the period when cropped the acute manifestations of the disease. During gymnastics should not feel discomfort and pain. To perform a set following the achievement of stable remission to prevent recurrence.
- To take the prone position, raise your head and body resting on her arms. Back straight, breathing deep and even. To stay in the position for a minute or two, then slowly take its original position. The number of repeats is 3.
- Position – lying on his stomach, arms along the body. Slowly turn your head trying to touch the ear to the floor. Repeat 6 times on each side.
- Sitting or standing, inhale tilt your head, trying to reach the chin to the chest. On the exhale, slowly take your head back, looking up at the ceiling. The number of repeats – 10-15.
- Good exercises for strengthening the neck muscles – pressure on forehead pressed to his hands. To achieve the effect you need to click and place the palms on the forehead and brow on the palm of your hand for 30 seconds. Repeat three times.
- Rotate head in a circle. To do the exercise slowly, smoothly. Each way – for 10 revs. It is unacceptable to cause dizziness when performing movements. If this happens, you should immediately stop.
Massage
The course is prescribed by a doctor in the absence of acute pain, to carry it can only be a specialist with medical education. In this disease it is not recommended to apply to non-professionals.
The therapeutic effects of massage of the neck:
- improves the flow of blood and lymph in the affected area;
- relax soft ties, removed the spasm;
- decreases the intensity of pain.
Surgery
Surgery is indicated if conservative treatment does not bring results within six months, to torment the patient severe pain, there are signs of damage to the nerve fibers and myelopathy. If the cervical osteochondrosis is complicated, there is a danger of stroke, severe spinal nerve compression, then surgery is needed.
According to testimony to resort to the following types of surgery:
- endoscopic discectomy – removal of part or the whole of the intervertebral disc;
- a laminotomy – excision of the bone relationship and dense particles of bone tissue (often combined with laminoplasty – the establishment of artificial plates for expansion of the spinal canal);
- laser vaporization of disc nucleus splitting the nucleus of an intervertebral disk with a laser beam simultaneously with the destruction of its shattered fragments;
- cold plasma nucleoplasty instead of an endoscope uses a long and thin hollow needle is inserted into the intervertebral disc through it to the place of destruction takes the electrode that provides the cold plasma effects.
The neck is a complex organ in which lie large blood vessels, spinal cord. They are easily damaged, so surgery is resorted to not more than 5% of cases. Surgical treatment is often accompanied by complications. Among them:
- the inflammatory process in the tissues or membranes of the spinal cord;
- osteomyelitis;
- scarring that can lead to arterial narrowing and spinal channels.
Operations on the cervical spine are complex and will require a long rehabilitation period. The patient's recovery after surgery takes six months or more.
Prevention
To prevent the development of cervical osteochondrosis it is necessary:
- to monitor the position of the spine and neck;
- lead an active lifestyle, move more;
- doing physical exercise, you must be careful to observe the correct execution, as even minor injuries can affect the musculoskeletal system;
- take care of correct position of body during sleep, buy orthopedic or anatomic mattress;
- to properly equip the workplace where one spends a lot of time;
- regularly engage in physical culture;
- follow the diet zabezpecovaci receipt of all useful mineral substances needed for building strong bones, especially magnesium and calcium;
- constantly undergo medical examination for early detection of osteoarthritis.
Prevention will help to prevent degenerative changes in the cervical spine will be protected from pain, dizziness, limb numbness and other unpleasant symptoms.