Cervical osteochondrosis

Timely treatment of a disease can increase the likelihood of quick and successful recovery. But in any case, it is better not to allow the development of the disease, especially such as a severe cervical osteochondrosis.

Definition of cervical osteochondrosis

Causes of Cervical Osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is a fairly common disease that recently affects more and more often young people. Disease affects the intervertebral disc in the cervical spine. Often, the development of pathological process of degenerative-dystrophic changes. One is caused by an incorrect body condition, for example, due to prolonged work on the computer.

Among other things, problems can arise due to genetic predisposition, poor posture, uncomfortable sleeping positions and sedentary lifestyles. Despite the fact that this type of osteochondrosis develops slowly, it progresses. goes.

In elderly patients, the disease is mainly associated with other degenerative processes, for example:

  • intersecting arthrosis;
  • spondylosis;
  • unlabral arthrosis and so on.

symptoms

For the most characteristic symptoms, one may first note the presence of acute pain that arises from a pinch of the nerve endings. The pain is often concentrated in the lumbar, cervical, and posterior regions. In addition, You can find other syndromes:

  • cardiac syndrome- There are many symptoms that manifest as angina pectoris. This syndrome develops during irritation of pectoralis major muscle or roots of phrenic nerve. Because of this, a person experiences painful sensations of a pressurized nature in the area of ​​the heart muscle, which may arise periodically and persist for several hours. The pain often becomes worse by sneezing or sudden head shaking. Also, during traumatic attacks, no change in the cardiogram can be detected;
  • radicular syndrome- in the case of pinch of nerve endings in the cervical spine. At this time, pain is felt, which is given not only to the forearm, shoulder or shoulder blades. May also be given to the lumbar region. The patient may feel a mild tingling or more pronounced sensations, depending on how much osteochondrosis begins;
  • irritable-reflex syndrome- irritation in the occiput and neck is manifested by pain. Such symptoms often appear during waking from sleep, during sharp bend of head, coughing and sneezing. In addition, pain may appear not only in the shoulder area, but also in the chest area;
  • vertebral artery syndromeis ​​one of the typical manifestations of the disease, characterized by the onset of a burning or throbbing headache, more localized in the temporal or occipital region. Also, it is a constant pain, but sometimes it can occur and subside.

Attention!In the presence of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, experts note a person's increased fatigue, which can lead to hearing and vision loss.

Main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

For other main symptoms of the disease, include:

  • compression of blood vessels, which causes an increase in blood pressure;
  • Severe headache that occurs due to impaired blood circulation in the brain. Such pain may cause the patient to use painkillers regularly;
  • problems with vision and hearing;
  • pain, severe pain in the neck and shoulders, which can sometimes be exacerbated by a sharp and very unpleasant "lumbago";
  • grinding and crunching while tilting the head or turning in the armpits;
  • decrease in muscle strength in arms due to pain in chest area;
  • dizziness.

Important! As soon as the first signs of the disease have been noted, it is necessary to seek the help of a neurologist as soon as possible.

reason

The following are the main causes of

osteochondrosis:

  1. Metabolic disorders that negatively affect the normal state of cartilage in the intervertebral disc.
  2. Inadequate mobility of the cervical vertebrae, leading to fluid loss, which, in turn, negatively affects the elasticity of cartilage.
  3. During head tilt, microtema of the cervical spine, and so on.
  4. Poor heredity, due to which the safety margin of the disc is very small.

treatment

The healing process depends directly on the stage of the disease and is based on an integrated approach. On average, treatment lasts 1 to 3 months, after which it is necessary to support eradication of symptoms with preventive measures up to 1 year.

The main treatment is done in 2 directions depending on the health status of the patient and the level of disease neglect. For conservative treatment, it involves taking medicines and doing some exercise. Treatment with surgery is only doneWhen the Orthodox gave no effect.

It is important to follow the diet and be sure to follow the recommendations regarding medical practices.

The aim of conservative treatment is to relieve pain, restore and normalize the functioning of the spine, and prevent adverse changes. In such therapy, a full range of therapeutic measures are used:

Massage for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
  • Spinal Traction (traction).. With the use of special medical equipment, the spinal cord is enlarged to increase the distance between the vertebrae;
  • drug therapy. The use of drugs during this disease is primarily aimed at pain relief, inflammation relief and general normalization of metabolic processes in the body;
  • physiotherapy. Thanks to such procedures, it is not only possible to reduce pain, but also to improve the effect of taking drugs. Such methods are also used during the rehabilitation period. In, laser beams, ultrasonic waves, low frequency current, work with magnetic fields, and so on are often used;
  • kinesitherapyand exercise-based exercise therapy;
  • manual therapy. Such treatment is chosen individually for each patient;
  • Massage. Thanks to massage, you can speed up blood circulation in tissues, clamp and remove muscle spasms, in general, blood supply to whole body tissuesCan improve.

Despite the fact that drugs alone cannot cure osteochondrosis, they can help restore tissue blood supply. Therapy should be comprehensive, only in this case we are talking about the effectiveness of the treatmentIn addition to taking medications, it is mandatory to engage in physiotherapy practice, follow a diet, and quit bad habits.

In the absence of pain or obvious dystrophic changes, taking drugs without a prescription is inappropriate. The following types of medications are used to treat the disease and relieve pain:

  • for regeneration, as well as prevention of degeneration of cartilage tissue: hyaluronic acid and analogs;
  • to relieve inflammation;
  • Preparations for improving tissue blood supply: B vitamins;
  • antispasmodics;
  • Antioxidants: vitamins N, E and C.
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Medications can be prescribed not only in the form of pills and capsules for oral administration, but also in the form of injections or topical ointments / creams. If there are acute complications, nerve. Medications are used to block the end.

With drug therapy, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition is very important. Drink at least 1. 5 liters of water per day.

One and a half liters of water a day is the recommended criterion for joint and whole body health.

Naturally, you can also use herbal teas, fruit drinks, dried fruit cans or mineral water. Coffee, strong black tea, alcohol and carbonated drinks should be eliminated from the daily diet.

prevention

The main causes of osteochondrosis are ignoring body requirements, heavy loads and improper nutrition. Therefore prevention should be based on complete elimination of negative effects on the spine and preventing the onset of disease changes. For these purposes, a healthyIt is enough to follow the general rules of lifestyle (healthy lifestyle):

  • Only moderate physical activity during sports: morning exercise, gymnastics, athletics, if wrestling type, then contactless, swimming is an excellent option;
  • In case of staying in a position for a long time, for example, when working sedentary, it is very important to take a break, at least once every 45-60 minutes. During this period, you have toThe body needs to give 5-15 minutes to warm up a bit, which will restore normal blood circulation. In addition, it is very important to pay attention to the right choice of office chairs or chairs, giving preference to those who spine. Will support the correct position of the hands on the table and feet on the floor. Try to monitor your posture independently (your shoulders should be in a relaxed position, and your back should be straight);
  • It is important to try to control your emotionality in the event that a spasm reaction occurs during stress. For these purposes, you need to learn relaxation techniques and massage systematically for general strengthening of the body. is;
  • For sleeping, it is best to choose an orthopedic mattress with a flat surface. Of course, it will not be as soft as a feather bed, but its elasticity will ensure the correct positioning of the body;
  • Drinking sufficient amount of water and proper nutrition not only helps in maintaining metabolism, but also helps in strengthening the whole body:
Preventing the development of cervical osteochondrosis

Mental state also has a negative effect on the condition of the joints.

  • If it is necessary to move or lift heavy things, it is very important to do it as smoothly as possible, without sudden lunges and jerks in a semi-squat position. Use a special accessory belt. It will not be redundant to do;
  • An important point is the choice of high-quality orthopedic shoes without heels, which have sufficient leg width. It is also possible to reduce the load on the spine by timely replacement of the worn-out shoes, which are special for women. Is important. In summer, in the country, the sea, if possible, you need to walk barefoot on different surfaces, to strengthen the leg muscles.

It is important to rememberthat prevention is much better and easier than later treatment of the disease.

exercise

In any case, you should not start physical activity and exercise without a prescription or before relieving pain syndrome. The specialist should first get rid of any acute symptoms. In the presence of pain symptoms, Gymnastics will be painful.

are some really effective and simple exercises. They can be performed not only at home, but anywhere at work or on the road.

To start practicing, in all cases the initial posture is sitting on a chair, hands bent at the knees:

It is worth starting with the warm-up:

  1. In the starting position, you need to slowly bend your head to one side until it stops, and then the other. At this time, you need to feel that the neck. How does the muscle stretch. As the neck is turned to one side until it stops, you need to turn it a few more degrees carefully, avoid sudden movements and hold it for 5 seconds. Fix in this position. Experts recommend starting any exercise with warm-up to strengthen the neck muscles. To do 5 turns in each direction, to develop neck strength and flexibility. is sufficient.
  2. Next, you need to bend the head so that the ears make contact with the shoulder. It is worth noting that at this point, the shoulder should remain motionless. At the highest point of view, you need to fix the position. Be careful. That your actions do not cause discomfort or pain. 5 times for each side is enough to perform such bends.
Exercise for cervical osteochondrosis

Next, go to the main exercises:

  1. Now after the warm-up is over, you can move on to specific exercises that can give a good result. In the initial state, you need to rest your hand on the right temple. Now youThere is a need to try to tilt your head to the right, and this time the hand should stop it. The effort should be one that was heavy, but the head is still tilted slowly in this direction. For each side, 10The slopes will be sufficient. Naturally, the arm also has to be changed.
  2. Next, you need to understand the occipital area of ​​the head, and try to tilt the head back 5 times, creating resistance.
  3. Exactly the same exercise should be done in terms of resting the palms on the forehead. Through resistance, you need to pull the chin up to the chest. This will be sufficient for 5 forward bends.
  4. The conclusion of the workout can be a warm-up of the traps, which is done by lowering and raising the shoulders. At the highest point, you need to lock for a few seconds, then lower them and fully. Relax. Sufficient for 10 repetitions.
  5. End the exercise by pulling the neck in different directions. This set of exercises should be done every day. This is a great option for heating the neck with osteochondrosis.

In addition to strength training, neck flexibility exercises can be included. They will not only help strengthen the neck muscles, but also the tendons. Warming up will make your neck more mobile.

has been suggested by exercise experts not only for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, but also for all people over 30 years of age. The problem is that at this age, muscle fibers lose their flexibility, so the body'sAlong with overall health, it is important to maintain them.

  1. The chin should be pulled up to the chest and help the head with your hands at this time.
  2. Very carefully, with your hands you need to tilt your head to the side to touch your shoulder with your ear.

Only the right treatment at the first symptoms of osteochondrosis will allow you to cope with this problem as soon as possible and return to normal life, without pain and discomfort.

Next, you need to do several circular movements of the head in one direction and then in the other direction. There will be 8 turns for each side. Exercise must be done very carefully. For safety reasons, you can use your handsCan hold the head.