What is cervical osteochondrosis, what are its dangers and how to treat it?

Discomfort in the neck, shoulder straps and thoracic spine are the first signs of cervical osteochondrosis. In this case, discomfort will naturally occur first. On the neck. Depending on the stage of the disease, the remaining symptoms will vary greatly.

Therefore, the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:

• Back fatigue, intermittent or persistent.
• The pain is obvious or disappears. Cervical arm pain-severe neck pain-with cervical osteochondrosis as the background.
• Stiffness of upper limb rotation and amplitude, and limited head rotation.
• Numbness in limbs and back parts-changes in sensitivity.
• His face is numb.
• Dizziness and pain.
• Fatigue increased.
• Hypotension in the shoulder girdle muscles.

The various symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis depend on the individual characteristics of the organism and the degree of the disease. Therefore, more extensive and diverse symptoms are shown in the three stages of osteochondrosis.

Dizziness

Dizziness after turning head sharply or falling asleep. This condition may be accompanied by dark eyes, tinnitus, and body shaking.

This condition is caused by the fact that the muscles adjacent to the deformed vertebrae become inflamed. Muscle cramps often. This leads to a decrease in oxygen entering the brain, which leads to a specific disorientation.

Vertebro-basal artery insufficiency (VBI) also occurs in the context of cervical osteochondrosis, accompanied by continuous changes in brain work. The reason this happens is that not all parts of the brain are flushed with oxygen and water. Even nutrition. Osteochondrosis can also cause compression of the vertebral artery due to excessive pressure on the vertebrae. This condition causes the following symptoms-disorientation, dizziness, burning pain, etc.

Headache

This symptom is also caused by reduced blood flow to the brain and spinal cord. Due to the displacement of the vertebrae, the compressed arteries reduce the oxygen in the blood. This leads to damage to various areas of soft tissue. The special thing about this pain is that it may not go away even if you take strong painkillers.

Noise, ear congestion, dizziness and other abnormal ear conditions-these and other symptoms are the result of cervical osteochondrosis. They cannot repair themselves. They can only be eliminated by eliminating the root causes of appearance. -Clamping and destructive process of the neck.

Insufficient air

Degenerative changes in the cervical spine can also lead to:

• The chest is heavy.
• Shocking feeling.
• Difficulty breathing.
• There is not enough air.

Osteochondrosis and scoliosis complement each other, tightening and squeezing the nerve roots, causing reflex muscle spasms in the back and neck. Therefore, in the early stage of osteochondrosis, which starts only when the scoliosis starts, only as a background of innervation causes a feeling of insufficient air.

As the disease progresses, the internal organs of the chest will be damaged-this is how cardiopulmonary insufficiency develops. Part of the head muscles also become numb, which can cause facial numbness and cervical osteochondrosis.

Disgusting

Nausea attacks usually appear in the morning. At first, these symptoms do not appear often and do not last long. However, if the disease is not treated, and when chronic osteochondrosis occurs, morning sickness will become regular and seizures will increase.

In this case, the main thing is to refuse to sleep on a high pillow.

Vision problems

This symptom only appears after the disease has progressed to a more serious form (second and third stages). Since the development of pathology occurs continuously, it affects the brain and nervous system and may be completely affected. Different lobes of the hemisphere. Therefore, this may affect the quality of signal transmission and processing from the eyeball to certain parts of the brain.

Function:

• Eyes.
• Loss of vision.
• Black or black spots and the appearance of flies seem to float before the eyes.
• In addition to vision, the ears may also be blocked by cervical osteochondrosis-this phenomenon is related to changes in blood vessels.

In the case of the formation of protrusions with vertebral mobility syndrome, elevated blood pressure also shows symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis. If you remove the high pressure, regardless of the cause of the high pressure, a condition will occur and the blood flow in the vertebral artery will decrease. This phenomenon contributes to the occurrence of brain hypoxia.

Lead to:

• Double vision.
• Confusion of consciousness.
• Dizziness.
• Sleepiness.
• Fatigue.
• Lethargy and weakness.

To distinguish syncope caused by other diseases from syncope caused by cervical osteochondrosis, the following points should be noted:

1. The pain should come suddenly.
2. The chaos appeared quickly, but it quickly disappeared.

It is important to consider the fact that cervical osteochondrosis can cause stroke. But this effect is indirect, because it is not caused by rickets itself, but by the changes it causes.

Pharyngeal symptoms

In the initial stage of the disease, there may be slight abnormalities in the form of perspiration, which will not cause much concern. However, the following are the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in the future:

• A foreign body sensation in the throat.
• Dry, long lasting and itchy.
• Difficulty swallowing.

Since this symptom may accompany other diseases, you need to listen to your body carefully. After all, the pharyngeal symptoms caused by cervical osteochondrosis can be accompanied by other manifestations. In view of the abnormal discomfort in the pharynx area, it may be a sign of another disease.

Generally, when the spine is protruding, the temperature of cervical osteochondrosis will increase due to the compression of nerves and the presence of protrusions. These are the first symptoms of vertebral hernia.

The intervertebral disc (abbreviated as IVD) is the central water-like nucleus pulposus, and surrounding it is a hard elastic fibrous membrane. The upper and lower vertebrae are adjacent.

Diffusion of material and water from the bone tissue of the vertebrae (forward and reverse filtration, molecular penetration into the intervertebral disc and backward penetration) will cause the ingress (and excretion) of the material and water in the intervertebral disc.

The gradual aging of the intervertebral disc tissue leads to the fact that the supply of essential substances slows down and stops completely under the influence of irritating factors (pressure, load).

• MTD loses height;
• The vertebral body moves, squeezes the nerve roots, and begins to grow with bone spurs, trying to evenly distribute the increasing pressure (spondylopathy).

Over time, ligaments are involved in the ossification process. They are saturated with calcium where they attach to the vertebrae, and cause stiffness and stiffness in the neck.

When people continue to bear the spine-active movement, please sit in an uncomfortable position:

• The main body of adjacent vertebrae compresses the IVD more and more.
• leads to the fact that the nucleus pulposus (to be precise the remainder of it) is pushed forward or backward (more often in the direction of the anterior longitudinal ligament, because the neck area is very thin).

This kind of protrusion is called herniation (the intervertebral disc membrane has not ruptured, but the shape has changed), it presses on the adjacent tissues, which can cause muscle tension, pain and other obvious symptoms, which can cause cervical cartilagedisease.

Over time, the fibrous membrane of the intervertebral disc will still rupture, and part of the nucleus pulposus will be squeezed out of the tissue (this kind of rupture is called a hernia).

At this stage (this is the 4th stage), all the acute symptoms of the disease may subside (a small part of the nucleus is absorbed or covered by calcium and no longer stimulates the surrounding tissues), or vice versa, leading to ischemic brainStroke develops the brain (hypoxia, death from a hungry place) and disability.

With the appearance of cervical osteochondrosis, the performance of each stage gradually increases. The more changes in the intervertebral disc, the stronger the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.

In the initial stage, a person may be disturbed by the muscle tension in the neck and shoulders, which can make them feel tired quickly. Then the main signs of pathology appear-pain radiating to the head, shoulders, arms, back of the chest can be masked by toothache. A person begins to feel dizzy, lack of concentration, vision and hearing loss, which deteriorate the quality of life and seriously affect their ability to work.

Symptoms gradually worsen and worsen-a person will feel stiffness in the spine when they wake up. During the worsening period, any sudden movement (such as sneezing or hitting the heel on the floor) will cause the neck and affected areaCuts nerves, and it becomes difficult to raise hands or hold objects with fingers.

At night, the heartbeat may increase or there may be a feeling of tight air-the patient is unable to breathe deeply due to pain, the person cannot move, rotate the neck or raise the arms.

In terms of symptoms, osteochondrosis in men is almost the same as osteochondrosis in women (they are more often worried about headaches).

The first stage (degree)

The intervertebral disc loses elasticity and sags.

At this stage, with cervical osteochondrosis, tension, rapid fatigue, muscle fatigue, and neck pain appear.

Causes of osteochondrosis

Indeed, the invisibility of cervical chondrosis is that it can develop over time without showing any external signs. Then, at the same time, intense pain and discomfort felt.

Among the causes of cervical osteochondrosis and degeneration of cartilage and bone tissue, there are the following:

• Incorrect load distribution when handling bags.
• Incorrect sitting posture.
• Where the sleep is excessively soft, the spine is bent to an unnatural position.

• Wrong pillow, usually too high, resulting in an unnatural position of the head relative to the body.

• Sedentary lifestyle.
• Age-related changes associated with degenerative cartilage transformation.
• Stress and neuroemotional stress.
• Metabolic diseases.
• Harmful working conditions, such as working on a vibrating platform.
• Heredity and genetic susceptibility.
• When the posture violation occurs with the active growth of the body, the formation of scoliosis.
• The shoes are uncomfortable, especially high heels.
• Regular dehydration of the body leads to impaired water and salt metabolism.
• Nutritional ingredients lack vitamins and trace elements.
• Smoking and other bad habits.
• Pregnant.

The main causes of osteochondrosis are:

1. Malnutrition accompanied by weight gain, which increases spine pressure;
2. Curved spine, incorrect body posture, myalgia, foot deformities;
3. Lack of motivation, lack of physical exercise;
4. Damage to the cervical spine and spine;
5. Excessive physical activity;
6. The tension at work and at home;
7. Pathological development of the cervical spine;
8. The spread of diseases through genetics.

Due to the above reasons, the cervical vertebrae are overloaded, which is the cause of the subsequent muscle spasms. As a result, circulatory diseases occur, metabolic processes are slowed, and changes in the structure of the intervertebral disc degenerate. They read to protrude beyond the spine, thin and change its appearance.

Osteochondrosis often occurs due to disc herniation, which spreads to adjacent vertebrae. After long-term physical exertion, the herniated disc appears. During this process, the cervical and lumbar spine areas are intensively affected, but the chest is not affected.

Considering the cause of osteochondrosis, it is worth noting that the disease is based on the natural aging of the intervertebral disc tissue.

1. Genetic predisposition.
2. Congenital cervical spine development defect (deformation of the first cervical vertebral body).
3. Injury and surgery.
4. Overactive cervical spine (for example, in sports training).
5. Lack of physical exercise (fixed work).
6. Poor posture (bending over).
7. Age.
8. Nervous.
9. Hypothermia.

Factors affecting the onset and development of cervical osteochondrosis:

• Heavy weight.
• Sitting and working, with limited mobility.
• Previous spinal cord injury.
• Mental illness, nervousness, stress.
• Physically unwell.
• Curved spine, scoliosis, wrong posture.
• Incorrect body posture has become a habit.
• Pull the neck back by working.
• Genetic predisposition.
• The body is abnormally tense, which increases mobility.
• Violates the rules of healthy eating.

Due to the above factors, the pressure on the neck increases, and the neck muscles try to balance this pressure. Muscle cramps occur and the blood circulation of the body is disturbed. Anatomical lesions appear.

The complete list of causes of osteochondrosis is very large. It includes individual factors and their combinations that cause disc displacement. But the most common cause is rickets due to the following reasons:

• Heredity-if one of the parents has osteochondrosis, the person is at risk because the structure of the intervertebral cartilage is usually inherited;
• Hard work, the load exceeds the hygiene standards allowed by workers;
• Staying in one position for a long time is also an important factor. Usually, a sedentary person will be diagnosed with osteochondrosis.
• Various back diseases that cause curvature of the spine;
• Vitamin deficiency and vitamin deficiency;
• Back injury;
• Infectious diseases;
• Congenital defects of the spine, causing rapid erasure of the intervertebral disc;
• The body ages naturally;
• Obesity;
• Constant stress;
• Hypothermia.

This disease affects young and elderly people at risk. The main cause of the disease is:

1. Abnormal physical activity and its incorrect distribution on the spine. Usually used for people engaged in amateur and professional sports, hard physical labor.
2. Sedentary lifestyle and sedentary work. It also involves uneven pressure on the spine and surrounding muscles. For sedentary people, excessive muscle tension in the area of ​​the neck.
3. Trauma to the spine and neck. In most cases, they cause rapid changes in destructive malnutrition of spinal cartilage and bone tissue.
4. Abnormal spine, birth trauma. Usually, they are also accompanied by additional uneven load, so in most cases, they will also lead to the development of cervical chondropathy.
5. Salt deposits, high blood and lymphatic salinity. A sedentary lifestyle leads to stagnant blood circulation. As a result, salts become worse and worse in soft tissues, which helps them to deposit in the spine and further tissue degradation.
6. Destroy metabolic processes. In this case, the mineral balance in the hard and soft tissues is disrupted, and the vertebrae and intervertebral discs become fragile and fragile. As a result, destructive changes occur in the spine area, which bears the greatest pressure.
7. Poor posture, scoliosis, lordosis and kyphosis. For these spinal diseases, along with the curvature of the spine, uneven pressure is also applied to the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, which leads to destruction.

Through a healthy lifestyle and timely medical care, the listed causes can be eliminated, and the possibility of long and difficult cervical osteochondrosis will be minimized. But with the presence of risk factors, this possibility can increase several times. Other prerequisites for the disease include:

• susceptibility to hereditary spinal diseases;
• Obesity and significant weight gain;
• Frequent nerve shock and pressure;
• Poor quality and unbalanced nutrition;
• Weakness of neck and back muscles;
• Hormonal imbalance, endocrine pathology.

In the early stages of the development of cervical, thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis, symptoms and treatment have been simplified. Regulation and elimination of risk factors can significantly reduce the likelihood of onset at a young age and reduce the first symptoms of destruction.

Symptoms and signs

Tongue numbness;
• Tighten when turning your head;
• Hearing impaired;
• Decreased eyesight;
• Optical effects, "flying" in front of you;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Changes in neuroticism (irritability and irritability, insomnia, outburst of anger, depression);
• Fainted;
• Upper limbs and neck numbness (mainly during sleep);
• Feeling unstable.

For men and women with cervical thoracic osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment are the same. In addition, cardiovascular-associated diseases rarely occur, which cause blood pressure to increase. In some cases the manifestations are misdiagnosed, symptomatic treatment and hypertension treatment.

Treatment

The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis can be carried out on the basis of conservative (pharmacological and non-drug treatment) and radical (surgical) methods. The reason for using only conservative measures (usually at the same time) may be the first degree of progression of cervical osteochondrosis.

In the later stages of the disease, surgical intervention is required to remove growths (if any), restore posture and install prostheses. After the operation, the patient will be in recovery.

In most cases, a combination of treatment methods. For cervical osteochondrosis, symptoms and treatment require a comprehensive approach to achieve sustainable results.

The use of drugs involves a course of treatment, because drugs have a strong symptomatic effect, but they cannot completely eliminate the disease. Use during treatment:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They help reduce inflammation and soft tissue swelling, and reduce the severity of pain caused by vertebrae compressing nerve roots. In the early stage of the cervix, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for osteochondrosis are used in the form of gels and ointments, and the use of tablets reduces severe pain. In difficult situations, painkillers can be injected.
2. Muscle relaxants. The main purpose of funding is to relieve neck muscle tension and spasms. As a result, the blood supply and oxygen supply are restored, the severity of the pain syndrome is reduced, and the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis, one of the causes, is eliminated.
3. Cartilage protector. They are not direct drugs, but help to significantly improve the condition of cartilage tissue. Promote and strengthen the regeneration process of the intervertebral disc. Use the post-surgery period during treatment and repair. Six months after admission, the effect of the cartilage protective agent can be felt and it continues to exist during systemic use.
4. Vasodilators. Improve blood circulation and blood supply, expand blood vessels, improve overall health, and help regulate blood pressure. They are used in the form of injections.
5. Sedatives. Helping to relieve stress is a risk factor. For severe persistent diseases, antidepressants can be used.
6. Steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. It is used for short-term courses when the NSAID effect is not ideal. Due to side effects, such as reduced immunity, long-term use of glucocorticoids is not allowed, and the condition of internal organs, bones, and joints deteriorates.
7. Paravertebral block. They are used in emergency situations to quickly relieve pain syndromes of increased intensity. The injection is placed directly on the affected area. The pain relief effect lasts for several hours.
8. Vitamins. They help restore the metabolic process of nerve tissue. The restorative diet also includes foods rich in vitamins.

Drug therapy is almost never used as the main and/or only treatment. Drug therapy is combined with exercise therapy and physical therapy, diet.

The main indication for surgery is narrowing of the spinal lumen, which is usually the result of a protrusion or hernia. This phenomenon is often accompanied by stenosis, nerve compression, and vessel endings. In this case, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are obvious, and surgical treatment has become a necessary measure.

The choice of surgery as a treatment for cervical osteochondrosis is performed by individuals. Surgery may be performed on the patient when conservative treatment has not shown positive results, and the operation has been performed for 6 to 8 months.

Surgical methods are used to treat cervical osteochondrosis:

1. The dynamic stability of the spine. It involves installing a stabilizer made of high-strength silicone that can redistribute the pressure on the spine. The implant is inserted between the spinous processes along the back.
2. Spinal fusion. It involves removing the damaged cartilage disc and then replacing it with an implant. At the same time, the mobility of the back, neck and individual vertebrae are restored and preserved.
3. Laser surgery. During operation, the laser beam is directed directly at the nucleus of the optical disc, and the amount of protrusion is reduced thereafter. This treatment is effective if the size of the hernia does not exceed six millimeters.