More and more people are choosing jobs that do not require a lot of physical activity. It inevitably affects human health. Thus, one of the most common diseases is cervical osteochondrosis.
As a result of this disease, joint cartilage and bone tissue changes. Previously, this term combined many diseases, now it means only the degenerative condition of the spine.
Why is the cervical region most affected? It is he who increases mobility and a large number of neurons and blood vessels. Before learning how to treat cervical osteochondrosis, eliminate the cause of the disease.
Causes of the disease
Osteochondrosis does not always occur with acute symptoms. Due to anatomical features, changes in the intervertebral discs do not always cause pain or something similar. Therefore, the disease is often overlooked.
Cervical osteochondrosis often develops for several reasons:
- sedentary lifestyle;
- lack of physical activity, salt deposits develop in the liver, kidneys, vertebrae;
- metabolic disease.
In addition, risk factors must be considered. They may not necessarily cause a disease, but they may manifest themselves well in adverse conditions:
- the body undergoes inevitable changes with age;
- whether the ancestors had cervical osteochondrosis;
- often hormonal disorders cause metabolic disorders;
- some chronic diseases, such as lupus erythematosus or rheumatism, can cause cartilage thinning;
- hypothermia.
Stages of the disease
Cervical osteochondrosis, like many other diseases, includes several stages of development.
- Thus, at the first stage, the destruction of the intervertebral discs is noted, the danger of this moment is severe pain in the neck, maximum discomfort. Due to changes in the structure of the disk, compression of the nerve roots occurs - this is the source of the disease. As a rule, with timely diagnosis, it is possible to completely cure the disease. It is important to prescribe the treatment correctly and follow all the doctor's recommendations.
- In the second stage, along with the destruction of the discs, displacements of the cervical vertebrae begin. If the treatment is unsuccessful or if it is not diagnosed earlier, osteochondrosis becomes chronic. The patient may have "tilted head syndrome" when you need to keep your head in a certain position to relieve pain. A typical symptom is severe pain.
- The third stage is the development of hernias and protrusions, as well as the effect on internal organs. With such a development of the disease, the cervical vertebra compresses the blood vessels, a violation of blood flow to the brain. For this reason, headache, nausea, dizziness, etc. In rare cases, numbness may appear in the extremities. A stroke is possible with a bad development of events. The danger of this stage of the disease is that the pain is not so strong. Many people are sure that the disease is over, everything is healed, and meanwhile the destruction of the spine continues. Everything is about the cartilage tissue, because it is the cause of the pain, but in the third stage - it is completely destroyed. Sometimes hearing and coordination disorders develop.
The course of cervical osteochondrosis also has specific features. There are several syndromes depending on which parts of the spine are damaged. Each of them has different pains.
Cervical osteochondrosis syndromes
For example, cervical osteochondrosis can cause migraines. It occurs with hypertension. As a result of its appearance, intracranial pressure increases, which causes pain. There is a risk of stroke due to high blood pressure.
Also, headaches are often associated with compression of the vertebral arteries.
With this syndrome, there is a decrease in visual acuity, dizziness, impaired coordination. All this happens due to lack of oxygen supply to the brain. Fainting is possible with sudden head movements.
Compression of the spinal roots is more dangerous because this syndrome has a complex of symptoms. First of all, the pain is localized in the neck and spreads to the forearm, sometimes it can also spread to the hands. In the early stages of the disease, a crisis can be warned when turning the neck. With further compression of the roots, respiratory disorders, coma sensations appear in the throat. Since the nerves in the cervical vertebrae are closely connected to the face, when the roots are compressed, numbness or impaired mobility of the tongue may be observed.
If the spine is not treated in time, the symptoms will only increase and become more pronounced. Due to the lack of oxygen in the brain, malfunctions begin and this can lead to a number of mental diseases (depression, anxiety disorders, hyperventilation, etc. ).
It is important to distinguish cervical osteochondrosis and epilepsy in time. Due to the tension of the whole body and a short loss of consciousness, they are often confused.
Modern diagnostic methods are used for this. Due to changes in the work of the cervical and thoracic vertebrae, there is a disturbance in the work of the heart, as a result of which symptoms of tachycardia and arrhythmia appear. Another invisible manifestation of the disease is swelling under the eyes. They arise due to the compression of the lateral veins of the spine.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
Before starting the treatment of the spine, you should consult a neurologist to clarify the diagnosis. Thanks to modern methods of studying the body, medicine is armed with a huge arsenal of techniques to find disease. Recently, the maximum that a neurologist could offer was an X-ray and an external examination. As a rule, such methods did not give effective results, so osteochondrosis was often detected in serious stages of development. The disadvantage of X-rays is not being able to see the whole picture of the disease. He is currently scheduled for a CT or MRI scan. These are fast, high-quality studies with practically no contraindications.
After receiving the pictures, you need to consult a doctor.
Medical assistance
"How to treat cervical osteochondrosis" will be answered by a vertebrologist. This is a narrow branch of neurology that studies the spine and related diseases. Before prescribing the drug, the doctor must prescribe a number of measures to restore blood circulation and eliminate swelling. There is no unequivocal opinion about non-traditional methods of treatment. As a rule, in addition to consulting a neurologist, the patient needs the help of a surgeon, masseur, physiotherapist. In severe stages of the disease, the recovery period requires more time.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis during exacerbation?
In a pathological condition such as an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, symptoms are manifested in the form of pain, limited mobility, various sensitivity disorders and tissue trophism. The first step is to relieve the pain. There are various drugs for this purpose. For example, you can use a pepper patch. Due to the warm-up movement, it copes with the task perfectly. Any analgesic will help. To get rid of edema - take any diuretic. As a home remedy, you can brew cranberries or lingonberries or special herbal preparations.
If drugs do not help, you can use a needle applicator. Due to the point effect, it helps to relieve pain, reduce swelling and improve blood flow. The main thing to remember is that you should always consult a doctor after first aid.
Treatment of dizziness in cervical osteochondrosis is not so important. It is important to eliminate the main cause of the disease. To maintain the condition, the doctor prescribes drugs that thin the blood and restore blood flow in the brain. An additional bonus of these drugs: improving memory and normalizing sleep.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine consists not only of taking drugs, but also of massage and physical training. In order to prevent the occurrence of cervical spine diseases, it is necessary to form the correct muscle corset of the back. Self-massage can also be effective in some cases. For this, you can apply simple methods such as rubbing and tapping, as well as vibration.
Alternative medicine
One of the types of non-traditional treatment of osteochondrosis is manual therapy. Its essence affects certain points of the body, allows to straighten bones and joints. In danger? A non-specialist can seriously injure a client, because nerves are a delicate matter. Any careless movement can cause paresis or paralysis. How to treat osteochondrosis in other ways?
A vague idea is formed around acupuncture. Unlike manual therapy, the effect on the diseased areas is carried out point by means of needles. Its danger is that not knowing the injection zones can seriously worsen the patient's condition. The applicator works on the same principle.
More controversial is the prescribing of homeopathy. Its advantage is that drugs have side effects and should not be taken often. Homeopathic remedies do not have this disadvantage. However, their benefits have not been scientifically proven.
In any case, if you experience pain in the spine or neck, contact your doctor as soon as possible. It is better to treat any disease in the early stages, then the success of its treatment is quite real forever. Do not refuse to take medicine in moments of exacerbation.