Cervical osteochondrosis (cervical osteochondrosis) is a chronic degenerative disease of the spine, in which the structure of the vertebrae is distorted, the integrity of the intervertebral structures is disrupted, and the roots of the spinal cord are damaged.
Important to know!Osteochondrosis is not a death sentence.There is always an opportunity to alleviate the exacerbation of the process, and also to control the progression of changes in the spine.In more advanced cases, neurosurgical interventions are possible.However, this does not negate the fact that the disease can be “triggered”.It is very important to consult a doctor when the first symptoms of osteochondrosis appear to diagnose the disease and prescribe early preventive measures!
Reasons for development
The anatomical structure of the spine suggests maximum mobility in the cervical spine, and it is in the cervical spine that the vertebrae are the smallest.These two factors make the neck one of the "weak points" of the spine.
The main reasons for the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are a combination of the following unfavorable factors:
- Incorrect posture and neck position (even when working on the computer).
- High physical loads on the cervical spine and shoulder girdle.
- Spinal injuries...
- Age-related changes in the tissue of intervertebral structures.
- Wrong diet, poor in essential vitamins and minerals.
It should be said that almost every person develops osteochondrosis with age;according to some researchers it is "a sort of reward for walking upright".However, in the modern world, with its busy life, sedentary lifestyle and prolonged work at the computer, it is cervical osteochondrosis that ranks first among spinal problems.
Symptoms
Symptoms can vary widely depending on the level of damage to the spine, the severity of degenerative changes, the individual characteristics of the human body and many other factors.Neurologists prefer to distinguish three main complexes of symptoms that occur with cervical osteochondrosis, as well as their combination:
- Vertebrogenic cervical pain.
- Vertebrogenic cervicocranialgia.
- Vertebrogenic cervicobrachialgia.
Based on the names, we can identify the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.Therefore, in case of neck pain, the main complaint will be pain directly in the neck;with vertebrogenic cervicocranialgia, neck pain also spreads to the head;with cervicobrachialgia, neck pain spreads to one or both arms, arm cramps also develop, numbness and a crawling sensation in the arms may appear.In all cases of osteochondrosis, the following symptoms may appear: tension in the neck muscles, crunching of the neck, limitation of neck movements.
Radiculopathy
In the presence of severe osteochondrosis, complicated by the presence of disc protrusions or herniations, the so-called radiculopathy can form: a disruption in the functioning of a certain spinal root with the development of weakness of the innervated muscles, their weight loss and sensitivity disorders.
Diagnostics and radiographic signs
Osteochondrosis is a radiographic diagnosis, since a detailed clinical picture is available only at the time of exacerbation, while changes in the spine can occur with the complete subjective well-being of a person.Without an x-ray examination we can only speak of suspected osteochondrosis, because similar symptoms can be caused by other diseases (myositis, vertebral tumors and others).
To diagnose osteochondrosis, the following research methods are used: radiography (preferably with functional tests), MSCT and MRI.The latter study is preferable because it allows the state of the intervertebral structures to be visualized very clearly.
Radiographic signs of osteochondrosis include the following changes in the spine:
- Reduced height of the intervertebral discs.
- Presence of marginal bony growths.
- Violation of the position of the vertebrae relative to each other.
- Deformations of the bodies and vertebral arches, etc.
The presence of the changes described above, as well as changes in the structure of the intervertebral disc, detected by MSCT and MRI, serve as reliable signs confirming the presence of osteochondrosis.
Treatment
Treatment should be comprehensive and targeted at all aspects of the pathogenesis of clinical manifestations.Chronic dystrophic changes during exacerbations lead to inflammation of the roots of the spinal cord, which in turn causes reflex pain.Pain is a signal that sends the muscles to develop a protective reaction: muscle spasm.Muscle spasm brings the vertebrae closer together and increases compression (compression) and inflammation of the roots.The circle is closed.That is why it is necessary to eliminate inflammation, pain and muscle spasms and protect the roots from inflammatory effects.
There are medicinal and non-medicinal methods of treatment.They change partly in the presence of a predominance of some symptoms, but they have a general pattern.
Drug
Anti-inflammatory drugs (aceclofenac, ketoprofen, meloxicam, diclofenac, etc.), muscle relaxants (tolperisone hydrochloride, baclofen, tizanidine), neuroprotective drugs (complex preparations of B vitamins and thioctic acid) are used.
Non-pharmacological
It includes massage, physiotherapy and physical therapy.Massage for cervical osteochondrosis very effectively relieves muscle spasm, improves blood flow to the tissues of the spine, reducing the severity of the inflammatory process.Physiotherapy can be aimed at both relieving pain (electrophoresis with analgesics) and relieving muscle tension (diadynamic currents).Therapeutic exercise is a unique and extremely effective method of preventing disease.You can see a set of physical therapy exercises for cervical osteochondrosis here.
Folk remedies
Among the traditional methods of treatment, the use of various warming compresses based on water and alcohol should be highlighted, which can reduce the intensity of neck pain and reduce inflammation.The “dry heat” method has also proven effective, the essence of which is to heat salt or sand placed in a rag bag and then apply it to the pain point.
Some of the traditional methods of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine include the use of applicators - special devices or simply tissue surfaces coated with needles.Applying moderate pressure to the neck area, as well as simply lying on that surface for 10-15 minutes, causes reflexive relaxation of the cervical muscles and distracting pain relief.