Cervical osteochondrosis

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

Definition of cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is a fairly common disease that increasingly affects young people. The disease affects the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine. Often the development of the pathological process of degenerative-dystrophic changes is facilitated by an incorrect body position, for example, due to long work at the computer.

Among other things, the problem can be triggered due to genetic predisposition, poor posture, uncomfortable sleeping place, and sedentary lifestyle. Despite the fact that this type of osteochondrosis develops quite slowly, it tends to progress.

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

• interspinous osteoarthritis;
• spondylosis;
• discover spinal osteoarthritis and so on.

Symptoms

As for the most characteristic symptoms, first of all, we can note the appearance of sharp pains that result from pinching of nerve endings. Pain is often concentrated in the lumbar, cervical and back areas. In addition, you can find other syndromes:

• cardiac syndrome- consists of several symptoms, the manifestation of which is similar to angina pectoris. This syndrome develops during irritation of the roots of the pectoralis major muscle or the phrenic nerve. Due to this, a person experiences painful sensations of a pressing nature in the region of the heart muscle, which can occur periodically and last for several hours. Sneezing or sudden movements of the head often make the pain worse. In addition, during painful attacks, no change in the cardiogram can be detected;
• radicular syndrome- occurs when the nerve endings of the cervical spine are pinched. At this time, pain is felt, which can be transmitted not only to the forearm, shoulder or scapula, but also to the lumbar region. The patient may experience slight tingling or more pronounced sensations, depending on the degree of osteochondrosis started;
• irritative reflex syndrome- manifests as a burning sensation in the occiput and neck. These symptoms often appear after awakening from sleep, with sudden turns of the head, coughing and sneezing. In addition, the pain can manifest itself not only in the shoulder area, but also in the chest area;
One of the typical manifestations of the disease is
• vertebral artery syndrome, which is characterized by the appearance of a burning or throbbing headache, which is more localized in the areatemporal or occipital. Often times with this syndrome it is constant pain that occurs, but sometimes it can occur and subside.

Pay attention!In the presence of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, experts note increased fatigue of the person, which can lead to hearing and visual impairment.

As for other main symptoms of the disease, these include:

• Compression of blood vessels, which causes an increase in blood pressure;
• severe headache due to impaired blood flow to the brain. This type of pain can cause the patient to use pain relievers regularly;
• vision and hearing problems;
• painful, fairly severe pain in the neck and shoulders, which can sometimes be exacerbated by a sharp and very unpleasant "lumbago";
• grinding and crunching by tilting the head or turning to the side;
• decrease in muscle strength in the arms due to pain in the chest;
• dizziness.

Important!As soon as the first symptoms of this disease are noticed, it is necessary to seek the help of a neurologist as soon as possible.

Reasons

The main causes of osteochondrosis are as follows:

1. Metabolic disorders that negatively affect the normal state of cartilage in the intervertebral discs.
2. Insufficient mobility of the cervical vertebrae, due to which there is a loss of fluid, which, in turn, negatively affects the elasticity of the cartilage.
3. Microtrauma of the cervical spine, when tilting the head, turning, etc.
4. Poor heredity, due to which the safety margin of disks is very low.

Processing

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

The main treatment is carried out in 2 directions, depending on the patient's state of health and the level of neglect of the disease. As for conservative treatment, this includes taking medication and exercising. Surgical treatment is carried out only if the preservative has given no effect.

It is importantto follow a diet and follow the recommendations for therapeutic exercise.

Conservative treatment is aimed at relieving pain, restoring and normalizing the function of the spine, and preventing unwanted changes. In such therapy, a whole range of therapeutic measures are used:

• spinal traction (traction). With the use of special medical equipment, the spine is stretched in order to increase the distance between the vertebrae;
• drug treatment. The main purpose of the use of drugs during this disease is to relieve pain, relieve inflammation and in general normalize metabolic processes in the body;
• physiotherapy. Thanks to such procedures, it is possible not only to reduce pain, but also to improve the effect of taking medication. Such methods are also used during the rehabilitation period. In this case, laser beams, ultrasonic waves, low frequency current, work with magnetic fields, etc. are often used;
• physiotherapyand exercise therapy;
• manual therapy. Such treatment is selected individually for each patient;
• massage. Through massage, you can speed up blood circulation in the tissues, eliminate clamps and muscle spasms, in general, improve blood supply to tissues all over the body.

Although drugs alone cannot cure osteochondrosis, they can help restore blood supply to the tissue. Therapy should be comprehensive, only in this case we can talk about the effectiveness of the treatment. In addition to taking medication, it is imperative to undergo physical therapy, diet, and give up bad habits.

In the absence of pain or pronounced dystrophic changes, it is inappropriate to take medications without a doctor's prescription. The following types of medicines are used to treat this condition and relieve pain:

• means for regeneration, as well as for the prevention of degeneration of cartilage tissue: hyaluronic acid and the like;
• to relieve inflammatory processes;
• preparations for improving tissue blood supply: B vitamins;
• antispasmodics;
• antioxidants: vitamins N, E and C.

Medicines can be prescribed not only as tablets and capsules for oral administration, but also as injections or topical ointments / creams. With acute complications, drugs are used to block nerve endings.

Along with drug therapy, it is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and an adequate diet. Drink at least 1. 5 liters of water per day.

One and a half liters of water per day is the recommended standard for healthy joints and whole body.

Of course, you can also use herbal teas, fruit drinks, dried fruit compotes 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 ignorance of the demands of the body, heavy loads and poor diet. That is why prevention should be based on the complete elimination of negative effects on the spine and the prevention of the appearance of pathological changes. For these purposes, it is enough to adhere to the usual rules of a healthy lifestyle (healthy lifestyle):

• only moderate physical activity during sports: morning exercise, gymnastics, athletics, if the types of wrestling, then non-contact, swimming is a great option;
• In case of prolonged stay in one position, for example, during sedentary work, it is very important to take breaks, at least once every 45 to 60 minutes. During this period, you should give your body 5 to 15 minutes for a little warm-up, which will restore normal blood circulation. In addition, it is very important to pay attention to the right choice of office chairs or armchairs, giving preference to those that will support the spine, control the correct position of the hands at the table and feet on the floor. Try to independently monitor your posture (your shoulders should be relaxed and your back should be straight);
• It is important to try to control your emotivity in the event that a spasmodic reaction occurs during stress. For these purposes, you need to learn methods of relaxation and systematically attend massage for general strengthening of the body;
• For sleeping, it is better 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 position of the body;
• Drinking plenty of fluids and proper nutrition not only helps maintain metabolism, but also strengthens the body in general:

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

• If it is necessary to move or lift heavy objects, it is very important to do so as gently as possible, without lunges and sudden jerks from the half-squat position. It will not be superfluous to use a special support belt;
• an important point is the selection of high quality orthopedic shoes without high heels, with sufficient foot width. It is also possible to reduce the load on the spine by quickly replacing worn out shoes, which is especially important for women. In the summer, at the dacha, at the sea, if possible, you need to walk barefoot on different surfaces, thereby strengthening the muscles of the foot.

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

Exercises

Under no circumstances should you start physical activity and exercise without a doctor's prescription or before the pain syndrome has been relieved. The specialist must first relieve the acute symptoms. In the presence of pain symptoms, gymnastics will be painful.

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

At the start of the exercises, in all cases the initial posture is sitting on a chair, hands clasped on the knees:

It's worth starting with a warm-up:

1. In the starting position, you should slowly turn your head to one side until it stops, then to the other. At this time, you should feel the stretching of the neck muscles. As soon as the neck is completely turned to one side, you need to turn it a few more degrees as carefully as possible, avoiding sudden movements and fixing it in this state for 5 seconds. Experts recommend starting any exercise with a warm-up to strengthen the neck muscles. In each direction, just perform 5 turns to develop the strength and flexibility of the neck.
2. Next, you need to tilt your head so that the ear approaches the shoulder. It should be noted that at this stage the shoulder should remain still. On maximum approach, you need to fix the position. Be careful not to cause discomfort or pain in the actions. It is enough to perform such inclinations 5 times for each side.

Then move on to the main exercises:

1. Now, after the warm-up is finished, you can move on to specific exercises which can give a good result. In the starting position, you should rest your hand on the right temple. You should now try to tilt your head to the right side, and the hand at this point should prevent this. The effort must be such that it is heavy, but the head always tilts gradually in that direction. For each side, 10 slopes will suffice. Of course, the hand must also be changed.
2. Then you need to grab the occipital region of the head and create resistance, try to tilt the head 5 times back.
3. Exactly the same exercise should be done when resting the palms on the forehead. Thanks to the resistance, you have to pull the chin towards the chest. This will be sufficient for 5 front turns.
4. The conclusion of the training can be the warm-up of the traps, which is done by lowering and raising the shoulders. At the highest point you need to lock in for a few seconds and then lower them and relax completely. Enough for 10 repetitions.
5. Finish the exercise by stretching the neck in different directions. This set of exercises should be performed every day. It is a great option for warming the neck in cases of osteochondrosis.

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

Exercises are recommended by specialists not only for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, but also for all people over 30 years old. The problem is that at this age, muscle fibers lose their flexibility, so it is important to maintain them, as well as the overall health of the body.

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

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

Next, you need to perform several circular movements of the head in one direction, then in the other direction. Enough will be 8 turns for each side. The exercise should be done very carefully. For safety reasons, you can hold your head with your hands.