Osteochondrosis refers to degenerative diseases of the spine, which include
Dystrophy, deformation and progressive effacement of vertebrates.This can lead to pain, a number of unpleasant consequences, and in advanced cases - even to disability.It is important to pay attention to your health and consult a doctor in a timely manner when suspicious symptoms appear.
The cervical and thoracic spine is less common than the lumbar, however, the occurrence of osteochondrosis in these areas can be fraught with serious consequences.Due to the proximity to the cervical region, a violation of the blood supply to the brain sometimes develops to the head, which entails many complications.In addition, the changes can lead to damage to the nerve roots - as a result, the patient experiences severe pain and numbness.
The reasons for the appearance
Osteochondrosis occurs in a very large number of people, especially today, when citizens are massively lacking in physical activity, nutrition and appropriate posture.The reasons which can cause the development of osteochondrosis in the cervical and thoracic region include:
- age-related changes;
- genetic predisposition;
- sedentary lifestyle, hypodynamia;
- posture disorders;
- Serious weight of weight;
- injuries;
- overload;
- flat feet and other imperfections of the musculoskeletal system;
- stress and bad habits;
- Smoping Back and prolonged stay on the cold.
Recently, osteochondrosis has increasingly begun to be observed among young people, which is associated mainly with poor lifestyle.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Like most chronic diseases, osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic region is quite insidious and does not appear immediately.At first, the patient may not notice anything other than periodic discomfort in the spine, but as the disease progresses, symptoms worsen:
- The pain in the head or neck, which sometimes falls on the shoulder belt and the upper limbs and, depending on the course of the disease, can be acute and painful or painful, silent, manifested by periods;
- Dizziness, visual and hearing disturbances, coordination of movements;
- numbness, burning or tingling in the upper extremities;
- Asthenia, fatigue, loss of normal working capacity;
- Intercostal neuralgia, pain in the heart, drop in pressure.
Most negative symptoms are caused by the fact that the deformative zones of the spine press blood vessels and nerve roots, as a result, their normal functioning is disrupted.Subsequently, such complications can lead to serious dysfunctions in the body and even disability, if you do not start from a timely treatment.
Diagnosis and treatment
The doctor begins to suspect osteochondrosis in the patient on the basis of his complaints and the anamnesis collected.In order to confirm or refute the diagnosis, the specialist prescribes diagnostic measures, the main one of which is the radiography of the spine in a direct and lateral projection.For more detailed information, CT and MRI are done: they help follow the complications in time.
With osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic column, the treatment is prescribed complete.As a rule, it includes several main instructions:
- Drug therapy is mainly analgesics and anti-inflammatories, which help reduce pain;In addition to them, muscle spasms, chondroprotectors to strengthen cartilage tissues and B vitamins are often prescribed to eliminate the condition of nervous tissue;
- Physiotherapy includes massage and other procedures (ultrasound, magnetotherapy, etc.) aimed at improving the condition of the spine and eliminating limitation of mobility;
- Therapeutic physical education allows you to activate blood flow, strengthen muscles, thereby eliminating excessive load on the spine, bring the body to tone and adjust posture;It also helps reduce pressure on nerve roots.
The procedure for stretching the spine is periodically applied, aimed at returning the original shape.