According to medical statistics, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a fairly common disease in recent years. Every person has encountered their unpleasant symptoms at least once in their life.
The disease itself is a malfunction of the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine. After all, it is in this part of the human spine that the greatest constant load occurs.
The cervical region consists of 7 discs. Due to its weak muscles and constant loads on them, various injuries and malfunctions can occur. Due to all these factors, cervical osteochondrosis begins to develop.
Types of diseases
Osteochondrosis is an insidious disease that may not manifest for a long time. There are several stages in the development of this disease:
- first-degree cervical osteochondrosis (manifested by initial spinal disorders);
- grade 2 cervical osteochondrosis (the distance between the discs of the cervical spine begins to decrease);
- grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis (complete destruction of the intervertebral disc ring occurs and severe deformity of the entire spine begins);
- grade 4 cervical osteochondrosis (the last stage of disease progression, which can lead to disability).
Causes of disease onset and development
Like any other disease, cervical osteochondrosis has its causes and developmental factors. Until a few decades ago, only the elderly were susceptible to this disease. Also, osteochondrosis of the neck has affected men after the age of 40 who engage in heavy physical work.
Nowadays, osteochondrosis of the neck is becoming more common and affects young people over 20 years of age. There are many reasons for the development of diseases of the cervical and thoracic spine:
- existing extra pounds;
- improper posture and, as a result, curvature of the spine by 1 or 2 degrees;
- heavy physical work or professional sports that have resulted in various spinal injuries;
- reasons that cause stress and serious emotional stress;
- weak muscles of the cervicothoracic region;
- sudden cessation of sports after prolonged training;
- work associated with sitting at a computer or a long stay in one position.
If you find yourself with the above reasons, then you are in the so-called risk group. In this case, it is necessary to prevent osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Manifestation of disease
With grade 1 osteochondrosis, a person experiences virtually no symptoms of developing disease. Only the initial pinching of the neck muscles begins.
Second-degree osteochondrosis of the cervical spine usually manifests as minor pains that can occur in the cervical and thoracic segments. This occurs due to pinching of nerve endings due to a reduction in the distance between the discs of the spine.
The third and fourth stages of the disease cannot go unnoticed. In this case, the deformity of the spine can be noticed with the naked eye, not to mention the feelings a person experiences.
The main and more common symptoms of this disease are:
- severe persistent headaches;
- ringing in the head;
- impaired movement and coordination;
- deterioration of vision and dental health;
- cerebrovascular accidents, insomnia and various neurological problems.
At grades 1, 2, 3, or 4, the pain can spread to the shoulder joint and arm. A feature of this symptom, which distinguishes it from other diseases, is that the discomfort changes its strength and concentration depending on the position of the neck and the rotation of the head.
Disease syndromes
All the symptoms that appear in osteochondrosis can be incorrectly substantiated and, as a result, a misdiagnosis is possible. Therefore, in addition to the existing symptoms, it is necessary to discover all the reasons for their appearance. Thus, medicine knows several syndromes that distinguish the causes of their origin:
Radicular syndromes
In this case the nerves are crushed and the person feels pain and numbness in one part of the neck. Unpleasant sensations can spread to the back, to the shoulder blade area, as well as to the arm;
Irritable reflex syndromes
It is manifested by strong, unbearable pain in the back of the head, which spreads throughout the neck. It most often occurs with a sharp movement or turning of the head;
Vertebral artery syndrome
In this case, the name speaks for itself. There is constriction of the artery and the person feels a strong throbbing headache that may result in loss of consciousness or vomiting;
Cardiac syndrome
It is manifested by increased heart rate, dizziness and loss of consciousness. Often in this case a wrong diagnosis is made and treatment of angina pectoris is started.
Treatment
In osteochondrosis, the person is always shown urgent treatment. His tactics are chosen depending on the degree of the disease. Thus, at 1 or 2 degrees, complete recovery after therapy is possible. In the later stages, medical correction is usually aimed at preventing complications as well as improving the quality of life.
First aid
What to do when the first symptoms of the disease appear? You must first alleviate the pain from the cervicothoracic region. To do this, you need to take a regular analgesic, lie down or just relax.
The next step is to visit a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Conservative treatment
Conservative treatment is usually prescribed for confirmed osteochondrosis. The patient was shown to take anti-inflammatory, analgesic medications. It is possible to use different gels or ointments to relieve swelling and inflammation. Also, the doctor may prescribe a course of massage, therapeutic exercises. Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is prescribed in almost all cases.
Surgery
In rare cases, with severely advanced osteochondrosis, surgery may be performed. In this case, the patient is put to sleep with the help of general anesthesia, after which bone formations between the discs of the cervicothoracic spine are removed. After the manipulation, the patient is shown further conservative treatment or physiotherapy.
Preventive measures
Due to the decrease in the age of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, it is necessary for every person to prevent it. This is especially true for those people who are in danger.
Important rules
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis consists in following simple but very important rules:
- watch your posture, don’t let it bend;
- do not expose the spine to heavy loads;
- you cannot make sudden head movements;
- do not be nervous, avoid stress;
- do not catch a cold, do not cool down;
- get rid of bad habits, switch to a proper diet.
Special exercises
To protect yourself from such a disease, you must report preventive exercises:
- put your palm on your forehead, tighten the neck muscles, then move your hand to the nape of the neck and repeat the exercise, you have to do it for 7 seconds in 3 sets;
- rest your palm on your temple and then also tighten your neck muscles, repeat a similar action on the other side, time, the number of approaches is the same as in the first paragraph;
- turn your head back, then slowly reach your chin to the chest area, you must perform the exercise 3 times;
- turn your head in different directions - you need to do this exercise slowly, without sudden movements;
- tilt your head back, first touch one shoulder with your ear, then the other, repeat the exercise 5 times.
If one or more symptoms of the disease appear, consult your doctor immediately. You may only be prescribed physiotherapy and that will be the end of it. Don’t procrastinate, don’t start an illness.
Do daily gymnastics. It is better to do basic exercises than to suffer from illness later.
Ask your doctor how to sleep because of cervical osteochondrosis. Follow all the rules, be healthy!