Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is common today among city dwellers, office workers and people who spend many hours a day in one position.

But it can also develop in youth. Therefore, everyone should know what cervical osteochondrosis is and how it is treated in order to seek help in time and stop the development of unpleasant symptoms and the destruction of the joints in the neck and shoulders.

Before deciding what to do if the osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has worsened and pain is felt in the neck, you should visit a doctor and undergo diagnostics.

Diagnostics

Is it possible to permanently treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, is it possible to treat the neck and how to carry it out, the doctor will tell you after a complete diagnosis. Due to the similarity of symptoms with other diseases, care is taken in establishing the diagnosis. A patient who comes to a neurologist with a complaint of neck pain and dizziness will have to go through several stages before a complex treatment is developed for him.

Inspection

At the first visit to the neurologist, an initial examination of the patient is carried out. The doctor's task is to determine the diagnosis, the possible cause of the onset and development of the disease, as well as to exclude other diseases with similar symptoms.

Specialist during inspection:

• He hears health complaints.Clarifies symptoms, frequency, intensity. It tries to determine what triggers the onset of the attack.
• Clarify the details of the memory,will determine the characteristics of the patient's daily life and the presence of accompanying diseases.
• Controls the function of reflexes,focusing on those whose work is affected by the nerve endings located in the neck.
• Tests muscle strength and sensitivity,will identify areas of numbness or tendency to spasm or excessive relaxation.
• He will conductvestibular device examination,which is also affected by the development of osteochondrosis.

During the procedure, the doctor examines the condition of the muscles. Their thinness or swelling indicates problems with nerve sensitivity. Another important symptom is pain and dizziness when turning or tilting the head.

Laboratory diagnosis

It is possible to prescribe a treatment regimen without errors during the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis and provide effective help only by identifying the causes of destruction of the vertebra and intervertebral discs. And for this, additional research is carried out in the laboratory.

To understand the progression of the disease, various studies are conducted:

1. Total and ionized calcium.
2. Osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin– substances – indicators that the bones are gradually destroyed and the cartilage tissue thins. If their amount in the blood is greater than normal, then the disease will continue to develop.
3. Creatine kinase– muscle tissue damage index. If osteochondrosis has already caused the development of myositis and seriously threatens the muscles, this indicator in the blood will also increase.
4. Research on micronutrients and vitaminsit is carried out to determine which of the trace elements and vitamins necessary for metabolism and tissue repair are lacking in the patient's body.

Instrumental studies

Having discovered the rate of growth and the causes of chondrosis, the doctor must determine the condition in which the patient was admitted.

For this purpose, material studies of the spine and intervertebral discs are carried out:

• X-ray.It shows severe changes in bone structure, emerging deformities and neoplasms.
• Magnetic resonance imagingevaluates the condition of nerve roots, bulging discs, vertebral inversions and small tumors.
• Ultrasound of blood vessels of the cervixblood vessels is carried out in order to determine their patency, and therefore the ability to supply the brain with the necessary oxygen and nutrients.

• Electroneuromyography.A charge current passes through the nervous system, which is unpleasant, but it shows the level of passage of nerve impulses and the speed of their passage to the muscles, and therefore the degree of damage.

There are many tips on how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis forever, quickly relieve pain, eliminate dizziness and fight weakness attacks at home. But it is necessary to understand that this is a serious disease that develops individually, and therefore the treatment regimen must be chosen by a professional. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, without wasting time on traditional methods, you should contact the clinic.

Treatment

Almost everyone who was diagnosed with "chondrosis of the cervical spine" thought about how to treat the degenerative disease, whether it can be treated, and how and whether it is possible to forget about neck pain forever if you follow the doctor's advice. The answer depends on the stage.

In the first and second stages, there are methods that allow the treatment of chondrosis of the cervical spine in men and women with good results for the neck at home.

The doctor's goal is to relieve pain, prevent further destruction of cartilage and bone tissue, and try to restore, if possible, the intervertebral discs to restore mobility. To solve this problem, complex treatment is always used, but sometimes surgery is added to conservative treatment methods.

Pharmaceutical treatment

Very often, men and women, faced with the stage of exacerbation of inflammation due to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, choose treatment at home, using a strong painkiller, but what to do if the neck pain returns, what treatment will beeffective; The only correct answer is an appointment with a neurologist.

When chondrosis worsens, it is important not only to remove the symptoms, but also to treat what causes them, and therefore the range of drugs is not limited to painkillers.The following are used to treat cervical osteochondrosis:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,helping to relieve pain and reduce tissue inflammation at the site of pinched nerve endings.
2. Topical gels and ointments,which must be prescribed by a doctor, since not all are compatible with oral medications.
3. Muscle relaxantsit will allow you to relax torn muscles and release pinched nerves and arteries, get rid of stiffness, pain and dizziness.
4. Carboprotectorsthey are used to stop the destruction and restore the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs and prevent the occurrence of herniation.
5. Vitamin complexesthey are used to improve the nutrition of tissues, speed up their recovery and enhance the action of drugs, allowing the use of smaller doses.

If a patient is admitted with intolerable pain, blockade based on hormonal analgesics will be used.

Non-pharmacological treatment

Another method that has excellent reviews from men and women and is often used in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and shoulder girdle at home is physical therapy, but how and with what to treat must also be decided by the doctor. After all, there are no universal physiotherapy methods that suit everyone. A set of effective methods is selected specifically for each patient.

The most effective are considered:

• Electrophoresis with painkillers.
• Physiotherapy. The set of exercises and their complexity varies depending on the stage of development of osteochondrosis.
• Massage and self-massage.
• Magnetic therapy.

Surgery for osteochondrosis

At certain stages of the development of cervical osteochondrosis, what is prescribed for neck and back pain does not help, so you can take heavier drugs or resort to a radical but effective method - surgery. The operation is prescribed for patients with irreversible changes in the structure of the spine. At the same time, collapses and fused vertebrae, hernias and emerging neoplasms threaten human life and reduce its quality.

The surgeon will be able to remove bony growths, hernias, tumors and pinched nerve endings. After such an intervention, the patient will undergo rehabilitation, during which it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations, otherwise even the operation will not bring the desired result.

How and how to treat cervical chondrosis at home or in the hospital, what to do to relieve pain in the neck and shoulders, get rid of dizziness and relieve inflammation of the vertebrae, what helps and what will hurt, you need tothe doctor decides. By using other methods and means, you risk your health, because with such a disease, the treatment must be built taking into account the personal characteristics of the patient.

Prevention

In order not to know what the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is, you should think about prevention in advance. The disease is often hereditary, but following the recommendations will prevent the development of the disease or stop it in the early stages.

Traditional preventive measures for diseases of the spine:

1. Ensuring healthy physical activity. Light workouts 2-3 times a week. It is worth choosing a sport aimed at strengthening the muscle corset. Swimming, yoga, pilates, cycling, skating are suitable. In this case, the loads should not be too heavy.
2. Daily activity even during sedentary work. To do this, just do exercises and walk.
3. Watch your posture, not only when you walk, but also when you work.
4. An ergonomic workplace in which the space that occupies the attention is located so that the neck is not in a tense state.
5. Avoid heavy lifting and excessive physical exercise.
6. Provide a comfortable sleeping area with an orthopedic mattress and pillows, so that sleep is healthy and brings complete rest.
7. Give up bad habits, as alcohol, nicotine and drugs have an extremely negative effect on joints, bones and blood vessels.
8. Change your diet. It is worth reducing the amount of salt, spices, sugar and flour consumed in the daily menu. Avoid fast food, especially those cooked in oil, sugary sodas and juices.
9. Make a menu taking into account the need for trace elements and vitamins. Pay attention to vegetables and fruits, lean fish and meat.
10. Drink clean water in sufficient quantities.
11. Once every few months, have a course of maintenance massage. Do regular self-massage if you feel tired in the shoulder area.

If, despite all efforts to maintain health, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine appears, then only a doctor can determine how long the disease will be treated after a thorough diagnosis. However, to prevent the recurrence of an exacerbation, a person with such a diagnosis should remember the rules of a healthy life throughout his life.