In the modern world, the coordination of the disease with cervical osteochondrosis can hardly be overestimated. Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is much more common than in other vertebral regions. Almost all people over the age of twenty-five have this disease, to one degree or another.
Cervical osteochondrosis develops mainly due to a sedentary lifestyle, which is greatly facilitated by a person's historical transition from physical work to mental work, which, although moderately, is accompanied by work in a sitting position.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a degenerative-dystrophic disease of the cervical spine, leading to intervertebral disc damage, which is generally common for osteochondrosis. Since this part of the spine is, by nature, quite mobile, but at the same time vulnerable due to a poorly developed muscular corset, therefore, any negative impact on the neck or back affects first of all the cervical region. Due to the fact that degenerative changes develop more often in the most mobile vertebral incisions, it is precisely the nerve endings at the C5 level. . . C7 most often suffering in the cervical region.
As the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are very controversial, they are not always considered as the only symptoms of this disease, which often leads to seeking help from specialists in other fields of medicine. Let's look at them in a little more detail.
Symptoms
Due to the fact that the cervical spine is quite compact, compared to other parts of it, even a slight tension in the neck muscles or the displacement of the cervical vertebrae of the spine can cause compression or stinging. which may also affect the ships in this section. Well, osteophytes - bone growths, in the folk remedy called "salt deposition" and formed in the developing conditions of the disease with cervical osteochondrosis, lead, as a result, only to a significant worsening of the course of the disease.
The clinical manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis, ie its symptoms, can be divided into reflex symptoms and radical symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include the so-called "lumbago", which is expressed by the appearance of sharp sharp pains in the neck and is significantly intensified by any movement. With this in mind, patients often take some kind of forced, more comfortable, head position. In addition, it is very likely that a typical "squeak" will occur during the turn or other movements of the head.
With cervical osteochondrosis, patients often experience compressive headaches that radiate to the eyeballs or temporal lobe of the head. In addition, sometimes at the same time, the sharpness of visual perception can be reduced, as if "everything floats before the eyes".
Spinal artery syndrome can also develop when its nerve plexus is irritated, which very often, due to dizziness in the patient, is misdiagnosed as a violation of blood circulation to the brain. Such a symptom of cervical osteochondrosis can be manifested by sudden movements of the head and is complicated by nausea and possible vomiting.
In addition to the above, the reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis also include a cardiac syndrome, in which there are sensations similar to an angina attack. But such a manifestation of symptoms of osteochondrosis is usually combined with a complex of other signs of this disease, so it usually does not cause difficulties in the correct diagnosis.
Radical symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
The radical symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, as a rule, occur due to compression of the end of the spinal nerve - the root. In this case, the sensory disturbances that affect motor functions depend entirely on which specific nerve root is injured, namely:
- C1 - reduced sensitivity in the back of the head.
- C2 - the appearance of pain in the parietal or occipital area of the head.
- C3 - violation of sensitivity and the appearance of pain in the neck, where the spinal cord was injured, with a very probable violation of the function of speech, due to loss of sensitivity of the tongue and control over it.
- C4 - onset of pain and decreased tenderness in the dorsal dorsal region, as well as pain in the heart and liver area, with concomitant decrease in neck muscle tone and possible respiratory disturbances.
- C5 - decreased sensitivity and pain on the outer surface of the shoulder.
- C6 - pain radiating from the cervical region to the scapula, the outer surface of the shoulder, the forearm and further from the wrist to the thumb.
- C7 - the same pain as in C6, but radiates from the scapula to the back of the shoulder and further from the forearm to the 2nd to 4th finger, with a decrease in tenderness in the area of pain.
- C8 - decreased sensitivity and pain from the neck to the shoulder and then from the forearm to the little finger.
Treatment
Cervical osteochondrosis is a rather complicated and extremely unpleasant disease, the treatment of which requires consistency, duration and stages. The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, first of all, aims at the complete cessation of the painful symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and the elimination of the inflammation in the neck area affected by the disease.
Patients in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are treated with classic analgesics, such as analgin, ketorol or baralgin. Although recently non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also widely used in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis of the spine, effectively relieving pain and reducing inflammatory activity.
Among other things, in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, chondroprotectors are also used, which slow down the process of destruction of cartilage tissues and, according to many experts, also contribute to the process of their regeneration. In addition, patients are prescribed the use of B vitamins, which improve metabolic processes in the patient's body.
But the use of external gels or ointments for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is not effective, but it makes sense, as during the process of rubbing them on the skin, an additional massage of the cervical spine is performed.
Physiotherapy procedures are additionally combined with the traditional drug treatment of cervical osteochondrosis and in particular, the use of magnetotherapy through special medical devices that have gained a worthy reputation among specialists and patients is particularly effective. In addition to the above, therapeutic massage, physiotherapy exercises and manual therapy are also used. However, in particularly severe cases of the disease, surgery may be required.
Prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervix
By itself, preventing osteochondrosis of the cervix is not difficult. Recommended:
- maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle,
- sports or at least morning exercises,
- competent organization of the workplace,
- compliance with the work and rest regime,
- during prolonged work in a sitting position - during working hours, warm up several times and ensure the correct position of the head and the correct posture during work.
It is also important to choose a comfortable pillow and mattress for sleeping. But for those who already suffer from this disease, the daily use of specialized orthopedic products for a comfortable sleep is strongly recommended.