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Cervical osteochondrosis: treatment and symptoms

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifests itself with pain

Neck pain is a warning sign.Maybe it's just exhaustion and you need to rest and relax.But what if the pain is associated with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?It is important to pay attention to symptoms and treatment, because complications can affect the most important organ - the brain.

What is cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative disease of the body's osteochondral system.It leads to the destruction of the cervical intervertebral disc, the growth of vertebral bone tissue, and the formation of growths on its surface.

The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, the first of which articulates with the skull.The anatomical and functional unit of the spine is the motion segment of the spine.This is the articular complex that causes the spinal column to move.This complex consists of two vertebrae, intervertebral discs, articular surfaces of vertebrae (facets), nerves, ligaments and muscles.

Osteochondrosis begins with damage to the intervertebral disc and affects all surrounding tissues.Over time, the process leads to a biomechanical disruption of the spine as a whole.With the development of osteochondrosis, herniated intervertebral discs and compression of nerve roots and blood vessels can form.

The pathological process in the intervertebral disc goes through four stages: malnutrition, weakening of the ligaments, disc damage and nerve compression.

  • Stage 1

    The nutritional and metabolic state of the intervertebral disc is disturbed.Due to its structure, the disc is only powered while in motion.If it is not there, degenerative changes in the tissue begin: the disc is starved and dehydrated.Loss of water leads to the fact that the intervertebral discs are unable to perform the function of shock absorption.The load on the fibrous ring increases, cracks and tears appear in it.At this point, a little pain may appear.

  • Stage 2

    In the second stage, the ligamentous apparatus of the spinal movement segment becomes weak.Connections become pathologically mobile.The pathological process in the disc worsens, a hernia (prolapse) begins - leakage of the nucleus pulposus through a crack in the fibrous ring.The pain becomes periodic.

  • Stage 3

    Subsequently, the intervertebral disc is permanently damaged.The nucleus pulposus of the disc extends beyond the annulus fibrosus.The resulting hernia can affect nerve roots.The inflammatory process develops.This is indicated by worsening pain, which is called radicular syndrome.

  • Stage 4

    In the fourth stage, the lesion affects nearby tissues.Compression of the radicular artery is possible, which leads to insufficient blood supply to the spinal cord.As a result, parts of the spine can become completely immobile.

First signs and symptoms

At the beginning of the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, discomfort, limitation of movement, and pain in the neck area appear.Often this matter is not given importance.

Over time, the pain increases, becomes aching, burning, headache, neck, shoulder blade, shoulder pain - maybe this is developing vertebral artery syndrome.Arteries become pinched or spasmed, and blood flow is disrupted.

At stage 1-2 of cervical osteochondrosis, ophthalmological problems related to spasms in the vessels often arise.Darkness in the eyes, flickering, "floating" appearance, colored spots in front of the eyes - all these are symptoms of osteochondrosis.

The most common symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis:

  • Migraine, dizziness, nausea and cough;
  • Hearing impairment, pain in the ears, face;
  • Motor disorders in the arms and legs.The sensitivity of the skin on the head may disappear;
  • Pain in the hand.If the nerve root is pinched, then the entire area that sends the impulse may hurt or "fall off".

In addition to the above symptoms, three main pain syndromes can be distinguished:accompanying osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.A syndrome is an entire complex of symptoms.Determining the main pain syndrome is important, because the entire treatment regimen is based on eliminating pain.But it is impossible to eliminate it without knowing its origin.

  1. Myofascial syndrome- pain in skeletal muscles and adjacent fascia.This disorder is associated with overload, which causes spasms, hypertonicity, and painful nodes in the muscles (trigger points).
  2. Radicular syndrome- pain caused by prolonged compression of the spinal nerve root.The process of hernia formation in spinal osteochondrosis leads to pinched nerve fibers and the subsequent inflammatory response.The pain spreads along the nerves.
  3. Facet syndrome- pain in the vertebral joints.The vertebrae of the second cervical have articular processes that are connected to each other by facet joints.With osteochondrosis, the intervertebral disc is destroyed, its height decreases, and this leads to the fact that the articular capsule of the facet joints is in constant tension.It causes pain.Moreover, the pain increases towards the end of the day, especially with prolonged forced postures.

Causes of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine

One of the main causes of osteochondrosis is the evolutionary incompatibility of the spine to high vertical loads.Human ancestors walked on four legs, like other mammals.They do not suffer from osteochondrosis, because in the horizontal position of the body the intradiscal pressure is twice less than in the vertical position.By evolutionary standards, the transition to an upright posture occurred not long ago, and the spine did not have time to adapt to high vertical loads.So, along with walking upright, a person also gets diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The structure of the human neck makes it more vulnerable.The human cervical region consists of seven small movable vertebrae, which are articulated to each other like a child's pyramid.This structure can hardly be called stable outside the resting state.In addition, the muscular skeleton in this area is weak, and the load can be high - all this makes the neck vulnerable.Any injury is fraught with consequences.Even if the damage is in another part of the spine, the redistribution of the load can be the cause of osteochondrosis.

Another factor is aging.The formation of the skeleton and cartilage tissue is completed at the age of 21, and after that the irreversible aging process (degeneration) begins.Cartilage tissue nutrition is carried out only through diffusion, and if the intervertebral disc does not receive enough nutrients, it begins to deteriorate gradually.

In addition, the development of cervical osteochondrosis is promoted by:

  1. Autoimmune disease.They involve the body's own cells in the pathological process of cartilage tissue destruction.
  2. Infection, hormonal imbalance, slow metabolism - all these circulatory disorders can also serve as factors in the development of osteochondrosis.
  3. A sedentary lifestyle, working conditions in which a person spends most of his time in a forced static position.
  4. High loads that lead to injury can cause compression.
  5. Genetic defects related to the weakness of the musculoskeletal system and the weakness of cartilage tissue.

The spinal canal in the cervical spine is very narrow, the load is high, any disturbance or injury can cause compression of the spinal cord.And this is very dangerous.

In addition, a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels pass through this area.If blood stops flowing to the brain in the right amount, a stroke may occur.

Diagnostics

During the initial diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, the doctor collects the patient's medical history.He knows what hurts and how, with what intensity, during exercise or rest, at what time of day it hurts more, whether there is an injury to the cervical spine.

During the neck examination, the doctor feels the cervical vertebrae and muscles, lymph nodes;assess range of motion, exclude or confirm radicular syndrome.

After this, to exclude autoimmune diseases, laboratory diagnostics are set: general blood count, ESR, rheumatoid factor, HLA B27 antigen.

The main role in making the diagnosis is played by radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

  • Radiographyhelps assess the state of the bone structure;soft tissue and cartilage are not displayed on the image.To visualize this structure, a contrast agent is injected: angiography, discography, myelography.
  • Computed tomography (CT).This method also uses the principle of radiography, but with the help of computer processing it is possible to obtain a series of images of longitudinal and transverse sections in which bone tissue and cartilage can be seen.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).It is the "gold standard" in the diagnosis of pathology, including cartilage and soft tissue.MRI provides insight not only into the structure of organs and tissues, but also into their function.In the case of osteochondrosis, a frequent complication is spinal hernia.MRI allows you to diagnose the process of hernia formation at an early stage.

Treatment

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine comes to conservative methods.First, the pain syndrome is relieved, and then various procedures are prescribed.But in the most extreme cases, when the pain does not go away for more than three months and the drugs do not help, surgery is the only option.

Non-surgical treatment methods

Osteochondrosis has affected the osteochondrosis system for many years, so treatment will take time.You have to be patient.Objectives of conservative treatment:

  1. Eliminate the pain.
  2. Relieves inflammation.
  3. Restores spinal root function.
  4. Strengthens the corset of muscles and ligaments.

Conservative treatment includes drug therapy and physical therapy.Medicines help relieve pain during exacerbations, and physiotherapy helps speed up the body's self-healing process.

During severe pain with radicular syndrome, the so-called "blockage" is performed: this drug is administered near the inflamed spinal nerve root.

Physiotherapy treatment is based on natural and artificial physical factors: cold, heat, electric current, magnetic radiation, laser and others.To recreate it, special devices, devices and manual techniques are used.

  • Laser therapy- biological activation of the intervertebral disc regeneration process.The body begins to heal itself.
  • Plasma therapy (PRP therapy)- injection of plasma isolated from the patient's blood.Plasma is rich in platelets, growth factors, and hormones.After the injection, local immunity increases and the regeneration process is launched.
  • Acupuncture- stimulation of nerve endings with special needles.Increases metabolism in the affected area, relieves pain.
  • Shock wave therapy- exposure to high frequency waves.Allows you to launch a natural recovery process.
  • Kinesitherapy- movement therapy.It can be active (physical therapy) and passive (massage, traction).Exercise therapy strengthens back muscles, traction relieves tension and pain.Selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
  • Manual therapy and massage- effects on soft tissues and joints to restore balance in the body and synchronize processes.Restore mobility and relieve pain.
  • Record- stick a special patch on the skin where it is necessary to influence the muscle stretch and compression receptors.It can relax and raise the tone.

During the period of acute pain, the patient is recommended to wear special bandages and collars on the neck to relieve the burden on the spine.

The positive effect of conservative treatment is achieved within 2-3 months.If there is no result, the patient is recommended to undergo surgery.

Surgical methods for treating osteochondrosis

Surgery in the case of cervical osteochondrosis is an extreme measure that requires special indications.Surgery is recommended if:

  1. Pain cannot be relieved by therapeutic treatment for more than 3 months.
  2. There is a herniated disc.
  3. Loss of sensation in the limbs.

Recovery after surgery also takes time and may include therapeutic treatment.

Cervical osteochondrosis is a complex degenerative disease.It should not be left untreated.Serious disorders such as in the musculoskeletal system can cause disability.Neck pain can be chronic, and osteochondrosis can spread to several parts of the spine.Timely prevention can prevent the development of this disease.

Prevention

To keep your cervical spine healthy, daily physical activity is necessary.Nutrition of the intervertebral disc occurs during movement, so it is very necessary.It is important that the load is optimal and constant.

If the work involves always being in a static position, periodic warm-ups are necessary.And at home after a working day, you can lie on your back for a while on a flat surface, placing a cushion under your neck.This method will help restore the cervical curve of the spine and relieve muscle tension.

In the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, the correct posture during sleep is important.If someone wakes up in the morning with a sore neck, it means that the muscles have not had time to rest and recover.Orthopedic pillows will help here, which are selected individually for 3-5 years.