According to medical statistics, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a fairly common disease in recent years. Every person, at least once in their entire life, has encountered their unpleasant symptoms.
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 maximum constant load occurs.
The cervical region consists of 7 discs. Due to their weak muscles and constant loads on them, various injuries and work interruptions can occur. Due to all these factors, cervical osteochondrosis begins to develop.
Types of diseases
Osteochondrosis is an insidious disease that may not manifest itself for a long time. There are several stages in the development of this disease:
- cervical osteochondrosis of the first degree (manifested by initial disorders of the spine);
- cervical osteochondrosis of the second degree (the distance between the discs of the cervical spine begins to decrease);
- third-degree cervical osteochondrosis (complete destruction of the ring of intervertebral discs occurs, and severe deformation of the entire spine begins);
- fourth degree cervical osteochondrosis (the final stage of disease progression, which can lead to disability).
Causes of the appearance and development of the disease
Like any other ailment, cervical osteochondrosis has its own causes and developmental factors. Until a few decades ago, only the elderly were susceptible to this disease. In addition, osteochondrosis of the neck affects men after 40 years of heavy physical work.
Today, osteochondrosis of the neck is increasingly 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 excess weight;
- incorrect posture and, as a result, curvature of the spine of 1 or 2 degrees;
- hard physical work or professional sports, for which various spinal injuries were received;
- reasons that cause stress and severe emotional stress;
- weak muscles of the cervicothoracic region;
- abrupt cessation of sports after prolonged training;
- work associated with sitting in front of a computer or being in one position for a long time.
If you come across the listed 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 the disease.
With osteochondrosis of 1 degree, a person practically does not feel any symptoms of a developing disease. Only the initial pinch of the neck muscles begins.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine of the second degree usually manifests as minor pain that can occur in the cervical and thoracic segment. This happens due to pinching of the nerve endings due to a decrease in the distance between the discs of the spine.
Grades 3 and 4 of the disease cannot go unnoticed. In this case, the deformity of the spine can be noticed with the naked eye, not forgetting the sensations that a person experiences.
The main and most common symptoms of this disease include:
- severe and persistent headaches;
- buzzing in the head;
- impaired movement and coordination;
- deterioration of vision and dental health;
- stroke, insomnia and various neurological problems.
At 1, 2, 3, or 4 degrees of disease, pain can spread to the shoulder joint area and arms. A characteristic 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 head turns.
Disease syndromes
All the symptoms that appear in osteochondrosis can be incorrectly substantiated, and as a result, an incorrect diagnosis is possible. Therefore, with the existing symptoms, it is necessary to know all the reasons for their appearance. Thus, medicine knows several syndromes that distinguish between the causes of its origin:
Root syndromes
In this case, the nerves are pinched and the person feels pain and numbness in one part of the neck. Unpleasant sensations can spread to the back, the area of the scapula, as well as the arm;
Irritated reflex syndromes
It manifests itself by severe and excruciating pain in the back of the head, which spreads throughout the neck. Most of the time it occurs with a sudden movement or a turn of the head;
Vertebral artery syndrome
In this case, the name speaks for itself. There is a pinch of the artery and the person feels a severe throbbing headache, which can result in loss of consciousness or vomiting;
Cardiac syndrome
Manifested by increased heart rate, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. Very often, in this case, an incorrect diagnosis is made and the treatment of angina pectoris begins.
Treatment
With osteochondrosis, a person is always shown immediate treatment. Their tactics are chosen based on the degree of the disease. So, at 1 or 2 degrees, a full recovery after therapy is possible. In the later stages, medical correction is generally aimed at preventing complications and improving quality of life.
First aid
What to do when the first symptoms of the disease appear? You must first relieve pain in the cervicothoracic region. To do this, you need to take a regular pain reliever, lie down, or just relax.
The next step is to visit a doctor to get the correct diagnosis and proper treatment.
Conservative treatment
With confirmed osteochondrosis, conservative treatment is usually prescribed. The patient is shown taking anti-inflammatories and pain relievers. Various gels or ointments can be used to relieve swelling and inflammation. Also, the doctor can 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, an operation is possible. In this case, the patient is put into a state of sleep with the help of general anesthesia, after which removal of the bone formations between the discs of the cervicothoracic spine is performed. After manipulation, the patient is shown further conservative treatment or physical therapy.
Precautionary measures
Due to the decrease in the age of onset of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, it is necessary for each person to carry out its prevention. This is especially true for those who are at risk.
Important rules
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis consists of following simple but very important rules:
- watch your posture, do not allow it to bend;
- do not expose the spine to heavy loads;
- you can not make sudden movements of the head;
- do not be nervous, avoid stress;
- don't catch a cold, don't get too cold;
- get rid of bad habits, switch to proper nutrition.
Special exercises
To protect yourself from such an ailment, you need to do preventive exercises:
- place the palm of your hand on your forehead, tighten your neck muscles, then move your hand to the back of your head and repeat the exercise, you need to do it for 7 seconds in 3 sets;
- put the palm of the hand on the temple, then also tighten the neck muscles, repeat a similar action on the other hand, time, the number of approaches is the same as in the first paragraph;
- throw your head back, then slowly reach your chin to the chest area, you need to do the exercise 3 times;
- turn your head in different directions; you should 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 occur, contact your doctor immediately. They may just prescribe physical therapy and this will be the end. Do not delay, do not start the disease.
Do your daily gymnastics. It is better to do elementary exercises than to suffer a disease later.
Ask your doctor how to sleep for cervical osteochondrosis. Follow all the rules, stay healthy!