Diseases of the musculoskeletal system are one of the most common diseases on earth.Few people manage to avoid them completely, especially after the age of 40, although experts admit that problems with the spine, muscles and joints have become “younger”, and the very young are increasingly complaining of pain.
This is due to a lifestyle that has already become familiar to many: inactivity, prolonged stay in one position (most often behind devices and monitors), lack of physical activity.As a result, posture is disturbed, salts and other harmful substances accumulate in the body, the functions of the musculoskeletal system are disturbed, and as a result, internal organs can be deformed.
The most common of these diseases is osteochondrosis, which affects both elderly and relatively young people, and among osteochondrosis - problems with the lumbosacral and cervical spine.The second most common type of osteochondrosis, cervical osteochondrosis, is an unpleasant disease and, in addition, it is progressive, without treatment it significantly worsens the way of life, even to the point of causing disability.This means that you should quickly recognize the symptoms of this disease and immediately contact an orthopedist or vertebrologist for treatment.
How does cervical osteochondrosis develop?
If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle or, due to his profession, remains in the same position for a long time, the risk of developing osteochondrosis is very high.As the disease progresses, changes occur in the intervertebral discs, they become deformed and change their structure.
Intervertebral discs are located between the vertebrae, their task is to support the spine, make it flexible and strong.There are seven vertebrae in the neck, with the help of which the head is supported and rotated, the neck is bent, etc.The cervical vertebrae are located very close to each other, so they are injured and displaced even with minor physical exertion.The danger of the disease lies in the fact that it affects the nerve endings of the spinal nerves, which damages the vessels that supply blood to the brain.In turn, the brain does not receive enough vital substances, which can lead to the development of other, more serious diseases that can lead to disability and even death of the patient.
There are many reasons for the appearance and development of cervical osteochondrosis.Among the most common and frequent reasons are the following:
- disturbed metabolism in the body, in particular in the cervical region, hormonal imbalance;
- salt deposition;
- low physical activity, sedentary lifestyle;
- staying in one position for a long time (in front of the computer, driving a car, etc.);
- poor nutrition;
- overweight;
- neck injuries and bruises;
- hypothermia of the body.
Osteochondrosis also occurs against the background of chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system, such as scoliosis or rheumatism.
In addition, a genetic predisposition of the body often leads to osteochondrosis.
But whatever the reasons, osteochondrosis should be treated as soon as the first symptoms appear.
Signs of cervical osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis in this part of the spine does not always occur suddenly and unexpectedly.Most of the time it develops slowly and the symptoms intensify over time and their number increases.The more the vertebrae are damaged and the nerve roots pinched, the more noticeable the symptoms are.
The first symptom you should pay attention to is pain of varying intensity in the cervical spine, which radiates to other parts of the body: the back of the head, forehead, ears, forearm, shoulders, chest, etc.If you feel pain, you should see a doctor to determine if it is really osteochondrosis, which often has symptoms similar to other diseases.
Other signs of osteochondrosis
- neck pain increases with effort or when turning the head;
- the patient feels numbness, burning or tingling in the extremities;
- Headaches and dizziness, loss of strength are common, the patient may complain of darkening and spots in the eyes, tinnitus;
- You may faint if you turn your head suddenly.
Cervical osteochondrosis is also characterized by:
- lack of coordination;
- pain in the heart area;
- impairment of vision and hearing.
Types of osteochondrosis
Depending on the type of pinched nerve and the nature of the disease, doctors distinguish several syndromes:
- radicular syndrome;
- vertebral artery syndrome;
- cardiac syndrome.
Radicular syndrome is pinching of the first pairs of cervical nerve endings.The pain is felt in the neck and radiates to the shoulder blade, lower back, shoulder, and forearm.
With vertebral artery syndrome, the patient experiences stabbing pain in the back of the head or temples, or burning pain in the neck, at the back of the head, which intensifies when turning the head, during sleep, when coughing and radiates to the chest and shoulder.
In cardiac syndrome, the symptoms initially resemble angina, but the pain does not go away after taking nitroglycerin, lasts several hours, and may intensify with movement and deep breathing.
Symptoms of damage to specific vertebrae.
Treatment of osteochondrosis is prescribed depending on the damaged nerve ending.There are eight in total, each of them is located above the cervical vertebra.It can be determined which vertebrae are affected by the symptoms corresponding to a specific nerve root.
Damage to the nerve ending and its characteristic pain.
- first and second sections: impaired sensitivity of the back of the head, pain in the parietal and occipital region;
- third section: numbness of the neck in the pinched area, speech disturbance, sensitivity of the tongue;occurs very rarely;
- fourth section: pain and numbness in the clavicle and/or shoulder, respiratory system disorders, pain in the heart area;
- fifth section: pain in the shoulder, pain on the outer surface of the shoulder, impaired sensitivity of the extremities;
- sixth and seventh sections: pain in the neck, shoulder blade, forearm, back, lower back, impaired sensitivity of the hands and fingers;most common injury;
- eighth section: pain in the neck, back, elbow, numbness of the fingers of all extremities, cyanosis of the legs and hands due to poor circulation, lack of sensitivity of the skin, radiating to the legs.
Diagnosis and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.
To reliably establish a diagnosis of "cervical osteochondrosis", it is necessary to consult a doctor.Many symptoms of osteochondrosis are similar to the signs of other diseases, so it is important not only to start treatment for osteochondrosis on time, but also not to overlook other pathologies.
If osteochondrosis is suspected and there are signs of pinched nerve endings, the doctor prescribes an x-ray;if there is insufficient data, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography, Doppler ultrasound, and duplex scanning.
Based on the research data, the nature of the pain syndrome and the combination of other symptoms, it is possible to determine which discs are damaged and begin the necessary treatment that will restore the affected vertebrae and nerve roots and prevent the development of complications of osteochondrosis.
Treatment is prescribed by a doctor and is usually complex.First of all, you should relieve the symptoms of pain, which in cervical osteochondrosis are sometimes almost unbearable and spread not only to the neck, but also to other parts of the body.
For this, analgesics in tablets are used, but in case of too intense pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, as well as analgesic and warming ointments, are indicated.
Since medications and ointments only relieve pain and other symptoms of osteochondrosis of the neck, but do not eliminate its cause.Once the pain subsides, the patient is prescribed massage, physiotherapy and physiotherapy.The patient is prescribed a diet, medications that improve blood circulation and support body functions, in tablets and injections, as well as chondroprotectors that help protect and restore the tissue of the intervertebral disc.
In some cases, as additional treatment, the patient is prescribed baths, paraffin baths, reflexology and hirudotherapy.Traditional methods of treating cervical osteochondrosis often also quickly help the patient return to a normal lifestyle, but they should be used only in combination with traditional methods and after consulting with a doctor, since traditional medicine may have contraindications and the use of its recipes can harm an organism already weakened by the disease.
Complications and prevention of the disease.
Don't forget: treatment of cervical osteochondrosis should be started as soon as possible.The longer you wait to see a doctor, the more difficult it will be to cure the disease, and in the meantime, it can cause various complications.Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is very dangerous because this section contains many blood vessels and nerve plexuses that supply the brain.
Any alteration can cause problems with cerebral circulation, neurological disorders, including migraines and hypertension, and affect the heart, respiratory system, hearing and vision.
If osteochondrosis begins, more serious consequences are possible in the form of cerebral ischemia, spinal stroke or radiculopathy - a disease in which processes form on the affected vertebrae, which completely or partially deprive the body of sensitivity and mobility.But this is not the worst, since in severe cases of osteochondrosis the spinal cord is compressed, which can lead to the death of the patient.
Therefore, it is very important to listen to the symptoms as soon as possible and contact a specialist who will help you return to a full life.And to avoid a disease such as cervical osteochondrosis, it is necessary to move more, not avoid physical activity, control weight, eat a healthy and balanced diet and periodically visit an orthopedist or vertebrologist.