Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

Osteochondrosis of the neck is a degenerative disease in which literally "premature aging", "wear" of the intervertebral discs, joints and vertebrae of the cervical spine occurs.

Some information about the disease:

• Osteochondrosis of the neck occurs in men and women with approximately the same frequency.
• People between 30 and 60 years old are the most affected.
• As a rule, pathology occurs in people who at work have to constantly be in one position and make monotonous movements.
• The cervical spine has some structural features, so the disease can have many different manifestations.

What features of the cervical spine cause the symptoms of osteochondrosis?

• There are openings in the lateral processes of the vertebrae: the carotid arteries, which supply blood to the brain, pass through them to the right and to the left.
• The initial part of the spinal cord passes through the cervical region: it contains fibers that carry nerve impulses to all parts of the body and provide movement and sensation.If the spinal cord is compressed in the neck, neurological disorders occur throughout the body.
• This part of the spine has high mobility and this predisposes to the appearance of osteochondrosis (although, in most cases, the disease still develops in the lumbar region - it not only has high mobility, but also experiences the greatest stress).
• In the neck area, nerve roots emerge from the intervertebral foramina and form the cervical and brachial nerve plexuses.They are responsible for the movements of the muscles of the neck, arms, shoulder girdle, skin sensitivity and regulation of autonomic functions.
• The first vertebra does not have a massive front part, a body, but a ring of bone that fits the tooth, a bone growth on the second vertebra.Thanks to this, it is possible to turn the head to the sides.

Neck pain, headaches, feeling of weakness, numbness in the hands are symptoms that should make you consult a neurologist.An examination by a specialist and an examination using modern equipment will help you understand the causes of the pathology and take the most effective measures.

What happens to vertebrae with cervical osteochondrosis?

The obscure medical term "degenerative process" refers to the following pathological changes that occur in the cervical spine:

• First of all, the damage of osteochondrosis affects the intervertebral discs.They become thinner, thus reducing the distance between adjacent vertebrae.Small tears and microcracks form on its outer parts.Over time, this can lead to a herniated disc.
• As a result of disc damage, the stability of the vertebral connection is disturbed.
• The intervertebral joints also suffer from osteochondrosis of the cervical region - spondyloarthrosis develops.It also contributes to the compression of nerve roots.
• The pathological process extends to the vertebrae themselves.Due to the fact that the functions of the intervertebral discs are disturbed, the load on them increases.The spine tries to compensate for this violation and bone growths appear - osteophytes.

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

During an exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebra, traction is used (the patient is placed on a bed with a raised headboard and the head is fixed with a special loop) to relieve the intervertebral discs.For the same purpose, you should use a Shants necklace.Analgesics and anti-inflammatories are prescribed to relieve pain.For severe pain that does not go away, the doctor may perform a block: injecting an anesthetic solution into the area of the affected nerve roots.Physiotherapy is used: ultrasound treatment, electrophoresis with novocaine.

When the exacerbation subsides, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine involves massage, physiotherapy and physiotherapy.

One of the main signs of cervical osteochondrosis is neck pain.Many people who are faced with this symptom do not go to the doctor, but prefer to treat "chondrosis" with home methods.There are at least two good reasons to refuse self-medication and consult a specialist doctor.

First of all, painkillers and traditional methods, although they help temporarily relieve pain, do not solve the main problem.Pathological changes in the spine continue to increase.Over time, this can have more serious consequences.To the point where surgery may be necessary.

Secondly, neck pain occurs not only with osteochondrosis.There are many other reasons.Only a doctor can understand and prescribe the correct treatment.

What symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should make you see a doctor?

The main symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is pain.It can occur in different places, depending on the level at which the pathological process is located: in the neck, in the shoulder girdle, in the arm, in the region of the heart.The pain is dull in nature and may be burning or aching.

Other manifestations of the disease:

• Headaches, dizziness, spots before the eyes, noises, ringing in the ears.
• Weakness in the muscles of the neck, shoulder girdle and arms.
• Altered skin sensitivity.
• Humeral periarthritis: painful pain in the neck extending to the arm, difficulty abducting the arm above 90°, weakness and atrophy of the muscles of the shoulder girdle.
• Shoulder-hand syndrome: shoulder and hand pain, swelling and stiffness of the fingers, weakness and atrophy of the hand muscles.
• Vertebral artery syndrome.Bone growths appear on the vertebrae, which compress the nerves, causing a reflex spasm of the vertebral artery, which is involved in the blood supply to the brain.Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include constant headaches that start at the back of the head and spread to the temples, crown, nausea, noises in the head, ringing in the ears, and flashing bright spots before the eyes.
• Anterior scalene syndrome.In the neck are the anterior and middle scalene muscles;They are close and between them there is a small space through which nerves and blood vessels pass.With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the anterior scalene muscle becomes tense and compresses them, which causes symptoms such as pain on the inner surface of the forearm, shoulder and fingers.Sometimes the pain radiates to the back of the head.The skin on your hand may become cold, pale, and numb.
• Epicondylitis syndrome.At the bottom of the shoulder, on the sides of the elbow joint, there are bony protrusions - epicondyles.In epicondylitis syndrome caused by cervical osteochondrosis, pain occurs in them, which intensifies when pressing.Other symptoms also occur: neck pain, pain when pressing certain points on the cervical vertebrae.

If two parts of the spine are affected at once, with cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms may include pain between the shoulder blades, in the area of the heart.

With osteochondrosis, the risk of intervertebral hernia and stroke increases.If you experience the symptoms listed above, see your doctor.

It is better not to self-medicate.Even if you have proven methods that generally help to deal with pain, this does not mean that you are doing everything right.

Pain can be caused not only by osteochondrosis, but also by intervertebral hernia, muscle disorders (myofascial pain syndrome) and be a symptom of other diseases.To properly treat a disease, it is necessary to know its causes and perform a differential diagnosis.This is only possible in a clinical setting.

To identify the cause of the disease and correctly treat the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, it is necessary to visit a neurologist and undergo an examination.

Cervical osteochondrosis is based on damage to the intervertebral discs.Their chemical composition is altered, first they swell, then they decrease in size, cracks and tears appear on the outside and they become more dense.Then, the degenerative process spreads to the vertebrae and intervertebral joints.By reducing the height of the intervertebral disc, the load on the vertebrae increases and bone growths (osteophytes) appear.

What causes lead to the appearance of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?

There is no consensus on the causes of cervical osteochondrosis.The disease is believed to be caused by different conditions, there are different points of view:

• Age-related changes in the spine..However, almost all people over 40 years of age have skeletal changes, but not all of them develop osteochondrosis.
• Neck injuries.Often the causes of the disease include previous trauma: neck hematoma, compression fracture, vertebral subluxation.Chronic injuries can be important, for example, during intense training in athletes, constant work in uncomfortable positions, slouching, and repetitive whiplash injuries in motorists.
• Congenital vertebral anomalies: cervical ribs, fusion of adjacent vertebrae, fusion of the first vertebra with the occipital bone, etc.
• Profession.More often, the disease affects people who work in a monotonous position and constantly perform the same type of movements.
• Poor blood supply to the spine., venous insufficiency, swelling in the area of nerve roots.
• Autoimmune disorders.Conditions in which the immune system does not function properly and attacks the body's own connective tissue and ligaments.

Visit a neurologist.An experienced specialist will understand the origin of your health problems and prescribe the correct treatment.

Causes of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.

Osteochondrosis occurs in the form of alternating exacerbations and periods of improvement, when the symptoms stop bothering for a while.Another exacerbation can be provoked by the following reasons:

• Clumsy and sudden movement of the neck.
• Staying in a monotonous and uncomfortable position for a long time.For example, your neck may start to hurt after working for a long time at the computer or after sleeping on an uncomfortable pillow.
• Stress, nervous tension.With chronic stress, spasms occur in the neck muscles, which can lead to another exacerbation.
• Various diseases, exacerbations of chronic diseases.
• Hypothermia.For this reason, many people experience exacerbations in the fall.
• Incorrect and illiterate self-medication.For example, massage and therapeutic exercises are helpful during remission, but are contraindicated during an exacerbation.

What diseases can have similar manifestations?

Very often, the manifestations of "osteochondrosis" are actually associated with a completely different disease.For example, the cause may be hidden in the muscles;There is a condition called myofascial pain syndrome.The pain occurs due to constant tension in the same muscles.

Sometimes dizziness associated with otolithiasis, a condition in which crystals of calcium salts accumulate in the inner ear, is considered a manifestation of "cervical osteochondrosis."

Pain and crunching in the neck, headaches - when these symptoms appear, many people are "diagnosed" with osteochondrosis.Everything is clear: when it hurts, you need to take pain relievers or give yourself an injection, apply heat and everything will go away.Why go to the doctor if you can fix it yourself?

However, self-medication often does not lead to anything good.Painful attacks may become more frequent, severe, and prolonged over time.If you take pain relievers uncontrollably almost every day, you may have stomach or kidney problems.After all, any medication has side effects.

And the cause of pain is not always due to osteochondrosis.To find out the real reason and understand how to treat it effectively, you need to visit a doctor and undergo an examination.

How does a neurologist diagnose cervical osteochondrosis?What happens in the doctor's office during an exam?

During your first appointment, the neurologist will ask you some questions:

• How long have you been bothered by headaches or neck pain?
• Where does the pain occur?What is its nature: stinging, painful, stabbing, pulling?
• When does pain usually appear?What triggers it?After what do you feel better?
• Have you already visited a doctor?Have you been examined and treated?Which?How long ago?
• What other symptoms bother you?
• What other chronic diseases do you have?
• Have you recently had a neck injury?

The doctor will then perform a neurological exam and check your reflexes, skin sensitivity, strength, and muscle tone.You will be asked to turn, tilt your head to the sides, forward and backward.The doctor will lightly press on your head and certain points on your neck to determine the onset of pain.

After the examination, you will be diagnosed and the necessary diagnostic methods will be prescribed.

What diagnostic methods are used for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?

Cervical osteochondrosis examination usually includes the following diagnostic methods:

• X-ray of the cervical spine.
• Depending on the indications, radiological contrast studies are prescribed: myelography (injection of contrast into the space surrounding the spinal cord), discography (injection of contrast into the intervertebral disc), angiography (injection of contrast into the vessels).
• Computed tomography.
• Magnetic resonance imaging.
• If you have severe neurological disorders, you may be prescribed electroneuromyography, a study that determines the passage of electrical impulses in the nerves and muscles.

Often, the manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis resemble angina pectoris.If after the examination the doctor still has doubts about the diagnosis, he will prescribe an ECG and other diagnostic methods.