Do you feel back pain and numbness in your extremities?These are the first signs of osteochondrosis.Insufficient lifestyle mobility, sedentary work, and stress on the neck and spine cause cartilage to wear down and lose moisture, leading to damage.
With cervical osteochondrosis, degenerative changes occur in the intervertebral discs.Not only the discs are damaged, but also the vertebrae and joints in the cervical region.If the disease is not treated for a long time, the patient's general well-being worsens: constant headaches, the appearance of a vertebral hernia, deterioration of cerebral circulation, as a result of which cognitive functions decrease.
Reasons for the development of osteochondrosis.
An incorrect sitting position, in which the neck is pulled forward, leads to the development of cervical diseases.In this case, excessive pressure occurs on the intervertebral discs, which causes changes in the nucleus pulposus and compression of blood vessels.This is the position that a person adopts in the workplace in front of a computer.Therefore, office workers are most exposed to the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Also, the reasons for the development of pathology can be:
- improper load distribution when transporting bags;
- excessively soft sleeping place (the spine bends unnaturally);
- genetic predisposition;
- lack of vitamins and microelements in the diet;
- disorders of the endocrine system;
- curvature of the spine and poor posture during active growth of the body;
- injuries of the cervical vertebrae;
- Presence of bad habits.
Stages of the disease
Only an experienced doctor, after examination and palpation, will be able to determine whether your pain symptoms are signs of the development of cervical osteochondrosis and at what stage of development of the disease.In total, cervical osteochondrosis goes through four stages of development:
- Nucleus pulposus: the central part of the intervertebral disc during the first stage suffers moderate dehydration.As a result, the support and cushioning functions of the intervertebral discs are gradually lost.During the first stage, you will experience pain with sudden movements, hypothermia, and when staying in one position for a long time.
- The second stage of development is characterized by the appearance of congestion and spasms, which compress the capillaries and blood vessels, preventing normal blood circulation.As a result, the structure of the intervertebral disc becomes thinner and a bulge is formed (protruding forward or backward).Under the influence of excessive load, osteophytes form in the cervical vertebrae.Pain sensations are localized in one place;with sharp turns and tilts of the head, dislocations of the cervical vertebrae may occur.
- Extrusions form as a result of thinning of the intervertebral discs.The edge of the nucleus pulposus breaks the annulus fibrosus and extends beyond the edges of the vertebral body.Muscles and nerve endings are compressed.Pain is felt in the neck, back and extremities.
- In the fourth stage of the disease, the intervertebral discs shift and central and lateral hernias form.Additionally, scars form on the discs, causing immobility of the affected joint.The patient experiences constant back pain, which radiates to other parts of the body, a constant feeling of fatigue, and asymmetry of body parts occurs.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
The symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifest themselves differently depending on the stage of development of the pathology.In the early stages it can occur with virtually no symptoms.Pain in the neck and back may only appear if you stay in one position for a long time or if you bend or turn suddenly.
In later stages of development, a cracking sound is heard in the spine, back pain radiates to other limbs, and numbness occurs in parts of the body.During osteophyte formation and extrusion the following occurs:
- headaches in the nape of the neck and in the parietal part;
- speech disorders and numbness of the tongue;
- decreased sensitivity of the skin on the neck;
- respiratory disorders;
- changes in blood pressure;
- heartbeat disturbances;
- noise and congestion in the ears;
- fainting.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in women are much more pronounced than in men.This is due to the fact that women have a predisposition to vascular diseases and a more fragile structure of the bone segments of the spine.Signs of the disease begin to appear when the intervertebral discs change.This causes a disturbance in normal blood circulation and causes severe headaches, dizziness and neuroses.An exacerbation of the disease in women often occurs during menopause, when the body is subject to hormonal changes.
The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men are similar to those in women;Erectile dysfunction can be observed separately.
Headache with cervical osteochondrosis is caused by poor circulation in the brain and spinal cord.When the vertebrae become misaligned, they compress the arteries and the oxygen content in the blood decreases.Unfortunately, that pain may not go away even after taking strong pain relievers.Therefore, it is important to approach the solution to the problem comprehensively.Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis may be accompanied by darkening of the eyes and the appearance of tinnitus.This occurs because spasmed muscles cause a reduction in oxygen supply to the brain.
A lump in the throat with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as well as burning, shortness of breath and muscle spasms, are common.The disease causes compression of nerve fibers from the cervical spine to the head and neck.Alterations in nerve impulses cause a sore throat.
Due to spasms of blood vessels and irritation of nerve endings, sudden increases in blood pressure occur.The increased lower pressure in osteochondrosis indicates that the blood supply to certain areas of the brain is disturbed, since the intervertebral discs compress the vertebral artery.As a result, oxygen starvation occurs and blood pressure increases.
How is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine diagnosed?
Diagnosis of pathology begins with consultation with a specialist.At the first manifestations of osteochondrosis, consult a rheumatologist, neurologist, surgeon or traumatologist-orthopedist.The doctor will ask you about the symptoms and how often they occur;it is necessary to provide the specialist with a complete medical history and the results of previous studies (if any).The specialist will perform a visual examination and palpation and refer you for testing.During the examination, the doctor pays special attention to neck mobility, muscle tone, skin sensitivity and identifies the most painful areas.
To identify the condition of muscles, ligaments, blood vessels and detect inflammatory processes or tumors, an informative and safe diagnostic method is prescribed - MRI of the cervical spine.During an MRI of osteochondrosis, the patient lies on his back on a special sliding table.Rollers are placed on the patient's head to relieve muscle tension, and the limbs are secured with belts.Any slight movement during the procedure can affect the quality of the result.The table then moves to the CT scanner area.The procedure does not cause pain.The CT scanner makes a lot of noise during the scan, so you can use headphones to avoid disturbances.
If MRI is contraindicated, there are other diagnostic methods such as CT and x-ray.Radiography is suitable only for primary diagnosis and does not provide a layer-by-layer image of the affected tissue.However, this study is the simplest and cheapest and allows you to examine the patient's body in several projections.Due to the body's strong exposure to radiation, x-rays cannot be performed frequently.
During a CT scan, a scan is performed using one or more beams of ionizing rays.They pass through the human body and are registered by detectors.The detectors move along the patient's body in opposite directions and record up to 6 million signals.The image shows tissues of different densities with precise definition of organ boundaries and affected areas in section form.The procedure allows you to obtain an image layer by layer.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis will be determined only by a doctor after an examination, a study of medical history and obtaining the results of hardware diagnostics.If the disease was diagnosed at an early stage, treatment will be carried out using conservative methods.In the treatment of osteochondrosis, it is important to follow an integrated approach: taking medications, carrying out physiotherapy, performing therapeutic massages and avoiding intense physical activity.
First of all, it is necessary to relieve pain.For this, topical analgesics and analgesics are prescribed.For severe muscle spasms, a neck brace is prescribed.After the pain syndrome is eliminated, it is necessary to stop the inflammatory process and restore normal blood circulation.For this, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapy is carried out.As additional measures, therapeutic exercises and swimming are prescribed.You can do physical exercise both at home and with a trainer.
If osteochondrosis has become severe, the doctor may prescribe surgery.Surgery is resorted to in rare cases, when the pathology develops against the background of other diseases: scoliosis, herniated intervertebral discs, curvature or displacement of the spine, injuries.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in women is not particularly different from treatment in men.However, doctors often recommend that women apply external compresses to warm and strengthen their neck muscles.
Experts recommend preventing various back diseases from early childhood.To do this, you must form correct posture while walking and sitting at your desk.Eating well and properly strengthening your back muscles will help you avoid negative consequences in the future.