Currently, according to medical statistics, almost all people between 25 and 30 years old complain about the symptoms of cervical chondropathy. This disease affects this part of the spine more often than other parts. Pathology is a progressive degenerative process that affects the discs and vertebrae located in the neck. This disease is equally common in men and women.
This is a dangerous and complex form of osteochondrosis, because there are large blood vessels in the neck that supply the brain and a large number of nerve endings. Abnormal innervation and blood flow reduce the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain.
Signs of disease
Even in the case of minor injuries, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are more pronounced than in other spine parts. This is due to the fact that the vertebrae of the neck are located close to each other and the height of the intervertebral discs is low. This anatomical feature contributes to the fact that osteochondrosis, nerve endings, spinal cord and blood vessels are more often compressed.
General symptoms:
- Pain syndrome;
- Weakness and decreased sensitivity of upper limbs;
- Restrict neck mobility;
- Impaired motor coordination;
- Often dizzy;
- General weakness;
- The sensory organs (hearing, vision, touch, taste) function decline.
The pain is usually located in the neck, radiating to the head, shoulders, and back of the arms. If the nerve roots responsible for innervation are clamped by damaged vertebrae, the upper limbs will be injured. The pain in the back of the head is caused by the spastic contraction of the neck muscles attached to the occipital bone and the blood circulation in the area.
If the nerve root is involved in the pathological process, the weakness of the patient's arm can be observed, which provides innervation for the muscle structure of the upper limb.
If there is bone growth on the cervical vertebrae, the height of the intervertebral discs is reduced, and the joints between the vertebrae are affected, there will be limited mobility and characteristic tightening when turning or tilting the neck.
The vertebrae in the neck have lateral protrusions that form root canals that extend from the arteries that supply blood to the human brain. With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the vertebrae are displaced and connective tissue grows on them. This causes compression of the cervical arteries, reducing the blood supply to the cerebellum and the back of the brain. As a result, a person is often dizzy, impaired movement coordination, and general weakness. In the late stage, if the arteries participate in the pathological process or are strongly squeezed, the blood supply of the cerebellum, occipital and brainstem will be greatly deteriorated. In this case, the function of the auditory organs, visual acuity decreases, and numbness of the tongue and fingers is observed.
The symptoms of the disease also depend on which of the eight vertebrae is affected by the degenerative or inflammatory process. Sensitivity and movement disorders are caused by damage to the roots of the spine, and these damages are affected by certain vertebrae. Relying on this, the following manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis can be observed:
- The first vertebra-the occipital bones of the neck and head are numb, and their sensitivity is reduced;
- Second-There is soreness in the crown and occipital region;
- Third-I feel soreness in the neck part where the compressed vertebral root is, decreased sensitivity, decreased taste intensity, and language barrier
- Fourth-the sensation of pain radiates to the shoulders and shoulder bones. The patient is worried about heart pain, respiratory diseases, and decreased neck muscle tension;
- Fifth-the appearance of neck pain.
- Sixth-neck pain radiating to the shoulder cap bone, felt in the forearm and thumb;
- Seventh-shoulder for bone, shoulder, forearm and finger pain (from second to fourth);
- Eighth-Pain spreads from the neck to the shoulders, forearms and little fingers.
According to the degree of disease, cervical osteochondrosis is divided into four grades. These are not the stage of the disease, but the severity of the symptoms, depending on the extent of the pathological process and the vertebrae it affects.
- At first glance, clinical symptoms are absent or few. The patient complained of mild pain and increased head movement. Treatments started at this stage of the disease will be effective. However, people often ignore the shocking symptoms or don't feel them, so they don't see a doctor.
- Exacerbation of the pathological process will exacerbate symptoms. In the second stage, the pain in the upper limbs and shoulder blades worsened. At this stage in the development of the degenerative process, the height of the intervertebral disc is reduced, and as a result the nerve fibers are clamped. This becomes the cause of increased pain. The second-grade osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is characterized by the appearance of headaches, deterioration of health and performance decline.
- The third level feature of cervical osteochondrosis is the formation of herniated disc herniation. The neck movement is limited, and palpation can cause severe pain. With this spread of the pathological process, the pain becomes constant and radiates to the upper limbs. The muscles on the occiput have a feeling of tension. The patient complained of frequent dizziness, general weakness, and numbness of hands.
- When the intervertebral disc is completely destroyed by the degenerative process, it is diagnosed as the fourth grade cervical chondropathy. It is replaced by fibrous tissue, which leads to a significant limitation of mobility. The spinal cord and neck blood vessels are affected. This change is characterized by a marked deterioration in the blood supply to the cerebellum and occipital region of the brain. Hypoxia can cause impaired motor coordination, impaired hearing, vision, tongue numbness, and speech impairment.
Processing method
When the first shocking symptom, neck discomfort, and a reaction from the nervous system appear, prompt medical treatment will prevent the development of degenerative changes. The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis includes a series of treatment measures. Where:
- taking medicine;
- Massage;
- Physiotherapy practice;
- Physical therapy procedures.
Under the guidance of a doctor, treatment is carried out at home and in the clinic. In some cases, a more thorough approach may be required before the patient is taken to the hospital.
Medications
The following types of drugs are used to treat cervical osteochondrosis:
- Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs;
- Cartilage protection agent;
- Muscle relaxants;
- Drugs for improving blood rheology parameters;
- Vitamin B
The doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the intensity of the pain and reduce the inflammation and swelling of the nerve roots. Cartilage protective agents can restore damaged cartilage tissue in the intervertebral disc. Muscle relaxants relax the neck muscles and relieve cramps. Drugs that improve blood flow can help restore damaged blood supply to the brain. B vitamins activate the metabolism in nerve tissue. If the pain is severe, the doctor may prescribe pain medicine. If the patient has severe pain syndrome, an analgesic can be used parenterally after the pain subsides, and then the medication can be switched.
In addition to drugs, patients can also use traditional methods to treat cervical osteochondrosis. Before using them, you need to consult a doctor to avoid conflicts between drugs and non-traditional methods. The torment and instillation of dill seeds, hop cones, and cloves help stop the inflammatory process and relieve pain.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is an effective way to combat cervical osteochondrosis. This type of technology must be used to treat the disease, so the following results can be obtained:
- Reduced pain intensity;
- Activate the repair of affected bone, cartilage and muscle tissue;
- Muscle cramps and tension are relieved;
- The inflammatory process stops;
- Improve the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the affected area and brain.
The following types of procedures are considered to be the most effective way to treat osteochondrosis:
- Drug electrophoresis (applying electric current to the affected area, in addition to activating blood flow and tissue recovery, it also improves the delivery of drug active substances to the tissues affected by the degeneration process);
- Ultrasound therapy (the metabolic process of the affected part is activated, soreness is reduced, and inflammation stops);
- Magnetic therapy (to relieve the swelling of the affected area and help reduce the intensity of pain);
- Laser therapy (improves blood circulation in the pathological process area, has an anti-inflammatory effect).
The doctor can also suggest acupuncture and cosmetic procedures.
Physiotherapy practice
Exercise should be done during the period when the acute manifestations of the disease cease. When doing gymnastics, there should be no discomfort and soreness.
The complex should be performed after stable remission is achieved to prevent recurrence.
- Lie on your stomach, raise your head and body, and lean on your hands. The back is straight, and the breathing is deep and even. Hold the position for a minute or two, then slowly enter the starting position. The number of repetitions is 3.
- Position-lying on the stomach, arms along the body. Turning his head slowly, he tried to touch his ear to the floor. Repeat 6 times on each side.
- Sitting or standing, tilt your head while inhaling, trying to reach your chest with your chin. As you exhale, gently pull your head back and lift your eyes to the ceiling. The number of repetitions is 10-15.
- A good exercise to strengthen the neck muscles is to press the forehead on the hand. To achieve this effect, you need to place your palm on your forehead, and press for 30 seconds on your palm. Repeat three times.
- Rotate the head. Exercise should be done slowly and smoothly. -10 turns in each direction. Dizziness during exercise is unacceptable. If this happens, you should stop immediately.
All exercises must be carried out steadily. Do not exercise suddenly to prevent deterioration of physical condition, nausea, dizziness, and stop immediately.
Massage
This course is prescribed by a doctor without acute pain and can only be conducted by experts with medical education. For this disease, it is not recommended to contact non-professionals.
The therapeutic effect of neck massage:
- Improve blood and lymph flow in the affected area;
- Muscles relax, spasms relieved;
- The intensity of pain is reduced.
Experts use the entire library of massage movements: stroking, rubbing, kneading, squeezing and vibrating.
Surgery
If conservative treatment does not yield results within six months, the patient suffers severe pain, and signs of nerve fiber damage and myelopathy are observed, surgery should be performed. If cervical osteochondrosis is accompanied by complications, there is a risk of stroke and the spinal cord is strongly compressed, and surgery must be performed.
According to the indications, the following types of surgical interventions are used:
- Endoscopic discectomy-removal of part or the entire disc;
- Laparotomy-removal of bone ligaments and overgrown bone tissue particles (usually combined with laminoplasty-installation of artificial plates to enlarge the spinal canal);
- Laser vaporization of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc-use a laser beam to split the nucleus of the intervertebral disc and destroy the damaged fragments at the same time;
- Cold plasma nucleoplasty-Use a long and thin hollow needle instead of an endoscope, insert it into the intervertebral disc, and deliver the electrode to the lesion through the needle, thereby producing a cold plasma effect.
The neck is a complex organ with large blood vessels, the spinal cord. They are easily damaged, so surgical intervention is used in no more than 5% of cases. Surgical treatment is usually accompanied by the development of complications. Where:
- Inflammatory process in spinal cord tissue or membrane;
- Osteomyelitis;
- Scarring causes narrowing of arteries and spinal cord.
Cervical spine surgery is difficult and requires a long recovery time. It takes six months or more for the patient to recover after surgery.
Prevention
To prevent the development of cervical chondropathy, it is necessary:
- Monitor the position of the spine and neck;
- Live an active lifestyle and do more;
- When doing physical exercises, you must be careful and pay attention to the correct execution, because even minor injuries can affect the condition of the musculoskeletal system.
- Pay attention to correct body posture during sleep, buy orthopedic or anatomical mattresses;
- Appropriately provide equipment for the workplace where people spend a lot of time;
- Participate in physical education regularly;
- Monitor your diet to ensure that it provides all the useful minerals needed for strong bones, especially magnesium and calcium;
- Constantly undergoing pharmacy inspections and found osteochondrosis in time.
Prevention will help prevent degenerative changes in the cervical spine, prevent pain, dizziness, numbness and other symptoms of discomfort.