Cervical osteochondrosis is a change in the structure of cartilage and nearby muscles and ligaments, resulting in a loss of their ability to regenerate. During the first stage of this process, the height of the intervertebral disc is gradually reduced. Because of this, metabolic processes at its core are disrupted, and cracks appear in the annulus fibrosus.
Osteophytes can develop on cartilage tissue and bones without prompt treatment. Because of this, the mobility of the cervical spine is significantly reduced, leading to a pronounced pain syndrome. According to studies conducted in many countries of the world, almost every person aged 30-35 has various signs of osteochondrosis.
Symptoms of different stages of osteochondrosis
Depending on the stage and severity of the disease, the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis can be:
- Headache;
- noise or tinnitus;
- severe nausea;
- lack of coordination;
- Pain and creaking when turning your head;
- Vision and hearing loss.
Don't forget that cervical osteochondrosis refers to a chronic disease whose symptoms depend on a certain stage of the disease's development. As a result, patients may experience signs that indicate a specific stage of cervical spine changes:
- Neck pain during physical activity and discomfort with normal head turning appear in the initial stages of the disease, when the height of the cervical discs decreases slightly.
- Severe pain and stiffness when turning the neck, creaking and headaches during abnormal cartilage growth, reduced disc height, and cracks in the annulus fibrosus.
- Chronic non-resolving acute pain in the neck, numbness and partial loss of sensitivity in the skin area of the neck when the annulus fibrosus ruptures to form an intervertebral hernia and spinal deformity were recorded.
Loss of mobility in the neck and upper shoulder girdle with prolonged severe pain is one of the clear signs of cervical osteochondrosis of the 4th degree, when numerous osteophytes develop and the disc structure is gradually replaced by scar tissue.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
The main cause of cervical spine problems is imbalance and overloading. Typically, osteochondrosis occurs due to age-related changes in the spine, cervical spine injury, or metabolic disorders. In addition, the following factors contribute to the appearance of this disorder:
- genetic susceptibility. If a person is born with weak connective tissue, he may experience impaired cervicothoracic function.
- Vertebral instability. Increased mobility of the upper spine often leads to worsening of the depreciable properties of the disc.
- musculoskeletal disorders. Cervical spine mobility is often reduced due to skeletal dysplasia, scoliosis, flat feet, and rheumatic diseases.
- low physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to deformed vertebrae and degeneration of connective tissue.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
In order to determine the cause of the disease, the patient must be investigated and examined to determine the extent of movement in the painful area and spine, and to assess the quality of reflexes.
There are various methods used to diagnose this disorder, including:
- Radiography and Multislice Computed TomographyThese instrumental diagnostic methods have been shown to be most suitable for identifying changes in the cervical spine at a later stage of disease development, when lesions of the bone and spinal cartilage become clearly visible.
- Magnetic resonance imaging. At present, in order to determine the changes that occur in the cervical spine, this diagnostic method is most often used, because with its help doctors can detect the disease at its earliest stages.
- Dual scan of head and neck arteries. This type of instrumentation is performed to assess blood flow quality and to identify vasoconstriction. Doctors most often use this method to determine the cause of a patient's headaches and dizziness.
In addition, ultrasonography, electrocardiogram of the heart, blood and urine tests of nearby organs may be required.
Expert Opinion
Although there is no complete cure for this disease, you shouldn't be too afraid of it either. Almost any manifestation of the disease can be minimized if appropriate measures are taken in a timely manner. For example, you need to learn how to constantly monitor the correct position of the body, as this can increase the load on the spine. In addition, we must not forget that some exercises are dangerous to the cervical spine.
I strongly advise many of my patients to avoid competitive sports with various risks of injury. The best options are good for hiking, skiing and swimming. This physical activity will have a positive effect on all parts of the spine.
Conservative treatment of osteochondrosis
If cervical spondylosis is detected early, conservative treatment is used. They allow you to prevent further progression of the disease, relieve unpleasant symptoms and restore mobility in the upper spine.
Conservative treatments for cervical osteochondrosis include:
- medical treatement.In such cases, doctors prescribe medications to effectively relieve pain and stop the inflammatory process. In addition, modern means help to restore blood circulation. Hormones, analgesics, chondroprotectants, muscle relaxants, and other drugs are used for these purposes in the form of tablets and injections in most cases.
- Physiotherapy.Often, physical therapy is prescribed as an adjunct to medication. This can be therapeutic massage, acupuncture, laser irradiation, magnetic therapy, UHF therapy, and other procedures that help relax neck muscles, eliminate spasms, and normalize blood circulation.
- physiotherapy.This is a very important part of cervical spine treatment. The truth is that specific physical exercises not only help to strengthen the muscle structure and straighten the posture, but also help to improve the blood supply to the upper part of the spine. First, the doctor chooses a set of 6-8 exercises, then adds new ones, gradually increasing the amount of physical activity.
Surgical treatment of osteochondrosis
In the absence of the effect of conservative treatment methods or in advanced cases of the disease, it is necessary to use surgical methods for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. The main task of the surgeon is to relieve pressure on structures such as nerve roots, arteries, spinal cord, etc. in the corresponding area.
To solve this problem, the following types of cervical spine surgery are used:
- MicrodiscectomyDuring this period, doctors perform a herniectomy under the control of a microscope, with incomplete or total removal of the intervertebral disc;
- Laminectomy, which can partially or completely remove the vertebral arch, spinous process, facet joints and ligaments to reduce the load on the root of the spinal cord;
- endoscopic surgeryRemoval of hernias, tumors and degenerative dystrophic changes through the use of micro-channels of the endoscope;
- laser nucleoplastyA puncture hole is used to insert the laser light guide, which is necessary to remove small fragments of the disc nucleus.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
Many patients mistakenly believe that cervical osteochondrosis disappears immediately after conservative treatment or surgery. But any treatment can only stop or slow the progression of the disease. This is why, after a course of treatment, a person must observe the following measures to prevent cervical osteochondrosis:
- lead a healthy and active lifestyle;
- Avoid lifting heavy objects;
- sleeping on orthopaedic mattresses and pillows;
- go to the swimming pool regularly;
- carry out a series of exercise;
- Be careful when turning your head;
- Maintain a balanced diet.
recovery
The rehabilitation plan is based on the pathological stage, the patient's state of health, and his age, weight and general health. The program may include medical massage, exercise therapy, and physical therapy. This will help improve health and avoid complications and relapses.
Questions and Answers
Which doctor should I contact for cervical spine problems?
Diagnosis and treatment of these problems are performed by neurologists and traumatologists.
What medicines can relieve cervical pain?
After examination and thorough diagnosis, pain relievers should be prescribed by an experienced physician.
If I don't play sports at all, how likely is it that I have a problem with my spine?
Unfortunately, spinal problems end up in almost everyone. To avoid serious complications, it is necessary to exercise regularly, and take preventive chondroprotective agents and multivitamins.