Do you feel the pain in the back and numbness of the limbs?These are the first signs of osteochondrosis.Inadequate mobility in lifestyle, sitting work, load on the neck and spine lead to the fact that cartilage wears out and lose moisture, as a result of which they are damaged.
With cervical osteochondrosis, degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs occur.Not only discs are subjected to damage, but also the vertebrae and joints in the cervical region.If you do not treat the disease for a long time, the patient’s general health worsens: constant headaches, the appearance of vertebrates, deterioration in cerebral circulation, as a result of which cognitive functions are reduced.
The reasons for the development of osteochondrosis
An incorrect sitting position, in which the neck stretches forward leads to the development of a cervical ailment.In this case, excessive pressure on the intervertebral discs occurs, which leads to changes in nucleus pulposus and squeezing blood vessels.This position is a person occupies at the workplace in front of the computer.Therefore, office workers are most often subjected to the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
In addition, the causes of the development of pathology can be:
- improper load distribution when wearing bags;
- an overly soft sleeping place (the spine is bend in an unnatural form);
- genetic predisposition;
- lack of vitamins and trace elements in the diet;
- endocrine system disorders;
- curvature of the spine and violation of posture during the active growth of the body;
- injuries of cervical vertebrae;
- The presence of bad habits.
Stages of the disease
To determine whether your pain symptoms are signs of the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and what stage of the development of the disease can only be determined by an experienced doctor after examination and palpation.In total, cervical osteochondrosis passes four stages of development:
- Nucleus pulposus - the central part of the intervertebral disk at the first stage is subjected to moderate dehydration.As a result, the supporting and shock -absorbing functions of the intervertebral discs is gradually lost.At the first stage, you will experience pain with sudden movements, hypothermia and stay in one pose for a long time.
- The second stage of development is characterized by the appearance of stagnant phenomena and spasms that squeeze the capillaries and blood vessels, preventing normal blood circulation.As a result, the frame of the intervertebral disc is thinner, forming proprusion (protruding forward or backward).Under the influence of excess load on the cervical vertebrae, osteophytes are formed.Pain sensations are localized in one place, with sharp turns and tilts of the head, there can be dislocations of the cervical vertebrae.
- Extrusion is formed as a result of thinning of the intervertebral discs.The edge of the pulpoose nucleus breaks the fibrous ring and goes beyond the edges of the vertebral body.The muscles and nerve endings are squeezed.It is felt by pain in the neck, back and limbs.
- At the fourth stage of the disease, the intervertebral discs are shifted and formed by central and lateral hernias.In addition, scars are formed on the disks, which leads to the immobility of the affected joint.The patient experiences constant back pain, which is given to other parts of the body, a constant feeling of fatigue, asymmetry of parts of the trunk occurs.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifest themselves differently depending on the stage of development of pathology.In the early stages, it can occur virtually without the presence of signs.Pain in the neck and back can appear only in case of prolonged stay in one pose, sharp inclination or turning.
At the later stages of development, a crunch in the spine is heard, the pain in the back is given to other limbs, there is numbness of parts of the body.With the formation of osteophytes and extrusion, there are:
- headaches in the back of the head and parietal part;
- impaired speech and numbness of the language;
- decrease in the sensitivity of the skin of the neck;
- breathing disorders;
- Swear of blood pressure;
- heartbeat disorders;
- noise and stagnation 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 bone segments of the spine.Signs of the disease begin to appear when the intervertebral disc changes occurs.This leads to a violation of normal blood circulation and causes severe headaches, dizziness, and neurosis.An exacerbation of the disease in women often occurs during menopause, when the body is subject to changes on a hormonal background.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men are similar to female, erectile dysfunction can be separately observed.
The headache for cervical osteochondrosis is caused by circulatory disorders in the brain and spinal cord.When the vertebrae shift, they squeeze the arteries, and the oxygen content in the blood decreases.Unfortunately, such pain may not pass even after taking strong painkillers.Therefore, it is important to approach the solution of the problem comprehensively.Dizziness for cervical osteochondrosis may be accompanied by darkening in the eyes, the appearance of noise in the ears.This happens because Spasmed Muscles causes a reduction in oxygen access to the brain.
A lump in the throat with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as well as burning, difficulty breathing and muscle cramps - this is a common occurrence.The disease provokes squeezing the nerve fibers of the cervical spine to the head and neck.Disorders of nerve impulses cause sore throat.
Due to spasms of blood vessels and irritation of nerve endings, jumps in blood pressure occur.Increased lower pressure in osteochondrosis indicates that the blood supply to individual areas of the brain is disturbed, since the vertebral artery is survived by the intervertebral discs.As a result of this, oxygen starvation occurs, and blood pressure rises.
How is the diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spinal osteochondrosis?
Diagnosis of pathology begins with a specialist consultation.At the first manifestations of osteochondrosis, contact the rheumatologist, neuropathologist, surgeon or Traumatologist-Orthodist.The doctor will ask about the symptoms and frequency of their manifestation, it is necessary to provide the specialist with the full history of the disease and the results of early studies (if any).The specialist will conduct a visual inspection and palpation, direct it for tests.The doctor during the examination pays special attention to the mobility of the neck, muscle tone, skin sensitivity and reveals the most painful areas.
To identify the condition of the muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, to detect inflammatory processes or tumors, an informative and safe diagnostic method is prescribed - MRI of the cervical spine.The patient during MRI osteochondrosis lies on a special retractable table with his back.Roliks are placed on the head to the patient to remove muscle voltage, and the limbs are fixed with belts.Any insignificant movement during the procedure can affect the quality of the result.Next, the table stops into the tomograph.The procedure does not cause pain.The tomograph makes a heavy noise during scanning, so you can use the headphones so as not to feel discomfort.
If MRI is contraindicated, there are other diagnostic methods such as computed tomography and radiography.X -ray is suitable only for the primary diagnosis and does not give a layer -in -layer image of affected tissues.However, this study is the simplest and most economical, which allows you to explore the patient’s body in several projections.Due to the strong radiation load on the body, radiography cannot be performed often.
During computed tomography, scanning is carried out using one or more bundles of ionizing rays.They pass through the human body and are recorded by detectors.Detectors move along the patient’s body in opposite directions and fixed to 6 million signals.Different tissue density with an accurate determination of the boundaries of organs and affected areas in the form of a section are displayed on the image.The procedure allows you to get a layered image.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis, only a doctor will determine after examination, studying the medical history and obtaining the results of hardware diagnostics.If the disease was diagnosed at an early stage, then the treatment will undergo conservative ways.In the treatment of osteochondrosis, it is important to adhere to an integrated approach - take medicines, engage in physiotherapy, go to therapeutic massage and avoid heavy physical exertion.
First of all, you need to stop the pain.For this, analgesics and painkillers of local action are prescribed.With strong muscle cramps, they are prescribed to wear an orthopedic collar.After the pain syndrome was eliminated, it is necessary to stop the inflammatory process and restore normal blood circulation.For this, antioxidant, anti -inflammatory therapy is carried out.As additional measures, therapeutic exercises, swimming are prescribed.You can engage in physical education both at home and with a coach.
If osteochondrosis has become severe, the doctor may prescribe surgical intervention.The operation resort to rare cases when pathology develops against the background of other diseases - scoliosis, hernias of intervertebral discs, curvature or displacement of the spine, injuries.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in women is not particularly different from the treatment of men.However, doctors often recommend women to make external compresses to warm up and strengthen the muscles of the neck.
Experts recommend from early childhood to prevent various back diseases.To do this, you need to form the correct posture while walking and staying at the desktop.Full nutrition and proper strengthening of the muscles of the back will help to avoid negative consequences in the future.