Osteochondrosis is a disease of the skeletal system characterized by alterations in the cartilage tissue. As a result of the development of the disease, a person's working capacity decreases, blood circulation and the integrity of the vertebral discs are impaired. Most often, the disease develops as a result of obesity, physical inactivity, time spent in front of the computer or driving a car.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as it develops, is characterized by the following symptoms:
Neck pain with cervical osteochondrosis
- Continuous headaches. Patients with osteochondrosis generally suffer from headaches, which are aggravated by a sharp rotation of the neck or a sudden movement of the head.
- Pain in the neck which may radiate to the shoulder area. It often appears in the morning, immediately after sleep, decreases or disappears completely after warming the neck muscles.
- Cervical low back pain, characterized by acute neck pain, hardening of the muscles in the affected area and limited mobility.
- Pain in the sternum or gallbladder. Patients very often suspect that they have a pathology of the cardiovascular system, but taking nitroglycerin does not relieve pain. When cervical osteochondrosis is manifested by pain in the sternum, patients complain of a decrease in muscle strength in the arms.
- In almost all patients with osteochondrosis, you can hear a characteristic crunch and creak if you ask a person to tilt their head in different directions.
- Hoarseness of voice.
- Osteochondrosis of the neck can manifest itself with numbness of the tongue, fingertips (a symptom occurs as a result of compression of the nerves and vessels located near the intervertebral discs.
- Increased blood pressure.
- Paresis of the limbs, decreased muscle strength of the limbs.
The cause of the above symptoms is damage to the connective tissue and intervertebral discs with their subsequent deformation. As a result of pathological processes, the discs become covered with bone formations, osteophytes are formed that squeeze and damage blood vessels and nerve pathways.
Stages of the disease
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine develops in several stages. The more the patient's disease progresses, the more symptoms become, the more severe the complications of the disease become.
Grade 1 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by damage to the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc. When the metabolism is disturbed in the body, the nucleus pulposus, which is a structure of biopolymeric compounds, is destroyed. At first it loses water, gradually dries up and then decreases in size. Its strength decreases significantly and it becomes more difficult for the spine to cope with physical activity. At this stage of the disease, a person does not feel pain, does not seek medical help. If you begin to identify osteochondrosis at this stage, the patient will not need drug treatment.
Grade 2 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by damage to the fibrous annulus in the intervertebral disc. Cracks and tears appear on the surface of the disc due to the strong and uneven load on the spine. Due to the fact that the fibrous ring becomes thinner, the core is completely squeezed into the resulting tears and cracks, thereby expanding them. As a result, the disc increases in size, begins to protrude beyond the edges of the vertebrae. This phenomenon is called disc protrusion. 2nd degree cervical osteochondrosis is the stage of the disease where a person first experiences pain.
Grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by the formation of a hernia. The fibrous ring not only becomes thinner, it breaks, then the nucleus pulposus "flows" into the subglottic space, forming a herniated disc. As a result of the development of the process, all surrounding tissues suffer: ligaments and muscles, nerves and blood vessels.
Over time, the skeletal system of the vertebrae changes: the edges of the vertebrae change shape, become ribbed and even sharp. The muscles around the impaired bone system involuntarily contract, thereby limiting the mobility of the spine. All nerve fibers that cross the spinal cord are impaired, the conduction of nerve impulses from the brain to organs and tissues is disrupted. It is important that the symptoms of osteochondrosis appear depending on the location of the osteochondrosis.
Grade 4 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by a degenerative reconstruction of the spine. After the destructive processes in the body, the recovery processes begin to prevail. The duration of the fourth phase is approximately one year. During this period, the nature of the bone growth in the deformed vertebra changes. The bone begins to grow in width, due to which the area of the vertebra increases. Such growths in medicine are called osteophytes. Thanks to them, the mobility of the injured spine is reduced and the processes of its destruction are suspended. Over time, the sedentary vertebra completely becomes a static bone column.
And if the pain syndrome subsides, the pinched nerves and blood vessels remain in place, they are pinched not only by the discs and vertebrae, but also by the formed osteophytes. These processes must be properly treated in order to prevent the consequences of the disease.
Complications of cervical osteochondrosis
The main consequences of the development of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- Vascular disorders (compression of the arteries);
- Formation of hernias of varying severity;
- Spinal cord injury;
- Formation of osteophytes;
- Limited mobility of the spine.
What complications can cervicothoracic osteochondrosis involve? The most dangerous consequence is the deterioration of the blood supply to the brain. As a result of the compression of the arteries, less blood enters the brain and the gray matter is poorly supplied with oxygen.
If a patient develops vertebral artery syndrome - when the main blood pathway to the brain is squeezed, the person suffers from dizziness, fainting.
In addition to impaired consciousness, patients with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine present with impaired vision and hearing. In addition to numbness in the limbs, it is possible to develop Dupuytren's syndrome, which is characterized by stiffening of the hands. As a result of the development of the syndrome, the mobility of the fingers is lost.
Hypertension and vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD) are considered frequent complications. A cosmetic defect that appears as a consequence of the development of osteochondrosis is the formation of the withers ("mound" of cartilage tissue in the back of the head).
Methods of treatment
The choice of treatment for cervical osteochondrosis depends on the stage of the disease. Medical treatment consists of the prescription of non-steroidal, analgesic and antispasmodic drugs by a doctor. The dosage of the drug is adjusted at the discretion of the doctor.
Physical therapy is often prescribed to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae. With the help of exercises, you can not only remove pain, but also reduce inflammation, strengthen the back muscles and reduce the risk of complications.
The massage has a general strengthening effect. After a course of massage, a patient with osteochondrosis will lose tension and pain, and the blood supply will increase.
When drugs are not useful, doctors must prescribe surgery. During surgery, doctors remove parts of the intervertebral disc that compress the nerve roots.
The best treatment is a combination of several methods. Medical treatment should be combined with massage, physiotherapy exercises and gymnastics.
Some doctors believe that acupuncture and herbal remedies are an effective method of treatment.
Prevention
To reduce pain and prevent the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, you can use simple methods. To begin with, each person must constantly be in a position that relieves the load on the spine. It is necessary to remember the exercises that knead the muscles and support the metabolic processes in the spine. To get a positive result, you need to follow the recommendations given by the doctor.
Key Tips:
- Distribute physical activity evenly on the spine. To do this, limit vertical loads, avoid sudden movements and exercises that can damage the spine. You should avoid falling or jumping from great heights.
- Do not carry heavy objects by reaching out in front of you. Before picking up an object from the floor, you shouldn't lean forward, but squat down.
- Do not move objects with one hand, it is recommended to distribute the load on both limbs. If this is not possible, the load must be placed in a wheeled suitcase or backpack.
- If you need to carry a heavy load, you need to wear a wide belt or buy a special corset before work.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- The best prevention of the disease is swimming, regular gymnastics, contrast shower.
- Stressful situations should be avoided.
- You have to remember the rules of a balanced diet.
- Get rid of bad habits.
It is necessary to understand that it is much easier to prevent a disease than to cure it for a long time and persistently. If the operation is not required in the early stages of the disease, the later stages of osteochondrosis require surgical intervention.