Symptoms and treatments of cervical osteochondrosis in women

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in women is a common disease after the age of 40; its development is caused by a combination of factors (age, sedentary lifestyle, load on the cervical spine).Under their influence, the elasticity and strength of the intervertebral discs are lost (degenerative dystrophic changes), their elasticity and height are reduced.

At first, the symptoms of osteochondrosis may be almost invisible (muscle tension, numbness of the skin), then they intensify and the patient shows signs of problems with cerebral circulation (headaches, vision, hearing, memory loss, stress surge).Such violations are dangerous - they can lead to the development of:

• Persistent high blood pressure (hypertension);
• Hypertensive crisis (bleeding of brain tissue);
• Neurovascular pathology (reduced muscle strength to the point of complete inability to move the arm).

Cervical osteochondrosis begins and progresses in the same way in women and men; there are no specific differences in the cause, symptoms, and treatment of the disease.Some experts note that women seek medical help more frequently during menopause: in 2/3 of patients, almost all chronic diseases worsen during hormonal changes, and cervical osteochondrosis is no exception.

Age-related changes in disc tissue are irreversible, making it impossible to completely eliminate the pathology.In its early stages, its progression can be arrested with special gymnastics and other physiotherapy procedures.After an intervertebral hernia occurs, surgery is recommended to restore the height of the vertebrae.

The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis has its own characteristics (related to the fragility and small size of the vertebral bodies), but there is almost no difference from the treatment of thoracic or lumbar osteochondrosis.

At the first sign of disease, consult a chiropractor or orthopedic surgeon.Various manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis (sleep, vision, hearing, pressure changes) are treated by therapists and neurologists.

Symptom overview

The signs of neck damage in women are almost invisible at first, so the initial stages of pathology are difficult to diagnose.The first thing that appears is increased neck muscle tension, fatigue, and headaches.

As a woman's condition progresses, symptoms will intensify, causing severe pain in the neck, back of the head, shoulders, and shoulder blades, and a noticeable crunching sound when turning the head.

In the future, osteochondrosis in women will manifest as impaired mobility (difficulty turning the head, causing pain), weakness in the upper limbs (or even complete inability to move), decreased vision, and many other symptoms.

The most common pathological manifestations are listed below, starting with the most common:

1. Painful muscle tension is a reaction to the disc "sinking" and the vertebrae shifting.As the body attempts to compensate, align, and maintain the spine in the correct position, the muscles become overstrained and subsequently atrophy (weakened).

2. Acute burning or tearing sensations, squeezing pain in the back of the head, neck, shoulders, shoulder blades, are the result of muscle spasm (tension), compression of blood vessels and nerve endings (e.g. walking to the occipital area of the head).Painkillers rarely relieve this pain syndrome, which can be exacerbated by long-term forced postures and radiate into the chest and arms.
3. Cracking, crunching, and restricted mobility of the cervical spine during movement occur against a background of "sinking" of the intervertebral discs and growth of the bony surfaces of the vertebral bodies.
4. Impaired sensitivity of the skin, weakness of the muscles of the upper limbs and fingers as well as the shoulder girdle (up to complete immobility) are due to pathological processes involving the nerve endings that provide communication between these organs and the spine.
5. Smooth and intense tinnitus, dizziness, nausea (even vomiting), impaired coordination of movements, changes in blood pressure - this is the result of deformation (narrowing, compression) of the vertebral arteries that supply blood to the brain (cerebellum and occipital bones).
6. Hiccups and lack of air (impossibility of fully "breathing in") occur due to irritation of the phrenic nerve.

Symptoms of advanced cervical osteochondrosis may include:

• Improper positioning, head deviation (torticollis);
• Difficulty swallowing (if the nerves of the pharynx and larynx are involved in this process);
• Sleep disorders, mood swings, depression, panic attacks;
• Impaired concentration and memory;
• Heart rate increases.

Treatment

Because the changes that occur in the intervertebral disc are irreversible, the pathology cannot be completely cured.The treatment process for cervical osteochondrosis in women is the same as in men.

Treatment is comprehensive:

• With the help of medication, they got rid of the severe manifestations of osteochondrosis (pain, tension);
• Physical therapy improves the nutrition of paravertebral tissues and restores the mobility of the spine;
• Therapeutic exercises can strengthen muscles, "stretch" the spine, and reduce load on the discs (during stable remission or asymptomatic stages of the disease).

It is recommended to perform gymnastics continuously (lifelong), which will help to prevent the final deformation of the vertebrae and the development of various complications.

drug treatment

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in women is treated conservatively; medications relieve the obvious symptoms of the disease (pain, cerebral circulation disorders, sensitivity).

drug group	What is it used for?
Non-hormonal analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs	Reduce inflammation and pain
Vascular protectant	Improve blood circulation and promote tissue oxygen saturation
muscle relaxants	Relax neck muscles and improve blood circulation
B vitamins	Stimulates rapid repair of nerve tissue, enhances anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, and improves metabolism
chondroprotectant	With long-term use, the destruction of cartilage tissue will stop

If severe pain occurs in the area of nerve compression, analgesic and anti-inflammatory blockade of the paravertebral muscles can be performed.The neck is immobilized using a special orthopedic collar or a Shants splint (it relieves the load on the muscles in the collar area).

physical therapy

Physical therapy has good effects on cervical osteochondrosis:

method	What function do they perform?
Magnet therapy	Promote blood circulation and relieve swelling and pain
ultrasound	Stimulate local blood circulation and promote tissue healing
drug electrophoresis	Delivers medication through the skin barrier to the source of pain for rapid relief of overt and residual symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Therapeutic massage of the collar area	Relaxes muscles, improves blood circulation, stimulates tissue oxygen saturation
Acupuncture	Stimulate biologically active points in the body and quickly relieve residual symptoms of disease

Women with cervical osteochondrosis can benefit from:

1. Health resort treatments in specialized sanatoriums (maximum 2 times per year).
2. Mud therapy.
3. Warming application (paraffin therapy).
4. Balneotherapy (bath therapy).

Excessive cooling of the patient (especially after physical therapy) is definitely not recommended.

Gymnastics in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Physical therapy exercises can halt the progression of osteochondrosis.Their purpose is to relieve muscle tension, strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the cervical spine, and relieve pressure on the vertebrae.

Basic exercises for cervical osteochondrosis are done while sitting or standing, smoothly without jerking or straining (2-3 minutes a day):

• Tilt your head left and right (toward your shoulders).
• Tilt your head forward (chin touches your chest) and back (touch the back of your head).

• Turn your head to the right (looking over your right shoulder) and to the left (looking over your left shoulder).
• Lower your head and touch your chest with your chin.Turn it side to side, shoulder to shoulder, and back (like "rolling" your head toward your chest).
• Move your head back, side to side, and back ("roll" along your back from one shoulder to the other).
• Rotate your head in a complete circle from left to right, then right to left.
• Lift your shoulders (simultaneously) and then lower them.
• Move your shoulders forward, then back.

Gymnastics are performed during stable remission (when there are no obvious manifestations of the disease - pain, swelling, inflammation).

If a woman experiences any uncomfortable symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis (floaters, nausea, dizziness) during practice, please suspend practice.If this feeling persists, you should consult a physical therapist or your doctor.

Nutrition for cervical osteochondrosis

With cervical osteochondrosis, you can follow the general principles of a healthy diet, observing the basic rules - the food should be complete and varied:

• You need to introduce into the diet foods - sources of amino acids, vitamins, minerals that are involved in the synthesis of collagen, glycosaminoglycans (important for cartilage), improve metabolism and stimulate the rapid recovery of damaged tissues.
• Limit alcohol, strong tea and coffee, salty, smoked and fried foods.These products can irritate inflamed tissue and increase pain.

What products are recommended for cervical osteochondrosis:

Necessary substances in the composition	Product list
natural glycosaminoglycans	Chicken, beef, red fish, hard cheese, avocado, soybeans, products containing gelatin
Vitamin E and A	Eggs, liver, fish, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds
Vitamin C	Citrus fruits, berries, vegetables
B vitamins	Lean meat, sea fish, nuts, cereals, cheese, milk
Vitamin D	Marine fish, marine cod liver, butter, raw egg yolk
Vitamin PP	Vegetables, grains, marine fish, beans
calcium	Cottage cheese, cheese, milk, cultured dairy products
magnesium	Dark chocolate, rice bran, beans, cereals
phosphorus	Marine fish, seafood, beans, milk, hard cheese
sulfur	Nuts, chicken, hard cheese, beans
Potassium	Nuts, legumes, plums, bananas, garlic

To maintain a normal weight, it is recommended to limit the intake of fast carbohydrates (sweets, sweets, sugar), fatty meats, lard and margarine.