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Return Effective methods for treating cervical osteochondrosis.

In the modern world, almost everyone over the age of 25 suffers from this disease.Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is more common than elsewhere in the spine.The relevance of this topic can hardly be overestimated.In this article, we'll explore why this disease occurs, how it manifests, how cervical osteochondrosis is treated, which medications are effective in treating it, what non-pharmacological approaches are available, and find answers to the most common questions asked by patients with similar diagnoses.Cervical osteochondrosis is a degenerative dystrophic disease (progressive) of the cervical intervertebral discs.

pain

Causes of cervical osteochondrosis

Due to the following factors, the load on the cervical spine increases, the neck muscles try to compensate for the excess load, spasms occur, blood circulation in the area is disturbed, which causes degenerative changes.Due to a variety of factors, the cervical disc changes, its structure changes, its nutrition is destroyed, the facet joints between the vertebrae change, bone growth of the vertebral body occurs due to the increased load on the changed disc.Click to enlarge - Exercise therapy can be used for osteochondrosis in any part of the spine.Factors leading to cervical osteochondrosis:

  • Poor posture and scoliosis
  • overweight
  • Lack of physical activity, sedentary work
  • Previous spinal injury
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Great physical activity
  • Stress and constant nervousness
  • low physical fitness
  • genetic predisposition
  • Habitual incorrect body posture, such as holding a telephone receiver with your shoulder
  • Drivers and office workers suffer from constant tension in the back and neck due to the nature of their work (stressed sitting posture).
  • Developmental abnormalities of the cervical spine

The progression of cervical osteochondrosis

The extent of osteochondrosis depends on the clinical presentation and patient complaints.The concept of degree should not be confused with the stages of osteochondrosis.These stages are discussed below.

first degree

Clinical manifestations are mild, and patients may complain of low-intensity pain in the cervical spine, which may worsen when turning the head.Physical examination may reveal mild tension in the neck muscles.

second degree

Patients are concerned about cervical spine pain, which is much more intense and can radiate to the shoulders or arms.This occurs due to reduced disc height and nerve root compression.The pain worsens when you tilt and turn your head.Patients may notice decreased performance, weakness, and headaches.

Level three

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis worsen and the pain persists and radiates to the arms or shoulders.As a herniated disc develops, numbness or weakness occurs in the arm muscles (see Symptoms of Lumbar Spondylolisthesis).I worry about weakness and dizziness.The examination revealed limited movement of the cervical spine and pain on palpation of the cervical spine.

Level 4

The disc is completely destroyed and replaced by connective tissue.Dizziness increases, tinnitus occurs, coordination is impaired, since the vertebral arteries supplying the cerebellum and occipital lobe of the brain are involved in this process.

Symptoms depend on damaged vertebrae

Additionally, we can differentiate between radiculopathy syndromes that cause certain sensory and motor impairments.They differ depending on which vertebrae compress the spine:

  • C1: Causes numbness and loss of sensitivity in the back of the head;
  • C2: Pain in the parietal area and back of the head;
  • C3: Speech disorder, tongue sensitivity, pain on the side of spinal nerve compression, and decreased sensitivity;
  • C4: Heart pain, left rib, shoulder, scapula pain, breathing difficulties, decreased neck muscle tone;
  • C5: Pain on the outside of the shoulder;
  • C6: Pain radiating from the forearm to the thumb and from the neck to the shoulder blade;
  • C7: Pain in the shoulder and back, from the neck to the shoulder blade, radiating to the forearm, up to 2-4 fingers;
  • C8: Pain from neck to shoulder, from forearm to little finger.

Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis

Basic diagnostic methods:

  • Cervical spine X-ray.This is a low-information approach, especially in the later stages of the disease.
  • Computed tomography.It can better show changes in the vertebrae, but it is difficult to determine the size and presence of intervertebral hernias, as well as the presence of disc medullary conflict (compression of the spinal cord by herniated discs).
  • Magnetic resonance imaging.The most informative approach.Not only the bone structure is clearly visible, but also the discs, hernias, their size and direction of growth.
  • If invasion of vertebral artery blood flow is suspected, ultrasound duplex scanning is used.This method allows you to accurately determine whether blood flow speed is reduced or whether there is an obstacle to normal blood flow.

X-ray staging of cervical osteochondrosis.

  • Stage 1 – Minor changes in vertebral structure, smoothing of cervical lordosis (curvature).
  • Stage 2 – Instability between vertebrae, one vertebra may shift relative to the other, twist (rotate around the axis of the spine), and have a slight decrease in disc height.
  • Stage 3 – The disc height is reduced by 1/4 relative to the disc above it, there are changes in the intervertebral joints, posterior osteophytes (bone growth), narrowing of the intervertebral foramina, and narrowing of the spinal canal where the spinal cord and its membranes are located.
  • The fourth stage - the height of the intervertebral disc is significantly reduced, the intervertebral joints are significantly changed, the posterior osteophytes are huge, the intervertebral foramina is significantly narrowed, the spinal canal is significantly narrowed, and myelopathy is formed.

symptom

Injury to the upper spine can present with a variety of symptoms, depending on the location and severity of the dystrophic process and the severity of the affected cervical nerve root structures.Often, patients' complaints are reduced to symptoms that are not relevant at first glance, which can complicate the diagnosis and further treatment of the disease.Generally speaking, the clinical manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis consist of the following series of syndromes:

  • Spinal pain, characterized by various types of pain in the back of the head and neck.
  • The spine, in which symptoms of impaired motor and sensory innervation are observed, in addition, nutritional impairment in the neck area leads to progressive atrophy of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and arms.
  • Radical, presenting with painful symptoms in the peritoneal and thoracic organ areas, requires additional thorough diagnosis to differentiate osteochondrosis from visceral organ disease.
  • Vertebral artery syndrome Cervical osteochondrosis is a vestibular dysfunction characterized by headache, hearing impairment, dizziness, and even loss of consciousness.These phenomena occur due to invasion of the vertebral artery and weakened blood supply, leading to cerebral ischemia.

How is cervical osteochondrosis treated?

Cervical osteochondrosis progresses gradually, and patients often seek treatment during an exacerbation phase when clinical manifestations interfere with quality of life.How to treat cervical osteochondrosis can only be decided by a doctor after proper diagnosis; self-medication is not acceptable in this situation.Treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck is aimed at eliminating pain, inflammation, partially or completely restoring the affected tissue structure and preventing complications.Treatment should be performed primarily on an outpatient basis; any at-home procedures should only be performed in conjunction with a medical prescription after instrumental and laboratory diagnosis.In advanced cases, hospitalization and surgical intervention for cervical osteochondrosis may be necessary at a severe stage of development of nerve damage and accompanying pathology.

Drug treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

It includes a course of medications to reduce symptoms of pain and inflammation.Injections can be used in the acute phase; after the pain subsides, the patient takes topical medications in the form of tablets or ointments and continues to receive injections.

  • NSAIDs.They are considered the drugs of choice for treating cervical osteochondrosis to reduce pain and inflammation.Different dosage forms are available.They reduce soft tissue swelling, thereby relieving pain; topical medications have a warming effect that improves blood flow to the affected neck area.These medications are used for 5-10 days, sometimes up to 2 weeks.In the acute phase, NSAIDs are given in the form of injections; after a few days, patients switch to tablets.It is worth remembering that long-term treatment with NSAIDs can have a negative impact on the gastrointestinal mucosa, so the course of treatment usually does not exceed 10 days.
  • Hormones.If NSAIDs are ineffective, the patient may receive cervical paravertebral anesthesia and use corticosteroids to treat pain, most commonly dexamethasone or hydrocortisone injections or pills in the affected area.This group of drugs is used in patients with cervical radiculopathy syndrome to relieve swelling of nerve fibers.
  • Narcotics.They are prescribed in the form of local neuromuscular blocks, thereby eliminating severe pain symptoms.Blockade can be intradermal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, perineural, or radicular, depending on the site of injection.To prolong the analgesic effect, anesthetics are used along with hormones.Treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck is performed every other day, for a total of 5-7 such surgeries.Anesthetics can also be administered by injection into special biologically active points; this treatment technique is a type of acupuncture and is called medicinal acupuncture.
  • Antispasmodics and medications to improve microcirculation in the neck and collar area.To treat muscle tension in the affected area, niacin and other medications may be used.By relieving neck muscle spasm, improving blood flow, and stimulating blood flow in diseased areas, it can relieve symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and inflammation.During the exacerbation of the disease, diuretics are also needed to reduce vasospasm and thereby improve the microcirculation of the affected area.
  • Sedatives such as valerian tincture, peony tincture, and herbal teas are recommended to relieve long-term pain and reduce the patient's risk of neuroticism, which can help increase the effectiveness of cervical osteochondrosis treatment.
  • Local irritants.These are topically acting ointments, gels, and topical liniments that have warming, stimulating, and distracting effects.They are not used for acute treatment.They contain bioactive substances of plant and animal origin, such as bee venom or snake venom.If you are allergic to the ingredients of the drug and the irritation effect is large, it is best not to use it to avoid causing greater swelling.
  • vitamins.During treatment and further recovery, a multivitamin complex is recommended.Typically, this is a group of B vitamins, whose representatives are involved in ensuring normal nerve conduction, as well as vitamins A and C, which strengthen the walls of blood vessels and improve blood flow.Taking vitamins can reduce vestibular disorders - motion sickness syndrome, dizziness, hearing loss.
  • Chondroprotectant.These are substances that promote the recovery of cartilage tissue in the cervical discs.Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis with chondroprotectants requires a long period of time, 6-12 months.

Orthopedic treatment methods

Improper body posture during sleep, prolonged forced postures, or injuries often trigger and exacerbate symptoms of cervical spine discomfort.Therefore, when treating diseases, methods such as cervical collars or Shants collars are often used.It comes in various types and is prescribed individually for each patient after medical consultation.A collar is a framed, dense roller that tightens around the neck and holds the vertebrae in the desired position.Therefore, the neck does not bend and the head does not turn to one side, which ensures the immobilization of the affected area, which is very important in the acute phase.Shant's collar can also be made in the form of two rollers with an inflatable layer, into which air is pumped using a rubber ball.Inflating the layers between the rollers stretches the spine, which increases joint space in the cervical spine.The degree of stretching is determined by your doctor; it is not recommended to do this on your own to avoid damaging the neurovascular bundles in the neck.During the recovery period, use a fully inflated collar to preserve some range of motion in the neck and head.

The collar can be worn at home for no more than 3 hours a day, and the total wearing period is about one month.Final wearing regulations are determined by your doctor based on the severity of the condition and existing symptoms.