More and more people are choosing jobs that do not require a lot of physical activity. This inevitably affects human health. So one of the most common diseases is cervical osteochondrosis.
As a result of this disease, articular cartilage and bone tissue change. Previously, the term combined many diseases, now it refers exclusively to degenerative diseases of the spine.
Why is the cervical region most often affected? It was him who increased the fluidity and the large number of neurons and blood vessels. Before you learn how to treat cervical osteochondrosis, eliminate the cause.
cause of disease
Osteochondrosis is not always accompanied by acute symptoms. Due to anatomical features, changes in the intervertebral disc do not always cause pain etc. Therefore, the disease is often overlooked.
Cervical osteochondrosis usually occurs due to the following reasons:
- a sedentary lifestyle;
- Lack of physical activity, salt deposits in the liver, kidneys, vertebrae;
- Metabolic disease.
In addition, risk factors should also be considered. They do not necessarily cause disease, but in unfavorable circumstances they are likely to manifest:
- The body undergoes unavoidable changes as we age;
- Whether the ancestors have cervical osteochondrosis;
- Hormonal imbalances often lead to metabolic disorders;
- Some chronic diseases, such as lupus or rheumatism, can cause thinning of cartilage;
- low temperature.
stage of disease
Like many other diseases, cervical osteochondrosis involves several stages of development.
- So in the first stage, the destruction of the intervertebral disc is noticed, the danger at this time is the absence of severe pain, the greatest discomfort in the neck. Compression of nerve roots occurs due to changes in the structure of the intervertebral disc - the root cause of the disease. Often, with prompt diagnosis, the disease can be completely cured. It is very important to prescribe treatment correctly and follow all the advice of your doctor.
- In the second stage, in addition to the destruction of the intervertebral disc, the cervical spine begins to displace. Osteochondrosis can become chronic if treatment is unsuccessful or if diagnosis is not made early. People may have "tilted head syndrome" when you need to keep your head in a certain position to relieve pain. The typical symptom is severe pain.
- The third stage is the development of hernias and protrusions, and effects on internal organs. As the disease progresses, the cervical spine compresses blood vessels, blocking blood flow to the brain. As a result, headache, nausea, dizziness, etc. occur. In rare cases, numbness in the extremities may occur. With the adverse development of the event, a stroke is possible. The danger in this stage of the disease is that the pain is not as intense. Many are convinced that the disease is over and everything is cured, while the destruction of the spine continues. It's all about the cartilage because she's causing the pain, but in the third stage - it's completely destroyed. Hearing and coordination impairments sometimes occur.
The course of cervical osteochondrosis also has specific characteristics. There are several syndromes depending on which parts of the spine are damaged. Each of them has different pains.
cervical osteochondrosis syndrome
For example, cervical osteochondrosis can cause migraines. It happens with high blood pressure. Because of its presence, intracranial pressure increases, which brings pain. There is a risk of stroke due to high blood pressure.
In addition, headaches are often caused by compression of the vertebral arteries.
This syndrome can cause vision loss, dizziness, and impaired coordination. All of this is due to the lack of oxygen in the brain. Sudden head movement and possible fainting.
Compression at the base of the spine is more dangerous because this syndrome has complex symptoms. First, the pain is localized to the neck and radiates to the forearm and sometimes the hand. In the early stages of the disease, a tightening alarm sounds when the neck is turned. As the roots are squeezed further, there is breathing disturbance and a feeling of coma in the throat. Due to the close connection of the cervical nerves to the face, numbness or immobility of the tongue may be observed when pinching the roots.
If the spine is left untreated, symptoms will only worsen and become more pronounced. Due to the lack of oxygen in the brain, dysfunction begins, which can lead to many psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, hyperventilation, etc. ).
It is important to distinguish cervical osteochondrosis from epilepsy in a timely manner. They are often confused due to tension throughout the body and brief loss of consciousness.
For this, modern diagnostic methods are used. Due to changes in the work of the cervical and thoracic spine, the work of the heart is violated, resulting in symptoms of tachycardia and arrhythmia. Another less obvious manifestation of the disease is swelling under the eyes. They result from compression of the blood vessels on the side of the spine.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
Before starting spinal treatment, you will need to see a neurologist to confirm the diagnosis. Thanks to modern methods of studying the body, medicine is equipped with a wealth of techniques for finding diseases. Most recently, neurologists have been limited to X-rays and external exams. Often, these methods do not give valid results, which is why osteochondrosis is often detected in severe developmental stages. The disadvantage of X-rays is that they cannot see the full picture of the disease. She is currently scheduled for a CT scan or MRI. These are fast, high-quality studies with few contraindications.
After receiving the images, you will need to consult your doctor.
medical assistance
The question "How to treat cervical osteochondrosis" will be answered by a chiropractor. This is a narrow focus of neurology, the study of spine and related disorders. Before prescribing the medicine, the doctor must prescribe a set of measures to restore blood circulation and reduce swelling. There is no clear opinion on non-traditional treatments. Often, patients need help from a surgeon, chiropractor, physical therapist, in addition to consulting a neurologist. In severe stages of the disease, the recovery period requires more time.
How to treat the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis?
In pathological conditions such as cervical osteochondrosis exacerbations, symptoms manifest in the form of pain, limited mobility, various sensitivity disturbances, and tissue dystrophy. The first step is pain relief. For this, there are different drugs. For example, you can use pepper patch. Thanks to the warming action, he handled the task perfectly. Any pain reliever will help. To get rid of edema - take any diuretic. As a home remedy, you can brew cranberries or cranberries or special herbal preparations.
If the medication doesn't help, you can use a needle applicator. Due to the acupuncture effect, it helps relieve pain, reduce swelling and improve blood flow. The main thing to remember is that you must always consult a doctor after giving first aid.
The treatment of dizziness in cervical osteochondrosis is not so important. It is important to eliminate the main cause of the disease. To maintain the condition, doctors prescribe drugs that thin the blood and restore blood flow to the brain. Another benefit of these drugs: improving memory and normalizing sleep.
Treatment for cervical osteochondrosis includes not only medication, but also massage and physical education. In order to prevent the occurrence of cervical disease, it is necessary to form the correct back muscle corset. In some cases, self-massage can also be effective. For him, you can apply simple techniques like rubbing and stroking, as well as vibration.
alternative medicine
An unconventional treatment for osteochondrosis is manual therapy. It's essentially an effect on certain parts of the body, letting you set up bones and joints. in danger? In fact, non-professionals can seriously injure clients because nerves are a delicate thing. Any careless movement can cause paralysis or paralysis. How can osteochondrosis be treated in other ways?
Ambiguity has arisen around acupuncture. Unlike manual treatment, the effect on the affected area is done point by point by needle. The danger is that ignorance of the injection area can seriously aggravate the patient's condition. The applicator works the same way.
The bigger controversy is the appointment of homeopathy. Its advantage is that the drug has side effects and should not be taken frequently. Homeopathy does not have this disadvantage. But their benefits have not been scientifically proven.
In any case, if you experience pain in your spine or neck, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Any disease is best treated in the first stage, then its success in curing is always quite real. Do not refuse to take the medicine when the condition worsens.