Osteochondrosis is a disease of the skeletal system characterized by changes in cartilage tissue. As a result of the development of the disease, a person's ability to work decreases, blood circulation and the integrity of the vertebral discs deteriorate. Most often, the disease is caused by obesity, physical inactivity, frequent spending at a computer, or driving.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as it develops, is characterized by the following symptoms:
Neck pain with cervical osteochondrosis
- Constant headache. Patients with osteochondrosis mainly experience headaches that are exacerbated by sharp neck turns or sudden head movements.
- Neck pain that may radiate to the shoulder area. It often appears in the morning, immediately after sleep, decreases or disappears completely after the neck muscles warm up.
- Cervical lumbago, characterized by severe neck pain, hardening of the affected muscles, and limited movement.
- Pain in the sternum or gallbladder. Patients are most often suspected of having cardiovascular pathology, but taking nitroglycerin does not relieve pain. When cervical osteochondrosis presents with sternal pain, patients complain of a decrease in muscle strength in the arms.
- You can hear a characteristic crackle and squeak in almost every patient with osteochondrosis when asked to tilt their head in different directions.
- The hoarseness of the sound.
- Cervical osteochondrosis can be manifested by numbness of the tongue and fingertips (a symptom caused by the compression of nerves and blood vessels near the intervertebral discs.
- High blood pressure.
- Limb paresis, decreased limb muscle strength.
The above symptoms are caused by damage to the connective tissue and intervertebral discs with their subsequent deformities. As a result of the abnormal processes, the discs are overgrown with bone formations, osteophytes are formed that compress and damage the blood vessels and nerve pathways.
Stages of the disease
Cervical spine osteochondrosis develops in several stages. The further the patient’s disease progresses, the more symptoms, the more severe the complications of the disease.
Grade 1 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by damage to the pulpus of the nucleus of the intervertebral disc. When the metabolism is disrupted in the body, the core, the structure of biopolymer compounds, the core is destroyed. At first, it loses water, gradually dries out, so it decreases in size. Its strength decreases significantly and the spine has a harder time coping with physical activity. At this stage of the disease, one does not feel pain, does not seek medical help. If you begin to identify osteochondrosis at this stage, the patient will not need medication.
Grade 2 cervical osteochondrosis is damaged by fibrosis of the intervertebral disc ring. Cracks and tears appear on the surface of the plate as a result of strong and uneven loading of the spine. Due to the fact that the annular fibrosis becomes thinner, the core is completely displaced into the resulting tears and cracks, thereby expanding. As a result, the size of the disc increases and begins to protrude beyond the edges of the vertebrae. This phenomenon is called disc protrusion. Grade 2 cervical osteochondrosis is the stage of the disease in which a person first feels pain.
Grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by the formation of a hernia. The annular fibrosis not only thins but also breaks, causing the nucleus pulposus to "flow in" into the subglottic space and form a herniated disc. As the process progresses, all the surrounding tissues suffer - ligaments and muscles, nerves and blood vessels.
Over time, the vertebral system of the vertebrae changes: the shape of the edges of the vertebrae changes, becoming ribbed and even. The muscles around the altered skeletal system contract involuntarily, limiting the mobility of the spine. All the nerve fibers running through the spinal cord are damaged, and the conduction of nerve impulses from the brain to the organs and tissues is interrupted. It is important that the symptoms of osteochondrosis occur depending on the location of the osteochondrosis.
Grade 4 cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by degenerative spinal reconstruction. After the destructive processes in the body, the healing processes begin to take effect. The duration of the fourth phase is about one year. During this time, the nature of bone growth in the deformed vertebra changes. It starts to increase in the width of the bone, which increases the area of the vertebrae. Such increases are called osteophytes in medicine. Thanks to them, the mobility of the damaged spine is reduced and the processes of its destruction are suspended. Over time, the seated vertebra becomes a completely static bone column.
And as the pain syndrome decreases, the constricted nerves and blood vessels remain in place, squeezed not only by the discs and vertebrae, but also by the osteophytes that have formed. Such processes should be properly managed to prevent the consequences of the disease.
Complications of cervical osteochondrosis
The main consequences of developing osteochondrosis of the neck are:
- Vascular disorders (compression of arteries);
- Formation of hernias of varying severity;
- Spinal cord injury;
- Osteophyte formation;
- Limited mobility of the spine.
What are the complications of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis? The most dangerous consequence is a deterioration in the blood supply to the brain. As a result of the narrowing of the arteries, less blood enters the brain and the gray matter is poorly supplied with oxygen.
If a patient develops spinal artery syndrome - when the key pathway to the brain is pinched, the person suffers from dizziness and fainting.
In addition to impaired consciousness, patients with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine experience visual and hearing impairment. In addition to limb numbness, it is possible to develop Dupuytren's syndrome, which is characterized by stiffness of the hand. As a result of the development of the syndrome, the mobility of the fingers is lost.
High blood pressure and vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD) are common complications. The cosmetic defect that results from the development of osteochondrosis is the development of the height at the withers (the "pile" of cartilage tissue in the back of the head).
Treatment Methods
The choice of method for the treatment of cervical vertebral osteochondrosis depends on the stage of the disease. Medical treatment consists of prescribing non-steroidal drugs, painkillers and antispasmodics by a doctor. The dose of the medicine is adjusted at the discretion of the doctor.
Physical therapy is often prescribed to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae. Exercises can not only remove pain, but also reduce inflammation, strengthen back muscles, and reduce the risk of complications.
Massage has a general strengthening effect. After the massage regimen, the patient with osteochondrosis loses tension and pain and the blood supply increases.
If medication does not help, doctors should prescribe surgery. During surgery, doctors remove the 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 exercise.
Some doctors believe that acupuncture and herbal remedies are effective treatments.
Prevention
Simple methods can be used to reduce pain and prevent the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. First, all people must be in a position to relieve the load on the spine at all times. Practices that knead muscles and support metabolic processes in the spine should be recalled. In order to achieve a positive result, the doctor's recommendations should be followed.
Key recommendations:
- Distribute the exercise evenly on the spine. To do this, limit vertical loads, avoid sudden movements and exercises that could damage the spine. Avoid falling or jumping from high altitudes.
- Do not carry heavy objects by stretching your arms in front of you. Before picking up an object from the floor, do not lean forward but squat.
- Do not move objects in one hand, it is advisable to distribute the load on both limbs. If this is not possible, place the load in a wheeled suitcase or backpack.
- If you need to carry heavy loads, you should wear a wide belt before work or buy a special corset.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- The best prevention of the disease is swimming, regular gymnastics, contrast showers.
- Stressful situations should be avoided.
- You need to remember the rules of a balanced diet.
- Get rid of bad habits.
It should be understood that it is much easier to prevent disease than to cure it for a long time and persistently. If surgery is not required in the early stages of the disease, later stages of osteochondrosis will require surgery.