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Cervical osteochondrosis: treatment and symptoms

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine signals itself with pain

Neck pain is a warning sign.Maybe it's just an overload and you just need to relax and unwind.But what if the pain is associated with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?It is important to pay attention to symptoms and treatment, because complications can affect the most important organ - the brain.

What is cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative disease of the body's osteochondral system.It leads to the destruction of the cervical intervertebral discs, the growth of the bone tissue of the vertebrae and the formation of growths on their surfaces.

The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, the first of which articulates with the skull.The anatomical and functional unit of the spine is the spinal motion segment.This is an articular complex due to which the spine moves.The complex consists of two vertebrae, an intervertebral disc, the articular surfaces of the vertebrae (facets), nerves, ligaments and muscles.

Osteochondrosis begins with damage to the intervertebral disc and affects all surrounding tissues.Over time, the process leads to disruption of the biomechanics of the spine as a whole.With the development of osteochondrosis, herniations of intervertebral discs and compression of nerve roots and blood vessels can form.

Pathological processes in the intervertebral disc go through four stages: malnutrition, weakening of the ligaments, damage to the disc and nerve compression.

  • Phase 1

    The nutritional and metabolic conditions of the intervertebral disc are interrupted.Due to their structure, the discs are only enabled during movement.If it is not there, degenerative changes in the tissue begin: the disc starves and becomes dehydrated.The loss of water leads to the fact that the intervertebral disc cannot perform shock-absorbing functions.The load on the fibrous ring increases, cracks and tears appear in it.At this point, minor pains may appear.

  • Phase 2

    In the second stage, the ligamentous apparatus of the spinal movement segment weakens.The link becomes pathologically mobile.The pathological process in the disc worsens, herniation (prolapse) begins - the leakage of the nucleus pulposus through cracks in the fibrous ring.The pain becomes periodic.

  • Phase 3

    The intervertebral disc is then permanently damaged.The nucleus pulposus of the disc lies beyond the annulus fibrosus.The resulting hernia may impinge on nerve roots.An inflammatory process develops.This is manifested by a worsening of pain, the so-called radicular syndrome.

  • Phase 4

    In the fourth stage, the lesion affects nearby tissues.Compression of the radicular artery is possible, which leads to insufficient blood supply to the spinal cord.As a result, part of the spine can become completely immobile.

First signs and main symptoms

At the beginning of the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, discomfort, limitation of movement and pain in the neck area appear.Often this is not given importance.

Over time, the pain intensifies, becomes aching, burning, headache, neck, shoulder blades, shoulders ache - perhaps this is the development of vertebral artery syndrome.The artery becomes compressed or spasmed, and blood flow is interrupted.

In stages 1-2 of cervical osteochondrosis, ophthalmological problems often appear accompanied by spasms in blood vessels.Darkness in the eyes, tremors, the appearance of "floaters", colored spots before the eyes - all these are symptoms of osteochondrosis.

The most common symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis:

  • Migraine, dizziness, nausea and cough;
  • Hearing damage, pain in the ear, face;
  • Motor disorders in arms and legs.The sensitivity of the skin on the head may disappear;
  • Pain in the hand.If a nerve root is crushed, then the entire area to which it sends impulses can be injured or "fall out".

In addition to the above symptoms, three main pain syndromes can be distinguished:accompanying osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.A syndrome is a whole complex of symptoms.Determining the main pain syndrome is important, since the entire treatment regimen is based on the elimination of pain.But it is impossible to eliminate it without knowing its origin.

  1. Myofascial syndrome- pain in skeletal muscles and adjacent fascia.The disorder is associated with overuse, which causes spasms, hypertonicity and painful joints within the muscle (trigger points).
  2. Radicular syndrome- pain caused by prolonged compression of spinal nerve roots.The process of hernia formation in osteochondrosis of the spine leads to the compression of nerve fibers and a subsequent inflammatory reaction.The pain spreads along the nerve.
  3. Facet syndrome- pain in the vertebral joints.The vertebrae from the second cervical have articular processes that are connected to each other by means of facet joints.With osteochondrosis, the intervertebral discs are destroyed, their height decreases, and this leads to the fact that the articular capsules of the facial joints are in constant tension.It causes pain.In addition, the pain increases by the end of the day, especially with prolonged forced standing.

Causes of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine

One of the main causes of osteochondrosis is the evolutionary unsuitability of the spine to high vertical loads.Human ancestors walked on four legs, like other mammals.They did not suffer from osteochondrosis, since in a horizontal position of the body the intradiscal pressure is twice less than in a vertical position.By the standards of evolution, the transition to upright posture happened not so long ago, and the spine simply did not have time to adapt to the high vertical load.So, along with walking upright, a person also acquired diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The structure of the human neck makes it even more vulnerable.The human cervical region consists of seven small movable vertebrae, which are articulated with each other like a baby pyramid.This structure can hardly be called stable outside the resting state.In addition, the muscle frame in this area is weak, and the loads can be high - all this makes the neck vulnerable.Every injury is fraught with consequences.Even if the damage was in another part of the spine, the redistribution of the load can be the cause of osteochondrosis.

Another factor is aging.The formation of the skeleton and cartilaginous tissue is completed by the age of 21, after which the irreversible process of aging (degeneration) begins.Cartilage tissue is nourished only through diffusion, and if the intervertebral disc does not receive enough nutrients, it gradually begins to deteriorate.

In addition, the development of cervical osteochondrosis is triggered by:

  1. Autoimmune diseases.They involve the body's cells in the pathological process of cartilage tissue destruction.
  2. Infections, hormonal imbalance, slow metabolism - all these blood circulation disorders can also serve as factors in the development of osteochondrosis.
  3. A sedentary lifestyle, working conditions in which a person spends most of the time in a forced static position.
  4. High loads that lead to injury can lead to compression.
  5. Genetic defects associated with weakness of the musculoskeletal system and inferiority of cartilage tissue.

The spinal canal in the cervical spine is very narrow, so high loads, any disorder or injury can lead to compression of the spinal cord.And this is very dangerous.

In addition, a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels pass through this area.If blood stops flowing to the brain in the right volume, a stroke can occur.

Diagnosing

During the initial diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, the doctor collects the patient's medical history.He finds out what hurts and how, with what intensity, during exercise or rest, at what time of day it hurts the most, if there have been injuries to the cervical spine.

During a neck examination, the doctor feels the cervical vertebrae and muscles, lymph nodes;assesses range of motion, excludes or confirms radicular syndrome.

After that, to exclude autoimmune diseases, laboratory diagnoses are prescribed: complete blood count, ESR, rheumatoid factor, HLA B27 antigen.

The main role in establishing the diagnosis is played by radiography, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance.

  • X-rayshelps to assess the condition of bone structures;soft tissue and cartilage are not shown in the images.To visualize these structures, a contrast agent is injected: angiography, discography, myelography.
  • Computed Tomography (CT).This method also uses the principle of radiography, but with the help of computer processing it is possible to obtain a series of images of longitudinal and transverse sections in which bone and cartilage tissue can be seen.
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).It is the "gold standard" in the diagnosis of pathologies, including cartilage and soft tissues.MRI provides knowledge not only about the structure of organs and tissues, but also about their functioning.In the case of osteochondrosis, a frequent complication is spinal hernia.MRI allows you to diagnose the process of hernia formation in the early stages.

Treatment

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine comes down to conservative methods.First, the pain syndrome is relieved, and then various procedures are prescribed.But in the most extreme cases, when the pain does not go away for more than three months and medications do not help, surgery is the only option.

Non-surgical treatment methods

Osteochondrosis has affected the osteochondrosis system for many years, so treatment will take time.You have to be patient.Objectives of conservative treatment:

  1. Eliminate the pain.
  2. Ease inflammation.
  3. Restore the functions of the spinal roots.
  4. Strengthen the corset and muscle ligaments.

Conservative treatment includes drug therapy and physical therapy.Medicines help relieve pain during flare-ups, and physiotherapy helps start the body's self-healing processes.

During severe pain with radicular syndrome, so-called "blockades" are performed: the drug is administered near the inflamed root of the spinal nerve.

Physiotherapy treatment is based on natural and artificially recreated physical factors: cold, heat, electric current, magnetic radiation, laser, etc.To recreate them, special equipment, devices and manual techniques are used.

  • Laser therapy— biological activation of intervertebral disc regeneration processes.The body begins to heal itself.
  • Plasma therapy (PRP therapy)- injections of plasma isolated from the patient's blood.Plasma is rich in platelets, growth factors and hormones.After injections, local immunity increases and regeneration processes begin.
  • Acupuncture- stimulation of nerve endings with special needles.Improves metabolism in affected areas, relieves pain.
  • Shock wave therapy- exposure to high frequency waves.It allows you to start the natural recovery processes.
  • Kinesitherapy- movement therapy.It can be active (physiotherapy) and passive (massage, traction).Exercise therapy strengthens back muscles, traction relieves tension and pain.Chosen taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
  • Manual therapy and massage- impact on soft tissues and joints to restore balance in the body and synchronize processes.Restore mobility and eliminate pain.
  • WIRETAPPING- the attachment of special spots on the skin in places where it is necessary to influence the receptors of muscle stretch and compression.It can relax and improve tone.

During periods of acute pain, the patient is recommended to wear special bandages and collars around the neck to ease the load on the spine.

The positive effect of conservative treatment is achieved within 2-3 months.If there is no result, the patient is recommended to undergo an operation.

Surgical methods for the treatment of osteochondrosis

Surgery in the case of cervical osteochondrosis is an extreme measure that requires special indications.Surgery is recommended if:

  1. The pain cannot be relieved by therapeutic treatment for more than 3 months.
  2. He has a herniated disc.
  3. Loss of sensation in the limbs.

Rehabilitation after surgery also takes time and may include therapeutic treatment.

Cervical osteochondrosis is a complex degenerative disease.It cannot be left untreated.Such serious disorders in the musculoskeletal system can lead to disability.Neck pain can become chronic and osteochondrosis can spread to several parts of the spine.Timely prevention can prevent the development of this disease.

Preventing

To keep the cervical spine healthy, daily physical activity is necessary.Nutrition of the intervertebral discs occurs during movement, so it is extremely necessary.It is important that the loads are optimal and regular.

If the work involves constantly being in a static position, periodic warm-up is necessary.And at home, after a day's work, you can lie on your back for a while on a flat surface, placing a pillow under your neck.This method will help restore the cervical curve of the spine and relieve muscle tension.

In the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, the correct posture during sleep is important.If a person wakes up in the morning with neck pain, it means that the muscles have not had time to rest and recover.An orthopedic pillow, which is selected individually for 3-5 years, will help here.