Cervical osteochondrosis is diagnosed in women more often than in men.And this is due not only to the lower strength of the ligament-tendon apparatus and the weakness of the muscle corset.Throughout her life, a woman's body is subject to fluctuations in hormonal levels, which can negatively affect the condition of cartilage and bone tissue.But the methods of conservative and surgical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in representatives of both sexes are practically the same.
Features of female osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in women develops and proceeds according to the same scenario as in men.Intervertebral discs lose their ability to retain moisture and begin to slowly deteriorate, involving bony structures, ligaments and tendons in the destructive process.But due to weak neck muscles and more fragile spinal segments, the first symptoms of the disease appear faster in women.Already at the initial stage of development, severe discomfort may occur, which limits mobility.
It should be noted that women of any age have a lower resistance to stress.Having learned about the impossibility of completely curing osteochondrosis, they can bring themselves to a depressed state with their worries.Therefore, antidepressants, antipsychotics, tranquilizers, and sedatives are often included in therapeutic regimens.
Causes of the disease in women
The main reason for more frequent damage to the intervertebral discs in women is the decrease or increase in the level of hormones in the body.After the onset of natural menopause, the production of estrogens, which are involved in the regulation of the biosynthesis of cartilage and bone tissue, gradually decreases.The decrease in estrogen levels during menopause leads to disc damage and provokes the development of osteoporosis (increased bone fragility).
Women monitor their weight, so they often refuse foods with a high calcium content - sour cream, cheese, peas, soy, beans.And when following a diet, not only does body weight decrease, but also a deficiency of essential trace elements and vitamins occurs, which provokes premature destruction of the intervertebral discs.
Symptoms
At the first radiographic stage, the signs of osteochondrosis are weakly expressed.Only the uneven surface of the intervertebral discs is noted.Therefore, a woman feels only slight discomfort in the neck area, which appears after physical exertion or a long stay in a position with the head bent.But gradually the intensity of the pain increases.It appears not only when turning and tilting the head, but also at rest.In the absence of medical intervention, the pathology gradually progresses.As a result of strangulation by osteophytes and displaced discs of the vertebral artery, the following clinical manifestations occur:
- blood pressure spikes;
- headache (cervical migraine), dizziness, lightheadedness;
- reduced visual and hearing acuity, double vision of objects in front of the eyes, tinnitus;
- fatigue, apathy, sleep disorders;
- feeling of soreness, "coma" in the throat.
Also, when tilting or turning the head, a crunch is heard, and the mobility of the cervical vertebrae is limited.
Diagnosis of pathology
The primary diagnosis can be made based on an external examination, the patient's complaints, and the results of a number of functional tests to assess range of motion, reflexes, and sensation.To confirm it, radiography is performed in 2 projections.The study is informative not only for identifying osteochondrosis, but also for establishing its stage, the degree of damage to the discs and vertebrae.Discography allows a targeted study of the affected intervertebral discs, and if damage to the patient's nerve pathways is suspected, electrophysiological diagnostics is indicated:
- evoked potentials;
- electroneurography;
- electromyography.
CT and MRI serve as additional diagnostic methods and are often used to assess the condition of the spinal cord and detect complications - protrusions or intervertebral hernias.These studies are conducted in order to distinguish cervical osteochondrosis from tuberculous spondylitis, osteomyelitis, benign and malignant neoplasms, ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatism.
First aid for exacerbations
During a relapse of cervical osteochondrosis, such severe pain occurs in the neck that the woman is afraid to turn or tilt her head.To reduce its intensity, lie down on a hard surface.It is necessary to take a position of the body in which the pain weakens.If, on the recommendation of a doctor, a Shants collar or a semi-rigid bandage has already been purchased, then it should be worn when moving.
Taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) tablet will help relieve a painful attack.Ointments and gels with NSAIDs have a pronounced analgesic effect.
When providing first aid, it is not recommended to use cold or heat.Relapse often occurs due to muscle spasm, and cold compresses will only increase the tension in the skeletal muscles.Dry heating is an effective way to eliminate symptoms, but only in the absence of an inflammatory process in the soft tissues of the neck.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis in women
Osteochondrosis of any location cannot yet be completely cured.A neurologist or vertebrologist will definitely explain to the woman the meaning and principles of the upcoming therapy.Treatment is aimed at achieving a stage of stable remission.At this stage, painful sensations appear extremely rarely, and the range of motion is completely preserved.
You can't limit yourself to just taking drugs, because the drugs that restore the discs and vertebrae have not yet been synthesized.It is necessary to follow all the doctor's instructions - to attend physiotherapy, massage treatments, to do physiotherapy and gymnastics.
From the first days of treatment, patients are recommended to wear Shants collars - orthopedic devices that stabilize discs and vertebrae.They prevent spinal structures from shifting, thus reducing the likelihood of relapses.
Review of medication for treatment
Sometimes, during an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, a burning, piercing pain occurs due to pinching of the spinal roots.They can be eliminated only by intramuscular injection of NSAID solutions.And if they are ineffective, drug blockades with anesthetics and hormonal agents are used.Glucocorticosteroids are not often used because of their negative effects on internal organs, cartilage and bone tissue.
A woman can get rid of mild pain by taking NSAIDs in the form of tablets or capsules.Nonsteroidal drugs in the form of gels and ointments are prescribed for mild pain, as well as to reduce doses of systemic drugs.
| A group of drugs for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis | Therapeutic effect |
|---|---|
| Chondroprotectors | Partially restores the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs |
| Medicines that improve blood circulation | Elimination of oxygen and nutrient deficiency, stimulation of regeneration |
| B vitamins | Normalizes the transmission of impulses to the central and peripheral nervous system |
| Muscle relaxants | Relaxes skeletal muscles, removes muscle spasms |
| Warming ointments | They speed up blood circulation, have an analgesic, anti-exudative effect |
| Antidepressants, tranquilizers, sedatives | Relieves increased anxiety, restlessness and sleep disorders |
Physiotherapy, gymnastics, exercises
The most effective way to treat osteochondrosis is daily physical therapy.With the help of dosed loads on the cervical spine, the muscle corset is strengthened, the blood supply to the tissues with nutrients is improved and the risk of exacerbations is reduced.It is necessary to start gymnastics immediately after the relief of acute pain.The physiotherapist creates a set of exercises individually for the woman, taking into account her physical fitness and the severity of the pathology.All movements are performed smoothly, with a small amplitude.This will strengthen the muscles without damaging the cartilage tissue.What exercises do physical therapy doctors recommend:
- Sit up straight and place your palm under your chin.Try to tilt your head while resisting with your hand;
- In a sitting position, place a palm on your cheek.Tilt your head to the side, resisting with your hand;
- stand up, put your hands on your belt.Turn your head first to one side, then to the other, without tipping it too far back.
Swimming, yoga, pilates, water aerobics and Nordic walking are recommended for patients with osteochondrosis.Cycling, running and lifting heavy objects are prohibited.
Nutrition and diet
With cervical osteochondrosis, nutritionists recommend limiting the consumption of alcohol, coffee and strong tea.These drinks interfere with the absorption of calcium, quickly expelling it from the body.Preference should be given to slightly salted mineral waters, fruit compotes and jellies, vegetable juices and fruit drinks from berries.The optimal amount of liquid to drink is 2-2.5 liters per day.
You should give up fast food, processed foods, smoked meats and fatty meats.The daily diet menu should include fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals, dry white or rye bread and dairy products.Turkey, chicken breast, rabbit and lamb are healthy.2-3 times a week you should eat fatty fish, such as salmon or Norwegian herring.
It is better to completely give up fried foods.The most useful products are baked in foil, stewed in water or steamed.
Physiotherapy
At the rehabilitation stage, patients are prescribed 5-10 sessions of physiotherapy.Electrophoresis or ultraphonophoresis with chondroprotectors, solutions of calcium salts, vitamins of group B are carried out to restore cartilage tissue, improve innervation and increase the strength of the ligament-tendon apparatus.The same procedures, but only with glucocorticosteroids, analgesics, anesthetics in the subacute period, are intended to relieve pain and inflammation.
The following physical procedures can also improve a woman's well-being:
- UHF therapy;
- magnetic therapy;
- galvanic currents;
- laser therapy;
- shock wave therapy.
Applications with ozokerite, bischoffite and paraffin are used.The use of healing mud and mineral waters and the application of medical leeches have proven themselves well in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.
Massages
During the massage, a mechanical effect is applied to the muscles of the entire back, not just the cervical area.But it is precisely on them that the specialist pays special attention.As a result of kneading, smoothing, pressing and cutting movements, spastic skeletal muscles are relaxed, ligaments are strengthened and blood circulation is improved.In the treatment of osteochondrosis, the following types of manual and apparatus massage are used:
- classic;
- point;
- vacuum;
- Swedish;
- segmental.
Hand-held electric massagers are sold in pharmacies and medical supply stores.They are equipped with special attachments and speed regulators.And the convenient long handle of the device allows you to independently massage the back of your neck.
People's funds
In folk medicine, homemade ointments, alcohol and oil rubs, compresses, decoctions and tinctures are used to treat osteochondrosis.Representatives of official medicine are skeptical about such methods of treating degenerative pathology due to their low clinical effectiveness.Exceptions are herbal teas made from chamomile, St. John's wort and rosehip infusion.
Features of the treatment of elderly women
Therapy for older patients is carried out using the same techniques as the treatment of young women.But when determining the dosage regimen, the neurologist takes into account the presence of chronic pathologies in the elderly, a decrease in the functional activity of the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.The doctor chooses drugs, the use of which has a mild effect on the internal organs and the risk of side effects is reduced.
Why is cervical osteochondrosis dangerous?
The leading signs of cervical osteochondrosis are similar in both sexes.But neurological symptoms are more pronounced in women.They are more often diagnosed with damage to the spinal roots and the spinal artery that supplies the brain with nutrients.
With cervical osteochondrosis of the 2nd and 3rd degrees of severity, pinching of the spinal roots often occurs, which leads to sharp pain, loss of reflexes and reduced sensitivity.Severe complications of the pathology are intervertebral hernia, radicular syndrome and discogenic myelopathy.
Preventive measures
Cervical osteochondrosis is often found in women who prefer narrow shoes with high heels.When wearing it, the load on the spine is distributed unevenly, which leads to microtraumas of the cartilage tissue.Women also often suffer from hypothermia and are acutely affected by ordinary domestic conflicts.And these factors are prerequisites for the development of pathology.Therefore, their exclusion from the usual way of life becomes an excellent prevention of osteochondrosis of any localization and its consequences.