Today, cervical osteochondrosis is significantly younger. The reason for this is considered to be an increase in living conditions, a significant decrease in mobility during work and rest, and an obsession with fast food. They lead to metabolic imbalance and increase trauma to the intervertebral cervical discs even with minor physical exertion or impact.
Therefore, it is not surprising that there are many requests on the Internet - osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae: symptoms and treatment. We present a brief overview of these questions, as they are always individual and the vertebrologist or neurologist can answer them only during an appointment.
Features of the disease
In osteochondrosis of the neck, the discs of the intervertebral space are destroyed. They usually perform a shock-absorbing and protective function.
Located between the vertebrae, they prevent the vertebral bodies from touching. When walking and more active movements, they can be compressed, giving flexibility to the spine. In addition, due to the disc-ligamentous apparatus, passages are created for the nerves exiting the spinal cord.
As the discs and ligaments break down, the vertebrae begin to rub against each other. The friction causes pain and other discomfort in the neck. When the vertebrae come closer to each other, the nerves are compressed and additional symptoms appear in those parts of the body for which the affected neurons are responsible. Neurological symptoms appear.
Osteochondrosis can affect any part of the spine and the symptoms will be different. Disk destruction can occur in several areas at once.
A greater load falls on the lumbar spine, which means that the discs and ligaments here are most often subject to changes. But osteochondrosis of the cervical region causes the most suffering in people. After all, the main blood vessels of the brain pass through the neck, and there are many nerves and nerve endings.
Statistics show that the cervical region is most often affected. Of all the parts of the spine, it is the most mobile. On a video on the Internet, you can see how the disease develops and its complications.
The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women are essentially no different from the symptoms that appear in men. There is one difference: the most common symptom of the disease in women is headache.
reasons
The classic reasons for the development of cervical osteochondrosis include:
- low mobility, lack of adequate physical activity;
- disturbances in metabolic processes;
- salt deposits, especially in the cervical region;
- unbalanced diet;
- incorrect body position when working with a computer, driving a car or during other static activities.
If you have a predisposition to deforming joint diseases or salt deposits, the risk of developing disease from an unhealthy lifestyle increases.
Classification of clinical manifestations
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, symptoms and treatment of the pathology are closely related, but complex therapy is prescribed only after instrumental clarification of the diagnosis. Currently, there is the following classification of manifestations.
Radicular syndromes or cervical sciatica
Radicular syndromes is the medical term for a group of symptoms that occur due to pinched nerve roots located between the vertebrae in the neck. Initially, such compression manifests itself in the form of paresthesia - numbness, a tingling sensation and a "goosebumps" sensation on the skin.
Neglect and lack of treatment of such manifestations leads to further progression of the disease. Acute (quick or delayed) pain appears, which develops into a chronic pain syndrome.
Manifestations characteristic of cervical radiculitis depend on the localization of the degenerative processes, i. e. between which vertebrae the nerve roots were compressed:
Irritative reflex syndrome
Pain in irritative-reflex syndrome, when the roots of the lower cervical vertebrae are pressed, occurs between the shoulder blades.
This syndrome is characterized by diffuse, burning sharp pain in the neck, back of the head, or upper back. They occur after sleep or when starting to move after a long static hold in a position. It is possible that the pain radiates to the heart or the shoulder joint.
Vertebral artery syndrome
Osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine, symptoms (and their treatment) can manifest as signs combined in the vertebral artery syndrome:
- headache - point, pulsating or burning, spreading diffusely;
- places of localization - above the eyebrows, in the temples, the crown of the head, on the back of the head;
- the pain is constant, but sometimes manifests itself in the form of attacks;
- the severity of the pain increases after the first movements from static positions;
- in weakened people, nausea may develop, coordination of movements may be impaired, and dizziness and fainting may occur;
- Possible decrease in hearing and visual acuity, "bunnies" in the eyes, tinnitus, snoring.
For the record! Quite often, the only signs of neck osteochondrosis are pharyngeal symptoms. These include: soreness, dryness and/or difficulty swallowing. However, the cost of ignoring such symptoms can be huge. These symptoms are inherent in some inflammatory diseases that can develop into cancer.
Cardiac syndrome
The preliminary diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is often complicated by the presence of a cardiac syndrome in the patient.
It is characterized by:
- increased heart rate;
- attacks or prolonged pain in the area of the heart, which are often confused with angina pectoris;
- Chest pain worsens after sudden movements or heavy lifting.
Therefore, if angina is detected, an experienced doctor will send the patient to take an X-ray of the cervical and thoracic vertebrae, since with a parallel diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment at home will be specific.
For example, the vertebrologist must warn the patient that if the "pain in the heart" is not relieved by nitroglycerin or another drug for coronary dilation, then they should not be taken several times in a row in a short period of time. It is enough to drink ibuprofen ornurofen forte.
For your info! There is another way you can tell a true angina attack from painful coronary syndrome. In the latter, the patient can walk quickly.
Minor symptoms
nausea
Feelings of nausea and belching are the result of problems with blood circulation in the brain. Often, patients associate this symptom with eating errors, begin to limit the amount of food they eat and make changes to their diet.
Nausea and belching can decrease appetite. All these phenomena lead to the fact that a person begins to lose body weight and the balance of nutrients in the body is disturbed.
An attack of nausea can end in vomiting, which also happens with careless turning of the head, bending of the body or heavy physical exertion. In this case, poor blood circulation leads to insufficient nutrition of the inner ear and the balance center.
Sensation of suffocation
A feeling of lack of air occurs when the phrenic nerve is compressed in the cervical region of the spine. This important nerve is part of the cervical plexus and regulates how deep breathing is and how often breathing movements are made.
Patients complain of difficulty breathing with all their strength. Shallow breathing leads to a decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the blood, shortness of breath occurs, and in difficult cases - suffocation.
At night, breathing can stop, which often happens along with a snoring attack. Night problems are provoked if a person lies in an uncomfortable position and the head and neck are not in an anatomically correct position.
If these problems are accompanied by unsatisfactory hygiene of the room in which a person sleeps, when the room is poorly ventilated, dusty and there is no flow of fresh air at night, the patient experiences hypoxia. Lack of oxygen occurs in all tissues of the body, waking up, the patient will not feel rested
Sensation of tinnitus
Tinnitus occurs due to problems with the blood supply to the vestibular apparatus. The blood vessels to it pass through the cervical vertebrae of the spine.
Disorders in the parts of the inner ear cause the sensation of different sounds:
- background hissing noise;
- ringing, squeaking.
The complex of such complaints is usually called cochlear or cochlear syndrome.
Important: if the patient does not consult a doctor with these symptoms, then over time a decrease in hearing acuity occurs.
Patients often believe that such disorders are related to the hearing analyzer itself. Even a doctor can be difficult to understand the situation, especially if there are no clear signs of osteochondrosis.
However, when there are problems with the vertebrae, there are specific auditory symptoms. Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae can be distinguished by the characteristics of its occurrence, so sounds occur when a person stays in one position for a long time.
Throat problems
Often, osteochondrosis can be felt only through a complex of pharyngeal symptoms:
- Sore throatoccurs unrelated to food intake, you can trace the difference between the onset of symptoms and sudden movements of the head and neck.
- Sensation of a foreign body in the throatappears and disappears.
- There are complaints of itching and dryness in the throat, strong unpleasant sensations can provoke the patient's desire to cough. The cough will cause an increasingly dry and scratchy feeling. These complaints are a consequence of damage to both nerve fibers and blood vessels at the same time.
Important: such symptoms can be observed with inflammation in the area of the cervical vertebrae and with the appearance of tumors.
Vision problems
Deterioration of visual function is less common, they occur more often in people with atherosclerotic lesions of the vessels of the head and with reduced general pressure.
The vessels feeding the eyes also pass through the cervical vertebrae with their osteochondrosis, the following complaints arise:
the appearance of a "veil" in the eyes; reduced clarity and acuity of vision; the appearance of black dots or rods; difficulty focusing on a specific subject.
Symptoms are not permanent. Patients note that vision sometimes worsens and sometimes improves.
A distinctive symptom of osteochondrosis is the inability to influence the state of vision with the help of glasses, drugs and gymnastics. Eliminating the symptoms is possible only after treating the root cause of the problem.
Loss of consciousness
Impaired blood supply to the brain can lead to loss of consciousness or syncope. This happens when blood flow to the brain is temporarily cut off.
In this case, compression in the cervical region does not necessarily occur, only irritation from the deformed structures of the vertebrae is sufficient. In response to this effect, a significant spasm occurs in the arteries.
Consciousness returns to a person quite quickly. This is facilitated by changing the position of the body. A person who has lost consciousness should be placed in a horizontal position and his legs should be raised. In this way, the blood from the lower part of the body will help to restore the blood supply to the suffering brain.
As a rule, such short-term conditions do not lead to complications or consequences. If the violation of blood flow to the brain is stronger, then consequences are possible.
Important: after losing consciousness, the patient should consult a doctor to undergo an examination and prevent repeated attacks.
Despite the short duration of the condition, a person who has lost consciousness should call an ambulance.
Blood pressure problems
The presence of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine causes spikes in blood pressure. For middle-aged and elderly people, this can be especially noticeable. This is due to the fact that the center responsible for the vascular response to changes in the external environment is located in the brain and also suffers from insufficient blood supply.
The presence of irritating factors in the form of a deformed vertebra worsens the situation. This is how VSD symptoms arise against the background of cervical osteochondrosis. Depending on a person's predisposition, hypertensive or hypotensive crises occur. Often one type of crisis gives way to another.
Temperature fluctuations
Temperature fluctuations are not a specific symptom of osteochondrosis. If the body temperature rises, it means that a focus of infection or neoplasm has arisen in the body. The immune system reacts in the form of a temperature.
However, patients may feel warming and even burning of the skin at the site of the problem, that is, on the back of the neck.
When several symptoms combine, a person starts to feel bad. General health deteriorates, mood falls, irritability and inattention arise. For a patient with severe pain or blurred vision, it becomes difficult to perform daily tasks and perform productive work activities.
Important: if any complaint, even if it is not related to spine problems, prevents you from leading a normal normal lifestyle, then you should visit a specialist as soon as possible and determine the cause of the concern.
Danger of disease
Cervical osteochondrosis poses a great danger because the affected area is the most important vascular pathways that supply the brain and spinal cord with numerous nerve branches. All symptoms of osteochondrosis have a significant negative impact on the patient's well-being and quality of life.
But this disease has complications that are life-threatening:
- Intervertebral hernia is considered the next stage in the development of osteochondrosis. Occurs in the absence of treatment. People who suffer from neck or back pain for a long time without visiting a doctor receive just such a diagnosis.
- Compression of the processes of the spinal cord damages them and radiculopathy develops. Along with this, growths and osteophytes are formed on the vertebrae. All this threatens the patient with loss of mobility and sensitivity of the areas for which the affected nerve fibers are responsible.
- One of the most dangerous complications is the vertebral artery syndrome with cervical osteochondrosis. This artery supplies important parts of the brain - the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum. When this vessel is compressed by osteochondrosis, ischemia of the spinal cord and brain occurs. There is a risk that the condition will end in a stroke.
- If the disease is not treated for years, in the presence of spinal curvatures, there is a possibility of damage to the spinal cord itself, located inside the spine. The price of lack of treatment is organ injuries incompatible with life.
If a person finds symptoms of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, he should consult a specialist as soon as possible. Deformation of the vertebrae can lead to severe trauma to the spinal cord, and this is very dangerous for a person.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home require the approval of the treating specialist. The video in this article with a set of exercises for the neck muscles has not been published. There are many of them on YouTube.
However, you should know that the instructions for exercise therapy with this diagnosis prohibit:
- push
- perform any jumping movements;
- pump the muscles of the shoulder girdle and neck with dynamic exercises, especially with weights or resistance.
important! If there is an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment with physical exercises, self-massage and physiotherapy procedures are stopped. In the acute period, visiting a chiropractor is also prohibited. Rest and drug therapy with pain relievers or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory tablets and ointments are indicated.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis with folk remedies is not very effective and is possible as an auxiliary method of therapy at the rehabilitation stage. However, vertebrologists praise treatment with leeches and categorically do not recommend treatment with bee stings; bay leaves will also help in the treatment.
Allergy is an insidious disease, the onset of which is impossible to predict, and an acute allergic reaction - Quincke's edema can lead to anaphylactic shock and be fatal.
Among the non-traditional methods of treating cervical osteochondrosis, we can recommend:
dynamic and static yoga classes; Wushu, Taiji and Qigong gymnastics; acupuncture and su-jock.
In addition to daily physical exercises, it is necessary to give up bad habits, monitor your daily drinking regime and balance your diet, as well as do special morning exercises for osteochondrosis of the lumbar region. The weekly menu should include raw and semi-cooked vegetables, seasonal fresh fruits, fermented milk drinks and meals every day.
Natural meat of dietary varieties and fish from the herring or salmon family should be eaten every other day. Replace coffee and tea with decoction of rose hips and natural juices.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is a long process that will take not months, but years. Osteochondrosis cannot be cured, but significant remission can be achieved. The results will depend only on the patient himself, on his effort to follow the recommendations and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
FAQ
What are the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae?
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can manifest as pain in the neck, shoulders, arms, vertigo, tinnitus, numbness or tingling in the hands and limited mobility of the neck.
How can you treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home?
To relieve the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, you can use relaxation methods, exercises to strengthen the neck muscles, massage, warm compresses, use of pain-relieving ointments and gels.
What exercises help with osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae?
To strengthen the neck muscles and relieve the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, exercises for stretching and strengthening the neck muscles, turning the head, bending and rotating the neck, as well as exercises to improve posture are useful.
Useful tips
Tip #1
With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is recommended to perform special exercises to strengthen the muscles of the neck and back. This will help improve blood circulation and reduce stress on the spine.
Tip #2
You can use cold compresses or hot packs to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Cold helps reduce swelling, while heat improves circulation and relaxes muscles.
Tip #3
It is important to monitor your posture and avoid standing in the wrong position for long periods of time. Taking regular breaks to stretch and adjust your work position can reduce stress on the cervical spine.