The osteochondrosis of the cervical column is a chronic and slowly progressive injury of the vertebrae of the cervical column (from the first to the seventh), which begins with the destruction of the intervertebral discs and ends with its "subsidence", proruding (hernia), a change in the shape and displacement of the vertebra (ends with its subsidence. "
Subsequently, neurological complications (compression, inflammation of the nerves and their consequences) and vascular complications (compression of the vertebral artery and the consequences of blood circulation disorders) bind to the clinical symptoms of osteochondrosis. With cervical osteochondrosis, these are headaches, dizziness, loss of guidance, nausea, acute pressure drops that are difficult to normalize. Osteochondrosis is a common pathology, whose symptoms at the age of 45 years appear in 90 % of people (regardless of gender), before others, for office workers who lead a sedentary lifestyle. The cervical region injury is diagnosed as often as lumbar osteochondrosis. This is due to excessive neck mobility and the weakness of the muscles surrounding the spine in this area.
The essence of the pathology that occurs with it
The intervertebral disc (abbreviated MPD) is a core of aqueous pulp in the center and the elastic fibrous layer and stronger that surrounds it. The bodies of the neighboring neighbors are adjacent to him and underneath. The receipt (and excretion) of substances and water on the intervertebral disc occurs due to diffusion (direct and reverse filtration, the penetration of the molecules on the disc and the back) from the bone tissue of the vertebrae. The gradual aging of the intervertebral disc faults leads to the fact that the reception of the necessary substances slows down, and under the influence of provocative factors (pressure, load), leaves completely. The dense tissue of the fibrous membrane is covered with cracks, loses its elasticity, the pulp nucleus in the center is dried (loses water). This leads to the fact that cervical osteochondrosis progresses:
- MPD loses height;
- The bodies of the vertebrae move, the nerve roots are squeezed and begin to grow with bone spikes, trying to distribute the pressure evenly (spondylasis).
Over time, the ligaments are involved in the ossification process, they are impregnated with calcium in the place of union to the vertebrae and become the cause of stiffness, neck restriction. Since people continue to carry the column, they actively move, they sit in an awkward position:
- The bodies of the neighboring neighbors are increasingly compressed by the MPD;
- This leads to the fact that the octopus nucleus (rather what remains) is pushed forward or back (more often towards the anterior longitudinal ligament, since it is quite thin in the cervical region).
Such protrusion is called protrusion (the album layer has not yet exploited, but has only changed its shape), presses adjacent tissues, which leads to the appearance of muscle tension, pain and other pronounced symptoms with which the cervical osteochondrosis proceeds. Over time, the fibrous layer of the disc is torn, and part of the Pulp core is squeezed in the fabric (this advance is called hernia). At this stage (these are 4 stages), all acute symptoms of the disease can decrease (a small part of the nucleus is absorbed or covered with calcium and stops irritating surrounding tissues), or, on the contrary, it will lead to the development of the ischemic stroke of the brain (oxygen hamburger, the death of a hunger area) and disability.
It causes provocative factors
Taking into account the causes of osteochondrosis, it is worth noting that the basis of violations is the natural aging of intervertebral disc fabrics. The process can accelerate different provocative factors:
- Hereditary predisposition.
- Congenital defects in the development of the cervical column (deformation of the body of the first cervical vertebra).
- Damage and surgical interventions.
- Excessive mobility of the cervical region (for example, in sports training).
- Lack of physical activity (sedentary work).
- Posture violation (STOOP).
- Age.
- Nervous stress.
- Hypothermia.
Four stages (grade) and symptoms
With osteochondrosis in the cervical column, all manifestations intensify from one stage to another, the more changes the intervertebral disc, the stronger the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis. In the initial stage of a person, muscle tension in the neck and shoulders can be altered, so they quickly get tired. Then the main sign of pathology appears: the pain that gives to the back of the head, the shoulders, the arms, the chest, can be disguised as teeth. A person begins to dizzy, the concentration of attention weakens, the vision and the auditory falls, this worsens the quality of life and does not affect their ability to work well. Little by little, the symptoms increase and intensify: a person wakes up with a sense of rigidity in the spine, during periods of exacerbations any sharp movement (for example, sneezes or a heel on the floor) causes a cutting pain in the neck and along the affected nerves, it becomes difficult to raise his hand or keep the object on the fingers. At night, the beat can be intensified or the appearance of a sense of lack of air can worry: the patient cannot breathe deeply, due to pain, a person cannot move, turn the neck or raise his hand. In symptoms, osteochondrosis in men is almost no different from osteochondrosis in women (more often care about headaches.
First stage (grade)
The intervertebral album lost its elasticity and sank.
At this stage, with osteochondrosis of the cervical region, tension, fatigue, muscle fatigue and neck pain appears.
The first symptoms:
- muscle tension, which leads to its rapid fatigue, fatigue;
- pain, discomfort in the neck;
- A headache appears periodically.
Stage 2
MPD cracks, exfoliated, further falls, the protuberance is formed (fibrous membrane protuberance), bone growths occur along the edges of the vertebrae.
- A person has a crunch, headache, sensitivity disorders, neck pain, which intensifies with elementary loads, gives other parts of the body.
- The sensations of pain in the neck are improved with the loads, given to the shoulders, the chest and the occipital part of the head.
- The person is regularly concerned with severe headaches.
- Cryst when he turns his neck.
- Difficulties to swallow.
- Blood pressure swanks.
- Dizziness.
- Numbness of the skin and fingers, weakening of the muscles of the limb.
Stage 3
At this stage, the protrusion explodes (hernia), the bone peaks increase in size, the ligaments of the column are ossified in the setting sites to the vertebral body. Symptoms for cervical osteochondrosis in 3 stages:
- The symptoms of the first two stages of the disease bind to a violation of the blood supply to the brain (due to the compression of the vertebral artery) in the form of visual imperfections, hearing, orientation, sensitivity and others.
- The pain can be intensified with the most elementary movements (tilting the head), shoots in the ear, in the jaw, on the shoulder and forearm.
- The patient is looking for a convenient possession, trying to find an inclination of the head that relieves symptoms.
- Your attention is dispersed, memory, vision, audition, coordination of movements deteriorate, sleep disorders, nausea are formed, stable hypertension is formed.
- A pronounced rigidity of the spine, pairsis, limb paralysis (immobility, altered sensitivity), muscles lose strength and volume (atrophy).
- The smooth curve of the column is observed.
Fourth stage
A characteristic of the fourth stage: the symptoms of the osteochondrosis of the cervical column is weakened, the rigidity remains.
- The acute manifestations of the disease decrease due to the fact that soft tissues are subject to ossification (Ossify).
- In 5 % of cases, 4 stages of osteochondrosis can be complicated by adjacent tissue necrosis, an ischemic blow to the brain.
- Manifestations cause ischemic stroke (starvation of oxygen and moves away from a part of cells) and disability.
Possible complication of cervical osteochondrosis of the fourth grade:
- the ischemic career of the brain, which can lead to the disability of the patient;
- Due to circulatory disorders of adjacent tissues, the patient may have trophic ulcers (cell death due to the lack of nutrients and oxygen).
Diagnostic methods
The osteochondrosis of the cervical region is diagnosed using several instrumental studies:
- X -Ray (Diagnostic characteristics characteristics in the form of peaks along the edge of the vertebra or a decrease in the MPD height appear in 2 stages).
- CT, magnetic resonance of the column (allows you to diagnose changes in the MPD in the initial stages).
- Discography (a study with the introduction of a contrast medium allows you to establish the deepest damage to the intervertebral disc).
- Electronography (with its help determines the obstacle, inflammation during the nervous end).
- Dopplerography of the vessels of the brain (it allows you to determine the condition of the blood vessels and the blood flow rate in them).
In case of damage to nerve endings, there are numerous neurological manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis, detects symptoms and supervises the treatment of a neurologist (helps establish a diagnosis, reports, recipe for medications).
Treatment methods
Neck osteochondrosis is an incurable disease (such as the osteochondrosis of any other location), changes that occur in the tissues of the intervertebral disc, irreversible. In the early stages (1 and 2), it can be suspended by conservative therapy, in 3 stages the conservative treatment is prescribed to relieve acute symptoms. Sometimes with stable cervical radiculitis (with inflammation of the spinal nerve nucleus), surgical elimination of intervertebral discs is performed.
First aid
First aid is needed for cervical osteochondrosis if the patient feels acute pain in the neck, he cannot turn his head, he cannot make any other movement (lift his hands). In this case, a 2%anesthetic solution or other medication with combined properties in the muscles along the vertebrae is introduced. The blockade quickly relieves pain and improves the patient's condition. The treatment of the osteochondrosis of the cervical column in the recovery period is carried out by heating agents that can improve blood circulation in cervical vertebrae and neck mobility.
Other treatment methods:
Experts can recommend several orthopedic devices:
- The Shantsz tire, which is a kind of corset, bandage or neck support. With your help, the head is fixed in a position and, therefore, relax the muscles, discharge and anesthesia the cervical column.
- An orthopedic pillow that allows you to sleep in the most convenient and physiological pose for the cervical region, without causing muscle tension, pain and rigidity in the spine.
Surgical surgery
Surgical treatment may be required if:
- Intervertebral hernia (or hernia) tightens the increasingly compressed nerve roots;
- Other treatment methods do not relieve the patient's condition;
- There is a threat of disability.
Surgical treatment for cervical osteochondrosis significantly improves the patient's condition, but there is always the probability of developing several complications (loss of sensitivity, column mobility).
Home treatment
The treatment in the home of osteochondrosis is the use of products that will help:
- Strengthen the blood circulation of tissues.
- Improve metabolism in them.
- Finally get rid of pain, inflammation and muscle tension.
They are used in the recovery period, when the acute symptoms of the disease are left:
- Compress heating with alcohol in Campaire. Take 50 ml of vodka, alcohol of the countryside, both fresh aloe juice, 50 g of mustard powder and 100 ml of honey. Mix, add 3 beaten egg proteins to the mixture, leave for one day. For preparation, the mixture applies to the affected area, along the crest (for 2-3 hours), covered with plastic film at the top. The treatment course is 12 procedures, after a week it can be repeated.
- Ginger ointment. Molle 3 medium garlic teeth and 50 g of fresh ginger root in a blender, add 50 g softened at the ambient temperature of butter, gown again. With this tool, the damage area is stained 1 time per day (for 2-3 hours), covered with a film at the top. The course of treatment for cervical osteochondrosis is 21 days, after a 2 -week break can be repeated.
Any non -traditional therapy method should be discussed first with the treating doctor.
Prevention
The measures for the prevention of osteochondrosis are:
- moderate physical activity and neck exercise;
- a diet rich in vitamins and useful for cartilage;
- Orthopedic pillow and sleep mattress;
- Convenient workplace.
You should pay attention to the habit of weighing in a hand or bag on a shoulder and get rid of it. Such a load on one side is a provocative factor in the development of cervical osteochondrosis.
Forecast
Osteochondrosis is one of the most common pathologies that after 45 years appears in 90 % of people (regardless of gender). More often diagnosed:
- cervical or cervical-cervical (due to the weakness of cervical muscles and neck mobility);
- lumbar osteochondrosis (due to the load in this column);
- Less frequent: thoracic (this department is less mobile, the load is small).
Violations due to which the disease appears is irreversible, so it is impossible to cure the pathology. Conservative methods can be suspended by cervical osteochondrosis in 1 and 2 stages. Getting off of acute symptoms will need 2 to 3 weeks, until the complete restoration of osteochondrosis will have to be treated up to 6 months. In 3 and 4 stages, the most effective method is surgical correction (elimination of hernias and discs, strengthening vertebrae). A previous requirement for all people after 30 years is the regular performance of special exercises for the cervical column, because such measures solve the problem of disease progression.