There was a time when the disease was classified as "age-related", but recently, "osteochondrosis" has become more and more diagnosed up to the age of 35. This is due to a change in the pace of life - more people are involved in both sedentary and sedentary work. And most importantly, physical activity, flexibility decrease and, accordingly, blood circulation deteriorates, which is the main thing in nutrition and restoration of the intervertebral discs.
An interesting fact: According to statistics, more than 80% of the population have more or less changes in the spine after 30 years.
reasons
Osteochondrosis is the common name for the aging of the spine. The process is directly related to changes in the structure of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. Disc thinning occurs under the influence of internal and external factors. Appearance - protrusions, hernias, instability of the vertebrae, changes in bone tissue, appearance of osteophytes (thorns, growths). And all of these phenomena are complications of osteochondrosis. The course is chronic and without complex therapy it is very difficult for normal life.
You are probably familiar with the factors that cause dystrophic changes, but again we state:
- Hypodynamia - it contributes to the disruption of blood flow to the neck and to the weakening of the muscle corset.
- Curvature of the spine (stooping, lordosis, kyphosis, scoliosis).
- Long stay in static positions and vice versa - increased loads and weight lifting.
- injuries.
- Overweight, pregnancy.
- Heredity, metabolic disorders.
Man is the only creature on the planet that suffers from spinal problems in the cervical spine. This is due to our ability to walk fully upright, as well as muscle weakness and excellent neck mobility.
An important role in the formation of cervical osteochondrosis has a hereditary predisposition. In addition, there is no need for loved ones to have osteochondrosis. The risk zone includes people with a family history of degenerative and dystrophic diseases of the osteoarticular system (osteoarthritis, spondylitis, hernias, etc. ).
The neck is an important link. Many vessels and nerves pass through the brain. Problems in this part of the body certainly affect blood flow to the brain and the work of the upper section - shoulders, arms. The degeneration develops gradually as it increases.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis
In the first stage there is a local pain syndrome, accompanied by a sharp tension in the muscles, which increases the already unpleasant sensations and restricts movements.
Pain is expressed in two forms:
- Cervicago - "lumbago", a sharp, sharp pain that occurs when moving.
- Cervicalgia - pulling, painful, with constant muscle tension. Even with the right treatment, it can take more than two weeks.
In the second phase, the "radicular" syndrome is added - the compression of nerves due to the thinning of ligaments and intervertebral discs. The pain occurs when sneezing, coughing. When the patient is laid on his back and passively moves his head, painful sensations appear.
The numbness of the hand from the neck to the fingertips is characteristic especially after sleeping. The symptom quickly disappears after active movements or placing the hand behind the head. If the numbness or pain persists, complications (protrusion, hernia) can develop.
There may also be a feeling of "freezing" of the shoulder with the appearance of "shoulder-hand" syndrome - when arthritis of the shoulders and hands begins due to circulatory disorders in osteochondrosis.
main symptoms
The main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are:
- Headache and dizziness.
- Localized pain, as well as possible irradiation of the shoulder, the back of the head or the scapula (especially the joining of the cervical spine).
- Numbness and weakness in the arms.
- lump in my throat.
- Arterial hypertension (constant high blood pressure).
- Decrease in hearing and visual acuity, tinnitus (development of the vertebral artery syndrome).
Interesting: Changes in the disease affect important vessels in the throat that supply the brain with blood. Patients with chondrosis can develop "Sistine Chapel" syndrome - fainting after a sharp throw back of the head.
Pain and its location are often disguised as a serious disease - angina pectoris.
Diagnosis and treatment
It is very important to treat the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at the beginning of degenerative processes. To do this, you must immediately seek help from a neurologist or vertebrate. However, practice shows that they already seek help with complications - protrusion, hernia, instability of the vertebral bodies.
The patient should be thoroughly examined - ultrasound of the heart, blood vessels of the brain and neck, EKG, urine and blood tests. It is imperative that an x-ray be taken in multiple projections and in a stack with your mouth open (to see the vertebrae covering the teeth).
Unfortunately, under the diagnosis of osteochondrosis, doctors adjust many diseases, since there is no time, experience and no desire to identify the cause of this or that symptom. A treatment is prescribed that provides temporary relief, but the real cause goes undetected, over time it all comes back or brings no relief at all. It is this situation that leads people to self-medicate.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The therapy should be as complete as possible.
- Physiotherapy.
- drug therapy.
- massage.
- Physiotherapy.
- stretching.
- Stretching the cervical spine using Shishonin's method.
- Give up habits.
Physiotherapy
The effectiveness of the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spinal column neck with the help of physiotherapy and therapeutic baths has been scientifically proven.
- They alleviate the pain syndrome.
- Eliminate inflammation.
- Increase the effectiveness of drug therapy and other methods of treating cervical osteochondrosis.
The therapeutic effect of physiotherapy is enhanced in the form of low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic therapy in combination with radon baths, sometimes with iodine-bromine baths.
drug therapy
If there are complications of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, hernias or large protrusions, inflammation of the compressed nerve roots occurs. Therefore, in order to relieve the inflammatory symptom and stop the pain, you need to pierce the course of intramuscular injections of vitamins - B1, B6, B12. If the blood circulation is impaired, the viscosity of the blood also increases, which disrupts the blood supply to the brain with oxygen. It is necessary to take antiplatelet drugs.
drug therapy.
- Eliminates pain and inflammation.
- Accelerates the metabolism in tissues that have been compromised due to an impaired blood supply.
- Thins the blood and improves circulation.
Massage
The course of massage of the collar zone is necessarily included in the treatment program for osteochondrosis of the neck.
- Muscle tension is released, releasing compressed arteries.
- Improves blood circulation and tissue nutrition, which has a positive effect on the heart and brain.
- muscle pain is reduced.
Unfortunately, a good massage is not given for free and many reject this procedure because of the high prices. But in the medical complex, a massage of the cervical spine must be included for the sake of the case. Even if they suggest it's not as necessary as physical therapy exercises.
Physiotherapy exercises
Treatment of osteochondrosis with physical therapy of the cervical spine is the main method without which recovery is impossible. No pill can cure osteochondrosis without exercise therapy. Be prepared for the fact that you will have to do gymnastics every day for a year in order to forget forever the symptoms of the disease.
Important: Exercise therapy is a 70% victory over osteochondrosis. Even if the pain is gone, the disease has not gone anywhere. You can't relax
Goals and guidelines of exercise therapy.
- Strengthen the deep muscles of the neck and the muscle corset of the shoulder region so that the muscles hold the head in the correct position without putting any strain on the intervertebral discs, and there are no protrusions that squeeze the nerve endings. Enlargement of the intervertebral space, which removes the compression of the nerve roots.
- Bring back painless movements while developing flexibility and mobility at the same time.
- Sport accelerates and increases blood flow, which improves the nutrition of the intervertebral discs and surrounding muscles.
Important: Exercise three times a day for the first 4 weeks and then once a day for a year.
Neck exercises
Before doing any exercise, you need to warm up your muscles.
Warm up
We warm up the muscles of the chest and cervical spine. Slow circular movements with the shoulders - back and forth. Each muscle should work as much as possible.
Circular movements with your shoulders - lift them up as much as you can, take them forward, backward and then forward. When pulling back, we bring the shoulder blades together. And the same circles with each shoulder in turn.
Add arms - and repeat the movements with arms bent at the elbows. One at a time, we bring the shoulder blades back together while taking our hands back. And then we will also move our shoulders forward as far as possible.
This completes the warm-up. Let's start with some basic neck exercises.
Practice technique
All movements should be performed slowly so as not to injure yourself and to avoid a pinched nerve.
Take the correct posture. The shoulders are lowered, slightly relaxed, the chin is parallel to the floor. Static exercises aim to train the deep neck muscles. Each movement holds the resistance for 5-8 seconds. Loosen for two seconds and repeat again. So 5 times.
- We press the palm of the hand against the temple and press on it to bend the head. We resist with our head and thus prevent the hand from tilting our head to one side. Do the same on the other side.
- Put your hands on the lock, prop your chin and press the resistance head.
- We resist with our foreheads.
- From the back of the head
- Alternatively, the head resists the side of the cheekbones
In addition to strengthening the neck muscles, the shoulder girdle must also be strengthened. The treatment complex must include several exercises with an expander 2-3 times a week.
Additional load
Exercise in the form of running, brisk walking, swimming, and aerobics improves the general blood flow to the body. The brain, which needs oxygen for problems with the cervical spine, suffers particularly from a poor blood supply. The training lasts at least 20 to 30 minutes, up to 2 times a week.
Dry traction of the cervical spine
The dry stretching method is horizontal and vertical. This method is called traction - a highly effective treatment for osteochondrosis of the spine. Young people can easily fully recover with just one traction during treatment. Because disc repair is much faster in youth. Of course, age inhibits recovery and the ability to restore cartilage tissue, but traction still remains an important point in the complex treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.
Stretch problems
- Increase the lumen between the vertebrae.
- Eliminate pain due to compression of the nerve roots.
This procedure has contraindications. Therefore, do not do this without consulting your doctor. So far, this method has only been practiced in hospitals, sanatoriums and rehabilitation centers.
The stretching technique is now available at home with a treatment collar. The traction session lasts 15 minutes per day.
We have analyzed the entire treatment program for the cervical spine. It remains to talk about the usual way of life, which should also change in perfect order.
Important: All of the above methods should be discussed with your doctor.
End habits
We understand that laziness and excuses lead to early osteochondrosis. If you can't overcome them, then you don't need this article. Drink pain medication and carry on living as before. Though you can try to fix some bad habits.
- Sleep on an orthopedic pillow and mattress.
- Do not lie on a high pillow for hours when you hold your head up while reading or playing on the phone. At this point, the cervical vertebrae press on the blood vessels and disrupt the blood flow.
- Stationary position of the computer when there is no control over time. Set your alarm clock every hour to warm up your stiff neck muscles.
- Move more - do sports, train outdoors, take 10, 000 steps a day.
Summarize
Course schedules - injections, massages and physiotherapy are carried out every six months for 1 month. During this time, the physical therapy exercises increase up to three times a day.
Every day in other months:
- Exercise therapy - 1 time a day.
- stretching.
Repeat the process after 5 months. And this rate is at least a year. Positive results are noticeable within a month.
The above technique is not an algorithm for all cases of treating cervical osteochondrosis. All points must be discussed with a doctor. However, if the doctor only prescribes one method, e. g. B. Physiotherapy or massage, the effect is only temporary. Treatment is long, so it is better to immediately adjust to the success of recovery. Believe me, once you start practicing and feel relief you will not go back to your old way of life.
How cervical osteochondrosis is treated
For basic drug treatment, several groups of drugs are prescribed.
- Painkillers are prescribed in tablets or, in the case of particularly severe pain, through novocaine blockade.
- Anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs - Nurofen, Diclofenac.
- Lovely ointments - Finalgon, paprika.
- Preparations for relaxing the neck muscles - muscle relaxants.
- A course of intramuscular injections of B vitamins
During the relief of the main pain syndrome, support through flow, massage and warming up (cans, mustard plasters) is prescribed. During the period of exacerbation, there is always pain to relieve it, as well as muscle tension. The exercise therapy complex presented above is carried out. Apply an inexpensive pepper plaster.
Important: In vertebral artery syndrome, exercises involving head rotations are prohibited if the neck vessels are pinched due to osteochondrosis.
At home, it is effective to take a relaxing bath with herbal boilings, compresses and rubbing (for example, with propolis, aloe). The Russian bath copes well with muscle tension. A traditional steam bath with a broom relaxes, relieves pain and cheers you up.
In extreme cases, it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention if there is a risk that complications due to compression can lead to disability. Namely - complete compression of blood vessels or nerves, significant growth of osteophytes, or the appearance of a protruding hernia. The operation is carried out according to all the rules of neurosurgery - under the microscope and with minimal incisions.