Osteochondrosis occurs about twice as often in women as in men. The reasons for this lie in the peculiarities of anatomy and physiology as well as in the way of life of traditional ideas.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women and their treatment are generally similar to those in men. But there are also special cases due to biological differences.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in young and mature women
It used to be believed that most cases of osteochondrosis occur in women "over 50". In recent years, however, cervical osteochondrosis has "rejuvenated" significantly and its detection in a 30-year-old woman is no longer uncommon.
The manifestations of osteochondrosis in women and men are similar: pain during movement, crunching, headache, impaired vision and hearing, numbness of the limbs, chin, part of the face. Women are less likely to experience nausea than men. However, the requirements for the manifestation of symptoms of the disease in representatives of different sexes are different. In men, this is more often caused by injury and excessive stress.
In women, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis depend on other factors.
- Objectively speaking, women have weaker muscles and bones - that's physiology. As a result, a woman's spine is exposed to more stress. As a man. Due to the lack of a muscular corset.
- The hormonal factor affects the state of the spine. Therefore, the appearance and exacerbation of osteochondrosis in young women provoke pregnancy and menstruation in mature women - the onset of menopause.
- Women traditionally do many types of household chores that require a slight tilt of the head. It's bad for your throat. One of the signs of damage to the 7th cervical vertebra was even given a "feminine" name - "widow hump" or "housewife role". In men, this symptom practically does not appear.
- Other types of work with the head tilted slightly forward produce the same result. This position must be taken at a computer or desk, and there are many representatives of the "sedentary" professions among women (teachers, secretaries, cashiers, dispatchers).
- Older women who have reached retirement age under the influence of unreasonable traditions "wave to themselves". They stop monitoring their weight and lead a sedentary lifestyle. These are favorable conditions for osteochondrosis.
- Women are much more likely to suffer from dietomania than men. Violation of the nutritional balance leads to the appearance of osteochondrosis and its exacerbations.
These factors cannot be avoided. However, you can timely identify the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women, and its treatment will give a positive result.
Pain Syndrome: What kind of pain can occur with cervical osteochondrosis?
Pain is one of the main symptoms of osteochondrosis. However, it is important to know what pain can be experienced with cervical osteochondrosis. This is necessary in order not to treat an ineffectively non-existent disease instead of osteochondrosis and not to overlook the threatening symptoms disguised as osteochondrosis.
With osteochondrosis, neck pain occurs more often: sharp when moving or dull, long pain. However, this pain immediately indicates a lesion in the spine. It's worse when there are completely different organs. This is due to the compression of the deformed vertebrae and intervertebral discs of the nerve roots and blood vessels.
- The head can hurt in different areas (depending on which vertebrae are damaged). Such pain can be confused with migraines, neuritis, and manifestation of VSD.
- Sometimes shoulder pain occurs, especially when trying to raise your arm. There is no point in treating bursitis.
- Pain can radiate to the entire arm. This symptom usually affects only one side.
- The most dangerous option is pain in the chest or under the shoulder blade. It can be mistaken for signs of heart disease, even myocardial infarction. It's okay if osteochondrosis forces you to unnecessarily bother the cardiologist. It's worse when the first signs of a heart attack are mistaken for osteochondrosis.
The intensity of the pain can vary. In the initial stages, there is periodic lumbago and dull pain due to muscle tension. But as the disease develops, lumbago can literally become unbearable, depriving the patient of the ability to move their head altogether.
Osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome in women
When this phenomenon occurs in the lower back, it is usually called radiculitis. Its essence is the compression of the nerve roots that extend from the spinal cord through deformed vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
The radicular syndrome manifests itself in a severe severity of symptoms - severe pain and inflammation, dizziness, fainting, panic attacks. It only occurs when the disease has been treated poorly or not at all. This is the heightened danger for women in our country - they tend to "endure", "not pay attention to the little things" or be content with folk remedies, and this is not always acceptable.
Osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome cannot be treated alone. It manifests itself when the altered intervertebral discs already bulge and herniate and growths have formed on the vertebral bodies. To stop this process, serious diagnosis and professional spinal impact are required. And pronounced symptoms cannot be eliminated with home methods.
Cervical osteochondrosis in women in the acute stage
All patients regularly experience exacerbations of osteochondrosis. You can determine the onset of an exacerbation by increasing the manifestation of symptoms and the appearance of new symptoms (pain intensifies, headache or fainting, eyesight is impaired, insomnia occurs. . . ). In women, snoring while sleeping can also be a sign of worsening. However, it is more important to know what reasons can cause aggravation. And avoid it or be ready to fight the disease.
Typical cases - a major change in lifestyle, intense physical activity, infectious diseases, stress, trauma. However, women also have certain physical conditions that can lead to a deterioration in their well-being.
- Women are concerned about being overweight and are more likely to resort to strenuous diets. And nobody cares how this affects their health. And a radical diet can seriously damage the spine.
- If osteochondrosis is present, women should expect it to get worse during menstruation or pregnancy.
- The same thing can happen with the use of hormonal contraceptives - osteochondrosis is sensitive to the hormonal balance. It affects the health of the joints.
- Menopause is a serious factor for the spine. Older women should take special care of themselves. However, the majority of patients with osteochondrosis are their age.
Cervical osteochondrosis in women in the acute stage is treated in the same way as in men. In some cases, hormonal therapy (or its cancellation) may be needed. You should not act alone, home treatment is applied during the period of remission.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck in women: features
Strictly speaking, there are none. Women are shown the same drugs as men:
- analgesics;
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- muscle relaxants for muscle relaxation;
- drugs to normalize blood pressure and relieve vascular spasms;
- vitamin complexes;
- Chondroprotectors to restore the cartilage tissue.
These medicines can be offered in the form of injections (in severe cases), tablets, or topical treatments. They are prescribed by a doctor. He also recommends massage and physiotherapy procedures - without them, the treatment of osteochondrosis cannot be carried out. Remedial gymnastics is a must, and it's the same for women and men too.
What women are prescribed more often are sedatives. Although women are (contrary to popular belief) more resilient to stress, their nervous reactions are more pronounced. Hot temper, depression, and panic can affect treatment.
Folk remedies for osteochondrosis of the neck
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women and its treatment are often associated with nervous reactions. Soothing teas are especially recommended for women. They can be made from lemon balm, chamomile, mint. Ready-made herbal preparations are offered for sale. This will improve overall health, improve sleep, and prepare to fight the disease.
You can use folk remedies to relieve pain - horseradish leaf or burdock, steamed celandine. The compresses should not be too hot - this is dangerous for the vessels of the brain. Homemade ointments are also suitable as a warming agent. You can prepare a mixture of mummy and butter (1: 1) or petroleum jelly with the addition of honey, mint and red pepper (in grams: 100: 20: 3: 2). Suitable for grinding and vodka pepper.
Baths with pine needles (you can use a pre-made extract) or sea salt and oak leaves are good for the remission period or for temporary pain relief.
And of course, women need to exercise regularly and lead a moderately active lifestyle in order to strengthen the muscle corset around the spine.
It is not that difficult to identify the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women, and its treatment is not impossible. It is more important that women themselves be more observant and lead a rational lifestyle.