In the modern world, it is difficult to overestimate the resonance of cervical osteochondrosis.Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is much more common than in other vertebrae.Almost all people over the age of twenty-five have this disease, to one degree or another.
Cervical osteochondrosis mainly develops due to a sedentary lifestyle, which is especially contributed to by a person's historical transition from physical work to mental work, which, although to a moderate extent, is accompanied by working in a sitting position.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative-dystrophic disease of the cervical spine that leads to damage to the intervertebral discs, which is generally common for the disease of osteochondrosis.Since this part of the spine is by its nature quite mobile, but also vulnerable due to a poorly developed muscular corset, therefore any negative effect on the neck or back has a bad effect primarily on the cervical spine.Given that degenerative changes most often develop in the most mobile vertebrae, nerve endings at the level of C5...C7 are most often damaged in the cervical region.
Since the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are very contradictory, they are not always considered only symptoms of this disease, which often leads to seeking help from specialists from other fields of medicine.Let's look at them in a little more detail.
Cervical osteochondrosis and its symptoms
Due to the fact that the cervical spine is quite compact compared to other parts, even minor tension in the neck muscles or movement of the cervical vertebrae can cause compression or pinching of the nerve roots, which can also affect the vessels located in this part.Well, osteophytes - bone growths, which in folk medicine are called "salt deposition" and formed during the development of the disease of cervical osteochondrosis, lead, as a result, only to a significant worsening of the course of the disease.
Clinical manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis, i.e. its symptoms, can be divided into reflex symptoms and radicular symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include the so-called "lumbago", which is expressed by the appearance of sharp acute pain in the neck, which noticeably increases with every movement.Considering this, patients often take some forced, most comfortable position of the head.In addition, it is quite possible that the typical "crunch" appears when turning or other movements of the head.
When suffering from cervical osteochondrosis, patients often have headaches that are compressive in nature and radiate to the eyeballs or the temporal part of the head.In addition, sometimes the sharpness of visual perception can decrease, as if "everything floats before your eyes."
Vertebral artery syndrome can also develop when its nerve plexus is irritated, which is often misdiagnosed as a cerebral circulation disorder due to the patient's dizziness.This symptom of cervical osteochondrosis can be manifested by sudden head movements and is complicated by nausea and possible vomiting.
In addition to the above, reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include cardiac syndrome, in which feelings similar to an angina attack occur.But this manifestation of the symptoms of osteochondrosis is usually combined with a complex of other signs of this disease, so it usually does not cause difficulties in making the correct diagnosis.
Radicular symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
As a rule, radicular symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis occur due to compression of the spinal nerve ending - the root.In this case, the sensory disturbances that affect motor functions depend entirely on which nerve root is injured, namely:
- C1 – reduced sensitivity in the occipital area;
- C2 – occurrence of pain in the parietal or occipital part of the head;
- C3 – disturbed sensitivity and the appearance of pain in the neck area, where the spinal root is injured, with possible impairment of the speech function due to the loss of sensitivity of the tongue and control over it;
- C4 – the appearance of pain and reduced sensitivity in the scapulohumeral dorsal region, as well as pain in the heart and liver, with a simultaneous decrease in muscle tone in the neck and possible respiratory disorders of the respiratory function;
- C5 – reduced sensitivity and pain on the outer surface of the shoulder;
- C6 – pain spreading from the cervical spine to the scapula, the outer surface of the humerus, the forearm and further from the wrist to the thumb;
- C7 – the same pain as C6, but it spreads from the scapula to the posterior humeral surface and further from the forearm to 2..4 fingers of the hand, with a decrease in sensitivity in the area of pain;
- C8 – reduced sensitivity and pain from the neck to the shoulder and then from the forearm to the little finger.
Cervical osteochondrosis and its treatment
Cervical osteochondrosis is a rather complex and extremely unpleasant disease, the treatment of which requires systematicity, duration and phases.Therapeutic treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is primarily aimed at completely stopping the painful symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and eliminating inflammation in the neck area affected by the disease.
Patients treated for cervical osteochondrosis are treated with classic analgesics.Although recently, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which effectively relieve pain and reduce the activity of inflammation, have also become popular in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Among other things, chondroprotectors are used in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, which slow down the process of cartilage tissue destruction and, according to many experts, contribute to the process of their regeneration.In addition, patients are prescribed the use of B vitamins, which improve metabolic processes in the patient's body.
But the use of external gels or ointments for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is not effective, but it makes sense, because in the process of rubbing it into the skin, an additional massage of the cervical spine is performed.
Physiotherapy procedures are additionally combined with traditional medical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, and the application of magnetic therapy through special therapeutic devices is especially effective.In addition to the above, therapeutic massage, physical therapy and manual therapy are also used.However, in particularly severe cases of the disease, surgical intervention may be required.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis is not difficult in itself.Recommended:
- maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle,
- doing sports, or at least morning exercises,
- competent workplace organization,
- adherence to the work and rest schedule,
- when working for a long time in a sitting position - during working hours, warm up several times and ensure proper position and head posture while performing work.
It is also important to choose a comfortable pillow and mattress to sleep on.But for those who already suffer from this disease, the daily use of specialized orthopedic products is recommended for a pleasant sleep.