Recommend
The official website Hondrostrong
Spain (en)
Flag (Spain)

Cervical osteochondrosis: treatment and symptoms

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is manifested by pain

Neck pain is a warning sign.Maybe it's just overexertion and you should just relax and unwind.But what if the pain is accompanied by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?It is important to pay close attention to symptoms and treatment because complications can affect the most important organ - the brain.

What is cervical osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative disease of the osteochondral system of the body.It leads to the destruction of the cervical intervertebral discs, the growth of the bone tissue of the vertebrae and the formation of growths on their surfaces.

The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, the first of which articulates with the skull.The anatomical and functional unit of the spine is the movement segment of the spine.This is a complex of joints through which the spine moves.The complex consists of two vertebrae, an intervertebral disc, the articular surfaces of the vertebrae (facets), nerves, ligaments and muscles.

Osteochondrosis begins with damage to the intervertebral disc and affects all surrounding tissues.Over time, the process leads to disruption of the biomechanics of the entire spine.With the development of osteochondrosis, herniated discs and compression of nerve roots and blood vessels may occur.

Pathological processes in the intervertebral disc go through four stages: malnutrition, weakening of the ligaments, intervertebral disc damage and compression of nerves.

  • Stage 1

    The nutritional and metabolic conditions of the intervertebral disc are disturbed.Due to their structure, the discs are only powered during movement.If it is not present, degenerative changes occur in the tissue: the intervertebral disc starves and dehydrates.Loss of water causes the intervertebral disc to be unable to perform shock-absorbing functions.The load on the fibrous ring increases, cracks and cracks appear.Mild pain may occur at this time.

  • Stage 2

    In the second stage, there is a weakening of the ligaments in the movement segment of the spine.The connection becomes pathologically mobile.The pathological process in the intervertebral disc worsens, a prolapse begins - protrusion of the nucleus pulposus through cracks in the fibrous ring.The pain becomes periodic.

  • Stage 3

    Next, the intervertebral disc becomes permanently damaged.The nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc extends beyond the annulus fibrosus.The resulting hernia can affect the nerve roots.An inflammatory process develops.This manifests itself in an exacerbation of pain, the so-called radicular syndrome.

  • Stage 4

    In the fourth stage, the lesion affects surrounding tissue.Compression of the radicular artery is possible, leading to insufficient blood supply to the spinal cord.This can lead to complete immobilization of part of the spine.

First signs and main symptoms

At the beginning of the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, discomfort, limitation of movement and pain in the neck area appear.This is often not given any importance.

Over time, the pain increases, there is pain, burning, headaches, neck, shoulder blades, shoulders ache - perhaps vertebral artery syndrome develops.The artery becomes pinched or spasmed and blood flow is disrupted.

In stages 1-2 of cervical osteochondrosis, ophthalmological problems accompanied by vascular spasm often occur.Darkening of the eyes, flickering, the appearance of "swimmers", colored spots in front of the eyes - all these are symptoms of osteochondrosis.

The most common symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis:

  • migraines, dizziness, nausea and cough;
  • Hearing impairment, pain in the ear, face;
  • Motor disorders in arms and legs.The sensitivity of the skin on the head may disappear;
  • Pain in the hand.When a nerve root is pinched, the entire area to which it sends impulses may hurt or “fall out.”

In addition to the above symptoms, three main pain syndromes can be distinguished:accompanying osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.A syndrome is a whole complex of symptoms.Determination of the leading pain syndrome is important because the entire treatment regimen is based on eliminating pain.But it is impossible to eliminate it without knowing its origin.

  1. Myofascial syndrome- Pain in the skeletal muscles and the adjacent fascia.The disorder is associated with overuse, which causes cramps, hypertonicity and painful knots in the muscle (trigger points).
  2. Radicular syndrome- Pain caused by prolonged compression of the spinal nerve roots.The process of hernia formation in spinal osteochondrosis leads to pinching of nerve fibers and a subsequent inflammatory reaction.The pain spreads along the nerve.
  3. Facet syndrome- Pain in the vertebral joints.The vertebrae of the second cervical vertebra have articular processes that are connected to each other by facet joints.In osteochondrosis, the intervertebral discs are destroyed, their height decreases and this leads to the fact that the articular capsules of the facet joints are under constant tension.It causes pain.In addition, the pain increases towards the end of the day, especially with prolonged forced posture.

Causes of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine

One of the main causes of osteochondrosis is the evolutionary unadaptability of the spine to high vertical loads.Like other mammals, human ancestors walked on four legs.They did not suffer from osteochondrosis because in a horizontal posture the intradiscal pressure is twice as high as in a vertical posture.By the standards of evolution, the transition to an upright posture occurred not so long ago and the spine simply did not have time to adapt to the high vertical load.In addition to walking upright, people also developed diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The structure of the human neck makes it even more vulnerable.The human neck area consists of seven small, movable vertebrae that are jointed together like a child's pyramid.Outside of the resting state, this structure can hardly be described as stable.In addition, the muscular framework in this area is weak and the loads can be high - all this makes the neck vulnerable.Every violation has consequences.Even if the damage occurred to another part of the spine, a redistribution of the load can be the cause of osteochondrosis.

Another factor is age.At the age of 21, the development of skeletal and cartilage tissue is complete, after which the irreversible aging process (degeneration) begins.The nutrition of the cartilage tissue occurs exclusively by diffusion, and if the intervertebral disc does not receive enough nutrients, it gradually begins to decay.

In addition, the development of cervical osteochondrosis is promoted by:

  1. Autoimmune diseases.They involve the body's own cells in the pathological process of destruction of cartilage tissue.
  2. Infections, hormonal imbalance, slow metabolism - all these circulatory disorders can also serve as factors in the development of osteochondrosis.
  3. A sedentary lifestyle, working conditions in which a person spends most of his time in a forced static position.
  4. High loads that cause injury can cause compression.
  5. Genetic defects associated with weakness of the musculoskeletal system and inferior cartilage tissue.

The spinal canal in the cervical spine is very narrow, so high levels of stress, disruption or injury can lead to compression of the spinal cord.And that is very dangerous.

In addition, numerous nerve endings and blood vessels run through this area.If there is no longer enough blood flowing to the brain, a stroke can occur.

diagnosis

When initially diagnosing cervical osteochondrosis, the doctor takes the patient's medical history.He finds out what hurts and how, with what intensity, during stress or at rest, at what time of day it hurts more, and whether there are injuries to the cervical spine.

When examining the neck, the doctor feels the cervical vertebrae and muscles as well as the lymph nodes;assesses range of motion, excludes or confirms radicular syndrome.

After that, laboratory diagnostics are prescribed to rule out autoimmune diseases: general blood count, ESR, rheumatoid factor, HLA B27 antigen.

Radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging play the main role in making the diagnosis.

  • Radiographyhelps assess the condition of bone structures;Soft tissue and cartilage are not shown in the images.To visualize these structures, a contrast agent is injected: angiography, discography, myelography.
  • Computed tomography (CT).This method also uses the principle of radiography, but with the help of computer processing it is possible to obtain a series of images of longitudinal and cross sections in which bone and cartilage tissue can be seen.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).It is the “gold standard” in the diagnosis of pathologies, including cartilage and soft tissue.MRI not only provides insights into the structure of organs and tissues, but also into their function.With osteochondrosis, a common complication is a spinal fracture.MRI allows you to diagnose the process of hernia formation in the early stages.

Treatment

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is based on conservative methods.First, the pain syndrome is relieved, and then various procedures are prescribed.But in the most extreme cases, when the pain does not go away for more than three months and medication does not help, surgery is the only option.

Non-surgical treatment methods

Osteochondrosis has been affecting the osteochondrosis system for many years, so treatment will take time.You have to be patient.Goals of conservative treatment:

  1. Eliminate pain.
  2. Relieve inflammation.
  3. Restore the functions of the spinal roots.
  4. Strengthen the muscle corset and ligaments.

Conservative treatment includes drug therapy and physiotherapy.Medication helps relieve pain during an exacerbation, and physical therapy helps initiate the body's self-healing processes.

If the pain in radicular syndrome is severe, so-called “blocks” are carried out: the drug is administered in the immediate vicinity of the inflamed spinal nerve root.

Physiotherapeutic treatment is based on natural and artificially recreated physical factors: cold, heat, electric current, magnetic radiation, laser and others.To recreate them, special devices, devices and manual techniques are used.

  • Laser therapy— biological activation of the regeneration processes of the intervertebral discs.The body begins to heal itself.
  • Plasma therapy (PRP therapy)- Injections of plasma isolated from the patient's blood.Plasma is rich in platelets, growth factors and hormones.After injections, local immunity increases and regeneration processes are initiated.
  • acupuncture- Stimulation of nerve endings with special needles.Improves metabolism in affected areas and relieves pain.
  • Shock wave therapy- Exposure to radio frequency waves.Allows you to initiate natural recovery processes.
  • Kinesitherapy- Exercise therapy.It can be active (physiotherapy) and passive (massage, traction).Exercise therapy strengthens the back muscles, traction relieves tension and pain.Selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
  • Manual therapy and massage- Impact on soft tissues and joints to restore balance in the body and synchronize processes.Restore mobility and eliminate pain.
  • Tape- gluing special patches to the skin in places where it is necessary to influence muscle stretch and compression receptors.It can both relax and improve tone.

In case of acute pain, the patient is recommended to wear special bandages and collars around the neck to relieve the pressure on the spine.

The positive effect of conservative treatment occurs within 2-3 months.If there is no result, the patient is recommended surgery.

Surgical methods for the treatment of osteochondrosis

Surgery for cervical osteochondrosis is an extreme measure that requires special indications.Surgery is recommended if:

  1. The pain cannot be relieved by therapeutic treatment for more than 3 months.
  2. There is a herniated disc.
  3. Loss of sensation in the extremities.

Postoperative rehabilitation also takes time and may include therapeutic treatment.

Cervical osteochondrosis is a complex degenerative disease.It cannot be left untreated.Such serious disorders of the musculoskeletal system can lead to disability.Neck pain can become chronic, and osteochondrosis can spread to multiple parts of the spine.Timely prevention can prevent the development of this disease.

Prevention

Daily physical activity is necessary to keep your cervical spine healthy.Nutrition of the intervertebral discs occurs during movement and is therefore extremely necessary.It is important that the loads are optimal and regular.

If a static position is constantly taken at work, regular warm-up is necessary.And at home, after a day at work, you can lie on your back for a while on a flat surface and put a pillow under your neck.This method helps restore the cervical curvature of the spine and relieve muscle tension.

To prevent cervical osteochondrosis, correct posture while sleeping is important.If a person gets up in the morning with neck pain, it means that the muscles have not had time to rest and recover.An orthopedic pillow that is individually selected for 3-5 years can help here.