Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a disease of our time. A sedentary way of life, constant nervous tension does not pass without a trace. Almost everyone can observe the symptoms of this disease. How to recognize an insidious ailment and seek help in time?

Osteochondrosis is a physiological process that every person acquires during their life. The symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are very diverse, therefore, it becomes a disease only under certain conditions in combination with certain factors. The disease is characterized by local changes in the bone tissue of the cervical spine, due to the appearance of calcium deficiency. Calcium becomes scarce and the tissue acquires a spongy structure, becomes brittle, fragile and carries the main function of the skeleton.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

With cervical osteochondrosis, the blood supply to the brain is disturbed. Therefore, almost all patients complain of similar symptoms:

• headaches, dizziness, tinnitus;
• there are pain in the shoulder, neck, chest;
• individual parts of the body go numb (hands, fingers);
• weakness in arms and legs;
• psychological symptoms: unreasonable mood swings, irritability;
• In difficult situations, vision and hearing decrease.

The symptoms are so diverse and individual that cervical osteochondrosis is difficult to identify based solely on patient complaints. Cervical spine disease is diagnosed by MRI, CT, X-ray. Based on the results of the study, you can see changes in the spine. Only taking into account all the complaints is the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis.

Depending on the location of cervical osteochondrosis, symptoms and treatment are somewhat different. From where exactly the change took place and how it affects the central nervous system, osteochondrosis can be divided into three main groups. These varieties have different symptoms and, consequently, a different treatment.

1. First group. The peripheral nervous system suffers. A change in the vertebrae directly affects the nerve endings (roots). Often referred to as cervical thoracic osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, it has the most striking symptoms:
• Pain from the cervical region to the shoulder region.

• Choking syndrome in the neck, tachycardia, heart pain.
• Crack, noise, crack when turning the neck. See what exercises to do to strengthen the muscles of the neck with osteochondrosis.
• Constant pain in the back of the head.
• Due to impaired blood circulation, hands become pale, cold, fingers become numb.
• Pain in the joints.

Such osteochondrosis can cause torticollis

2. Second group. The entire spinal cord is involved, the disease manifests itself in the disruption of all its work around. The symptoms are as follows:
• The muscle tone of the legs and arms decreases. The legs get numb, quickly tire, it is difficult to walk, stand, the reason is the syndrome of semiconductor disorders. Blood does not flow well to the lateral columns of the spinal cord.
• Myelopathy develops in affected areas. It affects the dysfunction of the limbs.
• Third group. The work of the brain is interrupted due to poor blood supply to the brain. It differs in characteristic syndromes:
• Hypothalamic. A syndrome that is indicated by a malfunction of the hypothalamus. It leads to neurological symptoms. The patient often feels excessive fatigue, irritability, mood swings. People suffering from this syndrome complain of lack of sleep, resentment, unfounded fears, anxiety. Among the physiological changes: sweating, paleness, cold hands, high blood pressure.
• Droplet syndrome. With such a disease of the cervical spine, they often faint for no reason. The cause is vasospasm.
• Vestibular stem. The syndrome is characterized by frequent dizziness. The work of the vestibular apparatus is interrupted due to insufficient blood flow. Nausea that causes vomiting is sometimes observed.
• Cochlear stem. Ringing, tinnitus is called syndrome. Ear congestion or hearing problems may occur. It is very difficult to associate such symptoms with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, especially to prescribe the correct treatment.
• pharyngeal-laryngeal. The syndrome is accompanied by discomfort in the throat. May be difficult to swallow, voice becomes hoarse. Painful symptoms such as dryness, itching, sore throat are observed.

Characteristics of osteochondrosis with treatment of root syndrome symptoms

Separately, it is worth dwelling on the radicular syndrome of the cervical spine, the symptoms of which should be considered in more detail. Its manifestation is often confused with diseases that are not related to osteochondrosis. Treatment does not work, the person continues to feel pain, the condition worsens. An incorrect diagnosis is sometimes worse than the disease itself. The prescribed therapy not only does not help, but also paralyzes completely healthy organs. The development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine provokes the appearance of the so-called radicular syndrome.

The main reason is compression of the nerves, particularly their roots in a certain part of the spine (cervical, thoracic, vertebral).

This cervical syndrome is characterized by:

1. Pain when turning the neck or torso. It appears after a long, monotonous position of the body (sleep, prolonged sitting) and sharp turns of the head.
2. Numbness and "chills" in the occipital region.
3. Headaches in different manifestations: throbbing, sharp, short-lived, long-lasting. This leads to dizziness, fainting, nausea.
4. The chin muscles may sag a bit.
5. With frequent pain, a decrease in the tone of the tongue is observed, and speech defects appear.
6. Neck pain smoothly passes to shoulder, forearm, hand. There is numbness in the fingers, discomfort when lifting an arm, pain in the joints.

Often the radicular syndrome of the cervical spine smoothly turns into the thoracic. In cervicothoracic osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, pain, acute instantaneous, manifests itself in the internal organs.

Here the clinical picture looks like this:

• Pain in the scapula, lower ribs, armpits. Numbness in these areas.
• Stinging painful sensations in stomach, intestines, hypochondrium. Often, looking at this syndrome, it is misdiagnosed with diseases of the digestive tract.
• Numbness, from navel to groin along the back of the spine, causing heaviness in the intestines and stomach.
• Dry throat.

Root changes can cause cardinal syndrome - a violation in the bone tissue causes irritation of the roots of the pectoral muscles or the diaphragm. Its appearance is indicated by: heart pains of variable duration, from sharp throbs to prolonged pain, tachycardia, shortness of breath. These signs are exactly the same as the symptoms of angina. And if you treat it exactly, the result will be zero. Also, in patients with such a syndrome, the cardiogram is normal, and apart from pain, no other signs of heart disease are observed. Therefore, drugs with a coronary dilating effect are not effective.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Effective treatment is complex therapy that must be practiced not only during an exacerbation.

Medications

• The pain syndrome is relieved with pain relievers and other pain relievers.
• For severe pain, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed.
• A local anesthetic in the form of warm ointments and gels will be helpful.
• If exiled muscle spasm is observed, take muscle relaxants.
• Prescribe medications that improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis.
• Also in medical practice the blockade of analgesics is used.
• Prescribe anticonvulsant medications if necessary.
• In case of psychological disorders, antidepressants, sedatives and drugs for insomnia are useful.

In addition to drug treatment, the following has a very positive effect:

• massages,
• medical gymnastics;
• electrophoresis;
• using a bandage.

Cardinal methods of treatment: surgical removal of hernias and other defects of the spine.