Osteochondrosis of the cervical region: diagnosis and treatment

The girl has neck pain

Do you feel the pain in the back and numbness of the limbs?These are the first signs of osteochondrosis.Inadequate mobility in lifestyle, sitting work, load on the neck and spine lead to the fact that cartilage wears out and loses moisture, as a result of which they are damaged.

With cervical osteochondrosis, degenerative changes occur on intervertebral discs.Not only the discs are subject to damage, but also the vertebrae and the joints in the cervical region.If the disease does not treat for a long time, the patient's general health worsens: constant headaches, the appearance of vertebrates, the deterioration in brain circulation, as a result of which cognitive functions are reduced.

The reasons for the development of osteochondrosis

An incorrect sitting position, in which the neck stretches forward leads to the development of a cervical ailment.In this case, there is excessive pressure on the intervertebral discs, which leads to changes in the pulposo nucleus and tight blood vessels.This position is a person occupies in the workplace in front of the computer.Therefore, office workers are often under the development of the osteochondrosis of the cervical column.

A man on a computer

In addition, the causes of the development of the pathology can be:

  • Incorrect load distribution when using bags;
  • A place to sleep too soft (the column folds unnaturally);
  • genetic predisposition;
  • Lack of vitamins and elements trace in the diet;
  • endocrine system disorders;
  • Curvature of the column and violation of the posture during the active growth of the body;
  • cervical vertebrae injuries;
  • The presence of bad habits.

Stages of the disease

To determine if its symptoms of pain are signs of the development of the osteochondrosis of the cervical column and what stage of the development of the disease can only be determined by an experienced doctor after examination and palpation.In total, cervical osteochondrosis passes four stages of development:

  1. Pulposo nucleus: The central part of the intervertebral disc in the first stage is subject to moderate dehydration.As a result, the support and shock discharge functions of the intervertebral discs are gradually lost.In the first stage, you will experience pain with sudden movements, hypothermia and remain in a pose for a long time.
  2. The second stage of development is characterized by the appearance of phenomena and stagnant spasms that prescribe capillaries and blood vessels, avoiding normal blood circulation.As a result, the intervertebral disc framework is thinner, forming propusion (protruding forward or backwards).Under the influence of excess load on cervical vertebrae, osteophytes are formed.Pain sensations are located in one place, with acute turns and head inclinations, there may be dislocations of the cervical vertebrae.
  3. The extrusion is formed as a result of the thinning of the intervertebral discs.The edge of the octopus nucleus breaks the fibrous ring and goes beyond the edges of the vertebral body.Muscles and nerve endings are squeezed.He feels for the pain in the neck, back and limbs.
  4. In the fourth stage of the disease, intervertebral discs move and form through central and lateral hernias.In addition, the scars are formed on the discs, which leads to the immobility of the affected joint.The patient experiences a constant back pain, which is given to other parts of the body, a constant sensation of fatigue occurs, asymmetry of parts of the trunk occurs.
The pain in the neck and in the lower back

Cervical osteochondrosis symptoms

The symptoms of the osteochondrosis of the cervical column are manifested differently depending on the stage of development of the pathology.In the early stages, it can occur virtually without the presence of signs.The pain in the neck and back can only appear in case of prolonged stay in a pose, acute inclination or turn.

In the subsequent stages of development, a crunch is heard in the spine, the pain in the back is given to other limbs, there is numbness of body parts.With the formation of osteophytes and extrusion, there are:

  • headaches on the back of the head and parietal part;
  • deteriorated speech and numbness of the language;
  • decrease in the sensitivity of the skin of the neck;
  • respiratory disorders;
  • Sworn from blood pressure;
  • heart disorders;
  • noise and stagnation in the ears;
  • Fainting.

The symptoms of the osteochondrosis of the cervical column in women are much more pronounced than in men.This is due to the fact that women have a predisposition to vascular diseases and a more fragile structure of the bone segments of the spine.The signs of the disease begin to appear when changes occur in the intervertebral disc.This leads to a violation of normal blood circulation and causes severe heads, dizziness and neurosis.An exacerbation of the disease in women often occurs during menopause, when the body is subject to changes in a hormonal background.

The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men are similar to women, erectile dysfunction can be observed separately.

The headache for cervical osteochondrosis is caused by circulatory disorders in the brain and spinal cord.When the vertebrae change, they squeeze the arteries, and the oxygen content in the blood decreases.Unfortunately, such pain may not happen even after taking strong analgesics.Therefore, it is important to address the solution of the problem thoroughly.Dizziness for cervical osteochondrosis may be accompanied by darkening in the eyes, the appearance of noise in the ears.This happens because spasms muscles cause a reduction in oxygen access to the brain.

A lump in the throat with osteochondrosis of the cervical column, as well as burning, difficulty breathing and muscle cramps, this is a common occurrence.The disease causes the nerve fibers of the cervical column to the head and neck.Nervous impulse disorders cause throat pain.

Due to the spasms of the blood vessels and the irritation of the nerve endings, jumps occur in blood pressure.The increased pressure in the osteochondrosis indicates that the blood supply to the individual areas of the brain is disturbed, since the vertebral artery is survived by the intervertebral discs.As a result of this, oxygen hunger occurs and blood pressure increases.

The doctor controls the magnetic resonance apparatus

How is the diagnosis of osteochondrosis of cervical spinal osteochondrosis?

The diagnosis of pathology begins with a specialized consultation.In the first manifestations of osteochondrosis, communicate with the rheumatologist, neuropathologist, surgeon or traumatologist-fortodist.The doctor will ask about the symptoms and frequency of their manifestation, it is necessary to provide the specialist with the complete history of the disease and the results of the first studies (if any).The specialist will carry out a visual inspection and palpation, will direct it for the tests.The doctor during the exam pays special attention to neck mobility, muscle tone, skin sensitivity and reveals the most painful areas.

To identify the condition of the muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, detect inflammatory processes or tumors, an informative and safe diagnosis method is prescribed: magnetic resonance of the cervical column.The patient during magnetic resonance osteochondrosis is found at a special retractable table with the back.Roleiks are placed on the patient's head to eliminate muscle voltage, and the limbs are fixed with straps.Any insignificant movement during the procedure can affect the quality of the result.Next, the table stops in the tomograph.The procedure does not cause pain.The tomograph makes a heavy noise during scanning, so you can use headphones so as not to feel discomfort.

If magnetic resonance is contraindicated, there are other diagnostic methods, such as computerized tomography and radiography.X -Ray is suitable only for primary diagnosis and does not give a layer of layer of the affected tissues.However, this study is the simplest and most economical, which allows you to explore the patient's body in several projections.Due to the strong radiation load in the body, the radiography cannot be done often.

During the computerized tomography, the scan is carried out using one or more ionizing ray packages.They pass through the human body and are registered by detectors.Detectors move along the patient's body in opposite directions and set 6 million signals.Different tissue density with an accurate determination of the limits of the organs and the areas affected in the form of the image are shown.The procedure allows you to obtain an image in layers.

doctor

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical column

How to treat cervical osteochondrosis, only one doctor will determine after the exam, study medical history and get the results of hardware diagnoses.If the disease was diagnosed at an early stage, then the treatment will be subject to conservative forms.In the treatment of osteochondrosis, it is important to adhere to an integrated approach: take medications, participate in physiotherapy, go to a therapeutic massage and avoid heavy physical effort.

First, you must stop pain.For this, analgesics and analgesics of local action are prescribed.With strong muscle cramps, they are prescribed to use an orthopedic collar.After eliminating pain syndrome, it is necessary to stop the inflammatory process and restore normal blood circulation.For this, anti -inflammatory antioxidant therapy is carried out.As additional measures, therapeutic exercises, swimming are prescribed.You can participate in physical education both at home and with a coach.

If the osteochondrosis has become severe, the doctor can prescribe surgical intervention.The operation resorts to rare cases in which the pathology develops in the context of other diseases: scoliosis, hernias of intervertebral discs, curvature or displacement of the spine, injuries.

The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in women is not particularly different from the treatment of men.However, doctors often recommend women to make external compresses to heat and strengthen neck muscles.

Experts recommend from early childhood to avoid several back diseases.To do this, you must form the right posture while walking and stays on the desk.Complete nutrition and proper strengthening of the back muscles will help avoid negative consequences in the future.