Cervical spine osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a chronic, slow progressive lesion (between the first and seventh), which begins with the destruction of intervertebral discs and ends with "rebound", protruding (hernia), deformation and displacement.
Subsequently, neurological (inflammation of the nerves and their consequences) and vascular complications (compression of spinal artery and consequences of blood circulation disorders) are connected to clinical symptoms of osteochondrosis. In the case of cervical osteochondrosis, these are headaches, dizziness, loss of orientation, nausea, sharp pressure drops that are difficult to normalize. Osteochondrosis is a common pathology whose symptoms at the age of 45 are 90 % of people (regardless of gender), and others - for office workers who lead a sedentary lifestyle. The lesion of the cervical region is diagnosed as often as lumbar osteochondrosis. This is due to excessive mobility of the neck and the weakness of the muscles surrounding the spine in this area.
The essence of pathology is with him
The intervertebral plate (abbreviated MPD) is at the center of a wet paste and the elastic, strongest fibrous shell surrounding it. They are next to and below the bodies of the adjacent vertebrae. The arrival (and selection) of the materials and the water in the disk between the vertebrae is the result of diffusion (direct and reverse filtration, the penetration of the molecules into the plate and the back) from the bone of the vertebrae. The gradual aging of the intervertebral disk tissues leads to the fact that the receipt of the necessary materials slows down and completely eliminated under the influence of provoking factors (pressure, load). The dense tissue of the fibrous membrane is covered with cracks, loses its elasticity, and the middle paste leaks (loses water). This leads to the cervix osteochondrosis progresses:
- MPD loses the height;
- The vertebrae are shifted, the nerve roots smooth and begin to grow with bony spines, trying to evenly disperse the increasing pressure (spondylosis).
Over time, the ligaments are involved in the bone process, impregnated with calcium at the point of attachment to the vertebrae, and are caused by stiffness and neck restrictions. As people continue to fill their spine - they are actively moving, sitting in an uncomfortable position:
- The bodies of adjacent vertebrae are increasingly squeezed by the MPD;
- This leads to the fact that the pulpoose core (rather its remnant) is pushed forward or backward (more often towards the anterior longitudinal ligament because it is quite thin in the cervical region).
Such a protrusion is called protrusion (the sheet of the plate does not explode, but only changed its shape), but pushes it to the adjacent tissues, which leads to the occurrence of muscle tension, pain and other symptoms that are continued by osteochondrosis of the cervix. Over time, the fibrous peel of the plate is disconnected and some of the pulpic core is tightened into the tissue (this breakthrough is called hernia). At this stage (these are 4 stages), all acute symptoms of the disease may disappear (a small portion of the core is absorbed or covered with calcium and eliminates irritation of surrounding tissues), or vice versa, leads to the development of the brain ischemic stroke (oxygen hunger, death).
Causes provocative factors
Considering the causes of osteochondrosis, it is worth noting that the violations are based on the natural aging of the intervertebral disc. The process can accelerate various provocative factors:
- Hereditary predisposition.
- Congenital defects in the formation of the cervical spine (deformation of the first cervical vertebrae).
- Damage and surgical interventions.
- Excessive mobility of the cervix region (such as sports training).
- Lack of physical activity (sitting work).
- Posture violation (Stoop).
- Circle.
- Neural stress.
- Hypothermia.
Four sections (degrees) and symptoms
With the osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, all manifestations have increased from stage to the stage, the more changes occur on the intervertebral plate - the stronger the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis. In the initial stages of a person, the muscle tension of the cervical and shoulders can be disturbed, which causes them to get tired quickly. Then the main sign of pathology appears - the pain that can be camouflaged as a tooth on the back of the head, shoulders, arms, chest, as a toothache. One begins to get dizzy, the concentration of attention is weakened, vision and hearing falls, it deteriorates the quality of life and does not affect its well -functioning ability. Gradually, the symptoms increase and increase - a person wakes up in the spine by feeling stiff, with any sharp movement (such as sneezing or heel on the floor) and causing pain along the affected nerves, difficult to raise the hand, or keep the object to the object. At night, the heartbeat may increase, or the appearance of air deficiency-the patient cannot breathe deeply, due to the pain a person is unable to move, reverse his neck, or lift his hand. In symptoms, men osteochondrosis are almost no different from women osteochondrosis (more often worried about headache.
Section 1 (Cape)
The intervertebral disk has lost elasticity and sagging.
At this stage, tension with osteochondrosis of the cervical region appears, fatigue, fatigue and cervical pain.
The first symptoms:
- muscle tension, which leads to rapid fatigue, fatigue;
- pain, discomfort around the neck;
- The headache appears periodically.
Section 2
MPD cracks, exfoliations are even more descended, protruding (protrusion of the fibrous membrane), and bones growth along the edge of the vertebrae.
- Human crackling, headache, sensitivity disorders, pain in cervical pain, which increases with elementary loads, gives it to other parts of the body.
- Cervical feelings are improved by cervical feelings, and the shoulders, chest and head are an occlital part of the head.
- The person is regularly worried about severe headaches.
- Crystal when he turns his neck.
- The difficulties of swallowing.
- Blood pressure is swanka.
- Dizziness.
- Numbness of the skin and fingers, weakening of the limb muscles.
Section 3
At this stage, the protrusion erupts (hernia), the increase in the size of the bone spikes, and the spinal strips bone in the spinal locking places. Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervix in 3 stages:
- The symptoms of the first two stages of the disease are related to violation of the blood supply to the brain (due to the compression of the spinal artery) in the form of visual deficiencies, hearing, orientation, sensitivity and others.
- Pain can increase with the most important movement (overturning the head), shoots in the ear, jaw, shoulder and forearm.
- The patient is looking for a comfortable pose and tries to find the tilt of the head that alleviates the symptoms.
- Its attention is scattered, memory, vision, hearing, coordination of movements deteriorates, sleep disorders, nausea appears, and stable hypertension develops.
- The spine, paresis, paralysis of the limbs (agility, impaired sensitivity), the muscles lose strength and volume (atrophy).
- Observe the smooth bend of the spine.
Stage 4
Stage 4 feature - symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and stiffness remain.
- The acute manifestations of the disease disappear because the soft tissues are subjected to ossify.
- In 5 % of cases, 4 stages of osteochondrosis can be complicated with the necrosis of adjacent tissues, the brain ischemic stroke.
- The manifestations cause ischemic stroke (oxygen starving and drying some of the cells) and disability.
Possible complication of osteochondrosis of cervix 4:
- brain ischemic stroke that can lead to the patient's disability;
- Due to the circulatory disorders of adjacent tissues, the patient may have trophy ulcers (cell death due to nutrients and lack of oxygen).
Diagnostic methods
The cervical region osteochondrosis is diagnosed with various instrumental tests:
- X -Ray (characteristic diagnostic properties in the form of spikes on the edge of the spine, or a decrease in the height of the MPD appears in 2 stages).
- CT, the spine MRI (allows you to diagnose MPD changes in the initial stages).
- Discography (a study by introducing a contrast medium allows you to determine the deepest damage to the intervertebral disc).
- Electronography (using the obstacle, inflammation at the nervous end).
- Dopplerography of the brain vessels (allows the condition of the blood vessels and the blood flow rate).
In the case of nerve endings, many neurological manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis occur, detect symptoms and monitors the treatment of neurologist (promotes diagnosis, advice, medicines).
Treatment methods
Neck osteochondrosis is an incurable disease (such as any other localization osteochondrosis), changes in the intervertebral disk tissues, irreversible. In the early stages (1 and 2), conservative treatment can be suspended with conservative therapy in 3 stages to relieve acute symptoms. Occasionally, in the case of stable cervical ramulitis (inflammation of the spinal core of the spine), surgical removal of intervertebral discs is performed.
First aid
Cervical osteochondrosis requires first aid, if the patient feels acute pain in his neck, unable to reverse his head, unable to perform any other movements (raises his hand). In this case, the anesthesia introduce a 2%solution or other drugs with combined properties into the muscles along the vertebrae. Blockade quickly relieves pain and improves the patient's condition. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is carried out during the recovery period, which can improve blood circulation in the cervical vertebrae and neck mobility.
Other treatment methods:
Experts can recommend various orthopedic tools:
- The Shantz tire, which is a kind of corset, bandage or neck holder. With the help of the head, it is secured in a position and thus relieves the muscles, unloading and anesthetized the cervix's spine.
- An orthopedic cushion that allows the cervical region to sleep in the most convenient and physiological pose without provoking muscle tension, pain and stiffness in the spine.
Surgery
Surgery treatment may be required if:
- Intervertebral hernia (or hernia) nerve roots were increasingly compressed;
- Other treatment methods do not alleviate the patient's condition;
- There is a risk of disability.
Surgery treatment of cervical osteochondrosis significantly improves the patient's condition, but it is always likely to develop various complications (sensitivity loss, spine mobility).
Home treatment
Home treatment of osteochondrosis is the use of products that help:
- Confirm the circulation of the tissue.
- Improve your metabolism in them.
- Finally, get rid of pain, inflammation and muscle tension.
They are used during the healing period when the acute symptoms of the disease remain left:
- Heating compression with Campaire alcohol. Take 50 ml of vodka, Camparal alcohol, so many fresh aloe juice, 50 g mustard powder and 100 ml of honey. Mix, add 3 beaten egg whites to the mixture, leave for one day. When ready, the mixture is applied to the affected area, along the spine (for 2-3 hours), covered with plastic foil on top. The treatment method is 12 procedures, after one week it can be repeated.
- Ginger ointment. Grind 3 medium garlic teeth and 50 g of fresh ginger root in a blender, add 50 g to the butter's room temperature and beat again. With this device, the area of injury is lubricated once a day (2-3 hours), which is covered with a film on top of a film. The treatment of the cervical osteochondrosis can be repeated after 21 days, 2 weeks.
Non -traditional methods of treatment should first be discussed with your doctor.
Prevention
Measures to prevent osteochondrosis:
- moderate physical activity and exercise on the neck;
- a diet rich in vitamins and is useful to cartilage;
- orthopedic cushion and mattress for sleep;
- Comfortable workplace.
You have to take into account the habit of carrying difficulty in one hand or in the bag and getting rid of it. Such unilateral load is a provocative factor in the development of cervical osteochondrosis.
Forecast
Osteochondrosis is one of the most common pathologies that appear in 90 % of people after 45 years (regardless of gender). Often diagnosed with:
- cervix or cervix (due to weakness in the cervical muscles and mobility of the neck);
- lumbar osteochondrosis (due to spinal load);
- Less often - the chest (this class is less moving, the load is low).
The infringements of the onset of the disease are irreversible, so it is impossible to cure pathology. Conservative methods can be suspended with cervical osteochondrosis in sections 1 and 2. Acute symptoms will be removed for 2-3 weeks until the complete restoration of osteochondrosis should be treated for 6 months. The most effective method in sections 3 and 4 is surgical correction (removal of hernia and plates, confirmation of vertebrae). The prerequisite for all people after 30 years is to regularly complete the special practice of the cervix, as such measures solve the problem of the disease progression.