Diseases of the musculoskeletal system are one of the most common diseases on the planet.Few people manage to avoid them completely, especially after the age of 40, although experts admit that problems with the spine, muscles and joints have become “younger”, and the very young are increasingly complaining of pain.
This is due to a lifestyle that has already become familiar to many: inactivity, prolonged stay in the same position (most often behind gadgets and monitors), lack of physical activity.As a result, posture is disturbed, salts and other harmful substances accumulate in the body, the functions of the musculoskeletal system are disturbed and, as a result, internal organs can be deformed.
The most common of these diseases is osteochondrosis, which affects both older and quite young people, and among osteochondrosis - problems with the lumbosacral and cervical spine.The second most common type of osteochondrosis, cervical, is an unpleasant disease and, moreover, it is progressive, without treatment it significantly worsens the way of life, up to disability.This means that you need to promptly recognize the symptoms of this disease and immediately contact an orthopedist or vertebrologist for treatment.
How does cervical osteochondrosis develop?
If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle or, due to his profession, stays in the same position for a long time, the risk of developing osteochondrosis is very high.As the disease progresses, changes occur in the intervertebral discs, they become deformed and alter their structure.
The intervertebral discs are located between the vertebrae, their function is to support the spine, make it flexible and strong.There are seven vertebrae in the neck, with the help of which the head is supported and rotated, the neck is bent, and so on.The cervical vertebrae are located very close to each other, which is why they are injured and displaced even with minor physical exertion.The danger of the disease lies in the fact that it affects the nerve endings of spinal nerves, which damages the vessels that supply blood to the brain.In turn, the brain does not receive enough vital substances, which can lead to the development of a series of other more serious diseases that can cause disability and even death of the patient.
There are many reasons for the occurrence and development of cervical osteochondrosis.Among the most common and frequent reasons are the following:
- impaired metabolism in the body, in particular in the cervical region, hormonal imbalance;
- salt deposition;
- low physical activity, sedentary lifestyle;
- staying in the same position for a long time (in front of the computer, driving a car, etc.);
- poor nutrition;
- overweight;
- neck injuries and bruises;
- hypothermia of the body.
Osteochondrosis also occurs against the background of chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system, such as scoliosis or rheumatism.
In addition, a genetic predisposition of the body often leads to osteochondrosis.
But whatever the reasons, osteochondrosis must be treated as soon as the first symptoms appear.
Signs of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis in this part of the spine does not always occur suddenly and unexpectedly.Most of the time, it develops slowly and the symptoms intensify over time and their number increases.The more and more severely the vertebrae are damaged and the nerve roots are compressed, the more noticeable the symptoms.
The first symptom that you need to pay attention to is pain of varying intensity in the cervical spine, which radiates to other parts of the body - the back of the head, forehead, ears, forearm, shoulder, chest and so on.If you experience pain, you should see a doctor to determine if it is actually osteochondrosis, which often has symptoms similar to other diseases.
Other signs of osteochondrosis
- neck pain increases with exertion or when turning the head;
- the patient feels numbness, burning or tingling in the limbs;
- headaches and dizziness, loss of strength are common, the patient may complain of darkening and spots in the eyes, tinnitus;
- You are likely to faint if you turn your head suddenly.
Cervical osteochondrosis is also characterized by:
- lack of coordination;
- pain in the heart region;
- deterioration of vision and hearing.
Types of osteochondrosis
Depending on the type of pinched nerve and the nature of the disease, doctors distinguish several syndromes:
- radicular syndrome;
- vertebral artery syndrome;
- cardiac syndrome.
Radicular syndrome is the compression of the first pairs of cervical nerve endings.The pain is felt in the neck, radiating to the shoulder blade, lower back, shoulder and forearm.
In vertebral artery syndrome, the patient feels throbbing pain in the back of the neck or temples, or burning pain in the neck, back of the head, which intensifies when turning the head, during sleep, when coughing and radiates to the chest and shoulder.
In cardiac syndrome, the symptoms initially resemble angina pectoris, but the pain does not disappear after taking nitroglycerin, lasts several hours and can intensify with movement and deep breathing.
Symptoms of damage to specific vertebrae
Treatment of osteochondrosis is prescribed based on damaged nerve endings.There are eight in total, each of them located above the cervical vertebra.You can determine which vertebrae are affected by the symptoms corresponding to a specific nerve root.
Damage to the nerve ending and its characteristic pain
- first and second sections: impaired sensitivity in the back of the head, pain in the parietal and occipital region;
- third section: numbness of the neck in the pinched area, impaired speech, sensitivity of the tongue;occurs very rarely;
- fourth section: pain and numbness in the collarbone and/or shoulder, respiratory system disorders, pain in the heart region;
- fifth section: shoulder pain, pain on the outer surface of the shoulder, decreased sensitivity of the limbs;
- sixth and seventh sections: pain in the neck, shoulder blade, forearm, back, lower back, decreased sensitivity of the hands and fingers;most common injury;
- eighth section: pain in the neck, back, elbows, numbness in the little fingers of all extremities, cyanosis of the legs and hands due to poor circulation, lack of skin sensitivity, radiating to the legs.
Diagnosis and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
To confidently establish a diagnosis of “cervical osteochondrosis”, you should consult a doctor.Many symptoms of osteochondrosis are similar to signs of other diseases, so it is important not only to start treatment for osteochondrosis on time, but also not to miss other pathologies.
If osteochondrosis is suspected and there are signs of pinching of nerve endings, the doctor prescribes an x-ray;if there is insufficient data, magnetic or computed resonance imaging, Doppler ultrasound and duplex scan.
Based on the research data, the nature of the pain syndrome and the combination of other symptoms, it is possible to determine which discs are damaged and begin the necessary treatment that will restore the affected vertebrae and nerve roots and prevent the development of complications of osteochondrosis.
Treatment is prescribed by a doctor and is usually complex.First of all, it must alleviate the painful symptoms, which in cervical osteochondrosis are sometimes almost unbearable and spread not only to the neck, but also to other parts of the body.
To this end, analgesics in tablets are used, but in case of very intense pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are indicated, as well as warming and analgesic ointments.
Medications and ointments only relieve pain and other symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, but do not eliminate its cause.After the pain subsides, the patient receives massage, physical therapy and physical therapy.The patient is prescribed a diet, medications that improve blood circulation and support the body's functions, in the form of tablets and injections, as well as chondroprotectors that help protect and restore the tissue of the intervertebral disc.
In some cases, as additional treatment, the patient is prescribed baths, paraffin baths, reflexology and hirudotherapy.Traditional methods of treating cervical osteochondrosis often also quickly help the patient to return to a normal lifestyle, but they should be used only in combination with traditional methods and after consultation with a doctor, as traditional medicine may have contraindications, and the use of its recipes can harm an organism already weakened by the disease.
Complications and prevention of the disease
Do not forget: treatment of cervical osteochondrosis should be started as soon as possible.The longer you wait to see a doctor, the more difficult it will be to cure the disease and, however, it can cause several complications.Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is very dangerous because this section contains many blood vessels and nerve plexuses that supply the brain.
Either disorder can cause cerebral circulation problems, neurological disorders including migraines and high blood pressure, and affect the heart, respiratory system, hearing and vision.
If you start osteochondrosis, more serious consequences are possible in the form of cerebral ischemia, stroke or radiculopathy - a disease in which processes form in the affected vertebrae, partially or completely depriving the body of sensitivity and mobility.But this is not the worst thing, as in severe cases of osteochondrosis the spinal cord becomes compressed, which can cause the patient's death.
Therefore, it is very important to listen to the symptoms as early as possible and seek out a specialist who will help you return to a full life.And to avoid a disease such as cervical osteochondrosis, you need to move more, not avoid physical activity, monitor your weight, eat a healthy and balanced diet and regularly visit an orthopedist or vertebrologist.