In the modern world, it is difficult to overestimate the resonance of the disease of cervical osteochondrosis.Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is much more common than in other vertebral regions.Almost everyone over the age of twenty-five suffers from this disease, to one degree or another.
Cervical osteochondrosis develops mainly due to a sedentary lifestyle, which is especially facilitated by a person's historical transition from physical work to mental work, which, although to a moderate extent, is accompanied by sitting work.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative-dystrophic disease of the cervical spine that damages the intervertebral discs, which is generally common in the disease of osteochondrosis.Since this part of the spine is, by nature, quite mobile, but also vulnerable due to an underdeveloped muscle corset, any negative effect on the neck or back has a negative effect primarily on the cervical spine.Because degenerative changes develop more frequently in the more mobile vertebral regions, in the cervical region it is the nerve endings at the C5...C7 level that most often suffer.
Since the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are very contradictory, they are not always considered only symptoms of this disease, which often leads to seeking help from specialists in other fields of medicine.Let's look at them in a little more detail.
Cervical osteochondrosis and its symptoms.
Because the cervical spine is quite compact compared to its other sections, even minimal tension in the neck muscles or displacement of the cervical vertebrae can cause compression or pinching of the nerve roots, which can also affect the vessels located in this section.Well, osteophytes - bone growths, which in popular treatment are called "salt deposition" and which are formed during the development of the disease of cervical osteochondrosis, lead, as a result, only to a significant worsening of the course of the disease.
The clinical manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis, that is, its symptoms, can be divided into reflex symptoms and radicular symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include the so-called "lumbago", which is expressed in the appearance of sharp, sharp pain in the neck and noticeably intensifies with any movement.In view of this, patients often adopt a forced and comfortable head position.In addition, it is quite possible that a typical "crunch" may occur when turning or other head movements.
When patients suffer from cervical osteochondrosis, they often experience headaches that are compressive in nature and radiate to the eyeballs or the temporal part of the head.In addition, sometimes the acuity of visual perception can decrease, as if "everything floats before your eyes."
Vertebral artery syndrome can also develop when its nerve plexus is irritated, which is very often, due to the patient's dizziness, misdiagnosed as a cerebral circulatory disorder.This symptom of cervical osteochondrosis can manifest itself with sudden head movements and be complicated by nausea and possible vomiting.
In addition to the above, the reflex symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis also include cardiac syndrome, in which sensations similar to an angina attack occur.But this manifestation of the symptoms of osteochondrosis is usually combined with a complex of other signs of this disease, therefore it does not usually cause difficulties in making the correct diagnosis.
Root symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Radicular symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, as a rule, appear due to compression of the spinal nerve ending - the root.In this case, sensory disorders affecting motor functions depend entirely on which specific nerve root is injured, namely:
- C1 – decreased sensitivity in the occipital area;
- C2 – appearance of pain in the parietal or occipital region of the head;
- C3 – alteration of sensitivity and appearance of pain in the neck area, where the spinal root was injured, with possible alteration of speech function due to loss of sensitivity of the tongue and control over it;
- C4 – appearance of pain and decreased sensitivity in the dorsal scapulohumeral region, as well as pain in the heart and liver, with a simultaneous decrease in muscle tone in the neck and possible respiratory disorders of the respiratory function;
- C5 – decreased sensitivity and pain on the outer surface of the shoulder;
- C6 – pain radiating from the cervical spine to the shoulder blade, the outer surface of the humerus, the forearm and further from the wrist to the thumb;
- C7: the same pain as in C6, but radiating from the scapula to the posterior humeral surface and further from the forearm to the 2..4 fingers of the hand, with a decrease in sensitivity in the pain area;
- C8 – decreased sensitivity and pain that runs from the neck to the shoulder and then from the forearm to the little finger.
Cervical osteochondrosis and its treatment.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a rather complex and extremely unpleasant disease, the treatment of which requires systematization, duration and stages.Therapeutic treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is primarily aimed at completely stopping the pain symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and eliminating inflammation in the area of the neck affected by the disease.
Patients treated for cervical osteochondrosis are treated with classic analgesics.Although recently, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which effectively relieve pain and reduce the activity of inflammation, have also become very popular in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Among other things, chondroprotectors are also used in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, which slow down the process of destruction of cartilage tissue and, according to many experts, also contribute to the regeneration process.Additionally, patients are prescribed the use of vitamin B, which improve metabolic processes in the patient's body.
But the use of external gels or ointments for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is not effective, but it makes sense, since in the process of rubbing them against the skin, an additional massage of the cervical spine is performed.
Physiotherapy procedures are further combined with traditional pharmacological treatment of cervical osteochondrosis and, in particular, the use of magnetic therapy through special therapeutic devices is particularly effective.In addition to the above, therapeutic massage, physiotherapy and manual therapy are also used.But, in especially severe cases of the disease, surgical intervention may be necessary.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis alone is not difficult.Recommended:
- maintain an active and healthy lifestyle,
- playing sports, or at least morning exercises,
- competent organization of the workplace,
- compliance with work and rest hours,
- When working for a long time sitting, during working hours, please warm up several times and ensure correct head position and posture while doing work.
It is also important to select a comfortable pillow and mattress to sleep on.But for those who already suffer from this disease, daily use of specialized orthopedic products is highly recommended to sleep comfortably.