Cervical osteochondrosis (cervical osteochondrosis) is a chronic degenerative disease of the spine, in which the structure of the vertebrae is distorted, the integrity of the intervertebral structures is disrupted, and the roots of the spinal cord are damaged.
Important to know!Osteochondrosis is not a death sentence.There is always an opportunity to relieve the exacerbation of the process, as well as control the progression of changes in the spine.In the most advanced cases, neurosurgical operations are possible.However, this does not negate the fact that the disease can be “triggered.”It is very important to consult a doctor when the first symptoms of osteochondrosis appear to diagnose the disease and prescribe early preventive measures!
Reasons for development
The anatomical structure of the spine suggests the greatest mobility in the cervical spine, and it is in the cervical spine that the vertebrae are the smallest.These two factors make the neck one of the “weak points” of the spine.
The main reasons for the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are a combination of the following unfavorable factors:
- Incorrect posture and neck position (including when working at the computer)..
- High physical loads on the cervical spine and shoulder girdle.
- Spinal injuries...
- Age-related changes in the tissue of intervertebral structures.
- Wrong diet, low in essential vitamins and minerals.
It should be said that almost every person develops osteochondrosis with age; according to some researchers, it is “a kind of payback for walking upright.”However, in the modern world, with its fast life, sedentary lifestyle and prolonged work at the computer, it is cervical osteochondrosis that comes out on top among spinal problems.
Symptoms
Symptoms can vary widely depending on the level of damage to the spine, the severity of degenerative changes, the individual characteristics of the human body and many other factors.Neurologists prefer to distinguish three main symptom complexes that occur with cervical osteochondrosis, as well as their combination:
- Vertebrogenic cervicalgia.
- Vertebrogenic cervicocranialgia.
- Vertebrogenic cervicobrachialgia.
Based on the names, we can identify the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.So, with cervicalgia, the main complaint will be pain directly in the neck;with vertebrogenic cervicocranialgia, pain in the neck also spreads to the head;with cervicobrachialgia, pain in the neck spreads to one or both arms, cramps in the arm also develop, numbness and a feeling of crawling on the arms may appear.In all cases of osteochondrosis, the following symptoms may appear: tension in the neck muscles, crunching in the neck, limitation of movements in the neck.
Radiculopathy
In the presence of severe osteochondrosis, complicated by the presence of protrusions or disc herniations, so-called radiculopathy can form: a disruption of the functioning of a certain spinal root with the development of weakness of the innervated muscles, their loss of weight, and sensitivity disorders.
Diagnostics and x-ray signs
Osteochondrosis is an x-ray diagnosis, since a detailed clinical picture is available only at the moment of exacerbation, while changes in the spine can occur with complete subjective well-being of a person.Without an X-ray examination, we can only talk about suspected osteochondrosis, because similar symptoms can be caused by other diseases (myositis, vertebral neoplasms, and others).
To diagnose osteochondrosis, the following research methods are used: radiography (preferably with functional tests), MSCT and MRI.The latter study is most preferable due to the fact that it allows one to very clearly visualize the condition of the intervertebral structures.
X-ray signs of osteochondrosis include the following changes in the spine:
- Reduced height of intervertebral discs.
- Presence of marginal bone growths.
- Violation of the location of the vertebrae relative to each other.
- Deformations of vertebral bodies and arches, etc.
The presence of the changes described above, as well as changes in the structure of the intervertebral disc, detected by MSCT and MRI, serve as reliable signs confirming the presence of osteochondrosis.
Treatment
Treatment should be comprehensive and aimed at all aspects of the pathogenesis of clinical manifestations.Chronic dystrophic changes during exacerbations lead to inflammation of the spinal cord roots, which in turn reflexively causes pain.Pain is a signal for muscles to develop a protective reaction - muscle spasm.Muscle spasm brings the vertebrae closer together and increases compression (compression) and inflammation of the roots.The circle is closed.That is why it is necessary to remove inflammation, pain, and muscle spasms, and protect the roots from inflammatory effects.
There are medicinal and non-medicinal treatment methods.They change partly in the presence of a predominance of certain symptoms, but they have a general pattern.
Medication
Anti-inflammatory drugs (aceclofenac, ketoprofen, meloxicam, diclofenac, etc.), muscle relaxants (tolperisone hydrochloride, baclofen, tizanidine), neuroprotective drugs (complex preparations of B vitamins and thioctic acid) are used.
Non-drug
Includes massage, physiotherapy and exercise therapy.Massage for cervical osteochondrosis very effectively relieves muscle spasm, improves blood flow to the tissues of the spine, which reduces the severity of the inflammatory process.Physiotherapy can be aimed at both relieving pain (electrophoresis with analgesics) and relieving muscle tension (diadynamic currents).Therapeutic exercise is a unique and extremely effective method of disease prevention.You can see a set of exercise therapy exercises for cervical osteochondrosis here.
Folk remedies
Among the traditional methods of treatment, we should highlight the use of various warming compresses based on water and alcohol, which can reduce the intensity of neck pain and reduce inflammation.The “dry heat” method has also proven itself well, the essence of which is to heat salt or sand placed in a rag bag and then apply it to the site of pain.
Some of the traditional methods of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine include the use of applicators - special devices or simply needle-coated tissue surfaces.Applying moderate pressure to the neck area, as well as simply lying on such a surface for 10-15 minutes, causes a reflexive relaxation of the cervical muscles and distracting pain relief.