There was a time when the disease was considered "age related", but recently "osteochondrosis" is increasingly diagnosed until the age of 35. This is due to a change in the pace of life - more people are involved in sedentary and sedentary work. Most importantly, physical activity, flexibility decreases and, consequently, blood circulation is impaired, which is the main factor in the nutrition and restoration of spinal discs.
An interesting fact: according to statistics, more than 80% of the population, after 30 years, show changes in the spine, to a greater or lesser extent.
Reasons
Osteochondrosis is the general name for spine aging. The process is directly related to changes in the structure of the vertebrae and discs. Under the influence of internal and external factors, the discs become thinner. Appear - bumps, hernias, instability of the vertebrae, changes in bone tissue, appearance of osteophytes (spines, growths). And all of these phenomena are complications of osteochondrosis. The course is chronic and without the absence of complex therapy it makes the continuation of normal life very difficult.
You are probably familiar with the factors that cause dystrophic changes, but we noticed again:
- Hypodynamics - contributes to the interruption of blood circulation in the neck, weakening the muscular corset.
- Curvature of the spine (curved, lordosis, kyphosis, scoliosis).
- Long stay in static positions and vice versa - increasing loads and lifting weights.
- Injuries.
- Overweight, pregnancy.
- Heredity, metabolic disorders.
Man is the only creature on the planet that suffers from cervical spine problems. This is due to our ability to walk completely upright, as well as muscle weakness and great mobility of the neck.
An important role in the formation of cervical osteochondrosis has a hereditary predisposition. In addition, it is not necessary for relatives to have osteochondrosis. The risk zone includes people with a family history of degenerative and dystrophic diseases of the osteoarticular system (osteoarthritis, spondylitis, hernias, etc. ).
The neck is an important link. Many vessels and nerves pass through it to the brain. Problems in this part of the body will certainly affect blood circulation in the brain and the work of the upper part - shoulders, arms. Degeneration develops gradually, with an increase.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis
In the first stage, a local pain syndrome occurs, accompanied by a strong tension in the muscles, which increases the already unpleasant sensations, restricts movements.
Pain is expressed in 2 forms:
- Cervicago - "lumbago of the neck", a sharp and acute pain that arises when moving.
- Cervicalgia - painful, tugging, with constant muscle tension. It can take more than two weeks, even with the right treatment.
In the second stage, the “root” syndrome is added - compression of the nerves due to narrowing of the ligaments and discs. Pain appears when you sneeze, cough. If the patient is lying on his back and passively moving his head, painful sensations will appear.
Numbness of the hand, from neck to fingertips, is characteristic, especially after sleeping. The symptom resolves quickly after active movements or by placing your hand behind your head. If numbness or pain persists, complications (protrusion, hernia) may be forming.
In addition, there may be a feeling of "freezing" of the shoulder with the appearance of the "shoulder-hand" syndrome - when arthritis of the shoulders and hands begins due to circulatory disorders in osteochondrosis.
Main symptoms
The main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine include:
- Headaches and dizziness.
- Localized pain, as well as possible irradiation to the shoulder, occiput or scapula region (especially access to the cervicothoracic region).
- Numbness and weakness in the arms.
- Lump in my throat.
- Arterial hypertension (constantly high blood pressure).
- Decreased hearing and visual acuity, tinnitus (development of vertebral artery syndrome).
Interesting: changes in the disease affect important vessels in the neck that supply blood to the brain. In patients with chondrosis, there may be a "Sistine Chapel" syndrome - fainting after a strong projection of the head back.
Pain and its location are often disguised as a serious disease - angina pectoris.
Diagnosis and treatment
It is very important to treat the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine early in the degenerative processes. To do this, you need to seek help from a neurologist or vertebrologist immediately. But practice shows that they seek help, already with complications - protrusion, hernia, instability of the vertebral bodies.
The patient should be examined thoroughly - ultrasound of the heart, blood vessels of the brain and neck, ECG, urine collection and blood tests. It is essential to perform radiographs, and in various projections and in the posture with the mouth open (to see the vertebrae that cover the teeth).
Unfortunately, doctors diagnosed with osteochondrosis adjust for many diseases, as there is no time, experience, desire to identify the cause of this or that symptom. A treatment is prescribed that brings temporary relief, but the real cause remains undetected, with time everything comes back again or brings no relief at all. It is this situation that leads people to self-medicate.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Therapy should be as complete as possible.
- Physiotherapy.
- Medical therapy.
- Massage.
- Physiotherapy.
- Stretch.
- Elongated cervical spine according to the Shishonin method.
- Abandonment habits.
Physiotherapy
The effectiveness of treating osteochondrosis of the neck of the spine with physiotherapy and therapeutic baths has been scientifically proven.
- They alleviate pain syndrome.
- Eliminate inflammation.
- Increase the effectiveness of drug therapy and other methods of treating cervical osteochondrosis.
The therapeutic effect of physiotherapy in the form of low frequency pulsed electromagnetic therapy in combination with radon baths, sometimes with iodine-bromine baths, is enhanced.
Medical therapy
In case of complications of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine, hernias or large lumps, inflammation of the compressed nerve roots occurs. Therefore, in order to relieve the inflammatory symptom and stop the pain, it is necessary to pierce the course of intramuscular injections of vitamins - B1, B6, B12. In addition, with impaired blood circulation, blood viscosity increases, which disrupts oxygen supply to the brain. It is necessary to take antiplatelet agents.
Medical therapy.
- Eliminates pain and inflammation.
- Speeds up metabolism in tissues that have been impaired due to impaired blood supply.
- Dilutes the blood, improving blood circulation.
Massage
The neck massage course is necessarily included in the neck osteochondrosis treatment program.
- Muscle tension is relieved, thereby releasing nearby compressed arteries.
- Improves blood circulation and tissue nutrition, which has a positive effect on the heart and brain.
- Muscle pain is reduced.
Unfortunately, a good massage is not done for free and many refuse this procedure because of the high prices. But, in the medical complex, massage of the cervical spine must be included for the good of the case. Even if they warn you that it is not as necessary as physical therapy exercises.
Physiotherapy exercises
Treatment of osteochondrosis by physical therapy of the cervical spine is the main method, without which recovery is impossible. No pill can cure osteochondrosis without exercise therapy. Pay attention to the fact that you have to do gymnastics every day for a whole year to forget the symptoms of the disease forever.
Important: exercise therapy is a 70% victory over osteochondrosis. Even though the pains have disappeared, the disease has not disappeared anywhere. You cannot relax.
Goals and objectives of exercise therapy.
- Strengthen the deep neck muscles and the muscular corset of the shoulder section so that the muscles keep the head in the correct position, without tension in the intervertebral discs and without the formation of protrusions that compress the nerve endings. To increase the intervertebral space, thus eliminating the compression of nerve roots.
- Bring back painless movements while developing flexibility and mobility.
- Exercise speeds up and increases blood circulation, thus improving the nutrition of the intervertebral discs and surrounding muscles.
Important: train yourself to do a series of exercises 3 times a day for the first 4 weeks, then once a day for a year.
Neck exercises
Before doing any exercise, you need to warm up your muscles.
Heating
Warm up the chest and cervical spine muscles. Slow circular movements with the shoulders - back and forth. Each muscle must work as much as possible.
Circular movements with the shoulders - lift as much as possible, take it back, down and then forward. As we retreat, we bring the shoulder blades together. And the same circles with each shoulder.
Add your arms - and repeat the movements with your arms bent at the elbows. One by one, we will put the shoulder blades together again while we remove our hands. And then we will move our shoulders as much as possible.
This concludes the warm-up. Let's start doing some basic neck exercises.
Exercise technique
All movements should be done slowly, so as not to hurt yourself and prevent a pinched nerve.
Take the correct posture. The shoulders are down, slightly tilted back, the chin is parallel to the floor. Static exercises aim to train the deep neck muscles. Each movement maintains resistance for 5-8 seconds. Loosen for two seconds and repeat again. So, 5 times.
- We press the palm of the hand on the temple and press it trying to bend the head, we resist with the head, thus preventing the hand from turning the head to the side. Do the same on the other side.
- Place your hands on the lock, support your chin and press on the resistant head.
- We resist with the forehead.
- From the back of the head
- Alternatively, the head resists on the side of the cheekbones
In addition to strengthening the neck muscles, you need to simultaneously strengthen the shoulder girdle. Several expander exercises should be included in the treatment complex 2 to 3 times a week.
Additional charge
Exercises in the form of running, brisk walking, swimming and aerobics will improve the body's overall blood circulation. Especially with an insufficient blood supply, the brain suffers, which needs oxygen for cervical spine problems. Workouts last at least 20-30 minutes, up to 2 times a week.
Dry traction of the cervical spine
The dry stretching method is horizontal and vertical. This method is called traction - a highly effective treatment for osteochondrosis of the spine. Young people are easily amenable to full recovery, using only one traction during treatment. Since the recovery of the disk in youth is much faster. It is clear that age inhibits recovery and the ability to restore cartilage tissue, but traction still remains an important point in the complex treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.
Stretching problems
- Increases the lumen between the vertebrae.
- Eliminate pain due to compression of nerve roots.
This procedure has contraindications, so do not do it without consulting your doctor. Previously, this method was practiced only in hospitals, sanatoriums and rehabilitation centers.
The stretching technique is now available at home using a treatment collar. The traction session lasts 15 minutes a day.
We have analyzed the entire cervical spine treatment program, it remains to talk about the usual way of life, which must also change in perfect order.
Important: all of the above methods should be discussed with your doctor.
Abandonment habits
We understand that laziness and excuses lead to early osteochondrosis. If you don't overcome them, you won't need this article. Drink painkillers and continue living as before. Although you can try to fix some bad habits.
- Sleep on an orthopedic pillow and mattress.
- Do not lie on a high pillow for hours when your head is raised while reading or playing on the phone. At that point, the cervical vertebrae press on the blood vessels, interrupting blood circulation.
- Stationary posture of the computer when there is no control over time. Set the alarm clock every hour to warm up the tight neck muscles.
- Move more - play sports, exercise outdoors, walk 10, 000 steps a day.
In short
Course procedures - injections, massages and physiotherapy are done 1 month every six months. During this period, physiotherapy exercises increase up to 3 times a day.
In other months, every day:
- Exercise therapy - once a day.
- Stretch.
Repeat the procedures after 5 months. And that fee is at least one year. Positive results are seen within a month.
The above technique is not an algorithm for all cases of cervical osteochondrosis treatment. All points need to be discussed with a doctor. But if the doctor prescribes only one method, for example, physiotherapy, massage, the effect will be temporary. Treatment is long, so it is best to tune in immediately to the successful recovery. Believe me, you will not go back to your old way of life by starting to practice and feeling relief.
How cervical osteochondrosis is treated
Several groups of drugs are prescribed for basic drug treatment.
- Painkillers are prescribed as tablets or, for particularly severe pain, blockade with novocaine.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Nurofen, Diclofenac.
- Irritating ointments - finalgon, capsicam.
- Preparations to relax the neck muscles - muscle relaxants.
- A course of intramuscular injections of B vitamins
Chain support, massage, heating (placing cans, mustard patches) is prescribed during the period of relief from the main painful syndrome. During the period of exacerbation pain always appears, to relieve them, as well as muscle tension, the complex of therapeutic exercises presented above is performed, apply a budget pepper plaster.
Important: any exercise with head turning is prohibited in case of vertebral artery syndrome, when the neck vessels are clamped by osteochondrosis.
At home, it is effective to take relaxing baths with herbal decoctions, compresses and friction (for example, using propolis, aloe vera). The Russian bath handles muscle tension well. A traditional steam sauna with a broom relaxes, reduces pain and cheers up.
In extreme cases, it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention, when there is a danger that complications due to compression may lead to disability. Namely - complete compression of blood vessels or nerves, significant growth of osteophytes or the appearance of a hernial protrusion. The operation is performed in accordance with all neurosurgery rules - under the microscope and with minimal incisions.