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Cervical osteochondrosis: treatment and symptoms

Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is manifested by pain

Neck pain is a warning sign.Maybe it's just overexertion and you need to just relax and rest.But what if the pain is associated with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?It is important to pay close attention to symptoms and treatment, because complications can affect the most important organ - the brain.

What is cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is a degenerative disease of the osteochondral system of the body.This leads to the destruction of the cervical intervertebral discs, the growth of the bone tissue of the vertebrae and the formation of growths on their surface.

The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae, the first of which connects to the skull.The anatomical and functional unit of the spine is the spinal motor segment.It is a joint complex thanks to which the spine moves.The complex consists of two vertebrae, an intervertebral disc, the articular surfaces of the vertebrae (facets), nerves, ligaments and muscles.

Osteochondrosis begins with damage to the intervertebral disc and affects all surrounding tissues.Over time, the process leads to disruption of the biomechanics of the spine as a whole.With the development of osteochondrosis, herniation of the intervertebral discs and compression of nerve roots and blood vessels can occur.

Pathological processes in the intervertebral disc go through four stages: malnutrition, weakening of the ligaments, damage to the disc and compression of the nerves.

  • Stage 1

    The nutritional and metabolic conditions of the intervertebral disc are disturbed.Due to their structure, the drives are powered only while in motion.If it is not there, degenerative changes in the tissue begin: the disc starves and becomes dehydrated.The loss of water leads to the fact that the intervertebral disc cannot perform shock-absorbing functions.The load on the fibrous ring increases, cracks and tears appear in it.A slight pain may occur at this point.

  • Stage 2

    In the second stage, the ligament apparatus of the spinal motor segment is weakened.The relationship becomes pathologically fluid.The pathological process in the disc worsens, a hernia (prolapse) begins - leakage of the pulp core through cracks in the fibrous ring.The pain becomes intermittent.

  • Stage 3

    The intervertebral disc is then permanently damaged.The nucleus pulposus of the disc extends beyond the annulus fibrosus.The resulting hernia can affect the nerve roots.An inflammatory process develops.This is manifested by an exacerbation of pain, the so-called radicular syndrome.

  • Stage 4

    In the fourth stage, the lesion affects the nearby tissues.Compression of the radicular artery is possible, leading to insufficient blood supply to the spinal cord.As a result, part of the spine can be completely immobilized.

First signs and main symptoms

At the beginning of the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, discomfort, limitation of movement and pain in the neck area appear.This is often overlooked.

Over time, the pain intensifies, becomes painful, burning, headaches, the neck, shoulder blades, shoulders hurt - perhaps this is developing vertebral artery syndrome.The artery is compressed or spasmed and blood flow is disrupted.

At stages 1-2 of cervical osteochondrosis, ophthalmological problems associated with spasm of vessels often occur.Darkening in the eyes, flickering, the appearance of "floaters", colored spots in front of the eyes - all these are symptoms of osteochondrosis.

The most common symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis:

  • Migraine, dizziness, nausea and cough;
  • Hearing impairment, pain in the ear, face;
  • Movement disorders in the arms and legs.The sensitivity of the scalp may disappear;
  • Arm pain.If a nerve root is pinched, then the entire area to which it sends impulses can hurt or "fall out."

In addition to the above symptoms, three main pain syndromes can be distinguished:accompanying osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae.A syndrome is a whole complex of symptoms.Determining the underlying pain syndrome is important because the entire treatment regimen is based on pain relief.But it is impossible to remove it without knowing its origin.

  1. Myofascial syndrome- pain in skeletal muscles and adjacent fascia.The disorder is associated with overuse that causes spasms, hypertonicity and painful nodules inside the muscle (trigger points).
  2. Radicular syndrome- pain caused by prolonged compression of spinal nerve roots.The process of herniation in spinal osteochondrosis leads to pinching of nerve fibers and subsequent inflammatory reaction.The pain spreads along the length of the nerve.
  3. Facet syndrome- pain in the spinal joints.The vertebrae of the second cervical vertebra have articular processes that are connected to each other by facet joints.In osteochondrosis, the intervertebral discs are destroyed, their height decreases, and this leads to the fact that the joint capsules of the facet joints are in constant tension.It causes pain.In addition, the pain increases towards the end of the day, especially with prolonged forced posture.

Causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae

One of the main causes of osteochondrosis is the evolutionary unadaptability of the spine to large vertical loads.Human ancestors walked on all fours, like other mammals.They did not suffer from osteochondrosis, because in a horizontal position of the body the intradisc pressure is twice less than in a vertical position.By the standards of evolution, the transition to an upright posture happened not so long ago, and the spine simply did not have time to adapt to the high vertical load.So, along with walking upright, a person also acquires diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The structure of the human neck makes it even more vulnerable.The human cervical region consists of seven small movable vertebrae that are articulated with each other like a child's pyramid.This structure can hardly be called stable outside of a state of rest.In addition, the muscle frame in this area is weak and the loads can be great - all this makes the neck vulnerable.Any injury is fraught with consequences.Even if the damage is in another part of the spine, the redistribution of the load can be the cause of osteochondrosis.

Another factor is aging.The formation of the skeleton and cartilaginous tissue is completed by the age of 21, and then the irreversible process of aging (degeneration) begins.Cartilage tissue is nourished only by diffusion, and if the intervertebral disc does not receive enough nutrients, it begins to gradually deteriorate.

In addition, the development of cervical osteochondrosis is promoted by:

  1. Autoimmune diseases.They involve the body's own cells in the pathological process of cartilage tissue destruction.
  2. Infections, hormonal imbalance, slow metabolism - all these blood circulation disorders can also serve as factors for the development of osteochondrosis.
  3. Sedentary lifestyle, working conditions in which a person spends most of his time in a forced static position.
  4. High loads leading to injury can result in compression.
  5. Genetic defects associated with weakness of the musculoskeletal system and cartilage tissue deficiency.

The spinal canal in the cervical spine is very narrow, so high loads, any disorder or injury can lead to compression of the spinal cord.And this is very dangerous.

In addition, a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels pass through this area.If blood stops flowing to the brain in the right volume, a stroke can occur.

Diagnosis

In the initial diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, the doctor collects the patient's medical history.It determines what and how it hurts, with what intensity, during exercise or at rest, at what time of day it hurts more, if there are injuries to the cervical spine.

When examining the neck, the doctor palpates the cervical vertebrae and muscles, lymph nodes;assess range of motion, rule out or confirm radicular syndrome.

Then, to exclude autoimmune diseases, laboratory diagnostics are prescribed: general blood count, ESR, rheumatoid factor, HLA B27 antigen.

Radiography, computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance play a major role in the diagnosis.

  • Radiographyhelps to assess the state of bone structures;soft tissue and cartilage are not shown on the images.To visualize these structures, a contrast agent is injected: angiography, discography, myelography.
  • Computed Tomography (CT).This method also uses the principle of radiography, but with the help of computer processing it is possible to obtain a series of images of longitudinal and transverse sections in which bone and cartilage tissue are visible.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).It is the "gold standard" in the diagnosis of pathologies, including cartilage and soft tissues.MRI provides insight not only into the structure of organs and tissues, but also into their functioning.In the case of osteochondrosis, a common complication is spinal hernia.MRI allows you to diagnose the process of hernia formation in the early stages.

Treatment

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is reduced to conservative methods.First, the pain syndrome is relieved, and then various procedures are prescribed.But in the most extreme cases, when the pain does not go away for more than three months and the drugs do not help, surgery is the only option.

Non-surgical methods of treatment

Osteochondrosis affects the osteochondrosis system for many years, so treatment will take time.You have to be patient.Goals of conservative treatment:

  1. Eliminate the pain.
  2. Alleviation of inflammation.
  3. Restore the functions of the spinal roots.
  4. Strengthening the muscle corset and ligaments.

Conservative treatment includes drug therapy and physical therapy.Medicines help relieve pain during flare-ups, and physical therapy helps start the body's self-healing processes.

In case of severe pain with radicular syndrome, the so-called "blockades" are performed: the medicine is applied in close proximity to the inflamed root of the spinal nerve.

Physiotherapy treatment is based on natural and artificially recreated physical factors: cold, heat, electric current, magnetic radiation, laser, etc.Special devices, devices and manual techniques are used to recreate them.

  • Laser therapy— biological activation of the regeneration processes of the intervertebral discs.The body begins to heal itself.
  • Plasma therapy (PRP therapy)- injection of plasma isolated from the patient's blood.Plasma is rich in platelets, growth factors and hormones.After the injections, local immunity increases and regeneration processes are started.
  • Acupuncture- stimulation of nerve endings with special needles.Improves metabolism in the affected areas, relieves pain.
  • Shock wave therapy- exposure to high frequency waves.Allows you to start natural recovery processes.
  • Kinesitherapy- movement therapy.It can be active (exercise) and passive (massage, traction).Exercise therapy strengthens back muscles, traction relieves tension and pain.It is chosen taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
  • Manual therapy and massage- impact on soft tissues and joints in order to restore balance in the body and synchronize processes.Restore mobility and eliminate pain.
  • Sticking- sticking special patches on the skin in places where it is necessary to influence the muscle receptors for stretching and compression.It can both relax and tone up.

During periods of acute pain, the patient is recommended to wear special bandages and collars around the neck to relieve the load on the spine.

The positive effect of conservative treatment is achieved within 2-3 months.If there is no result, the patient is recommended surgery.

Surgical methods for the treatment of osteochondrosis

Surgery for cervical osteochondrosis is a last resort that requires special indications.Surgery is recommended if:

  1. Pain cannot be relieved by therapeutic treatment for more than 3 months.
  2. He has a herniated disc.
  3. Loss of sensation in the limb.

Postoperative rehabilitation also takes time and may include therapeutic treatment.

Cervical osteochondrosis is a complex degenerative disease.It cannot be left without treatment.Such serious disorders in the musculoskeletal system can lead to disability.Neck pain can become chronic and osteochondrosis can spread to several parts of the spine.Timely prevention can prevent the development of this disease.

Prevention

To keep the cervical vertebrae healthy, daily physical activity is necessary.Nutrition of the intervertebral discs occurs during movement, so it is extremely necessary.It is important that the loads are optimal and regular.

If the work involves constant standing in a static position, a periodic warm-up is necessary.And at home after a working day, you can lie on your back for a while on a flat surface, placing a pillow under your neck.This method will help restore the cervical curve of the spine and remove muscle tension.

Correct posture during sleep is important for the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis.If a person wakes up in the morning with neck pain, it means that the muscles have not had time to rest and recover.An orthopedic pillow that is selected individually for 3-5 years will help here.