Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

11 August 2022

Cervical osteochondrosis is a degenerative and dystrophic disease of one part of the spine. With the development of this disease, the intervertebral disc in the neck suffers the most, and the damage also extends to the articular surfaces, ligaments, and vertebrae. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine depends on the current stage of the disease. Pathology mainly occurs in patients over 30 years of age, but cases are also recorded in young people, especially if a person leads an unhealthy and risky lifestyle.

The most common symptom is severe pain in the neck area, which can spread to the spine, move to the upper limbs, transform into a severe headache. Below we will see what symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are better to start treatment, find out the cause of the disease and the methods used to combat the problem.

Causes and risk factors

The main reason for the development of osteochondrosis in humans is the ability to walk upright acquired by evolution. When walking, the vertebrae put excessive pressure on each other. Every year this leads to the fact that the amount of intervertebral fluid and connective tissue between the vertebrae decreases, as a result, the bones begin to rub against each other, causing severe pain.

The longer cervical osteochondrosis develops without the necessary treatment, the less chance there is to stop the degenerative process. In old age, it is almost impossible to restore connective tissue.

Cervical osteochondrosis in old age is a natural process that is mostly not associated with the influence of external factors. If the problem begins to develop at an early age, if the pain increases too quickly, it is necessary to find the cause of the violation.

The development of cervical osteochondrosis at an early age is most often caused by the following factors:

Lack of physical activity in daily life. In the modern world, a person leads a mostly inactive lifestyle - he works in the office all day, spends the evening sitting on the sofa or in front of the computer, often drives a car;
In the process of performing work tasks, the human body often takes an unnatural tense position (a strong forward deviation when working at the computer);
Excessive sports. The opposite reason is exercising with uncontrolled loads. The problem is faced not only by ordinary people, but also by professional athletes;
The reasons that provoke the spine to be in the wrong position are flat feet, wearing uncomfortable shoes with heels, scoliosis, arthritis, etc. ;
Abuse of junk food, obesity;
Severe hypothermia of the cervical spine;
Nervous tension - frequent stress in everyday life and at work, lack of proper sleep at night.

Vertebral syndrome

The symptom complex is associated with damage to the bones and cartilage of the spine. It includes:

impaired mobility in the cervical region;
pain when turning the head;
X-ray signs of damage to the vertebrae themselves and the space between them.

vertebral artery syndrome

Symptoms are caused by narrowing or spasm of the vertebral arteries, which are partly responsible for the blood supply to the brain. It manifests itself with the following symptoms:

noise in the ears;
dizziness;
jump in blood pressure;
dizziness and vomiting;
Headache;
visual impairment;
decreased work capacity;
drowsiness;
passed out

Cardiac syndrome

It resembles a condition with damage to the heart muscle and includes:

pain or burning sensation behind the sternum;
weakness and fatigue;
fast pulse

radicular syndrome

This condition is associated with damage (compression or pinching) of the nerve root emerging from the spinal column in the cervical region. Depending on the extent of the damage, a person may experience:

numbness or pain in the back of the head;
tongue numbness;
collarbone pain, difficulty swallowing, hiccups;
discomfort in the shoulder area, aggravated by hand movements;
pain in shoulder blade and forearm;
numbness of the index and middle fingers;
Numbness of the ring finger and little finger.

Often, several nerve roots are involved in the pathological process at once, as a result of which several characteristic symptoms are observed at once.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

All these risk factors and lifestyle features lead to the fact that the intervertebral discs in the cervical region are undernourished. If the problem is not identified and eliminated, the discs will gradually begin to collapse, the distance between them will decrease, as a result, this will cause constant friction of the bones against each other. When the connective tissue is depleted, bone growth begins to form on the spine, which is prone to uncontrolled growth. In advanced cases, the growth begins to put pressure on the surrounding tissue, blood vessels, nerves located in the cervical spine.

Cervical osteochondrosis does not develop immediately, if there is no proper treatment of the symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis, the problem becomes worse. The entire course of this disease can be divided into 4 stages. The symptoms that patients face directly depend on the level of the current problem. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include:

Discomfort in the neck that extends to the shoulder area;
The appearance of pain in the cervical region during sports;
Stiffness when turning the neck;
Personal headaches that are not caused by external factors;
When you change the position of the head, you can hear a characteristic hum;
Numbness and loss of sensitivity in some areas on the back of the head, shoulders, arms, neck;
Tropho-dependent organ hypoxia;
Pathological development of the circulatory system;
Severe pain leads to complete immobilization of the upper shoulder girdle.

The further the disease progresses, the more discomfort the patient experiences. In the last stage of the problem, the patient's quality of life deteriorates significantly. Common symptoms for all stages of the problem include headache, ringing or noise in the ears, visual impairment, nausea and vomiting with sudden changes in head position.

Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, it is advised to seek immediate medical attention. The sooner the problem is diagnosed, the more likely it is to be completely resolved. A neurologist is involved in the diagnosis and treatment of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis of the spine.

After the patient's appeal, the neurologist will interview the patient and, based on his complaints, will conclude that the disease is present. Often, patients complain of pain, discomfort, problems with upper limb movement. After the interview, the doctor will conduct a visual examination of the patient. Will be evaluated:

correct posture;
At which angle is the shoulder blade, shoulder and iliac bone;
The location of the spinous process line along the spine.

A visual examination allows you to determine what pathological process has started in the spine, how much it has affected the spine and surrounding tissues.

The final diagnosis is not made only based on examination and questioning of the patient. Additional examinations are required. Often, patients are sent for x-rays, computed tomography. If for one reason or another it is impossible to make a final diagnosis, the patient is referred for magnetic resonance imaging. Additional examinations include dopplerography, a procedure that allows you to find out the state of the circulatory system in the cervical region.

Stages of cervical osteochondrosis

The choice of methods for the treatment of osteochondrosis directly depends on the stage of the disease, which is diagnosed in a particular patient. It is customary to divide 4 stages of osteochondrosis, the division is conditional, because some symptoms may pass from one stage to another or not appear at all.

1 degree

The initial stage of the problem, at this stage, if pain is felt, then it is often associated with stress or other disorders (improper sleep, prolonged exposure to uncomfortable positions). Patients may experience some stiffness and limitations in movement, especially suddenly. If you seek treatment for cervical osteochondrosis at this stage, you can eliminate the symptoms at home. To completely eliminate this problem, you can limit yourself to special exercises and visits to physiotherapy procedures. For prevention, it is useful to start an active lifestyle (it is enough to take a 20-minute walk every day in the fresh air), adjust the diet (exclude too fatty, fried, salty foods, give preference to fermented milk products, fruits. and vegetables, foods with sufficient calcium and trace elements, necessary for the recovery of connective tissue and cartilage).

2 degrees

The pain is getting stronger, starting to become permanent. Sharp movements and turns bring discomfort, the patient is faced with a severe headache, begins to realize that he is very tired from daily activities. Often patients become distracted, because they only think about pain. Some experience numbness in certain parts of the face.

3 degrees

In the area of the damaged disc, a hernia begins to develop, which causes dizziness and weakness in the arm. It hurts not only the head and neck, the pain gradually spreads to the entire shoulder girdle.

4 degrees

The characteristic process is the destruction of the intervertebral disc, the replacement of "empty places" with connective tissue. This leads to pinched nerves, the pain becomes unbearable, does not go away without taking special medicine. Patients experience dizziness, especially with sudden head turns and changes in body position, ringing appears in the ears, sleep is disturbed, the quality of life deteriorates severely, disability is possible if not treated.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

The doctor chooses the appropriate method to treat the patient, depending on the stage of the disease. The most common drug treatment used for cervical osteochondrosis is in combination with a visit to physiotherapy. In advanced cases, surgery may be required to remove connective tissue and bony processes that are too large.

Conservative treatment

Often based on taking certain medications. Drug treatment helps reduce pain, relieve muscle tension, and localize inflammation. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as pain relievers, are used.

Often, doctors also include chondroprotectors in the prescription. This group of drugs activates the recovery of destroyed tissue in the intervertebral disc area.

These drugs are prescribed in the form of injections or tablets. Good therapeutic results are shown by ointments based on NSAIDs. They are applied to the damaged area, relieving pain within 10-20 minutes. The main advantage of the ointment is the local effect on the painful area and the minimal effect on other organs.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy procedures have several goals at once:

Localization of the inflammatory process;
Removal of muscle spasms;
Relieves pain syndrome;
The launch of the regenerative process;
Improvement of general and local immunity;
Restoration of the normal position of nerve fibers, elimination of compression and pinching.

Often, with cervical osteochondrosis, the following procedures are prescribed:

Shock wave therapy. With the help of a special device, acoustic waves are directed directly to the cartilage tissue of the spine, which has been damaged. As a result, metabolic processes are launched, salt and calcium deposits are destroyed, which interfere with the normal movement of joints and vertebrae. This procedure is characterized by a cumulative effect, often the first results become noticeable only 2-3 months after the start of treatment.
Acupuncture. Acupuncture is often used to treat and prevent cervical osteochondrosis. It is important that the procedure is carried out only by a qualified doctor, otherwise you may not only experience a lack of effect, but also worsen the current condition. The essence of the procedure is that special needles are attached to biologically active points, forcing the body to start metabolic processes, stimulating the production of natural painkillers.
massageThe main goal is to reduce pain and improve blood circulation in the damaged area of the cervical spine. With the right sequence, the muscles acquire the lost tone, as a result, it is possible to eliminate the risk of recurrence of osteochondrosis in the future. When visiting the first massage session, the patient is faced with severe pain, it is important not to stop treatment because of pain, but to undergo all the procedures prescribed by the doctor.

Surgery

It is mainly prescribed in advanced stages of the disease, when the use of drugs and visits to physiotherapy procedures do not bring any results. An indication for surgical intervention is a large narrowing of the spinal canal.

Modern surgical methods allow the patient to leave the hospital after 3-5 days and switch to outpatient treatment of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis symptoms. During the next three months, the patient underwent rehabilitation.

Physiotherapy

A set of correctly selected exercises for osteochondrosis can not only improve the general condition of the patient, but also speed up the process of treating the disease. There are several effective exercises:

Turn and tilt your head in different directions. Exercises are performed in a sitting position, it is important not to jerk, all movements should be smooth with a gradual increase in the number of repetitions and the amplitude of the slope.
Head tilted to the side with resistance. Body position - sitting at the table, one elbow is on the table, while the palm presses on the temple. Tilt your head toward your hands, while creating slight resistance.
Raise shoulders. Raise your shoulders as high as possible and fix in this position for a moment.
Knead the back of your head and neck with your fingertips. It is important that the movement is gentle and does not cause pain. You can perform self-massage in any comfortable position.

It is important not to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home without consulting a neurologist, a set of exercises must be agreed with your doctor.

Manual therapy for cervical osteochondrosis

Manual therapy treatment relieves muscle tension and joint congestion, relieves pain, and restores the ability of the musculo-articular apparatus. The doctor assesses the condition of the muscles, determines the point of pain and the degree of springiness of the spinal joints. Further, through active and passive movements of the hand, it affects damaged tendons, ligaments and muscles. Manual therapy treatment is contraindicated during acute inflammation and vertebral instability.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture for cervical osteochondrosis is carried out using sterile needles, which are inserted into selected points at different depths and left for a certain time. The needles are chosen very thin to reduce discomfort. This procedure relieves pain, activates microcirculation, normalizes metabolic processes, improves overall health and improves the effectiveness of drug treatment.

Kinesiology recording

This is the imposition of an elastic bandage in the shape of the letter Y on the area of the cervical collar zone while maintaining the mobility of the neck. Tape for cervical osteochondrosis relieves pain, prevents inflammation, and provides support for the paravertebral muscles.

Orthopedic collar

Collars for osteochondrosis of the cervical region are necessary in the acute period of the disease. It fixes the bones and joints, reducing the load on the affected segments. The collar also corrects the position of the deformed vertebrae and skeletal bones, and relieves pain.

Depending on the level of fixation, orthopedic collars consist of several types:

soft splint (Schanz collar). This product is made of dense and elastic polyurethane foam in a fabric cover with fasteners in the form of Velcro, buttons or plastic fasteners. With its help, you can adjust the volume of the collar. Soft tires are worn from 2 weeks to 4 months, after every two hours of use, you need to rest;
inflatable collar. Consists of solid and flexible materials. The course of treatment depends on the stage of osteochondrosis. In the early days, it is recommended to wear the collar for five minutes twice a day, gradually increasing the time to 30 minutes. An inflatable collar is used to prevent cervical osteochondrosis;
semi-rigid collar. A semi-rigid corset for the neck made of polyurethane with fastening at the back. Compared to a soft splint, it fixes the neck more firmly. It comes in various sizes;
rigid collar. Made of thermoplastic material with front and rear calipers. It is made according to individual sizes and is recommended for use during the entire treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.

physiotherapy for cervical osteochondrosis

Complications of osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis causes disruption of the most important structures: blood vessels and nerves. Without treatment, this disease can lead to the following complications:

ischemic stroke;
loss of sensation or motor function of the hand;
difficulty swallowing;
violation of the thyroid gland;
loss or significant reduction in visual acuity.

In addition, damage to the intervertebral discs and joints leads to significant limitation of neck movement.

Is osteochondrosis dangerous on the cervix

Many patients complain that their neck and head hurt at the same time. The patient needs to choose a certain position where the pain is reduced or seems less acute. This is not always comfortable, so performance is reduced.

As the disease progresses, disc protrusion develops, intervertebral tissue is destroyed, and the gap decreases. In the last stage of the disease, the disc is completely destroyed, and connective tissue forms in its place. Because of this, the patient has mobility limitations: for example, he cannot turn or tilt his head.

If time does not cure osteochondrosis in the cervical region, it can cause compression of the spinal cord, disability and paralysis.

Prevention

The main rule of preventive measures is that they must be comprehensive and constantly followed. Only in this way will they bring the expected results. Prevention is indicated for people at risk.

Pay attention to your posture. Ideal body position - head and back are in the same line. Always make sure that your shoulders are straightened, your stomach is pulled in, and your chest is lifted. The gait also plays a role - it should be springy and even. Never give yourself pleasure, at the initial stage it is important to discipline yourself, in the future, the correct posture will become a habit.
Organized workplace. When working, the shoulders should be relaxed, the constant tension of the lumbar belt has a direct effect on the cervical spine. Basic requirements - a chair with a comfortable back and armrests, a monitor at eye level, a keyboard under the elbow (the angle between the shoulder and the forearm is about 120 degrees). While working, make it a habit to take breaks every 40-50 minutes with basic stretching exercises.
Adjust the car seat properly. Many drivers are faced with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine due to the fact that they set the driver's seat not according to the rules, but in a way that suits them. Correct body position in the chair - the entire spine touches the back, and not just the shoulders. It is advisable to buy a special lumbar pillow that will help support the body in the desired position. With a long trip, it is important to go outside after 1. 5-2 hours and warm up.
Watch your diet. Problems with the cervical spine are often associated with the fact that the patient does not eat properly. Harmful foods that increase the risk of osteochondrosis include: white bread, rich products, sweets, dishes high in salt and sugar, fried and fatty foods. The main danger is refined sugar - the substance contributes to the leaching of calcium from the body. Include legumes and nuts, high protein foods, seasonal vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. Low-fat fermented milk products - kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, natural yogurt - will also have a positive effect. If you are overweight, see a nutritionist.
Daily physical activity. Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home with the help of physical education is an excellent prophylaxis against spinal diseases. It is important to exercise at an easy pace, without exceeding the permissible load. If there is no time for a complete set of exercises, make it a rule to walk every day.
massageCorrect technique restores muscle tone, relieves tension, initiates metabolic and regenerative processes in the body. It is not necessary to visit a specialist, the correct massage of the cervical spine can be done independently.
Proper sleep. During the day, the intervertebral disc experiences increased pressure, complete relaxation and rest can be achieved only during night sleep. For the prevention of osteochondrosis, it is important to arrange the correct bed and track the time (at least 8 hours).

Sanatorium treatment and its benefits

The sanatorium specializes in identifying the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and treating diseases of the musculoskeletal system, including osteochondrosis of various localization. The procedure is selected individually for each individual patient, taking into account the degree of damage to the spinal tissue, the presence of concomitant diseases, the patient's age, and possible contraindications.

An integrated approach is practiced - a combination of drug treatment with physiotherapy and physiotherapy exercises. This approach helps to forget the problem forever.

A positive effect in the treatment of symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic spine also shows mud therapy, manual and hardware massage, various physiotherapy.