According to medical statistics, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has been a fairly common disease in recent years. Every person has encountered unpleasant symptoms at least once in their life.
The disease itself is a disorder of the intervertebral disc of the cervical spine. After all, the maximum constant load occurs in this part of the human spine.
The neck region consists of 7 plates. Due to his weak muscles and constant load, various injuries and work disturbances can occur. Due to all these factors, osteochondrosis of the cervix begins to develop.
Types of diseases
Osteochondrosis is an insidious disease that does not manifest for a long time. There are several stages in the development of the disease:
- Grade 1 cervical osteochondrosis (manifested by initial abnormalities of the spine);
- Grade 2 cervical osteochondrosis (the distance between the discs of the cervical spine begins to decrease);
- Grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis (complete destruction of the ring of intervertebral discs and severe deformity of the entire spine begins);
- cervical osteochondrosis grade 4 (the last stage of disease progression that can lead to disability).
Disease development and causes
Like all other diseases, cervical osteochondrosis has its own causes and developmental factors. A few decades ago, only the elderly were susceptible to this disease. In addition, osteochondrosis of the neck was suffered after 40 years by men doing heavy physical work.
Nowadays, cervical osteochondrosis is becoming more common and affects young people over 20 years of age. There are several reasons for the development of cervical and thoracic spinal diseases:
- existing overweight;
- improper posture and consequent 1 or 2 degree curvature of the spine;
- heavy physical work or professional sports resulting in various spinal injuries;
- causes of stress and severe emotional stress;
- weak muscles of the cervicothoracic region;
- abrupt cessation of sport after a long workout;
- work that involves sitting at a computer or staying in a position for an extended period of time.
If you find yourself facing the reasons listed, you fall into the so-called risk group. In this case, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should be prevented.
Manifestation of the disease
With 1 degree osteochondrosis, one does not feel any symptoms of any developing disease. Only the initial sting of the neck muscles begins.
Grade 2 cervical spine osteochondrosis usually manifests as minor pains that may occur in the neck and chest segment. This is due to pinching of the nerve endings due to a decrease in the distance between the discs in the spine.
Grades 3 and 4 of the disease cannot go unnoticed. In this case, the deformity of the spine is also noticeable to the naked eye, not to mention the feelings that a person experiences.
The main and most common symptoms of this disease are:
- severe persistent headache;
- ringing in the head;
- impaired movement and coordination;
- deterioration of vision and tooth health;
- cerebrovascular accident, insomnia and various neurological problems.
In stages 1, 2, 3, or 4 of the disease, the pain can spread to the shoulder joint and arm area. A characteristic of this symptom that distinguishes it from other diseases is that the discomfort changes its strength and concentration depending on the position of rotation of the neck and head.
Disease syndromes
All symptoms in osteochondrosis can be incorrectly substantiated and, as a result, misdiagnosis is possible. That is why you need to find all the reasons for their appearance with your existing symptoms. Thus, medicine knows a number of syndromes that distinguish the causes of their origin:
Radicular syndromes
In this case, the nerves constrict and the person feels pain and numbness in one part of the neck. Unpleasant sensations can spread to the back, shoulder area, and arm;
Irreflex reflex syndromes
Severe, unbearable pain manifests itself in the back of the head, which spreads around the neck. It most often occurs with a sharp movement or rotation of the head;
Vertebral artery syndrome
In this case, the name speaks for itself. The artery is pinched and the person feels a strong throbbing headache that can cause loss of consciousness or vomiting;
Heart syndrome
Increased heart rate, dizziness and loss of consciousness are manifested. In this case, it is often the case that a bad diagnosis is made and treatment for angina pectoris is started.
Treatment
In the case of osteochondrosis, a person always shows immediate treatment. His tactics are chosen depending on the extent of the disease. So at 1 or 2 degrees, complete recovery is possible after therapy. In the later stages, medical correction is usually aimed at preventing complications as well as improving quality of life.
First aid
What to do when the first symptoms of the disease appear? You must first relieve pain in the cervicothoracal region. To do this, you need to take regular painkillers, lie down or just relax.
The next step is to see a doctor for the correct diagnosis and treatment.
Conservative treatment
Conservative treatment is usually prescribed for severe osteochondrosis. The patient is taking anti-inflammatory, painkillers. It is possible to use various gels or ointments to relieve swelling and inflammation. In addition, the doctor may prescribe a massage, therapeutic exercises. Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is prescribed in almost all cases.
Surgery
In rare cases, in severely advanced osteochondrosis, surgery is possible. In this case, the patient is put to sleep using general anesthesia and then bone formation between the discs of the cervicothoracic spine is removed. After manipulation, the patient undergoes additional conservative treatment or physiotherapy.
Preventive measures
Due to the reduction in the incidence of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, all individuals should take prevention. This is especially true for vulnerable people.
Important rules
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis consists of following simple but very important rules:
- watch your posture, don’t let it bend;
- do not subject the spine to heavy loads;
- you cannot make sudden movements of the head;
- do not be nervous, avoid stress;
- do not freeze or overcool;
- get rid of bad habits, switch to proper nutrition.
Special exercises
In order to protect yourself from such a disease, you need to perform preventive exercises:
- put your palm to your forehead, tighten your neck muscles, then move your hand to the back of your head and repeat the exercise, this should be done for 7 seconds in 3 sets;
- put your palm to your temple and then tighten your neck muscles as well, repeat the similar operation on the other hand, the time, the number of approaches is the same as the first paragraph;
- take your head back and then slowly reach your chin to the chest area, you need to do the exercise 3 times;
- turn your head in different directions - you need to do this exercise slowly, without sudden movements;
- tilt your head back, first touch one shoulder with your ear, then the other, repeat the exercise five times.
If you experience one or more symptoms of the disease, contact your doctor immediately. Maybe you’re just being prescribed physiotherapy and that’s the end of it. Do not delay, do not start the disease.
Do your daily exercise. It is better to do elementary exercises than to get sick later.
Ask your doctor how to sleep for cervical osteochondrosis. Follow all the rules, be healthy!