Many people are familiar with cervical osteochondrosis. Standing in a static position for long periods of time, bowing your head when working on a computer, "sitting" for long hours in front of the television are factors that contribute to the occurrence and development of the disease. A patient faced with a disease asks: how to cure cervical osteochondrosis? The article is devoted to answering the question.
Stages of development of the disease
The disease develops in stages:
- 1st degree cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by damage to the cartilage tissue, the patient experiences muscle discomfort and a slight discomfort. Symptoms clear, at this point few people go to the doctor;
- cervical osteochondrosis of the 2nd degree leads to the destruction of the fibrous ring, a decrease in the distance between the vertebrae that are pinched, painful symptoms appear;
- 3rd degree cervical osteochondrosis is expressed in the further sequential destruction of the vertebrae, a change in their body shape, the proliferation of bone processes, the intervertebral hernia is variable. The patient experiences difficulty, pain when trying to turn his neck to one side
Symptoms
At the initial stage of development, osteochondrosis is asymptomatic. After a long stay with bowed head or intense physical exertion, slight discomfort occurs in the neck. The patient is in no hurry to see a doctor, mistaking it for the consequences of muscle overload. The pathology progresses slowly but persistently.
The main signs of the disease:
- painful sensations in the problem area - "lumbago" is given to the hand, the shoulder blade;
- Overexertion of the neck muscles;
- Numbness of tongue - felt while eating, speaking;
- Paresis of the muscles of the arms, legs, accompanies any activity
Since the intervertebral discs and vertebrae are deformed, the patient's condition deteriorates.
The course of osteochondrosis is complicated by neurogenic symptoms caused by compression by osteophytes or hernia protrusion of the spinal roots, the vertebral artery. Headache, dizziness, drop in blood pressure occur, visual acuity and hearing decrease.
What should I do
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis requires an integrated approach. In the early stages of the development of the disease, drug treatment is not used. Enough preventive measures:
- Organizing a healthy lifestyle;
- Proper nutrition (abstinence from spicy, fatty, high-calorie foods);
- Gymnastics (morning gymnastics for 10-15 minutes improves physical condition);
- Give up lifting weights - put weight on the spine;
- Fighting bad habits;
- Take correct posture while sleeping (orthopedic mattresses help) while working on the computer;
- Pay attention to your gait.
Taking medication
Osteochondrosis progresses with age. Treatment is aimed at combating the pathological property. It is worth relieving pain (anesthesia), reducing the intensity of the inflammatory process and increasing the metabolism in the throat area.
Groups of drugs are used:
- Vitamin complexes;
- chondroprotective agents;
- Analgesics;
- Muscle relaxants (medicines used to relieve muscle spasms).
Doctors often prescribe drugs that contain aspirin. Such remedies relieve pain, fever and combat mild discomfort.
The course includes tranquilizers.
A doctor developing a complex to fight the disease will cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with the help of drugs.
Injections
Blockage is a procedure that represents the introduction of a drug into an area affected by an advancing pathological process.
Only a doctor with higher medical training will perform the action. Injection reduces the intensity of the inflammatory process, relieves pain.
Two types of injections are applicable in the treatment of osteochondrosis.
In the first case, the active substance is injected into the spinal cord in the direction of the nerve branches, in the second - injections into the recurrent branch of the spinal nerve.
The final block has a more complex action, an execution technique.
Anoint
One way of treating osteochondrosis with the help of drugs is the use of creams, ointments, gels - means for external treatment of painful areas.
Therapy is used in the early stages of osteochondrosis. Advantages:
- the use of ointments is inferior to magnetic therapy, acupuncture in price;
- Means for external use are convenient and affordable;
- there are no contraindications to its use;
- You can use the funds for a long time, since an allergic reaction to the components is excluded.
Types of ointments for the treatment of osteochondrosis:
- anti-inflammatory, contain analgesic components;
- complex creams;
- irritating ointments - improve local blood circulation;
- Chondroprotectors, restore cartilage tissue;
- homeopathic products that contain natural plant extracts;
- Massage mixtures (in the composition - mummy, herbal ingredients, bee venom).
Non-drug treatment of osteochondrosis
Therapeutic methods are selected by the doctor based on the analysis of the stage of development of the disease. In the first phase, the patient is advised to sleep on a hard surface. If the nerves are pinched, the cervical vertebrae are pulled out with the Glisson loop. This stretches the muscles and ligaments of the paravertebral zone. The distance between the vertebrae increases, the nerves and blood vessels are released. You can manually stretch the spine with manual therapy. The results are given through magnetic therapy, ultrasound.
An important place in the system of therapeutic measures to combat osteochondrosis occupy physical exercises - gymnastics, swimming.
Exercise is recommended for patients in remission and healthy people as a preventive measure. The intensity of exercise is gradually increased. Do the exercises at half strength at the beginning so as not to overload the spine.
Therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is initially dangerous - in the fight for health, you can harm the body. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor who has performed a thorough examination of the patient.
Correct posture
Most symptoms of osteochondrosis can be traced back to the fact that the nerve endings, blood vessels are compressed, the local blood flow is disturbed and "zones of stagnation" are formed when the neck is in the wrong position. In this regard, doctors recommend constantly monitoring the anatomical correctness of postures, gaits and postures.
Keep your back and neck straight all day. If the work is static in nature, it is important to pay attention to the height of the chair, the table. It has to be identical so that the person sits upright without bending over, without overstraining the muscles.
To sleep you need a special bed, an orthopedic latex mattress. It is worth making sure that the pillow is the correct height (measured as the distance from the neck to the shoulder joint). This position relaxes the neck muscles during sleep and has a healing effect.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a disease that requires an integrated approach to the organization of therapeutic and prophylactic measures to combat it. It is worth warning against self-medication, which leads to irreversible negative health consequences. Competent medical help will cure the disease.