Osteochondrosis is a disease of our time. A sedentary lifestyle, constant nervous tension does not go by without a trace. Almost everyone can watch the symptoms of this disease. How do you recognize an insidious disease and seek help in good time?
Osteochondrosis is a physiological process that every person acquires in the course of his life. Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis vary widely, so it only becomes a disease if certain conditions are combined with certain factors. The disease is characterized by local changes in the bone tissue of the cervical spine due to the appearance of calcium deficiency. Calcium becomes scarce and the tissue takes on a spongy structure, becomes brittle, fragile and carries out the main function of the skeleton.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
In cervical osteochondrosis, the blood supply to the brain is disturbed. Therefore almost all patients complain of similar symptoms:
- headache, dizziness, tinnitus;
- there is pain in the shoulder, neck, chest;
- individual parts of the body become numb (hands, fingers);
- weakness in arms and legs;
- mental symptoms - unreasonable mood swings, irritability;
- In difficult situations, eyesight and hearing decrease.
The symptoms are so varied and individual that it is difficult to identify cervical osteochondrosis based on the patient's symptoms alone. The disease of the cervical spine is diagnosed using MRI, computed tomography and X-rays. According to the results of the study, you can see changes in the spine. The diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis can only be made when all complaints are taken into account.
Depending on the location of the cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment are slightly different. From where exactly the change took place and how it affects the central nervous system, osteochondrosis can be divided into three main groups. These strains have different symptoms and, accordingly, different treatments.
- First group. The peripheral nervous system suffers. A change in the vertebrae has a direct effect on the nerve endings (roots). Often referred to as cervical thoracic osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, it has the most noticeable symptoms:
- Pain from the neck region to the shoulder region.
- Choking syndrome in the neck, tachycardia, heart pain.
- Crunching, noises, crackling when turning the neck. See what exercises are needed to strengthen the neck muscles in osteochondrosis.
- Constant pain in the back of the head.
- Due to the deterioration in blood circulation, the hands become pale, cold, the fingers numb.
- joint pain.
- Second group. The entire spinal cord is affected, the disease manifests itself in the disruption of all its work. The symptoms are as follows:
- The muscle tone of the legs and arms decreases. The legs go numb, tire quickly, it is difficult to walk, stand, the reason is the semiconductor disorder syndrome, the blood does not flow well to the lateral columns of the spinal cord.
- Myelopathy develops in the affected areas. Affects the dysfunction of the limbs.
- Third group. The work of the brain is disrupted by poor blood supply to the brain. Differs in characteristic syndromes:
- Hypothalamus. A syndrome indicated by a malfunction of the hypothalamus. It leads to neurological symptoms. The patient often experiences unreasonable fatigue, irritability and mood swings. People who suffer from this syndrome complain of insomnia, resentment, unfounded fears, and anxiety. Among the physiological changes: sweating, paleness, cold hands, high blood pressure.
- Drops Syndrome. With such a disease of the cervical spine, they often faint for no reason. The cause is vasospasm.
- vestibular trunk. The syndrome is characterized by frequent dizziness. The work of the vestibular apparatus is disrupted by insufficient blood flow. Sometimes nausea is observed, which provokes vomiting.
- cochlear strain. Ringing, tinnitus is called this syndrome. Congestion of the ear or hearing loss can occur. It is very difficult to associate such symptoms with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, especially to prescribe the correct treatment
- Pharyngeal-Laryngeal. The syndrome is accompanied by discomfort in the throat. It can be difficult to swallow and the voice becomes hoarsePainful symptoms such as dryness, itching, and pain are observed in the throat.
Such osteochondrosis can cause torticollis
Features of osteochondrosis with treatment of symptoms of radicular syndrome
Regardless, it is worthwhile to dwell on the radicular syndrome of the cervical spine, the symptoms of which should be considered in more detail. Their manifestation is often confused with diseases that are not related to osteochondrosis. Treatment does not work, the person continues to feel pain, and the condition worsens. A wrong diagnosis is sometimes worse than the disease itself. The prescribed therapy not only does not help, but also paralyzes completely healthy organs. The development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine leads to the appearance of the so-called radicular syndrome.
The main reason is the compression of the nerves, especially their roots in a specific part of the spine (cervical, thoracic, vertebral).
This cervical syndrome is characterized by:
- Pain when turning the neck or trunk. Appears after a long monotonous position of the body (sleep, prolonged sitting) and sharp turns of the head.
- Numbness and goose bumps in the back of the head.
- Headache in various forms: pulsating, sharp, short-term, long-term. This leads to dizziness, fainting, nausea.
- The muscles on the chin can sag a little.
- With frequent pain, a decrease in tongue tone is observed and speech defects occur.
- Pain from the neck gently spreads to the shoulder, forearm and hand. There is numbness in the fingers, discomfort when lifting an arm, pain in the joints.
Often the radicular syndrome of the cervical spine smoothly transforms into the thoracic one. With cervicothoracic osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, acute instantaneous pain is manifested in the internal organs.
Here the clinical picture looks like this:
- Pain in the shoulder blade, lower ribs and armpits. Numbness in these areas.
- Painful stinging sensations in the stomach, intestines, hypochondrium. Often times, they observe this syndrome and mistakenly diagnose diseases of the digestive tract.
- Numbness, from the navel to the groin along the back of the spine, causing heaviness in the intestines and stomach.
- Dry throat.
Radicular changes can cause cardinal syndrome - an injury to the bone tissue leads to irritation of the roots of the chest muscles or the diaphragm. Its occurrence is signaled by: heart pain of varying duration, from sharp stinging to long pain, tachycardia, shortness of breath. These signs are exactly the same as the symptoms of angina pectoris. And if you treat it carefully, the result will be zero. In addition, in patients with such a syndrome, the cardiogram is normal, and in addition to pain, no other signs of heart disease are observed. Therefore, drugs with coronary dilatation effect are not effective.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
An effective treatment is a complex therapy that does not only have to be carried out during an exacerbation.
Medicines
- The pain syndrome is relieved by analgesics and other pain relievers.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed for severe pain.
- Local anesthetics in the form of warming ointments and gels are useful.
- If there is a muscle spasm in exile, take muscle relaxants.
- Prescribe drugs that improve cerebral blood flow in cervical osteochondrosis.
- The blockade of painkillers is also used in medical practice.
- Prescribe anticonvulsants if necessary.
- Antidepressants, sedatives, and medication for insomnia are useful for mental disorders.
In addition to drug treatment, the following have very positive effects:
- massages,
- medical gymnastics;
- electrophoresis;
- is wearing a bandage.
Cardinal methods of treatment - surgical removal of hernias and other defects of the spine.