Osteochondrosis generally refers to degenerative changes in any articular cartilage. Thus this pathological condition can occur in all joints of the musculoskeletal system. However, the most pronounced symptoms, for example headache and headache, as well as heart pain, are noted with cervical osteochondrosis, that is, with damage to the cartilage tissue between the vertebrae of the cervical spine.
According to WHO statistics, around 60% of Europeans suffer from one degree or another from osteochondrosis. In men, the disease manifests itself about 10 years earlier than in women. Representatives of the stricter sex face symptoms around the age of 45. The female half is 55-60 years old. At the same time, experts are sounding the alarm about the ongoing rejuvenation of this disease. If you don't take action in a timely manner, the number of 30-year-old patients with osteochondrosis will literally increase significantly within the next decade.
Causes of osteochondrosis
Dystrophic changes in the pulp occur for various reasons. The first place should be given to the natural aging of the cartilage tissue, which unfortunately is an objective and irresistible circumstance. However, as mentioned above, this disease is getting younger, which is no longer related to aging, but for other reasons.
In young patients, the disease occurs due to metabolic disorders, which are usually associated with an improper diet. The abundance of fats and the low content of vitamins in food are the reason that the cartilage literally "starves" and goes into a state of dystrophy.
Another provoking factor is physical inactivity. Read the forums where people who have encountered this disease communicate with each other and you will see that the majority of them are still relatively young residents of megacities who tend to do mental work and take a long sitting position. Low motor activity in the cervical vertebrae leads to a loss of elasticity in the cartilage in the intervertebral discs.
As a result of poor nutrition and the associated metabolic disorders, as well as physical inactivity, the pulp begins to degenerate and becomes increasingly dense. In the later stages of osteochondrosis, a complication occurs, which manifests itself in the replacement of cartilage tissue with bone and a thickening of the intervertebral discs. This leads to a compression of the nerve roots and blood vessels located here. The involvement of the elements of the nervous and vascular system in the pathological process determines the specific course of osteochondrosis.
Specificity of the disease
The difficulty of dealing with this disease lies in its belated diagnosis, explained by the disguise of osteochondrosis, among other pathologies. People lack valuable time and they don't treat this pathology because they are unaware of its presence. And the patients cannot be held responsible for it. When the pressure jumps, we treat high blood pressure. Stabbed heart - we're going to cardiology. The head hurts regularly, and now a person cannot fall asleep without ibuprofen or analgin. It doesn't even occur to us to see a neuropathologist.
In the meantime, with just a few visits to a specialist of this profile, you can start restoring the cartilage of each cervical vertebra, gradually creating false hypertension, suspected angina, persistent headaches and other symptoms related to the condition of the neck-Shoulder region are connected to be eliminated The spine does not seem to be connected to us.The timely detection of a pathology prevents further pulp dystrophy and enables the treatment of osteochondrosis at home and on an outpatient basis - without hospitalization. Unfortunately, the lion's share of patients turn to a neuropathologist who already has sufficiently severe lesions on the intervertebral discs - when the throat begins to hurt unbearably.
Diagnostic methods
The diagnosis of osteochondrosis is complex work. Research can take a long time, but its cost is justified as early treatment of this disease avoids the worst of the scenario - an ossified disc replacement surgery that releases the trapped nerve roots and installs either fully functional implants or simple height compensators. distant element of the spine. The orthopedic surgeon decides what kind of solution is required for a particular patient after a comprehensive diagnosis.
Since the disease is masked as stated above, the first thing to do is to ensure that the symptoms are not linked to problems in other organs. For example, if you have heart pain, you need to do a cardiac exam and confirm the absence of heart disease. Comprehensive diagnostics make it possible not only to confirm suspicion of osteochondrosis, but also to find out the general condition of the body along the way.
The final diagnosis is based on the results of the x-ray examination of the cervical spine in frontal and lateral projections. A more informative method is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This allows you to more precisely determine the localization of dystrophic changes. Thanks to this, the doctor is given the opportunity to literally prescribe punctual treatment.
Treatment with folk remedies at home
The benefit of osteochondrosis, if that word is used at all in this case, is that the patient can be treated at home without the need for hospitalization. The course of treatment includes taking special medication and performing exercises from the movement therapy complex.
Medicines (their types) for the treatment of osteochondrosis at home are shown in the table below.
| Painkillers | In most cases it is tablets, sometimes capsules. These remedies are designed to reduce pain in the cervical spine. |
| Anti-inflammatory | Hormonal drugs that stop the inflammatory process due to changes in the intervertebral cartilage. Also relieves pain. |
| Chondroprotectors | Medicines that contain components used to restore cartilage tissue, such as: B. hyaluronic acid. Developed for long-term use. |
| Muscle relaxants | Means to relax muscle tension. These drugs are only taken under medical supervision. Limited use due to the large list of contraindications. |
| Outdoor | ointments, gels and so on. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and warming agents are used. Before using these funds, you need to consult a specialist. |
| Vitamins | Preparations with vitamins that improve the conductivity of nerve fibers and the functioning of the peripheral nervous system in general. These are group B vitamins, as well as A and C. In some cases, vitamin D is prescribed. |
It goes without saying thatour list of types of medicinal products does not provide any reason for self-medication. A specific remedy with indication of the dosage and taking into account the pathogenesis in each individual case can only be prescribed by a certified neurologist. The thoughtless adherence to television advertisements that "recommend" the best drugs for osteochondrosis is not tied to a cure for this disease, but, on the contrary, to worsen the situation. ATTENTION!
Injection therapy
In the treatment of osteochondrosis, in addition to taking pills and applying ointments, injection of drugs is used. There is a wide range of drugs available for injection. Treatment courses include all types of injections, including the following:
- subcutaneous;
- intramuscular;
- intravenous;
- epidural.
Injections are more effective than oral drugs and all kinds of folk remedies. The blood flow quickly delivers the remedy to the sore area, which explains the quick healing effects. And, for example, with an epidural injection, drugs are injected directly into the spinal cord and start working immediately.
Vitamins and other supportive drugs are usually injected subcutaneously. Anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors are injected intramuscularly. For example,injections of an anti-inflammatory drug, which are so popular with patients, are injected into muscle tissue. Drugs that accelerate cerebral blood flow are injected intravenously. This is necessary when the overgrown intervertebral discs are squeezed by blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Epidural injections are used with the aim of blocking severe pain when other pain relief methods are ineffective. In this injection, the needle moves between the vertebral processes and delivers the anesthetic directly to the spinal cord. This procedure is only performed by a trained professional anesthetist.
Injections are only fully effective under the condition of regular exercise in medical gymnastics. That is, the administration of drugs alone is not enough for the complete treatment of osteochondrosis. Only in combination with exercise therapy is it possible to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and restore the affected cartilage tissue in the future.
What should be done in the event of exacerbations?
Although osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is chronic and more or less imperceptible over long periods of time, patients are sometimes faced with exacerbations. They occur at different intervals in each patient and can occur unpredictably. During these periods, it is important to take timely action to prevent the condition from worsening significantly.
Exocerbation provocateurs
Exacerbations in osteochondrosis, like any other disease, don't happen out of the blue. Usually acute conditions are caused by the following factors:
- stress;
- not professional massage;
- weather phenomena;
- visit to a thermal bath (sauna);
- excessive physical activity after prolonged physical inactivity.
In women, osteochondrosis is often aggravated during menstruation. Alcohol abuse is also a powerful provoking factor.
Exacerbation symptoms
The symptomatology of osteochondrosis exacerbations in each patient manifests itself differently and is determined by the general clinical picture of the pathogenesis. For example,neck and headache in acute conditions are noted by all patients, and loss of sensitivity to numbness of the face during exacerbations is not felt by everyone, but it occurs quite often. And, of course, during this period the symptoms of those diseases under which osteochondrosis is masked worsen. These are heart pain, dizziness, tinnitus, hot flashes and so on. Exacerbations are especially dangerous when there is inflammation of the cervical spine.
Remedial measures against exacerbations
In the period of aggravated osteochondrosis, it is first necessary to consult your doctor. There is no need to ignore this rule, as delaying this matter can be disservice. The neurologist will assess the patient's condition and recommend steps for an effective and, above all, safe way out of the crisis.
Usually, in acute conditions with osteochondrosis, injections of pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. But gymnastics during this time must be stopped. On the contrary, the patient must be kept calm. Kneading your neck is unacceptable - this can make the condition worse. It is advisable to transfer the aggravation in the supine position and at the same time fix the head by placing a roller or at least a rolled sheet under it.
An important point in reducing the frequency of exacerbations is their prevention, which boils down to maintaining the correct motor regime in everyday life.A patient with osteochondrosis should monitor posture, keep the head straight, and avoid sudden movements.. In damp and cold weather, it is necessary to protect the cervical vertebrae from hypothermia. And, of course, you should not forget about medical gymnastics for a minute - you need to do it regularly. This is the key to the course of osteochondrosis without exacerbations.
2 degree of illness
Neuropathologists distinguish 3 degrees of osteochondrosis - 1st, 2nd and 3rd. . In the lion's share of patients, the disease is recorded in the second stage. This is due to the following points. Disease 1 degree is characterized by the appearance of short-term pain in the neck, resembling an electrical discharge. In the early stages, the fibrous ring that holds the central part of the disc begins to collapse. The guideline for diagnosing degree 1 osteochondrosis is enlargement of the pupils, which is not associated with other phenomena in the body.
The number of patients with grade 1 osteochondrosis is not very large. The disease at this stage is temporary and it is either eliminated (with timely treatment) or quickly moves to the second phase - if the moment is missed. The situation is similar for the number of patients with degree 3 osteochondrosis. It's small too. This is due to the fact that most often doctors manage to start treatment on time and prevent the transition of the pathology from the second to the third stage. The disease of this degree is characterized by symptoms such as acute neck pain that does not subside even after taking pain relievers, partial loss of upper limb control, constant dizziness, and frequent fainting. Grade 3 osteochondrosis is usually treated surgically, as drug therapy is often ineffective.
Due to the fact that most patients have Grade II osteochondrosis, this form of the disease is of the greatest clinical interest and the greatest experience has been gained in treating the disease at this stage. According to statistics, the proportion of patients with stage II osteochondrosis among all patients with this pathology is about 75%.
The peculiarity of this form of the disease is its chronic course with short periods of exacerbation. The second degree differs from the first in the progressive reduction in the space between the vertebrae. This means that the intervertebral disc does not collapse like in the third stage, but becomes significantly thinner, which leads to the pinching of the nerve roots and causes all the classic symptoms of osteochondrosis.
Since the 2nd degree pathology is the most widespread, when it comes to the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in general, they imply the implementation of therapeutic measures in relation to that particular form of the disease. We repeat that they include drug and physiotherapy exercises. Properly carried out treatment, you can get rid of the disease and prevent its transition to the third stage with an almost inevitable operation to replace the intervertebral discs.
Main symptoms and correct treatment
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative lesion of the intervertebral discs that is difficult to diagnose. Most often it is found in people aged 45 to 50, but in recent years the pathology has "rejuvenated" and now neuropathologists often see patients in their thirties.
The difficulty in recognizing osteochondrosis is explained by the "simulating" nature of the disease process - when it is disguised as other pathologies. The cause of the disease is a deterioration in the elasticity of the cartilage tissue, which forms a dampening pulp between the vertebrae. The cartilage becomes thinner and denser. As a result, the nerve roots are compressed (called the radicular injury), causing the following symptoms:
- headache and heartache;
- increased blood pressure;
- decreased sensitivity of the facial area (up to numbness);
- partial paresis of the upper limbs.
All of these symptoms are certainly associated with neck pain. Often this pain is mild and does not force the patient to take pain medication. The patient ignores the mild neck pain and does not sound the alarm about osteochondrosis, but tries to treat other pathologies, for example angina pectoris or high blood pressure, which he most likely does not have.
Treatment methods
According to modern approaches, osteochondrosis runs in waves. Initially, it manifests itself in the form of an exacerbation (acute period). Then the symptoms weaken and a subacute period sets in. The third stage is remission, the state of which lasts until the next exacerbation. The task of treating osteochondrosis is to quickly stop the acute phase, alleviate the patient's condition in the subacute phase and ensure long-term remission.
During the acute and subacute phase, the patient takes pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs. At these stages, using a shants neck gauze collar is an effective solution that will give the head a position where the neck muscles relax, thereby relieving pain. During the period of remission, drug treatment with chondroprotectors, which improve the quality of cartilage tissue, and a range of movement therapies for physical exercise are indicated. Exercise is even more important than hyaluronic acid injections because healthy physical activity naturally stimulates the formation of collagen fibers in cartilage.
Type of cervicothoracic pathology
Strictly speaking, cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis are two different forms of the disease. However, they are often combined. This is due to the fact that the cervical and thoracic spine are closed with each other, which connects these two types of pathology of intervertebral discs. That is, with dystrophic changes in the cervical vertebrae, practically the same injuries are observed in the chest area. Therefore, these two forms of the disease are combined, especially since their symptoms are very similar to each other. The main symptom is pain. With cervical osteochondrosis, the pain is localized in the neck, in the case of a cervicothoracic lesion, pain in the sternum is added.
Common symptoms are:
- numbness in the face;
- headache and heartache;
- instability of blood pressure;
- loud tinnitus.
In the event of damage to the thoracic vertebrae, the list is supplemented by impaired coordination of movements, activation of osteoarthritis of the shoulder joints, and numbness of the hands.
Treatment of the cervical spine
Treatment is prescribed after a thorough diagnosis using X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Treatment for osteochondrosis is complex - drugs and physical therapy. Drug therapy involves taking anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs.An important part of the treatment is the use of chondroprotectors, which directly restore the cartilage tissue in the intervertebral space.. Physiotherapy measures include compresses and the use of all types of ointments, as well as physical therapy exercises.
If osteochondrosis is found in the thoracic spine, professional massage is indicated. Massage effects trigger the natural processes of cartilage tissue regeneration. Massage is more effective than gymnastics in getting rid of the disease of the thoracic vertebrae, because the spine is not flexible at this point and therefore it is not always possible to provide a normal range of motion for individual vertebrae when performing exercises. A massage therapist, on the other hand, can precisely influence a diseased intervertebral disc. Only you should contact a spinal massage specialist who has the appropriate certificate. The massage therapist must also be licensed.
By taking timely measures to eliminate cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, an operation in which a destroyed intervertebral disc is replaced by an endoprosthesis can be avoided. Early diagnosis of pathology and discipline in outpatient treatment with drugs and folk remedies will save you money. If you have the slightest suspicion of osteochondrosis, contact a neurologist. But better . . .
Be sure to ask your doctor before treating any illness. This will help take individual tolerance into account, confirm the diagnosis, ensure treatment is correct, and rule out adverse drug interactions. If you use prescriptions without consulting a doctor, you do so at your own risk. All information is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a medical aid. All responsibility for the application is yours.