Hello, dear readers.Osteochondrosis is understood as a degenerative disease of intervertebral cartilaginous layers.This problem accepted global proportions today.In Europe alone, about 60% of adults suffer from cervical osteochondrosis.Doctors associate this fact with people's statity, their low mobility and a type of sedentary work.If not long ago, this disease has developed somewhere in fifty, now it is impossible not to note that the disease has significantly rejuvenated it average threshold of age has decreased to 24 years.But more and more often 18 -year -olds address this problem.Speaking of cervical osteochondrosis, symptoms and treatment cannot be ignored because these problems are of interest to many.
How osteochondrosis develops the cervical region - the causes and the first signs
Everyone knows that the spine of the spine is formed by bone vertebrae, among which the cartilaginous “pillows” - intervertebral discs are located.
Due to impaired blood flow and low quality nutrition, cartilage tissue here does not receive a nutrient complex.
This leads to a change in the cartilage structure, its deformation and shrinking.They gradually lose their old elasticity, become less durable.
As long as the intervertebral layers that absorb shock dry, the vertebrae eat each other.As a result, nerve endings and blood trunks are transmitted, which causes pain and numbness in the muscles, migraines and various other symptoms.
Over time, the cartilage is destroyed, becomes fibrous.Gradually, in this pathological process, adjacent vessels, nerve fibers, bone structures are involved.
The main factors of the development of cervical osteochondrosis
The fundamental cause of the development of osteochondrotic pathologies is considered degenerative-de-district changes.There are several factors that contribute to this.
Consider the main causes of cervical spine osteochondrosis.
- Congenital predisposition.
- The aging of the body.
- Crime in metabolic processes.
- Overweight, obesity.
- Diet errors are the lack of mineral compounds and the systematic lack of fluid.
- Traumatic damage.
- The weakening of skeletal muscles, incorrect posture, boring feet.
- Hypodynamam, sedentary work.
- Physical overloads, the specificities of the profession, when you need to work in an uncomfortable position, make idiot -like muscle efforts, etc.
- The end of the sports career and the termination/reduction of energy loads associated with this.
- OVERSTRIN Psycho -emotional Psychomotional.
- Dependence on nicotine.
- The appearance of tumor structures.
It should be noted that the causes of pathological chondrical changes in the cervical spine today are not sufficiently studied.
But it is reliably known that a long standing stay or sitting without a special movement is an excessively soft bed, uncooked muscles from the rear and belt of the upper ends, the lower nutrition creates an ideal combination for the development of cervical osteochondrosis.
Disease development
Osteochondrosis does not appear suddenly.It develops gradually for a long time - from several years to decades.
Initial dystrophic changes in vertebrates are not distributed in no way.They can only be found by accident in an x -ray image or during CT.
In the next stage of disease development, a decrease in the cartilage layer thickness is observed.Microscopic cracks appear in the intervertebral cartilage.Individual muscle nun can appear.Over time, the protrusion develops, hernias are possible.The patient is tormented by head pain and muscle.
In the last stage of disease progression, bone tissue is pathologically, nerve endings are damaged and chronic pain develops.Due to cervical osteochondrosis, curvature of the top of the spine, radiculitis, stenosis (narrowing of spinal canal lumen) can be observed.
Cervical region osteochondrosis - symptoms and treatment
We examined the first signs of osteochondrosis, now we will talk directly about the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Symptoms
For cervical osteochondrosis, the following symptoms are characteristic:
- Numbness and spasm of the neck muscles, shoulders and upper back.
- Sensations of pulling, pain in the dorsal and cervical.
- The pain can be given to your hands.
- Headaches, especially in the occipital region, migraines.
- Dizziness, ears on the ears, visual anomalies (blurring, the appearance of "flies" and colorful spots).
- Regular numbness of the fingers of the upper ends.
- The rigidity of head movements, the restriction of rotation and inclination, everything is accompanied by pain and sensations to pull.
- Pain to palpation of the reciprocal zone.
- A tendency to increase pressure.
Due to muscle weakness, violations can be observed in the coordination of movements.In the presence of cardiological problems, its aggravation is possible due to spasms of the vertebral artery.The pain can spread to the sternum area and the rally.
As you can see, the symptoms are diverse.This leads to the fact that people, revealing certain deviations in themselves, turns to the help of this expert (cardiologist, orthopedist, traumatologist).This complicates the diagnosis and timely detection of cervical osteochondrosis.
Which doctor you should contact osteochondrosis
When a described symptom complex of osteochondrosis appears, you should seek medical help without delay.
You need to get an appointment with a therapist or a neurologist.After the initial clarification of the clinical condition as a result of research, patient examination and palpation of the affected area, the doctor will make an indication for testing and prescribe an additional examination.
You may need to pass:
- X -Ray.
- Computer tomography.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
- Electromyography.
X -ray will determine the location place of injury and the degree of neglect of the disease.A tomographic study will help to evaluate the condition of adjacent tissues, and myography is the conductivity of muscle fibers and their innervation.
All of this will make it possible to make a diagnosis correctly and outline an effective treatment regime.The process will be long, demanding patience and work with yourself.
It will not be possible to completely restore cartilage structures, but significantly improve quality of life and get rid of chronic pain is a rewarding task.
The exams will have to return more than once.After all, it will be necessary to track the course of the disease, adjust the treatment program, predict possible complications or improvements.
Therefore, even if the pain has retreated, this is not a reason to refuse to perform repeated diagnostic measures.
How to deal with neck osteochondrosis
For the disease to release the disease, a whole set of various methods must be used.Active treatment in most cases takes several months.But here it depends a lot on enthusiasm, the patient's good faith and his willpower.In some cases, surgical intervention is required.
When starting treatment, it is necessary to adhere to the following principles.
- Medical recommendations should be constantly followed.On all changes in the state and undesirable reactions should be informed of the assistant doctor.
- It is necessary to learn to dose the load, avoid excessive muscle activity and muscle overload of the cervical region.
- It is necessary to abandon sports overloads and, if necessary, change the work.
- Medical and physical education classes are a prerequisite.They must be performed systematically and preferably daily.Special neck gymnastics should be selected individually, taking into account the patient's possibilities and the degree of neglect of the disease.The set of exercises is performed under the guidance of an instructor.
- The use of anti -inflammatory drugs and painkillers should be justified and strictly dosed.All medicines, especially hormonal, are prescribed by a doctor.
- It is important to maintain an anatomically correct body position.Even in a dream.Therefore, the mattress should have enough rigidity.With an orthopedic pillow, they are determined by direct selection.
- If necessary, you should sit down for a long time regularly, with a few hours, drive a short and hot neck.It is advisable to get up, although a sitting position is also allowed.
Why should you warm up?
This simple way will allow:
- restore normal blood flow;
- knead the rigid muscles;
- Damn, tingling, sensations to pull;
- relieve muscle tension;
- prevent playing muscles and their groups;
- Avoid overloading the cervical region.
All exercises are as simple as possible.They are familiar to everyone since childhood and don't take much time.A few minutes are enough.They can be performed at home and at the workplace.
Breaking the opinions of employees without touch?Solve on the stairs or on the bathroom booth.You may be able to do transportation exercises discreetly, avoiding unnecessary attention.
All exercises must be performed with straightened back.It is recommended to expand the shoulders and sprinkle the chest a little.Make maximum permitted turns with your head to the sides.
Act or without fanaticism so as not to impair a weakened spine.After that, several times lower their heads alternately to one shoulder or another.Now you can perform several rotational movements-10-15 on each side.
Another good exercise.Expand the pimple as much as possible, as if you were hung by the crown.Now slowly tilt your head forward, trying to press the chin edge to your chest.Then you need to perform slowly and carefully the opposite action.
Attention!In the presence of some damage, you cannot reject your head back!Consult your doctor.
The procedure for performing exercises does not matter.A set of actions and the number of repetitions are selected individually.Involving the neck, do not forget the thoracic region.They are closely connected.
It is recommended to try to gather the shoulder blades from time to time.Maybe you hear a crisis.Don't be alarmed - these are the vertebrae in place.After that, as a rule, relief is felt.
To relieve tension in the trapezoidal muscle, increase the shoulders as much as possible as possible.The actions are performed several times.After that, close your shoulders and tighten your hands.
Medication
For cervical osteochondrosis, various types of medicines are used.These medications are used during periods of disease exacerbation.
They were designed to solve various problems:
- Elimination of pain;
- the fight against inflammation;
- Strengthening metabolic processes in affected tissues.
Preparations are also used, including hormonal and vitamins, which stimulate cartilage restoration.
Other methods of combating pain
In addition to exercise and medicine therapy, the set of measures to get rid of the cervical zone osteochondrosis manifestations includes the following exposure methods.
- An increase in intervertebral spaces due to the elimination of the spine from the spine.For this, the dosed load is applicable.The impact is made in different ways, including the use of special tables.This measure allows the spine to return the previous length, give the correct shape and release the restless nerves.Some patients, desperate to find an effective way to get rid of chronic pain, resort to bone rights.Here the column is subjected to aggressive effects.This method can help as there will be a professional who has a medical education.
- Massage also provides good results.This procedure helps disperse blood, improve the change of nutrition and gasoline from cartilage, relieve tension and muscle staples and get rid of pain.If possible, you should resort to self -massage.But you need to act correctly, after passing the proper briefing.You can massage your neck, shoulders, scalp, arms, collar zone on your own.Rubbing, kneading, small pressure is used.Supreme massage is effective when exposure is done at active body points.But here we need special knowledge and considerable experience.Therefore, only a professional manual therapist should be addressed.
- The physiotherapeutic effect implies the use of various means: magnetic field, laser, ultrasound, low frequency current, etc.Medicines are often used here.This method of introducing them has a local effect, increases its effectiveness and prevents various side effects.The physical procedure helps combat pain, inflammation, accelerate post -traumatic and postoperative rehabilitation.
- Acupuncture, such as manual therapy, enhances or inhibits various processes in the body due to the effects on biologically active points of the body.Reflex therapy allows you to adjust metabolism, increase blood flow and relieve pain.But despite its effectiveness, this method is not suitable for everyone, because it implies the use of needles, which some patients categorically do not accept.
The highest efficiency of these measures is achieved by using them in a single complex under medical supervision.In large part, the success of therapy depends on the patient's determination and his desire to deal with osteochondrosis.