Osteochondrosis is a disease of the musculoskeletal system. According to statistics, about 90% of the population suffer from it. Most patients are not even aware of this because the original forms of the disease develop asymptomatically.
Another part of people only regularly feels uncomfortable in the back area, writes it off as tiredness and is not treated. In all types of osteochondrosis, the defeat of the cervical spine prevails. If treatment is started on time, then there is every possibility of getting rid of the disease.
The essence of osteochondrosis
Two mechanisms are involved in the development of osteochondrosis: dystrophic and degenerative. The first implies a violation of the trophism (nutrition) of the intervertebral cartilage (intervertebral discs). The second is a consequence of dystrophy - organic changes in the structure of cartilage tissue and vertebrae.
The essence of the disease is as follows: Circulatory disorders in certain areas of the back lead to exhaustion and dehydration of the cartilage tissue. Along with the liquid, it loses its nutritional components. As a result, the cartilage loses its elasticity and strength - it sags. The distance between the vertebrae decreases, their staticity is violated (constancy of position). They can move around and snuggle up against each other while pinching the nerve roots.
In osteochondrosis, the cartilage wears out faster.
If the dystrophy persists, the muscles that support the spine will also lose their tone. The vertebrae sag even more. Due to the increased friction, protrusions arise - damage to the cartilage capsule with the protrusion of its contents outwards.
Next, the natural defense mechanism of the spine is triggered. Bone growth - osteophytes appear on it. You must ensure that the vertebrae are in a stable position. However, osteophyte growth often goes beyond "need". Excessive growths put additional pressure on the remains of cartilage and nerve fibers. In addition, they are solid. The spine loses its elasticity and "adjacent intervertebral discs" can be damaged. The patient loses mobility and suffers from severe pain. The result of advanced osteochondrosis is disability.
Due to blood congestion, osteochondrosis is accompanied by the deposition of salts in areas next to the cartilage. Such "clusters" aggravate the development of the disease and accelerate damage to the cartilage and vertebrae.
Why is the neck injured more often?
The cervical spine is the most sensitive and fragile. Its elements are the smallest and are not adapted to heavy loads. However, the neck muscles are not involved in all types of physical activity. Hence chronic blood congestion and malnutrition of the vertebral joints. If a person does not participate in sports, the risk of cervical osteochondrosis increases significantly. Most people very rarely use their necks for everyday tasks.
The main cause of osteochondrosis is a hypodynamic lifestyle. A lack of exercise in combination with passive leisure time leads to muscle weakness and vascular tone disorders. A throat disease leads to prolonged stay in one position. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is considered the lot of office workers and computer scientists.
Excessive physical activity leads to muscle hypertension. They are constantly in a tense state and also provoke stagnant processes. The indirect causes of the disease are inadequate nutrition (an excess of salt and fat in the diet) and metabolic disorders. The disease can be triggered by autoimmune processes, nutritional deficiencies (vitamins and minerals), endocrine diseases and psycho-emotional shocks (since they are also accompanied by muscle overload).
Detection of cervical osteochondrosis
Early osteochondrosis does not manifest itself in any way. In the first phase of development, the cartilage becomes dehydrated. It is imperceptible from the outside and does not cause any physical discomfort. The disease can be discovered by accident when examining the spine for injuries or other ailments.
In stage 2 the cartilage sags. Its height decreases, its payback capacity deteriorates. Early symptoms can appear at this stage. Its characteristic is the periodicity. Discomfort in the neck can be clearly felt and then subsides. Periodically disappears completely. A person sometimes feels pain in the neck. They occur after physical exertion or a long stay in one position (sitting or standing). Unpleasant sensations appear in the morning when the patient "paces up and down", he weakens and remembers himself in the late afternoon. If salts build up in the cervical area, a person will hear a crunch in the spine while turning. "Clicking" when tilting your head doesn't hurt.
In stage 3, nerve roots can be partially enclosed. This is accompanied by strong painful sensations. Patients complain of lumbago and sharp sudden pain in the neck. Discomfort occurs after a static position. Unlike the early stages, it is more of a worry. A person's throat "gets tired" in a short time. There can also be aching pain. They attack the patient in the evening and at night.
Stagnation in the cervical spine leads to a cerebrovascular accident. It manifests itself in headache (sometimes migraine), tinnitus, dizziness. Persistent hypoxia (lack of oxygen) creates a feeling of "goose bumps" on the scalp, often on one side. There are also secondary symptoms - the patient gets tired quickly, feels weak, sleepy (for no apparent reason), sometimes sleep is disturbed.
Parallel to the symptoms listed, the mobility of the joints in the cervical spine changes. Some head or neck movements are accompanied by sharp pain. The patient unconsciously reduces its amplitude and tries to maintain a comfortable position.
Stage 4 osteochondrosis is accompanied by protrusions and the appearance of osteophytes. Injury to the nerve roots leads to persistent pain syndrome. If inflammation develops as changes progress, the pain becomes permanent. A person has more and more headaches, visual impairments (deterioration of vision at dusk, "flying", blurred image). Neck mobility is severely restricted. The patient avoids turning the neck, if necessary turning the whole body. When the nerves are damaged, pain, "goose bumps" or numbness occurs in the shoulder blades, shoulders, forearms, and even hands.
Diagnosis
The above complaints should be directed to a neurologist, orthopedic surgeon or vertebrate. The doctor will interview the patient and conduct an examination. During the examination, he checks the sensitivity of the points, reflexes and mobility of the cervical spine. If osteochondrosis is suspected, an additional examination is prescribed. It contains an x-ray of the cervical spine in several projections.
If the x-ray does not show any specific abnormalities, but the patient continues to experience symptoms, an MRI or CT scan will be prescribed. Using these methods, osteochondrosis can be detected from the earliest stages.
How should be treated
Even if the patient shows all the signs of osteochondrosis, it is better to consult a doctor. Only a specialist can objectively assess the extent of destruction, distinguish chondrosis from other diseases, make the correct diagnosis and individually choose a treatment regimen.
This disease takes a long time to develop. Osteochondrosis exacerbations can occur periodically and go away on their own. The patient should still be examined.
The disease is treated on an outpatient basis. Surgical intervention (to remove osteophytes) is an extreme measure that is used only when there is severe damage to the nerve roots with severe pain. Conservative treatment can almost always be avoided.
Osteochondrosis (depending on the stage) is treated for 1 to 3 months. Therapy should be comprehensive. Medicines alone are essential here. Even after the improvement has started, the patient must control his activity and take preventive measures. The main task of treatment is to stop degenerative processes. Relieving symptoms with medication only relieves the patient's condition for a while. There are several ways to treat osteochondrosis at home.
drug therapy
With the help of drugs, you can get rid of inflammation, relieve pain, provide the body with useful substances and improve the nutrition of the cartilage of the cervical spine. Pain medication is used as a symptomatic treatment. In the inflammatory process, pain is eliminated with the help of NSAIDs. The drugs are prescribed in the form of tablets (if symptoms are moderate) or injections (if pain is severe).
To eliminate muscle hypertension, muscle relaxants are prescribed in parallel with NSAIDs. These agents improve the effectiveness of painkillers and offer them "free access" to the focus of inflammation. Painkillers are used in a very short time (5-10 days) due to the risk of side effects.
Chondroprotectors are prescribed to increase elasticity and restore cartilage. In the acute phase, these are injections. As maintenance therapy, doctors recommend long-term use of capsules or tablets (3-6 months).
To increase the effectiveness of the treatment, the use of pills can be combined with the use of external means (ointments, gels, plasters). Pepper or menthol patches, ointment pain relievers relieve severe pain. Furthermore, osteochondrosis can be treated with chondroprotective ointments.
To improve the trophism of the joints, B vitamins and vascular preparations are prescribed.
Folk Remedies
In the recipes of traditional medicine there are a lot of recommendations for the treatment of osteochondrosis. As with the traditional approach, folk remedies can be applied internally or externally.
Strongest topical mixtures:
- Horseradish compress.The horseradish root is rubbed on a fine grater, the gruel is spread on gauze, applied to the neck, covered with a film, wrapped with a bandage, left for 2 hours, washed off with clean water. The procedure is carried out 10 days in a row before going to bed.
- Compress with potatoes.Grate 3 large potatoes, add 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of mustard, spread the mixture on a cheesecloth and stick on the painful area for 1 hour. Apply a compress twice a day for 2 weeks.
- lotions with red pepper.2 pods of hot red pepper are crushed to a pulp, mixed with chopped aloe leaf, poured with a glass of alcohol. A day later, the gauze is moistened in the mixture, applied to the neck for 15-20 minutes and washed off with cold water. The treatment lasts 2 weeks.
Compresses with mustard and pepper are good for blood circulation.
Inside you can take infusions, decoctions and tinctures. All recipes are aimed at normalizing metabolism, removing salts and eliminating inflammation:
- Parsley broth.3 tablespoons of parsley seeds are ground in a coffee grinder. Pour the mass with a liter of boiling water and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Filter when completely cool. It is taken orally 100 ml twice a day for 15 days.
- Barberry tincture.10 g of a mixture of dried roots and barberry bark (available in a pharmacy or from herbalists) is poured into 100 ml of alcohol or vodka. The mixture is placed in a dark place for 10 days. After sieving, take 30 drops orally, half an hour before meals, three times a day.
- celery infusion.Pour a tablespoon of grated celery root with a liter of water. Bring to a boil over low heat, switch off immediately. Filter after a day, take 3 tablespoons three times a day before meals. The treatment lasts 1 month.
Before using traditional medicines, make sure that you are not allergic to their components. If there is a strong burning sensation when using compresses, you need to remove the bandage and rinse the remnants of the mixture with running water.
Physiotherapy, exercise therapy and massage
Physiotherapy is often prescribed by doctors to treat osteochondrosis. This can be warmed up by medical ultraviolet light, exposure to low frequency currents, magnetotherapy, electrophoresis, or phonophoresis. Such manipulations are carried out in a hospital using special equipment. They eliminate inflammation and improve drug access to cartilage tissue. The combination of medication and physical therapy can quickly relieve unpleasant symptoms. The course requires 10-15 procedures. To achieve a stable result, all types of physiotherapy must be fully completed (do not interrupt).
Physical therapy for treating osteochondrosis of the neck includes simple exercises. They can be carried out independently of each other in the morning and evening and between work. Sports can be done while sitting or standing.
The following exercises can be included in the cervical osteochondrosis exercise:
- Turn your head first clockwise and then counter-clockwise (2 sets) for 2 minutes.
- gently lowers the head forwards, backwards and to the side (15 times in each direction);
- Raise your shoulders as high as possible, leaving your neck and head motionless (15-20 times).
- turn your shoulders forwards or backwards and keep your neck and head motionless (1 minute in each direction);
- fold your palms, press your fingertips to the center of the forehead and gently guide them through the temple areas along the neck to the collarbones (10 times).
- without changing the position of the chin, gently pull the neck back (the chin is drawn in), and then forward to the sides (without tilting or turning the face);
- Gather your palms in the lock behind your back, pull your arms back, raise and straighten your neck as high as possible, and stay in an extended position for 15 seconds (3 times).
For osteochondrosis, massage is considered the best way to improve blood circulation in the neck. It is better if the patient goes through a full course (10-15 sessions) with a trained specialist. If this is not possible, you can knead your neck yourself at home.
Brief instructions for self-massage:
- First, it is necessary to warm up the neck muscles: rub the back of the head with the fingertips or the edge of the palm.
- Kneading involves gentle pressing, followed by muscle relaxation - kneading with 4 collected pads and a thumb;
- lightly pinch the skin on the neck to improve blood circulation;
- run along the entire neck region by lightly pressing the finger on both sides of the spine;
- To relax on the back of your head, dab lightly with the palm of your hand or your fingers.
Each phase of the massage ends with a light palm stroke. To improve the effect, the throat is massaged with ointment. After the massage, you need to make sure that the neck region is warm.
You should only massage your neck with your palms or fingertips (not with your fist).
All methods of treating osteochondrosis should be supplemented by diet. A classic healthy diet includes the use of lean meat, fish, seafood, whole grains, and lots of vegetables. Food needs to be boiled, baked or steamed.
During the entire period of the diet, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of salt, avoid fast food and sweets. It is important to drink at least 1. 5 liters of water a day. It is useful to eat jellies and jellies to help strengthen the joints.
With an integrated approach, the symptoms of the disease disappear in a week and the destruction of the cartilage is completely stopped.