Feeling the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Unfortunately, today the symptoms of headache and neck pain due to cervical osteochondrosis are familiar to almost every adult.And 70% of the population over 25 years old (possibly earlier) experience such symptoms periodically.Doctors make a diagnosis: cervical osteochondrosis and prescribe treatment depending on the stage and type of disease.

What is cervical osteochondrosis?

These are degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs of the spine that occur due to uneven loading of the spine.The vertebral bodies from the first to the seventh neck areas are gradually deformed, exhausted and destroyed.The main symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is a headache, while pain sensations can be reflected in the neck, chest, as well as in the shoulder and other parts of the spine.The cervical spine is connected to all its sections: thoracic spine, lumbar spine, sacrum and coccyx.All vertebrae are connected vertically one after the other.And any injury to the cervical vertebrae affects the function of the entire spine.

Why can headaches be considered the main symptom of cervical osteochondrosis?

Of all the parts of the spine, the cervical spine is the most mobile and at the same time the most vulnerable.It contains very small vertebrae that are much thinner than the vertebrae of other sections.In addition, the neck must support the head at all times when walking upright.Tension in the neck muscles leads to constant cramping of the blood vessels in the head and neck area.Hence the headaches that appear from time to time or last for hours or days.A variety of muscles connect the back of the head to the neck.Eight short deep muscles provide the connection between the occiput and the first and second cervical vertebrae.Two deep muscles connect the back of the head to each of the seven cervical vertebrae.The longissimus muscles of the neck and capitis connect the back of the head and the individual vertebrae.Tension and spasms in any muscle can cause headaches and neck pain.Therefore, it is necessary to combat headaches, starting with the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.

Other causes of cervical osteochondrosis

The following factors can be named as the causes of cervical osteochondrosis:

• hereditary predisposition
• sedentary lifestyle
• Overweight
• severe strain on the spine
• Stress and nervous shock
• Metabolic disorders
• wearing the wrong shoes
• malnutrition
• period of pregnancy

As you can see, there is no specific reason that leads to the development of cervical osteochondrosis.The process of degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs usually occurs slowly and unnoticed.

Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis

Very often a person does not suspect that he is suffering from a disease such as cervical osteochondrosis, symptoms, sensations, headache and neck pain, prefers to ignore it or limit himself to taking painkillers.However, the development of osteochondrosis occurs in several stages:

• In the first stage, discomfort in the neck occurs when walking for a long time, sitting at a computer for a long time or driving in one position.In this case, small densities begin to form in the intervertebral discs.Degenerative changes in the vertebrae in the initial stages.
• In the second stage of development of osteochondrosis, long-lasting pain occurs in the back of the head, temple area and neck.There may be ringing in the ears and pain when tilting or turning the head.The mobility of the cervical vertebrae begins to decrease and it is possible that the intervertebral discs protrude.
• In the third stage, headache attacks are pronounced.The person experiences dizziness, lack of air and shortness of breath.There may be pain in the shoulders and various parts of the spine.The mobility of the neck is restricted.The fibrous ring of the intervertebral discs is destroyed and the nucleus pulposus loses its elasticity.Degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs are pronounced.
• The final stage of development of cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by the presence of intervertebral hernias.Most destructive changes are irreversible.Almost all parts of the spine are affected.Treatment is only possible through surgery.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

In addition to headaches and neck pain, depending on the stage of development of the process of cervical osteochondrosis, a number of symptoms accompanying this disease can be called:

• Feeling of heaviness in the head
• Clicking of the vertebrae when turning or tilting the head
• A crunching feeling in the neck
• Tinnitus and feeling of fullness
• dizziness
• Numbness in the shoulders or shoulder blades
• Chest pain
• The feeling of a lack of air
• Lump in the throat
• nausea
• Double vision, spots before the eyes
• Increased body temperature
• Increased blood pressure

Symptoms may appear suddenly or occur regularly.Pain in the neck and back of the head is often noticeable in the evening.Sitting motionless in one position for hours takes its toll.The vertebral arteries that carry blood to the brain are pinched and spasmed.As a result of the manifestation of circulatory disorders, the brain is primarily affected.Cramping of the arteries and muscles in the neck area often leads to limited mobility.A person is unable to turn their neck temporarily or mostly for a long period of time.Dizziness, noise and ringing in the ears as well as a feeling of congestion also occur as a result of reduced blood flow from the vertebral arteries to the head.Dizziness can be systemic and non-systemic in nature.With systemic dizziness, a person experiences the sensation of objects spinning in circles around them.In non-systemic dizziness, there is no sensation of circular rotation, but there is an unsteady state when the body stands, and nausea may also occur.

A pinched nerve often occurs in cervical osteochondrosis.This condition is caused by the displacement of the vertebrae to one side of the spine.Displaced vertebrae compress nerve endings, causing spasm of blood vessels and a feeling of lack of air.If there is a prolonged lack of oxygen, shortness of breath may occur.Racing heartbeat, pressure pain in the heart area, and increased blood pressure are common accompanying symptoms of damage to the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine.

Consequences and complications of cervical osteochondrosis

When normal blood flow in the vertebral arteries is disrupted, the autonomic nervous system suffers.Spasms of blood vessels and increases in blood pressure can lead to fainting.In case of fainting, the person should be given first aid immediately.It is necessary to place the body so that the legs are higher than the head.This leads to normal blood circulation in the neck and activates flow to the brain.Sometimes a person begins to forcefully and quickly turn his head left and right to develop the cervical vertebrae and stretch a stiff neck when the body is in one position for a long time.As a result, the vertebral artery spasms and instead of relief, the person experiences dizziness, ringing in the ears and severe headaches, which can also lead to increased blood pressure and fainting.

The most important and common complication of cervical osteochondrosis is the appearance of intervertebral hernias and protrusions.A herniated disc is the result of degradation and destruction of the intervertebral disc.In hernias and bulges, the contents of the fibrous ring are compressed and bulged in every direction.In this case, the person feels constant pain due to the friction of the compressed discs against each other.The most serious complication of cervical osteochondrosis can be considered a disease – myelopathy, in which the spinal cord is destroyed.Myelopathy is most often localized in the cervical spine.With this disease, a person feels numbness or tingling in the extremities, weakness and involuntary twitching of the body muscles, pain occurs in the chest and between the shoulder blades.

Diagnosis and detection of cervical osteochondrosis

If you have one or more symptoms that indicate the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis, you should consult a doctor.A neurologist or orthopedist examines the patient to assess pain and mobility of the cervical spine, identify associated symptoms, and recommend necessary diagnostic measures.The most reliable method of our time is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).As a result of the examination, the presence of cervical osteochondrosis, as well as a bulge or hernia, can be determined in the patient with 100% accuracy.The contraindications for magnetic resonance diagnostics include the presence of a pacemaker in the patient.Childhood and pregnancy do not represent contraindications since MRI does not require X-ray exposure.Unlike an X-ray, in which only the bones of the skeleton are visible, with magnetic resonance imaging all soft tissues, muscles, ligaments, intervertebral discs, the spinal cord in the neck and nerve fibers are visible.X-ray as a method for detecting cervical osteochondrosis is applicable only in the early stages of the disease.The advantages of this examination method are speed, accessibility and low cost.X-rays can only show the degree of changes in the intervertebral discs; an examination of soft tissues, muscles and nerve fibers in the neck is excluded.

Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis

To prevent the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis, some tips can be listed:

• Avoid heavy lifting.If you have to lift something heavy, you need to properly distribute the load across the entire spine.
• Avoid sitting in one position for long periods of time and watching TV for hours without changing your posture.
• The bed and pillows for sleeping and resting should be comfortable.An orthopedic mattress and an anatomical orthopedic pillow, selected according to individual size, are desirable.
• It is necessary to follow rules to prevent posture curvature.The correct and straight posture of the head, neck and back when walking and sitting ensures the health of not only the cervical spine, but the entire spine.
• Proper nutrition with plenty of protein-rich foods, grains, fruits and vegetables provides the body with the necessary vitamins and microelements.
• Including collagen-containing foods in your diet, such as jelly, jellied meat, sea fish and seafood, undoubtedly has a beneficial effect on skeletal bones, ligaments and cartilage.
• Correct and sufficient consumption of simple, clean water prevents the contents of the intervertebral discs from drying out and the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis.
• Exercise and physical activity are very important at any age.In addition to walks in the fresh air, jogging, swimming, water aerobics, yoga and Pilates are very useful.

Treatment.Feeling the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

To treat cervical osteochondrosis, medications, physiotherapy, massage, special exercises and gymnastics are used; in extreme cases, surgical intervention is not excluded.Analgesics are successfully used to relieve pain.Non-steroidal drugs are indicated to relieve the inflammatory process.For muscle cramps, doctors recommend relaxants.With regular cramps in the neck muscles, you need to wear a special orthopedic collar.Anti-inflammatory ointments are used to relieve pain.With sluggish cervical osteochondrosis without exacerbations, physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed.Proven in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck: magnetic therapy, electrophoresis, UHF and shock wave therapy.During physiotherapy, inflammatory processes in the body subside and blood circulation in the cervical spine improves.Regular massage is also indicated for osteochondrosis.

Among the exercises for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, 5 basic exercises are often used, which are performed at a slow pace.The exercises should be repeated three to five times.

1. Exercise one.It consists of slowly turning your head left and right.The shoulders remain motionless.
2. Exercise two.It is necessary to press the forehead with the palm of your hand, slightly tensing the neck muscles.
3. Exercise three.It consists of tilting your head to the left and right, while when tilting to the left you should lower your head as low as possible and touch the left shoulder with your left ear, and when tilting to the right you should touch the right ear with your right shoulder.
4. Exercise four.It is recommended to press the temple on the left side of the head with the left palm and also press the temple on the right side of the head with the right palm.
5. Exercise five.Slowly tilt your chin toward your neck while turning your head first to the left and then to the right.

These simple but effective exercises can be done every day with 10-15 minutes of free time.

Conclusion

In our body, the spine consists of five sections.The cervical spine deserves special attention.Due to the complex symptoms, the presence of numerous concomitant diseases and the lack of adequate control, the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis represents a serious problem. Starting with the usual mild discomfort in the neck, without appropriate treatment, the intervertebral discs begin to undergo degenerative changes, which cause great inconvenience to humans.Dizziness, pain in the occipital and temporal areas, neck pain, ringing and ringing in the ears are the main, but not the only, symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.To prevent cervical osteochondrosis from leading to irreversible changes and consequences even at the stage of its occurrence, you should adhere to simple diet and water rules, engage in regular physical activity, and monitor your posture and head position when walking, standing or sitting.Prolonged immobilization of the body is strictly contraindicated.