Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a disease of our time. A sedentary lifestyle, constant nervous tension do not pass without leaving a trace. Almost anyone can observe the symptoms of this disease. How to recognize an insidious disease and seek help in time?

Osteochondrosis is a physiological process that every person acquires during life. The symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are very different, so it becomes a disease only under certain conditions, in combination with several 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 tissues take on a spongy structure, become brittle, fragile, and carry the main skeletal function.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

With osteochondrosis of the cervix, the blood supply to the brain is disturbed. Therefore, almost all patients complain of similar symptoms:

• headache, dizziness, tinnitus;
• has pain in shoulder, neck, chest;
• individual body parts become numb (hands, fingers);
• weakness in hands and feet;
• psychological symptoms - unreasonable mood swings, irritability;
• In difficult situations, vision and hearing are reduced.

Symptoms are so varied and individual that it is difficult to identify cervical osteochondrosis based solely on patient complaints. Cervical spine disease is diagnosed using MRI, computed tomography, X-rays. According to the results of the study, you can see changes in the spine. Just considering all the complaints is the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis.

Depending on the location of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment are somewhat different. Where exactly the change occurred and how it affects the central nervous system, osteochondrosis can be divided into three main groups. These varieties have different symptoms and, accordingly, different treatment.

1. The first group. The peripheral nervous system suffers. A change in the vertebrae directly affects the nerve endings (roots). Often referred to as osteochondrosis of the cervix with radicular syndrome, it has the most striking symptoms:
• Pain from the cervical region to the shoulder region.

• Choking syndrome in the neck, tachycardia, heart pain.
• Crunch, noise, crackling when turning the neck. See what exercises you should do to strengthen neck muscles with osteochondrosis.
• Persistent pain in the back of the head.
• Due to the deterioration of blood circulation, the hands become pale, cold, the fingers become numb.
• Joint pain.

Such osteochondrosis can cause torticollis

2. The second group. The whole spinal cord is involved, the disease manifests itself in the disruption of all its work. The symptoms are as follows:
• Muscle tone of legs and arms decreases. The legs become numb, get tired quickly, it is difficult to walk, to stand, the reason is semiconductor disorder syndrome. Blood does not flow well to the lateral columns of the spinal cord.
• Myelopathy develops in the affected areas. Affects limb dysfunction.
• The third group. Brain function is disrupted due to poor brain blood supply. Changes in characteristic syndromes:
• Hypothalamics. A syndrome indicated by a hypothalamic dysfunction. It leads to neurological symptoms. The patient often feels unreasonable fatigue, irritability, mood swings. People suffering from this syndrome complain of poor sleep, dissatisfaction, unfounded fear, anxiety. Among the physiological changes: sweating, paleness, cold hands, high blood pressure.
• Point Syndrome. With such a disease of the cervical spine, they often faint for no reason. The cause is vasospasm.
• - vestibular flow. The syndrome is characterized by frequent dizziness. The work of the vestibular apparatus is disrupted due to insufficient blood flow. Sometimes there is nausea that provokes vomiting.
• cochlear stalk. Ringing, ringing in the ears is called this syndrome. Ear blockage or hearing damage may occur. Summer very difficult to associate such symptoms with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, especially to prescribe the correct treatment
• Faringe-larynx. The syndrome is associated with sore throat. It may be difficult to swallow, the voice becomes hoarse. Painful symptoms such as dryness, itching, pain are noticed in the throat.

Characteristics of osteochondrosis with the treatment of radical syndrome symptoms Separately, it is worth dwelling on radicular syndrome of the cervical spine, the symptoms of which should be considered in more detail. Their appearance is often confused with diseases not related to osteochondrosis. The treatment does not work, the person continues to feel pain, the condition worsens. An incorrect diagnosis is sometimes worse than the disease itself. The prescribed therapy not only does not help, but also mutilates completely healthy organs. The development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine provokes the appearance of the so-called radicular syndrome.

The main reason is the compression of the nerves, in particular their roots in a certain part of the spine (cervix, thorax, vertebrae).

This cervical syndrome is characterized by:

1. Pain when turning the neck or trunk. Appears after a long monotonous body position (sleep, prolonged sitting) and sharp turns of the head.
2. Numbness and "vibrations" in the occupational region.
3. Headaches in various manifestations: throbbing, sharp short-term, long-term. This leads to dizziness, fainting, nausea.
4. The muscles in the chin may fall slightly.
5. With frequent pain, a decrease in tongue tone is observed and speech defects appear.
6. Pain from the neck passes smoothly to the shoulder, forearm, hand. There is numbness in the fingers, discomfort when raising one arm, joint pain.

Often, cervical spine radicular syndrome progresses smoothly to thoracic spine syndrome. In cervicothoracic osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, the pain, immediate acute, is manifested in the internal organs.

Here the clinical picture looks like this:

• Pain in the shoulder, lower ribs, armpits. Numbness in these areas.
• Painful stinging sensation in the stomach, intestines, hypochondrium. Often observing this syndrome, they misdiagnose food tract diseases.
• Numbness, from the navel to the groin along the back of the spine, causing weight in the intestines and stomach.
• Dry mouth.

Radicular changes can cause cardinal syndrome - a violation of bone tissue provokes irritation of the roots of the chest or diaphragm muscles. Its occurrence is signaled by: heart pain of various durations, from sharp stroke to long pain, tachycardia, shortness of breath. These signs are exactly the same as the symptoms of angina pectoris. And if you treat it, its result will be zero. Moreover, 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 dilation effect are not effective.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Effective treatment is a complex therapy that should be practiced not only during a deterioration.

Medications

• Pain syndrome is relieved by analgesics and other pain relievers.
• For severe pain, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed.
• Local anesthetics in the form of oils and warming gels will be helpful.
• If there is a migratory muscle spasm, take muscle relaxants.
• Prescribe drugs that improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis.
• Pain blockers are also used in medical practice.
• Prescribe anticonvulsant medication if necessary.
• In case of psychological disorders, antidepressants, sedatives, insomnia medications are helpful.

In addition to drug treatment, the following have a very positive effect:

• massages,
• medical gymnastics;
• electrophoresis;
• wearing a bandage.

Cardinal methods of treatment - surgical removal of hernias and other spinal defects.