Osteochondrosis is a common degenerative-dystrophic disease in which the structure and function of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs are altered, resulting in damage to the roots of the intervertebral nerves and thus causing symptoms. Osteochondrosis is a chronic pathology that occurs under the influence of a set of reasons - from the evolutionary and anatomical features of the structure of the human skeleton to the influence of external factors, such as working conditions, lifestyle, excess weight, injuries and the like. Most often, osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbar spines is diagnosed as the most exposed to stress. Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is complex and long-term, primarily aimed at relieving symptoms and preventing complications.
Symptoms
The defeat of the upper spine can be manifested by a mass of symptoms, depending on the location and severity of the dystrophic process, as well as the degree of severity of the root structures of the spine of the cervical region. Often, patient complaints are reduced to symptoms that at first glance are unrelated to each other, which can complicate the diagnosis and further treatment of the disease.
In general, the osteochondrosis clinic of the cervical spine is the following series of syndromes:
- Vertebral, characterized by various types of pain in the occiput and neck.
- Spinal, in which symptoms of impaired motor and sensory innervation are observed, in addition, disturbed trophism of the cervical area causes progressive atrophy of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and arms.
- Radicular, expressed by symptoms of pain in the peritoneal and thoracic organs, which requires careful additional diagnosis to differentiate osteochondrosis and diseases of internal organs.
- Vertebral artery syndrome in cervical osteochondrosis - vestibular disturbances manifested by headache, hearing loss, dizziness, up to loss of consciousness.
These phenomena occur when the cause of cerebral ischemia due to a violation of the vertebral artery and a weakened blood supply.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis of the cervical segment develops gradually, and patients usually seek treatment at the stage of clinical manifestations that interfere with quality of life, during periods of exacerbation. How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, decides only the doctor after the appropriate diagnosis, self-medication in this case is unacceptable.
The treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck aims to eliminate pain, inflammation, partial or complete restoration of the affected tissue structures and prevention of complications.
The treatment must be mainly outpatient, any intervention at home can only be associated with medical prescriptions, after instrumental and laboratory diagnoses.
In advanced cases, at severe stages of development of neurological lesions and concomitant pathologies, inpatient treatment of cervical osteochondrosis with the possibility of surgery may be indicated.
Drugs for cervical osteochondrosis
It consists of prescribing cures of drugs that relieve the symptoms of pain and inflammation. In the acute period, the drugs are presented in injectable form, after a certain decrease in pain, the patient takes pills, agents acting locally in the form of ointments, and continues to receive injections.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are considered the drugs of choice in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis to relieve pain and inflammation. These are drugs based on diclofenac and indomethacin, available in different dosage forms. They reduce the swelling of soft tissues, thereby reducing pain, local remedies have a warming effect, which improves blood circulation in the affected cervical region. These drugs are used for 5-10 days, sometimes up to 2 weeks. In the acute period, NSAIDs are prescribed in the form of injections, after a few days the patient switches to the administration form of tablets. It should be remembered that long-term treatment with NSAIDs negatively affects the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, for this reason, the duration of treatment usually does not exceed 10 days.
Sedatives such as persen, glycerin, tincture of valerian, peony, herbal teas are recommended for prolonged pain and to reduce the patient's risk of neurosis, which contributes to the effectiveness of the treatment of osteochondrosiscervical. Local irritants. These are local-acting ointments, gels, rubs that have a warming, irritating and distracting effect. They are not used in the treatment of the acute phase. They contain biologically active substances of plant and animal origin, for example bee or snake venom. This group includes viprosal, apizartron, menovazin, nayatoks. In the presence of hypersensitivity to the components of the drug and with a high irritant effect, it is better not to use them, so as not to cause even greater edema. Vitamins. During the period of treatment and subsequent rehabilitation, the use of multivitamin complexes is recommended. Usually this is a group of B vitamins, the representatives of which participate in normal nerve conduction, as well as vitamins A and C, to strengthen the walls of blood vessels and improve blood circulation. Taking vitamins reduces vestibular disorders - motion sickness, dizziness, hearing loss.
Chondroprotectors. These are substances that contribute to the restoration of the cartilage tissue of the vertebral discs of the cervical segment. These include glucosaminoglycans and chondroitin sulfate. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with chondroprotectors is carried out for a long time, 6-12 months.
Orthopedic treatments
Unpleasant symptoms of the cervical spine are often provoked and aggravated by improper body position during sleep, long stay in forced position or trauma. Therefore, the treatment complex also includes such methods as:
Neck Collar or Shants Collar. It is prescribed individually for each patient, after a medical consultation, as it comes in several varieties. The collar is a dense roll of frame that attaches around the neck and fixes the vertebrae in the required position. The neck therefore does not bend and the head does not turn to the side, which ensures immobilization of the diseased area, which is important in acute periods. Shants neck can also be made in the form of two rollers with an inflatable layer, into which air is injected with a rubber bulb. Inflating the interlayer between the rollers stretches the spine, which increases the inter-articular spaces in the cervical spine. The degree of elongation is determined by the doctor, it is not recommended to solve this problem on your own, in order to avoid damage to the neurovascular bundles in the neck. During the recovery period, a fully inflatable collar is used, which maintains some mobility of the neck and head.
The necklace can be worn at home, no more than 3 hours a day, the general wearing rate is about one month. The final wearing rules are determined by the doctor, depending on the severity of the disease and symptoms.
Good posture. During sleep, it is necessary to keep the body in an anatomically correct position, when the nerves and vessels of the cervical spine are not compressed, this can be done with the help of orthopedic mattresses and pillows. While awake, the patient should control his body position and correctly choose a desk and chair at the appropriate height. Elongation. The treatment procedure involves stretching the ligaments of the spine to increase the distance between the vertebrae by 1 to 3 mm. Traction reduces or completely eliminates the compression of the root by herniated disc or bony growths of the vertebra. The procedure removes intervertebral dislocations, reduces muscle contractures. Traction should be performed under stationary conditions by a doctor, and after the procedure the cervical spine is fixed with a collar or similar devices for several hours. The course of treatment with extractions lasts on average 10 to 20 sessions.
Massage
Massage for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is an important and mandatory part of treatment, as well as drug therapy. It is prescribed during periods of remission, to speed up recovery and prevent relapses. Massage is used both classical manual and its varieties derived from the methods of oriental medicine.
Well-done massage stimulates blood circulation in the neck and cervix area, improves trophism of damaged tissue, relieves muscle and vascular spasms, and relieves the patient. The general course of massage is 10-14 procedures, every day or every other day, every 3-6 months. In the presence of severe pain, massage treatment for osteochondrosis is not carried out. At home, you can self-massage the diseased cervical area.
Physiotherapy exercises
Exercise therapy is always carried out, except for periods of exacerbation with pain. Exercises for cervical osteochondrosis can be performed at home, although it is advisable to do so under the supervision of an instructor until proper execution is achieved. The exercise set includes:
Turn your head to the side. The head tilts back and forth. Raise shoulders with fixed or relaxed hands, holding for 15 to 20 seconds in this position. Static loads, when the flexor and extensor muscles of the cervical region are stressed in turn, the head does not move.
The total number of repetitions is 5-7 times, one session lasts 15-20 minutes. As part of a treatment complex, exercise therapy exercises help speed recovery and increase remission.
Physiotherapy and reflexology
In the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, electrophoresis with NSAIDs, anesthetics, hormonal preparations is used, diadynamic currents, laser and shock wave therapy are also effective. Physiotherapy at the initial stage of development can lead to complete recovery, and in difficult cases, increase the time to remission. These methods of treatment are used during periods of rehabilitation after the treatment of exacerbations.
Reflexology as a method to influence certain points of the skin of the body, where the internal organs are thrown, is also used during periods of recovery and helps calm inflammation, improve blood circulation, provide relieftissue congestion and reduce muscle spasms. Among the treatment methods, acupuncture, acupressure and hirudotherapy are most often used - placing medicinal leeches on the skin of the cervical region.
Using these methods can shorten the time and amount of medication taken and promote recovery.
Things to do at home
If the patient's condition allows, manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis can be treated at home. For example, therapeutic exercises can be carried out at home if there are no contraindications and constant monitoring of a specialist is not required. It should be remembered that the appearance of pain and cracking in the neck is a reason to stop and seek qualified treatment.
The application of drugs with local action in the form of ointments, gels, medicinal patches is also carried out at home, strictly according to medical prescription.
In addition, it is possible to treat at home using certain physiotherapy devices - for magnetotherapy and ultraviolet radiation, and devices for reflexology.
Folk remedies are also used in the form of compresses and wraps on the painful cervical region from grated potatoes, horseradish leaves, propolis, aloe and other herbal ingredients. Traditional methods of treating cervical osteochondrosis are palliative, temporarily relieving pain, edema, warming of the affected section, and you should not limit yourself only to them.
All means of treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should complement each other and be carried out in consultation with the doctor, after a full diagnosis.
Medical treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine involves the use of conservative methods in order to provide adequate pain relief, and there is no threat of significant disruption of the patient's daily activities.
Symptoms of the disease
The constant bending, lifting, rotating and twisting over many years of life will of course affect the health of the neck and the quality of its structural components. With all of this repetitive neck stress, it's no surprise that about two-thirds of people experience neck pain at some point in their lives. Pain sensations can be alarming symptoms of a disease such as osteochondrosis.
Warning! Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is considered one of the most common pathologies. This disease most often affects people of working age, leading a sedentary lifestyle.
The disease is initially asymptomatic. However, in the event of symptoms such as persistent headaches, as well as pain in the heart and under the scapula, this disease requires immediate and effective treatment.
Degenerative processes can lead to the following manifestations:
- sharp pain;
- double vision;
- dizziness;
- numbness in the shoulder area;
- weakness in shoulders, arms.
This discomfort and loss of mobility can have a significant impact on career, family and quality of life.
The cervical spine is made up of seven bones called vertebrae, separated from each other by discs filled with a jelly-like substance. This design provides the ability to stabilize the neck, smoothly turn it side to side, and tilt it back and forth.
Over time, these natural shock absorbers wear out and can start to degrade. The space between the vertebrae is narrowed and the nerve endings are pinched. This process is known as cervical osteochondrosis. It should be noted in particular that research shows that about 25% of asymptomatic people under 40 and 60% over 40 have some degree of osteochondrosis. As osteochondrosis progresses, the neck becomes less flexible, the pain sensation increases, there is a feeling of stiffness, especially towards the end of the day. It is for these reasons that osteochondrosis develops.
Warning! Its complications can be life threatening.
Diagnostic and treatment functions
Diagnosis of the disease includes the following general manipulations:
- initial inspection;
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging);
- X-ray examination.
Pharmacotherapy is the mainstay of treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in combination with massage. The effective treatments are:
Reflexology- ; electrostimulation
- ; Manual therapy
- .
Physiotherapy can also help reduce pain for a long time. The most commonly used methods are:
- acupuncture; electrophoresis
- ;
- micro-current electrical stimulation; Laser therapy
- .
Usually the course of this treatment for cervical osteochondrosis takes about 14 days.
Simultaneously with the application of ice or heat, with the help of a special medicine, it will be possible to relieve pain and to control pain and inflammation. In addition, exercises for the neck and shoulder girdle area, performed independently or with the help of a professional, will also help. Exercise helps maintain flexibility. Exercise, especially stretching the neck as much as possible, is essential for maintaining flexibility in the neck area. A specific set of exercises should be developed individually by a doctor or physiotherapist.
Drugs that may provide relief include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relievers.
Warning! You should not use these medicines for more than seven days without consulting your doctor, as kidney failure can be one of the serious unwanted side effects they can cause.
Steroids and muscle relaxants can also be used.
Treatment during an exacerbation
In the acute phase of the disease, when excruciating pain dominates the clinical picture, the main goal of medical treatment is pain relief. In such situations, for a limited period, very carefully and competently, and only under the supervision of a doctor, you can take pain relievers (for example, tramadol, oxadol, ortofen) or more complex drugs (arcoxia). They are able to relieve muscle pain and tension.
Nonsteroidal drugs, which are mainly taken as pain relievers, can also eliminate the cause of the pain - inflammatory edema, which constricts blood vessels and nerves.
The use of muscle relaxants allows you to relieve muscle spasms, normalizing the condition of cervical vertebrae, nerve endings and blood vessels. The use of vitamins is very important.
For severe compression of the nerve endings, doctors recommend anticonvulsants. If the pain is not relieved by other means, it is blocked with novocaine.
If the osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is at an acute stage and is accompanied by severe pain, specialists also prescribe local administration of lidocaine, corticosteroids in order to relieve muscle tension in the movement segment of thespine and reduce pain.
In the treatment of acute pain, drugs are administered with the help of injections, then it will be possible to carry out treatment in the form of pills and further relieve the condition with the help of ointments.
Antidepressants are prescribed as a supplement in some cases. These drugs help to support psychologically the attacks of very intense pain and the specifics of the disorders associated with the cervical spine.
Recommendations for treatment in remission
The light step treatment period suggests:
- activation of blood circulation in the large vessels and at the periphery;
- improved metabolism;
- restoration and renewal of bone tissue and cartilage structures.
For this purpose, the most suitable:
- anti-inflammatory gels and ointments containing steroids and pain relievers;
- ointments, the action of which is directed to the point of heating of the diseased area, capable of increasing blood flow to the diseased area and improving the nutrition of tissues.
Chondroprotectors (chondroxide ointments and tablets) help restore the intervertebral cartilaginous discs.
Massage creams and ointments with bee venom, plant extracts have a regenerating, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. A therapeutic massage which, if done correctly, can be done at home to relieve discomfort. In order not to harm the body, you need to follow a few simple rules:
- do not press too hard on the neck and back;
- all movements must be up and down.
Topical anesthetic creams include capsaicin. Creams are also effective in treating pain associated with osteochondrosis. It is necessary to apply the cream to the area where the sensation of pain is most present.
Warning! Be sure to wash your hands after rubbing off the cream, especially the capsaicin, as the cream can cause irritation to the skin of the hands or other parts of the body that will touch the hands.
Such an unpleasant symptom as dizziness in osteochondrosis occurs due to vasospasm and inflammation of the nervous tissue. To cope with this help, vasodilators and ways to improve blood circulation in the vestibular apparatus.
Vitamin B is also included in the complex therapy of cervical osteochondrosis, as it has the following properties:
- restores tissue sensitivity;
- reduces neurological damage.
You have to be very careful that although there is a very variable range of quality drugs that help in the fight against osteochondrosis, taking several of them often comes with side effectstangible. It happens that the condition of the back improves, but difficulties appear in various organs. It follows that drugs are intended only to supplement the complex of other methods of combating this disease.
Thanks to an integrated approach to treatment, it will only be possible to obtain a positive dynamic of the healing process if the whole spectrum of therapeutic measures is carried out in a consistent, regular and systematic manner.
Often patients do not pay attention to pain in the neck area, which leads to complications.
Surgical treatment
If the pain persists after six months, during which the competent medicine was administered, and daily activities become more difficult, doctors may recommend surgery. The operation will aim to stop the movement of the affected cervical spine segment. This will involve the removal of the disc, as well as the insertion of a metal device or bone graft to help maintain or restore normal disc height and neck stability and alignment. Special plates can be used to provide the desired fixation between the two vertebrae.
Warning! Patients should be aware that surgery that results in severe neck pain is much less reliable than surgery in relieving pain due to osteochondrosis in another part of the body. So, if the only symptom or predominant symptom is neck pain, surgery should only be recommended as a last resort, and after all other treatment options have been tried.
Prevention
Preventive methods of neutralizing relapses are formed by complexes of physiotherapy exercises and therapeutic massage. Good prevention is an important step towards success.
It will also be very important to pay attention to the fact that you must adhere to a regular daily diet that minimizes, if not completely eliminated, the consumption of salty and spicy foods in order to minimize swelling and improve metabolism. It will also be useful to do yoga and swimming. Among the unconventional methods, acupuncture and hirudotherapy are often used.