Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease of the musculoskeletal system, a feature of which are destructive changes in the discs and vertebrae of the cervical spine. The disease occurs quite often, as the cervical vertebrae during human life are constantly under severe stress and almost continuous stress. Any person who takes care of their health should know what cervical osteochondrosis is, its symptoms, the treatment of which at home is quite possible, if a specialist doctor considers it acceptable. But in some cases, hospital treatment is required.
Cervical osteochondrosis symptoms
Osteochondrosis develops gradually, regardless of which cervical vertebra is affected. At each stage of the pathology, there will be its symptoms and signs.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a great danger to the body because some patients at first do not attribute the discomfort experienced to severe symptoms that require a visit to the doctor. The fact is that injuries to the spine lead to disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system, causing symptoms and signs that are in no way characteristic of the usual injuries of the musculoskeletal system, for example, instability in blood pressure. Often the symptoms themselves are rather vague.
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, which need to be paid close attention, are:
- Vertigo of a systemic and non-systemic nature. It arises as a result of a strong pathological compression of the cerebral vessels, a strong compression of the nerve roots by the vertebrae and a reflex increase in intracranial pressure.
- Pain in the cervical spine, sometimes radiating to the shoulder, scapula and various parts of the upper limbs. Attacks of pain and discomfort most often occur after sleep. Often, the pain is accompanied by a characteristic sound of injured discs - a creaking sound when trying to move the neck. Strong pinching of the nerves leads to muscle relaxation in different parts of the body, muscle weakness can appear for no reason, for example, in the leg. Sometimes the sensitivity in the cervical neck area decreases sharply.
- Sudden jumps and drops in blood pressure, closely associated with the impact of the central nervous system on the blood supply function of the body. The pressure rises sharply with prolonged uncomfortable body position, stress, sharp bends of the head and neck.
If the above signs appear, you should immediately consult a specialist doctor to establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe the most effective treatment.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Therapy will be prescribed based on the stage of development of the disease, the period of exacerbation or remission, the intensity of the manifestations of symptoms and signs.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home is not carried out quickly, it is quite long. To restore the musculoskeletal system, the body will need a lot of time, effort and the use of complex therapeutic methods.
Pharmacological treatment
The complex of drugs, doses and duration of the course are selected strictly by the doctor based on many factors: the stage of development of the disease, the age of the patient, the individual tolerance of the components of the drugs, and so on. The following drugs are used:
- Pain relievers, pills and injections. They help to remove the pain syndrome and relieve a person from the discomfort caused by destructive changes.
- Hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs needed to eliminate the body's aggressive response to bone destruction and pathological effects on muscles.
- Chondoprotectors - medicinal preparations containing active substances capable of restoring bone tissue, causing its regeneration and strengthening;
- Muscle relaxants are pharmacological agents that weaken the intensity of painful muscle tension in the damaged spine.
- Synthetic vitamin preparations containing a complex of minerals and trace elements capable of normalizing metabolic processes and filling nutritional deficiencies with useful substances.
- In addition to tablets and injections, various ointments and gels can also be used for local action on the skin on the damaged area.
- Oral drugs help well in complex therapy. They can be warming, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, condoprotective or complex (containing different types of active ingredients).
Gymnastics
In the treatment of osteochondrosis, special gymnastics is extraordinarily useful, which includes exercises aimed at strengthening the natural forces of the body, initiating an accelerated regeneration process and restoring the lost musculoskeletal functions of the spine. In some cases, the usual set of exercises is complemented by various sports such as swimming or yoga. The decision on additional loads for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is made only by a doctor. During physiotherapy exercises, it is forbidden to sharply bend or tilt the head, it is necessary to try to avoid rotations. A set of exercises for sports is selected by a specialist doctor based on the individual characteristics of the patient and the specific clinical case.
Nutrition
It is imperative that during the treatment of osteochondrosis, the patient should follow a special diet. During illness, the body needs a balanced diet that contains the necessary nutrients for rapid recovery. You must try to give up harmful, sweet, fatty, hard to digest, salty and peppery foods. The menu should contain a large amount of cereals, nuts, calcium-containing dairy products, lean meat and fish, fruits and vegetables.
Other elements of complex treatment
Surgical intervention is used only in the most extreme cases, when the destructive destruction of the spine is so strong that no conservative therapy can restore damaged bones, nerves and discs.
For any pathology of the musculoskeletal system, a course of massage therapy is used for additional effects on the muscles. The massage is performed in a prone position, face down, very rarely in a sitting position - only in cases where the pathology is at an early stage of development. It is better to trust a specialist, since in case of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, self-massage can cause a lot of damage and irreparable side effects. The loads on the muscles, their intensity, the frequency of tapping and stroking in this case are strictly limited.
To relieve the load from the damaged spine, it is necessary to try to give the vertebrae and discs an anatomical shape. Modern orthopedic products (collars, pillows and orthopedic mattresses) help to quickly and comfortably return the spine to the desired shape and position without injuring it or creating a negative side effect.
As a rule, the method of treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in each clinical case combines the complex use of the above methods.