Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

11 August 2022

Cervical osteochondrosis is a degenerative and dystrophic disease of a portion of the spine. As the disease progresses, the intervertebral discs in the neck suffer the most, with damage extending to the articular surfaces, ligaments, and vertebrae. Treatment for cervical osteochondrosis depends on the current stage of the disease. The pathology occurs mainly in patients over the age of 30, but has also been documented in young adults, especially if one lives an unhealthy lifestyle and is at risk.

The most common symptom is severe neck pain that can travel down the spine, move to the upper extremities, and deform into a severe headache. Below we'll take a look at which symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are best to start treating, find out the cause of the disease, and what to do to fix it.

Causes and Risk Factors

The main cause of osteochondrosis in humans is the ability to walk upright, acquired through evolution. When walking, the vertebrae put too much pressure on each other. Each year this causes the amount of intervertebral fluid and connective tissue between the vertebrae to decrease, and as a result, the bones begin to rub against each other, causing severe pain.

The longer osteochondrosis in the neck area develops without necessary treatment, the less chance there is to stop the degenerative process. In old age, it is nearly impossible to restore connective tissue.

Cervical osteochondrosis in the elderly is a major natural process independent of the influence of external factors. If the problem begins to develop at an early age, if the pain increases too quickly, it is necessary to look for the cause of this irregularity.

The early development of cervical osteochondrosis is usually due to the following factors:

Lack of physical activity in daily life. In the modern world, a person has a predominantly sedentary lifestyle - he works in an office all day, spends his evenings sitting in front of a sofa or computer, and drives a lot;
In the process of performing work tasks, the human body often adopts an unnatural, tense posture (strong forward leaning when working on a computer);
Excessive exercise. The opposite reason is exercise under uncontrolled load. This problem is not only for ordinary citizens, but also for professional athletes;
The reasons for the wrong position of the spine are flat feet, wearing uncomfortable heels, scoliosis, arthritis, etc. ;
Abuse of junk food, obesity;
Severe hypothermia of the cervical spine;
Nervousness - Frequent stress in daily life and work, lack of proper sleep at night.

vertebral body syndrome

The complexity of symptoms is related to damage to the bones and cartilage of the spine. This includes:

Disorders of neck mobility;
pain when turning the head;
X-ray signs of damage to the vertebrae themselves and the spaces between them.

vertebral artery syndrome

Symptoms are caused by narrowing or spasm of the vertebral arteries, which supply blood to the brain in part. It manifests with the following symptoms:

noise in the ear;
Dizziness;
a jump in blood pressure;
nausea and vomiting;
Headache;
visual impairment;
Decreased ability to work;
drowsiness;
syncope.

heart syndrome

It is similar to conditions in which the heart muscle is damaged, including:

pain or burning sensation behind the breastbone;
weakness and fatigue;
Fast pulse.

radiculopathy

This condition is associated with damage (compression or pinching) of the nerve roots emerging from the spine in the neck area. Depending on the level of damage, a person may experience:

Numbness or pain in the back of the head;
numbness of the tongue;
Clavicle pain, difficulty swallowing, hiccups;
Shoulder discomfort, increased hand movements;
shoulder blade and forearm pain;
Numbness of the index and middle fingers;
Ring and pinky fingers are numb.

In most cases, several nerve roots are simultaneously involved in the pathological process, so that several characteristic symptoms are observed at once.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

All these risk factors and lifestyle characteristics lead to disc dystrophy in the cervical region. If the problem is not identified and eliminated, the discs will begin to gradually collapse and the distance between them will decrease, resulting in constant friction between the bones. As the connective tissue is depleted, bone begins to form in the spine, prone to uncontrolled growth. In advanced cases, the growth begins to put pressure on surrounding tissues, blood vessels, and nerves located in the cervical spine.

Cervical osteochondrosis does not develop immediately, and the problem can worsen without proper treatment of cervical osteochondrosis symptoms. The entire course of the disease can be divided into 4 stages. The symptoms the patient experiences directly depends on the current stage of the problem. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include:

Neck discomfort extending to the shoulders;
Pain in the neck area during exercise;
stiffness when turning the neck;
Private headaches that are not caused by external causes;
You will hear a characteristic creaking sound when you change head position;
Numbness and loss of sensitivity in certain areas of the skin of the head, shoulders, arms, and neck;
Hypoxia in nutrient-dependent organs;
the development of circulatory pathology;
Severe pain resulted in complete immobilization of the upper shoulder girdle.

The more advanced the disease, the more discomfort the patient feels. In the final stages of the problem, the patient's quality of life deteriorates significantly. Common symptoms in all stages of the problem include headache, ringing or noise in the ears, visual deficits, nausea and vomiting, and dramatic changes in head position.

Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis

If you experience any of the above symptoms, immediate medical attention is advised. The sooner a problem is diagnosed, the more likely it is to resolve the problem completely. Neurologists are engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of spinal cervical sternal osteochondrosis.

After the patient appeals, the neurologist will interview the patient and, based on his complaint, conclude that there is a disease. In most cases, patients complain of pain, discomfort, and problems with upper extremity movement. After the interview, the doctor will perform a visual examination of the patient. will be evaluated:

correct posture;
What angle do the scapula, shoulder and ilium make?
The location of the spinous process line along the length of the spine.

Through visual inspection, you can determine which pathological processes have begun in the spine and how much they affect the spine and surrounding tissues.

The final diagnosis is not based solely on examination and questioning of the patient. Additional checks are required. In most cases, patients are sent for X-rays, computed tomography scans. If for some reason a final diagnosis cannot be made, the patient is referred for magnetic resonance imaging. Other tests include Doppler imaging, a procedure that lets you see what the state of the circulatory system in the neck area is.

Degree of cervical osteochondrosis

The choice of treatment for osteochondrosis is directly dependent on the stage of the disease diagnosed in a particular patient. It is customary to subdivide osteochondrosis into 4 stages, and the division is conditional, as some symptoms may shift from one stage to another or not appear at all.

1 degree

The initial stage of the problem, in which if pain is felt, then it is usually attributed to stress or other ailments (improper sleep, prolonged exposure to uncomfortable positions). Patients may experience mild stiffness and limited movement, especially sudden movements. If you seek treatment for cervical osteochondrosis at this stage, you can eliminate symptoms at home. To get rid of this problem completely, limit yourself to special exercises and physical therapy sessions. For prevention, start an active lifestyle (a daily walk in fresh air for 20 minutes is enough), adjust your diet (exclude foods that are too greasy, fried, salty, prioritize fermented dairy products, fruits and vegetables, with adequate calcium andFoods with trace elements, necessary for the restoration of connective and cartilage tissue).

2 degrees

The pain intensified and started to become permanent. Uncomfortable with vigorous movements and turns, the patient faced severe headaches and began to notice that he was very tired from his daily activities. Patients are often distracted because they only think about pain. Some people experience numbness in certain areas of the face.

3 degrees

In the area where the disc is damaged, a hernia begins to develop, causing dizziness and weakness in the arm. Not only the head and neck pain, the pain gradually spread to the entire shoulder girdle.

4 degrees

A typical process is the destruction of the intervertebral disc, replacing the "blank" with connective tissue. This can cause the nerves to compress and the pain becomes unbearable and doesn't go away without taking special medicines. Patients experience dizziness, especially sudden head turning and changes in body position, tinnitus occurs, sleep is disturbed, quality of life is greatly reduced, and if left untreated, disability may occur.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Doctors choose the appropriate method to treat the patient according to the stage of the disease. The most commonly used drug therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is a combination of physical therapy. In advanced cases, surgical removal of overgrown connective tissue and bony prominences may be required.

Conservative treatment

The most common is based on the intake of certain medications. Medication can help reduce pain, relieve muscle tension and local inflammation. Use NSAIDs and pain relievers.

Often, doctors also add chondroprotective agents to their prescriptions. This group of drugs activates the recovery of damaged tissue in the disc area.

These medicines are prescribed in the form of injections or tablets. Ointments based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have demonstrated good therapeutic effects. Rub them into damaged areas for pain relief within 10-20 minutes. The main advantage of the ointment is the local impact on the painful area and minimal impact on other organs.

physiotherapy

Physical therapy programs have multiple goals at the same time:

localization of inflammatory processes;
remove muscle spasms;
Pain relief syndrome;
start the regeneration process;
Improve overall and local immunity;
Restores the normal position of nerve fibers, eliminating compression and squeezing.

In most cases, for cervical osteochondrosis, the following procedures are prescribed:

Shockwave therapy. With the help of a special device, the sound waves are directed directly to the already damaged cartilage tissue of the spine. As a result, metabolic processes are activated and salt and calcium deposits are destroyed, interfering with the normal movement of joints and vertebrae. The procedure is characterized by a cumulative effect, usually the first results become apparent only 2-3 months after the start of treatment.
acupuncture. Acupuncture is often used to treat and prevent cervical osteochondrosis. It is important that the procedure only be performed by a qualified doctor, otherwise you may not only experience poor results but also exacerbate the current condition. The essence of the procedure is that special needles are mounted on biologically active sites, forcing the body to begin a metabolic process that stimulates the production of natural pain relievers.
massage. The main goal is to reduce pain and improve blood circulation in the damaged area of the cervical spine. With proper massage, the muscles lose tone, thus eliminating the risk of future osteochondrosis recurrence. During the first massage, the patient is faced with severe pain and it is important not to stop the treatment because of the pain, but to complete all the procedures prescribed by the doctor.

Operation

It is mainly prescribed in the late stages of the disease, when the use of medication and physical therapy procedures has not brought any results. The indication for surgical intervention is catastrophic narrowing of the spinal canal.

Modern surgical methods allow the patient to be discharged after 3-5 days and transferred to an outpatient clinic for symptoms of cervicosternal osteochondrosis. Over the next three months, the patient underwent rehabilitation.

physiotherapy

A set of correctly selected osteochondrosis exercise methods can not only improve the general condition of patients, but also speed up the treatment process of the disease. There are several effective exercises:

The head turns and tilts in different directions. The exercises are performed in a seated position, it is important not to jerk, and all movements should be smooth, with gradual increases in reps and inclines.
Head tilted to one side due to resistance. Body Position - Sit at a table with one elbow on the table and palms on the temples. Tilt your head toward your hands with slight resistance.
Shoulder lift. Raise your shoulders as high as possible and hold this position for a while.
Use your fingertips to massage the back of your head and neck. It is important that the movements are gentle and not painful. You can massage yourself in any comfortable position.

It is important not to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home without consulting a neurologist, a set of exercises must be agreed upon with your doctor.

Manipulative treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Manual therapy relieves muscle tension and joint blockages, relieves pain, and restores the function of muscles, joints and organs. Doctors assess the condition of the muscles to determine the pain points and the degree of bouncing of the spine joints. Additionally, it affects damaged tendons, ligaments, and muscles through active and passive movement of the hand. Treatment with manual therapy is contraindicated during periods of acute inflammation and instability of the vertebrae.

acupuncture

Acupuncture for cervical osteochondrosis is performed using sterile needles that are inserted into pre-selected acupoints of different depths and left in for a certain period of time. The needles are chosen to be very thin to minimize discomfort. The procedure relieves pain, activates microcirculation, normalizes metabolic processes, improves overall health and increases the effectiveness of drug treatments.

Ergonomic tape

This is an elastic bandage in the form of the letter Y applied to the neck collar area while maintaining mobility in the neck. Tape for cervical osteochondrosis relieves pain, suppresses inflammation, and provides support for paraspinal muscles.

Orthopedic Collar

Collars for osteochondrosis of the neck are required in the acute phase of the disease. It immobilizes bones and joints, reducing the load on the affected parts. The collar also corrects the position of deformed vertebrae and bones and reduces pain.

Depending on the degree of fixation, there are several types of orthopaedic collars:

Soft splint (Schanz collar). Made of dense elastic polyurethane foam, the product is secured in a fabric overlay in the form of Velcro, buttons or plastic fasteners. With its help, you can adjust the volume of the collar. Soft tires are worn for 2 weeks to 4 months, and you need to take a break after every 2 hours of use;
Inflatable collar. Consists of dense, flexible material. The course of treatment depends on the stage of osteochondrosis. Early on, it is recommended to wear the collar for five minutes twice a day, gradually increasing the time to 30 minutes. Wear an inflatable collar to prevent cervical osteochondrosis;
Semi-rigid collar. The semi-rigid bodice for the neck is made of polyurethane with a buckle on the back. It holds the neck more firmly than a soft splint. It comes in different sizes;
Hard collar. Made of thermoplastic material with front and rear calipers. It is made to individual size and is recommended throughout the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.

Physical therapy for cervical osteochondrosis

Complications of osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis destroys the most important structures: blood vessels and nerves. If left untreated, the disease can lead to the following complications:

ischemic stroke;
loss of sensory or motor function in the hand;
hard to swallow;
Violation of the thyroid gland;
Vision loss or marked reduction.

In addition, damage to the discs and joints results in significant limitations in neck range of motion.

What is Dangerous Cervical Osteochondrosis

Many patients complain of pain in their neck and head at the same time. The patient must choose a specific location where the pain is relieved or appears less severe. This isn't always comfortable, so performance is reduced.

As the disease progresses, a herniated disc develops, the intervertebral tissue is destroyed, and the space narrows. In the final stages of the disease, the intervertebral disc is completely destroyed and connective tissue is formed in its place. As a result, the patient's mobility is limited: for example, he cannot turn or tilt his head.

If time does not heal osteochondrosis in the neck area, it can lead to spinal cord compression, disability and paralysis.

prevention

The main rule of preventive measures is that they must be comprehensive and must be followed continuously. Only then can they bring the expected results. Show precautions to those at risk.

Pay attention to your posture. Ideal body position - head and back on the same line. Always make sure your shoulders are straight, your abs are tight, and your chest is lifted. Gait is also important - it should be springy, even uniform. Never indulge yourself. The important thing in the beginning is to be self-disciplined. Later, the correct posture will become a habit.
Well organized workplace. When working, the shoulders should be relaxed, and the continuous tension of the belt has a direct impact on the cervical spine. Basic Requirements - A chair with a comfortable back and armrests, an eye-level monitor, a keyboard below the elbows (approximately 120 degrees between shoulders and forearms). While you're at work, get into the habit of taking breaks every 40-50 minutes for basic stretches.
Correctly adjust the car seat. Many drivers face cervical osteochondrosis because they don't set the driver's seat according to the rules, but set the driver's seat in a way that suits them. Correct position of the body in the chair - the entire spine touches the back, not just the shoulders. It is recommended to purchase special lumbar pillows that help support the body in the desired position. For long rides, it is important to warm up on the street after 1. 5-2 hours.
Pay attention to your nutrition. Cervical spine problems are often associated with a patient's poor diet. Dangerous foods that increase the risk of osteochondrosis include: white bread, rich products, sweets, dishes high in salt and sugar, fried and high-fat foods. The main danger is refined sugar—the substance that helps calcium leach out of the body. Include beans and nuts, high-protein foods, seasonal vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. Low-fat fermented dairy products—kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, natural yogurt—will also have a positive effect. If you are overweight, see a nutritionist.
Daily physical activity. Treating cervical osteochondrosis at home with the help of physical education is an excellent way to prevent spinal disorders. It is important to exercise at an easy pace and not exceed the allowable load. If you don't have time for a full workout, get into the habit of walking every day.
massage. The right technique can restore muscle tone, relieve tension, and start the metabolic and regenerative process in the body. A proper cervical massage can be performed independently without the need to visit a specialist.
proper sleep. During the day, the pressure on the intervertebral discs increases, and complete relaxation and rest can only be achieved during nighttime sleep. To prevent osteochondrosis, it is important to organize the correct sleeping place and keep track of the time (at least 8 hours).

Nursing Home Treatment and Its Benefits

The nursing home specializes in identifying symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and treating conditions of the musculoskeletal system, including various localized osteochondrosis. These procedures are selected individually for each patient, taking into account the degree of damage to the spinal tissue, the presence of concomitant diseases, the patient's age, and possible contraindications.

Takes an integrative approach - medication combined with physiotherapy and physiotherapy exercises. This approach helps to forget about the problem forever.

Active effects in treating the symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis are also shown in mud therapy, manual and hardware massage, various physical therapies.