Today, there is almost no person over the age of 25 who does not experience spinal problems.One of the most common conditions is cervical spine injury, which, if left untreated, will inevitably worsen and cause the patient to become increasingly uncomfortable.
What is osteochondrosis
Cervical osteochondrosis is a degenerative dystrophic change in the joints and intervertebral discs.
As cervical osteochondrosis progresses, the following symptoms begin to appear:
- vision and hearing loss;
- numbness of tongue;
- When you jerk your neck, your vision darkens and you feel dizzy.
- Feeling throbbing pain in the back of the head, the pain can radiate to the temples and top of the head;
- Neck and shoulder pain that bothers patients even during sleep and worsens with movement or stress;
- Neck stiffness, especially in the morning;
- pressure within the sternum;
- Shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air.
Because the spinal cord does not receive adequate nutrition, the range of motion and sensitivity of the upper and lower limbs are significantly reduced.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
Susceptibility to cervical osteochondrosis is hereditary.In addition, common causes of pathological development are:
- Unbalanced diet;
- Scoliosis;
- flatfoot;
- ventricular septal defect;
- pressure;
- spinal injuries and bruises;
- excessive physical activity;
- Rheumatism;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- Being overweight.
refer to!The main cause of osteochondrosis is disorders of mineral metabolism, which may be related to calcium deficiency or hormonal imbalance.Women often experience this condition during pregnancy and menopause.
diagnosis
To determine the extent of degenerative changes in the spine, the following diagnostic methods are used:
- Doppler ultrasound of the carotid and vertebral arteries.Allows you to detect spastic blood vessels and impaired blood supply to the brain and spinal cord.
- A hearing test checks the function of the hearing organs.
- ultrasound.
- Head and cervical spine CT and MRI.Its purpose is to assess the affected area, examine the position of the discs, and determine compression of the spinal cord and blood vessels.
- blood test.
- X-ray examination in early stages of pathology.
- Neuroelectromyography shows the presence of inflammatory processes, nerve compression, and damage.
- Dual scan of blood vessels in the head.
refer to!It is most convenient to have all these procedures done in one place and use modern equipment for diagnosis.
which doctor treats
If symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis occur, treatment cannot be started immediately.First, you should make an appointment with a neurologist.A specialist will conduct an examination and then refer the patient for necessary tests.
Important!Performing manual therapy and other types of treatments without a preliminary diagnosis can cause harm and exacerbate existing problems.
Treatment
Once a diagnosis is made, patients can continue treatment.Leading specialists work in treatment and rehabilitation centers, so the chances of complications are minimal.
The main method of treating osteochondrosis of the neck is manual therapy.The specialist will perform a massage to relax the neck and shoulders, return the vertebrae and joints to their natural position, and normalize lymph flow and blood circulation.
Manual therapy is often combined with therapeutic exercises to increase neck muscle tone.In addition, medication and physical therapy can be used to eliminate the pathology.
result
The result of the treatment is that the nerve endings are no longer pinched, the spine becomes stable, and the pain disappears or weakens.A chiropractor can realign the vertebrae and increase the distance between damaged discs, thereby eliminating friction.
Important!Grades 2 and 3 osteochondrosis cannot be completely cured.But treatment and rehabilitation will allow patients to regain as much damaged spinal function as possible.
Rehabilitation and Lifestyle Restoration
The Treatment and Rehabilitation Center not only provides diagnosis and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, but also provides rehabilitation measures.Patients leave the center healthy and ready to return to their normal lifestyle as soon as possible.
Rehabilitation is not only designed to restore function to the spine, but also to prevent damage to healthy tissue.The plan is developed taking into account the severity of the pathology and the presence of complications.Physical therapy, massage, exercise therapy and mud application have proven to work well.If the patient still has pathological symptoms, he is given drug blockade.
Cervical Osteochondrosis Lifestyle
To avoid a recurrence of the disease, you must follow the following recommendations:
- Change body position at least every half hour;
- Do not lift loads weighing more than 5 kg;
- Walk more, do physical therapy, swim, and Pilates;
- It’s better to use a backpack rather than a bag;
- When working sedentary, take a ten-minute break every hour.
Important!The human body's posture during sleep is very important.You will need to sleep on your back, using a medium-firm orthopedic mattress and orthopedic pillow.In this case, the head and neck should lie on pillows, and the shoulders on the mattress.
Treatment for cervical osteochondrosis is most effective in the early stages, so don’t delay seeing a neurologist.But regardless of the degree of damage to the joints and discs, it is possible to halt the progression of the disease and improve quality of life.For this, it is important not to waste time and follow the advice of experts.