Unlike the other two types of osteochondrosis, such as lumbar or thoracic, cervical osteochondrosis has several distinct features. This is due to the fact that in this region the structure of the vertebrae is different, in structure they are much smaller than the others. The neck must rotate freely, this is the most mobile part and, in addition, it is more subject to stress. In this regard, painful sensations arise in him more often.
As a large number of nerve and vascular formations pass in the neck area, the patient is haunted by a headache, spinal cord or brain ischemia, may develop. At night, the fingers become numb, it is difficult to fully control the hand, the temperature drops, blue and swelling in the hand may appear. This makes the blood supply to the brain difficult as the vertebral artery is compressed, and this leads to symptoms such as coordination problems, loss of vision and hearing, and dizziness.
Even a small load is enough for the vertebrae to move. You can stretch your cervical muscles too much. The result is compression of blood vessels and nerve endings. Over time, osteophytes also form, which aggravates the condition, and the disease is difficult to cure.
Pain can affect not only the neck, but also the limbs, most often the arms. This is the result of spinal cord compression.
Osteochondrosis can be cured, but it requires systematicity and perseverance. Often, when the first symptoms are removed, the patient interrupts the treatment, while the disease will not slow down and come back again, as it will only start.
How to understand that the disease needs to be treated?
First, it should be noted that it is important to consult a specialist in the first symptoms of the disease, as it is the effectiveness factor that can cure the patient, and not get rid of the problem for a while. If the disease progresses and it is no longer possible to call the early stage, a cure is impossible. It is not worth treating osteochondrosis on your own; only a physician can choose the correct treatment regimen, accurately establish the diagnosis, and determine the degree of progression of the disease.
Without qualified help, you can aggravate the situation and even harm your body, not to mention a cure.
Such treatment takes place in a complex way, different methods are combined, factors that affect how the disease develops and progresses are taken into account, only then can it be localized or cured.
Osteochondrosis Activities
- anesthesia;
- the use of antispasmodics;
- tissue repair stimulants with ointment;
- manual therapy;
- massage therapy;
- hirudotherapy;
- physiotherapy;
- surgical intervention.
2nd degree cervical spine osteochondrosis is a disease at the time of exacerbation and can be treated with analgesics with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. And only when the acute stage has passed, you can start treatment by other methods, without forgetting that diet is also important.
It is an illusion to believe that this disease occurs more in middle-aged and older people, that they are not afraid of 2 and 3 degrees of disease.
More and more, young people are suffering from osteochondrosis, so the disease is getting younger. And this is due to some factors:
- posture violation;
- trauma;
- scoliosis;
- impaired metabolism;
- stress;
- big body weight;
- lack of fitness.
Young people spend many hours or even days on the computer, and this leaves a mark, the percentage of healthy young people is decreasing. But not only lack of physical activity can affect the onset of the disease, but also overwork, overload and an incorrectly selected training regimen for athletes.
Polysegmental osteochondrosis
There is a concept like polysegmental osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, and this concept is not clear to everyone. In fact, this is a manifestation of the disease not in one place but in several at the same time, it is more difficult to cure it. As you know, the spine is divided into several sections:
- cervical;
- chest;
- low back;
- sacral;
- coccygeal.
Even problems in one location cause a lot of problems and pain, and if the disease has affected more than one department, then it is very difficult to determine the disease by the symptoms. There are many painful manifestations and they all get mixed up, making diagnosis difficult. This can only be done by contacting a qualified specialist and there is no need for delays.
Cervical disease, for example, manifests itself as a severe headache and pain in the lower back occurs with exertion. For a long time, the thoracic region may not manifest at all, even if problems have arisen, but then it turns abruptly into intercostal neuralgia, and this syndrome is of great concern to the patient.
Manifestation and symptoms
The patient's general condition is not important, as painful sensations can be felt in almost the entire body. Tingling, headache, pain in the heart region, malfunction of internal organs, especially if there are chronic diseases. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the cause of all illnesses, the degree of illness, while it is easy to make a mistake and choose the wrong direction of treatment. It is not enough to take an X-ray of an area of the spine to diagnose the degree and area affected. But fear not, for an expert this problem is quite solvable as it is not that rare.
Treatment
First, the pain syndrome is relieved with the help of analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, and only then is rehabilitation initiated. It is this period that is the direct treatment, as it will not be possible to completely cure osteochondrosis, it quickly becomes a chronic form.
Currently, many alternative treatments are offered, but they must be treated with caution, as manual therapy only helps if performed by a competent specialist. Physiotherapy according to the Bubnovsky method, for example, causes a lot of controversy. And treatment with medicinal leeches can cause allergies.
Prevention
Don't forget that it is easier to prevent any illness than to treat it for a long time and sometimes without success. Therefore, as a preventive method, it is possible to recommend the performance of special exercises that develop the flexibility of the neck. It is also good to strengthen and stretch these muscles to prevent disease from developing.