Osteochondrosis is a disease that is accompanied by degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine. It is often seen in the region of the cervical vertebrae. This disease is not a sentence for human health; modern medicine can easily handle this. But you need to know the degree of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the causes of its development, symptoms, as well as the main methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the pathology.
Factors that contribute to the formation of the pathology
Atrophic changes in the vertebrae are formed as a result of heavy loads on this part of the spine, spasms of muscle fibers and dysfunctions of the circulatory system in this area. The deviations that occur in the discs activate the growth of formations of bone etiology, which causes the nerve structures to be pinched. The reasons could be:
- twisted posture or scoliosis;
- overweight;
- inactive lifestyle;
- physical injuries to the spine;
- metabolic disorders;
- heavy load on the column;
- genetic predisposition;
- malnutrition;
- frequent hypothermia;
- prolonged static tension of the back and neck muscles.
To reduce the risk of developing pathology, you should try to avoid these factors. If this is not possible, it is necessary to know the symptoms of the pathology to diagnose it early.
signs of illness
One of the first and true symptoms of the pathology is the radicular syndrome. It develops as a result of the growth of the structures of the intervertebral discs and compression of the nerves. The patient has numbness of the tongue, speech and swallowing disorders, tingling in the shoulders, collarbones and heart muscle. The pain can radiate to other parts of the body, especially to the upper limbs and shoulder blades.
The common signs of pathological processes are:
- burning sensations, tingling in the arms and back;
- chest pain;
- severe tinnitus, loss of vision;
- pain syndrome during movements;
- periodic migraines and dizziness;
- frequent numbness of nearby body parts.
Knowing these symptoms, an early diagnosis and the choice of a treatment strategy for the disease can be initiated. This will greatly increase the chance of a complete recovery of the patient's health.
Degrees and stages of pathology progression
This disease is a very insidious disease, because it has certain degrees and stages of osteochondrosis. They have a big difference from each other, as stage 1 does not actually form symptoms and proceeds latently, and in stage 2 the disease is very noticeable.
With osteochondrosis of the cervical region of the 1st degree, structural disorders in the muscular apparatus are observed as a result of damage to the capsular formations between the vertebrae. In this case, the patient is plagued by periodic pain, swelling and numbness of some parts of the body). There is also frequent loss of vision and dilated pupils.
2nd degree osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is slightly more dangerous than its predecessor. This is due to the fact that the pain is sharp and pronounced. Equally important symptoms of 2nd degree cervical osteochondrosis are circulatory disturbances of the cartilaginous structures of the spine and numbness of the upper extremities. Your education should be a signal for a specialist to start therapy. Therefore, it is important to know what second-degree osteochondrosis is.
In the presence of grade 3 osteochondrosis, this means that the patient has serious damage to the intervertebral discs, in addition to compromised cerebral circulation. This form of the disease is observed as a result of an inactive lifestyle. Some processes at the same time become irreversible and not amenable to therapy. The prognosis for the treatment of grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis is favorable in most cases, but it does not guarantee complete recovery of the patient.
4th degree osteochondrosis is a disease that is neglected and decompensated. In this case, the patient has very severe structural damage to the spine, in addition to severe cerebrovascular insufficiency. This type of pathology is dangerous for the patient's life, so he must be under the supervision of medical personnel 24 hours a day.
Heads up!It is the division of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine into degrees that allows doctors to assess the patient's condition as accurately as possible, as well as choose the most effective strategy for their treatment.
Diagnosis and treatment of disease
The disease is diagnosed using various instrumental and laboratory methods. These include:
- General and biochemical analysis of blood.
- X-ray exam.
- Ultrasonic examination.
- computed tomography.
- MRI image.
An equally important factor is the physician's subjective examination. During it, the specialist must discover the anamnesis of the disease and the life of the patient. He also needs to visually inspect the affected area and listen to the patient's complaints.
With first-degree osteochondrosis and second-degree osteochondrosis, the goal of therapy is to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. Medications should relieve headaches, spastic conditions in the muscular apparatus and also stabilize metabolic processes in the vertebral structures. In this case, the doctor uses painkillers. At the same time, you need to know how to treat 2nd degree osteochondrosis correctly so that the pathology does not pass to the next stage.
During the treatment of 3rd degree cervical osteochondrosis, a neurologist may use heating and anti-inflammatory medications. They help to cope with more serious manifestations of pathology. The last degree of the disease needs symptomatic therapy and patient care. In this case, large amounts of narcotic pain relievers are introduced to reduce the severity of a person's pain.
It is important to remember that only a doctor should handle the treatment of the disease, as self-medication can lead to serious complications.