Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a disease of our time. A sedentary lifestyle, constant nervous tension does not pass without a trace. Almost everyone can observe the symptoms of this disease. How to recognize an insidious ailment and seek help in time?

Osteochondrosis is a physiological process that every person acquires during life. Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are very diverse, so it becomes a disease only under certain conditions, in combination with certain factors. The disease is characterized by local changes in the bone tissue of the cervical spine, due to the occurrence of calcium deficiency. Calcium becomes scarce and the tissue acquires a spongy structure, becomes brittle, fragile and performs the main function of the skeleton.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

With cervical osteochondrosis, the blood supply to the brain is disturbed. Therefore, almost all patients complain of similar symptoms:

• headache, dizziness, tinnitus;
• there are pains in the shoulder, neck, chest;
• individual parts of the body become numb (hands, fingers);
• weakness in the arms and legs;
• psychological symptoms - unreasonable mood swings, irritability;
• In difficult situations, vision and hearing decrease.

The symptoms are so diverse and individual that it is difficult to identify cervical osteochondrosis based only on the patient's complaints. Disease of the cervical spine is diagnosed using MRI, computed tomography, X-rays. According to the results of the study, you can see the changes in the spine. Only taking into account all complaints is the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis.

Depending on the location of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment are slightly different. From where exactly the change occurred and how it affects the central nervous system, osteochondrosis can be divided into three main groups. These varieties have different symptoms and, accordingly, different treatment.

1. First group. The peripheral nervous system suffers. A change in the vertebrae directly affects the nerve endings (roots). Often referred to as cervical thoracic osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, it has the most obvious symptoms:
• Pain from the cervical region to the shoulder region.

• Choking neck syndrome, tachycardia, heart pain.
• Crunch, noise, crackle when turning the neck. See what exercises to do to strengthen the neck muscles with osteochondrosis.
• Constant pain in the back of the neck.
• Due to the deterioration of blood circulation, the hands become pale, cold, the fingers go numb.
• Joint pain.

Such osteochondrosis can cause stiff neck

2. Second group. The entire spinal cord is involved, the disease manifests itself in the interruption of all its work. The symptoms are as follows:
• Muscle tone in the legs and arms decreases. The legs become numb, get tired quickly, it is difficult to walk, stand, the reason is semiconductor disorders syndrome. Blood does not flow well to the lateral columns of the spinal cord.
• Myelopathy develops in the affected areas. Affects the dysfunction of the limbs.
• Third group. The work of the brain is disrupted due to the poor blood supply to the brain. Differs in characteristic syndromes:
• Hypothalamic. A syndrome that is indicated by a malfunction of the hypothalamus. It leads to neurological symptoms. The patient often experiences unreasonable fatigue, irritability, mood swings. People suffering from this syndrome complain of poor sleep, resentment, unfounded fears, anxiety. Among the physiological changes: sweating, paleness, cold hands, hypertension.
• Drop syndrome. With such a disease of the cervical spine, for no reason often faint. The cause is vasospasm.
• Vestibular stem. The syndrome is characterized by frequent dizziness. The work of the vestibular apparatus is disrupted due to insufficient blood flow. Sometimes there is nausea that causes vomiting.
• Cochlear stem. Ringing, tinnitus is called this syndrome. Ear congestion or hearing damage may occur. It is very difficult to associate such symptoms with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, especially to prescribe the correct treatment
• Pharyngeal-laryngeal. The syndrome is accompanied by discomfort in the throat. It can be difficult to swallow, the voice becomes hoarse. Painful symptoms such as dryness, itching, pain in the throat are observed.

Characteristics of osteochondrosis with treatment of root syndrome symptoms

Separately, it is worthwhile to dwell on the radicular syndrome of the cervical spine, the symptoms of which should be considered in more detail. Their manifestation is often confused with diseases not related to osteochondrosis. Treatment does not work, the person continues to experience pain, the condition worsens. Misdiagnosis is sometimes worse than the disease itself. Prescribed therapy not only does not help, but also paralyzes completely healthy organs. The development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine provokes the appearance of the so-called root syndrome.

The main reason is the compression of the nerves, especially their roots in a certain part of the spine (cervical, thoracic, vertebral).

This cervical syndrome is characterized by:

1. Pain when turning the neck or torso. It appears after a long monotonous position of the body (sleep, prolonged sitting) and sharp turns of the head.
2. Numbness and goosebumps in the occipital region.
3. Headache in different manifestations: throbbing, acute, short-term, long-term. This leads to dizziness, fainting, nausea.
4. The chin muscles may sag slightly.
5. With frequent pain, a decrease in the tone of the tongue is observed and speech defects appear.
6. The pain from the neck passes smoothly to the shoulder, forearm, hand. There is numbness in the fingers, discomfort when lifting an arm, pain in the joints.

Often, the radicular syndrome of the cervical spine gradually transforms into the thoracic one. In cervicothoracic osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, pain, acute instantaneous, occurs in the internal organs.

Here the clinical picture looks like this:

• Pain in the shoulder blade, lower ribs, armpits. Numbness in these areas.
• Painful excruciating sensations in the stomach, intestines, hypochondrium. Often observing this syndrome, they misdiagnose diseases of the digestive system.
• Numbness, from the navel to the groin along the back of the spine, causing heaviness in the intestines and stomach.
• Dry throat.

Radicular changes can cause cardinal syndrome: a violation of the bone tissue causes irritation of the roots of the pectoral muscles or the diaphragm. Its appearance is signaled by: cardiac pains of variable duration, from acute excruciating pain to prolonged pain, tachycardia, shortness of breath. These signs are exactly the same as the symptoms of angina pectoris. And if you treat it exactly, the result will be zero. In addition, in patients with such a syndrome, the cardiogram is normal, and in addition to pain, no other signs of heart disease are observed. Therefore, drugs with a coronary dilating effect are not effective.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Effective treatment is complex therapy that must be practiced not only during an exacerbation.

Medication

• The pain syndrome is relieved by analgesics and other analgesics.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed for severe pain.
• Local anesthetics in the form of warming ointments and gels will be useful.
• If there is an exiled muscle spasm, take muscle relaxants.
• Prescribe drugs that improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis.
• Blocking painkillers is also used in medical practice.
• Prescribe anti-seizure medications as needed.
• In case of psychological disorders, antidepressants, sedatives, drugs for insomnia are useful.

In addition to drug treatment, the following effects have a fairly positive effect:

• massages,
• medical gymnastics;
• electrophoresis;
• wears a blindfold.

Cardinal treatment methods: surgical removal of hernias and other defects of the spine.