Osteochondrosis is an outdated term that is often used in some countries to refer to degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, facet joints and the vertebral bodies themselves. In the cervical spine, these changes are common due to its mobility and cause neck pain in both men and women. Sometimes a degenerative disease is complicated by an intervertebral hernia that compresses the spinal root, which can lead to muscle weakness and numbness of the skin of the upper extremities. We will talk about the symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in the article.
Cause of pain
The cervical spine is very mobile. It consists of seven vertebrae, intervertebral discs located between them, as well as ligaments. With osteochondrosis, the intervertebral discs become thinner and deformed, their elasticity and shock absorption decrease. Gradually, the inner part of the disc, the nucleus pulposus, protrudes through microdamages in the outer part, the annulus fibrosus. This is how intervertebral protrusions and hernias are formed, irritating the pain receptors of the ligament along the back surface of the spine, which causes pain. When the spinal roots are compressed, the pain can spread to the upper extremities and neurological symptoms can appear: decreased sensitivity of the skin of the arm, muscle weakness in it, etc. As a protective reaction to any injury and damage, bone growths - osteophytes - can appear along the edges of the bodies and in the arches of the vertebrae.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine usually develops as a result of the aging process, but some risk factors aggravate and accelerate the course of the degenerative disease of the spine. Among them:
- Genetic predisposition.The presence of osteochondrosis in close relatives, especially at a young age, increases the risk of its early onset and complications.
- Physical inactivity.With a sedentary lifestyle, the nutrition of the intervertebral discs breaks down. They have no blood vessels and receive nutrients by diffusion from the vertebral bodies. These processes occur actively during physical activity.
- The injury.Spinal cord injuries accelerate the development of degenerative changes in the spine.
- Uneven load on the spine.Possible situations: improper exercises, poor posture, predominant load on one side of the body or a limb, prolonged posture with tilted head, for example, when reading from the phone.
- Metabolic disorders.The condition of the vertebrae is affected by the presence of endocrine diseases, especially diabetes, which makes tissue nutrition difficult.
Symptoms
The predominant symptom of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is pain. Its localization depends on the nature of the lesion. When irritated by a bulging disc or osteophytes of a sensitive ligament, pain is felt in the neck and is accompanied by a reflex muscle spasm. If the hernia compresses the spinal nerve, the pain may radiate to the arm.
Most often, pain is observed in the neck and back of the head, and appears or intensifies with sudden head movements, prolonged static tension or an uncomfortable position, for example, after sleeping.
Other signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- Limited mobility of the neck, pain when turning the head.
- Neck muscle spasm.
- Decreased tone and muscle strength of the upper extremities, which is typical for compression of a spinal root hernia.
- Damaged sensitivity of the skin of the upper extremities.
- When a hernia of the vertebral artery is compressed, symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency appear, which develop significantly when turning or tilting the head: dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, fainting, impairment of short-term memory, instability while walking, impairment ofsight, hearing and speech. severe muscle weakness in the limbs.
Diagnosing
With pain and discomfort in the neck area, the patient is recommended to consult a neurologist or vertebrologist. Sometimes it is necessary to consult other specialists: an orthopedic traumatologist if there is a history of injury.
A neurologist performs an examination and clarifies complaints and medical history. Cervical osteochondrosis can appear as dozens of diseases, so additional examination is often required to determine the cause of the pain and make a clinical diagnosis.
A diagnostic plan for neck pain may include the following examination methods:
- Laboratory tests (total blood count, biochemical blood test, urine test, other - as indicated).
- X-ray of the cervical spine to detect fractures and other injuries.
- CT scan of the cervical spine to determine injuries, cancer and other changes in the vertebrae.
- MRI of the cervical spine to evaluate the condition of the spinal cord, nerve roots, visualization of protrusions and hernias.
- Electroneuromyography to determine the conduction of impulses along the spinal roots.
During the differential diagnosis, other examinations are prescribed at the discretion of the specialists.
When is treatment possible without surgery?
For osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, conservative treatment is carried out if there are no progressive neurological manifestations: muscle weakness and numbness in the limbs. They occur when the spinal roots, arteries and spinal cord are compressed.
The neurologist determines how to treat osteochondrosis of the neck after examination and receiving the results of the examination. Most patients receive effective conservative therapy with long-term stable remission. Modern techniques are also effectively used to prevent the progression of osteochondrosis and its manifestations.
Conservative treatment methods
For cervical osteochondrosis, therapy begins with conservative methods. Its goals: relief of pain, elimination of muscle spasms, improvement of metabolic processes in nerve tissues and microcirculation.
Drug therapy is performed to relieve pain and muscle spasms. For this, the neurologist prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants. If the pain lasts more than 12 weeks, that is, it becomes chronic, anticonvulsants and antidepressants with a continuous analgesic effect may be recommended.
In addition to drug therapy, effective modern techniques are used:
- Acupuncture.The neurologist uses special sterile needles to irritate the biologically active points. This relieves the condition: reduces pain, relaxes the muscles.
- Plasma therapy.With the local administration of the patient's blood plasma enriched with platelets, the regeneration of damaged tissues is stimulated. Recovery time after operations, illnesses and injuries is reduced.
- High intensity magnet.The electromagnetic field stimulates and accelerates the regeneration of damaged tissues. It relieves pain and reduces swelling.
- Physiotherapy laser.The method has anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous and analgesic effects. This allows you to reduce the size of the hernial protrusion. It is used as a basic method as part of the course of treatment of intervertebral hernias using the resorption method.
- Physiotherapy.The classes are aimed at strengthening the muscles, increasing the flexibility of the spine, restoring the range of motion in the joints of the spine and developing proper posture. Exercises are selected by a specialist individually for the patient, after the acute pains have been alleviated.
- Kinesio taping.Combined with physical therapy. Before the lessons, the doctor fixes strips in the neck area in a certain direction to relax the muscles and affect the pain receptors. As a result, pain is reduced. With regular use, the mobility of the spine is restored and muscle tone is normalized.
- Medical massage.The specialist relieves muscle spasm by acting on receptors in the skin, muscles and fascia. It quickly and permanently relieves pain and improves vertebral mobility.
Therapy is selected individually depending on the cause of neck and back pain and accompanying symptoms.
prediction
With timely diagnosis and treatment, the outcome is favorable. If the complications of osteochondrosis appear in the form of an intervertebral hernia with various neurological symptoms, surgical treatment may be required. Then, rehabilitation can take years. Without treatment, there is a high risk of permanent disability. Comorbidities and advanced age worsen the prognosis.
Patients often worry about the question of how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis forever. Unfortunately, it cannot be completely cured. Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine are natural aging processes of the body that cannot be avoided. But you can slow down their progress and avoid complications.
Preventing
There are no specific preventive measures for osteochondrosis.
The recommendations end up improving overall health:
- Maintaining optimal body weight.
- Maintaining an active lifestyle.
- Sleep on an orthopedic mattress and pillow.
- Regular moderate physical activity – half an hour of walking is enough, warming up the neck and back every day.
- Ergonomics of the workplace. The desk and chair should fit your height, the computer monitor should be at eye level or slightly higher.
These measures will maintain the health of the musculoskeletal system by reducing the rate of wear and tear of the intervertebral discs.
Abstract:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is degenerative-dystrophic changes in the vertebrae, associated with the formation of herniated intervertebral discs.
- Cervical osteochondrosis is manifested by pain in the neck, limited movement and muscle spasms. When the root of the spine is compressed by a hernia, muscle weakness and numbness of the skin of the upper extremities can occur.
- The diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis consists of an examination by a neurologist and carrying out the necessary additional examination: CT, MRI of the spine and other methods.
- Treatment of osteochondrosis is most often conservative and aims to relieve pain, inflammation and muscle spasm.
- Prevention of osteochondrosis consists of maintaining an active lifestyle, regular physical activity and workplace ergonomics.