Osteochondrosis of the cervical, cervicothoracic, and lumbar spine is not a disease in itself and has been written about many times. This is our "species curse", if you will. Humans, as a biological species, have moved on only two legs for about a few million years, if not less. From an evolutionary perspective, this is still the "middle way". It is not known what new anatomical variations of spine development we will have in a million years.
Currently, osteochondrosis is the most common disease of the musculoskeletal system, and doctors of various specialties are faced with it. Mostly, these are therapists and neurologists, as various neurological syndromes can occur with the complications of osteochondrosis, which are discussed below.
Osteochondrosis - what is it?
You shouldn't say "Osteochondrosis is common" because it's not true. In its purest form, osteochondrosis is the normal aging and dehydration process of the intervertebral discs, which does not cause any discomfort during the normal process. This is possible for energetic older adults with high mobility, good posture, and low weight. They do gymnastics, swim, avoid heavy lifting, and live what they call a "healthy lifestyle. "
If we talk about osteochondrosis in any part of the spine, as a disease, then we always refer to its complex process, which causes various complaints and symptoms. In this regard, the cervical spine is more fragile than other basic sectors. Of course, the cervical area has the least load - only the head, but at the same time, the vertebrae in the cervical area are more flexible than the other vertebrae, and at the same time they weigh less.
All of this makes the cervical region lesions that accompany osteochondrosis complications more pronounced. Proximity to the head can lead to headaches, which of course do not occur with lesions in the lumbar region. Also, it must be remembered that the spinal cord passes through the central canal of the cervical spine, which has absorbed all the pathways below. As a result, patients with central canal compression syndrome may experience quadriplegia to complete immobility, reduced skin sensitivity throughout the body, and pelvic organ dysfunction. All of these currently can disable a person, such as a fractured cervical spine (diving with the head in unfamiliar small places).
Of course, this complex injury has nothing to do with osteochondrosis: patients are more susceptible to other symptoms. How to treat and cure cervical osteochondrosis? It is impossible to cure him. To do this, refuse to move on two legs from an early age, crawl on all fours, or live in the ocean like a dolphin. Only then will the load on the intervertebral disc be minimal or not at all.
Only an exacerbation of osteochondrosis can be cured, and for this, you need to know not only their signs and symptoms, but also the risk factors.
About risk factors
In the case of the cervical spine, obviously, shoulder lifting does not play a significant role in the development of pain syndrome as the lower back does. What conditions and diseases can lead to the development of cervical osteochondrosis symptoms? The following are the most common cases:
- Flat feet, portrait and landscape. The spine is a flexible, curved rod. If the arch of the foot is not damped, and there is no "springy" movement of the spine down during the swing, but a blow, then this blow with a "wave", like a whip, goes up, and in the cervical area, in the cranialPrecisely extinguished at the vertebral transition. This is where all the energy goes. Therefore, running on flat feet can cause significant changes in the intervertebral discs.
- chronic injury. These start with slips on ice in winter, a fall on the back of the head, and frequent head bumps at low doorways, which are common among people of above-average height.
- Wear heavy winter hats, high hairstyles and rich feminine jewelry. All of this can lead to neck muscle fatigue, chronic cramps, circulatory disturbances, and headaches and back pain.
- Sedentary lifestyle, "sedentary" work, stiffness in the upper thoracic and cervical spine.
We do not list specific risk factors that occur in affected patients. Enough causes of disease progression have been found in ordinary, healthy people.
Symptoms and signs of osteochondrosis
The signs of cervical osteochondrosis are many. Even few doctors know that general prolapse of the abdominal cavity (visceral prolapse) or prolapse of the liver, which is often misdiagnosed as its enlargement, may be due to osteochondrosis in the cervical region. In this condition, the phrenic nerve is stimulated and the diaphragm dome contracts and descends.
As a result, the liver is "pushed" out of hypochondria. But cervical osteochondrosis has other, more "common" symptoms -- pain and muscle tension. We're not going to talk about the symptoms of hernias and cervical herniation - another article is devoted to that. Let's talk about clinics where "whole" discs occur, especially since this is more common.
Cervical osteochondrosis can cause pain in the neck itself. Muscle pain presents as persistent low-intensity pain. This can be exacerbated by turning and tilting the head. Often there is stiffness in the suboccipital area.
Headaches from osteochondrosis of the neck are almost always tension headaches. Attacks last for hours or even days. The pain rises from the neck through the occiput to the temple and covers the skull like a helmet or helmet. With this pain, the ability to work is not compromised, but if radicular symptoms add to it, then they acquire firing characteristics and moving the head becomes very painful.
"vertebral artery" syndrome
Speaking of cervical osteochondrosis, we cannot fail to mention the classic manifestation of cerebrovascular insufficiency caused by cervical osteochondrosis. Symptoms are vomiting and nausea, dizziness and balance disturbance. There is noise in the head and ears (tinnitus), and in severe cases speech disturbances (dyarthria) and swallowing disturbances. More common are various visual disturbances ("flies"), headaches. A fall attack sometimes occurs, during which a person does not lose consciousness, but falls and then quickly rises.
Compression of one of the two vertebral arteries can occur during sleep. If a person simultaneously tilts their head back and turns it to one side, the vertebral artery is pressed against the first vertebra - the atlas on the opposite side, i. e. from the other side.
If you lie like this for a while, then in the morning, when you try to get out of bed, you will experience severe dizziness, nausea, vomiting, gait and balance disturbances. In some cases, "advanced" disorders also develop - for example, global transient amnesia, in which the patient remembers nothing at all.
There are also many neurological syndromes and symptoms, which we will only briefly list, pointing to their reference diagnostic points so that readers of this article can imagine and "try" these symptoms for themselves if they are unable to contact a neurologist:
- Inferior oblique muscle syndrome (often in patients over 50, especially postmenopausal women). Pain and sensitivity disorder in back of head and pinna. The pain is painful, ruptured in nature, whether in the neck or the back of the head, is constant, and its exacerbation is associated with prolonged immobility. increased by turning the head to the healthy side;
- Anterior scalene syndrome - manifested in patients with extra "cervical ribs".
Impaired sensitivity and "crawling" of the hand, whiteness and coldness, sometimes swelling, weakness, muscle atrophy in the hand, and weakened pulse in the wrist. In severe cases, progressive paralysis or paralysis of the muscles of the hand may occur. The patient cannot drive, sleep on the sore side, lift weights, or lift his hands (hanging curtains, plastering). There are also complaints of stiffness and pain in the neck, forced head position in the morning.
- Middle scalene syndrome. First, pain in the shoulder, shoulder blade area, and muscle atrophy from there. The mechanism is related to the injury of the trunk long nerve and the transverse cervical artery;
- Shoulder-rib syndrome (levator syndrome of the muscles that elevate the scapula). First, there is pain in the "humming" scapula area. They give shoulders, also neck pain, which is often painful in "weather". A creaking noise is often heard when moving the shoulder blades.
Thus, it is clear that many processes that begin in the vicinity of the neck or its structures occur in the "peripheral", for example in the hand area. This requires a thoughtful and competent approach from the physician. Currently, the diagnosis of osteochondrosis complications has become easier, especially as MRI enters clinical practice.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Modern treatments for vertebral cervical pain and related compression and muscle syndromes offer short-term medical treatment. Treatment of exacerbation of osteochondrosis in the neck region rapidly turns into a stage of exacerbation, with the main treatments being exercise therapy and physiotherapy.
ointments and medicines for exacerbations
As you know, "injections", ointments, and even lockdowns have not been lifted. But the neck is a concentrated part of a large number of nerves, blood vessels, autonomic fibers, and fascia. Therefore, less blocks are performed here than for acute pain in the back or lower back. Also, the thinner skin on the neck allows for faster absorption of gels, creams and ointments than on the lumbar spine.
Among these drugs, injectable forms of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, preferably selective, centrally acting muscle relaxants, "B" group vitamins are used.
It must be remembered that if NSAIDs are used, it is necessary to protect the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract with antisecretory drugs during treatment.
As for topical treatments, there are many ointments, gels, and creams that contain NSAIDs, bee and snake venom, and cooling pain relievers. The main thing is not to use very hot ointments. They can cause elevated blood pressure, facial redness, and even hypertensive crisis in old age. Treatment with ointment is advisable to proceed preventively rather than waiting for the next exacerbation.
About Shants Collar
In the early stages, in the acute phase, it is necessary to protect the neck from unnecessary movements. The Shants collar is perfect for this. Many people make two mistakes when buying this collar. They didn't choose it based on its size, which is why it simply didn't perform its function and caused discomfort.
The second common mistake is wearing it for extended periods of time as a precaution. This can lead to muscle weakness in the neck, which will only lead to more problems. The collar has only two indications and can be worn:
- Acute pain, stiffness, and pain in the neck that spreads to the head;
- If you are doing physical work while in good health, there is a risk of "straining" your neck and making it worse. For example, when you're laying under your car to fix your car, or when you need to reach out and take an uncomfortable position to wash the windows.
The collar must be worn for no more than 2-3 days, as prolonged wear can cause venous stasis in the neck muscles, requiring activation of the patient.
patient activation
Exercise therapy (through exercise therapy) includes therapeutic exercises, swimming. Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis do not target the disc at all, but the surrounding muscles. Its task is to relieve tonic spasms, improve blood flow, and normalize venous outflow. This is what leads to decreased muscle tone and less severe back pain and stiffness.
In addition to massage, swimming, and acupuncture, orthopedic mattresses and special pillows need to be purchased. Pillows for cervical osteochondrosis should be made of special materials with "shape memory". Its task is to relax the muscles of the neck and suboccipital region, as well as prevent nighttime obstruction of blood flow to the vertebrobasilar pelvis.
Autumn is an important period for prevention and treatment with home physiotherapy products and equipment – from infrared and magnetic devices, to the most common needles and hard rubber discs, which are the source of the weak electrical currents during massage, which are beneficial to the body. patient.
What's next?
Statistics show that Mediterranean people, who swim in the sea regularly and at any age, are many times better with diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
However, the foundation for preventing osteochondrosis, in addition to eliminating risk factors, is establishing a healthy diet based on yogurt, plant-based foods, seafood, fiber, and plenty of fluids. This will slow down the age-related process of disc dehydration and maintain a healthy neck and back until the very end of life.