Signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can occur at any age. Most of the time, this disease occurs in the elderly, and not only cervical lesions can be observed. However, there is currently an exacerbation of dystrophic processes in the neck in young people who are mainly engaged in mental work. It should be understood that it is very difficult to cure cervical osteochondrosis completely, but you can stop its progression and significantly improve a person's well-being.
Reasons and training mechanism
Cervical dystrophic processes start slowly. The most significant causes of the disease are sedentary lifestyle and violations of certain types of mineral metabolism.
If you eliminate the causes of osteochondrosis of the neck, some of its manifestations can be successfully cured. Otherwise, if the action of the cause continues, the person's condition only worsens.
Under the influence of the root cause that caused osteochondrosis of the neck, the following changes occur:
- the starting point is congestion of the lymphatic and circulatory systems;
- then there are degenerative and destructive changes in the intervertebral disc, which acts as a buffer between the vertebrae; its height and plasticity decrease;
- a little later, there is growth of bone tissue in the vertebrae;
- all of this leads to a limitation of spine mobility, an increase in pressure in the vessels and nerves that pass through the bone system of the spine.
The sooner appropriate treatment is started, the greater the chances of slowing the progression of the disease and even of completely curing the person.
The worsening of the disease can be caused by any external or internal influence. It can be a viral infection, low temperature, significant physical activity, even spikes in atmospheric pressure. The stronger the cause that caused the exacerbation, the more pronounced the signs of the disease are.
Characteristics of cervical osteochondrosis
The signs of cervical osteochondrosis grow gradually, right at the beginning of the disease, they hardly disturb the patient. Dizziness may be seen only occasionally. However, cervical osteochondrosis cannot be ignored: symptoms in the later stages of the disease are difficult to eliminate.
As the cervical spine is directly connected to the brain, in the case of degenerative changes in this particular area, numerous complaints of the central nervous system will be noted. This is due to a gradual and increasing deterioration of blood circulation and metabolic disorders in the brain.
In many patients, symptoms suggestive of brain damage can be seen first:
- sudden changes in blood pressure;
- dizziness;
- burning in the temporal region and diffuse headache;
- the temperature rises less frequently to low values.
In combination with the above symptoms, there are signs of damage to the neck itself:
- pain that eventually begins to radiate to the back, arms and neck;
- limitation of mobility, when tilting and / or turning the head, feeling cracks, crushing, numbness or burning in the neck;
- the body temperature is normal.
As osteochondrosis progresses, the person's condition worsens, the exacerbation will occur more often and more forcefully, it will be very difficult to cure a person completely over time, it will be possible to relieve their suffering only a little.
Unlike inflammatory processes, the temperature rarely changes. In the later stages of neck osteochondrosis, the exacerbation practically does not go away, there will be severe combined damage to the brain and spine:
- increases blood pressure or persistently increases blood pressure;
- constant dizziness and headache, worsening with small efforts;
- pain, burning and limited mobility of the neck;
- body temperature may rise slightly, but more often it remains normal.
The so-called vertebral artery injury syndrome occurs quite frequently, when the degenerative-dystrophic process covers the middle of the neck. This person almost constantly feels a throbbing headache, pressure and burning in the temples, congestion and tinnitus when turning the head - dizziness and even loss of consciousness. It is almost impossible to cure the vertebral artery compression syndrome.
In some people, on the contrary, you may see signs of damage to the upper extremities (with predominant changes in the cervical and brachial plexus):
- burning or numbness in all parts of the upper limbs;
- dizziness is rare;
- decrease in skin temperature.
The consequences of osteochondrosis can be quite serious: persistent headaches and dizziness, impaired memory and attention, constant numbness of the entire neck.
Treatment methods
The almost complete restoration of the initial state of the osteoarticular apparatus can be achieved only in the early stages of osteochondrosis and after the elimination of its cause. An exacerbation of the disease requires even more intensive treatment. In the later stages, the goal of treatment is to relieve pain, dizziness and inflammatory changes. You can cure cervical osteochondrosis with the help of means like:
- chondroprotectors to restore the original structure of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral disc;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve pain and inflammation;
- multivitamin complexes with a high content of B vitamins to improve nerve tissue trophism;
- nootropics to correct serious diseases in brain tissues;
- complex of physiotherapy and massage exercises (if severe dizziness and hypertension do not occur);
- physiotherapy (water, iontophoresis, magnetotherapy), while the temperature and pressure of the factor must be high enough, and burning is considered a positive effect.
Much in the treatment of osteochondrosis depends on the patient himself. The sooner the necessary therapy is initiated, the more carefully the person complies with the doctor's prescriptions, the more chances there will be of success and a decent quality of life for the patient.