Sedentary lifestyle, office work, lack of sufficient physical activity and the peculiarities of modern nutrition lead to the spread of a huge number of diseases that are characteristic of our urban society.
Cervical osteochondrosis rightly takes the lead among them.
And all because a weak muscular corset and the fact that these 7 discs have greater mobility than any other part of the spine receive constant physical activity in the form of the need to constantly keep the head in the desired position, tilt and turn.
Causes of disease
Previously, osteochondrosis was considered a disease of adulthood, and people who lived for more than 40 years suffered from it. But every year, the age threshold for the disease falls, and it "gets younger", which has led to a predisposition for young people aged 18-20 to get sick.
The main reasons for the appearance of such pathologies:
Posture disorders in adolescence.Young people now do not want to monitor their behavior, which leads to its violation.
Overweight.The appearance of excess weight increases the load on the spine.
Curvature of the back. The risk of osteochondrosis with curvature of the back increases.
Back injury.A back injury causes irreparable damage to any part of the spine.
Metabolic disease.In the case of metabolic disorders, there is a high probability of developing osteochondrosis.
Hard physical work.Excessive physical work leaves indelible marks on the health of the spine in general, and on the neck in particular.
Low level of physical fitness.The level of physical fitness also affects the condition of the spine, and the lower it is, the weaker the spine.
Mistakes in performing complex exercises.Athletes may have problems with osteochondrosis during training with gross errors.
Stress.Nervous tension of modern man and constant stress also cause disorders in the cervical vertebrae.
Sedentary lifestyle.Sedentary lifestyle or inactivity greatly affects the vertebrae.
Past illnesses. Osteochondrosis can develop after infection and hypothermia.
The disease is, in fact, the result of muscle spasm, which does not allow the cervical vertebrae to move easily, worsens blood circulation to the tissues, and posture is disturbed, resulting in dystrophic processes in the vertebrae themselves, ie. as in the intervertebral discs, they begin to activate, causing the intervertebral holes to narrow and the nerve roots to constrict.
Main symptoms
The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are somewhat different from other parts of the spine.
Tighter adhesion of the vertebrae leads to the fact that even the slightest change in one of them compresses or moves any nerve or vessel, and also compresses the spinal cord.
Therefore, a violation of body functions can be noted: skin sensitivity disorder, dizziness.
Clinical manifestations:
- The pain in the neck and shoulders, which extends to the back of the head, the area of the ears and eyes, and does not subside even at night.
- Pain in the upper extremities, which intensifies with exertion.
- Decreased sensitivity of the upper limbs, weakness in the muscles, movements become difficult.
- In the morning, the neck muscles are tense, and the head is tense, it seems that the neck is "rested".
- Turning or tilting the head, feeling a pain in the neck.
- From time to time, the limbs numb, there is a burning or tingling sensation.
- Occasionally there is an unpleasant throbbing pain in the neck and nape.
- Violent head movements cause blurred vision, dizziness or may cause fainting.
- Occurrence of tinnitus.
- Decreased visual acuity and hearing.
- There is numbness of the tongue.
- There are heart pains that do not respond to trinitroglycerin, but their intensity changes due to a change in body position.
- Headache occurs in the back of the head, scalp and temples.
- In the area of the cervical region, the so-called "hola" is formed, ie connective tissues grow.
Signs of cervical osteochondrosis
Cervical pain (pain and muscle tension in the neck)
Cervical pain is a pain syndrome characterized by pain and tension in the neck muscles, the cervical region loses mobility, dizziness may occur, visual acuity is impaired, and autonomic dysfunction may occur.
The pain can be tingling, throbbing, and it can "shoot".
It is worth making even the slightest movement, sneezing or coughing - as soon as muscle tension arises from the pain.
There are also problems with turning the head or leaning to the side, when the patient has to do it with his whole body.
In addition, patients experience dizziness, occipital pain, tinnitus, numbness of the nape of the neck, and numbness of the hands.
The reasons for its occurrence can be:
- Hypothermia.
- Uncomfortable head position during sleep.
- Sedentary work, which forces you to keep your head in an awkward position for a long time.
- Physical activity that leads to muscle strain in the neck area, including sports training in the gym.
- Injuries to the cervical spine.
- Tissue infections or tumors.
Pain in the back of the head, shoulders and arms, as well as pain when turning the head, indicate the presence of the initial phase of a chronic disease, such as osteochondrosis.
Cervicocranialgia or posterior cervical symptom (pain in the cervico-occipital region)
Cervicocranialgia is pain in the cervical-occipital region, the occurrence of which is closely related to cervical spine injury, degenerative lesion or its inflammation.
Its distribution often reaches the frontotemporal lobe, shoulder, and arm, and may be unilateral. In this case, the parties do not change.
The intensity of this pain is moderate, its intensification is observed during head movements, palpation of the cervico-occipital muscles, as well as during a longer stay in a position that is uncomfortable for the head.
Usually the causes of these pains can be either osteoarthritis or osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
In these cases, the pain may be pressing, cracking, or throbbing. Slight head movements, coughing, muscle tension can cause attacks of worsening pain.
The main complaints that patients complain about:
- Impossibility to turn and tilt the head, which requires moving the whole body.
- Numbness of the occipital region and arms.
- Noise in the ears.
- Dizziness.
- Pain in the occipital area, etc.
Cervicobrachialgia or shoulder and shoulder syndrome (brachiaglia)
Cervicobrachialgia is detected by numbness of the hands, with deep fractures and, often, stabbing pains in the hands or forearms, as well as a feeling of weakness in the upper limbs.
This usually happens at night.
The disease can develop reflexively, mostly those who engage in heavy physical work, and 9 out of 10 are women.
In this case, vegetative-vascular, muscular-tonic and neurodystrophic manifestations can be observed.
For reflex syndromes, a very characteristic feature is the presence of muscular-tonic reactions, such as muscle spasm.
Treatment
Treatment should be comprehensive.
At the same time, it is necessary to apply both drugs and non-medical principles of treatment, not forgetting the prevention of possible diseases.
By drug treatment we mean the use of drugs that relieve pain and inflammation, as well as drugs that improve cerebral circulation.
If there is pathology in the form of muscle tension, then it is recommended to take relaxing medications and vitamin-mineral complexes in therapeutic doses.
Physiotherapy methods play an important role in treatment:
- water procedures.
- Paraffin applications.
- Electrophoresis.
- Magnetotherapy.
The widespread use of alternative therapies also helps to combat this disease. But, despite everything, therapeutic exercises remain the most effective means of treatment.
Prevention
In order to get around all the problems associated with osteochondrosis, you need to remember all the reasons that encourage the appearance of the disease.
Since the main reason is a sedentary lifestyle, do not forget about morning exercises and walking, and be sure to include exercises with neck muscles in daily gymnastics. And don’t forget that circular head movements can lead to neck injuries, so you shouldn’t include them in your exercises.
And also do not forget that preventive examination of school-age children by orthopedists is mandatory.
Form a strong muscular corset, be athletic.
Eat foods that can replenish the body with minerals such as calcium and magnesium, vitamins.