Unlike the other two types of osteochondrosis (such as the lumbar or thoracic spine), cervical osteochondrosis has many unique characteristics. This is because the structure of the vertebrae is different in this area, and they are much smaller in structure than in other areas. The neck should be able to rotate freely. This is the most flexible part and the most susceptible to pressure. In this regard, painful feelings are most often present.
Due to the large number of nerves and blood vessels formed in the neck area, patients may experience headaches, spinal cord or cerebral ischemia. At night, the fingers are numb and it is difficult to fully control the hands. The hands may experience temperature drop, blueness and swelling. This makes it difficult to supply blood to the brain because the vertebral arteries are compressed, which can lead to impaired coordination, loss of vision and hearing, and frequent dizziness.
Even a small load is enough to move the vertebrae. You can overstretch your neck muscles. The result is compression of blood vessels and nerve endings. Over time, osteophytes will also form, which aggravates the condition and is difficult to cure.
Pain affects not only the neck but also the limbs, most commonly the arms. This is the result of spinal cord compression.
Osteochondrosis can be cured, but it requires systemicity and perseverance. Usually, when the initial symptoms disappear, the patient will discontinue treatment, and the disease will not slow down and relapse again, because it will only start.
How to understand that the disease needs treatment?
The first thing to note is that it is important to consult an expert when the first symptoms of the disease appear, because it is an efficiency factor that can cure the patient, not a temporary problem. If the disease continues to develop and can no longer be staged earlier, then cure is impossible. It is not worthwhile to treat osteochondrosis by yourself. Only a doctor can choose the correct treatment plan, accurately establish the diagnosis, and how far the disease has progressed.
Without qualified help, you will exacerbate the situation and even harm your body, let alone cure it.
This kind of treatment method is complicated, and the combination of different methods, considering the factors that affect the progression and development of the disease, can be localized or cured.
Osteochondrosis activity
- anaesthetization;
- Use antispasmodics;
- Tissue repair stimulant using ointment;
- Manual therapy
- Massage therapy
- Spa;
- physiotherapy;
- operation treatment.
Second-degree cervical osteochondrosis, which is a disease when it deteriorates, can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics. And only when the acute phase has passed, you can start using other methods of treatment, don't forget that diet is also very important.
It is an illusion to think that this kind of disease occurs mostly in middle-aged and elderly people.
More and more young people are suffering from osteochondrosis, so this disease is getting younger and younger. This is due to several factors:
- Violate posture
- trauma;
- Scoliosis;
- Impaired metabolism;
- pressure;
- Body weight
- Lack of physical fitness.
Young people spend hours or even days in front of the computer, which leaves a mark that the proportion of healthy young people is declining. But not only lack of physical exercise will affect the appearance of diseases, but also affect athletes' overwork, overload and wrong training programs.
Multisegmental osteochondrosis
There is a concept of multisegmental osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, which is not very clear to everyone. In fact, this is not a manifestation of a disease in one place, but several that occur at the same time, which is even more difficult to cure. As we all know, the spine is divided into several parts:
- cervix;
- Chest;
- Lumbar spine;
- Sacrum
- Tailbone.
Even if there is a problem in one place, it will bring a lot of trouble and pain, and if the disease spreads to multiple departments, it is difficult to determine the disease based on the symptoms. There are too many painful manifestations, they are all mixed together, and it is difficult to diagnose. This can only be done by contacting qualified experts without delay.
For example, cervical spondylosis is manifested as a severe headache, while waist pain occurs with fatigue. For a long time, even if there is a problem, the chest area may not show any signs, but it suddenly becomes intercostal neuralgia. This syndrome makes the patient very worried.
Manifestations and symptoms
The general condition of the patient is not important, because the pain can be felt almost throughout the body. Tingling, headache, pain in the heart area, dysfunction of internal organs, especially chronic diseases. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the cause and extent of all diseases, and it is easy to make mistakes in the treatment and choose the wrong direction. It is not enough to take X-rays of one area of the spine to diagnose the extent and affected area. But don't be afraid. For experts, this problem is completely solvable because it is not uncommon.
treatment
First, relieve the pain syndrome with the help of analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, and then begin to recover. It is this period that is directly treated, because it is impossible to completely cure osteochondrosis, and it will soon become a chronic disease.
Currently, many alternative therapies are offered, but they should be treated with caution because only manual therapies by qualified experts are helpful. For example, physical therapy based on the Bubnovsky method has caused a lot of controversy. Treatment with medicated leeches can cause allergies.
prevention
Don't forget that preventing any disease is easier than long-term treatment or sometimes unsuccessful treatment. Therefore, as a preventive method, special exercises can be recommended to improve the flexibility of the neck. It is also beneficial to strengthen and stretch these muscles to prevent the development of diseases.