Osteochondrosis is a disease that accompanies degenerative dystrophic changes in the spine. It is often observed in the cervical spine area. This disease is not a word for human health, and modern medicine can easily deal with it. But you need to understand the extent of cervical osteochondrosis, its development causes, symptoms, and the main methods of pathological diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
Factors that contribute to the formation of pathology
The atrophic changes in the vertebrae are caused by heavy loads on this part of the spine, spasms of the muscle fibers and dysfunction of the circulatory system in this area. Deviations that occur in the intervertebral disc activate the growth of bone etiology, causing compression of neural structures. reasons may be:
- twisted posture or scoliosis;
- excess weight;
- an inactive lifestyle;
- Physical damage to the spine;
- metabolic disorders;
- The spine bears heavy loads;
- genetic susceptibility;
- malnutrition;
- Frequent hypothermia;
- Prolonged static tension of the back and neck muscles.
To reduce the risk of developing pathology, you should try to avoid these factors. If this is not possible, it is necessary to know the symptoms of the pathology for an early diagnosis.
signs of disease
One of the first and true symptoms of pathology is radiculopathy. It is the result of the growth of the disc structure and compression of the nerves. The patient had tongue numbness, speech and swallowing disturbances, and tingling in the shoulders, collarbone, and heart muscle. The pain may radiate to other parts of the body, especially the upper limbs and shoulder blades.
Common signs of pathological processes are:
- burning, tingling in the arms and back;
- chest pain;
- severe tinnitus, vision loss;
- Pain syndrome during exercise;
- Periodic migraine and dizziness;
- Frequent numbness in nearby body parts.
Once you understand these symptoms, you can begin early diagnosis and choose treatment strategies for the disease. This will greatly increase the chances of a full recovery of the patient's health.
Degree and stage of pathological progression
This disease is a very insidious one as it has some degree and stage of osteochondrosis. There's a big difference between them because stage 1 doesn't actually develop symptoms and is latent, whereas in stage 2 the disease is very apparent.
For osteochondrosis in the cervical region of degree 1, structural disturbances are observed in the muscular organs due to damage to the capsular structure between the vertebrae. In this case, the patient suffers from periodic pain, swelling, and numbness in certain parts of the body). Vision loss and mydriasis are also often present.
Degree 2 cervical osteochondrosis is more dangerous than its predecessor. This is evident because the pain is severe. Equally important symptoms of 2nd degree cervical osteochondrosis are circulatory disturbances in the cartilaginous structures of the spine and numbness in the upper extremities. Their education should be a signal for specialists to start treatment. Therefore, it is important to understand what secondary osteochondrosis is.
In the presence of grade 3 osteochondrosis, this means that the patient has severe damage to the intervertebral discs and impaired cerebral circulation. This form of the disease is observed due to an inactive lifestyle. Some processes simultaneously become irreversible and are not suitable for treatment. In most cases, the prognosis for treatment of grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis is good, but full recovery is not guaranteed.
Grade 4 osteochondrosis is a neglected form of decompensated disease. In this case, the patient exhibited very severe spinal structural damage, as well as severe cerebrovascular insufficiency. This pathology is dangerous to the patient's life, so he must be under the supervision of medical staff around the clock.
attention!Dividing cervical osteochondrosis into different degrees allows physicians to assess the patient's condition as accurately as possible and select the most effective treatment strategy.
Disease diagnosis and treatment
The disease is diagnosed using a variety of instruments and laboratory methods. These include:
- General and biochemical analysis of blood.
- X-ray inspection.
- Ultrasound.
- CT scan.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
An equally important factor is the doctor's subjective examination. During this period, the specialist must find out the history of the disease and the life of the patient. He also needs to visually inspect the affected area and listen to the patient's complaints.
For primary and secondary osteochondrosis, the goal of treatment is to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. These drugs are supposed to relieve headaches, spasticity of muscle organs, and also stabilize metabolic processes in vertebral structures. In this case, doctors use pain relievers. At the same time, you need to know how to properly treat second-degree osteochondrosis so that the pathology does not move to the next stage.
During the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis degree 3, a neurologist may use warm and anti-inflammatory medications. They help to cope with more severe pathological manifestations. The final extent of the disease requires symptomatic treatment and patient care. In this case, large amounts of narcotic pain relievers are introduced to reduce the person's pain level.
It is important to remember that only a doctor can handle the treatment of this disease, as self-medication can lead to serious complications.