Osteochondrosis of the cervix is a disease of the musculoskeletal system, which is characterized by destructive changes in the discs and vertebrae of the cervical spine. The disease is quite common, as the cervical spine during human life is constantly experiencing severe stress and almost constant stress. Everyone who cares about their health should know what cervical osteochondrosis is, its symptoms, the treatment of which at home is quite possible if a specialist considers it acceptable. But in some cases, inpatient treatment is required.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis develops gradually, regardless of which cervical vertebra is affected. At each stage of the pathology will have its own symptoms and signs.
Osteochondrosis of the cervix is a great danger to the body, as some patients do not initially attribute the discomfort experienced to serious symptoms that require a visit to the doctor. The fact is that injuries to the spine lead to disorders of the central nervous system, causing symptoms and signs that are in no way characteristic of the usual injuries of the musculoskeletal system, such as instability of blood pressure. Often the symptoms themselves are quite vague.
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis that need special attention are:
- Dizziness of systemic and non-systemic nature. It occurs as a result of a sharp pathological compression of the vessels of the brain, a sharp compression of the nerve roots of the vertebrae and a reflex increase in intracranial pressure.
- Pain in the cervical spine, sometimes radiating to the shoulder, shoulder blade and various parts of the upper limbs. Attacks of pain and discomfort most often occur after sleep. Often the pain is accompanied by a sound characteristic of damaged discs - a crunching sound when trying to move the neck. The sharp pinching of the nerves leads to muscle relaxation in different parts of the body, muscle weakness can occur for no reason, for example in the legs. Sometimes the sensitivity in the neck area of the collar decreases sharply.
- Sharp jumps and drops in blood pressure, closely related to the impact of the central nervous system on the blood supply function of the body. The pressure rises sharply with prolonged awkward body position, stress, sharp turns of the head and neck.
If the above symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a specialist who will establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe the most effective treatment.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Therapy will be prescribed depending on the stage of development of the disease, the period of exacerbation or remission, the intensity of the symptoms and signs.
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home is not done quickly, but is quite long. To restore the musculoskeletal system, the body will need a lot of time, effort and use of complex therapeutic methods.
Medication treatment
The complex of drugs, doses and duration of the course are strictly selected by the doctor depending on many factors: the stage of development of the disease, the patient's age, individual tolerance of the components of the drugs, etc. The following drugs are used:
- Analgesics, pills and injections. They help to eliminate the pain syndrome and relieve a person of discomfort provoked by destructive changes.
- Hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs needed to eliminate the body's aggressive response to bone destruction and pathological effects on muscles.
- Chondoprotectors - drugs containing active substances capable of restoring bone tissue, causing its regeneration and strengthening;
- Muscle relaxants are pharmacological agents that reduce the intensity of painful muscle tension in the damaged spine.
- Synthetic vitamin preparations containing a complex of minerals and trace elements that can normalize metabolic processes and fill nutrient deficiencies with nutrients.
- In addition to tablets and injections, various ointments and gels can be used for local action on the skin on the affected area.
- Oral drugs help well in complex therapy. They can be warming, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, chondroprotective or complex (containing several types of active substances).
Gymnastics
In the treatment of osteochondrosis, special gymnastics is extremely useful, which includes exercises aimed at strengthening the body's natural forces, starting an accelerated process of regeneration and restoring the lost musculoskeletal functions of the spine. In some cases, the usual set of exercises is complemented by various sports such as swimming or yoga. The decision for additional loads in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is made only by a doctor. It is forbidden to abruptly bend or tilt your head during physiotherapy exercises, you should try to avoid rotations. A set of sports exercises is chosen by a specialist doctor depending on the individual characteristics of the patient and the specific clinical case.
Nutrition
It is imperative that in the treatment of osteochondrosis the patient must follow a special diet. During illness, the body needs a balanced diet that contains the nutrients needed for a speedy recovery. You should try to give up harmful, sweet, greasy, hard-to-digest foods, salty and peppery. The menu should contain a large amount of cereals, nuts, dairy products containing calcium, lean meat and fish, fruits and vegetables.
Other elements of complex treatment
Surgery is used only in the most extreme cases, when the destructive destruction of the spine is so strong that no conservative therapy can repair damaged bones, nerves and discs.
For any pathology of the musculoskeletal system, a course of massage therapy is used for additional effects on the muscles. The massage is performed in a supine position, face down, very rarely in a sitting position - only in cases where the pathology is in its infancy. It is best to trust a specialist, because in the case of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, self-massage can bring a lot of damage and irreparable side effects. The loads on the muscles, their intensity, the frequency of tapping and stroking in this case are strictly limited.
To relieve the strain on the damaged spine, you should try to give the vertebrae and discs an anatomical shape. Modern orthopedic products (orthopedic collars, pillows and mattresses) help to quickly and comfortably return the spine to the desired shape and position without injuring it or creating a negative side effect.
As a rule, the method of treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in any clinical case combines the complex use of the above methods.