Head rotation: how to deal with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

21 August 2020

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is more common than any other - it saves neither the elderly nor the young over the age of 20. People around him complain about his manifestations every day, writing their feelings either magnetic storms, or energy vampires, or for more prosaic, but still far from the truth, explanations.

The localization of the disease in the cervical spine, which includes 7 vertebrae, is explained by the fact that the intervertebral discs in this area are thinner. Therefore, their drying and destruction much faster leads to nerve pinching and scratching of the vertebral bones - after all, the distance between the bones is already small. It is also affected by the poor development of the cervical muscles, which a modern person uses minimally.

Sadly, the non-inflammatory process in the spine goes unnoticed for a long time until the degeneration of the intervertebral discs passes into the second stage and the pain becomes a constant shock. But even this alarming sign is often ignored by people, attributing it to fatigue, or even getting used to it, with a daily "descent". Let’s understand why you can’t ignore the headache, was your mother right when she said “don’t move your head” and how to treat cervical osteochondrosis in order to bring the chronic disease into permanent reaction.

Symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis The disease from osteochondrosis of the cervix extends to the head, neck and limbs of the shoulder girdle. In the initial stages, special complaints go unnoticed - usually, patients simply start to feel more numbness in the neck more often, which does not seem at all surprising during office work. Gradually, the gap between the vertebrae decreases, the load on the ligament apparatus, neck muscles, shoulders and back increases, and the blood supply to the brain and spinal cord deteriorates. This leads to a whole chain of nonspecific symptoms; a combination of some of these is a good reason to see a doctor.

Grade 1 osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Signs of early-stage cervical osteochondrosis include:

local muscle tension;
stiffness of movements and a decrease in their amplitudes (when turning the head, the shoulders rotate) after a long stay in one position;
need to constantly support the head with one hand while sitting to avoid fatigue and discomfort;
increased nervousness and chronic fatigue;
darkening of the eyes, the appearance of "flies" after a load on the back of the cervix or in the morning / sharp rise;
crushing and other external sounds when shaking your head;
view of the so-called "Lumbago" in the area from the back of the head to the edges of the shoulders;
decreased sensitivity at the fingertips, tingling sensation in the hands;
unusual feeling of weakness in the arm, decreased stamina and muscle strength;
increased blood pressure - hypertension;
change in voice, staining for no apparent reason, snoring, feeling of heaviness, "swelling" in the head.

Grade 2 osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

chronic pain syndrome - head, neck or shoulders may ache continuously for 2-3 days or longer;
sleep problems - difficult to fall asleep or wake up, often waking up in the middle of the night due to nightmare caused by oxygen deprivation;
high meteosensitivity;
the appearance of pain and spasms in muscles and internal organs, especially if it is necessary to maintain the same position for a long time or change it;
head drop syndrome - clearly perceptible pain when trying to sit without supporting the head;
tinnitus and blackheads, dizziness and even weakness;
bracing;
cardiac disorders;
migraine;
constant nausea;
connective tissue growth ("thick skin") in the neck-collar area.

Ignoring the signs of cervical osteochondrosis is fraught with nerves and large vessels located near the spine, which attach when the vertebrae move. Complications of the disease include:

paresis (restriction, weakness of movements) and even paralysis of the arms - one or both sides;
intervertebral hernia - a common cause of disability and disability, to the point of needing a wheelchair;
vertebral artery syndrome causing dizziness and noise in the head, 25% leads to ischemic stroke;
rapid memory, cognition, vision and hearing impairment;
impaired coordination of movements, which causes difficulties even when traveling in transport.

How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

To fight osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, pharmacotherapy and physiotherapy are used, as well as massage and hydromassage of the cervical area, therapeutic gymnastics, swimming, balneological and mud treatments, electrophoresis, phonophoresis, ultrasound, shock waves, lasers, etc. UFO, magnetic and other types of apparatus therapy. The symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine vary significantly for the stages of reaction and worsening. So, for example, massage for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine during the inflammatory process is strictly contraindicated - for a start, topical ointments and lotions are used. In an acute period, it is important to restore blood circulation and tissue nutrition, relieve spasm, and improve the patient's quality of life. Therapy, which aims to regenerate cartilage tissue and osteophytes, is performed exclusively in remission.

Surgical intervention is extremely rarely used - mainly to eliminate concomitant pathologies, such as hernias, vertebral displacement.

Grade 1 cervical osteochondrosis responds well to treatment and can even go into permanent remission with minor acute episodes. Typically, treatment involves lifestyle changes, maintenance of the muscular and ligament apparatus with the help of therapeutic exercises. Level 2 disease has a less optimistic prognosis: in this case, treatment aims to alleviate the pronounced negative symptoms, preventing further destruction of the spine.

In some cases, therapy is needed for diseases that have become a kind of catalyst for degenerative changes in cartilage. These include curvature of the spine, problems with the endocrine system, incl. hormonal disruptions, metabolic disorders, insomnia, depression, alcohol and nicotine addiction, overweight, hereditary diseases.

Timely treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine improves motor functions, prevents macrotrauma to vertebrae, adjacent tissues, nerves, large vessels and organic systems. Depending on medical recommendations and daily maintenance therapy, the development of osteochondrosis can be slowed down and spinal mobility is maintained until old age.

Remedy for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

At the onset of the disease, patients are instructed to take chondroprotectors, rehydration, and nutrient saturation of cartilage tissue. Vitamin-mineral complexes and antioxidants are actively used, incl. natural origin. Preparations for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are used mainly externally or orally - in the form of heat, local irritating ointments, anti-inflammatory drugs, tablets, capsules. In case of stage 2 osteochondrosis, in addition to the above, analgesics, antispasmodics (muscle relaxants), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used. Treatment is performed for life, however, some medications (pain relievers, glucocorticosteroids, etc. ) are prescribed in courses because of their harmless nature.

Kondroprotektorët

Chondroprotectors in medicine are medicines that contain glycosaminoglycans and chondroitin sulfate. In home use, the names "glucosamine" and "chondroitin" are more common. As the structural backbone of cartilage, they act as the "building blocks" that the body uses to repair intervertebral discs. Taking chondroprotectors is complex - they have a beneficial effect on all articular surfaces in the body and prevent the development of not only the cervix, but also other types of osteochondrosis, as well as osteoarthritis and other degenerative cartilage diseases. These medicines should be taken for life and on an ongoing basis - since cartilage is free of blood vessels, they are fed by a diffuse method. This means that the growth of new cells is very slow - the first results are noticed only after 3-6 months of taking drugs containing chondroitin.

Ointments for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, ointments with vasodilating, anti-inflammatory and anti-edema effect are used. To improve blood circulation, bee or snake venom is often introduced into their composition, and propolis and natural essential oils are used to strengthen the walls of blood vessels. With a mild pain syndrome, topical analgesic creams or irritating ointments may be prescribed to distract the patient from discomfort. Heating oils activate trophic and metabolic processes in tissues, preventing their destruction and limiting the process of degeneration.

Tablets for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

In the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, tablets play an auxiliary role. In the form of tablets, usually prescribed analgesics of complex action, which have an anti-inflammatory effect. Antispasmodics may be prescribed to relieve acute pain.

With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is especially important to take medications that strengthen blood vessels and improve blood microcirculation. This helps to contain the negative effect that this disease has on the brain, leading to hypoxia and malnutrition.

injections

Injections for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are performed on site to remove a local inflammatory process that is insensitive to other methods of exposure. With severe pain syndrome, lidocaine and novocaine blockades also occur. They represent the introduction of an anesthetic cocktail (it can contain over a dozen ingredients - NSAIDs, glucocorticosteroids, decongestants, hyaluronic acid and other ingredients for nourishing and rehydrating cartilage). Spinal blockades should be placed only by specialists due to the high risk of damage to the spinal cord and nerve endings during the injection, as well as the possible presence of contraindications.

A diet rich in protein and moderate in carbohydrates helps prolong the effect of medication. The inclusion in the menu of sea fish, shellfish and other dishes rich in gelling agents, calcium and vitamin D3, has a positive effect on the stability of remission.

Exercises for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

The first sessions of physical therapy (exercise therapy) are performed under the supervision of a physician. He also selects a mini-set of daily exercises.

To prevent and treat cervical osteochondrosis, perform a simple warm-up:

Sitting in a chair, turn your head left and right, trying to describe it in a 180-degree semicircle. If the disease has not yet made itself felt or is in the first stage, you can tilt your head back and turn it slowly clockwise and counterclockwise.
Raise your shoulders as high as possible. possible and close them in this position for a few seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat.
Place your palm on your forehead and, placing slight resistance on yourself, try to slowly lower your head. After 10 reps, place your palm on your temple and repeat with side turns.
With your shoulders raised, try to make a circle around your lower neck.
Finish the set of exercises with a strong self-massage, feeling the vertebrae and muscles well and warming the skin. Avoid pain when you do this.

You can freely complete this list of exercises for general tone.

In addition to exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is important to observe the orthopedic regimen. It was created to facilitate the spine while doing homework and sleeping. For patients with already grade 1 osteochondrosis, special orthopedic pillows and mattresses, car straps and others, and travel pillows are highly desirable. The workplace also needs to be renovated according to physiological needs - for example, buy a chair with a high back and arms that follows the anatomical curves of the back, adjust the table and seat height, provide a comfortable position for the monitor, etc.

With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, sit with your back straight, leaning on the back of the furniture. The position of the feet is just as important - your shins should be straight perpendicular to the floor and your feet should be completely flat on the floor. Bending arms (about 75 degrees) should stay relaxed, without constant tension, on the table. It is unacceptable to spend your free time lying with a laptop. When using the computer in bed, use a stand.