Currently, not only people of retirement age are susceptible to this disease; young people aged 25 and over are also included in the risk group. Osteochondrosis affects different areas and departments: lower back, neck, chest.
Causes and stages of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis occurs due to the influence of such factors:
- excessive physical load on the spine;
- tilt, vertebral disc injuries;
- nervous tension, stressful situations;
- insufficient receipt of the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements, which slows down the metabolic process and leads to the formation of osteochondrosis;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- the presence of flat feet;
- sleeping on a soft pillow or mattress;
- frequent uncomfortable postures when sitting;
- carrying the bag on one side;
- circulatory disorders and muscle spasms.
All causes in combination or individually create favorable conditions for the development of osteochondrosis. Women are more prone to this disease, and wearing high heels and a bag on one shoulder exacerbates the situation, pregnancy is no exception. Failure to comply with the rules recommended by the attending physician exposes the mother's health to serious violations.
In the process of stress in the cervical region, cracks form in the cartilage, disc displacements and impingement of the nerves and spinal cord are possible. Along the cervical region there are vessels that supply the necessary substances to the brain, their compression leads to serious health problems. If you do not treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home, the person's condition worsens, the distance between the vertebrae decreases, and bone tissue grows, causing intense pain and discomfort. There are several stages of cervical osteochondrosis:
- The first phase is characterized by the appearance of cracks in the annulus fibrosus, possibly the displacement of the nucleus to the side. Symptoms will be shooting and sharp pains, sudden muscle spasms, the patient may have dilated pupils and numbness of the tongue - this is an indicator of the initial stage of nerve violation. Specialists often also diagnose Wright and Naffziger syndromes, the characteristics of which are numbness of the hand when raised, tingling, compression of nerve endings in the collarbone region. Neck pain that does not go away on its own and usually occurs during physical exertion, a characteristic crisis in the affected areas, fatigue without cause, tinnitus.
- During the second stage, the space between the vertebrae narrows even further, which leads to the drying of the annulus fibrosus, the rupture of the capsule is also accompanied by an inflammatory process. Without proper treatment, osteophytes - growths of bone tissue - occur.
- The third stage is characterized by a complete rupture of the cartilaginous tissue, a prolapsed nucleus may occur, which causes the formation of an intervertebral disc herniation. Symptoms that help to recognize the disease in stage 3 are usually sharp pain in the cervical region, frequent numbness of the limbs, a person cannot control the arm or leg, accompanied by dizziness and headache, loss of consciousness.
Diagnosis and treatment of disease
If you suspect cervical osteochondrosis, you cannot self-medicate. The symptoms of some diseases are very similar to each other, and self-medication can lead to the condition deteriorating and being wheelchair bound.
The disease is always easier to eliminate in the early stages of development, when it has not gained strength and has little damage to internal organs.
The loss of precious time threatens with a long treatment, which consists of taking medication, physical therapy exercises and observing the daily regimen.
If symptoms of the disease are detected, it is necessary to contact a specialist - a neuropathologist, he will be able to diagnose, determine the damage to the nerve endings and prescribe additional X-rays, ultrasound of the vessels and tomography. Diagnosis is based on MRI and radiography.
In the early stages of the disease, the patient can treat cervical osteochondrosis at home, visiting a specialist at a certain time and fully adhering to his advice and prescriptions.
Drug treatment consists of taking certain drugs, which the doctor must prescribe, depending on the stage of the disease and the general state of the body, indicating the dosage:
- NSAIDs, reception lasts up to 2 weeks;
- sedatives prevent the complete exhaustion of the nervous system, among them tincture of motherwort, valerian;
- when edema appears, the doctor prescribes diuretics that reduce swelling of the inflamed area;
- thanks to the intake of B vitamins, metabolic processes in the affected tissues of the nervous system are normalized, neuromuscular conduction improves;
- muscle relaxants relax muscles prone to spasms;
- taking chondroprotective drugs to improve the functioning of intervertebral discs and cartilage tissues;
- in addition, the specialist prescribes the use of ointments and creams, which relieve pain, warm the tissue and help alleviate the human condition.
If the patient feels unwell, bed rest is mandatory. Due to the correct position of the body, the vertebral discs relax, the pain subsides. Bed rest does not last more than 2 days, so the patient must be sure to move.
Tips to alleviate the human condition
Doctors often hear the question of how to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home. If the patient is in the acute stage of the disease, it is recommended to perform light breathing exercises and various exercises to relieve spasms.
With the improvement of well-being, it is allowed to perform series of exercises in a sitting or standing position under the supervision of an experienced specialist. When a person has learned all the necessary rules and strictly follows them, he can perform therapeutic exercises at home.
It consists of several turns and gentle tilts of the head, and then the load is gradually increased. If a muscle spasm occurs suddenly, it is necessary to give a light massage that does not cause pain and discomfort.
In good health for preventive purposes, experts recommend visiting an experienced massage therapist 2 times a year. It is able not only to heat muscles properly and quickly, but also to qualitatively remove small salt deposits and develop joints and vertebrae.
After consultation with the doctor, the use of the Glisson loop, which consists of several straps hanging from a hook, is allowed. They allow you to support your head and relieve neck stress. Diet plays a big role in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. Experts advise to exclude from daily consumption products that can increase muscle tone and lead to spasm - coffee, tea, alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages, smoked products and spices. A person with osteochondrosis will benefit from:
- foods rich in fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants, they not only improve the general condition of the patient, but also have a positive effect on the vertebrae and cartilaginous tissues: they are fresh fruits and vegetables, vegetables in any form, cereals;
- products containing proteins - milk and its derivatives, nuts of any kind, eggs, diet and lean meats and fish, beef;
- products with unsaturated fatty acids - fatty varieties of sea fish, flax seeds, lightly fried and dried;
- products with a high level of calcium in the composition - sour dairy products, mineral water.
If a person is not in the acute phase, it is still better not to take any risks and not to spasm the affected tissues again due to eating the wrong foods. You need to drink enough pure water without gas, balance your diet, perform daily therapeutic exercise exercises, which not only weaken and relieve tension of the affected areas of the body, but also have a strengthening effect on the patient's body.
At work, you need to rest in short intervals, perform a quick self-massage and monitor correct posture.
The danger of self-medication
In order not to put yourself at great risk, you do not need to self-medicate. Only an experienced specialist can understand the disease, find out the stage of osteochondrosis, take steps to eliminate the disease and prescribe the correct and qualified treatment. Some diseases are quite insidious and can easily disguise themselves as others.
Examination with X-rays, ultrasound, MRI will help to check the structure of the vertebral discs, detect problems and find the right option to eliminate them and alleviate the patient's condition. If a person self-medicates, he can miss the early stage of the disease and expose his body to even more destruction. Uncontrolled medication intake will damage not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also the liver and kidneys, which will remove toxins and purify the blood in an enhanced way.
After consulting the doctor at home, you can use decoctions of herbs and medicinal plants yourself, which will enhance the effect of ointments and preparations:
- Celery: 1 teaspoon of the crushed root of this plant is poured into 1 liter of warm water and steeped for 8 hours, after straining, take 1 teaspoon. 3 times a day after meals. Celery Seeds: 1 tbsp. I. pour 0. 5 liters of boiling water, insist for 2 hours and take 1 tbsp. I. 3 times a day before meals.
- Fresh, pre-crumpled, horseradish or cabbage leaves are applied to sore spots, tied on top with a handkerchief or warm handkerchief, and changed as needed.
Expert recommendations for preventing osteochondrosis
The most common mistake many patients make is the persistent belief that the disease will go away on its own.
Doctors say that such an attitude towards health has a harmful effect on a person's condition and worsens the course of cervical osteochondrosis.
The course of treatment consists not only of eliminating pain, discomfort and some symptoms, but also restoring damaged vertebral and cervical discs, eliminating compression of the arteries leading to the brain and maintaining the person's well-being.
The recovery process is quite long and requires a lot of resistance, effort and help from relatives and friends, but the result will allow you to feel free, not dependent on medication and enjoy life.