The development of information technology and the computerization of the population have made the table a place where a person spends almost the entire day in this position. An unpleasant painful sensation in the spine is known to almost every second person. Pain in the spine, limbs, numbness in the legs are the main signs of osteochondrosis. In addition, if before people over 40 years old suffered from osteochondrosis, today teenagers already face this disease in high school.
According to the location, osteochondrosis is divided into several types - cervical, thoracic and lumbar. One of the most common types of disease is called cervical osteochondrosis. It must be said that, due to its location, it causes complications in the work of the brain, fraught with neurological diseases. In our article, you will learn in detail about this disease, its course, features of treatment and prevention.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
It may seem a little strange, but the cause of osteochondrosis of the spine is. . . human life. Any excessive load on the spine leads to some deformation, which is why disease occurs. Osteochondrosis can be prevented, cured, but only if it is not working. And for those who, fortunately, do not suffer from pain, I would like to warn: analyze the degree of stress in your spine - and you will understand if you are at risk of osteochondrosis.
Thus, the main and most common cause of osteochondrosis in adults may be work, which consists of constantly lifting heavy objects, such as the work of porters. In addition, the disease can be provoked by "sedentary" work in the office or work "on the legs", as, for example, with salespeople who are in a certain position for a long time, creating a load on the same muscles, sections of the spine.
There is a risk of osteochondrosis in athletes due to heavy loads or, conversely, due to a low level of physical development in those who do not play sports. There are cases of the onset of the disease even when athletes were actively involved in training and then suddenly stopped them abruptly. It is impossible not to mention injuries to the spine, which later lead to osteochondrosis. It can affect the spine and flat feet, when due to the irregular shape of the foot, the load on the vertebrae and discs is distributed differently, causing disorders.
Perhaps osteochondrosis in pregnant women due to the same increased load, as well as in women who constantly walk in high heels, putting a strain on the spine.
The causes of osteochondrosis in the neck region can be genetic or hereditary.
Spinal diseases can manifest due to impaired metabolism in the body, obesity, low immunity, poisoning, infectious diseases that reduce the functionality of the spine.
Over the years, the spine becomes more fragile, loses the elasticity of the discs, bone density and becomes deformed. Age is another cause of osteochondrosis.
And finally, the impact on the backbone of the environment and living conditions cannot be disregarded. Bad ecology, stress, nutrition, not rich in vitamins and microelements - all this can provoke the development of cervical osteochondrosis. The symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are quite pronounced. They need to be known to prevent the disease from developing in time. After all, each of us is partially at risk.
Symptoms and stages of the disease
You can recognize osteochondrosis with a simple exercise - turning your head. Painful sensations when turning are the first signs of cervical osteochondrosis. The following symptoms are muscle spasms, movement difficulty, finger numbness, shoulder pain.
This type of disease is called radicular syndrome or cervical sciatica. It occurs if the nerve roots are compressed by the vertebrae due to a violation of their location, the occurrence of a hernia. The pain in this case descends in a wave from the shoulder to the fingers, a tingling is felt in the fingers and forearm. If the little finger and ring finger feel numb, it means that the brachial nerve has been affected, this is the region of 7-8 vertebrae. If the other three fingers - the problem is in the region of 5-6-7 vertebrae, then the central nerve is affected.
In addition, the disease has symptoms associated with brain functioning. Often, recurrent headache with cervical osteochondrosis is severe or painful. Maybe dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis, tinnitus, spots before the eyes, blurred vision, hearing, teeth problems. These signs of the disease indicate that there is an effect on the two vertebral arteries that supply blood to the brain. In particular, in the areas responsible for blood pressure, in the cerebellar zone, which controls our vestibular apparatus. This type of disease is called vertebral artery syndrome and is very common. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, affecting the arteries, is fraught with a violation of the ability to move normally and even strokes.
There are also irritative-reflex syndromes. In this case of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms are similar to other types of the disease, but the attacks of pain occur suddenly after a state of rest. For example, when a person gets up after sleeping, he feels a sharp dull pain in his neck.
Another type of illness is very similar to heart disease - angina pectoris, when pain occurs in the chest and radiates to the shoulder, lasting for several hours. This is a heart syndrome. A cardiogram will help to distinguish osteochondrosis from heart disease, which will confirm that blood circulation is not disturbed and the patient is concerned about the spine and not the heart.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is divided into stages of the disease course. In the first or preclinical phase, there is a slight internal change at the level of biochemistry. A person feels some inconvenience during a long stay in a position, during physical exertion. Back and neck muscles get tired quickly.
The second stage of the disease is called the stage of increasing changes in the nucleus pulposus. At this time, the intervertebral disc is deformed, metabolism is disturbed in the nucleus pulposus, some of its cells die. Due to these processes, the distance between the vertebrae decreases, which later leads to pinched nerves and spasms. A person experiences pain in the areas of damage to the spine.
In the third stage of the disease, complete or partial destruction of the annulus fibrosus occurs. Cracks appear through which the nucleus pulposus exits, violating the tightness of the connection of the vertebrae. The spine becomes abnormally mobile, the vertebral sections are displaced. This causes a person to have pain in the entire back, movement disorders occur, the sensitivity in the limbs disappears.
And the most serious, the fourth stage of osteochondrosis, is manifested by the regeneration of the vertebral discs, the so-called fusion of the vertebrae. The nucleus pulposus replaces the cartilage, the pain subsides and the spine works as a support again. But, unfortunately, the consequence of such changes in the spine is the restriction of human mobility and even disability.
The spine has three important functions in the human body. These are support, spinal cord protection, and depreciation during movement. Our ability to move and exist comfortably depends on the spine. Back pain should not be seen as a temporary and random phenomenon. Take it as a rule: if you experience pain with a gentle turn of the head, you should contact a neurologist.
Osteochondrosis in children
Osteochondrosis in children is not as common as in adults, being more of a congenital or hereditary disease. But since the deformation of the spine can lead to bad consequences and cause great harm to the development of the child's body, we decided to highlight this topic separately and bring to the attention of parents osteochondrosis in children.
A child's spine is more sensitive to injury, freezing, lack of nutrients for formation and development. And this, as already mentioned, is the cause of osteochondrosis. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the child's nutrition, remember that it must be rich in calcium and other trace elements, be varied and useful. In case of back injuries and falls, especially at a young age, it is imperative to consult a doctor for examination and, if the disease is confirmed, its possible further treatment. By the way, osteochondrosis in a child can be a consequence of birth trauma.
Osteochondrosis occurs in children and due to heredity, when the fragility of the vertebrae is transmitted genetically. If, in case of spinal disease in children, the bone growth zone is affected, i. e. the area where the bone grows, then this can also lead to impaired growth and general development of the child. The symptoms of osteochondrosis in children are similar to those in adults, but the pain is more moderate, movements are not disturbed. With cervical osteochondrosis, fainting, dizziness are likely.
If your child has pre-requisites for osteochondrosis or suspects a back problem, seek medical advice immediately. The sooner the disease is detected, the sooner you can rid the child of it.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, like other diseases, begins with a medical examination. In this case, a neurologist. The doctor examines the patient in various positions - standing, sitting, lying down, examines the state of the spine during movement. Draws attention to the posture, the location of the median groove of the back, the position of the shoulder blades, shoulders. In addition to visual inspection, tactile inspection is also mandatory. The injury site is found, guided by complaints, examination and also by means of a special technique of counting the vertebrae. In addition, the patient receives X-ray or MRI therapy to examine the spine more carefully to find out the stage of the injury. After diagnosis, treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is prescribed.
Treatment
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is often complex. Most of the time it is based on a few mandatory points. One of the main ones is the correct engine mode. Right means moving without shaking your head. Any quick movements do not benefit the vertebrae. The doctor will likely prescribe a special soft collar to wear that will immobilize the neck during treatment.
Wanting to consider something from his side, the patient should slowly turn his head. If you feel uncomfortable in the neck, do some special exercises, get a massage.
A mandatory step in the treatment of osteochondrosis in the acute phase is medication. The doctor will prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pills to eliminate foci of inflammation and swelling. Be sure to help alleviate the course of the disease with pain relievers. If osteochondrosis causes muscle spasm, a drug that relieves cramps and relieves pain is also prescribed. Vitamin B will also be prescribed, which improves brain function, helps fight stress and strengthens muscles. And if the patient is in a depressed state, antidepressants will be prescribed.
You cannot do without the treatment of osteochondrosis without external preparations - gels, ointments, creams. Known anti-inflammatories will act directly on the focus of the disease. There are ointments that are called chondroprotectors, that is, ointments with elements that restore the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs. And, of course, the patient will need ointments or creams for therapeutic massage, which is also indispensable.
Manual therapy for osteochondrosis
Many osteochondrosis patients seek help from chiropractors. This method of treatment can be included in the complex if the patient has an anatomical change in the spine, the occurrence of hernia or displacement of the discs. With the right treatment, it really gives positive results. But when looking for a specialist, be careful. Before agreeing to treatment, ensure that the specialist has a medical degree and practices traditional treatment, has completed additional training in the neurologist and chiropractor specialties and has confirmation certificates. Operator experience is also important. After all, therapy itself requires clear movements and, if used incorrectly, is fraught with injury. The principle of manual therapy is a punctual impact on the structural components of the spine. With a quick push, the joint that has shifted from the correct position returns to it again. Proper therapy is undoubtedly a very effective treatment for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Physiotherapy
Therapeutic exercises for cervical osteochondrosis will make it possible to fight the disease even in the workplace. In addition, simple exercises will be an excellent prevention of spinal diseases.
So, take your eyes off the screen, lean back in your chair, and learn some useful exercises.
Sitting in a chair, place your feet shoulder-width apart. Relax, lower your hands. Slowly lower your head until your chin touches your chest. If it doesn't work, that's fine, lower it as low as possible, as low as possible. After that, slowly lift your head and tilt it back, also until it stops. Returning to the starting position with your head straight, repeat the exercise 5 times.
Without getting up from your chair, gently turn your head to the side. First in one direction, then return to the starting position and turn to the other. 5 times each.
Turning your head, you can head to the slopes. The exercise is also done in a sitting position, slowly tilting your head to the left, then back, and then to the right. They bend their heads all the way, trying to put their ears on their shoulders. The exercise is performed at least 5 times for each side.
This will help stretch your neck muscles and the next exercise. In the seated position, the head is slowly thrown back, hold this position for a few seconds and begin to turn the head slowly, without lifting it, to the left and then to the right, making at least 10 turns in total.
You can also, without leaving the workplace, do an exercise to warm up your shoulder muscles. Sitting in a relaxed position, begin rotating your shoulders 5 times forward and 5 times backward. Do this slowly and carefully, feeling every muscle.
This will help to stretch the shoulders and the exercise known to everyone since kindergarten. It can be performed as desired - sitting or standing, as the situation allows. You slowly throw your left hand over your shoulder to your right side, touch your ear with your fingers and lower. Throw your right hand in the same way over your head to your left ear.
Now a little more warm-up for the neck muscles. Place your palm on your forehead, start pressing your forehead into your palm, resisting with your hand. Hold this position with your neck tense for a count of 5. Then relax and repeat the exercise twice.
The exercise is similar to the previous one. But now other cervical muscles will work. You throw your hand, or more conveniently both, folded into a padlock, behind your head, place them on the back of your head, and begin to press your head into your hands. Do the exercise 3 times for 5 seconds.
Now we stretch the lateral neck muscles. There is only one scheme - the head presses the hand, the hand resists. You place your left hand on your left temple, press for a count of 5, pause for a few seconds and repeat 2 more times. In the same way, the exercise is done for the right side of the neck.
And finally, a little warm-up while standing. It is better to choose a free space in the office for this. Feet are placed shoulder-width apart for better balance. With the arms extended in a free state, they begin to rotate synchronously 5 times forward and 5 times backward.
After taking a short break of 10-15 minutes, you will feel the tension in your back and neck muscles lessen, let your eyes rest from the monitor, relax a little. These breaks from work come in handy, and in many modern offices, they even practice a mass outing of colleagues to warm up. Don't neglect the simple rule - warm up whenever you're tired and tense. Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis is an excellent treatment for the early stages of the disease and effective prevention. In more severe cases of the disease, a course of exercise therapy (physiotherapy exercises) is prescribed.
Therapeutic exercise for cervical osteochondrosis
Exercise therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is simply irreplaceable. A set of exercises will improve the functionality of the spine, help to constantly maintain muscle tone and relieve tension. The exercise will require some free time and a warm exercise mat on the floor. They can be done at home in the evening or in the morning before work. Of course, it is advisable to do this between meals.
Lying on your back on the floor, stretch your arms along your torso. Look straight ahead and begin to look away gradually to the right and left, 4 times in each direction. After moving your eyes sideways, start looking up and down as well 4 times. After completing the side warm-up, rotate the eyes immediately clockwise and then in the opposite direction.
In the same position, lying down, turn your head in different directions. Gradually, slowly. After doing 4 turns in each direction, tilt your head to the left side and to the right shoulder.
You can do exercises with a head lift. Also, lying on a flat surface, lift your head off the floor and tilt it towards your chest, trying to touch your chest with your chin. Pull the head as close as possible. All this without sudden movements no more than 4 times.
When performing exercises for cervical osteochondrosis, you need to remember that not only the cervical region, but the entire body requires a warm-up. Therefore, lying on your back, having completed the first simple exercises, warmed up, proceed to the next. Open your arms to the sides and roll over to the side, trying to touch the opposite side with your hand and foot, but without rolling over onto your stomach. The turn is made on inhalation and they return to their original position on exhalation. Do not do more than 5 laps.
The next exercise is to sit in a prone position. Lying on the floor with your arms extended along your body, you need to slowly climb up, supporting yourself on your hands. Quite a difficult exercise for osteochondrosis, so we emphasize once again that you need to do it carefully and slowly, 3-4 times.
Lying on your back, bend your legs and press them against your stomach, squeeze your knees with your hands. Then gently pull your head to your feet and touch your knees. In addition - also carefully return to the prone position. The exercise is done up to 5 times.
You are lying down, legs bent at the knees at the level of the abdomen, arms outstretched. Rotate your body alternately to the right and left up to 5 times in each direction.
Do not interfere with abdominal exercises. Turn around and stretch your arms along your body. Start lifting your head off the floor, then your shoulders, then your torso, focusing on your legs and hips. Then return to the starting position and do the exercise up to 5 times.
Breathing exercises are useful for osteochondrosis of the cervical region. After a short rest from the previous exercises, lie on your back, fold both hands over your stomach. Inhale deeply and slowly, blowing out your stomach, exhale also carefully, pulling your stomach in. Take 5 breaths and exhalations.
Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Breathe shallowly, tensing your muscles, exhaling, relax. The number of breaths is also 5.
These exercises are only introductory and should not be considered a complete treatment. On the contrary, these are recommendations for the prevention of the disease or its development. Therapeutic exercise for cervical osteochondrosis is selected by the physician, based on the patient's needs.
self massage
Massage is one of the necessary and pleasant procedures in the course of treating cervical osteochondrosis and is prescribed by a doctor. Of course, it is out of the question to try to repeat a professional massage at home, involving relatives, this matter is really only handled by health professionals. But light kneading movements can be done by yourself, distracting yourself in the middle of the workday and relieving stress. By the way, massage will be a good addition to gymnastics.
Then, feeling neck pain, lean back in chair, relax your back. The massage begins by stroking the neck with the palms of the hands from top to bottom, that is, from the hair to the shoulders. After stroking, turn your palms up with the tip of your neck and move your hand up and down several times, pressing lightly. Then start grinding. Place the palms of the hands on the back of the head so that the fingers converge in the middle of the spine. Rub your body, moving your hands from the center of the vertebra to the sides of the neck, moving down from top to bottom. You can massage the neck with your fingertips, rubbing it in circular motions. Then start pinching the skin and muscles, grasping them between your index finger and thumb. And then caress your neck with your palms, completing the massage.
Self-massage for cervical osteochondrosis will help relieve pain and muscle tension.
Treatment with folk remedies
The most popular folk remedies for any ailment are herbal preparations. Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis with folk remedies is possible, as a rule, in the early stages of the disease. Herbs such as peppermint, St. John's wort, marigold, yarrow, licorice root, chamomile, birch and strawberry leaves help fight diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Make teas from these herbs, drink regularly, as a tonic and means of prevention.
You can also take herbal baths. For each bath you need at least 300 grams of dried plants. Pine bath helps a lot. Needles of coniferous plants are ground, poured with boiled water and boiled for 20 minutes. Then filtered, added to a hot bath and steamed for up to half an hour.
You can and should take baths with chamomile, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and perfectly heals the body. Chamomile is poured with boiling water, insisted for up to an hour, filtered and added to the water.
A quick compress from improvised means will help relieve back pain. Everyone has potatoes and honey at home. Folk methods are advised to make a compress from them: grate vegetables and mix with honey in a 1: 1 ratio. The composition is applied on gauze and applied to the sore spot. Relief is guaranteed, but unfortunately not for long.
Ginger and garlic ointment works the same way. They are rubbed on a grater and combined 1: 1, a little butter or Vaseline is added so that it can be smeared and the sore spot is rubbed. It will also relieve pain and inflammation, but it will not cure the disease. With osteochondrosis, a mandatory visit to a neurologist is required, who will prescribe a complete treatment.
Finally, I would like to talk about the basic rules of behavior for osteochondrosis. First, keep your back straight and your head straight. Set up your workspace according to these standards, including placing a book under the monitor if it's low, or finding a taller chair.
Do not lift heavy things unless absolutely necessary. And if you really have to carry the load, pick up the heavy not in a bent position, but do it like weightlifters with a barbell - sit down and stand up with a burden.
Don't cool your back too much, protect it from drafts. A wide range of modern and stylish vests will keep your back warm at any time of the year and under any circumstances.
Move more, do swimming, gymnastics, hang from the horizontal bar.
Having mastered all the secrets of gymnastics, self-massage and prevention of osteochondrosis with folk remedies, share them with your office friends. So you can not only protect yourself against spinal diseases, but also help colleagues avoid back pain and increased fatigue. Be healthy!