Currently, not only people of retirement age are susceptible to this disease, but the risk group also includes young people over the age of 25. 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 back;
- flexion, spinal disc injuries;
- nervous tension, stressful situations;
- insufficient intake of 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 while sitting;
- holding the bag to 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 worsens the situation, pregnancy is no exception. Failure to follow 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 are created in the cartilage, dislocations of the disc and constriction of the nerves and spinal cord are possible. Along the cervical region there are vessels that supply the brain with the necessary substances, squeezing them 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 narrows, then the bone tissue grows, causing severe pain and discomfort. There are several stages of cervical osteochondrosis:
- The first stage is characterized by the appearance of cracks in the fibrous ring, possibly displacing the nucleus laterally. Symptoms will be shooting and sharp pains, sudden muscle spasms, the patient may have enlarged pupils and numbness of the tongue - this is an indication of the initial stage of nerve damage. Specialists often also diagnose Wright and Naffziger syndromes, the characteristic features of which are numbness of the hand when standing up, tingling sensation, tightening of nerve endings in the clavicle region. Neck pain that does not go away on its own and often appears during physical exertion, a characteristic crack in the affected areas, unexplained fatigue, tinnitus.
- During the second stage, the gap between the vertebrae narrows even more, this leads to the drying of the fibrous ring, 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 cartilaginous tissue, a prolapsed nucleus may appear, which provokes the formation of an intervertebral disc herniation. Symptoms that help recognize the disease in stage 3 are often acute pain in the cervical region, frequent numbness of the limbs, a person can not control the arm or leg, this is accompanied by dizziness and headache, loss of consciousness.
Diagnosis and treatment of the disease
If you suspect osteochondrosis of the cervix, you can not self-medicate. The symptoms of some diseases are very similar to each other, and self-medication can lead to worsening of the condition and a wheelchair.
The disease is always easier to eliminate in the early stages of development, when it has not gained strength and there is little damage to internal organs.
The loss of precious time threatens a long treatment, which consists of taking medication, physiotherapy exercises and adhering to 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 nerve endings and prescribe additional x-ray, vascular ultrasound and tomography. Diagnosis is based on MRI and radiography.
In the initial stages of the disease, the patient can treat cervical osteochondrosis at home, visiting a specialist at a set time and fully adhering to his advice and prescriptions.
Medication treatment consists of taking certain medications, which the doctor must prescribe, depending on the stage of the disease and the general condition of the body, indicating the dose:
- NSAIDs, taking lasts up to 2 weeks;
- sedatives avoid complete exhaustion of the nervous system, among them the tincture of the mother, valerian;
- when edema occurs, 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 is improved;
- muscle relaxants relax muscles that are prone to spasms;
- taking chondroprotective drugs to improve the functioning of intervertebral discs and cartilage tissue;
- in addition, the specialist prescribes the use of ointments and creams, they soothe pain, warm tissues and help alleviate the human condition.
If the patient feels unwell, bed rest is mandatory. Due to the correct body position, the vertebral discs relax, the pain is reduced. Bed rest lasts no more than 2 days, then the patient should be sure to move.
Tips for easing 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 some exercises to relieve spasms.
With improved well-being, it is permissible to perform sets of exercises in the sitting or standing position under the supervision of an experienced specialist. When a person has learned all the necessary rules and strictly observes them, he is allowed to perform therapeutic exercises at home.
It consists of several smooth curves and slopes of the head, and then the load is gradually increased. If a muscle spasm occurs suddenly, it is necessary to do a light massage that does not cause pain and discomfort.
With good health for preventive purposes, experts recommend visiting an experienced massage therapist 2 times a year. It is able not only to properly and quickly warm the muscles, but also to qualitatively remove small salt deposits and develop joints and vertebrae.
After consulting your doctor, it is permissible to use the Glisson loop, which consists of several straps hanging on a hook. They allow you to support your head and relieve stress from the neck. Diet plays a major role in treating cervical osteochondrosis. Experts advise to exclude from daily consumption products that can increase muscle tone and lead to spasms - 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 will not only improve the overall condition of the patient, but will also have a positive effect on cartilage vertebrae and cartilage tissues: these are fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes in any form, cereals;
- products containing protein - milk and its derivatives, nuts of any kind, eggs, dietary 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 milk products, mineral water.
If a person is not in the acute phase, it is still better not to endanger and spasm the affected tissues once again due to eating the wrong food. You need to drink a sufficient amount of plain non-carbonated water, balance your diet, perform daily exercises from therapeutic exercises, which not only weaken and relieve tension from the affected areas of the body, but also have an effectfirming in the patient's body. .
At work, you should rest at short intervals, do a quick self-massage and monitor the proper posture.
Risk 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, detect the stage of osteochondrosis, take measures to eliminate the disease and prescribe appropriate and qualified treatment. Some diseases are quite insidious and can easily be disguised as others.
Examination using X-ray, ultrasound, magnetic resonance will help to check the structure of the vertebral discs, to detect problems and find the right option to eliminate them and alleviate the patient's condition. If a person self-medicates, he may miss the initial stage of the disease and expose his body to even greater destruction. Uncontrolled intake of medications will damage not only the gastrointestinal tract but also the liver and kidneys, which will remove toxins and cleanse the blood in an improved way.
After consulting your doctor at home, you can use decoctions of herbs and medicinal herbs, which will increase the effect of ointments and preparations:
- Celery: 1 tablespoon The crushed root of this plant is poured into 1 liter of warm water and decided to inject for 8 hours, after drainage take 1 tablespoon. 3 times a day after meals. Celery seeds: 1 tablespoon. l. pour 0. 5 liters of boiling water, insist for 2 hours and take 1 tbsp. l. 3 times daily before meals.
- Fresh horseradish or cabbage leaves, crushed in advance, applied to the sore spots, tied on top with a scarf or warm scarf and changed as needed.
Specialist recommendations for the prevention of osteochondrosis
The most common mistake many patients make is the constant belief that the disease will go away on its own.
Doctors say that such an attitude to health has a detrimental effect on a person's condition and worsens the course of cervical osteochondrosis.
The course of treatment consists not only in eliminating pain, discomfort and some symptoms, but also in restoring damaged vertebral and cervical discs, eliminating the squeezing of arteries leading to the brain and maintaining a person’s well-being.
The recovery process is quite long and requires a lot of patience, effort and help from relatives and friends, but the result will allow you to feel free, not dependent on medication and enjoy life.