Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a disease of our time. An unstable lifestyle, constant nervous tension will not pass without leaving a trace. Almost everyone can observe the symptoms of this disease. How to recognize a dangerous disease and ask for timely help?

Osteochondrosis is a physiological process that a person acquires during his or her life. The symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are very diverse, so only in certain conditions, in combination with certain factors, becomes the disease. The disease is characterized by local changes in the cervical spine tissue, due to the occurrence of calcium deficiency. Calcium becomes scarce, and tissues acquire a spongy structure, becoming brittle, fragile and performing the primary function of the skeleton.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

With cervical osteochondrosis, the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. Therefore, almost all patients complain of similar symptoms:

• headache, dizziness, nausea;
• there is pain in the shoulders, neck, chest;
• every part of the body becomes numb (hands, fingers);
• weakness in arms and legs;
• psychological symptoms - absurd mood swings, irritability;
• In difficult situations, vision and hearing are reduced.

Symptoms are so different and individual that it is difficult to identify cervical osteochondrosis based solely on patient complaints. Cervical spine disease is diagnosed using MRI, computed tomography, X-rays. According to the results of the study, you can see changes in the spine. Only by taking into account all complaints is the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis.

Depending on the location of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment are quite different. Where exactly these changes occur and how they affect the central nervous system, osteochondrosis can be divided into three main groups. These varieties have different symptoms and, thus, different behaviors.

1. First group. The peripheral nervous system suffers. Changes in the vertebrae directly affect the nerve endings (roots). Often referred to as cervical thoracic osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, it has the most striking symptoms:
• Pain from the cervical area to the shoulder area.

• Choking syndrome in the neck, tachycardia, heart disease.
• Cramps, noise, cracks when twisting the neck. See what exercises need to be done to strengthen the neck muscles with osteochondrosis.
• Persistent pain in the back of the head.
• Due to poor blood circulation, the hands become pale, cold, the fingers become numb.
• Joint pain.

Such osteochondrosis can cause torticollis

2. Second group. All the spinal cord is involved, the disease shows itself to be disturbed in all its work. The symptoms are as follows:
• Leg and arm muscle tone decreases. Legs grow numb, tired quickly, difficulty walking, standing, the reason is semiconductor disorder syndrome. Blood does not flow well to the lateral part of the spinal cord.
• Myelopathy develops in the affected area. Affects limb dysfunction.
• Third group. Brain work is disrupted due to poor blood supply to the brain. Characteristic syndrome differences:
• Hypothalamus. Syndrome indicated by hypothalamic damage. It leads to neurological symptoms. Patients often experience fatigue, irritability, absurd mood swings. People suffering from this syndrome complain of poor sleep, hatred, unfounded fears, anxiety. Among the physiological changes: sweating, paleness, cold hands, high blood pressure.
• Drops syndrome. With cervical spine disease like that, they often faint for no reason. The cause is vasospasm.
• Stems vestibular. This syndrome is characterized by frequent dizziness. The work of the vestibular apparatus is disrupted due to insufficient blood flow. Sometimes there is nausea that causes vomiting.
• Coconut stem. Ringing, tinnitus is called this syndrome. Possible ear congestion or hearing impairment. It is very difficult to associate such symptoms with cervical spine osteochondrosis, especially to prescribe proper treatment
• Pharyngeal-laryngeal. This syndrome is accompanied by discomfort in the throat. It is difficult to swallow, the voice becomes hoarse. Painful symptoms such as dryness, itching, pain are observed in the throat.

Characteristics of osteochondrosis with symptomatic treatment of radicular syndrome

Separately, radicular spinal radicular syndrome should be noted, its symptoms should be considered in more detail. Their manifestations are often confused with diseases unrelated to osteochondrosis. The treatment was not successful, the person continued to feel sick, his condition worsened. Misdiagnosis is sometimes worse than the disease itself. Prescribed therapy not only does not help, but also completely paralyzes healthy organs. Developing osteochondrosis of the cervical spine provokes the appearance of so-called radicular syndrome.

The main cause is nerve compression, especially its roots in the spine (cervix, thorax, vertebrae).

This cervical syndrome is characterized by:

1. Pain when turning the neck or torso. Appears after long monotonous body position (sleep, prolonged sitting) and sharp head rotation.
2. Numbness and chills in the occipital area.
3. Headaches in different manifestations: throbbing, sharp, short-term, long-term. This causes dizziness, fainting, nausea.
4. The muscles in the chin may be slightly slack.
5. With frequent pain, decreased tongue tone is observed, and speech defects appear.
6. Pain in the neck smooths to the shoulders, forearms, hands. There is numbness in the fingers, discomfort when lifting the arms, pain in the joints.

Often, the radicular syndrome of the cervical spine runs smoothly into the chest. In cervical osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, pain, acute momentum, manifests in the internal organs.

Here is a clinical picture like this:

• Pain in the scapula, lower ribs, armpits. Numbness in this area.
• Painful stabbing sensation in the stomach, intestines, hypochondrium. Often observe this syndrome, mistakenly diagnosed with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Numbness, from the navel to the groin in the back of the spine, causes heaviness in the intestines and stomach.
• Dry throat.

Radicular changes can cause cardinal syndrome - a violation of bone tissue causing irritation to the pectal or diaphragmatic muscle roots. Its occurrence is marked by: heart disease with different duration, from sharp stabbing to long pain, tachycardia, shortness of breath. These symptoms are exactly the same as the symptoms of angina pectoris. And if you treat it, the result will be zero. Moreover, in patients with such a syndrome, the cardiogram is normal and other than pain, there are no other signs of heart disease. Therefore, drugs with coronary dilation effect are ineffective.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Effective treatment is a complex therapy that must be performed not only during exacerbations.

Medicine

• Pain syndrome is brought down by analgesics and other painkillers.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed for severe pain.
• Local anesthetics in the form of heating ointments and gels will be useful.
• If there is isolated muscle spasm, take a sedative.
• Prescribe drugs that improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis.
• Also in medical practice, painkillers are used.
• Consult anti-seizure medication if necessary
• If there are psychological disorders, antidepressants, sedatives, medications for insomnia are useful.

In addition to drug treatment, the following have a fairly positive effect:

• urut,
• medical gymnastics;
• electrophoresis;
• wear a bandage.

Cardinal treatment methods - surgery to remove hernias and other spinal deformities.