Osteochondrosis is an outdated term often used in some countries for degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, facet joints and the vertebral bodies themselves. These changes in the cervical spine are common due to its mobility and cause neck pain in both men and women. Sometimes a degenerative disease is complicated by an intervertebral hernia that compresses the root of the spine, which can lead to muscle weakness and numbness of the skin of the upper limbs. In the article, we will talk about the symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.
The cause of the pain
The cervical spine is very mobile. It consists of seven vertebrae, intervertebral discs located between them, and ligaments. In the case of osteochondrosis, the intervertebral discs become thinner and deformed, their flexibility and shock absorption decrease. Gradually, the inner part of the disc, the nucleus pulposus, protrudes through micro-injuries in the outer part, the annulus fibrosus. This is how intervertebral protrusions and hernias develop, which irritate the pain receptors of the ligament along the back surface of the spinal column, which causes pain. When the spinal roots are compressed, the pain may spread to the upper limbs and neurological symptoms may appear: sensitivity of the skin of the arm, muscle weakness, etc. As a protective reaction to any injury and damage, bone growths - osteophytes - can appear on the edges of the bodies and the arches of the vertebrae.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine usually develops as a result of the aging process, but some risk factors aggravate and accelerate the course of the degenerative spine disease. Among them:
- Genetic predisposition.The presence of osteochondrosis in close relatives, especially at a young age, increases the risk of its early occurrence and complications.
- Physical inactivity.In the case of a sedentary lifestyle, the nutrition of the intervertebral discs is interrupted. They do not have blood vessels, they receive nutrients by diffusion from the vertebral bodies. These processes take place actively during physical activity.
- Injury.Spinal injuries accelerate the development of degenerative changes in the spine.
- Uneven load on the spine.Possible situations: improper exercise, bad posture, overwhelming load on one side of the body or in one limb, prolonged posture with tilted head, for example, reading on the phone.
- Metabolic disorders.The condition of the vertebrae is affected by the presence of endocrine diseases, especially diabetes, which makes it difficult for tissue nutrition.
Symptoms
The dominant symptom of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is pain. Its localization depends on the nature of the lesion. If irritated by a bulging disc or osteophytes of a sensitive ligament, pain is felt in the neck and is accompanied by reflex muscle spasms. If the herniation compresses the spinal nerve, the pain may radiate to the arm.
Most often, the pain occurs in the neck and back of the head and is triggered or aggravated by sudden head movements, prolonged static tension, or an uncomfortable position, such as after sleeping.
Other signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- Limited neck mobility, pain when turning the head.
- Neck muscle spasm.
- A decrease in the tone and strength of the muscles of the upper limb, which is characteristic of the compression of the spinal root hernia.
- Impaired sensitivity of the skin of the upper limbs.
- When the vertebral hernia of the artery is compressed, the symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency appear, which develop sharply when turning or tilting the head: dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, fainting, short-term memory impairment, unsteadiness while walking, impaired vision, hearing and speech, severe muscle weakness in the limbs.
Diagnostics
With pain and discomfort in the neck area, the patient is recommended to consult a neurologist or vertebrologist. Sometimes other specialists must also be consulted: an orthopedic traumatologist if there is an injury in the medical history.
The neurologist performs an examination and clarifies the complaints and medical history. Cervical osteochondrosis can manifest itself in dozens of diseases, so additional examination is often required to determine the cause of the pain and establish a clinical diagnosis.
The diagnostic plan for neck pain may include the following test methods:
- Laboratory tests (general blood count, biochemical blood test, urine test, other - as indicated).
- X-ray of the cervical spine to detect fractures and other injuries.
- CT scan of the cervical spine to determine injuries, cancer and other changes in the vertebrae.
- MRI of the cervical spine to assess the condition of the spinal cord, nerve roots, to visualize protrusions and hernias.
- Electroneuromyography to determine the conduction of impulses along the roots of the spine.
During the differential diagnosis, other tests are prescribed based on the decision of the specialists.
When is treatment possible without surgery?
In osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, conservative treatment is carried out if there are no progressive neurological manifestations: muscle weakness and numbness in the limbs. They occur when the spinal roots, arteries and spinal cord are compressed.
The neurologist determines the method of treatment of cervical osteochondrosis after receiving the examination and test results. Most patients receive effective conservative therapy with stable, long-term remission. Modern techniques are also effectively used to prevent the progression and manifestations of osteochondrosis.
Conservative treatment methods
In the case of cervical osteochondrosis, therapy begins with conservative methods. Its goals: pain relief, elimination of muscle spasms, improvement of nerve tissue metabolism and microcirculation.
Drug therapy is used to relieve pain and muscle spasms. For this, the neurologist prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants. If the pain lasts longer than 12 weeks, i. e. it becomes chronic, anticonvulsants and antidepressants with a long-lasting pain-relieving effect may be recommended.
In addition to drug therapy, modern, effective techniques are used:
- Acupuncture.The neurologist uses special sterile needles to irritate biologically active points. This relieves the condition: reduces pain, relaxes the muscles.
- Plasma therapy.The regeneration of damaged tissues is stimulated by the local administration of the patient's blood plasma enriched with platelets. Recovery time after surgeries, illnesses and injuries is reduced.
- High intensity magnet.The electromagnetic field stimulates and accelerates the regeneration of damaged tissues. It relieves pain and reduces swelling.
- Physiotherapy laser.The method has an anti-inflammatory, edema and pain-relieving effect. It makes it possible to reduce the size of the hernial protrusion. It is used as a basic method as part of the treatment of intervertebral hernias with the resorption method.
- Physiotherapy.The aim of the sessions is to strengthen the muscles, increase the flexibility of the spine, restore the range of motion of the joints of the spine and develop the correct posture. The exercises are selected individually for the patient by a specialist after the acute pain has subsided.
- Kinesio taping.Combined with physical therapy. Before the classes, the doctor attaches tapes to the neck-collar area in a certain direction to relax the muscles and influence the pain receptors. As a result, the pain is reduced. With regular use, the mobility of the spine is restored and muscle tone is normalized.
- Medical massage.The specialist relieves muscle spasm by acting on the receptors in the skin, muscles and fascia. It quickly and permanently relieves pain and improves the mobility of the vertebrae.
Therapy is selected individually depending on the cause of neck and back pain and accompanying symptoms.
Forecast
In case of timely diagnosis and treatment, the result is favorable. If the complications of osteochondrosis appear in the form of an intervertebral hernia, with various neurological symptoms, surgical treatment may be necessary. After that, rehabilitation can take years. Without treatment, the risk of permanent disability is high. Comorbidities and advanced age worsen the prognosis.
Patients are often concerned about how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis forever. Unfortunately, it cannot be completely cured. Degenerative-dystrophic changes of the spine are the processes of natural aging of the body, which cannot be avoided. But you can slow down their progression and avoid complications.
Prevention
There are no special preventive measures for osteochondrosis.
Recommendations for improving general health:
- Maintaining optimal body weight.
- Maintaining an active lifestyle.
- Sleep on an orthopedic mattress and pillow.
- Regular moderate physical activity - enough walking for half an hour, warming up the neck and back every day.
- Workplace ergonomics. The table and chair should match your height, and the computer monitor should be at eye level or slightly higher.
These measures maintain the health of the musculoskeletal system by reducing wear and tear on the intervertebral discs.
Abstracts:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative-dystrophic change of the vertebrae, accompanied by the formation of intervertebral disc herniation.
- Cervical osteochondrosis manifests itself in neck pain, limited movement and muscle spasms. If the spinal root is compressed by the hernia, muscle weakness and numbness of the skin of the upper limbs may occur.
- The diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis consists of an examination by a neurologist and the completion of the necessary additional examination: CT, MRI of the spine and other methods.
- Treatment of osteochondrosis is most often conservative and aimed at relieving pain, inflammation and muscle spasms.
- Prevention of osteochondrosis consists of maintaining an active lifestyle, regular physical activity and workplace ergonomics.