Many people self-medicate because they misdiagnose themselves. Very often, you can hear the following sentence from friends or acquaintances: I have cervical osteochondrosis. However, not everyone really understands what cervical osteochondrosis is. But not all neck snapping should be considered a disease.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease that is associated with damage to the articular cartilage and bone tissue in the cervical spine.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease that is associated with damage to the articular cartilage and bone tissue in the cervical spine.
Modern doctors believe that this disease is degenerative-dystrophic in nature, as it manifests itself in the deformation, separation and change in height of the intervertebral discs.
Very often it is accompanied by cervical osteochondrosis - vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD). To understand where these friendly neighbors came from, let's look at the causes of cervical osteochondrosis.
Causes of the disease
Common causes of this problem:
- segmental circulatory disorders;
- various injuries;
- individual tendency;
- old age.
The causes of this disease also lie in the sedentary lifestyle of modern people. >Not infrequently, the appearance of cervical osteochondrosis is preceded by hypothermia and overeating. But the most common cause of this disease is bad posture at the desk and acquired scoliosis.
Cervical osteochondrosis develops due to a decrease in the value of the intervertebral disc, as well as a violation of the fibrous ring.
How does a neck migraine manifest itself?
Cervical osteochondrosis has specific symptoms. The signs of such a disease are always the following:
- tearing, cutting and sometimes squeezing pains in the back of the head, neck, shoulders;
- sensory disturbances in the affected area;
- hand numbness;
- sharp vision;
- constant tinnitus;
- pain in the region of the heart.
However, even if these symptoms are inherent in a particular person, you should not rush to conclusions, after making a proper diagnosis, be sure to consult a doctor.
Disease detection methods
Cervical osteochondrosis is diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and radiography.
Tomographic diagnostics allows identification of abnormalities such as failure of cartilage formation, assessment of the condition of paravertebral muscles, joints and discs.
X-ray diagnostics contributes to the correct diagnosis, since the image accurately reflects the nature and extent of damage to a certain area.
The diagnosis of such a disease also includes duplex scanning of blood vessels, which allows assessing the condition of the arteries passing through the neck region.
What is a dangerous disease
Osteochondrosis of the cervical region has unpleasant consequences. In the case of osteochondrosis of the 1st degree, the following consequences occur:
- dizziness;
- blurred vision or poor vision;
- hypertension;
- black out.
Cervical osteochondrosis of the 2nd degree is always accompanied by vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD). This disease manifests itself in severe headaches due to lack of oxygen to the brain. VVD is also manifested by breathing difficulties, panic attacks, numbness of the hands and feet, poor sleep, fatigue, and increased irritability. Moreover, the consequences are unpredictable. For example, patients may lose their vision completely.
VVD and cervical osteochondrosis have similar symptoms. Therefore, the methods of treating VVD and cervical osteochondrosis are very similar.
Treatment methods
There are many ways to cure osteochondrosis of the cervical region, as well as the consequences of VSD.
- Medical therapy.
- Alternative treatment.
- Physiotherapy.
Medical treatment
This therapy includes the use of pain relievers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, myotropic antispasmodics, steroid drugs, and chondroprotectors for both cervical osteochondrosis and VVD.
Painkillers help cure the disease by eliminating spasms. In case of such diseases, you can use warming ointments and gels.
Thanks to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such diseases can be cured by removing swelling and inflammation.
Chondroprotectors help to cure cervical osteochondrosis due to chondroetin and glucosamine, which are part of these drugs.
Alternative therapy
This type of treatment includes a complex of physiotherapy procedures aimed at eliminating pain, inflammation and restoring the whole body.
Thanks to magnetotherapy, osteochondrosis can be cured with a magnetic field directed to the affected area.
With the help of electrotherapy, you can recover from neck migraine quickly and for a long time. This is possible due to increased blood circulation, which is facilitated by electric current.
With the help of acoustic waves, you can also get rid of pain and inflammation in neck migraines. This treatment is called shock wave therapy.
Thanks to the power of healing mud, you can save yourself from VVD and cervical migraine. Mud soaked in mineral water relieves swelling, relaxes muscles, and eliminates pain. This treatment is called balneotherapy.
Physiotherapy
Such therapy involves a complex of special physical activities, including swimming, walking in the fresh air and simple physical exercises. This complex can be performed by both children and the elderly. By implementing all the recommendations, you can get rid of VVD and cervical migraine, and effectively and quickly eliminate their consequences.