Cervical osteochondrosis or cervical spine osteochondrosis is a common disease in knowledge workers. Rapidly progressive disease. Cervical osteochondrosis, which is complicated by the development of a disc herniation, is associated with an increased incidence of early stroke. MRI is required for diagnosis.
What is cervical osteochondrosis?
Cervical osteochondrosis is a common cause of neck pain, headache, pressure shocks, shoulder pain, numbness of the fingers, pain under the shoulder blade. Currently, the incidence of cervical osteochondrosis has increased significantly as the role of the computer in our lives has increased.
However, a fall or injury can stimulate the development of osteochondrosis, and degeneration (wear) of the intervertebral discs over time can lead to symptoms.
Symptoms
In addition to moderate to mild pain, a feeling of neck stiffness, and in some cases limited mobility, many patients with osteochondrosis of the neck experience numbness, tingling, and even weakness in the neck, arms, or shoulders when exposed to chemicals. irritation and pinched nerves in the cervical spine.
For example, pinching a nerve root in the C6-C7 segment can cause weakness in the muscles of the triceps, shoulder, or forearm, weakening of the wrist muscles, and a change in the sensitivity of the middle finger.
Cervical osteochondrosis often leads to the development of spinal stenosis (stenosis) and other progressive conditions such as intervertebral hernia. How does this happen?
Osteopondrosis is nothing more than a degeneration of the vertebral structures, usually caused by the natural aging of the body. As we age, thickening of the ligaments, bone growths in the vertebrae, and other changes occur. Due to the thickening of the spinal ligaments, the appearance of bone growths, and many other reasons, there is less space on the spinal column. spinal cord and nerves within the spinal canal. This condition is called stenosis, i. e. narrowing of the spinal canal. Severe narrowing of the spinal canal can lead to compression of the nerve roots or even the spinal cord itself.
Intervertebral hernia is also a consequence of degeneration in most cases. Intervertebral discs act as dampers for friction between the vertebrae, preventing them from dying. Over time, the plate loses moisture and nutrients, flattens, becomes more fragile and less flexible. This can cause a rupture in the ring, through which part of the nucleus pulposus is squeezed into the spinal canal. This condition is called an intervertebral hernia. If an intervertebral hernia compresses the nearby nerve root, pain syndrome and / or appropriate neurological symptoms occur.
Diagnostics
Successful diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis begins with a medical consultation. The doctor compiles the patient’s medical history and performs a physical examination to check the mobility and sensitivity of the neck. During the test, the patient may be asked to perform certain movements and report how the symptoms of the pain change (increase or decrease).
If the test indicates that further tests are needed, your doctor may recommend radiographic tests, such as radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT). These diagnostic tests can confirm the presence and localization of osteochondrosis with varying degrees of reliability, as well as identify other conditions (such as calcification or arthritis) that may be causing the patient's symptoms.
The best way to perform a radiographic scan right now is to use an MRI because Magnetic Resonance Imaging can take high-quality, detailed images not only of bone tissue, as in radiography, but also of soft tissues of the spine, including muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves, and intervertebral discs. CT is usually prescribed if there is a contraindication to MRI, the main one being the presence of metal structures or devices in the body (artificial joints, pacemakers, etc. ). The quality of CT scans is lower than that of MRIs, but they can also show the condition of the soft parts of the spine.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Conservative (non-surgical) treatment of osteochondrosis is always recommended as the primary strategy, and surgery should only be considered if complex conservative treatment for at least six months has failed or if the patient's daily routine is significantly disrupted by pain and other symptoms. .
Methods used in the conservative treatment of cervical osteochondrosis may include:
- traction of the spine (traction). Recently used no-load spine traction methods allow the complete removal of complications of this treatment method, without which load traction is not possible. As the intervertebral distance increases, the nutrition of all intervertebral discs improves and the pain syndrome disappears.
- Physiotherapy. . Physiotherapy can improve the mobility of the spine. In the moving vertebral segment, the hernias and protrusions do not grow and develop as the intervertebral discs perform their function.
- mass therapy.
- drug therapy. It contains NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and painkillers. In most cases, drug therapy has little or no transient effect.
- neck corsets, orthopedic pillows. They may be recommended to stabilize the cervical spine and reduce the pressure on the nerve root after trauma and spinal fractures.
Surgical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
If there is no significant improvement after six months of conservative treatment and the daily routine becomes more difficult for the patient, surgery should be considered. Typically, in cervical osteochondrosis, a procedure called spinal fusion is performed to immobilize the affected vertebral segment. This surgery involves removing the intervertebral disc, decompressing the nerve root, and inserting a bone or metal implant to maintain or create a normal disc space and stabilize the spinal segment.
Spinal fusion is usually performed on one vertebral segment, in rare cases surgery on two vertebral segments should be considered. Either way, the patient should be aware that surgery to relieve the symptoms of neck pain is much less likely to lead to a positive result than a similar surgery to relieve pain in the osteochondrosis arm of the neck. Therefore, if neck pain is the main or only symptom, spinal fusion is only recommended as a last resort, or if all conservative treatments have been tried and failed. If the disc cavity cannot be identified as the most likely source of neck pain, it is best to avoid surgery, even if conservative treatment does not provide significant pain relief. Also, keep in mind that spinal surgery can have quite serious consequences both in the surgical area (local infection, implant rejection, etc. ) and throughout the body (blood clots, allergic reactions to medications, etc. ). . Therefore, before making a decision on surgical treatment, every detail of the surgery should be discussed directly with the surgeon performing the surgery. It should also be noted that cervical spine surgery most often leads to vertebral disability.
What is cervical osteochondrosis?
Official medicine interprets osteochondrosis as a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the intervertebral discs.
The part of the spine where these discs are located is also defined.
Let’s look specifically at the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the neck, which is responsible for almost 80% of all diseases in our backs.
It is sad that the disease affects the category of patients aged 30-50, ie living at the peak of their ability to work.
In young people, the disease acts as an independent disease, in old age it is a pathology that has developed in the background of other joint diseases.
How does the disease develop?
Any part of the spine is characterized by intermittent development of the disease. Cervical osteochondrosis does not go beyond this framework, so it is worth discussing each stage in detail.
- In the initial stage, there is a gradual destruction of the intervertebral discs. Among them is an annulus fibrosus, in which cracks appear, leading to a decrease in the elasticity and strength of the plates themselves. They tighten and compress the nerve roots.
- The second stage is a consequence of the untreated first stage. The initial destruction of the cartilage discs leads to a chronic form, tissue compaction occurs, and displacements of the cervical vertebrae are observed. Falling head syndrome often develops at this stage.
- In the third stage, the pain sensations intensify, permanent headaches occur, the sensitivity of the upper limbs is lost, and the "lumbago" of the neck is tormented. This is due to the fact that the fibrous ring is almost completely destroyed at this stage.
Often, the pain of third-degree cervical osteochondrosis is reduced. This happens the moment the cartilage tissue disappears and there is nothing wrong.
Cause
Given the general prevalence of osteochondrosis, doctors have thoroughly examined its causes. Many negative factors have been identified, but there is no definitive list. Here are the ones announced so far:
- sedentary lifestyle;
- all kinds of poisoning and infections;
- high physical activity;
- smoking;
- constant weight lifting;
- stress and nervous tension;
- uncomfortable shoes or irregular feet that put unnecessary pressure on the spine;
- malnutrition;
- frequent hypothermia and exposure to bad weather;
- age-related changes;
- spinal cord injury;
- bad inheritance;
- a sharp refusal to train if they had been done for a long time before.
After learning the causes, it becomes apparent that cervical osteochondrosis can occur at any age. And if initially the symptoms of osteochondrosis are insignificant and characterized by rare pain attacks, it turns out over time that the neck cannot be turned either and it is difficult to tilt the head. And this is not the only danger of the disease.
What is the danger of the disease
Our neck is a great worker. He’s in it all day and his little vertebrae are stoically resisting every turn and tilt of our head. As the bones move, the nerves become pinched, the blood vessels constrict, and the vertebral artery responsible for feeding the brain also passes through the cervical spine. The artery is compressed, the nerve root is compressed, and the inflammatory process begins.
What does this lead to? Spinal stroke, ischemia, intervertebral hernia - these are serious consequences of cervical osteochondrosis. This includes the general decrease in mobility and the formation of osteophytes. As a result, we have a disability that threatens complete immobility. With such a disappointing prognosis, it is important to quickly recognize the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Symptoms
The shortest way to identify osteochondrosis is through patient complaints. So how do you feel when your cervical vertebrae are destroyed? The picture of the disease looks like this:
- dizziness;
- Severe headache;
- "Flies" and colored spots in the eyes in the background of the headache;
- pain when turning, lifting weights;
- pain radiating to other organs (region of the heart, other organs).
Sometimes the signs of osteochondrosis can be classified as other diseases, but they cannot be ignored, even if they are temporary.
Diagnosis and treatment
Continuing the patient's feelings, the neurologist makes a more accurate diagnosis of the disease. A few years ago, there were only x-rays in the arsenal of doctors to detect osteochondrosis. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are being actively used today. They make it possible to determine the exact stage of the disease.
After evaluating the resulting image, the vertebroneurologist will prescribe the necessary treatment. The doctor’s first thing is to relieve the pain and then the swelling and inflammation. Such anti-inflammatory agents are used to relieve pain. It is remembered that the compression of the arterial vertebrae disrupts the supply to the brain, which means that it needs to be repaired. This is done with the help of muscle relaxants.
Knowing that the symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis apply to the spine, massage and physiotherapy practices are necessarily part of a complex of health-improving measures. The massage is performed by a specialist and the patient himself. There are also special exercises designed to develop cervical vertebrae and restore their mobility.