Currently, not only people of retirement age are susceptible to this disease, but also 25-year-olds are included in the risk group. Osteochondrosis affects different areas and departments: lower back, neck, chest.
Causes and stages of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis occurs due to the influence of the following factors:
- excessive physical exertion of the spine;
- bending, 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 osteochondrosis;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- the presence of flat feet;
- sleeping on a soft pillow or mattress;
- frequent uncomfortable sitting positions;
- carrying a bag on one side;
- circulatory disorders and muscle cramps.
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 makes the situation worse, pregnancy is no exception. Failure to follow the rules recommended by the doctor exposes the mother's health to serious violations.
In the process of straining the cervical region, cracks appear on the cartilage, disc displacements and pinching of nerves and spinal cord are possible. Along the cervical region there are vessels that supply the brain with the necessary substances, their compression 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, possible displacement of the nucleus to the side. Symptoms will include shooting and sharp pains, sudden muscle cramps, the patient may have dilated pupils and numbness of the tongue - this is an indicator of the initial phase of the nerve. Specialists often additionally diagnose Wright and Naffziger syndromes, whose characteristic features are numbness of the hand when lifting, tingling, pinching of nerve endings in the area of the collarbone. Neck pain that does not go away on its own and often occurs with physical exertion, characteristic crunch in the affected areas, causeless fatigue, tinnitus.
- During the second phase, the gap between the vertebrae narrows even more, which leads to drying of the fibrous ring, the rupture of the capsule is also accompanied by an inflammatory process. Without proper treatment, osteophytes are formed - growths of bone tissue.
- The third stage is characterized by a complete rupture of the cartilaginous tissue, there may be a prolapse of the nucleus, which causes the formation of a herniated intervertebral disc. Symptoms that help to recognize the disease in stage 3 are often acute pain in the cervical region, frequent numbness of the limbs, the person cannot control the arm or leg, it is accompanied by dizziness and headache, loss of consciousness.
Diagnosis and treatment of the disease
If you suspect cervical osteochondrosis, you cannot treat yourself. The symptoms of some diseases are very similar to each other, and self-medication can lead to worsening of the condition and wheelchairs.
The disease is always easier to eliminate in the initial stages of development, when it has not gained strength and there is little damage to internal organs.
Loss of valuable time threatens long-term treatment consisting of taking medication, physiotherapy exercises, and adhering to a daily regimen.
If the symptoms of the disease are discovered, it is necessary to contact a specialist - a neuropathologist, who will be able to diagnose, determine the damage to the nerve endings and prescribe additional X-rays, ultrasound of blood vessels and tomography. The diagnosis is made on the basis of MRI and radiography.
In the initial stages of the disease, the patient can treat cervical osteochondrosis at home, visiting specialists at a certain time and fully adhering to his advice and regulations.
Drug treatment consists of taking certain medications that the doctor must prescribe, depending on the stage of the disease and the general condition of the body, with an indication of the dose:
- NSAIDs, admission lasts up to 2 weeks;
- sedatives avoid complete exhaustion of the nervous system, among them tincture of lemon balm, valerian;
- when edema occurs, the doctor prescribes diuretics that reduce the swelling of the inflamed area;
- thanks to the intake of vitamin B, metabolic processes in the affected tissues of the nervous system are normalized, neuromuscular conduction is improved;
- muscle relaxants relax muscles that are prone to cramps;
- 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 the tissue and help alleviate the human condition.
If the patient does not feel well, bed rest is mandatory. Due to the correct position of the body, the vertebrae relax, the pain decreases. Rest in bed does not last longer than 2 days, then the patient must move.
Tips for alleviating the human condition
Doctors often hear the question of how to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home. If the patient is in the acute phase of the disease, it is recommended to perform light breathing exercises and several exercises to relieve cramps.
In addition to improving well-being, it is allowed to perform sets of exercises in a sitting or standing position under the supervision of an experienced expert. When the person has learned all the necessary rules and strictly adhered to them, he is allowed to perform therapeutic exercises at home.
It consists of a few smooth turns and tilts of the head, and then the load gradually increases. If a muscle spasm suddenly appears, it is necessary to do a light massage that does not cause pain and discomfort.
With good health for preventive purposes, experts recommend a visit to an experienced massage therapist 2 times a year. It is able not only to warm up the muscles properly and quickly, but also to qualitatively remove small deposits of salt and develop joints and vertebrae.
After consulting a doctor, it is allowed to use Glisson's loop, which consists of several strips hung on the hook. They allow you to support your head and relieve stress from your neck. Diet plays a major role in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. Experts advise to exclude from daily consumption products that can increase muscle tone and lead to cramps - 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 will not only improve the general condition of the patient, but will also have a positive effect on vertebrae and cartilage tissues: these are fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes in any form, cereals;
- products containing proteins - milk and its derivatives, nuts of any kind, eggs, dietary and lean meat 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 the person is not in the acute phase, it is still better not to take risks and not to convulse the affected tissues due to the wrong food. You need to drink a sufficient amount of plain still water, balance your diet, perform daily exercises from therapeutic exercises that not only weaken and relieve tension from the affected parts of the body, but also strengthen the patient's body. .
At work, you need to rest at short intervals, do a quick self-massage and follow proper posture.
Danger of self-medication
In order not to take a big risk, you do not have to self-medicate. Only an experienced specialist can understand the disease, detect the stage of osteochondrosis, take measures to eliminate the disease and prescribe the correct and qualified treatment. Some diseases are quite insidious and can easily be disguised in others.
An X-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging will help check the structure of the vertebral discs, detect problems, and find the right option to correct them and alleviate the patient's condition. If a person heals himself, he can miss the initial stage of the disease and expose his body to even greater destruction. Uncontrolled medication will damage not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also the liver and kidneys, which will remove toxins and purify the blood.
After consulting a doctor at home, you can use decoctions of medicinal herbs and herbs that will enhance the effect of ointments and preparations:
- Celery: 1 teaspoon of crushed root of this plant is poured with 1 liter of warm water and left to stand for 8 hours, after straining take 1 teaspoon. 3 times daily after meals. Celery seeds: 1 tbsp. l. pour 0, 5 liters of boiling water, insist 2 hours and take 1 tbsp. l. 3 times daily before meals.
- Fresh horseradish or cabbage leaves, previously crumpled, are placed on the sore spots, tied on top with a warm scarf or shawl and changed as needed.
Recommendations of experts for the prevention of osteochondrosis
The most common mistake many patients make is the persistent belief that the disease will go away on its own.
Doctors say that such an attitude towards health has a detrimental effect on a person's condition and worsens the course of cervical osteochondrosis.
The course of treatment consists not only of relieving pain, discomfort, and some symptoms, but also of repairing damaged vertebral and cervical discs, removing constriction of the arteries leading to the brain, and maintaining a person’s well-being.
The recovery process is quite long and requires a lot of endurance, effort and help from relatives and friends, but the result will allow you to feel free, not depend on medication and enjoy life.