Osteochondrosis of the neck - Symptoms and treatment

The osteochondrosis of the cervical column (shopping) is one of the most common pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.Every year, doctors diagnose this disease more and more often and proceeds more and more.According to statistics, in women, degenerative distrus changes in the upper column occur more often, especially for patients in the post-folly period.The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women are pain, limitation of mobility, cerebrovascular failure and this is dangerous not only for health, but also for life.To protect yourself from the dangerous consequences of the pathology, it is necessary to start treatment in the early stages.It is important to perform a complete therapy, change the lifestyle to stop the destruction of vertebrates and prevent serious complications.

The development of the disease

The cervical column is more vulnerable to various degenerative injuries and changes.This is due to the fact that this segment is the most mobile and the muscles here are weak.Small cervical vertebrae daily resist on a strong load, which leads to the gradual destruction of the intervertebral discs.The vertebrae take one on the other, due to which the cartilage seals with each other lose many liquids, they begin to degrade and deform.

In addition, the osteochondosis of the cervical column develops due to the insufficient cartilage nutrition.And the spinal canal in this area is narrow, therefore it is often crushed, which causes neurological symptoms.

The pathology in women in the early stages manifests itself from the weight in the back of the head, tingling in their hands and so on.Often, patients confuse the first signs of the disease with overload.

A large number of blood vessels and nerve roots are found on the neck area and neurological disorders can also occur with their compression.It is particularly dangerous if the deformed disc or the vertebrae compresses the vertebral artery that nourishes important parts of the brain.During his compression, the coordination of movements is violated, a woman can lose his balance, his vision, hearing worsens and the risk of stroke increases.

Reference.According to statistics, the most often the cervical osteochondosis is found in patients from 25 to 40 years.This is due to the reduction of the mass of physical activity, to the session work.In women, a disease is more often found than in men, since they have more fragile vertebrae and thin bone tissue.

Doctors distinguish 4 phases of the osteochondrosis shop:

• PHASE 1 - The intervertebral disc loses part of the humidity, its height decreases, the cracks may appear on the fibrous ring (external shell).This is the stadium of the cervical chondro, which is difficult to detect, since it has unexpressed symptoms.The neck tires quickly, the discomfort, gravity in the damaged area, sometimes a slight pain appears, which passes quickly.
• 2 stadiums: the cracks on the surface of the disc increase, the octopus nucleus (content similar to the disc gel) is moved and can protrude through damaged areas.Then the cartilage protrusions are manifested, which can compress the spinal cord and its roots.Periodically, the pronounced pain appears, weakness, the limitation of mobility, innervation of the face, neck, shoulders, hands can occur.
• PHASE 3 - The protrusion breaks the external shell of the disc, then an hernia is formed.The pain becomes more pronounced, there are neurological disorders.
• PHASE 4 - The disc is almost completely destroyed, the vertebrae rub each other against each other, bone growth (osteophytes) appear on their parts, which are designed to stabilize the damaged segment.Nervous lieutenants, spinal cord, blood vessels are violated.The nearby joints begin to be damaged.Clinical signs are pronounced.

It is easier to stop the degenerative dystrophic changes in the first two stadiums of the osteochondosis chop.In 3 phases, complete treatment will help to stop the further destruction of the spinal segment.At the last phase, you cannot do without surgery.

Reasons

Schop's osteochondrosis is a complex and prolonged process that most often has several reasons.In most cases, the pathology occurs due to a sedentary lifestyle, malnutrition and metabolic disorders.Often the disease occurs due to injuries or due to the natural aging of the body and the fulfillment of its protective forces.

Doctors distinguish the main causes of osteocondrosis in women:

• Violation of metabolic processes.
• Passive lifestyle.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Chronic muscle tension around the cervical segment.
• Curved with posture.
• Deficiency of liquids and nutrients in the body.
• Long -term stay in an uncomfortable position (extended neck forward and a curved back).
• Overweight.
• Wear frequent with heels.
• Shop injuries.
• Solve heavy objects.
• Autoimmune pathologies.
• Frequent stress, chronic fatigue.
• Hypothermia.
• Infectious diseases.
• Too long or short neck and so on.

All these factors cause a violation of the nutrition of intervertebral discs and lead to their degeneration.

Female cervical osteochondosis can be caused by pathologies of the vertebral artery associated with genetic predisposition, intrauterine disorders, injuries during childbirth.The disease can occur due to rheumatism, endocrine disorders, excessive load on the cervical segment during pregnancy, local overloads.

Important.The main causes of cervical osteochondrosis in women are menopause, as well as the changes associated with this period.At this stage, the concentration of progesterone is reduced in the body, which is very important for bone tissue.The probability of degenerative changes is associated with the weakening related to the age of the muscles of the neck and the weakening of the support of the vertebrae in this area.

Symptoms

Osteocondrosis is characterized by a path similar to waves, when the acute period is replaced by remission.The exacerbation can cause infections, injuries, hypothermia, long loads on the neck.

The first signs of cervical osteochondrosis in women are headache, discomfort, severity in the neck.It is important to distinguish over time to distinguish pain for the condrosis from hemicrania or autonomous dysfunction.

The clinical manifestations of osteocondrosis in women are caused by neurological syndromes:

• The cervical discs occur with irritation of nerve endings with fragments of damage to damaged cartilage.So a specific crisis appears in the neck, the pain, which becomes more pronounced when the head moves and after sleep.
• The scale muscle syndrome becomes the result of damage to the vessels and nerves of the shoulder complex and the subclavian artery.This complex of symptoms is accompanied by pain from the internal surface of the shoulder in hand from the damaged side.The limb becomes pale, fresh, edematous, numbness occurs.Neck pain spreads in the back of the head when the patient turns the head.
• The periartrosis syndrome of the shoulder -pada - the dystrophic changes influence the fibers of the tendon surrounding the shoulder.The painful sensations from the neck radiate to the shoulder and shoulder rise.There is a forced position of the neck: it is inclined to the affected side and the shoulder is slightly lowered.
• The spinal artery syndrome - a blood vessel compresses fragments of a damaged disc or osteophyte (depending on the stage of the disease).The patient turns and headache, nausea, sometimes vomiting occurs.The pain is located in the back of the head, the crown and the temples.
• Cardile: the nerve beams of the spinal cord are damaged.There is cardiac pain, arrhythmia.In case of damage to C3, pain appears in the half of the neck, the tongue swells, the patient cannot chew the food normally.If the C4 is injured, then the discomfort appears in the area of the vegetables of the shoulder, clavicle, heart.With damage to C5, the reaction of the pain from the neck spreads to the shoulder, the internal surface of the shoulder.The irritation of C6 manifests itself from pain from the neck and shoulder shoulder blades and spreads through the hand to the thumb.If C7 is damaged, the pain syndrome extends on the back of the shoulders, grabs the entire hand, including the index and the middle finger.When C8 compresses, the pain spreads from the area interested in the elbow and little finger.

In addition, a woman can be disturbed by the emotional sphere, weakness arises, becomes anxious, touchy.Often there is insomnia, memory weakens, attention due to normal headaches.

The symptoms of cerebrovascular circulation disorders appear when a woman strongly throws the back, inclined or performs a work in which the hands and the cervical column are loaded, for example, when it digs, paints the ceiling, tolerates gravity.

The violation of cerebral circulation occurs by dizziness, shaky pace, "flies" in front of the eyes, noise in the ears, weakness, nausea.In some patients, the voice becomes Rauca, sometimes disappears, pain in the throat appears.

Osteochondrosis during the menopause period is accompanied by migraines, improved by the sweat of the body in the area between the neck and the shoulders.When the vertebral artery compresses, the work of the cardiovascular system is disturbed.

If the disease occurs for a long time, then there is no blood circulation of important centers that perform neuro-endocrine functions.Due to the greater permeability of the vascular walls, the atherosclerosis of the brain and cardiac arteries develops.

Diagnosis

If you notice the symptoms of osteochondrosis, go to the therapist.After a visual inspection, the specialist will direct you to an orthopedist, a vertebrologist or a neurologist.

For the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, the following methods are used:

• X -Ray allows you to discover that the patient has vertebrae in the patient, the osteophytes are present at their edges, the distance between the vertebrae has decreased.For this, the study is conducted in several floors.To detail the characteristic changes, the doctor takes images.
• The cervical department CT provides detailed information on pathological changes in the vertebrae.This method allows to obtain volumetric images for a more detailed study, it is used in serious diagnostic cases.
• Magnetic resonance imaging is used to carefully evaluate the state of soft tissues (nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, muscles) on the affected area.
• Electromyography allows you to control the conductivity of the nervous fiber.

Doctors can also prescribe UZDG (ultrasound dopplerography of the main brain arteries) to determine the condition of blood flow in this area.

Conservative treatment

In the early stages, treatment with osteochondosis of cuts in women can be done at home.However, a doctor should be completed by a doctor.It is important to understand that it is a long process and it is unlikely that it is completely healed (especially elderly women).

The composition of the complex treatment includes:

• Take drugs.
• Using orthopedic devices.
• Therapeutic gymnastics.
• Physiotherapy procedures.
• Massage, manual exposure.
• Alternative treatment methods.

Conservative techniques will help to stop pain, inflammation, normalize muscle tone, improve metabolic processes, feeding the segments of the damaged spine.With timely therapy, it is possible to stop pathological changes.

The medicines for cervical osteochondosis will help to get rid of inflammation and pain.

The treatment of cervical osteochondosis in women is carried out using drugs that will help improve the metabolism of cartilage seals between the vertebrae, stop inflammation, the pain.The following drugs are used for this purpose:

• Fanse.The inflammation and pain of mild or medium power will help relieve.
• Analgesics.Stop pain syndrome.
• Prepare to improve brain circulation.
• Museums help to eliminate muscle spasm.
• Condroprotectors.They help to stop the destruction of the discs, improve metabolic processes, accelerate recovery.
• Majesty medicines.
• Nootropic.They stimulate the functioning of the brain due to the normalization of its circulatory, have a slight sedative effect.

Reference.With intense pain, which is not interrupted by oral medicines, therapeutic block, for example, with a novocaine or fans' solution, they are used.

It is possible to integrate the treatment with antimammator and painkillers in the form of gel, creams and ointments.They will be effective in the remission phase or in combination with oral agents.

The decision to choose medicinal combinations is taken by the doctor.The specialist will process a drug taking diagram and also determine their dosage.It is important to follow his recommendations, since many of the previous drugs threaten dangerous complications.

During the acute phase of the osteocondrosis, the woman should abandon strong physical activity.To download the cervical segment, you need to wear a special corset (Shansa collar), which will fix the vertebrae in the right position.This device is recommended to be used for prolonged job or hard physical work.

The physiotherapy procedures will help to weaken pain and improve blood circulation in the damaged area:

• Diadinamotherapy.
• Magnetotherapy.
• Electrophoresis.
• Electroanalgesia.
• Ultraviolet irradiation and so on.

The therapeutic effect occurs after the third session, therefore headache, hearing disorders, vision, dizziness, sleep and general condition improves or disappears.

Using the underwater traction of the cervical segment, it is possible to expand the distance between the vertebrae, free the nerve or the blood vessel from compression and restore the normal position of the vertebrae.

The massage will normalize muscle tone, will reduce the flow of lymphatic fluid, which causes swelling.After a few sessions, it improves blood circulation in the damaged area.

Therapeutic gymnastics is one of the most effective methods for the treatment of the osteocondrosis Chop.LFK allows you to strengthen the weak muscles of the neck, which will therefore take a part of the load from the spine and contribute to stop or slow down the degenerative dyeing changes.During the lessons, blood circulation improves, metabolic processes, nutritional discs are accelerated, which positively affect their condition.

Women should lead a training every day.They consist of simple but effective exercises.The complex consists of curves, inclinations of the head in different directions, as well as neck movements, during which they use hands.These elements can be performed at home, but only after the doctor's permit.Medical physical education is carried out only in the remission phase.

Complex treatment can be integrated with reflexology (acupuncture), Irudotherapy (leather treatment), swimming and so on.

Surgical treatment

The operation is prescribed in the last phases of the Chop osteochondrosis, which are accompanied by the serious destruction of the bone -optimal structures.Furthermore, it is not possible to perform surgery if the conservative methods were ineffective or the spinal canal significantly restricted.

In the aforementioned cases, the front cervical discouragement is performed.During the procedure, the doctor immobilizes the damaged segment of the spinal column and removes the hernia, which squeezed the spinal nerve.So the vertebrae, among which the disc was removed, are spent.If necessary, the space between the vertebrae is filled with a synthetic insert (cage).

After 3-5 days, the patient is discharged home.The rehabilitation period is about 12 weeks.To accelerate recovery, it is necessary to take drugs, wear a corset, guide the right lifestyle, go to physiotherapy procedures and perform operating therapy over time.

Recommendations on life

In order to rapidly get rid of unpleasant symptoms of osteochondrosis and stop degenerative dystrophic changes in the cervical segment, it is necessary to adjust the lifestyle.For this, the patient must follow the following recommendations:

• Go hiking every day, avoid running, jumping and other explosive stress.
• You can't wear heavy objects.
• You cannot sit for a long time, in extreme cases to wear a corset and periodically take a horizontal position.
• Perform special physical exercises for the back muscles at home.
• Sleep on a orthopedic mattress and a special pillow.
• Follow the diet, the diet with products rich in magnesium, calcium (walnuts, dairy products -caseari, seafood, legumes), as well as vegetable fibers, chondroitin (jelly, jelly).Refuse oily food, fried, too salty, alcohol.Read more about the rules of power will be recommended by the doctor.But in any case, it should be correct.

The numbering cannot be allowed, heating will benefit in the absence of an inflammatory process.

Complications

In the absence of a timely treatment of the cervical osteocondrosis, a woman can feel the following consequences of the pathology:

• The probability of protrusion occurs, which after a while turns into an hernia.The protrusion compresses the spinal cord, as well as its nerves, causing neurological disorders.
• Osteophytes appear with serious damage to the disk, irritate spinal nerves and blood vessels.
• In advanced cases, a strong weakening of the neck muscles or incomplete paralysis is possible, therefore the head is involuntarily hanging on the side or forward.
• Compression of the vertebral arteries, circulatory violation in the area concerned.This condition can cause neuralgia (pain along the nerve), hearing impairment and vision.
• Paralysis (incomplete or full) hands.
• Brain coup.

If a woman is committed to solving the problem in the early stages of the osteochondosis of the shop, then she will be able to warn the above conditions.

Preventive measures

Ideally, the prophylaxis of the osteochondrosis of the cut is necessary during the period of intrauterine development.The future mother should exclude factors that negatively influence the development of the fetus: infections, oxygen hunger, intoxication.If there is an injury at birth, the newborn must be treated.

To reduce the probability of developing osteochondrosis Chop, a woman must follow the following recommendations:

• Uniformly stop the vertebral column, for example, wear a load in both hands or in turn to the right and then left.
• Don't raise too much weights alone.
• Try to avoid neck lesions, hypothermia.
• While you work in the garden areas, take a break every 1.5 hours, rested for 20 minutes.
• Choose the shoes with an elastic sole that will soften the blows during running or jumping.
• With a long place, use a chair with a high back and a headrest or put a corset.

It is also important to eat, control the weight, avoid stress, prepare vitamin preparations for medical reasons, treat pathologies over time, which can cause osteochondrosis.In the remission phase, it is recommended to visit the sanitors to undergo a treatment course.

The most important thing

As you can see, in women, osteochondrosis of the cervical column occurs more often than in men, since the former have more fragile vertebrae and thin bone tissue.Patients are particularly sensitive to patients in the post -climacterico period.The disease manifests itself from pain, neurological disorders and dangerous symptoms of the cerebrovascular accident.Treatment is recommended to start in the early stages to avoid dangerous complications of the osteocondrosis.To do this, a woman must take drugs, adapt the lifestyle, visit physiotherapy procedures, massage, doing physiotherapy exercises.Surgical treatment is shown only in advanced cases.To prevent pathology, it is necessary to observe moderate physical activity, treat injuries and diseases that can cause osteochondosis over time.