Neck osteochondrosis - symptoms and treatment

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine (shopping) is one of the most common pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.Every year, doctors diagnose this disease more and more often, and it proceeds more and heavier.According to statistics, in women, degenerative-dystrophic changes in the upper spine occur more often, especially for patients in the post-fertilizer 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 pathology, you need to begin its treatment in the early stages.It is important to carry out comprehensive therapy, change the lifestyle in order to stop the destruction of vertebrates and prevent serious complications.

The development of the disease

The cervical spine is most vulnerable to various injuries and degenerative changes.This is due to the fact that this segment is the most mobile, and the muscles here are weak.Small cervical vertebrae daily withstand strong load, which leads to the gradual destruction of the intervertebral discs.The vertebrae press on each other, because of which the cartilaginous gaskets between them lose a lot of liquids, begin to degrade and deform.

In addition, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine develops due to insufficient nutrition of cartilage.And the spinal canal in this area is narrow, so it is often squeezed out, which causes neurological symptoms.

The pathology in women in the early stages is manifested by 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 overwork.

A large number of blood vessels and nerve roots are located on the neck area, and neurological disorders can also occur with their compression.It is especially dangerous if the deformed disk or vertebrae compress the vertebral artery that nourishes important parts of the brain.During its compression, coordination of movements is violated, a woman can lose equilibrium, her vision, hearing worsens, and the risk of stroke increases.

Reference.According to statistics, most often cervical osteochondrosis is found in patients from 25–40 years.This is due to a mass decrease in physical activity, sitting 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 stages of osteochondrosis shop:

• Stage 1 - the intervertebral disk loses part of the moisture, its height decreases, cracks may appear on the fibrous ring (outer shell).This is the stage of cervical chondrosis, which is difficult to detect, since it has unexpressed symptoms.The neck quickly gets tired, discomfort, severity in the damaged area occurs, sometimes a slight pain appears, which quickly passes.
• 2 stages - cracks on the surface of the disk increase, the pulpoose core (gel -like contents of the disk) is shifted, and can protrude through damaged areas.So the protrusions of cartilage are manifested, which can compress the spinal cord and its roots.Periodically, pronounced pain, weakness, limitation of mobility appears, numbness of the face, neck, shoulders, hands may occur.
• Stage 3 - protrusion breaks off the outer shell of the disk, so a hernia is formed.The pain becomes more pronounced, there are neurological disorders.
• Stage 4 - the disk is almost completely destroyed, the vertebrae rub against each other, bone growths (osteophytes) appear on their parts, which are designed to stabilize the damaged segment.Nerve endings, spinal cord, blood vessels are infringed.The neighboring joints begin to be damaged.Clinical signs are pronounced.

It is easiest to stop degenerative-dystrophic changes in the first two stages of chop osteochondrosis.At 3 stages, comprehensive treatment will help stop the further destruction of the spinal segment.At the last stage, you can not do without surgery.

Reasons

Schop osteochondrosis is a complex and prolonged process that most often has several reasons.In most cases, 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 weakening of its protective forces.

Doctors distinguish the main causes of osteochondrosis in women:

• Violation of metabolic processes.
• Passive lifestyle.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Chronic muscle tension around the cervical segment.
• Curving with posture.
• Deficiency of fluid and nutrients in the body.
• Long -term stay in an uncomfortable position (neck extended forward and a hunched back).
• Excessive weight.
• Frequent wearing in heels.
• SHOP injuries.
• Rise heavy objects.
• Autoimmune pathologies.
• Frequent stresses, chronic fatigue.
• Hypothermia.
• Infectious diseases.
• Too long or short neck and so on.

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

Female cervical osteochondrosis 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 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 age -related weakening of the neck muscles and weakening of the support of the vertebrae in this area.

Symptoms

Osteochondrosis is characterized by a wave -like course, when the acute period is replaced by remission.Exacerbation can provoke infections, injuries, hypothermia, long loads on the neck.

The first signs of cervical osteochondrosis in women are headaches, discomfort, severity in the neck.It is important to distinguish in time to distinguish pain for chondrosis from migraine or autonomic dysfunction.

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

• Cervical discs occurs with irritation of nerve endings with fragments of damaged cartilage laying.Then a specific crunch appears in the neck, pain, which becomes more pronounced when the head moves and after sleep.
• The stair muscle syndrome becomes the result of damage to the vessels and nerves of the shoulder plexus and the subclavian artery.This symptom complex is accompanied by pain from the inner surface of the shoulder to the hand from the damaged side.The limb becomes pale, cool, edematous, numbness occurs.The pain in the neck spreads to the back of the head when the patient turns his head.
• The syndrome of shoulder -pave periarthrosis - dystrophic changes affect the tendon fibers that surround the shoulder.Painful sensations from the neck radiate to the shoulder and shoulder be up.There is a forced position of the neck - it is inclined in the affected side, and the shoulder is slightly lowered.
• The spinal artery syndrome - a blood vessel compress fragments of a damaged disk or osteophyte (depending on the stage of the disease).The patient is spinning and headache, nausea, sometimes vomiting occurs.The pain is localized in the back of the head, crown and temples.
• Cardial - the nerve beams of the spinal cord are damaged.There is heart pain, arrhythmia.In case of damage to C3, pain in half of the neck appears, the tongue swells, the patient cannot chew food normally.If the C4 is injured, then discomfort appears in the area of the shoulder greens, collarbone, heart.With damage to C5, the pain reaction from the neck spreads to the shoulder, the inner surface of the shoulder.Irritation of C6 is manifested by pain from the neck and shoulder blades to the shoulder shoulder and spreads throughout the hand to the thumb.If C7 is damaged, the pain syndrome extends to the back of the shoulder greens, grabs the entire hand, including the index and middle finger.When compressing C8, the pain spreads from the affected area to the elbow and the little finger.

Also, a woman may be disturbed by the emotional sphere, weakness arise, it becomes anxious, touchy.Often there is insomnia, memory weakens, attention due to regular headaches.

Symptoms of cerebrovascular circulation disorders appear when a woman abruptly throws her back, tilts it or performs a work in which her hands and cervical spine are loaded, for example, when she digs, paints the ceiling, tolerates severity.

Violation of cerebral circulation is manifested by dizziness, shaky gait, “flies” before the eyes, noise in the ears, weakness, nausea.In some patients, the voice becomes hoarse, sometimes disappears, pain in the throat appears.

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

If the disease occurs for a long time, then there is a lack of blood circulation of important centers that perform neuro-endocrine functions.Due to the increased permeability of the vascular walls, atherosclerosis of the brain and heart arteries develops.

Diagnosis

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

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

• X -ray allows you to find out that the patient has the vertebrae in the patient, osteophytes are present at their edges, the distance between the vertebrae has decreased.For this, the study is carried out in different planes.To detail the characteristic changes, the doctor takes aiming pictures.
• CT of the cervical department gives detailed information about pathological changes in the vertebrae.This method allows you to get volumetric pictures for a more detailed study, it is used in severe diagnostic cases.
• MRI is used to accurately assess the state of soft tissues (nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, muscles) on the affected area.
• Electromyography allows you to check the conductivity of the nerve fiber.

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

Conservative treatment

In the early stages, treatment with chop osteochondrosis in women can be carried out at home.However, a doctor should be compiled by a doctor.It is important to understand that this is a long process and is unlikely to be completely cured (especially elderly women).

The composition of complex treatment includes:

• Take of medication.
• Using orthopedic devices.
• Therapeutic gymnastics.
• Physiotherapeutic procedures.
• Massage, manual exposure.
• Alternative treatment methods.

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

Medicines for cervical osteochondrosis will help get rid of inflammation and pain.

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

• NSAID.The inflammation and pain of mild or medium power will help to relieve.
• Analgesics.Stop the pain syndrome.
• Preparations for improving cerebral circulation.
• Musodies help to eliminate muscle spasm.
• Chondroprotectors.They help stop the destruction of discs, improve metabolic processes, accelerate recovery.
• Majesty -based medicines.
• Nootropics.They stimulate the functioning of the brain due to the normalization of its circulatory, have a mild sedative effect.

Reference.With intense pain, which is not stopped by oral medicines, therapeutic blockade, for example, with a solution of novocaine or NSAIDs, are used.

You can supplement the treatment with anti -inflammatory and painkillers in the form of gels, creams and ointments.They will be effective at the remission stage or in combination with oral agents.

The decision to choose medicinal combinations is made by the doctor.The specialist will draw up a diagram of taking drugs, and also determine their dosage.It is important to follow his recommendations, since many of the above medications threaten with dangerous complications.

During the acute stage of osteochondrosis, the woman should abandon heavy physical activity.To unload the cervical segment, you need to wear a special corset (Shantsa collar), which will fix the vertebrae in the right position.This device is recommended to be used for prolonged sitting or hard physical work.

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

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

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

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

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

Therapeutic gymnastics is one of the most effective methods for treating chop osteochondrosis.LFK allows you to strengthen the weak muscles of the neck, which will then take on part of the load from the spine and help stop or slow down degenerative-dystrophic changes.During classes, blood circulation improves, metabolic processes, disks nutrition are accelerated, which positively affects their condition.

Women should conduct training every day.They consist of simple, but effective exercises.The complex consists of turns, tilts of the head in different directions, as well as movements of the neck, during which hands use.These elements can be performed at home, but only after the doctor’s permission.Medical physical education is carried out only at the remission stage.

Complex treatment can be supplemented with reflexology (acupuncture), hirudotherapy (leech treatment), swimming, and so on.

Surgical treatment

The operation is prescribed in the last stages of osteochondrosis of the Chop, which are accompanied by the serious destruction of bone -ocal structures.Also, surgical intervention can not be done if conservative methods were ineffective or spinal canal significantly narrowed.

In the above cases, the anterior cervical discoctomy is carried out.During the procedure, the doctor immobilizes the damaged segment of the spinal column and removes the hernia, which squeezed the spinal nerve.Then the vertebrae, between which the disk 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, you need to take medications, wear a corset, lead the right lifestyle, go to physiotherapeutic procedures, and carry out exercise therapy over time.

Life recommendations

In order to quickly get rid of unpleasant symptoms of osteochondrosis and stop degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cervical segment, you need to adjust the lifestyle.For this, the patient must follow the following recommendations:

• Go to hiking daily, avoid running, jumping and other explosive stresses.
• You can not wear heavy objects.
• You can’t 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 an orthopedic mattress and a special pillow.
• Follow the diet, replenish the diet with products rich in magnesium, calcium (nuts, dairy products, seafood, legumes), as well as plant fiber, chondroitin (jelly, jelly).Refuse oily, fried, too salt food, alcohol.Read more about the power rules will be advised by the doctor.But in any case, it should be correct.

Numbering cannot be allowed, warming will benefit in the absence of an inflammatory process.

Complications

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

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

If a woman is engaged in resolving the issue in the early stages of osteochondrosis of the shop, then she will be able to warn the above conditions.

Preventive measures

Ideally, the prophylaxis of osteochondrosis of the Chop is necessary during the period of intrauterine development.The future mother should exclude factors that negatively affect the development of the fetus: infections, oxygen starvation, intoxication.If there is a birth injury, then the newborn must undergo treatment.

To reduce the likelihood of developing chop osteochondrosis, a woman must follow the following recommendations:

• Stop the spine evenly, for example, wear a load in both hands or in turn in the right and then left.
• Do not raise too much weights yourself.
• Try to avoid injuries of your neck, hypothermia.
• While working in garden areas, take a break every 1.5 hours, go to rest for 20 minutes.
• Choose shoes with an elastic sole that will soften blows during running or jumping.
• With a long seat, use a chair with a high back and a headrest or put on a corset.

It is also important to eat, control weight, avoid stress, take vitamin preparations for medical reasons, treat pathologies in time, which can cause osteochondrosis.At the remission stage, it is recommended to visit sanatoriums to undergo a course of treatment.

The most important thing

As you can see, in women, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine occurs more often than in men, since the former have more fragile vertebrae and thin bone tissue.Patients are especially susceptible to the patients in the post -Climacteric period.The disease is manifested by pain, neurological disorders, as well as dangerous symptoms of cerebrovascular accident.Treatment is recommended to begin in the early stages to avoid dangerous complications of osteochondrosis.To do this, a woman must take medications, adjust the lifestyle, visit physiotherapeutic procedures, massage, do physiotherapy exercises.Surgical treatment is shown only in advanced cases.To prevent pathology, you need to observe moderate physical activity, treat injuries and diseases that can provoke osteochondrosis in time.