Cervical osteochondrosis is a common disease that results from a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and reduced physical activity.Pathological changes can manifest themselves at a young age, mainly among office workers, people who spend a lot of time at the computer, in front of the TV and neglect the recommendations of specialists to arrange a place to sleep and relax.
Osteochondrosis of the neck is a degenerative lesion of the intervertebral discs and joints of the cervical spine, which leads to pinching of nerve endings and inflammatory processes.The result is pain, weakness and dizziness.If the problem is ignored, metabolic processes are disrupted, the spine is destroyed and there is a risk of hernia.
The neurology department of the Elena Malysheva clinic invites you to undergo diagnosis and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis.If you have signs of pathological changes, do not delay your visit to a specialist.After all, the quality of your life and the proper functioning of your entire body depend on it.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
The main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are:
- feeling of weakness;
- pain in the neck, shoulders, back of the head, arms;
- lack of coordination;
- nausea and dizziness;
- pain and cracking when turning the head;
- deterioration of hearing and vision.
The manifestation of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis depends on the degree (stages) of the disease:
- 1st degree.Preclinical stage.Minor protests.The feeling of pain only occurs during movement.
- 2nd degree.The nerves are pinched when the intervertebral discs move, which leads to severe pain, as well as deterioration in general condition.Distraction, fatigue and reduced performance appear.
- 3rd degree.The pain spreads to the arms and shoulders, dizziness and muscle numbness appear.
- 4th degree.The intervertebral discs are destroyed, leading to poor coordination and curvature of posture.
Diagnosis
To develop a program to help identify signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the doctor conducts an initial examination and prescribes subsequent diagnostics.The patient may be referred to:
- x-ray.Allows you to see the movements of the spine;
- MRI.Creates a picture of the course of pathology, size and direction of growth of deviations;
- CT.Allows you to assess the extent of spinal changes;
- UDS.Helps assess blood flow velocity;
- urine and blood tests to assess general condition and exclude contraindications;
- examination of a gynecologist, oncologist, psychologist, therapist, as well as other specialists, which eliminates contraindications when choosing methods of patient care
Based on the diagnostic results, the doctor makes a decision on prescribing treatment methods.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine aims to:
- elimination of pain syndrome;
- relieve tension in the cervical collar area;
- improve blood supply to the problem area;
- relapse prevention.
To comprehensively solve problems, treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck uses medications and physiotherapy aimed at:
- relief of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis;
- relieve swelling and affect nerve endings;
- reduction and elimination of muscle spasms;
- restoration of cartilaginous tissue;
- acceleration of metabolic processes for recovery;
- improvement of the rheological properties of blood;
Drug treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in advanced forms of pathology is carried out using methods that provide a rapid analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, providing a general strengthening effect.In this case, blockages and injections are used, prescribed by a doctor and carried out by special medical personnel in a hospital.
To completely eliminate the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, treatment is carried out by physiotherapy (ultrasound, magnetotherapy, electrophoresis), which is prescribed individually to each patient undergoing a recovery course in the clinic.
Other ways to eliminate the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and treat them are:
- physiotherapy;
- classic and manual massage;
- manual therapy;
- swimming;
- special diet.
A set of methods for treating cervical osteochondrosis is selected by a neurologist based on the patient's complaints, diagnostic results and the general condition of the body.