Cervical osteochondrosis - symptoms and treatment

What is the cause of accelerated osteochondrosis in the cervical region? What is the manifestation of its specific symptoms? How can you treat cervical osteochondrosis yourself, in a quiet home? Many people suffering from osteochondrosis want to hear the answers to these questions.

neck pain with osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is the most common and unpleasant disease that affects modern young people from thirty to thirty-five years old. Cervical osteochondrosis develops due to a long stay in incorrect and tense postures - while working at a personal computer during the day, as well as the habit of holding the phone on your shoulders. Most often, this disease appears due to long-term exposure to vibration, or rather, when powerful construction equipment is used during work or frequent driving. Also, this disease develops due to improper posture, uncomfortable beds, sedentary lifestyle, hereditary tendencies and other factors. People with this disease often have back pain.

Neck osteochondrosis is considered a degenerative and dystrophic damage of the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine. It appears due to metabolic disorders in the cervical spine, due to which there is a change in the structure of the intervertebral disc, that is, a special seal between the vertebrae.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis differ significantly from osteochondrosis in other regions. This is one of the most dangerous types of osteochondrosis, because the nerve root of the spinal cord is damaged as a result of compression of blood vessels and the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. The reason is the peculiarity of the structure of the spine in the neck.

The large artery that feeds the brain is vertebral and passes through the opening of the cervical vertebral process. Then the pathological change causes the growth of bone and fibrous tissues and compression of the artery. Due to the displacement of the spine, the normal functioning of these vessels is also disturbed.

The structure of the cervical spine is slightly different - the vertebrae are in close contact with each other. With any even small pathological changes, the normal functioning of all departments is disturbed - nerves and vessels are compressed and displaced. As a result, the functions are disturbed - the sensitivity of the skin is disturbed, symptoms of dizziness are observed. You will have ringing in your ears, headache, severe fatigue, vision and hearing will deteriorate, and you will stagger while walking.

The most important symptoms are:

  • Pain in the neck, shoulders and arms. When you turn your head, you will feel muscle weakness in the neck, creaking.
  • A feeling of pain in the heart. You will feel pain in your left hand. You will feel burning and pain in your shoulder blades.
  • Do not be surprised by occasional headaches and increased fatigue, as well as feelings of weakness.
  • Pain hurts. Difficulty moving the head.
  • Neck pain spreads to the arm, which can cause numbness in the fingers.
  • Hearing and vision will be weakened, pain will appear in the hands, the work of the heart and lungs will be disturbed, dizziness, nausea, numbness of the tongue and face will appear.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

gymnastics for the neck with osteochondrosis

At first, osteochondrosis takes a mild form and does not cause any discomfort to a person. At this stage, drug treatment is not required, only preventive measures should be taken to prevent more serious complications. It is necessary to improve working conditions, reconsider lifestyle, and give up bad habits.

Be active, do morning exercises, stick to your diet, stop smoking and avoid heavy lifting. Keep a straight posture, get the correct posture when sitting and lying down. Sign up for a therapeutic gymnastics course.

Over the years, cervical osteochondrosis can develop and turn into a more complex form. Then conservative treatment is carried out. At this stage, you need to wear special collars, do physiotherapy, and go for a massage.

In the most severe cases, the use of drug treatment will be required, that is, the treatment will already be with the help of analgesics, antispasmodics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.