Neck osteochondrosis - symptoms and treatment

Cervical spine osteochondrosis (purchases) is one of the most common pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.Every year doctors diagnose more and more frequently, and continue more and more heavier.According to statistics, in women, degenerative-distributional changes in the upper spine occur more often, especially for patients in the post-fertilizing period.The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women are pain, limitation of mobility, cerebrovascular insufficiency, and this is dangerous not only for health but also for life.To protect yourself from the dangerous consequences of the pathology, you need to start your treatment in the early stages.It is important to perform comprehensive therapy, change lifestyle to stop the destruction of vertebrates and avoid serious complications.

The development of the disease

The cervical spine is more vulnerable to various lesions 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 support a strong load, which leads to the gradual destruction of the intervertebral discs.The vertebrae are pressured, because of which the cartilaginous joints between them lose many liquids, begin to degrade and deform.

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

Pathology in women in the early stages manifests by the weight on the back of the head, tingling in their hands and so on.Frequently, patients confuse the first signs of over -working disease.

A large number of blood vessels and nerve roots are located in the neck area, and neurological disorders can also occur with their compression.It is especially dangerous if the deformed disc or vertebrae compresses the vertebral artery that nourishes important parts of the brain.During their compression, the coordination of movements is violated, a woman may lose balance, her vision, hear worse and the risk of stroke increases.

Reference.According to statistics, cervical osteochondrosis is usually found in patients aged 25 to 40 years.This is due to a mass decrease in physical activity, at work sitting.In women, a disease is more often found than in men, as they have more fragile vertebrae and thin bone tissue.

Doctors distinguish 4 stages from the osteochondrosis store:

• Step 1 - The intervertebral disc loses part of the moisture, its height decreases, cracks may appear in the fibrous ring (outer shell).This is the internship of cervical chondrosis, which is difficult to detect as it has not expressed symptoms.The neck quickly gets tired, discomfort, severity in the damaged area, sometimes a slight pain, which passes quickly.
• 2 Stages - Cracks on the surface of the disk increase, the spray nucleus (content similar to disc gel) is displaced and can project through damaged areas.Therefore, the protrusions of the cartilage manifest themselves, which can compress the spinal cord and its roots.Periodically, the pronounced pain, weakness, limitation of mobility appears, numbness of the face, neck, shoulders, hands, hands may occur.
• Stage 3 - Protrusion breaks the external shell of the disc so that a hernia is formed.Pain becomes more pronounced, there are neurological disorders.
• Step 4 - The disc is almost completely destroyed, the vertebrae rub, bone growth (osteophytes) appear in their parts, designed to stabilize the damaged segment.Nervous encounters, spinal cord, blood vessels are violated.Neighboring joints begin to be damaged.Clinical signs are pronounced.

It is easier to interrupt degenerative-distribution changes in the first two stages of chic osteochondrosis.In three steps, comprehensive treatment will help interrupt the additional destruction of the spine segment.In the last step, you cannot be without surgery.

Reasons

Schop osteochondrosis is a complex and prolonged process that usually has several reasons.In most cases, pathology occurs due to a sedentary lifestyle, malnutrition and metabolic disorders.Often the disease occurs due to injury 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.
• Bending with posture.
• Fluid deficiency and nutrients in the body.
• Long -term stay in an uncomfortable position (neck stretched forward and a curved back).
• Excessive weight.
• Frequent use of heels.
• Injury in the store.
• Climb heavy objects.
• Autoimmune pathologies.
• Frequent tensions, chronic fatigue.
• Hypothermia.
• Infectious diseases.
• Very long or short neck and so on.

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

Female cervical osteochondrosis can be caused by pathologies of the vertebral artery associated with genetic predisposition, intrauterine disorders, lesions during childbirth.The disease may occur due to rheumatism, endocrine disorders, excessive cargo in 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, progesterone concentration is reduced in the body, which is very important for bone tissue.The probability of degenerative changes is associated with weakening related to the age of the neck muscles and the weakening of vertebrae support in this area.

Symptoms

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

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

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

• Cervical discs occurs with the irritation of nerve endings with damaged cartilage fragments.Then a specific crisis appears in the neck, the pain, which becomes more pronounced when the head moves and after sleep.
• The staircase muscle syndrome becomes the result of damage to the vessels and nerves of the subclavian shoulder and artery plexus.This symptom complex is accompanied by pain from the inner surface of the shoulder to the damaged hand.The limb is pale, cold, edematosa, numbness occurs.The pain in the neck spreads on the back of the head when the patient turns his head.
• Pope's periartrosis syndrome on the shoulder - Dystrophic changes affect the fibers of the tendon that surround the shoulder.Painful feelings of the neck radiate to the shoulder and the shoulder to be up.There is a forced position of the neck - it is inclined on the affected side and the shoulder is slightly lowered.
• Spinal Artery Syndrome - A blood vessel compresses fragments of a damaged disc or osteophyte (depending on the stage of the disease).The patient is spinning and headache, nausea, sometimes vomiting occurs.The pain is located on 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, the pain in half the neck appears, the tongue swells, the patient cannot chew food normally.If the C4 is injured, the discomfort will appear in the green shoulder area, collarbone, heart.With damage to the C5, the neck pain reaction spreads on the shoulder, the inner surface of the shoulder.C6's irritation manifests itself by the pain of the neck and the shoulder -plates to the shoulder and spreads all over the thumb.If C7 is damaged, pain syndrome extends to the back of the green shoulders, grabs the whole hand, including the index and the middle finger.When compressing C8, the pain spreads from the affected area to the elbow and the little finger.

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

Symptoms of cerebrovascular circulation disorders appear when a woman abruptly throws her back, leans or performs a job in which her hands and cervical spine are carried, for example, when she dugs, paints the ceiling, tolerates severity.

The violation of brain circulation is manifested by dizziness, trembling march, "flies" before the eyes, noise in the ears, weakness, nausea.In some patients, the voice becomes hoarse, sometimes disappears, the sore throat appears.

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

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

Diagnosis

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

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

• The X -Ray allows the patient to have the vertebrae in the patient, the osteophytes are present in their edges, the distance between the vertebrae has decreased.For this, the study is conducted in different aircraft.To detail the characteristic changes, the doctor takes pictures of Mira.
• The Cervical Department CT provides detailed information on pathological changes in vertebrae.This method allows you to get volumetric images for a more detailed study, is used in cases of severe diagnosis.
• Magnetic resonance imaging is used to accurately evaluate the state of soft tissues (nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, muscles) in the affected area.
• Electromyography allows you to check nerve fiber conductivity.

Doctors can also prescribe UZDG (ultrasound doppleography 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 cutting osteochondrosis in women can be performed at home.However, a doctor should be compiled by a doctor.It is important to understand that this is a long process and it is unlikely to be completely healed (especially elderly women).

Complex treatment composition includes:

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

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

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

The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in women is performed using medications that will help improve cartilage joint metabolism between vertebrae, they will interrupt inflammation, pain.The following drugs are used for this purpose:

• Aine.Inflammation and light or medium power pain will help relieve it.
• Painkillers.Stop pain syndrome.
• Preparations to improve brain circulation.
• Mussodia help to eliminate muscle spasm.
• Condropoprotectors.They help interrupt disc destruction, improve metabolic processes, accelerate recovery.
• Majesty -based medicines.
• Nootropic.They stimulate brain function due to the normalization of its circulatory, have a light sedative effect.

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

You can complement anti -inflammatory treatment and painkillers in the form of gels, 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 expert will elaborate a diagram of taking drugs and will also determine his dose.It is important to follow your recommendations, as many of the above drugs threaten with dangerous complications.

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

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

• Diadinamine therapy.
• Magnetotherapy.
• Electrophoresis.
• Electroanalgesia.
• Ultraviolet irradiation and so on.

The therapeutic effect manifests itself after the third session, after 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, release the nerve or the blood vessel from the compression and restore the normal position of the vertebrae.

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

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

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

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

Surgical treatment

The operation is prescribed in the latest stages of chop osteochondrosis, which are accompanied by the serious destruction of bone octas structures.In addition, surgical intervention cannot be done if conservative methods were ineffective or the spinal canal significantly narrow.

In the above cases, the anterior cervical dispocctomy is performed.During the procedure, the doctor immobilizes the damaged segment from the spine spine and removes hernia, which squeezed the spinal nerve.Then the vertebrae, among which the disc was removed, are spent.If necessary, the space between the vertebrae is filled with a synthetic insertion (cage).

After 3-5 days, the patient is discharged home.The rehab period is about 12 weeks.To speed up recovery, you need to take medications, use a corset, take the right lifestyle, go to physiotherapeutic procedures and perform exercise therapy over time.

LIFE RECOMMENDATIONS

To quickly get rid of unpleasant symptoms of osteochondrosis and interrupt degenerative-distribution changes in the cervical segment, you need to adjust the lifestyle.For this, the patient should follow the following recommendations:

• Walk daily, avoid running, jumping and other explosive tensions.
• You cannot use heavy objects.
• You cannot sit for a long time, in extreme cases to use a corset and periodically assume a horizontal position.
• Perform special exercise for the muscles of your back at home.
• Sleep in an orthopedic mattress and a special pillow.
• Follow the diet, replenish the diet with products rich in magnesium, calcium (nuts, dairy, seafood, vegetables), as well as plant fibers, chondroitin (jam, jam).Refuse oily, fried, very salty, alcohol.Read more about energy rules will be advised by the doctor.But anyway, it must be correct.

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

Complications

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

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

If a woman is involved in solving the problem in the early stages of store osteochondrosis, she may warn the above conditions.

Preventive measures

Ideally, it is necessary to prophylaxis of chop osteochondrosis during the intrauterine development period.The future mother should exclude factors that negatively affect fetus development: infections, oxygen hunger, intoxication.If there is an injury at birth, the newborn should undergo treatment.

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

• Stop the spine evenly, for example, use a load on both hands or in turn right and then to the left.
• Do not raise much weights.
• Try to avoid neck injuries, hypothermia.
• While working in garden areas, take a break every 1.5 hours, stay to rest for 20 minutes.
• Choose shoes with an elastic sole that soften blows during the race or the jump.
• With a long seat, use a chair with a high back and a head support or place 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.In the remission phase, it is recommended to visit sanatoriums to undergo a treatment course.

The most important thing

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