Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

15 November 2020

Osteochondrosis of the neck is a degenerative disease in which literally "premature aging", "wear and tear" of the intervertebral discs, joints and vertebrae of the cervical spine occurs.

Some facts about the disease:

Osteochondrosis of the neck occurs in men and women about as often.
Most often, people between the ages of 30 and 60 get sick.
As a rule, pathology occurs in people who at work must constantly be in the same position and perform monotonous movements.
The cervical spine has certain structural features, due to which the disease can have many different manifestations.

What features of the cervical spine cause the symptoms of osteochondrosis?

There are holes in the lateral processes of the vertebrae - through them the carotid arteries pass through them to the right and left, which supply the brain.
The initial part of the spinal cord runs through the cervical region - it contains fibers that carry nerve impulses to all parts of the body, provide movement and sensitivity. If there is compression of the spinal cord in the neck, neurological disorders occur throughout the body.
This part of the spine has high mobility, which predisposes to osteochondrosis (although in most cases the disease still develops in the lumbar spine - it not only has high mobility, but also undergoesgreatest stress).
In the neck region, nerve roots emerge from the intervertebral foramen, forming the cervical and brachial plexuses. They are responsible for the movements of the muscles of the neck, arms, shoulder girdle, skin sensitivity and the regulation of autonomic functions.
The first vertebra does not have a massive anterior part - a body - it is a bone ring that sits on a tooth - a bony growth on the second vertebra. Thanks to this, head turns on the sides are possible.

Neck pain, headache, feeling weak, numbness in the hands are symptoms that should require you to see a neurologist. Examination by a specialist and examination with the help of modern equipment will help to understand the causes of the pathology and take the most effective measures.

What Happens to the Vertebrae in Cervical Osteochondrosis?

The obscure medical term "degenerative process" refers to the following pathological changes occurring in the cervical spine:

what happens with cervical osteochondrosis

First of all, the lesion of osteochondrosis covers the intervertebral discs. They become thinner, thereby reducing the distance between adjacent vertebrae. Small tears and microcracks are formed in their outer part. Over time, this can lead to a herniated disc.
Due to damage to the disc, the stability of the spinal connection is disturbed.
They have osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and intervertebral joints - spondylarthrosis develops. It also helps in the compression of nerve roots.
The pathological process extends to the vertebrae themselves. Due to the fact that the functions of the intervertebral discs are disturbed, their load increases. The spine tries to compensate for this violation, bone growths - osteophytes - appear in it.

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

During an exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebra, traction is used (the patient is placed on a bed with a raised headboard, and the head is fixed with a special buckle) to relieve the intervertebral discs. For the same purpose, you must wear a Shants necklace. Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed for pain relief. In case of severe pain that does not go away, the doctor may block: inject an anesthetic solution into the area of the affected nerve roots. Physiotherapy is used: ultrasound treatment, novocaine electrophoresis.

When the exacerbation subsides, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine includes massage, physiotherapy exercises, physiotherapy.

One of the main signs of cervical osteochondrosis is neck pain. Many people who are faced with this symptom do not go to the doctor, but prefer to treat chondrosis with home methods. There are at least two good reasons for refusing self-medication and seeking medical advice.

First, pain relievers and traditional methods, although they help to relieve pain for a while, do not solve the main problem. Pathological changes in the spine continue to grow. Over time, this threatens more serious consequences. To the point where surgery may be necessary.

Second, neck pain doesn't just happen with osteochondrosis. There are many other reasons. Only a doctor can understand and prescribe the correct treatment.

What symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should require you to see a doctor?

The main symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is pain. It can occur in different places, depending on the level of localization of the pathological process: in the neck, in the shoulder girdle, in the hand, in the region of the heart. By nature, pain is dull, it can be burning, painful.

Other manifestations of the disease:

Headache, dizziness, flies in front of the eyes, noise, ringing in the ears.
Weakness of the muscles of the neck, shoulder girdle, arms.
Skin sensitivity disorder.
Shoulder-scapular periarthritis: aching neck pain that extends to the arm, difficulty removing the arm above 90 °, weakness and atrophy of the muscles of the shoulder girdle.
Shoulder-hand syndrome: pain in the shoulder and hand, swelling and stiffness of the fingers, weakness and atrophy of the muscles of the hand.
Vertebral artery syndrome. Bone growths appear on the vertebrae, which squeeze the nerves, as a result, a reflex spasm of the vertebral artery occurs, which takes part in the blood supply to the brain. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are accompanied by constant headaches that start at the back of the head, spread to the temple, crown, nausea, noises in the head, ringing in the ears, twinkles of light points in front of the eyes.
Scalene anterior muscle syndrome. On the neck there is the anterior and middle scalene muscle - they are side by side, and between them there is a small space, through which the nerves and blood vessels pass. With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the anterior scalene muscle becomes tense and squeezes it, resulting in symptoms such as pain on the inner surface of the forearm, shoulder, and fingers. Sometimes the pain radiates to the back of the head. The skin on the hand may become cold, pale, and numb.
. In the lower part of the shoulder, on the sides of the elbow joint, there are bony protrusions - epicondyle. With epicondylitis syndrome caused by cervical osteochondrosis, they experience pain that intensifies when pressed. Other symptoms also occur: neck pain, pain when pressing on certain points of the cervical vertebrae.

If two parts of the spine are affected at the same time, with cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms may include pain between the shoulder blades, in the region of the heart.

With osteochondrosis, the risk of intervertebral hernia and stroke increases. If you experience the symptoms listed above, see your doctor.

It's best not to self-medicate. Even though you have some proven methods that can usually help you manage pain, that doesn't mean you're doing it right.

Pain can be caused not only by osteochondrosis, but also by intervertebral hernia, muscle disorders (myofascial pain syndrome) and be a symptom of other diseases. In order to properly treat the disease, you need to understand its causes, conduct a differential diagnosis. This is only possible in a clinic.

In order to identify the cause of the disease and properly treat the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, you need to see a neurologist and undergo an examination.

At the heart of cervical osteochondrosis is the defeat of the intervertebral discs. Their chemical composition is violated, at first they swell, then decrease in size, cracks and tears appear in their outer part, they become more dense. Then the degenerative process spreads to the vertebrae, to the intervertebral joints. Due to a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc, the load on the vertebrae increases, and bone growths appear on them - osteophytes.

What Causes Osteochondrosis of the Cervical Spine?

There is no consensus on the causes of cervical osteochondrosis. Different conditions are believed to cause disease, there are different views:

Age-related spinal changes. However, almost all people over 40 have skeletal changes, but not everyone has osteochondrosis.
Neck injuries. Often among the causes of the disease, trauma is indicated: a bruised neck, compression fracture, vertebral subluxation. Chronic injuries, such as during intense training for athletes, persistent uncomfortable bent postures and repetitive whiplash injuries in motorists, can be significant.
Congenital anomalies of the vertebrae: cervical ribs, fusion of adjacent vertebrae, fusion of the first vertebra with the occipital bone, etc.
Profession. Most often, the disease affects people who work in a monotonous posture, constantly perform the same type of movement.
Disorder of the blood supply to the spine, venous insufficiency, edema of the nerve roots.
Autoimmune disorders.Conditions in which the immune system does not work properly, attacks its own connective tissue, the ligaments of the body.

Consult a neurologist. An experienced healthcare professional will understand the source of your health problems and prescribe the right treatment for you.

Causes of cervical osteochondrosis exacerbation

Osteochondrosis presents as an alternation of exacerbations and periods of improvement, when the symptoms cease to bother for a while. Another exacerbation can be triggered by the following reasons:

Inconvenient, jerky movement of the neck.
Long stay in a monotonous awkward position. For example, the neck may start to hurt after long hours of working on the computer, after sleeping on an uncomfortable pillow.
Stress, nervous tension. With chronic stress, spasms occur in the muscles of the neck, which can provoke the appearance of another exacerbation.
Various diseases, exacerbations of chronic diseases.
Hypothermia. Because of this, exacerbations in many people occur in the fall.
Incorrect and illiterate self-medication. For example, massage and therapeutic exercises are useful during remission, but contraindicated during an exacerbation.

Which diseases can have similar manifestations?

Very often the manifestations of "osteochondrosis" are actually associated with a completely different disease. For example, the reason may be hidden in the muscles - there is such a condition as myofascial pain syndrome. Pain occurs due to the constant tension of the same muscles.

Sometimes the manifestation of "cervical osteochondrosis" is considered to be dizziness associated with otolithiasis - a condition in which calcium salt crystals build up in the inner ear.

Pain and cracking in the neck, headache - when these symptoms appear, many people "diagnose" osteochondrosis. Everything is clear - when it hurts, you need to take pain relievers or do ukolchik, apply heat, and everything will pass. Why go to the doctor when you can handle it yourself?

However, often self-healing does not lead to any good. Painful attacks over time may become more frequent, strong, and prolonged. If you take pain relievers uncontrollably almost every day, you may have stomach or kidney problems. After all, any drug has side effects.

And the cause of pain is not always the root cause of osteochondrosis. In order to find out the real cause and understand how to deal with it effectively, you need to see a doctor and undergo an examination.

How Does a Neurologist Diagnose Cervical Osteochondrosis? What happens in the doctor's office during the exam?

During your first visit, the neurologist will ask you a few questions:

How long have you had headaches, neck pain?
Where does the pain occur? What kind of character is it: stab, suffer, shoot, shoot?
When does pain usually occur? What causes it? After what do you feel better?
Have you ever seen a doctor? Have you been examined and treated? Which? How long ago?
What other symptoms are bothering you?
What other chronic illnesses do you suffer from?
Have you recently had a neck injury?

The doctor will then perform a neurological exam, checking your reflexes, skin tenderness, muscle strength and tone. You will be asked to turn, tilt your head to the sides, forward, backward. The doctor will press lightly on your head at certain points on the neck to determine the onset of pain.

After the exam, you will be diagnosed and prescribed the necessary diagnostic methods.

What diagnostic methods are used for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?

Examination for cervical osteochondrosis usually includes the following diagnostic methods:

X-ray of the cervical spine.
Depending on the indications, radiopaque studies are prescribed: myelography (introduction of contrast into the space surrounding the spinal cord), discography (introduction of contrast into the intervertebral disc), angiography (introduction of contrast into the vessels).
Computed tomography.
Magnetic resonance imaging.
For severe neurological disorders, you may be prescribed electroneuromyography - a study that determines the passage of electrical impulses through nerves and muscles.

Often the manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis resemble angina pectoris. If after the examination the doctor still has doubts about the diagnosis, you will be prescribed an ECG and other diagnostic methods.