Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

15 November 2020

Osteochondrosis is a disease of our time. A sedentary lifestyle, constant nervous tension does not pass without leaving a trace. Almost anyone can observe the symptoms of this disease. How to recognize an insidious disease and seek help in time?

Osteochondrosis is a physiological process that everyone acquires during their lifetime. Symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are very diverse, so only under certain conditions, in combination with certain factors, does it become a disease. The disease is characterized by local changes in the bone tissue of the cervical spine, due to the occurrence of calcium deficiency. Calcium becomes scarce and the tissue acquires a spongy structure, becomes brittle, fragile and carries the main function of the skeleton.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

With cervical osteochondrosis, the blood supply to the brain is disturbed. Therefore, almost all patients complain of similar symptoms:

headache, dizziness, tinnitus;
there are pains in the shoulder, neck, chest;
some parts of the body become numb (hands, fingers);
weakness in arms and legs;
psychological symptoms - unreasonable mood swings, irritability;
In difficult situations, vision and hearing decline.

The symptoms are so diverse and individual that it is difficult to identify cervical osteochondrosis based solely on the patient's complaints. Disease of the cervical spine is diagnosed by MRI, computed tomography, x-ray. Depending on the results of the study, you may see changes in the spine. It is only by taking into account all the complaints that cervical osteochondrosis is diagnosed.

Depending on the location of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment are somewhat different. From where exactly the change occurred and how it affects the central nervous system, osteochondrosis can be divided into three main groups. These varieties show different symptoms and therefore different treatment.

First group. The peripheral nervous system suffers. A change in the vertebrae directly affects the nerve endings (roots). Often referred to as cervical thoracic osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, it presents the most striking symptoms:

Pain from the cervical region to the shoulder region.

the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Choking syndrome in the neck, tachycardia, heart pain.
Crunch, noise, crackle when turning the neck. See what exercises to do to strengthen neck muscles with osteochondrosis.
Constant pain in the back of the head.
Due to the deterioration of blood circulation, the hands become pale, cold, the fingers become numb.
Joint pain.

Such osteochondrosis can cause torticollis

Second group. The whole spinal cord is involved, the disease manifests itself in the disruption of all its work. The symptoms are as follows:

Muscle tone in legs and arms decreases. The legs go numb, get tired quickly, it is difficult to walk, stand up, the reason is semiconductor disorder syndrome. Blood does not flow well to the lateral columns of the spinal cord.
Myelopathy develops in the affected areas. Affects limb dysfunction.
Third group. The work of the brain is disrupted due to poor blood supply to the brain. Differs in characteristic syndromes:

Hypothalamic. A syndrome which is indicated by a dysfunction of the hypothalamus. This leads to neurological symptoms. The patient often experiences unreasonable fatigue, irritability, mood swings. People suffering from this syndrome complain of sleep disturbances, resentment, unfounded fears, anxiety. Among the physiological changes: sweating, pallor, cold hands, high blood pressure.
Drops Syndrome. With such a disease of the cervical spine, they often pass out for no reason. The cause is vasospasm.
Vestibular stem. The syndrome is characterized by frequent dizziness. The work of the vestibular apparatus is disturbed due to insufficient blood flow. Sometimes there is nausea which causes vomiting.
Cochlear stem. Ringing, tinnitus is called this syndrome. Ear congestion or hearing loss can occur. It is very difficult to associate such symptoms with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, especially to prescribe the correct treatment
Pharynx-larynx. The syndrome is accompanied by discomfort in the throat. It may be difficult to swallow, the voice becomes hoarse. Painful symptoms such as dryness, itching, pain are observed in the throat.

Features of osteochondrosis with treatment of symptoms of radicular syndrome

In addition, it is worth considering the radicular syndrome of the cervical spine, the symptoms of which should be examined in more detail. Their manifestation is often confused with diseases that are not related to osteochondrosis. Treatment does not work, the person continues to have pain, the condition worsens. Sometimes an incorrect diagnosis is worse than the disease itself. The prescribed treatment not only does not help, but also paralyzes completely healthy organs. The development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine causes the appearance of the so-called radicular syndrome.

The main reason is the compression of the nerves, especially their roots in a certain part of the spine (cervical, thoracic, vertebral).

This cervical syndrome is characterized by:

Pain when turning the neck or torso. Appears after a long, monotonous position of the body (sleep, prolonged sitting) and sharp turns of the head.
Numbness and goosebumps in the occipital region.
Headache in different manifestations: pulsating, sharp, short-term, long-term. This leads to dizziness, fainting, nausea.
The chin muscles may sag a bit.
With frequent pain, a decrease in the tone of the tongue is observed and speech disturbances appear.
Neck pain passes smoothly to shoulder, forearm, hand. There is numbness in the fingers, discomfort when lifting an arm, pain in the joints.

Often times, radicular spine syndrome slowly turns into chest syndrome. In cervicothoracic osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, pain, instantaneous acute, manifests itself in the internal organs.

Here, the clinical picture looks like this:

Pain in the scapula, lower ribs, armpits. Numbness in these areas.
Painful stabbing sensations in the stomach, intestines, hypochondrium. Often observing this syndrome, they mistakenly diagnose diseases of the digestive tract.
Numbness, from the navel to the groin along the back of the spine, causing heaviness in the intestines and stomach.
Dry throat.

Radicular changes can cause cardinal syndrome - a violation of bone tissue causes irritation of the roots of the pectoral muscles or the diaphragm. Its appearance is signaled by: heart pains of varying duration, ranging from stabbing to long pain, tachycardia, shortness of breath. These signs are exactly the same as the symptoms of angina. And if you treat it exactly, the result will be zero. In addition, in patients with such a syndrome, the cardiogram is normal, and besides pain, no other signs of heart disease are observed. Therefore, drugs with a coronary dilating effect are not effective.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Effective treatment is complex therapy, which should be carried out not only during an exacerbation.

Drugs

is relieved by pain relievers and other pain relievers.
Anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed for severe pain.
Local anesthetics in the form of ointments and warming gels will help.
In case of exiled muscle spasm, take muscle relaxants.
Prescribe drugs that improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis.
Analgesic blocking is also used in medical practice.
Prescribe medication for seizures if needed.
In case of psychological disorders, antidepressants, sedatives, medicines for insomnia are useful.

In addition to drug treatment, the following effects have a rather positive effect:

massages,
medical gymnastics;
;
wearing a bandage.

Cardinal methods of treatment - surgical removal of hernias and other defects of the spine.