Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease in which the thin intervertebral marrow, which acts as a shock absorber, becomes ossified tissue, involving the roots and blood vessels. This change hides under a variety of manifestations, among which the main feature of cervical disease is pain in the neck area, at the top of the back, radiating to the head. Mandatory treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is required.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
The disease is characterized by typical symptoms.
With cervical osteochondrosis, patients feel:
- dizziness, nausea, decreased stress, loss of consciousness;
- lack of air;
- numbness of the tongue;
- Angina attacks and other changes in the cardiovascular system.
All of these symptoms prompt patients to seek help not only from neurologists, but also from other specialties such as cardiologists, therapists, orthopedists, etc. , which complicates correct diagnosis in the early stages of disease development. The dystrophic process of cervical tissue deviation usually affects middle-aged people. This is due to the vertical position of the human skeleton and the separation of static and dynamic pressures.
Symptoms such as pain in the back of the head, shoulders, arms, sternum, and the retrosternal area indicate withdrawal of the roots of nerve endings in the upper spine and a lack of mobility in the neck joints that carry the weight and keep the skull in an upright position.
effective treatment
Medicine does not stand still. Treatment differs, for which it is important to take into account the pathological stage (attenuation or crisis), the form of the disease (acute or chronic), the presentation of symptoms - for example, the presence or absence of suffering.
You should know how to cure cervical osteochondrosis and how long the treatment will take. Treatment includes:
- Conservative treatment (pharmacological or non-pharmacological);
- operation treatment;
- A complex approach to both methods.
Features of Classic Therapy
To cure cervical osteochondrosis, you need to use simple methods correctly - recreational sports, massage, self-massage. This can improve the health of patients who experience neck pain due to the disease.
But as the degenerative process prolongs, it is best to check in a hospital or outpatient clinic. This will help choose the appropriate treatment.
If that's not possible, it's important to use a lightweight approach - for example, doing exercises designed to hydrate (filling joint spaces with fluid due to changes in blood supply to the neck and back of the head).
improve physical education
By doing the exercises of therapeutic gymnastics accurately, you can achieve great results. For example, there are many treatments for osteochondrosis of the neck, but not all are based on increasing the nutrition of cartilage and bone tissue.
The task of exercise therapy is to restore blood circulation to the altered area. During exercise therapy, you cannot forcefully rotate or bow your head, you can only imitate such movements. Everything seems so simple, but it works.
To get exercise therapy right, you need to do physical activity, excluding:
- prolonged stress on the neck joints (no more than two minutes at a time);
- Rotation, flexion, and rotation of the neck (these actions relieve the development of joint and disc lesions).
A slight flexion of the head is useful, which doesn't cause all the joints to move, but increases blood flow to them. This behavior is similar to nodding lightly in agreement. After half an hour, you can do an action similar to expressing dissent.
It is also useful to do an exercise similar to moving the head forward while maintaining the front and back, trying to keep the back of the head as well. All this can be done at home.
massage
Massage the neck area very carefully, not too hard. Any inappropriate behavior can lead to negative consequences. The movement covers the neck, neckline area and upper back. The patient during the massage is lying on his stomach or sitting.
Some features of this technology:
- stroking. During this stage, the upper layers of the skin are affected. Do this with your palms or fingertips from the direction of your head, descending to the upper middle third of your back. Stroking from the base of the neck can be done in a zig-zag pattern.
- extrusion. The masseuse attempts to create a more penetrating effect on the upper third of the back. In this case, the thumb and index finger are involved. They pass through the neck, covering the skin, similar to a squeeze. It is important to be very careful not to touch the tissue near the vertebrae.
- Grind. At this stage, there are implications for the deeper tissue. You need to try not to overdo it, lest it get worse.
Once in a comfortable position, you can massage yourself without looking up to watch your favorite movie. In this case, use stroking, rubbing in circular motions on the neck and shoulders. If you apply a special ointment during the self-massage, it can increase blood circulation and eliminate the pain in the massage area, and the effect will be very good.
applicator
The applicator is a plastic frame with spikes that works on a specific area of the skin. When lying on it or simply using it, the patient stimulates skin receptors that are responsible for the body's physiological processes.
Many users have noticed that the applicator is effective and provides temporary pain relief.
It is also worth noting that when using the device, the working capacity is increased, there is a positive effect on skin elasticity, sleep and blood flow, and joint mobility is regenerated. Some ailments are worth forgoing the applicator. These are diseases of infectious, neoplastic, cutaneous and vascular nature.
Before you start using the device, you need to consult a doctor or experiment by using the applicator for a short time. When observing, you can see happy results.
Use of orthopedic pillows
A good preventive measure against osteochondrosis is sleeping on an orthopedic pillow. Often, the state of osteochondrosis is worsened by compression of the carotid artery and nerve roots while resting on an uncomfortable pillow.
Special items allow you to evenly distribute the person's position during sleep, significantly improving blood flow to the head.
To choose the perfect pillow, you need to consider a person's anatomy, the volume and quality of the filling. If you choose the right pillow, it will be of great benefit for patients with cervical osteochondrosis.
Drugs and Drugs
These are not all treatments for cervical osteochondrosis. Medical care will also come to the rescue here.
Medications for cervical osteochondrosis are as follows:
- Analgesics are non-steroidal drugs that relieve pain. Usually, they are taken in tablet or capsule form. It should not be forgotten that such drugs can irritate the mucous membranes of the digestive tract;
- Anti-inflammatory (steroids). A hormonal medication that reduces inflammation, thereby reducing pain. The most common medications are tablets and ointments containing hydrocortisone, prednazole, and dexamethasone;
- Chondroprotective agents - drugs that have in their composition components that act to replace the components of cartilage tissue. Long-term use can achieve good results;
- Muscle relaxants are drugs that relieve muscle tension. Mostly, they are used in surgery and orthopedics as an additional treatment for pain relief. They are administered parenterally under medical supervision. For the treatment of osteochondrosis, it is necessary to use products based on glycerol, benzimidazole. They have a large number of contraindications;
- vitamins. As part of the treatment of the disease, the vitamin has a positive effect on the peripheral nervous system and enhances its conductivity. B1, B6, B12 are water-soluble vitamins, A, C, D, E, B are fat-soluble vitamins. There is a practice of using different medicines together, attributed to vitamins and pain relievers;
- Topical ointments and gels. One of the very simple treatments at home is gels, ointments. They have anti-inflammatory, warming, and pain-relieving properties. You can often hear them on TV. Because they can be easily purchased at pharmacies, the drugs are used for self-medication, even in the absence of confirmed disease symptoms. In particular, they are ineffective for cervical osteochondrosis.
Never forget that an appropriate physician should be consulted before starting any treatment, as self-medication can often lead to adverse outcomes.
Precaution
It is easier to prevent a disease or to delay it as much as possible than to cure it. Thus, minimization of factors manifested in the pathological process is achieved. The foundation of health is to follow a correct lifestyle. This includes the use of moderate physical activity, weight control, a systematic warm-up, and a sedentary lifestyle.
It all depends on one's own desires and habits formed since childhood. But in a person's lifetime, different things can happen. This may be a minimally invasive spine or a congenital disorder of the musculoskeletal system. If a patient has a tendency to develop osteochondrosis, it is important to pay attention to jobs that increase physical activity and try not to make sudden movements.
If you are overweight by more than 10 kg, it will increase the burden on your back. If you can't refuse physical activity, you need to:
- Take turns carrying weights - now on one side of the body, then on the other;
- Use a corset to protect the back;
- When you're done working, try to remove the spine. To do this, you should take a horizontal stance, or hang from the horizontal bar.
It is important to try not to expose yourself to sudden changes in temperature and humidity. Increased humidity and decreased temperature can have adverse effects. Some tips to help reduce the risk of osteochondrosis getting worse:
- For sleep, it is recommended to use not only orthopedic pillows, but also orthopedic mattresses, as they do not interfere with the blood flow to the spine;
- system swimming;
- proper nutrition.
Exercises that increase spinal pressure and have a traumatic effect are not recommended if a diagnosis of spinal osteochondrosis is made. You need to give up running, jumping, lifting weights. You should not take a bath in a bathtub during an exacerbation of osteochondrosis. By following these simple tips, using massage (in some cases), you can ensure a peaceful life by diagnosing cervical osteochondrosis until retirement age.