Osteochondrosis is an outdated term that is often used in some countries to refer to degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, facet joints and the vertebral bodies themselves. In the cervical spine, these changes are common due to their mobility and cause neck pain in both men and women. Sometimes a degenerative disease is complicated by an intervertebral hernia that compresses the spinal root, which can cause muscle weakness and numbness of the skin of the upper extremities. We will talk about the symptoms and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in the article.
Cause of pain
The cervical spine is very mobile. It consists of seven vertebrae, intervertebral discs located between them, as well as ligaments. With osteochondrosis, intervertebral discs become thinner and deformed, their elasticity and shock absorption decrease. Gradually, the inner part of the disc, the nucleus pulposus, protrudes through microdamage in the outer part, the annulus fibrosus. This is how intervertebral protrusions and hernias form, irritating the ligament pain receptors along the back surface of the spine, which causes pain. When the spinal roots are compressed, the pain can spread to the upper extremities and neurological symptoms may appear: decreased sensitivity of the skin on the arm, muscle weakness, etc. As a protective reaction to any injuries and damage, bone growths - osteophytes - may appear along the edges of the bodies and in the arches of the vertebrae.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine usually develops as a result of the aging process, but some risk factors aggravate and accelerate the course of the degenerative spine disease. Between them:
- Genetic predisposition.The presence of osteochondrosis in close relatives, especially at a young age, increases the risk of its early occurrence and complications.
- Physical inactivity.With a sedentary lifestyle, the nutrition of the intervertebral discs is impaired. They do not have blood vessels and receive nutrients by diffusion from the vertebral bodies. These processes actively occur during physical activity.
- Wound.Spinal injuries accelerate the development of degenerative changes in the spine.
- Irregular load on the spine.Possible situations: inadequate exercise, inadequate posture, predominant load on one side of the body or one limb, prolonged posture with the head tilted, for example, when reading on the phone.
- Metabolic disorders.The state of the vertebrae is affected by the presence of endocrine diseases, mainly diabetes, which makes tissue nutrition difficult.
Symptoms
The dominant symptom of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is pain. Its location depends on the nature of the injury. When irritated by a bulging disc or osteophytes of a sensitive ligament, pain is felt in the neck and is associated with a reflex muscle spasm. If the hernia compresses the spinal nerve, pain may radiate down the arm.
Most often, pain is observed in the neck and back of the head and occurs or intensifies with sudden head movements, prolonged static tension or an uncomfortable position, for example after sleeping.
Other signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- Restricted neck mobility, pain when turning the head.
- Muscle spasm in the neck.
- Decreased tone and strength of the muscles of the upper extremities, which is typical of compression from a spinal root hernia.
- Impaired sensitivity of the skin of the upper extremities.
- When a hernia of the vertebral artery is compressed, symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency appear, which develop sharply when turning or tilting the head: dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, fainting, short-term memory impairment, instability when walking, visual impairment, hearing and speech, severe muscle weakness in the limbs.
Diagnosis
In case of pain and discomfort in the neck region, it is recommended that the patient consult a neurologist or vertebrologist. Sometimes it is necessary to consult other specialists: an orthopedic traumatologist if there is a history of injury.
A neurologist performs an examination and clarifies complaints and medical history. Cervical osteochondrosis can manifest itself as dozens of diseases, so additional examinations are often required to determine the cause of the pain and make a clinical diagnosis.
A diagnostic plan for neck pain may include the following examination methods:
- Laboratory tests (general blood count, biochemical blood test, urine test, others - as indicated).
- X-ray of the cervical spine to detect fractures and other injuries.
- CT scan of the cervical spine to determine injuries, cancer and other changes in the vertebrae.
- MRI of the cervical spine to assess the condition of the spinal cord, nerve roots, visualize protrusions and hernias.
- Electroneuromyography to determine the conduction of impulses along the spinal roots.
During the differential diagnosis, other tests are also prescribed at the discretion of specialists.
When is treatment possible without surgery?
In osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, conservative treatment is carried out if there are no progressive neurological manifestations: muscle weakness and numbness in the limbs. They occur when the spinal roots, arteries and spinal cord are compressed.
The neurologist determines how to treat neck osteochondrosis after examination and receipt of test results. Most patients receive effective conservative therapy with stable long-term remission. Modern techniques are also effectively used to prevent the progression of osteochondrosis and its manifestations.
Conservative treatment methods
In cervical osteochondrosis, therapy begins with conservative methods. Its goals: pain relief, elimination of muscle spasms, improvement of metabolic processes in nervous tissue and microcirculation.
Drug therapy is performed to relieve pain and muscle spasms. For this, the neurologist prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants. If the pain lasts more than 12 weeks, that is, becomes chronic, anticonvulsants and antidepressants with a persistent analgesic effect may be recommended.
In addition to drug therapy, modern and effective techniques are used:
- Acupuncture.The neurologist uses special sterile needles to irritate biologically active points. This alleviates the condition: reduces pain, relaxes muscles.
- Plasma therapy.With local administration of the patient's blood plasma enriched with platelets, the regeneration of damaged tissue is stimulated. Recovery time after operations, illnesses and injuries is reduced.
- High intensity magnet.The electromagnetic field stimulates and accelerates the regeneration of damaged tissues. Relieves pain and reduces swelling.
- Physiotherapy laser.The method has anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous and analgesic effects. Allows you to reduce the size of the hernial protrusion. It is used as a basic method as part of the treatment of intervertebral hernias using the resorption method.
- Physiotherapy.Classes aim to strengthen muscles, increase spinal flexibility, restore range of motion in spinal joints and develop correct posture. Exercises are selected by a specialist individually for the patient after acute pain relief.
- Kinésio recording.Combined with physiotherapy. Before classes, the doctor fixes tapes on the neck area in a certain direction to relax the muscles and influence pain receptors. As a result, the pain decreases. With regular use, spinal mobility is restored and muscle tone is normalized.
- Medical massage.The specialist relieves muscle spasm by acting on receptors in the skin, muscles and fascia. Quickly and permanently relieves pain and improves spinal mobility.
Therapy is selected individually depending on the cause of neck and back pain and associated symptoms.
Forecast
With timely diagnosis and treatment, the outcome is favorable. If complications of osteochondrosis arise in the form of an intervertebral hernia with various neurological symptoms, surgical treatment may be required. Afterwards, rehabilitation can last years. Without treatment, there is a high risk of permanent disability. Comorbidities and advanced age worsen the prognosis.
Patients are often concerned about the question of how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis forever. Unfortunately, it cannot be completely cured. Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine are natural aging processes of the body that cannot be avoided. But you can slow its progression and avoid complications.
Prevention
There are no specific preventive measures for osteochondrosis.
The recommendations boil down to improving general health:
- Maintain ideal body weight.
- Maintain an active lifestyle.
- Sleep on an orthopedic mattress and pillow.
- Regular moderate physical activity - half an hour of walking, warming up your neck and back every day is sufficient.
- Workplace ergonomics. The table and chair should be suitable for your height, the computer monitor should be at eye level or slightly higher.
These measures will maintain the health of the musculoskeletal system, reducing the rate of wear on the intervertebral discs.
Summaries:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative-dystrophic change in the vertebrae, accompanied by the formation of an intervertebral disc herniation.
- Cervical osteochondrosis is manifested by pain in the neck, difficulty moving and muscle spasms. When a spinal root is compressed by a hernia, muscle weakness and numbness of the skin of the upper extremities may occur.
- Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis consists of examination by a neurologist and carrying out the necessary additional tests: computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging of the spine and other methods.
- Treatment of osteochondrosis is generally conservative and aims to relieve pain, inflammation and muscle spasm.
- Prevention of osteochondrosis consists of maintaining an active lifestyle, regular physical activity and workplace ergonomics.