In the complex therapy of cervical chondrosis (osteochondrosis), injectable solutions, ointments, creams, tablets and pills are used. Medicines cope well with pain, swelling, inflammation, loss of sensitivity, dizziness and increased blood pressure.
Characteristic features of the disease
The course of cervical osteochondrosis is accompanied by slow and irreversible destruction of the intervertebral discs. Deprived of shock-absorbing cartilaginous padding, bony vertebrae also begin to deform.When visiting a vertebrologist or neurologist, patients complain of sharp or aching pain, stiffness, dizziness when standing up suddenly, therefore, treatment regimens consist of medications with various properties:
- external agents with local anesthetic, regenerating and warming effects;
- medications that provide adequate nutrition to the brain;
- chondroprotectors that trigger disc restoration processes;
- local and systemic analgesics.
The pathology cannot yet be completely cured. Doctors' efforts are aimed at eliminating painful symptoms and inhibiting the spread of the disease to other parts of the spine. For this purpose, complex treatment regimens are developed using drugs from different groups.
Signs of cervical chondrosis
In the initial stages of the disease, there are practically no symptoms in women and men. Occasionally, a person feels slight discomfort at night. He attributes them to tiredness after a day of work, which is why he doesn't go to the doctor. Meanwhile, your intervertebral discs are gradually destroyed. The vertebrae are deformed with the formation of bony protuberances, compressing the vertebral artery.
After about a year, the discomfort is replaced by pain, which intensifies when turning or tilting the head.Chondrosis manifests itself with the following symptoms:
- clicking, popping in the neck;
- limitation of range of movement;
- blood pressure spikes;
- accelerated heartbeat;
- unilateral throbbing headaches similar to migraines;
- visual and hearing disorders;
- dizziness, unsteady gait, sensations of imaginary rotation of objects;
- attacks of nausea, rarely ending in vomiting.
Due to a lack of oxygen to the brain, sleep is disrupted, weakness, apathy, fatigue and ringing in the ears occur. A person's psycho-emotional state worsens - he becomes nervous and worries about trifles.
Principles of drug treatment
Chiropractors, professional massage therapists, physiotherapists and physiotherapists are involved in the treatment of cervical chondrosis. At the final stage, the use of folk remedies is allowed. But the main role in complex therapy is assigned to pharmacological drugs.All dosage forms are in demand:
- injectable solutions are used for exacerbations of chondrosis to quickly eliminate its painful symptoms;
- tablets, capsules and pills are prescribed during remissions to prevent disc destruction, relieve mild or moderate pain and restore blood circulation;
- ointments, gels, balms and creams are the safest, they quickly deal with stiffness and unpleasant crunching.
It is rarely possible to treat osteochondrosis with any medication. Therapeutic regimens usually include at least 5 drugs with different pharmacological properties. They are compatible and convenient to use at home.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs are used more frequently than other medications in the treatment of cervical chondrosis. They are indicated for acute, penetrating or distant and dull pain. The mechanism of action of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is based on the ability to inhibit enzymes responsible for the production of neurotransmitters. All NSAIDs have a complex effect on the human body:
- eliminate painful sensations;
- eliminate crunching and clicking noises that occur when turning the neck;
- stop the course of acute, subacute and chronic inflammatory processes affecting soft tissues;
- stimulate the reduction of swelling that affects the sensory nerve endings;
- increase range of motion in damaged cervical vertebrae.
In the treatment of chondrosis, medicines in the form of solutions for parenteral administration and tablets have proven themselves well.
Prolonged use of NSAIDs causes damage to the gastric mucosa. Concurrent use of proton pump inhibitors will help prevent this. Medicines reduce the production of aggressive gastric juice by parietal cells, which increases under the influence of NSAIDs.
Synthetic hormones
Glucocorticosteroids are synthetic analogues of hormones produced by the adrenal cortex. This is the "heavy artillery" of drug treatment for cervical osteochondrosis. Like natural hormones, glucocorticosteroids quickly relieve inflammation, swelling and eliminate pain almost instantly. They are used in the form of solutions for intramuscular administration. But in case of acute pain, it is possible to insert them directly into the area of the destroyed intervertebral disc.Treatment of aggravated pathology is carried out with hormonal drugs.One injection is enough to prevent pain from appearing for 3-5 days. Glucocorticosteroids are prescribed to patients with osteochondrosis when NSAIDs are ineffective. It's all about the wide list of its possible side effects. Too frequent use of hormones causes damage to muscles, bones and the tendon-ligamentous system.
The use of hormonal medications during pregnancy, lactation, adolescence and childhood is prohibited.
All glucocorticosteroids have many contraindications. In clinical practice, cases of withdrawal include severe damage to the liver, kidneys and stomach after long-term hormone therapy. They are not used in the presence of liver cirrhosis, peptic ulcers, renal failure or osteoporosis.
Medicines with chondroprotective effects
All means used in the complex treatment of chondrosis only eliminate its symptoms, temporarily improving the person's well-being. The only exception is chondroprotectors. These medications contain ingredients that can trigger the restoration of damaged cartilaginous intervertebral discs. The pain in the neck stops hurting after using them and disappears not for a few hours, but forever.
In pharmacies, chondroprotectors are presented in a wide range. These are capsules, substances for preparing injection solutions, powders packed in bags.They must contain one of the following components:
- Glucosamine. Stimulates the synthesis of bioactive substances necessary for tissue construction, improves the composition of synovial fluid. Increases the permeability of the joint capsule, restores enzymatic processes and inhibits the destruction of discs.
- Chondroitin. Participates in the construction of cartilage and bone tissue, accelerates metabolic processes. Inhibits the destruction of intervertebral discs, blocks enzymes that cause damage to cartilaginous tissue.
Products that improve microcirculation
A much sought after substance to improve blood circulation in cervical osteochondrosis is xanthinol nicotinate. This medicine is used in the treatment of highly serious pathologies, when not only the discs, but also the bone vertebrae are deformed. Compression of the vertebral artery is manifested by cervicocranialgia. This is the name for a whole complex of symptoms of violation of the vertebral artery: headache, "floaters" before the eyes, temporary blurred vision, sweating, tachycardia.
Thioctic acid helps to improve microcirculation and eliminate "vertebral artery syndrome". The disadvantage of these medications is their indiscriminate effect, as they accelerate blood circulation throughout the body, which is not always advisable. Therefore, the list of its contraindications includes epilepsy, hyperthyroidism and peptic ulcer disease.
Preparations with B vitamins
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in the acute phase cannot be carried out without the use of medications whose composition consists of B vitamins. The fact is that acute bone growths on the vertebrae not only infringe on the vertebral artery. They also put pressure on sensitive nerve roots, disrupting innervation. Nerve impulses enter the central nervous system with a delay and their responses are inhibited.
Disruption of innervation leads to paresthesia - loss of sensitivity in certain areas of the body.
In the drug treatment of cervical chondrosis, drugs whose activity is determined by pyridoxine, thiamine and B12 have proven themselves well.
Many of them are available in the form of solutions for intramuscular administration. Contains B vitamins and an anesthetic. Therefore, after the injection, the pain disappears instantly and the range of motion in the region of the cervical vertebrae is restored.
At the same time, the product improves blood flow, the functioning of the nervous, muscular and cardiovascular systems, relieves inflammation and nerve degeneration. There are contraindications to its use. These are periods of pregnancy and breastfeeding, hypersensitivity to ingredients.
The best muscle relaxants
Eliminating mild symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and treating its exacerbations at home are often complicated by muscle spasms. The nerve root is compressed by displaced intervertebral discs and inflammatory edema. An intense pain syndrome occurs, which the body tries to eliminate with muscle spasms. Thanks to this peculiar protective reaction, the person's mobility is limited and the discomfort disappears.
But often an increase in skeletal muscle tone causes even greater pressure on nerve endings.
Muscle relaxants are combined with all means for drug treatment of chondrosis, including glucocorticosteroids. They are well tolerated by the body, but some can cause dependence and "withdrawal syndrome". Therefore, they are not intended for long-term therapy. The duration of the treatment course does not exceed one week.
Drugs that improve the psycho-emotional state
Of all the chondroses, it is the cervical chondrosis that especially worsens the person's psycho-emotional state. It's all about infringement of the vertebral artery by bone growths, which leads to cerebral hypoxia.The patient presents atypical symptoms for pathologies of the musculoskeletal system:
- panic attacks;
- depression, neurosis;
- visual and hearing disorders;
- dry and unproductive cough;
- shortness of breathe;
- anxiety, apathy, fatigue;
- various sleep disorders.
What you don't need to do when they appear is use cough suppressants, eye drops or ear drops. Often, symptoms can be eliminated by taking medications with a mild sedative effect: Tenoten, Novo-Passit, tinctures of motherwort, valerian, peony. Only for severe neuroses and depression are tranquilizers, antipsychotics and antidepressants prescribed.
Balanced complexes with vitamins
Most essential vitamins, micro- and macroelements enter the human body with food. But food products do not always satisfy physiological needs or are absorbed and distributed incorrectly. For example, with circulatory disorders characteristic of cervical osteochondrosis. There is a deficiency of bioactive substances, which negatively affects the functioning of all vital systems.
To quickly replenish the body's daily need for vitamins, micro- and macroelements, their balanced complexes should be included in treatment regimens.
Magnesium forms muscle and bone tissue and iodine regulates metabolism. Manganese, molybdenum, chromium, potassium, chlorine, selenium, zinc stimulate the strengthening of the tendon-ligament apparatus, and copper stops inflammatory processes. These minerals are present in all of the above complexes.
The correct intake of medication is to use 1 tablet per day - an amount sufficient to improve the blood supply to the brain with useful substances.
A week later, the signs of anemia that occur at stage 3 of the development of cervical chondrosis disappear. The person no longer feels drowsy and does not suffer from impaired coordination of movements. Double vision of objects before the eyes disappears.
Ointments, gels, balms
External remedies are always used for exacerbations of chondrosis at home. They cannot deal with intense pain; injections or painkillers are required. Ointments, creams, gels and balms are used to eliminate pain that occurs during hypothermia and changes in climatic zones.Which of them will help cure a chronic illness:
- Anti-inflammatory. Medicines have a milder effect on the human body than other NSAIDs.
- Vasodilators. The agents exhibit local irritant activity and dilate blood vessels supplying blood to the brain.
- Painkillers. The medicines help to relieve pain immediately after application. They are well absorbed and do not leave greasy marks on clothes and sheets.
- Heating. Products with pepper extract are only applied with an applicator. The medicines have an analgesic effect a few minutes after being applied to the back of the neck.
Products for external use are effective and very rarely cause the development of local allergic reactions. But caution is needed during treatment. If ointments come into contact with mucous membranes, wash them off quickly with water. Especially those that contain essential oils, natural poisons and turpentine.
Therapeutic plasters
A time-tested remedy for exacerbations of osteochondrosis is the Pepper patch. Its composition is represented by phytoextracts of red pepper, belladonna and dimexide. The active ingredients of the patch gradually penetrate the damaged disc area and have an analgesic effect for 3-5 hours. If the neck hurts, the external remedy is used whole or cut into small pieces.
The pepper patch is convenient to use for treatment at home, at work or while traveling. But it also has a contraindication - individual intolerance to one of the components. And in women with sensitive skin, it can cause chemical burns.
The patches have anti-inflammatory, decongestant and chondroprotective activity. They are intended for the treatment of all pathologies of the cervical spine. Its use helps to reduce the pharmacological load on the human body by reducing doses of systemic medications.
How to properly treat cervical chondrosis?
Stopping the destruction of intervertebral discs is possible only with an integrated approach to therapy. The use of orthopedic devices (Schanz collars) that fix the vertebrae in an anatomical position is practiced. Applicators are necessary to improve the blood supply to damaged tissues with nutrients and bioactive substances. Daily physiotherapy, yoga, swimming and outdoor walking classes are offered.
Most medications are advisable to alleviate symptoms during exacerbations. They have many side effects, including damage to liver tissue. Chondroprotectors, means for improving blood circulation and balanced vitamin and mineral complexes are suitable for regular use.