Osteochondrosis is an outdated term that is often used in some countries for degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, vertebral joints and vertebral bodies themselves. These changes are common in the cervical spine due to 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 and ligaments in between. With osteochondrosis, the intervertebral discs become thinner and deformed, their elasticity and shock absorption decrease. Gradually, the inner part of the disc, the nucleus pulposus, protrudes due to microdamage in the outer part, the annulus fibrosus. In this way, intervertebral protrusions and hernias arise, which irritate the pain receptors of the ligaments along the back of the spine and cause pain. When the roots of the spine are compressed, pain can spread to the upper extremities and neurological symptoms can occur: reduced sensitivity of the skin of the arm, muscle weakness in it, etc. Bone growths - osteophytes - can occur as a protective reaction to injury and damageoccur along the edges of the body and on the vertebral arches.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine usually occurs as a result of the aging process, but some risk factors aggravate and accelerate the progression of degenerative spinal disease. Among them:
- Genetic predisposition.The presence of osteochondrosis in close relatives, especially at a young age, increases the risk of early onset and complications.
- Physical inactivity.With a sedentary lifestyle, the nutrition of the intervertebral discs is disrupted. They have no blood vessels and receive nutrients through diffusion from the vertebral bodies. These processes occur actively during physical activity.
- Injury.Spinal injuries accelerate the development of degenerative changes in the spine.
- Uneven strain on the spine.Possible situations: improper movement, poor posture, predominant stress on one side of the body or limb, prolonged posture with the head tilted, for example when reading on the phone.
- Metabolic disorders.The condition of the vertebrae is affected by endocrine diseases, in particular diabetes, which complicates the nutrition of the tissues.
Symptoms
The dominant symptom of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is pain. Its localization depends on the type of lesion. When irritated by a disc bulge or osteophytes of a sensitive ligament, pain is felt in the neck, which is accompanied by a reflex muscle spasm. If the hernia compresses the spinal nerve, pain may radiate into the arm.
Pain most commonly occurs in the neck and back of the head and occurs or increases with sudden movements of the head, prolonged static tension or an uncomfortable position, for example after sleeping.
Other signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- Limited mobility of the neck, pain when turning the head.
- Spasms of the neck muscles.
- Decreased tone and strength of the muscles of the upper extremities, which is typical of the compression of a spinal root fracture.
- Impaired sensitivity of the skin of the upper extremities.
- When a fracture of the vertebral artery is compressed, symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency appear, which develop sharply when turning or tilting the head: dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, fainting, impairment of short-term memory, unsteadiness when walking, visual, hearing and speech impairment, severe muscle weakness in the limbs.
diagnosis
If there is pain and discomfort in the neck area, the patient is recommended to consult a neurologist or vertebral doctor. Sometimes it is necessary to consult other specialists: an orthopedic traumatologist if injuries have occurred in the past.
A neurologist carries out an examination and clarifies symptoms and medical history. Cervical osteochondrosis can manifest itself in dozens of diseases. Therefore, additional examination is often required to determine the cause of the pain and make a clinical diagnosis.
A neck pain diagnostic plan may include the following examination methods:
- Laboratory tests (general blood count, biochemical blood test, urine test, others - as specified).
- X-ray of the cervical spine to detect fractures and other injuries.
- CT scan of the cervical spine to detect injuries, cancer and other changes in the vertebrae.
- MRI of the cervical spine to assess the condition of the spinal cord and nerve roots, as well as to visualize protrusions and hernias.
- Electroneuromyography to determine impulse conduction along the spinal roots.
As part of the differential diagnosis, other examinations are also prescribed at the discretion of the specialist.
When is treatment possible without surgery?
For osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, conservative treatment is carried out in the absence of progressive neurological manifestations: muscle weakness and numbness in the limbs. They occur when the spinal roots, arteries and spinal cord are compressed.
The neurologist, after examining and receiving the results of the examination, determines how to treat osteochondrosis of the neck. 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
With cervical osteochondrosis, therapy begins with conservative methods. Its goals: relieve pain, eliminate muscle spasms, improve metabolic processes in nervous tissue and microcirculation.
Drug therapy is used to relieve pain and muscle spasms. For this purpose, the neurologist prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants. If the pain lasts longer than 12 weeks, i. e. becomes chronic, anticonvulsants and antidepressants with a lasting analgesic effect can be recommended.
In addition to drug therapy, modern effective techniques are used:
- Acupuncture.The neurologist uses special sterile needles to stimulate biologically active points. This alleviates the condition: relieves pain, relaxes muscles.
- Plasma therapy.Local administration of the patient's platelet-enriched blood plasma stimulates the regeneration of damaged tissue. The recovery time after operations, illnesses and injuries is shortened.
- High intensity magnet.The electromagnetic field stimulates and accelerates the regeneration of damaged tissue. Relieves pain and reduces swelling.
- Physiotherapeutic laser.The method has anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous and analgesic effects. This allows you to reduce the size of the hernia protrusion. It is used as a basic method in the treatment of intervertebral hernias using the resorption method.
- Physical therapy.The courses are aimed at strengthening muscles, increasing flexibility of the spine, restoring mobility to the joints of the spine and developing correct posture. The exercises are selected by a specialist individually for the patient after acute pain has been relieved.
- Kinesio taping.Combined with physiotherapy. Before classes, the doctor attaches tapes in the neck and collar area in a certain direction to relax the muscles and influence the pain receptors. This causes the pain to subside. With regular use, mobility of the spine is restored and muscle tone is normalized.
- Medical massage.The specialist relieves muscle spasms by acting on receptors in the skin, muscles and fascia. Quickly and permanently relieves pain and improves vertebral mobility.
The therapy is selected individually depending on the cause of the neck and back pain and accompanying symptoms.
forecast
With timely diagnosis and treatment, the outcome is favorable. If complications of osteochondrosis occur in the form of an intervertebral hernia with various neurological symptoms, surgical treatment may be required. Rehabilitation can then take years. Without treatment, there is a high risk of permanent disability. Comorbidities and advanced age worsen the prognosis.
Patients are often worried 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 processes of natural aging of the body that cannot be avoided. But you can slow its progression and avoid complications.
prevention
There are no specific preventive measures against osteochondrosis.
Recommendations boil down to improving overall health:
- Maintaining optimal body weight.
- maintaining an active lifestyle.
- Sleep on an orthopedic mattress and pillow.
- Regular moderate physical activity – walking for half an hour every day, warming up your neck and back is enough.
- Ergonomics of the workplace. The table and chair should fit your height, and the computer monitor should be at eye level or slightly higher.
These measures maintain musculoskeletal health by reducing wear and tear on the intervertebral discs.
Summaries:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degenerative-dystrophic change in the vertebrae that is accompanied by the formation of intervertebral disc herniations.
- Cervical osteochondrosis manifests itself in neck pain, limited mobility and muscle spasms. If 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 in examination by a neurologist and conducting the necessary additional studies: CT, MRI of the spine and other methods.
- Treatment of osteochondrosis is usually conservative and aims to relieve pain, inflammation and muscle spasms.
- Prevention of osteochondrosis consists in maintaining an active lifestyle, regular physical activity and ergonomics at work.