Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is now common among city residents, office workers and people who spend several hours a day in one position.

But it can also develop in youth. Therefore, everyone should know what cervical osteochondrosis is and how it is treated in order to seek help in a timely manner and prevent the development of unpleasant symptoms and the destruction of joints in the neck and shoulders.

Before deciding what to do if osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has worsened and pain is felt in the neck, you need to see a doctor and undergo diagnostics.

diagnosis

Is a permanent cure for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine possible, is treatment of the neck even possible and how is this done, the doctor will tell you after a complete diagnosis has been made. Due to the similarity of the symptoms to other diseases, special attention is paid to making the diagnosis. A patient who comes to a neurologist with neck pain and dizziness must go through several stages before complex therapy is developed for him.

inspection

At the first visit to the neurologist, an initial examination of the patient is carried out. The doctor's task is to determine the diagnosis, the possible cause of the onset and development of the disease, and also to exclude other diseases with similar symptoms.

Specialist during the inspection:

• Listen to complaints about health.Clarifies symptoms, frequency and intensity. Try to find out what triggers the attack to begin.
• clarify details of the anamnesis,will determine the features of the patient's daily life and the presence of concomitant diseases.
• Checks the function of reflexes,Focusing on those whose work is influenced by the nerve endings in the neck.
• Examines muscle strength and sensitivity,will identify areas of numbness or a tendency to spasm or excessive relaxation.
• Will conductExamination of the vestibular apparatus,which is also affected by the development of osteochondrosis.

The doctor examines the condition of the muscles. Their thinness or swelling indicates problems with nerve sensitivity. Another important symptom is pain and dizziness when turning or tilting the head.

Laboratory diagnostics

Only by identifying the causes of the destruction of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs is it possible to accurately prescribe a treatment regimen and provide effective assistance in the event of an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis. And for this, additional tests are carried out in the laboratory.

To understand the origins of the disease, a number of studies are being carried out:

1. Total and ionized calcium.
2. Osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin– Substances – indicators that bones are gradually being destroyed and cartilage tissue is becoming thinner. If their amount in the blood is higher than normal, the disease will continue to develop.
3. Creatine kinase– an indicator of muscle tissue damage. If osteochondrosis has already provoked the development of myositis and poses a serious threat to the muscles, this indicator in the blood is also increased.
4. Research on microelements and vitaminsis carried out to determine which of the microelements and vitamins necessary for metabolism and tissue repair are missing in the patient's body.

Instrumental studies

Having determined the rate of development and causes of chondrosis, the doctor must determine the condition in which the patient was admitted.

For this purpose, hardware examinations of the spine and intervertebral discs are carried out:

• Radiography.Shows serious changes in bone structure, emerging deformities and neoplasms.
• Magnetic resonance imagingAssesses the condition of nerve roots, disc bulges, vertebral inversions and small tumors.
• Ultrasound of cervical blood vesselsThe examination of blood vessels is carried out to determine their patency and therefore the ability to supply the brain with the necessary oxygen and nutrients.

• Electroneuromyography.A charge of electricity is passed through the nervous system, which is unpleasant, but indicates the degree of passage of nerve impulses and the speed of their passage to the muscles, and therefore the degree of damage.

There are many tips on how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis forever, quickly relieve pain, eliminate dizziness and combat attacks of weakness at home. However, it is important to understand that this is a serious disease that develops individually, and therefore the treatment regimen must be selected by a professional. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, you should contact the clinic without wasting time using traditional methods.

Treatment

Almost everyone who was diagnosed with "chondrosis of the cervical spine" thought about how the degenerative disease can be cured, whether and how it can be treated, and whether it is possible to forget about neck pain forever, following the advice offollows doctors The answer depends on the stage.

In the first and second stages, there are methods that allow treating chondrosis of the cervical spine in men and women at home with good results for the neck.

The doctor's goal is to relieve pain, prevent further destruction of cartilage and bone tissue, and, if possible, try to repair the intervertebral discs to restore mobility. To solve this problem, complex therapy is always used, but sometimes surgical interventions are added to conservative treatment methods.

Medication

Very often, men and women who are at the stage of exacerbation of inflammation due to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine decide on home treatment with a strong pain reliever. But what should you do if the neck pain occurs again? Which treatment is effective? The only correct answer is to appoint a neurologist.

If chondrosis worsens, it is important not only to eliminate the symptoms, but also to cure its causes. Therefore, the range of medications is not limited to painkillers.To treat cervical osteochondrosis, the following are used:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,Helps relieve pain and reduce tissue inflammation at the site of pinched nerve endings.
2. Local gels and ointments,which should be prescribed by a doctor as not all of them are compatible with medications taken orally.
3. Muscle relaxantsallows you to relax tense muscles, release pinched nerves and arteries and eliminate stiffness, pain and dizziness.
4. Chondroprotectorsserve to stop the destruction and restoration of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs and prevent the development of hernias.
5. Vitamin complexesare used to improve tissue nutrition, accelerate their recovery and enhance the effect of drugs, which allows the use of smaller doses.

If a patient is admitted with unbearable pain, a blockade based on hormonal painkillers is used.

Non-drug treatment

Another method that receives excellent reviews from men and women and is often used in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and shoulder girdle at home is physiotherapy. However, how and with what to treat should also be decided by the doctor. After all, there are no universal methods of physiotherapy that are suitable for everyone. A set of effective methods is specifically selected for each patient.

The most effective are:

• Electrophoresis with painkillers.
• Physical therapy. The scope of exercises and their complexity vary depending on the stage of development of osteochondrosis.
• Massage and self-massage.
• Magnetic field therapy.

Surgery for osteochondrosis

At certain stages of the development of cervical osteochondrosis, the prescribed medications for neck and back pain do not help. In this case, you can take more serious medications or resort to a radical but effective method - surgery. The operation is prescribed to patients with irreversible changes in the structure of the spine. At the same time, collapsed and fused vertebrae, hernias and neoplasms threaten human life and reduce its quality.

The surgeon can remove bone growths, hernias, tumors and pinched nerve endings. After such a procedure, the patient undergoes rehabilitation, during which the doctor's recommendations must be followed, otherwise the operation will not bring the desired effect either.

How and how to treat cervical chondrosis at home or in the hospital, what can be done to relieve neck and shoulder pain, get rid of dizziness and relieve inflammation of the vertebrae, what helps and what harms, the doctor must decide. By using other methods and means, you endanger your health, because with such a disease, therapy should be built taking into account the personal characteristics of the patient.

prevention

In order not to know what treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is, you should think about prevention in advance. The disease is often hereditary, but if you follow the recommendations, you can prevent the development of the disease or stop it in the first stages.

Traditional prevention measures for spinal diseases:

1. Ensuring healthy physical activity. Light training 2-3 times a week. It is worth choosing a sport aimed at strengthening the muscle corset. Swimming, yoga, Pilates, cycling, skating are suitable. In this case, the loads should not be too heavy.
2. Daily activity even when sitting. To do this, simply do exercises and take walks.
3. Monitor your posture not only when walking but also when working.
4. An ergonomic workplace in which the attention area is arranged so that the neck is not tense.
5. Avoid heavy lifting and excessive physical activity.
6. Provide a comfortable sleeping place with orthopedic mattresses and pillows so that sleep is healthy and brings complete rest.
7. Give up bad habits, because alcohol, nicotine and drugs have an extremely negative effect on joints, bones and blood vessels.
8. Change your diet. It is worth reducing the consumption of salt, spices, sugar and flour in the daily menu. Avoid fast food, especially food cooked in oil, sweet sodas and juices.
9. Compose a menu that takes into account the need for microelements and vitamins. Pay attention to vegetables and fruits, lean fish and meat.
10. Drink enough clean water.
11. Perform maintenance massage every few months. Perform self-massage regularly if you feel tired in the shoulder area.

If, despite all efforts to maintain health, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine occurs, only a doctor, after a thorough diagnosis, can determine how long the disease will be treated. However, in order to prevent recurrence of an exacerbation, a person with such a diagnosis must remember the rules of a healthy life throughout his life.