Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is common today among city dwellers, 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 time and stop the development of unpleasant symptoms and the destruction of joints in the neck and shoulders.

If osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has worsened and pain is felt in the neck, you should visit a doctor and undergo diagnostics before deciding what to do.

Diagnostics

Whether it is possible to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine permanently, whether it is possible to treat the neck in general and how to conduct it, the doctor will inform you after a complete diagnosis. Emphasis is placed on determining the diagnosis based on the similarity of symptoms with other diseases. A patient who comes to a neurologist with a complaint of neck pain and dizziness must go through several stages before a complex therapy is developed for him.

Examination

At the first visit to the neurologist, a preliminary examination of the patient is carried out. The doctor's task is to diagnose, determine the possible cause of the onset and development of the disease, as well as exclude other diseases with similar symptoms.

During the inspection, the specialist:

• He listens to health complaints.Clarifies symptoms, frequency, intensity. It tries to determine what caused the attack to start.
• To clarify the details of the anamnesis,will determine the characteristics of the patient's daily life and the presence of concomitant diseases.
• checks the activity of reflexes,paying attention to those affecting the work of the nerve endings located in the neck.
• Tests muscle strength and sensitivity,will identify areas of numbness or a tendency to spasm or over-relaxation.
• will takevestibular apparatus test,it is also affected by the development of osteochondrosis.

During the process, 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 bending the head.

Laboratory diagnostics

During the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, it is possible to prescribe an error-free treatment regimen and provide effective help only by determining the causes of the destruction of vertebrae and intervertebral discs. And for this, additional research is conducted in the laboratory.

A number of studies are conducted to understand the development of the disease:

1. Total and ionized calcium.
2. Osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin- substances - indicate the gradual destruction of bones and the thinning of cartilage tissue. If their amount in the blood exceeds the norm, then the disease will continue to develop.
3. Creatine kinase- an indicator of muscle tissue damage. If osteochondrosis has already caused the development of myositis and seriously threatens the muscles, this indicator will also increase in the blood.
4. Research on trace elements and vitaminsit is carried out to determine which microelements and vitamins necessary for metabolism and tissue regeneration are lacking in the patient's body.

Instrumental studies

After studying the rate of development and causes of chondrosis, the doctor should determine the condition in which the patient is admitted.

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

• Radiography.It indicates serious changes in the bone structure, resulting deformations and neoplasms.
• Magnetic resonance imagingevaluates the condition of nerve roots, bulging discs, vertebral inversions and small tumors.
• Ultrasound of the cervical veinsperformed to determine the patency of blood vessels and, therefore, their ability to supply the brain with the necessary oxygen and nutrients.

• Electroneuromyography.The current load passes through the nervous system, which is unpleasant, but it indicates the level of transmission of nerve impulses and the speed of their transmission to the muscles, and therefore the degree of damage.

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

Treatment

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

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

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

Drug treatment

Very often, men and women who face the stage of exacerbation of inflammation due to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine choose home treatment using strong painkillers, but what to do if the neck pain returns, what treatment will be effective? The only correct answer is the appointment of a neurologist.

When chondrosis worsens, it is important not only to eliminate the symptoms, but also to treat those who cause them, and therefore the range of drugs is not limited to pain relievers.The following are used for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,helps relieve pain and reduce tissue inflammation at the site of pinched nerve endings.
2. Topical gels and ointments,must be prescribed by a doctor, as not all are compatible with oral medications.
3. Muscle relaxantswill allow you to relax spasmodic muscles and release compressed nerves and vessels, get rid of stiffness, pain and dizziness.
4. ChondroprotectorsIt is used to stop and restore cartilage tissue destruction of intervertebral discs and to prevent herniation.
5. Vitamin complexesit is used to improve tissue nutrition, accelerate their recovery and increase the effect of drugs, the use of smaller doses is allowed.

If the patient is admitted with unbearable pain, a blockade based on hormonal painkillers will be applied.

Non-drug treatment

Another method that has 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 physical therapy, but how and with what to treat should also be decided by the doctor. After all, there are no universal physiotherapy methods that are suitable for everyone. A set of effective methods is selected specifically for each patient.

It is considered the most effective:

• Electrophoresis with painkillers.
• Physiotherapy. The complex of exercises and their complexity varies depending on the stage of development of osteochondrosis.
• Massage and self-massage.
• Magnetotherapy.

Surgery for osteochondrosis

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

The surgeon will be able to remove bone growths, hernias, tumors, and pinched nerve endings. After such an intervention, the patient will undergo rehabilitation, during which time it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations, otherwise even the operation will not give the desired effect.

How to treat cervical chondrosis at home or in the hospital, what to do to relieve pain in the neck and shoulders, get rid of dizziness and relieve inflammation of the vertebrae, what helps and what will harm, the doctor must decide. Using other methods and means, you risk your health, because therapy with such a disease must be established taking into account the personal characteristics of the patient.

Prevention

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

Traditional preventive measures for spinal diseases:

1. Ensuring healthy physical activity. Light exercises 2-3 times a week. It is worth choosing a sport aimed at strengthening the muscle corset. Suitable for swimming, yoga, Pilates, cycling, skating. In this case, the loads should not be too heavy.
2. Daily activity even during sedentary work. For this, just do exercises and go for a walk.
3. Monitor your posture not only while walking, but also while working.
4. An ergonomic workplace where the attention-grabbing space is located so that the neck is not in a strained position.
5. Avoid lifting heavy loads and excessive physical activity.
6. Provide a comfortable bed with orthopedic mattresses and pillows for healthy sleep and 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 amount of salt, spices, sugar and flour consumed in the daily menu. Avoid fast food, especially foods cooked in oil, sweet sodas and juices.
9. Prepare a menu taking into account the need for microelements and vitamins. Focus on vegetables and fruits, lean fish and meat.
10. Drink plenty of clean water.
11. Take a maintenance massage course once every few months. If you feel tired in the shoulder area, massage yourself regularly.

Despite all efforts to maintain health, if osteochondrosis of the cervical spine appears, only a doctor can determine how long the disease will be treated after a comprehensive diagnosis. However, in order to prevent recurrence of exacerbation, a person with such a diagnosis will have to remember healthy lifestyle rules throughout his life.