In today's world this disease have almost all of the people who have reached 25 years. Cervical degenerative disc disease occurs much more frequently than in other parts of the spine. The Relevance of this topic is difficult to overestimate.
In this article we will look at it, why does this disease before it manifests, how to treat cervical osteochondrosis, what medications are effective in its treatment, which are non-drug methods there are, and also learn the answers to common questions patients with a similar diagnosis.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine – the degenerative-degenerative slaughter (progressive) of the intervertebral disc in the cervical region of the spine. For this reason, changes occur as in the intervertebral disks, as well as in the vertebrae and joints cervical.
Causes of degenerative disc disease of the cervical
Due to the effect of the below factors, leads to an increase in the load on the cervical spine, neck muscles are trying to compensate for the excess burden arises their spasm, blood circulation is disturbed in this area, giving rise to degenerative changes. Due to a number of factors arise from changes in the intervertebral discs of the cervical, changing their structure, disrupted their food, there are changes in the small joints between the vertebrae, appear bony growths of the vertebral bodies, due to the increased load on the altered intervertebral disks.
Factors contributing to the development of degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine:
- Bad posture of your body and the presence of scoliosis
- Overweight
- Lack of exercise, sedentary work
- Previously delegated to a spinal injury
- Metabolic disorders
- A large physical burden
- The stress and constant nervous tension
- The low level of physical fitness
- Hereditary predisposition
- The usual incorrect position of your body, for example, holding the telephone handset shoulder
- The constant tension of the back, neck regard to the characteristics (a strained condition in sitting position) for drivers, office clerks.
- Abnormal development of the cervical spine
The degree of development of cervical degenerative disc disease
The degree of degenerative disc disease is determined by clinical picture and complaints of the patient. There is no need the concept of extent confused with the stages of degenerative disc disease. The stages will be described below.
The first degree
clinical manifestations are minimal, the patient may complain of pain in the cervical region of the spine with low intensity, can grow in the rotation of the head. On physical examination inspection can identify the mild tension of the muscles in the neck area.
The second stage
the patient troubled by pain in the cervical spine, the intensity of the significantly more may be the irradiation of pain in the shoulder, in your hand. Arises due to a decrease in height of the intervertebral disc and retention of the roots of the nerves. Feelings of pain are getting worse while tilting and rotation of the head. The sufferer may celebrate decreased performance, weakness, headache.
The third degree
symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease worsen, the pain becomes constant, radiating to the zika helena's shoulder. Appear numbness helen weakness in the muscles of the hands, so as to constitute a hernia of the intervertebral discs. Troubled by weakness, dizziness. Upon examination found limitation of motion in the cervical spine, pain on palpation of the cervical.
Fourth grade
occurs to the complete destruction of the intervertebral disc and its replacement by connective tissue. Amplified dizziness, appears of tinnitus, disturbed coordination, such as is involved in the process of the vertebra artery of the drive cerebellum and occipital share of a brain.
The clinical picture of degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine — symptoms, the symptoms
Symptoms of degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is different from the manifestations of this disease in other parts of the vertebral column. This is due to the fact that the cervical vertebrae are close to each other, the intervertebral discs have a relatively small height, which sees to the emergence of clinics as well as in those of the smaller pathological processes. Also in the cervical region often occurs the compression of the nerve roots and spinal cord.
The most common symptoms of degenerative disc disease of the cervical — symptoms:
- Pain syndrome: the pain may have different localization, which can be on the neck, in the occipital region, on the arm of helena's upper limb. Pain in the shoulder helena's arm appears when the process involved the backbone of the nerve, Innervate the upper limb. Pain in the occipital part of the head are caused by spasm of the neck muscles, which are attached to the occipital bone and the violation of blood circulation in this area.
- Weakness of the hands occurs when it gets damaged spine, in composition of which are motor nerves, Innervate the muscles of the hands.
- The reduction of the sensitivity in the hands occurs when it gets damaged spine in the composition, which are sensitive nerves, Innervate the skin of the upper limb.
- Limitation of motion in the cervical spine and crunching during movement arises as a result of the reduction of the height of the intervertebral discs, formation of bone growths on the bodies of the vertebrae, and destruction of the small joints between the vertebrae of the cervical.
- Dizziness, impaired coordination, weakness - these symptoms are caused by points, involving in the process of the vertebral artery, which sees in its own channel, which is located in the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae. Due to the development of cervical degenerative disc disease, the formation of fibrous tissue, the bias of the vertebrae, worsening blood flow in these vessels, which sees to the deterioration of the blood supply to the occipital lobe of the brain and cerebellum.
- Numbness of the tongue, hearing loss and vision
they arise in severe cases during a strong deterioration of blood supply to the occipital lobe of the brain, the cerebellum and the stem.
Symptoms depending on the damaged vertebrae
Separately, you can allocate root syndromes, which lead to some of the sensitive and motor disorders. They vary depending on what kind of vertebrae compresses the spinal spine:
- C1: they see the insensitivity and violation of the sensitivity in the back of the head;
- C2: pain sensations in the parietal region and the back of the head;
- C3: speech disorders, the sensitivity of the tongue, pain and reduce sensitivity on that side, where disadvantaged spinal nerve;
- C4: pain in the heart, the left hypochondrium, in the shoulder my shoulder, breathing disorders, decreased muscle tone of the neck;
- C5: shoulder pain in the outer area;
- C6: pain, gives in from the forearm to the large finger of the hands and also from his neck to the blade;
- C7: pain on the back side of the shoulder, from the neck to my shoulder, gives in the forearm to the 2-4 fingers of the hand;
- C8: pain from neck to shoulder, from the forearm to the pinkie.
Diagnosis of cervical degenerative disc disease
The main diagnostic methods are:
- X-ray of the cervical spine. It is uninformative method, especially in the later stages of the disease.
- Computed tomography. Better shows the changes in the vertebrae, but it is difficult to determine the size and availability of the intervertebral hernia, as well as the availability of disco the medulla oblongata of the conflict (compression of the hernia of the spinal cord).
- Magnetic-resonance tomography. The most informative method. Excellent are seen not only bone structure, but also the intervertebral discs, hernia, their size, their direction of growth.
- When a suspected violation of the blood flow in the blood vessels of vertebrate animals applied ultrasonic duplex scanning. This method allows you to determine exactly zdf reduce the speed of blood flow, zdf there are obstacles to a normal into the bloodstream.
Radiological stage of cervical degenerative disc disease.
- 1 stage – minimal configuration changes of the vertebrae, the smoothness of the cervical lordosis (curvature).
- 2 phase – instability between the vertebrae, maybe a shift of one vertebra in relation to another, the torsion (rotation around the axis of the vertebral pillar), a slight reduction in the height of the intervertebral disc.
- 3 phase – reduction of height of the intervertebral disc at ¼ of the relatively higher located the disk, changes in the intervertebral joints, posterior osteophytes (bone growths), narrowing of the intervertebral holes and narrowing of the spinal canal, in which lies the spinal cord with membranes.
- 4 phase – a significant reduction in the height of the intervertebral disc, significant changes in the intervertebral joints, huge rear osteophytes, significant narrowing of the intervertebral holes and a significant narrowing of the spinal canal with the formation of myelopathy.
Principles of treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease
The main methods of treatment of degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine – it is the treatment treatment, physiotherapy, massage of the neck-collar area, in particular, effective physiotherapy in cervical osteochondrosis. The main groups of drugs used in this disease include:
| The name of the group | Action | |
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) | reduce painful, promote the breakdown of aseptic inflammation and swelling of the root of the damaged nerve. | |
| B vitamins | improve the metabolic processes in the nervous tissue. | |
| Drugs to improve the rheological properties of blood and blood circulation | improving the nutrition of the damaged nerve roots and improve blood flow to the brain. | |
| Chondroprotectors | drugs, recondition cartilage of the fabric including the damaged intervertebral disk. | |
| Muscle relaxants | drugs, the elimination of a spasm of the muscles. |
Attention! Listed medications are not appointments, they are presented for reference purposes only.
Physiotherapy in the treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease
| Electrophoresis with medicinal means. | By the action of electric current of ions of the drugs get to the desired location. Done with novocaine for pain relief, helena with aminophylline to improve blood flow. |
| Ultrasound | it has anti-inflammatory, anesthetic effect, and also improves the metabolic processes in the affected area. |
| Magnetic therapy | it has analgesic properties due to alleviate swelling of the tissue. |
| Laser therapy. | through the light exposure is achieved anti-inflammatory effect and improves blood circulation. |
Therapeutic physical education
Exercise therapy in cervical osteochondrosis should be performed outside of an acute exacerbation. The greatest efficiency of this technique in the period of convalescence. During the implementation of the complex may not be discomfort and pain!
| Exercise # 1 | Lying on your stomach, rest your hands on the floor, lift your head and torso, the back should be straight. Stay in this position for 1-2 minutes. Slowly go down on the floor. Repeat 2-3 times. |
| Exercise №2 | Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms along your body, head again to the left, try to touch ear sex, then turn head to the right. Repeat 6-7 times in each direction. |
| Exercise №3 | In a sitting position, on the inhale lean forward and your head, try to touch the chest, then exhale, tilt back and put your head. Repeat 10-15 times. |
| Exercise №4 | Sitting place the palms on the forehead, put the pressure of the palm on the forehead and the forehead on the palm of your hand. Continue this exercise for 30 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times. |
| Exercise №5 | Slowly turn your head first to one side, then on the other side. 10 rotations in each direction. Be careful to have appeared dizziness. At his appearance the end of the drill. |
Common questions patients with cervical osteochondrosis and the answers to them
It may be necessary surgery with cervical osteochondrosis?
A testimony to surgical intervention is the lack of effectiveness of conservative treatment for a period of 6 months, accompanied by constant pain syndrome and symptoms of damage to the nerve roots, as well as myelopathy. In all other cases, the operation is not performed.
As long as it is possible to use the NSA?
Like most of the NSAIDS have a side effect on the gastric mucosa, it is a long-term and frequent intake data of drugs, not recommended. When taking this group of drugs is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations of the attending physician, the reception time can be individual, depending on the stage, degenerative disc disease, complaints of the patient and his comorbidities.
How to effectively take chondroprotectors?
At this moment there is no evidence about the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of these drugs. In such cases, doctors are of the opinion that the preparation of use impractical.
As a better to take the vitamins in the form of a tablet helena injections?
No difference in the level of absorption of drugs in these two ways the introduction of the no. Whereas, the soreness of the injection the introduction of and frequency of complications, it is recommended to take vitamins of group "In" in the sculptured forms.
What measures should be taken, deterioration?
The best engage in physical therapy in the home environment, 2 times a year to visit the massage of the neck-collar area and to limit excessive load on the cervical spine.