Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine today is common 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 destruction of the neck and shoulder joints.

Before deciding what to do if osteochondrosis of the cervical spine worsens and neck pain is felt, you should visit a doctor and undergo diagnostics.

Diagnosis

Is it possible to cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine forever, is it possible to treat the neck at all and how to carry it out, the doctor will tell you after performing a complete diagnosis. Due to the similarity of the symptoms with other diseases, attention is paid to determining the diagnosis. A patient who comes to a neurologist complaining of neck pain and dizziness will have to go through several stages before a 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 appearance and development of the disease, as well as to exclude other diseases with similar symptoms.

Specialist during inspection:

• Listens to health complaints.Clarifies symptoms, frequency, intensity. It tries to determine what triggers the onset of the attack.
• Clarifying details of the history,will determine the features of the patient's daily life and the presence of concomitant diseases.
• Checks the functioning of the reflexes,focusing on those whose work is affected by the nerve endings located in the neck.
• Tests muscle strength and sensitivity,will identify areas of numbness or tendency to spasm or excessive relaxation.
• I will conductexamination of the vestibular apparatus,which is also affected by the development of osteochondrosis.

During the process, the doctor examines the condition of the muscles. Their thinning or swelling suggests problems with nerve sensitivity. Another important symptom is pain and dizziness when turning or tilting the head.

Laboratory diagnostics

It is possible to prescribe an error-free treatment regimen during an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis and provide effective help only by identifying the causes of destruction of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. And for this, additional research is carried out in the laboratory.

In order to understand the development of the disease, a number of studies are carried out:

1. Total and ionized calcium.
2. Osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin- substances - indicators that the bones are gradually destroyed and the cartilage tissue thins. If their amount in the blood is higher than normal, then the disease will continue to develop.
3. Creatine kinase– indicator of muscle tissue damage. If osteochondrosis has already provoked the development of myositis and seriously threatens the muscles, this indicator in the blood will also increase.
4. Research of trace elements and vitaminsis conducted to determine which of the trace elements and vitamins necessary for metabolism and tissue repair are lacking in the patient's body.

Instrumental studies

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

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

• Radiography.It shows serious changes in the bone structure, appearing deformities and neoplasms.
• Magnetic resonanceevaluates the condition of nerve roots, bulging discs, vertebral inversions and small tumors.
• Ultrasound of cervical blood vesselsblood vessels is performed to determine their patency, and hence the possibility of supplying the brain with the necessary oxygen and nutrients.

• Electroneuromyography.An electric charge is passed through the nervous system, which is unpleasant, but it indicates the level of passage of nerve impulses and the speed of their passage to the muscles, and hence the degree of damage.

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

Treatment

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

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

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

Medication treatment

Very often, men and women facing the stage of exacerbation of inflammation due to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine choose treatment at home using a strong pain reliever, 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 cure what causes them, and therefore the range of drugs is not limited to painkillers.For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is used:

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,helps relieve pain and reduce tissue inflammation at the site of pinched nerve endings.
2. Topical gels and ointments,which 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 arteries, get rid of stiffness, pain and dizziness.
4. Chondroprotectorsare used to stop the destruction and restoration of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs and prevent the occurrence of herniation.
5. Vitamin complexesare used to improve the nutrition of tissues, accelerate their recovery and enhance the effect of drugs, which allows the use of smaller doses.

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

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 physiotherapy, but how and with what to treat should also be decided by the doctor. After all, there is no one-size-fits-all physical therapy method. A set of effective methods is selected specifically for each patient.

The most effective are considered:

• Electrophoresis with painkillers.
• Physiotherapy. The set 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, what is prescribed for neck and back pain does not help, in this case you can take more severe 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, the collapsed and fused vertebrae, hernias and neoplasms that appear threaten human life and reduce its quality.

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

How and how to treat cervical chondrosis at home or in a 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 with such a disease, therapy must be built 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 first stages.

Traditional preventive measures for diseases of the spine:

1. Ensuring healthy physical activity. Light training 2-3 times a week. It is worth choosing a sport aimed at strengthening the muscular corset. Swimming, yoga, pilates, cycling, skating are suitable. In this case, the loads should not be too heavy.
2. Daily activity even with sedentary work. To do this, just do exercises and walk.
3. Monitor your posture not only while walking, but also while working.
4. An ergonomic workplace in which the space that occupies the attention is located so that the neck is not in a tense state.
5. Avoid heavy lifting and excessive exercise.
6. Provide yourself with a comfortable place to sleep with an orthopedic mattress and pillows, so that the sleep is sound and brings a full 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 cooked in oil, sugary sodas and juices.
9. Make a menu, taking into account the need for trace elements and vitamins. Pay attention to vegetables and fruits, lean fish and meat.
10. Drink plenty of clean water.
11. Once every few months, conduct a course of supportive massage. Do regular self-massage if you feel tired in the shoulder area.

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