Osteochondrosis is a serious back disease that interferes with the mobility of the vertebrae, changing their location, and pinching of the nerve roots occurs. There are types of diseases, among which cervical osteochondrosis is considered severe. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are bright, the diagnosis of the disease is not difficult.
Cervical osteochondrosis involves the destruction of the intervertebral space in the cervical spine. The location of the vertebrae changes, pinching occurs. The disease is fraught with consequences, it is worth knowing its symptoms. Every 4 people suffering from back disease has cervical osteochondrosis. The age of the patients is decreasing.
Symptoms
The main, annoying symptom of osteochondrosis is pain. Comes at any time, does not go away for several days, weeks. The strength and duration of the pain syndrome depends on the stage of the disease. With cervical osteochondrosis, the neck hurts at the site of the dislocation of the focus of inflammation. The disease covers several vertebrae, pain spreads throughout the neck.
Cervical osteochondrosis differs from the varieties, it suggests severe symptoms. It's about headache, dizziness. Osteochondrosis causes pinching of the nerve roots, irritation of the nerve fibers located around. The nucleus of the intervertebral disc is inflamed, as are the surrounding tissues.
There are many arteries and vessels in the neck suffering from osteochondrosis. Inflamed nerves cause spasm in blood vessels, which negatively affects patency. In the vessels, the blood lumen decreases, because they narrow, a smaller volume of blood passes through them. The head and brain suffer from oxygen starvation. Hence the headache, light-headedness, fainting, nausea, vomiting.
Headache, migraine in tandem with neck pain causes a state of despair, depression. To eliminate the symptoms, doctors throw all their strength to return the patient to his usual life, rhythm. The patient is subject to relief of symptoms, it is worth knowing the methods, methods.
Conservative treatment
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis require urgent medical attention. A neuropathologist deals with the treatment of back diseases. If symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic region appear, a consultation with a cardiologist will be required. Treatment of the disease is complex, versatile. Do not expect that the disease is absent after a week or two. Improvement should be noted in 2-3 weeks, cure - in 3-4 months, if the disease is at the first stage. If a person consults a doctor later, it will not be possible to completely recover from osteochondrosis.
Much depends on the professionalism and experience of the doctor. It is worth compiling a complex of treatment that affects different aspects of the disease. The leading role is played by drug treatment. Medicine is confidently stepping forward in the development of drugs for osteochondrosis, drugs actively affect the focus of inflammation. The main thing is to choose the right medicine.
Conservative treatment involves taking drugs belonging to the groups:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Medicines are aimed at eliminating the focus of inflammation, they act gradually, slowly. For treatment, the patient is prescribed 2-3 courses of NSAIDs, with a break of two weeks. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have side effects that appear when the course of treatment is delayed for more than 10 days. The gastrointestinal tract suffers.
- Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis (neck pain, migraine) require the use of analgesics, serious pain relievers. They stop the pain for a while. So that the pain does not bother for a long time, accompanying methods are used: self-massage, physiotherapy exercises, manual therapy.
- Vasodilator drugs are important in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. Used to relieve vasospasm. It is recommended to carefully, individually select. They have many contraindications. Self-selection, medication is not recommended. Illiteracy will lead to an aggravation of the disease.
- Chondroprotectors are aimed at the regeneration of damaged connective tissues. Osteochondrosis thinns the intervertebral space, destroys the cartilaginous, connective tissue. Regeneration without medication is slow, because microcirculation is impaired, metabolic products do not leave the cells. Chondroprotectors enhance microcirculation, remove metabolic products, stimulate metabolic processes in the cells of the affected tissue. Cell regeneration is faster.
Medicinal groups are considered the main ones in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck, but medications alone cannot be dispensed with.
Therapy methods
When prescribing treatment, the doctor relies on important factors. It is worth finding out if the patient has an allergy in order to choose therapy, medications. The presence of chronic diseases is found out. The treatment regimen, its duration, directions depend on the collected anamnesis. The history indicates the severity of the disease.
Therapy is not limited to medication. Treatment is complemented by methods:
- Physiotherapy. Includes methods: magnetic therapy, electrophoresis, hydrotherapy, mud therapy, phototherapy. In the treatment of diseases of the back, musculoskeletal system, electrophoresis and magnetotherapy are used.
- Massage. It is recommended that you trust a qualified massage therapist. Massage of the collar zone stimulates blood outflow, improves the mobility of the vertebrae, and temporarily relieves pain.
- Physiotherapy. A specialist in exercise therapy will compose, coordinate a course of exercises that have a beneficial effect on the body, will be an additional method of restoring the body.
- Traditional methods. In folk medicine, there are many effective recipes for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck. It is worthwhile to competently approach the treatment with herbs, natural ingredients, since plants cause allergic reactions, side effects. Treatment is recommended to be agreed with a doctor. This will save you from unwanted consequences and complications.
Treatment of the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis is compiled by a doctor. Self-medication should be excluded, a serious illness requires a professional approach. With the wrong medicines, the positive dynamics is minimized.