Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine - it's a pain in the neck, shoulder blade and arm, hand numbness Numbness of hands - not such a harmless symptom , Headaches, dizziness, jumping blood pressure, tinnitus, diplopia. Sometimes the main symptom is pain in the heart Pain in the heart - always consult a doctor   or the right hypochondrium - osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can be confused with many diseases of internal organs.

Why start an osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Osteochondrosis - a dystrophic-degenerative (metabolic) disorders in vertebral (intervertebral) disks, gradually leading to their complete destruction, and changes in the bone tissue of the vertebrae. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is particularly dangerous, as are the cervical arteries supplying the brain regions that are responsible for cardiovascular and respiratory.

Recently, cervical osteochondrosis Cervical osteochondrosis - the lot of office workers   significantly "younger", he develops not only the elderly, but also middle-aged, young, and even in children and adolescents. What is the reason? Causes of osteoarthritis of the cervical numerous. It is found that they are often only a few.

The main reason for the start of degenerative disc disease at a young age is heredity - especially the structure and metabolism of tissues of the spine. As a rule, such people can always find relatives with severe osteochondrosis. Given the fact of family history and to take timely preventive measures, the cervical osteochondrosis can not long be felt.

But if a family history join permanent seat at the computer with his head tilted, it is clear that such a teenager or a child is likely to start devastating metabolic processes in the spine.

Predisposing here is a sedentary lifestyle, it helps to ensure that the cells of cartilage intervertebral disc loses necessary for the proper metabolism of nutrients. The fact that the wheels have a poor blood supply, and therefore the cartilage cells obtained nutrients from the surrounding extracellular tissue by diffusion (permeation through the membrane). When sedentary life, this process is enhanced, and if physical activity is reduced - is reduced.

To further strengthen the process of destruction of cartilage various types of intoxication: chronic disease, pockets of infection, smoking, alcohol, drugs and medicinal substances, and so on. As a result, intervertebral osteochondrosis Osteochondrosis - learn how to properly distribute the weight   cervical spine begins at a young age.

Phase changes in the intervertebral discs cervical osteochondrosis

In total there are four stages (some call them a degree or period) changes in the intervertebral discs in the cervical osteochondrosis:

• osteochondrosis of the cervical 1 degree (stage, period) - metabolic disorders in the discs leads to a decrease in its humidity and cracking of the fibrous ring;
• osteochondrosis of the cervical 2 degrees (osteochondrosis of the cervical 2 years) - significant changes in the disk, resulting in the protrusion of it outside the spine (protrusion of the disc);
• osteochondrosis of the cervical level 3 (the stage, period) - annulus disc breaks - formed a herniated disc compresses the spinal nerve roots and the spinal cord;
• osteochondrosis of the cervical level 4 (stage, period) - to restrict the mobility of abnormal spine grows vertebra bone weave (osteophytes), firmly fastening them together and limiting the mobility of the spine.

How to start an osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae

The disease begins unnoticed. Initially, when length of stay in a forced position appear moderate nagging neck pain, numbness and skin crawling, which rapidly disappear after active movements.

But gradually, the pain becomes constant, the intensity of their slow growing, sometimes they give in the shoulder blade or arm, making it difficult to work.

Very often the first signs of cervical degenerative disc disease in adolescents are persistent headaches and dizziness. A feature of the headaches is their gain for any head movement.

With such pain should immediately consult your doctor, without waiting for further developments. But, unfortunately, they are often overlooked.

Osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome develops when the infringement altered intervertebral discs spinal nerves. Radicular syndrome is manifested by severe pain in the course of nerve entrapment. Radicular syndrome is the main manifestation of osteochondrosis.

What causes low back pain with radicular syndrome

Radicular syndrome - is a series of neurological symptoms that appear when squeezed (infringement) of spinal nerve roots in their places of departing from the spinal cord and exit the spine. Radicular syndrome - the most characteristic manifestation of osteochondrosis Osteochondrosis - Causes and symptoms But it can appear in other diseases (spinal cord tumors, spinal tuberculosis Tuberculosis of the spine - especially manifestations , Spinal injuries, etc.), so to establish its origin is required examination of a patient.

Infringement of spinal nerves occurs in the presence of significant metabolic disorders in the intervertebral discs, that is, radicular syndrome suggests that the disease is quite a long time. The intervertebral discs become thinner this wee, crack, bulge beyond the vertebral column (disc protrusion), which leads to the infringement of nerve roots. When the fibrous ring of the intervertebral disc is destroyed, the nucleus pulposus, which is normally located inside the fibrous ring, beyond the spine, compressing the spinal nerve roots and the spinal cord itself - this condition is called disc herniation.

Promotes infringement spinal nerves heavy lifting, hypothermia, the presence of flat feet, high heels, weight. But at the heart of degenerative disc disease is a genetic predisposition - the structural features of the spine and tissue metabolism in their tissues.

Symptoms

The main symptom is pain radicular syndrome in the course of nerve entrapment. If the infringement of the spinal nerves of the cervical spine pain occurs in the neck, upper extremities, chest, with infringement of roots in the thoracic causing severe back pain along the intercostal nerves in the stomach, the heart, if infringed roots in the lumbar - appear pain, buttocks, lower limbs. The pain may be constant aching quite intense, and may be acute, as lumbago, gives to different organs and tissues in the course of nerve entrapment. Pain is almost always accompanied by disturbances of skin sensitivity, numbness, pins and needles, and so on.

As part of the spinal nerves in addition to sensory fibers also includes motor, with radicular syndrome appear movement disorders in the form of muscle weakness, paresis, at least - paralysis. Long flowing radicular syndrome leads to atrophy (decrease in volume) interested muscles.

Diagnosis and treatment

Since radicular syndrome may be an indication not only of degenerative disc disease, and other diseases, it is necessary to conduct a full examination of the patient. But if the pain is very strong, first remove them with the help of painkillers, and only then carry out the survey.

First of all, the spine radiography is assigned a multi-view. X-rays can be seen bony growths (osteophytes), and reducing the distance between the individual vertebrae - this suggests degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs. To clarify the diagnosis is carried out magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which you can clearly see all the tissues, including nerve roots and intervertebral discs, as well as any changes have occurred to them.

Treatment of radicular syndrome begins with the prescription of bed rest (the patient must lie on a hard, flat surface, laid by the top with a thin mattress), exclusion from the diet products that can enhance the aggravation of the process (hot, sour, salty, smoked, fried, fatty), analgesics ( for the system, and for external use), drugs, relieves muscle tension neck and back (muscle relaxants), improves blood circulation (angioprotectors) and metabolism Improves metabolism and losing weight without dieting   in cartilage (chondroprotectors), B vitamins

For pain relief techniques are widely used physiotherapy, manual therapy techniques and reflexology Reflexology - a policy of non-drug therapies .

After reducing the pain begin physical therapy exercises - gymnastics. Exercise first occasion in the supine position with the involvement of disinterested muscles. Then move to the exercises in sitting or standing, increasing the load. At the same time prescribe massage courses. Start better with a classic manual massage, but then can be used as a vacuum and massage apparatus.

If, despite treatment, the pain does not decrease symptoms of disorders of the pelvic organs (eg, voiding), the operation is conducted remove a herniated disc compressing the nerve root.

Galina Romanenko