Cervical osteochondrosis or cervical osteochondrosis is a disease of degenerative dystrophy that affects the intervertebral discs and cervical vertebrae, forms protrusions and intervertebral hernias, and ultimately leads to spinal cord dysfunction, which is often the cause of the patient. Disability.
The structural characteristics of the cervical spine
Vertebrae are the bones that make up the spine. Each vertebra has a body that carries the entire load, including the vertebral arch, transverse process, and spinous process.
The vertebrae's vertebral arches form the spinal canal through which the spinal cord passes. The process of the spine aims to fix the muscles of the back.
There are also the anterior and posterior ligaments that connect the vertebrae together.
The intervertebral disc is a round flat structure composed of annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus. Its main function is to absorb shock. The intervertebral disc is located between the vertebrae.
The facet joint is the movable connection of the protrusions of two adjacent vertebrae. The facet joints provide flexibility to the spine.
The intervertebral foramen is an intervertebral foramen formed by the structural elements (legs, articular processes) of two adjacent vertebrae and is used for the exit of the spinal root nerve.
There are paravertebral muscles to support the spine and its various movements.
The cervical spine is the uppermost and most flexible part of the spine. It is composed of seven vertebrae and is C-shaped due to forward curvature (cervical lordosis).
All head movements—tilting, turning, and rotating—are provided by this part of the spine.
interesting!In addition, the cervical spine is the most traumatized part, because compared with other parts, the cervical spine has lower strength and weaker muscle organs.
For the same reason, cervical osteochondrosis often occurs.
The prevalence of cervical osteochondrosis
Cervical osteochondrosis affects people of working age over 30 years old. This disease is more common in women than men.
According to the World Health Organization, 40-90% of the world’s population suffers from osteochondrosis.
important!Every patient with osteochondrosis will experience malnutrition and degenerative changes in the cervical spine.
Causes of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis can be said to be a tribute to a person's ability to stand and walk on two legs. This view is confirmed by the fact that no animal that walks on four legs has osteochondrosis.
Although modern methods of diagnosing diseases and in-depth understanding of human anatomy and physiology can be used, the specific cause of osteochondrosis has not yet been determined.
However, reliable factors are known to cause changes in spinal degenerative dystrophy. These include the following:
- A person's lifestyle is not flexible enough, which can lead to weakened back muscles. Usually, office workers, cashiers, sales staff and drivers suffer from osteochondrosis;
- Arduous physical labor;
- Mechanical injury of the back;
- Genetic susceptibility to osteochondrosis;
- Overweight and obesity;
- Neuropsychiatric stress
- Improper exercise in the gym;
- Beriberi, lack of micronutrients, metabolic disorders;
- Improper nutrition;
- The existence of diseases of the kidneys, digestive system and endocrine system;
- Infectious diseases;
- The body is often hypothermic;
- Congenital and acquired immunodeficiency.
Pathogenesis of cervical osteochondrosis (development mechanism)
Almost all factors that contribute to the development of osteochondrosis can cause back muscle spasms. In turn, muscle spasms can disrupt the blood supply and metabolism of the bone tissue of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
As a result, changes in malnutrition occur, in other words, dryness, dehydration, and loss of elasticity of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
Further pressure on the spine causes the intervertebral disc to flatten and protrude (protruding beyond the annulus fibrosus).
Also important in the pathogenesis of cervical osteochondrosis is to maintain and move the load on the head.
The load on the cervical spine is huge, because the average weight of the head is 3-5 kg. Unfortunately, their bone tissue is fragile and thin.
In addition, technological progress has promoted the development of osteochondrosis-smartphones, tablets, e-books, if you bend over when using these gadgets.
The intervertebral disc cannot effectively perform the amortization of the spine, thus triggering the compensation mechanism.
important!One of these mechanisms is the proliferation of osteophytes and the development of spondylopathy.
Pseudo joints can also form along the posterior surface of the cervical vertebrae-Unctoarthrosis.
All these processes will eventually lead to cervical hypolordosis (hypolordosis), herniation and reduction of intervertebral discs, which sooner or later will become the main reason for a person's disability or urgent surgical treatment.
The pathogenesis of cervical osteochondrosis can be divided into four stages:
- Onset of cervical instability;
- The formation of herniated disc, the reduction of intervertebral fissures, the beginning of the destruction of the annulus fibrosus, resulting in nerve compression, manifested as neck pain;
- The annulus fibrosis is completely destroyed, the nucleus pulposus exceeds its boundary, forming an intervertebral hernia, and the spine is deformed;
- Disability stage. The vertebrae grow together. The patient has difficulty moving. Sometimes the condition may get better, but it won't last long.
Symptoms and syndromes of cervical osteochondrosis
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include:
- Persistent throbbing or painful neck pain, which can spread to the occiput, eye sockets, ears and shoulder straps of the head;
- Pain in the upper limbs, which worsens when moving;
- Movement stiffness of the upper limbs, violation of their sensitivity (tingling, burning, numbness), weakened muscle strength;
- Morning stiffness of the neck;
- Cervical soreness when moving the head;
- Periodic dizziness accompanied by cervical osteochondrosis, darkening of the eyes, loss of consciousness when the head turns sharply;
- The sensation of tinnitus;
- Hearing and vision impairment;
- Numbness and tingling of the tongue;
- Heart pain (heart pain) and sometimes cervical osteochondrosis is mistaken for acute coronary syndrome. The difference is that nitrate has no effect.
- Due to microcirculation disorders and tissue hypoxia, the connective tissue of the cervical spine grows, the so-called "withers".
All symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis can be divided into the following syndromes:
- reflection;
- Radical
- Root vessel;
- Spinal compression;
- brain.
Reflex syndrome includes neck pain-severe pain in the neck, so the patient is forced to immobilize the head and tighten the neck muscles.
Feel the spinous processes, paravertebral points, and intervertebral discs cause and/or increase pain.
In addition, reflex syndrome is characterized by pain in the upper extremities, occipital bone, or temporal area of the head.
Nerve root syndrome is a combination of severe acute pain that increases with head movement and is caused by nerve compression in the intervertebral foramen.
The radiculovascular syndrome is characterized by a nutritional-nutritional disorder in the form of humerus-scapular periarthritis.
Patients worry about shoulder joint pain, exercise stiffness, impaired skin sensitivity, and swelling of the hands and wrist joints. In addition, the patient cannot withdraw his hand.
Spinal cord compression syndrome occurs due to compression of the spinal cord and its blood vessels. Herniated discs, osteophytes, and thickening of the ligamentum flavum can all cause this condition.
interesting!The patient has pain in the neck and shoulder area, flaccid paralysis of the upper limbs, spastic paralysis of the lower limbs, and impaired sensitivity.
The brain syndrome with cervical osteochondrosis combines several such syndromes:
- Diencephalic syndrome-irritability, neurasthenia, general weakness, insomnia, absent-mindedness. In severe cases, anxiety, numbness of upper and lower limbs, increased sweating, and chills appear;
- Posterior neck sympathetic Barre syndrome or "cervical migraine"-severe headaches such as dizziness, visual and hearing impairment, numbness in the hands, half of the head migraine in the background.
- Syncope syndrome-dizziness;
- Vestibular trunk and cochlear trunk syndrome-dizziness, unsteady walking, nausea and even vomiting;
- Visual impairment syndrome-vision loss, visual impairment, "dots" flashing, "flies" in front of you.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
Like any diagnosis in medicine, the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis is based on the patient's chief complaint, medical history, examination and auxiliary research methods.
In addition to the clinical examination, the patient must also receive the following methods:
- X-ray of cervical spine;
- Computed tomography of the cervical spine;
- Cervical MRI;
- Doppler ultrasound examination of neck vessels;
After diagnostic measures, doctors choose treatment strategies based on the results of diagnosis and analysis.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis includes elimination of nerve root syndrome and elimination of inflammatory processes.
In the acute phase of the disease, strict bed rest must be adhered to. Soft mattresses should be replaced with hard mattresses, or a wooden shield should be placed on them.
Use the following drug groups for the drug treatment of cervical osteochondrosis:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Drugs of the cartilage protection group;
- Analgesics and anti-inflammatory gels and ointments;
- Vitamin preparations-ascorbic acid, retinol acetate, tocopherol acetate;
- Calcium preparation
- Drugs to improve tissue microcirculation;
- Muscle relaxants.
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis includes the following methods:
- Wearing a special collar around the neck can not only reduce the burden on the neck, but also restrict activities;
- Stretch with a slip ring-the patient’s head lying on the bed is fixed with a slip ring, and the head of the bed is raised 20-30 cm. This process relaxes the muscle tights of the spine, increases intervertebral fissures, and releases compressed nerves;
- Manual treatment of cervical osteochondrosis can only be performed by experienced manual therapists. Manipulative therapy is the use of relaxation and segmented massage techniques, activities to restore damaged joint function and operations to restore the full range of joint motion.
- Physiotherapy methods for cervical osteochondrosis-dialysis therapy, electrotherapy, laser therapy, shock wave therapy, balneotherapy, ultrasound and ultraviolet therapy, magnetic therapy, etc.
- Physical therapy for cervical osteochondrosis includes exercises to strengthen the muscles and corsets. Physical exercise is not only suitable for the treatment of osteochondrosis, but also for prevention. They can be done at home before going to bed, in the gym, during work and school breaks.
Surgical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Surgical treatment is suitable for severe nerve root syndrome, which cannot be relieved by drugs, impaired upper limb motor and sensory function, and spinal cord compression.
important!Surgery to remove herniated discs and osteophytes is widely used.
Prevent cervical osteochondrosis
- Healthy sleep on orthopedic mattresses;
- Use low pillows;
- Go to the sauna or bath regularly. Steam relaxes the neck muscles perfectly;
- You need to take a hot bath for at least 10 minutes every day;
- Participate in sports, gymnastics, and walking. Swimming, yoga, and Pilates are all very suitable;
- All head movements should be accurate, without sharp turns;
- Distribute the load of the spine correctly during physical work and sports;
- Rest and warm up during sedentary work;
- Sit in front of a desk or computer to maintain a correct posture;
- The chair and table should fit your height.