Osteochondrosis is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic pathology of the skeletal system, caused by metabolic disorders under the influence of provoking factors and characterized by a number of symptoms in many organs and systems. With osteochondrosis, the cartilage of the vertebrae is destroyed, and their bodies and processes are deformed.
Cervical osteochondrosis: symptoms and treatment.
It is rare that today someone does not find manifestations of this widespread disease: according to statistics, about 60% of the population in developed countries suffers from manifestations of osteochondrosis to varying degrees. The main reasons for this widespread prevalence are sedentary work and the lack of movement of modern people.
Previously, cervical osteochondrosis in men usually manifested itself between the ages of 45 and 50, in women - a little later, between the ages of 50 and 55. But now there is a rapid rejuvenation: the typical picture is perceptible signs of the disease at the age of 30, and it is not uncommon for the first symptoms to appear at the age of 20.
Symptoms
With prolonged injury to the vertebral artery, the blood supply to the brain is disturbed. Due to hypoxia (lack of oxygen), the risk of ischemia (local decrease in blood supply), dyscirculatory encephalopathy (vascular damage to the brain) and stroke increases.
Dizziness is one of the symptoms of stroke with cervical osteochondrosis.
Stroke with cervical osteochondrosis has the following symptoms:
- Visual alterations, oculomotor disorders. In patients, visual acuity decreases, "fog" appears before the eyes, and diplopia (double vision) occurs. These signs appear in the initial stages of the pathology.
- Violation of the vestibular apparatus. Then the coordination of movements is disturbed, the patient staggers when walking, and the tone of the muscles of the upper extremities decreases. Other symptoms of impaired cerebral circulation include vertigo (dizziness), hearing disorders (noise, ringing, weakening), alterations in the perception of objects, etc.
- Change sleep and wake patterns. Due to impaired blood circulation in the brain, the patient feels weakness, increased fatigue, is sleepy during the day and cannot sleep for a long time at night.
- A vegetative-vascular syndrome occurs. Weakness suddenly appears, the heartbeat changes (increases or decreases), sudden increases in blood pressure and increased intraocular pressure are observed.
- Paroxysmal disorders. People with cervical osteochondrosis may faint after suddenly turning or throwing their head back. This occurs due to severe compression of the vertebral artery and a sudden slowing of blood flow.
- Mental disorders. The patient becomes suspicious, overly irritable and takes offense for no apparent reason. His memory and attention are deteriorating.
In addition to the symptoms described above, cervical osteochondrosis is accompanied by severe headache. As a rule, painful sensations begin in the back of the head, but can spread to the arms. In some patients, a stabbing pain appears in the temples, which may be accompanied by a vomiting rash. The pain reaction intensifies when turning or tilting the head.
With prolonged compression of the vertebral artery, symptoms intensify and the pathology progresses. In the absence of competent therapy, the risk of disability increases. To avoid dangerous complications, long-term complex treatment is necessary.
Stages of development of osteochondrosis.
In the development of cervical osteochondrosis, it is customary to distinguish 4 stages. But this is a rather arbitrary division, since most of the symptoms of the disease can manifest themselves in other pathologies. In addition, the actual degree of degradation of the tissues of the cervical spine may not correspond to the externally manifested symptoms.
First stage (preclinical)
In the initial stage, symptoms are mild and are often attributed to stress or other illnesses. You feel an unpleasant stiffness in your neck, pain when making sudden movements or bending over. At this stage, it is quite possible to get rid of incipient osteochondrosis with the help of therapeutic exercises or simply move more and adjust the diet.
Second stage
The pain intensifies, becomes constant, and becomes intense with sharp bends or turns. Severe headaches appear, the patient begins to tire quickly, becomes distracted, and areas of the face periodically become numb.
Third stage
The formation of a herniated disc often causes dizziness, weakness of the arms, pain radiates to the back of the head and arms and is constantly felt in the shoulders.
Fourth stage
Eventually, the intervertebral discs are destroyed and replaced by connective tissue. The nerves become compressed, causing movement difficulties, sharp pain, increased dizziness and tinnitus.
Causes of stroke in cervical osteochondrosis.
To understand why blood circulation to the brain is impaired during osteochondrosis, it is necessary to study the anatomy of the cervical spine. The transverse processes of the cervical segment have openings that form a canal, through which veins, nerves and vertebral arteries pass. The latter arise from the subclavian arteries, pass through the transverse foramen of C6 (sixth cervical vertebra) and ascend further. At the level of the hindbrain, the left and right vertebral arteries join to form an artery from which the posterior cerebral, internal auditory and cerebellar (anterior and posterior) arteries originate.
As described above, arteries pass through the cervical spine, which are necessary for normal blood supply to the brain. Additionally, sympathetic veins and nerves are found in the spinal canal.
The transverse foramina are considered narrow, but there is sufficient space for the neurovascular bundle. Blood vessels and nerves will not be pinched even when moving your head (twisting, bending).
The cervical vertebrae are connected by elastic intervertebral discs. These are a type of cartilage pads that soften the blows when running and jumping. These structures also protect nerves and blood vessels from damage.
With cervical osteochondrosis, the discs lose a lot of fluid and become brittle. The increased load causes flattening of the cartilage pads and the appearance of cracks in their outer layer. As a result, protrusions (bulges, herniated discs), osteophytes (bone growths) appear, which damage nerves and blood vessels.
Reference. According to medical statistics, about 30% of cases of circulatory failure in the vessels of the brain are associated with damage to the vertebral artery. In most cases, the disorder occurs against the background of cervical osteochondrosis and atheromatosis (excessive growth of connective tissue in the vessel wall).
Cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis occurs for the following reasons:
- The nerve that supplies the vertebral artery is compressed. It causes a spasm of the artery, then blood flow to the brain is interrupted.
- Prolonged compression of the vertebral artery. Due to constant compression, the lumen of the vessel is narrowed or completely blocked (occlusion). Then the risk of vertebral artery syndrome increases.
- Sudden compression of the vertebral artery, which prevents the outflow of blood. This can occur when turning the head, then the person experiences a severe headache and may lose consciousness.
Compression and stretching of the vertebral arteries can occur even in healthy people. With cervical osteochondrosis, an important vessel is regularly damaged, and then dangerous complications arise.
Causes and risk factors.
Interestingly, the possibility of developing osteochondrosis in humans is due to one of their evolutionary advantages - upright posture: the vertebrae press against each other, and with age, the connective tissue degrades. As a result, in older people this is an almost inevitable process. But there are many factors that contribute to the earlier and more intense development of cervical osteochondrosis:
- First of all, this is a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle, which is often observed in modern life (office workers, drivers and other "sedentary" professions, television, long hours at the computer), lack of activity physical.
- Tense and unnatural postures during work: for example, in front of a computer, a person often leans forward, adopting a tense posture.
- The opposite reason is that the load is too high and unusual for a given person; But even trained athletes, such as weightlifters, are at risk;
- Any reason that alters a person's natural posture: uncomfortable shoes, especially high heels, poor sleeping position, flat feet, rheumatism, scoliosis;
- Excess weight, which is often caused by poor diet.
- Frequent stress, severe nervous tension, constant overwork.
- local hypothermia
Why is cervical osteochondrosis dangerous?
Many vital vessels, arteries and capillaries are concentrated in the neck area, so any disturbance there can have unpleasant consequences, such as lack of oxygen, hypertension and vegetative-vascular dystonia.
Cervical osteochondrosis affects the segments of the spine that control the function of the shoulder and elbow joints, the thyroid gland, hands and other organs. In osteochondrosis, if left untreated, there is a high probability of pinching of nerves and compression of blood vessels, which inevitably affects the functioning of other organs.
Diagnosis
Since the symptoms of osteochondrosis are mild and often overlap with other pathologies, it is best to conduct an initial examination with a therapist or other specialist: a neurologist, an orthopedist. She will ask about pain and other symptoms, check neck mobility, skin condition, balance and reflexes.
If a primary diagnosis of "cervical osteochondrosis" is made, the doctor will refer you for additional studies. The most effective of them is magnetic resonance imaging, followed by computed tomography. X-ray studies are much less effective than the first two, especially in advanced disease. The condition of soft tissues is monitored using ultrasound. If your doctor suspects blood vessel damage, you may be referred for a duplex vascular scan.
Since some symptoms overlap with signs of angina and coronary heart disease, you may need to see a cardiologist who will refer you for an ECG and echocardiography.
Treatment features
Insufficient blood supply to the brain due to osteochondrosis of the cervical segment must be treated comprehensively. The basis of therapy is medications, in addition, other conservative methods are used (physiotherapy, physiotherapy, etc. ). And in advanced cases, surgery may be necessary.
Doctors have identified the main goals of therapy:
Osteochondrosis and panic attacks.
- Restore the functionality of the brain, improve its blood supply, so the organ is saturated with a large amount of oxygen and nutrients.
- Relief of the inflammatory reaction, activation of regeneration processes of damaged tissues.
- Some medications help to normalize the composition of the blood, making it more fluid, which improves its quality and speed of movement.
- Expands the lumen of blood vessels and thickens damaged areas.
- Stabilize blood pressure.
- Restore the normal structure of the spine, saturate the cartilage tissue with useful substances and strengthen it.
It is important to understand that complex therapy will help eliminate circulatory problems in the brain, but it will not be possible to completely cure osteochondrosis. But with proper treatment it is possible to slow down the development of pathology for a long time.
Carefully. Any medication for cerebral circulatory disorders due to cervical osteochondrosis can be taken only for medical reasons. Otherwise, the symptoms of the disease may worsen or be complemented by new ones, for example, medicated headaches. When drugs are abused, blood circulation in the brain deteriorates.
Groups of drugs to improve cerebral blood flow.
The following groups of drugs will help improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis:
- Vasodilators speed up blood flow and nutrient transport to the brain by increasing the lumen of blood vessels.
- Medicines that prevent blood clots, as well as aspirin-based medicines. They improve the permeability of blood vessels and prevent red blood cells and platelets from adhering to their walls. As a result, blood thins and flows faster to the brain.
- Diuretics. These medications prevent stagnation and bloating. The first drug is used for excessive accumulation of fluid in brain cells, the second is suitable for removing swelling from any localization.
- Osmodiuretics are the only drugs that do not block urine formation. It is used to stimulate diuresis in cervical osteochondrosis.
- Antioxidants. These pills improve the condition of nerve endings and reduce harmful oxidative processes in the body's cells.
- Antipsychotics. These drugs slow down the transmission of nerve impulses and relieve pain for a long time. They help to cope with stress, prolonged pain and improve the condition of the spinal nerves.
However, it is worth remembering that all medications have contraindications, so taking them without the knowledge of a doctor is prohibited.
Medications to improve cerebral circulation.
Doctors have identified drugs that improve blood circulation in intracranial vessels for osteochondrosis of the neck:
- Bronchodilator that eliminates spasms and normalizes blood flow. It is often used during electrophoresis, a physiotherapeutic procedure during which drugs penetrate the body through the skin under the influence of a current.
- A drug based on theophylline and nicotinic acid saturates the blood with oxygen and improves its quality. When used, microcirculation is accelerated, blood vessels dilate and blood circulation is normalized. The medication can quickly lower blood pressure.
- A medication that contains thioctic acid, which helps expand the lumen of blood vessels. Improves metabolic processes and eliminates vascular spasm.
- Medicine based on cattle blood. It helps to normalize the state of intracranial vessels, enriches neurons with oxygen and glucose.
- Nicotinic acid helps dilate small blood vessels, reduces the concentration of bad cholesterol and restores blood supply to the brain.
- Medicines to dilate blood vessels, make blood less viscous, normalize microcirculation and help eliminate dizziness.
Reference. In case of stroke associated with osteochondrosis, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are used. These medications help relieve the pain that occurs in the last stages of the pathology. However, it is prohibited to take them for a long time without the knowledge of a doctor, since they have many contraindications.
As a rule, several medications are used during treatment according to a specific regimen.
Additional treatments
The combined treatment is complemented by physiotherapy, which affects the cause of the disease. With the help of exercise therapy, it is possible to improve blood circulation, metabolic processes and improve spinal trophism. Regular exercise strengthens the muscles surrounding the damaged vertebrae, providing slight relief. However, to obtain good results, classes must be held regularly.
In case of disorders of cerebral circulation associated with cervical osteochondrosis, special gymnastics is indicated.
The patient must follow these training rules:
- Start with simple movements at a slow pace and with minimal amplitude, gradually increasing the pace.
- Before exercising, massage your neck or take a warm shower to warm up your muscles.
- During training, be aware of your feelings. At first there may be some discomfort, but after 3-4 days the body will adapt and your health will improve. If this does not happen or sharp pain occurs, visit a doctor.
The complex for each patient is drawn up by a doctor, taking into account the symptoms, the severity of the pathology, age and general state of health.
Reference. It is recommended to supplement exercise therapy in case of cerebral circulation disorders with walking or cycling, swimming, yoga, breathing exercises and cardiovascular exercises (elliptical, exercise bike).
An auxiliary treatment method is physiotherapy. To improve cerebral circulation, electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, medicinal baths and acupuncture are prescribed.
In order for the spine and blood vessels to function normally, the patient must eat properly. The diet should be supplemented with foods rich in fiber, fatty acids, group B elements, tocopherol and ascorbic acid. To do this, you need to eat more vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs. In addition, it is useful for patients to eat fatty sea fish, lean meats, nuts, vegetable oils, etc. It is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of filtered water per day.
In case of poor nutrition, the lack of nutrients can be compensated with the help of vitamin and mineral complexes. Your doctor will help you choose the right medicine.
Surgery for poor circulation in the brain due to cervical osteochondrosis is performed only in extreme cases. The need for surgical intervention may arise if there is a large bone growth that compresses the vessel. During the procedure, the osteophyte is removed; If for some reason this is not possible, a stent is inserted into the blood vessel.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis
Real and sustainable success in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis can only be achieved with an integrated approach that includes medications, massage of the neck area, therapeutic exercises and physiotherapy. In particularly advanced cases, surgical intervention may be necessary. Naturally, the patient must eliminate or minimize the factors that contribute to the development of the disease: move more, eat better, etc.
We strongly advise you not to resort to self-medication, mainly because the symptoms of osteochondrosis can mean a completely different disease: the medications you choose will not only not help in treatment, but can also cause harm. Even during painful exacerbations, do not rush to the pharmacy to buy pain relievers; It is better to make an appointment with a doctor and, even better, do it in advance, at the first symptoms.
Relieve acute pain
Osteochondrosis, especially in the later stages, is accompanied by severe pain, therefore the first task of the treating doctor is to alleviate your suffering. He will prescribe painkillers, anti-inflammatories, vitamins, chondroprotectors to restore cartilage tissue, medications to improve blood circulation and reduce muscle spasms.
In this article, we deliberately do not give the names of specific medications; It is better to leave your choice to doctors, who will take into account all possible consequences and evaluate contraindications.
Therapeutic exercises for cervical osteochondrosis.
The simplest and most accessible method, even at home, is therapeutic exercises. At the same time, it is also quite effective, strengthening the neck muscles, restoring blood circulation to damaged areas and compensating for the lack of movement in everyday life. Physiotherapy can be complemented with swimming and aqua gymnastics.
There are many methods, including the use of simulators: most of them do not require special equipment or special conditions, but we recommend that you contact the physiotherapy office, where they will select the most effective sets of exercises for you and conduct classes. under the guidance of an experienced specialist.
Physiotherapy
The correct and constant use of physiotherapy methods improves blood circulation in damaged areas, reduces inflammation and pain, and slows down the ossification process.
For osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, laser therapy, shock wave therapy, therapeutic baths and showers, mud therapy and other methods are used.
Neck massage for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
For osteochondrosis, massage can be very effective: it improves blood circulation, reduces the likelihood of spasms by reducing muscle tone, relieves pain symptoms and improves the patient's general well-being.
But massage and manual therapy should be used very carefully, since inept and abrupt impact on diseased areas of the body can only cause harm. We strongly recommend that you consult your doctor first.
Surgery
In especially advanced cases, even surgical intervention cannot be ruled out: narrowing of the lumen of the spine, formation of intervertebral disc herniations or spondylolisthesis.
The decision on the need and method of surgical intervention is made by the surgeon, who also determines the preparatory operations, the duration of the postoperative period and rehabilitation.
Causes of cerebral circulatory disorders and venous flow.
Impaired venous flow with cervical osteochondrosis is a common cause of headaches, decreased mental performance, constant weakness and drowsiness. Stagnation of venous blood causes fluid to leak into the intercellular space. This can cause increased intracranial pressure. The brain structures are under enormous pressure and cannot function normally. Then blood pressure levels may begin to rise. In general, this situation is dangerous because there may be a threat of hemorrhagic stroke. It has a very high mortality rate even among young patients.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a disease whose negative impact can be minimized with adequate and timely prevention. You have to think about its prevention in childhood: poor posture and flat feet in a child are a reason to consult a doctor for a diagnosis.
The basis for the prevention of osteochondrosis is a correct lifestyle: reasonable physical activity and periodic exercise during sedentary work, a healthy diet and control of body weight.
Complications
Chronic lack of oxygen quickly leads to disruption of processes in the human body. In the absence of timely and adequate treatment, the above symptoms will gradually intensify. Depending on which brain is most affected by the deficiency of necessary substances, there is a possibility of developing a number of complications.
Consequences of stroke in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- hypertonic disease;
- cerebral ischemia;
- heart rhythm disturbance;
- orientation and coordination problems;
- change in the quality and type of breathing;
- Decreased mobility of the upper extremities.
Even if the listed conditions have begun to appear, this is not a reason for panic. In such cases, there is also a possibility of healing and complete restoration of impaired functions. The main thing is not to delay the visit to the doctor further, but to quickly start therapy.