Osteochondrosis is a serious back disease that interferes with the mobility of the vertebrae, changes their location and pinches the nerve roots. There are types of diseases, among which cervical osteochondrosis is considered severe. The 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 fourth person suffering from back disease has cervical osteochondrosis. The patient's age is decreasing.
Symptoms
The main, unpleasant symptom of osteochondrosis is pain. It comes at any time, it doesn't disappear for a few days, weeks. The severity and duration of the pain syndrome depends on the stage of the disease. In cervical osteochondrosis, the neck hurts at the site of dislocation of the site of inflammation. The disease covers several vertebrae, the pain spreads all over the neck.
Cervical osteochondrosis differs from the variants, indicating severe symptoms. It's a headache, dizziness. Osteochondrosis causes pinching of nerve roots, irritation of nerve fibers that are around. The nucleus of the intervertebral disc is inflamed, as are the surrounding tissues.
There are many arteries and blood vessels in the neck that suffer from osteochondrosis. Inflamed nerves cause spasms in the blood vessels, which negatively affects patency. In the veins, the lumen of the blood decreases, because they narrow, a smaller volume of blood passes through them. The head and brain suffer from oxygen starvation. Hence headache, dizziness, fainting, nausea, vomiting.
Headache, migraine in tandem with neck pain causes a state of despair, depression. To eliminate the symptoms, doctors invest all their efforts to return the patient to his normal life, rhythm. The patient is susceptible to relieving symptoms, it is worth knowing the methods, methods.
Conservative treatment
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis require urgent medical attention. A neuropathologist treats back disease. If symptoms of cervical thoracic osteochondrosis occur, consultation with a cardiologist will be required. The treatment of the disease is complex, diverse. Don't expect the disease to go away in a week or two. Improvement should be noticed in 2-3 weeks, healing - in 3-4 months, if the disease is in the first phase. If a person sees a doctor later, it will not be possible to fully recover from osteochondrosis.
Much depends on the professionalism and experience of the doctor. It is worth putting together a treatment complex that affects different aspects of the disease. Drug treatment plays a leading role. Medicine is confidently advancing in the development of drugs for osteochondrosis, drugs are actively influencing the focus of inflammation. The main thing is to choose the right medicine.
Conservative treatment involves taking drugs that belong to the following groups:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The drugs are aimed at removing the foci of inflammation, they act gradually, slowly. For treatment, the patient is prescribed 2-3 courses of NSAIDs, with a break of two weeks. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have side effects that occur 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 painkillers. They stop the pain for a while. In order not to bother with pain for a long time, accompanying methods are used: self-massage, physiotherapy exercises, manual therapy.
- Vasodilators are important in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. It is used to relieve vasospasm. Careful, individual selection is recommended. They have many contraindications. Self-selection, the drug is not recommended. Illiteracy will make the disease worse.
- Chondroprotectors are aimed at regenerating damaged connective tissue. Osteochondrosis conditions the intervertebral space, destroying cartilage, connective tissue. Regeneration without drugs is slow, because the microcirculation is disturbed, the products of metabolism do not leave the cells. Chondroprotectors improve microcirculation, remove metabolic products, stimulate metabolic processes in the cells of the affected tissue. Cell regeneration is faster.
Medical groups are considered the main ones in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, but drugs alone cannot be left out.
Methods of therapy
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 determined. The treatment regimen, its duration, directions depend on the collected anamnesis. The anamnesis indicates the severity of the disease.
Therapy is not limited to drugs. Treatment is supplemented by methods:
- Physiotherapy. Includes methods: magnetotherapy, electrophoresis, hydrotherapy, mud therapy, phototherapy. Electrophoresis and magnetotherapy are used in the treatment of diseases of the back, musculoskeletal system.
- Massage. It is advisable to trust a qualified massage therapist. The massage of the neck zone stimulates the outflow of blood, improves the mobility of the vertebrae and temporarily relieves pain.
- Physiotherapy. An exercise therapy specialist will compile, coordinate the course of exercises that have a beneficial effect on the body, will be an additional method of rebuilding the body.
- Traditional methods. In folk medicine, there are many effective recipes for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck. It is worth to competently approach the treatment with medicinal herbs, natural ingredients, because plants cause allergic reactions, side effects. Treatment is recommended to agree with your doctor. This will save you from unwanted consequences and complications.
Treatment of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis is compiled by a physician. Self-medication should be ruled out, a serious illness requires a professional approach. With the wrong drugs, the positive dynamics are minimized.