Unfortunately, today via cervical osteochondrosis symptoms feeling headache and neck pain is familiar to nearly every adult. And 70% of the population older than 25 years(and possibly earlier) these symptoms occur periodically. Doctors to provide a diagnosis of degenerative disc disease and prescribe treatment, depending on stage and nature of the disease.
What is osteochondrosis?
Is degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs of the vertebral column occurring due to uneven load on the spine. The body of the vertebrae, from the first to the seventh cervical at the same time gradually deformed, depleted and destroyed. The main symptom of cervical degenerative disc disease is a headache, the pain can affect the neck, chest and in the shoulders and in other parts of the spine. Cervical spine POV associated with all departments: thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal. All vertebrae in series connection are connected vertically. And any violation of the vertebrae of the cervical affects the entire spine.
Why headaches can be considered the main symptom of cervical degenerative disc disease?
Cervical is the most moveable of all parts of the spine and the most vulnerable. There are very small vertebrae vertebrae is much thinner than other departments. In addition, the neck must support the head when walking upright. Stress of the neck muscles leads to a permanent spasserovannye vessels of the head and neck. Hence the headaches that arise from time to time, or last for hours and days. A large number of soft muscles joints connect the back of the head with the neck. Eight short deep muscle connects the unity of the occipital bone with the first and the other cervical vertebrae. Two deep soft when pow connects the back of the head with each of the seven cervical vertebrae. Long soft muscles of the neck and head joints combine the head and each vertebra with each other. Stress and spasm or muscles can cause headaches and neck pain. Therefore, to deal with a headache, starting with the treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease.
Other causes of cervical degenerative disc disease
Causes of cervical degenerative disc disease can be called, and the following factors:
- genetic predisposition
- a sedentary lifestyle
- overweight
- heavy load on the spine
- stress and nervous shock
- the metabolic
- wearing the wrong shoes
- malnutrition
- pregnancy
As you can see, specific causes, to lead to the development of cervical degenerative disc disease is not. The process of degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs often happens slowly and quietly.
Stages in the development of cervical degenerative disc disease
Very often people are not aware of the presence of such diseases as osteochondrosis symptoms sensation and headache and neck pain prefer not to pay attention to, or limited by the intake of analgesic drugs. However, the development of osteoarthritis occurs in several stages:
- The first stage begins discomfort in the neck with a long walk, long sitting at the computer or behind the wheel in one position. In the intervertebral discs thus start to form small buds. Degenerative changes of the vertebrae at the initial stage.
- At another stage of development of osteochondrosis occur a long pain in the neck, in the temporal part of the head, in the neck. Can connection to appear ringing in the ears, pain when bending and turning the head. The mobility of the neck vertebrae begins to decline, the possible protrusion of intervertebral discs.
- In the third stage headaches white expressed. The person feels dizziness, lack of air, shortness of breath. There may be pain in the shoulders and different parts of the spine. The mobility of the neck thus restricted. Fibrous ring of intervertebral disks breaks down, the nucleus pulposus loses its elasticity. Degenerative changes in the discs of the vertebrae white expressed.
- The last stage in the development of cervical degenerative disc disease is characterized by the presence of intervertebral hernia. Most of the destructive changes are irreversible. Affected almost all regions of the spine. Treatment is possible only through surgical intervention.
Symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease
Along with headache and pain in the neck, depending on the stage of development of the process of cervical degenerative disc disease, a number of symptoms that accompany this disease:
- A feeling of heaviness in the head
- The clicking of the vertebrae when turning or tilting the head
- Feeling the crunch in the neck
- Tinnitus and a feeling of stuffiness
- Dizziness
- Numbness in shoulders or shoulder blades
- Chest pain
- The feeling of lack of air
- Lump in my throat
- A feeling of nausea
- Double vision, floaters before the eyes
- The increase in body temperature
- Increase in blood pressure
Symptoms can occur suddenly or have a regular. Often the pain in the neck and the back of the head are felt by the evening. Effect of prolonged stationary sitting in one position. Vertebral artery carrying blood to the brain is compressed and spazmiruyutsya. The result revealed circulatory disorders affected primarily the brain. Often, spasm of arteries and muscles in the neck lead to limited mobility. People temporarily or, more often, a long period can not rotate the neck. Dizziness, noise and ringing in the ears, feeling of stuffiness occurs also as a result of lower blood flow from the vertebral arteries to the head. Dizziness can be systemic and not systemic. At system dizziness a person the sense of the circular rotation of the objects around them. At system dizziness a feeling of circular rotation, but there are vague condition when the position of the body standing, also may be the presence of nausea.
Often with cervical osteochondrosis there is a pinched nerve. This condition is due to the displacement of the vertebrae to either side of the spine. Displaced vertebrae compress the nerve endings, this leads to spasm of blood vessels, sensation of shortage of air. Prolonged lack of oxygen, a person may begin as shortness of breath. Rapid heartbeat, compressing pain in the heart, increased blood pressure is a frequent concomitant symptoms in lesions of the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine.
The consequences and complications of cervical degenerative disc disease
Disrupting the normal blood flow in the vertebral arteries is suffering autonomic nervous system. Spasserovannye vessels and spikes blood pressure can lead to fainting. In the case of fainting, you should immediately give the person first aid. You need to put the body so that feet were above his head, it will lead to normal blood circulation in the neck and activates flow to the brain. Sometimes, in order to develop the cervical vertebrae and neck pain mashed with a long stay of the body in one position, the man begins strongly and quickly twist the head left and right. In the end, the vertebral artery spazmiruyutsya, and instead of the relief of the condition, the person begins to experience dizziness, ringing in the ears, violent headache, which may also lead to increased blood pressure and fainting.
The main and most common complication of cervical degenerative disc disease is the appearance of intervertebral hernia and protrusion. Hernia of the spine is a result of the degradation and destruction of the intervertebral disc. With hernias and protrusions is compressed and bulging content of the fibrous ring in any direction. The person feels constant pain due to friction of the compressed intervertebral discs to each other. The most serious complication of cervical degenerative disc disease can be considered disease – myelopathy , where the spinal cord is destroyed. Myelopathy is most often localized in the cervical spine. In this disease the person feels numbness or tingling in extremities, weakness and involuntary twitching of the muscles of the body, joints are pain in the chest and between the shoulder blades.
Diagnosis and detection of cervical degenerative disc disease
In the presence of one or more symptoms pointing to the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis, it is necessary to pay to the doctor. Doctor a neurologist or orthopedic surgeon will examine the patient's assessment of pain and mobility of the cervical spine, to identify associated symptoms and recommend the necessary diagnostic measures. Most reliable at present is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As a result of inspection of the patient it is possible to identify with 100% accuracy the presence of cervical osteochondrosis and protrusion or hernia. As contraindications to magnetic resonance diagnosis include the presence of the patient's pacemaker. Children's age, pregnancy contraindications do not apply due to the fact that MRI is not happening x-ray irradiation. Unlike x-ray, which shows only the bones, while MRI shows all tissues, soft muscles, ligaments, discs, spinal cord in the neck and nerve fibers. X-rays as a method of detection of cervical degenerative disc disease is only applicable in the early stages of the disease. The advantage of this method of examination can be considered as the speed, accessibility and low cost. X-ray can reveal only the degree of change in the intervertebral discs, eliminating the examination of the soft tissues, muscles, and nerve fibers in the neck.
Prevention of cervical degenerative disc disease
As prevention of occurrence of cervical degenerative disc disease can list some tips:
- The beauties lifting weight. If you need to lift heavy, you need to properly distribute the load on the entire spine.
- The beauties long seats in one location, eliminating many hours of watching TV, without changing the position of the body.
- The bed and mattress to sleep and rest should be easy. The desired orthopaedic mattresses and anatomic pillows, we select according to individual size.
- Must comply with the rules preventing the bending posture. Correct and level position of the head, neck and keeps walking and sitting ensure the health of not only cervical, but also the whole spine.
- Proper nutrition with plenty of protein foods, grains, fruits and vegetables will provide the body with essential vitamins and minerals.
- The inclusion in the diet of foods such as jelly, jelly, saltwater fish and seafood with collagen content is undoubtedly very good for bones, ligaments, and cartilage.
- Correct and sufficient use simple clean water will prevent drying of the contents of the intervertebral discs and the occurrence of osteochondrosis.
- A very important exercise and physical activity at any age. Except for walks in the fresh air is very helpful Jogging, swimming, aerobics, yoga and Pilates.
Treatment. Cervical degenerative disc disease symptoms feeling
For the treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease used medications, physiotherapeutic procedures, massage, special exercises and gymnastics, and in extreme cases not ruled out surgery. For pain relief successfully used analgesics. To remove the inflammatory process is shown non-steroidal drugs. M of asovih cramps doctors recommend muscle relaxers. When regular spasms of the neck muscles need to wear a special orthopedic collar. To reduce pain use anti-inflammatory creams. With slow cervical osteochondrosis, of remission appointed physiotherapy treatments. Well established in the treatment of osteoarthritis Sanogo: magnetic therapy, electrophoresis, UHF and shock wave therapy. During physiotherapy procedures, the remission of the inflammatory processes in the body, improves blood circulation in the cervical spine. Regular massage also indications osteochondrosis.
Among the exercises to treat cervical degenerative disc disease are widely used 5 core running at a slow pace. Repeat exercises should be three to five times.
- Exercises the first. Is the slow head turns left and right. The shoulders remain stationary.
- Exercise friend. You must press on the forehead with his palm, slightly straining the soft muscles of the neck.
- Exercises third. Is to head tilts left and right, while tilting to the left, should be as low as possible to lower his head and touch your left ear to your left shoulder and tilt to the right – touch right ear to right shoulder.
- Exercise the fourth. It is recommended to press the left palm on the temple on the left side of the head, similar to your right hand to press on the temple on the right side of the head.
- Exercise the fifty-fifth. Slowly tilt the chin to the neck while turning his head first left, then right.
These simple but effective exercises you can perform every day, with 10-15 minutes of free time.
Conclusion
In our body the spine has five departments. Cervical spine deserves special attention. Due to the complicated symptoms, the presence of many comorbidities and lack of control, the occurrence of cervical degenerative disc disease is a serious problem. Starting with the usual mild discomfort in the neck, without proper treatment, the spinal discs begin to experience degenerative changes, causing the person a lot of inconvenience. Dizziness, pain in the occipital and temporal parts of the head, neck pain, ringing and noise in ears – the main but not the only manifestations of the symptoms of cervical degenerative disc disease. To cervical degenerative disc disease at the stage of its appearance is not passed to irreversible changes and their consequences should follow simple rules of nutrition and water regime, regular exercise, to monitor the posture and position of the head during walking, standing or sitting. Strictly contraindicated long stay of the body in a stationary state.