Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is common today among city dwellers, office workers and people who spend several hours a day in one position.

But it can also develop at a young age. Therefore, everyone should know what cervical osteochondrosis is and how it is treated to get help in time and stop the development of unpleasant symptoms and the destruction of joints in the neck and shoulders.

Before deciding what to do if osteochondrosis of the cervical spine worsens and pain is felt in the neck, you need to visit a doctor and undergo diagnostics.

Diagnostics

Is it possible to permanently cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, is it possible to treat the neck at all and how to carry it out, the doctor will tell you after a complete diagnosis has been carried out. Due to the similarity of symptoms with other diseases, attention is paid to determining the diagnosis. A patient who comes to a neurologist with complaints of neck pain and dizziness has to go through several stages before a complex therapy is developed for him.

Inspection

At the first visit to the neurologist, a preliminary examination of the patient is carried out. The doctor's task is to determine the diagnosis, possible causes of the onset and progression of the disease, and also to exclude other diseases with similar symptoms.

Experts during the examination:

• Hearing complaints about health.Explain symptoms, frequency, intensity. Try to determine what triggered the onset of the attack.
• Explain the details of the anamnesis,will determine the characteristics of the patient's daily life and the presence of concomitant diseases.
• Check reflex function,focus on those whose work is affected by nerve endings located in the neck.
• Check muscle strength and sensitivity,will identify areas of numbness or a tendency for excessive stiffness or laxity.
• Will handlevestibular apparatus test,which is also affected by the development of osteochondrosis.

During the process, the doctor checks the condition of the muscles. Their thinness or swelling implies a problem with nerve sensitivity. Another important symptom is pain and dizziness when turning or tilting the head.

Laboratory diagnostics

It is possible to prescribe an error-free treatment regimen during the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, and to provide effective help only by identifying the causes of the destruction of the vertebral and intervertebral discs. And for this, additional research is conducted in the laboratory.

To understand the development of the disease, several studies were conducted:

1. Total and ionized calcium.
2. Osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin– substance – an indicator that the bone is gradually destroyed and the cartilage tissue thins. If their number in the blood is higher than usual, then the disease will continue to develop.
3. Creatine kinase– indicator of muscle tissue damage. If osteochondrosis has caused the development of myositis and seriously threatens the muscles, this indicator in the blood will also increase.
4. Research on micronutrients and vitaminscarried out to determine the microelements and vitamins required for metabolism and repair of lost tissue in the patient's body.

Instrumental study

After knowing the rate of development and the cause of chondrosis, the doctor must determine the condition in which the patient is admitted.

For this purpose, a study of the hardware of the spine and intervertebral disc is carried out:

• Radiography.Shows serious changes in bone structure, emerging deformations and neoplasms.
• Magnetic resonance imagingevaluate nerve root conditions, bulging discs, vertebral inversions, and small tumors.
• Ultrasound of cervical blood vesselsblood vessels are conducted to determine their patency, and therefore the ability to supply the brain with the necessary oxygen and nutrients.

• Electroneuromyography.The current charge is channeled through the nervous system, which is unpleasant, but it indicates the level of the passage of nerve impulses and the speed of their passage to the muscles, and therefore the level of damage.

There are many tips on how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis forever, quickly relieve pain, get rid of dizziness, and fight attacks of weakness at home. But it is necessary to understand that this is a serious disease that develops individually, and therefore the treatment regimen must be chosen by a professional. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, without wasting time with traditional methods, you should contact the clinic.

Treatment

Almost everyone diagnosed with "chondrosis of the cervical spine" thinks about how to cure the degenerative disease, whether it can be treated and how, and whether it is possible to forget about neck pain forever if you follow the doctor's advice. The answer depends on the stage.

In the first and second stages, there are methods that allow the treatment of chondrosis of the cervical spine in men and women with good results for the neck at home.

The doctor's goal is to relieve pain, prevent further destruction of cartilage and bone tissue, and try to restore, if possible, the intervertebral disc to restore mobility. To solve this problem, complex therapy is always used, but sometimes surgical intervention is added to conservative treatment methods.

Drug treatment

Often, men and women, faced with an exacerbation of inflammation due to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, choose treatment at home, using strong painkillers, but what to do if the neck pain returns, what treatment will be effective? The only correct answer is the appointment of a neurologist.

When chondrosis worsens, it is important not only to remove the symptoms, but also to cure what caused them, and therefore various drugs are not limited to painkillers.For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis the following are used:

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,helps relieve pain and reduce tissue inflammation at the site of pinched nerve endings.
2. Local gels and ointments,which should be prescribed by a doctor, because not all are compatible with drugs taken orally.
3. Relax the muscleswill allow you to relax cramped muscles and release pinched nerves and arteries, relieving stiffness, pain and dizziness.
4. Chondroprotectorsused to stop the destruction and restore intervertebral disc cartilage tissue, and prevent herniation.
5. Vitamin complexused to improve the nutrition of tissues, accelerate their recovery, and increase the effect of drugs, allowing the use of smaller doses.

If the patient is admitted with unbearable pain, restrictions based on hormonal painkillers will be used.

Treatment is not medicine

Another method that has excellent reviews from men and women and is often used in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and shoulder girdle at home is physical therapy, but how and with what to treat should also be decided by the doctor. After all, there is no universal physiotherapy method that suits everyone. A set of effective methods is selected specifically for each patient.

The most effective are considered:

• Electrophoresis with painkillers.
• Physiotherapy. The set of exercises and their complexity varies depending on the stage of development of osteochondrosis.
• Massage and self-massage.
• Magnetotherapy.

Surgery for osteochondrosis

At a certain stage of the development of cervical osteochondrosis, what is prescribed to take pain in the neck and back does not help, in this case you can take heavier drugs or use a radical but effective method - surgery. This operation is prescribed for patients with irreversible changes in the structure of the spine. At the same time, collapsing and fused vertebrae, hernias and visible neoplasms threaten human life and reduce its quality.

The surgeon will be able to remove bony growths, hernias, tumors, and pinched nerve endings. After such an intervention, the patient will undergo rehabilitation, where it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations, otherwise the operation will not bring the desired effect.

How and how to treat cervical chondrosis at home or in the hospital, what to do to relieve pain in the neck and shoulders, relieve dizziness and relieve inflammation of the vertebrae, what helps and what will harm, the doctor must decide. By using other methods and means, you risk your health, because with such diseases, therapy should be built taking into account the personal characteristics of the patient.

Prevention

In order not to know what the treatment for cervical osteochondrosis is, you should think about prevention first. This disease is often inherited, but following the recommendations will prevent the disease from developing or stop it in the first stage.

Traditional preventive measures for spinal diseases:

1. Ensure healthy physical activity. Light exercise 2-3 times a week. It is worth choosing a sport that aims to strengthen the muscular corset. Swimming, yoga, Pilates, cycling, skating are ideal. In this case, the load should not be too heavy.
2. Daily activities even during sedentary work. To do this, just do some exercise and go for a walk.
3. Monitor your posture, not only while walking, but also while working.
4. An ergonomic workplace where the attention-grabbing space is located so that the neck is not in a tense state.
5. Avoid heavy lifting and excessive physical exercise.
6. Prepare a comfortable bed with an orthopedic mattress and pillows for healthy sleep and complete rest.
7. Leave bad habits, because alcohol, nicotine and drugs have a very negative effect on joints, bones and blood vessels.
8. Change your diet. It is desirable to reduce the amount of salt, spices, sugar and flour used in the daily menu. Avoid fast food, especially those cooked in oil, sugary sodas and juices.
9. Create a menu taking into account the need for microelements and vitamins. Pay attention to vegetables and fruits, fish and lean meat.
10. Drink clean water in sufficient quantity.
11. Once every few months, run a maintenance massage course. Do self-massage regularly if you feel tired in the shoulder area.

If, despite all attempts to maintain health, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine appears, then only a doctor can determine how long the disease will be treated after a comprehensive diagnosis. However, to avoid the recurrence of exacerbations, a person with such a diagnosis needs to remember the rules of a healthy life throughout his life.