Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

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

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

Before deciding what to do if osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has worsened and you feel neck pain, you need to visit a doctor and undergo a diagnosis.

Diagnostics

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

Inspection

At the first visit to the neurologist, an initial examination of the patient is carried out. The doctor's task is to determine the diagnosis, the possible cause of the onset and development of the disease, as well as exclude other diseases with similar symptoms.

Specialist during inspection:

• Listen to health complaints.Clarifies symptoms, frequency, intensity. Try to determine what triggers the attack to begin.
• Clarify the details of the medical history,will determine the characteristics of the patient's daily life and the presence of concomitant diseases.
• Check the functioning of the reflexes,focusing on those whose work is affected by the nerve endings located in the neck.
• Tests muscle strength and sensitivity,will identify areas of numbness or a tendency to spasm or relax excessively.
• He will leadtests of the vestibular system,which is also affected by the development of osteochondrosis.

During the process, the doctor examines the condition of the muscles. Their thinness or swelling suggests nerve sensitivity problems. Another important symptom is pain and dizziness when turning or tilting your head.

Laboratory diagnostics

It is possible to prescribe an error-free treatment regimen during exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis and provide effective care only by identifying the causes of destruction of the vertebra and intervertebral discs. And for this reason further research is carried out in the laboratory.

To understand the development of the disease, numerous studies are carried out:

1. Total and ionized calcium.
2. Osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin– substances – indicators of the progressive destruction of the bones and the thinning of the cartilaginous tissue. If their amount in the blood is higher than normal, the disease will continue to develop.
3. Creatine kinase– an indicator of damage to muscle tissue. If osteochondrosis has already provoked the development of myositis and seriously threatens the muscles, this indicator in the blood will also increase.
4. Research on microelements and vitaminsis carried out to determine which microelements and vitamins necessary for metabolism and tissue repair are missing in the patient's body.

Instrumental studies

Having found out the speed of development and causes of chondrosis, the doctor must determine the condition in which the patient was hospitalized.

For this purpose, studies are carried out on the hardware of the spine and intervertebral discs:

• X-ray.It shows severe changes in bone structure, emerging deformations and neoplasms.
• Magnetic resonance imagingevaluates the condition of nerve roots, protruding discs, vertebral inversions and small tumors.
• Ultrasound of the cervical blood vesselsblood vessels are carried out in order to determine their patency and therefore their ability to supply the brain with the necessary oxygen and nutrients.

• Electroneuromyography.A current charge is passed through the nervous system, which is unpleasant, but shows the level of passage of nerve impulses and the speed of their passage to the muscles, and therefore the extent of damage.

There are many tips on how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis forever, quickly relieve pain, eliminate 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 selected by a professional. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, without wasting time with traditional methods, it is advisable to contact the clinic.

Treatment

Almost everyone who was diagnosed with "chondrosis of the cervical spine" thought about how to cure the degenerative disease, whether it is possible to cure it and how, and whether it is possible to forget about neck pain forever if you follow the advice of doctors. The answer depends on the phase.

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 discs to restore mobility. To solve this problem, complex therapy is always used, but sometimes surgical intervention is added to the conservative treatment methods.

Pharmacological treatment

Very often, men and women, faced with the stage of exacerbation of inflammation due to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, choose treatment at home, using a strong painkiller, but what to do if 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 treat what causes them, and therefore the range of drugs is not limited to painkillers.For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis the following is used:

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,helping to 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, since not all of them are compatible with drugs taken orally.
3. Muscle relaxantsit will allow you to relax spasmed muscles and free pinched nerves and arteries, eliminate stiffness, pain and dizziness.
4. Chondroprotectorsthey are used to stop the destruction and restore the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs and prevent the appearance of hernias.
5. Vitamin complexesthey are used to improve tissue nutrition, accelerating their recovery and enhancing the effect of drugs, allowing the use of smaller doses.

If a patient is admitted with unbearable pain, a hormonal painkiller block will be used.

Non-pharmacological treatment

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 also how and what to treat should be decided by the doctor. After all, there are no universal methods of physiotherapy that are suitable for 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 some stages of the development of cervical osteochondrosis, what is prescribed for pain in the neck and back does not help, in which case you can take heavier drugs or resort to a radical but effective method - surgery. The operation is prescribed to patients with irreversible changes in the structure of the spine. At the same time, the collapsed and fused vertebrae, hernias and neoplasms that appear threaten human life and reduce its quality.

The surgeon will be able to remove bone growths, hernias, tumors and pinched nerve endings. After such an operation, the patient will undergo rehabilitation, during which it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations, otherwise the operation will also 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, eliminate dizziness and relieve inflammation of the vertebrae, what helps and what will harm, the doctor must decide. Using other methods and means, you risk your health, because with such a disease 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 in advance. The disease is often hereditary, but following the recommendations will prevent the development of the disease or stop it in the early stages.

Traditional preventive measures for diseases of the spine:

1. Ensure healthy physical activity. Light workouts 2-3 times a week. It is worth choosing a sport aimed at strengthening the muscle corset. Swimming, yoga, pilates, cycling, skating are suitable. In this case, the loads should not be too heavy.
2. Daily activity even during sedentary work. To do this you just need to do exercises and go for walks.
3. Monitor your posture, not only while walking, but also while working.
4. An ergonomic workplace in which the space that occupies attention is positioned in such a way that the neck is not in a state of tension.
5. Avoid heavy lifting and excessive exercise.
6. Provide a comfortable sleeping place with an orthopedic mattress and pillows so that sleep is healthy and brings complete rest.
7. Give up bad habits, as alcohol, nicotine and drugs have an extremely negative effect on joints, bones and blood vessels.
8. Change your diet. It is worth reducing the amount of salt, spices, sugar and flour consumed in the daily menu. Avoid fast foods, especially those cooked in oil, sweet drinks and juices.
9. Prepare a menu taking into account the need for microelements and vitamins. Pay attention to fruits and vegetables, lean fish and meat.
10. Drink clean water in sufficient quantities.
11. Once every few months, conduct a course of maintenance massage. If you feel tired in the shoulder area, do self-massage regularly.

If, despite all attempts to maintain health, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine appears, only a doctor can determine how long the disease will be treated after a thorough diagnosis. However, in order to prevent the recurrence of a flare-up, a person with such a diagnosis will have to remember the rules of healthy living throughout his life.