Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine: causes, manifestations, treatment

Frequent dizziness, tinnitus, flies before the eyes, a feeling of heaviness in the back of the head are caused not only by fatigue. Often they are provoked by degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine. Headaches in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are a typical manifestation of the disease. It is impossible to get rid of them for a long time without affecting the root cause.

Mechanism of disease development

Degeneration of intervertebral cartilage and bone tissue in the cervical spine causes clinical symptoms already in the early stages. Growth and displacement of vertebral fragments inevitably leads to impaired blood flow, innervation and malnutrition of brain structures.

The causes of spinal deformity in the neck area are:

• congenital disorders of bone tissue structure;
• osteochondrosis of the lumbar or thoracic regions.

In almost half of the cases, the pathology is observed in middle-aged and young people, more often in women. Its development is facilitated by a long-term incorrect position of the head during sleep, sitting at a desk, during telephone conversations and traveling in transport. The progress of osteochondrosis is also accelerated by the habit of sleeping on high pillows. The mobility of this part of the body, the smaller size of the vertebrae compared to other departments, the location of a large number of large vessels and nerve trunks, cause the early onset of symptoms. Pain syndrome is the main one.

Fragments of collapsing discs and altered vertebrae compress the vertebral artery and the plexus of nerves around it. Prolonged compression provokes a narrowing of the lumen of the vessels, slowing down the blood flow and reducing the supply of oxygen to the tissues. Malnutrition, hypoxia and subsequent cerebral ischemia are aggravated by compression of nerve trunks by osteophytes - radiculopathy.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

In most cases, headaches and other symptoms of pathology are of a secondary or vertebrogenic nature - they are caused by pathological processes not in the brain, but in the adjacent spine.

Reflex cephalgia - dull pain. It occurs when the first three vertebrae are affected. It begins in the upper part of the neck, spreading to the occipital and parietal parts, then covers the temples and forehead. Most often it is unilateral, it resembles a classic migraine. Lasts from half an hour to several days, aggravated by tilting or turning the head, active physical actions.

If osteochondrosis affects the fourth and fifth vertebra, cervicobrachialgia develops. Its danger lies in its resemblance to a heart attack. The pain is unilateral, sharp, burning, covers the neck, shoulder and gives under the shoulder blade, in the hypochondrium, sometimes in the forearm and hand.

Myofascial dysfunction causes the so-called cervical migraine. Throbbing or pressing pain from the side of the neck spreads along one side, covering part of the back of the head, the crown of the head, the temple and reaches the superciliary arches.

In severe cases, additional symptoms are observed: photophobia, red eyes, nausea, physical weakness.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical region can provoke various types of vegetative-vascular dystonia:

• with frequent headaches;
• violation of thermoregulation, intracranial pressure, breathing;
• sudden mood swings.

With significant compression of the spinal nerves, speech disorders, numbness of the tongue, loss of sensitivity of the fingers occur. A person becomes drunk or under the influence of psychotropic drugs: he pronounces words indistinctly, does not respond immediately when addressed to himself. In advanced cases, tissue malnutrition and impaired blood supply lead to a constant increase in intracranial pressure, decreased vision and hearing.

Some facts about the disease:

• Osteochondrosis of the neck occurs in men and women almost equally often.
• Most often, people aged 30-60 get sick.
• As a rule, the pathology appears in people who at work must constantly be in the same position and perform monotonous movements.
• The cervical column has several structural characteristics, due to which the disease can have many different manifestations.

What features of the cervical spine cause the symptoms of osteochondrosis?

• In the lateral processes of the vertebrae there are openings - through them pass the right and left carotid arteries, which supply the brain with blood.
• In the cervical region, the initial part of the spinal cord passes - it contains fibers that carry nerve impulses to all parts of the body, provide movement, sensitivity. If there is compression of the spinal cord in the neck, neurological disorders occur throughout the body.
• This section of the spine has great mobility, and this predisposes to the appearance of osteochondrosis (although, in most cases, the disease still develops in the lumbar region - it not only has high mobility, but also experiences the greatest load).
• In the neck, nerve roots emerge from the intervertebral foramina, forming the cervical and brachial nerve plexuses. They are responsible for movements in the muscles of the neck, arms, shoulder girdle, skin sensitivity, regulation of autonomic functions.
• The first vertebra does not have a massive front part - the body - it is a bony ring that is placed on the tooth - a bony growth on the second vertebra. This allows the head to turn to the side.

Neck pain, headache, a feeling of weakness, numbness in the hands are symptoms that should make you go to a neurologist. Examination by a specialist and examination using modern equipment will help to understand the causes of the pathology and take the most effective measures.

Stages and symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

The first target of the disease is the intervertebral discs. Each disc consists of a nucleus pulposus enclosed in a dense annulus fibrosus. The nucleus acts as a shock absorber during loads on the spine, and the annulus fibrosus holds the nucleus pulposus within the spine.

In conditions of poor blood circulation and nutrition, disc tissue begins to break down. The fibrous ring loosens, and the core loses some of its moisture, becomes thinner and partially loses its shock-absorbing properties. As a result of such changes, the ability of the intervertebral disc to carry loads is reduced and damaged.

One of the main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is pain in the neck of a shooting, burning, stabbing nature, similar to "electric shocks". It usually extends to one or both hands.

Some patients complain of pain or constant pain and, in addition to pain, stiffness of movements, dizziness, headache and memory impairment.

In many ways, the nature and severity of the pain, as well as its accompanying symptoms, depend on the stage of osteochondrosis:

• 1 stage.Changes occur within the intervertebral disc - the nucleus pulposus moves and begins to irritate the nerve endings. But pain in the initial stage usually occurs only during physical exercises, movements, coughing and sneezing, and at rest a person may not feel any discomfort.
• 2 stages.The annulus fibrosus loses its ability to support the nucleus pulposus, the distance between the vertebrae decreases and they move relative to each other. As a result of such changes, the capture of nerve endings is possible, which causes severe pain. Pain, on the other hand, forces a person to assume a forced position.
• 3 stages.The annulus fibrosus is destroyed and an intervertebral hernia appears. At this stage, the cervical spine is often deformed - its natural curvature is reduced. A hernial bulge compresses or irritates nerve roots, causing severe and persistent pain in the neck and arms, often accompanied by numbness and muscle weakness.
• 4 stages.The annulus fibrosus becomes dense and adhesions form between the vertebrae. As a result, immobility appears in the affected area, while the pain may decrease.

Diagnosing

With complaints of poor health in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, you should contact a neurologist. During the examination, the doctor determines the origin of the pain. For this, he uses the following methods:

• press with your fingers in the region of the cervical vertebrae in those places where the nerve roots come out: the pain reaction that appears indicates cephalgia;
• press on the points near the bony nodes under the lower edges of the ears: an attack of pain after this clearly signals the development of a cervical migraine as a result of mechanical compression.

For an accurate diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, a number of instrumental studies are prescribed. The leaders remain radiography, magnetic resonance and computed tomography. With their help, the pathological changes that have occurred in the structure of bones, cartilage and soft tissues are visualized.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis

Medicines are designed to eliminate symptoms, restore normal blood circulation, biomechanics of the entire cervical region.

To relieve pain, NSAIDs, analgesics, muscle relaxants and antispasmodics are used.

Vasodilators - vasodilators help reduce vegetative manifestations, improve venous flow and prevent edema in the affected area.

Means containing B vitamins and magnesium help to improve the nutrition of nerve tissue cells and reduce negative symptoms.

At the same time, patients are recommended drugs to regulate blood pressure, correct heart rhythm.

Many patients are prescribed tranquilizers, antidepressants, tranquilizers.

Depending on the severity of the condition, the course of treatment is short or long. Painkillers are used once or for several days. Means that normalize blood flow and vitamins - courses 2-3 months.

To maintain the effect of the drugs, physiotherapy is prescribed:

• massage of the collar area;
• acupuncture and reflexology.

With exacerbations, it is indicated to wear therapeutic bandages that support the cervical muscles.

In the absence of an exacerbation of osteochondrosis, therapeutic exercises help stop and prevent the symptoms of VVD. Gymnastics helps to strengthen the neck muscles, relieves spasms, improves the elasticity of blood vessels and the ligamentous apparatus of the vertebral joints. The training includes movements for stretching soft tissues: deep animations of the head, twists, rotations.

Patients with osteochondrosis, complicated by VVD, should carefully organize a sleeping place. You should rest only on an orthopedic mattress and pillow, do not drink too much liquid at night to avoid swelling. It is necessary to avoid work and hobbies related to an unfavorable position of the cervical vertebrae: tilt back or low inclination of the head.

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Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis

Vertigo with cervical chondrosis is a common occurrence in both sexes, starting at the age of 30 years and older. Lifestyle specificity and certain abuses lead to the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in adulthood in almost every second resident of our country. There are patients who have problems already in adolescence.

It is impossible to underestimate the danger of this pathology: it worsens a person's well-being, contributes to the development of dangerous conditions. The symptoms of which are various unpleasant sensations.

Causes of dizziness in cervical osteochondrosis

In the article, we will consider whether it is possible to be dizzy and sick for a long time with cervical osteochondrosis, why this happens, because of what the condition worsens and what to do, how to get rid of discomfort forever.

Due to a not very healthy lifestyle and regular overloads of the neck area, the condition of the spine in this area is gradually changing.

Degenerative changes develop in the intervertebral discs, the holes through which the spinal nerves and the vessels that feed the brain gradually narrow.

The situation is extremely unpleasant and dangerous. The patient feels pain with sudden movements, in certain positions of the head and neck. The brain receives less oxygen than it needs, which provokes the development of regular periods of dizziness.

The main reasons that a person with osteochondrosis may feel dizzy:

1. Compression of the vertebral artery by bony growths. Osteophytes constrict the vessel that feeds the cerebellum and the basal parts of the brain. Its permeability decreases, reducing the amount of blood and oxygen passing through it. In medicine, this phenomenon is called vertebral artery syndrome.
2. Frank's nerve irritation. Nerve fibers of the sympathetic system envelop the vertebral artery, feel any influence on it. In response to irritation, the nerve causes a spasm of the vessel, impairing its patency. Hernias, osteophytes formed or instability of the cervical vertebrae can cause discomfort.
3. Subluxation of the upper articular process of the lower vertebra or the formation of a disc herniation in the neck area.

With dizziness and nausea due to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as well as the manifestation of other symptoms, such as weakness in women, drug treatment is necessary, but what to take, which pills will help, only the doctor willdecide after a complete study of the patient's condition. After all, the causes of dizziness are very different.

Depending on the specific cause of the development of the pathological condition and negative symptoms, different tools and techniques are used.

You must understand that a dizzy head, if the attacks intensify and become frequent, is a really dangerous condition. A person not only puts his life at risk by driving a car or crossing the road, but also provokes the risk of developing encephalopathy due to the regular lack of blood and nutrition for neurons.

Additional symptoms

Before deciding what will help with the appearance of dizziness in cervical osteochondrosis, what exercises will stop unpleasant attacks, you should not read the reviews of strangers, but evaluate the accompanying symptoms that appear during the development of the disease.

An experienced doctor, according to such signs, suggests the degree of development of chondrosis. He is also able to assess the risk of the condition, compiling a diagnostic algorithm. And then - to choose an effective and safe treatment.

Symptoms that accompany a decrease in the patency of the cervical artery and signal the need to urgently consult a doctor:

1. Intermittent tinnitus, possibly pulsatile. Then it gradually spreads to the whole head. As a rule, an attack occurs after standing in an uncomfortable position, physical strain or against the background of severe fatigue.
2. Cracking, pain when moving the neck.

3. Darkening of the eyes, brief periods of fainting when the head is thrown back. In advanced cases, even a sharp turn provokes such a reaction.
4. Nausea, up to vomiting, accompanying vertigo attacks.

Can the head not rotate from cervical chondrosis, why it developed and what to do, only a neurologist will tell you after the examination. The earlier the diagnosis is made and the treatment started, the more effective the measures taken will be.

If you seek help early, there is a chance to avoid drug therapy and get rid of the problem that has arisen. By delaying the trip to the doctor, there is a risk of provoking the development of a more dangerous condition.

Diagnosing

How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with vertigo, what to do if a movement coordination disorder has developed and what is prescribed in such cases, you can understand after undergoing a complete diagnosis, as each caseit is unique.

Before deciding on a therapy regimen, it is extremely important for the doctor to find out what influenced the development of the disease. It is necessary to clarify how quickly it deteriorates and what are the features of its course. Because of these features, when dealing with complaints of regular dizziness, a complete diagnosis is made.

A neurologist performs an initial examination, during which:

• determines the range of symptoms that accompany the course of the disease;
• according to the results of a physical examination, find features of changes in the cervical region;
• collect an anamnesis, a history of the development of the disease;
• asks about the characteristics of the patient's life to identify risk factors that influence the development of the disease.

After that, instrumental examinations will be scheduled:

• MRI of the brain and neck to determine if changes have already appeared and how extensive they are;
• Ultrasound of the vessels passing through the neck will show how much the permeability of blood flow and brain nutrition is reduced;
• CT of the cervical spine reveals deviations formed from the norm of bone structures;
• electromyography will allow you to record the electrical activity of the muscles of the area being evaluated;

The correct answer to the question of what to do if your head rotates from your neck and it hurts is to go to the doctor. The clinic will accurately determine the causes of the bad condition and choose the appropriate therapy.

Treatment

After determining the specific stage of the disease, the doctor prescribes individual therapy. After all, you may encounter such a phenomenon as neuralgia of the occipital nerve, and you should treat it in your own way.

Preference is given to complex treatment, which includes:

• taking medications (chondroprotectors, anti-inflammatory drugs, etc. );
• physiotherapy techniques;
• different massage techniques;
• specialized complexes of physiotherapy exercises, exercise therapy;
• following a healthy diet.

When you feel dizzy with osteochondrosis of the cervical region, treatment can be carried out with both conservative methods and surgical intervention.

Operations are performed in situations where the spine is too narrow or persistent hernias have formed.

Effective methods of treatment in the early stages are massage and special groups of exercises. Compliance with the doctor's recommendations in the preclinical stage of the disease's development makes its complete recovery possible.

The results show physiotherapy methods that allow the removal of painful symptoms in a few sessions:

• classical manual therapy;
• methods of impact of the shock wave on the body;
• hydromassage;
• laser therapy.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, when the head is already regularly dizzy, is an urgent necessary step.

This dangerous symptom is an indicator of the development of really dangerous pathologies that can further worsen the comfort of human life. And even shorten its duration.

prevention

It is possible to prevent the appearance of unpleasant symptoms or significantly reduce their severity with the help of regular preventive actions. Many people think whether it can be effective to use pain-free funds for dizziness due to cervical osteochondrosis, how to save it, quickly relieve an attack, than to treat the condition at home?

Prevention by lifestyle

We list appropriate measures to prevent the progression of the disease:

• The time spent in a bent position is reduced. For example, on a computer, equipment or work that requires tension in the neck and an inclined position of the head forward. Provide an ergonomic workplace.
• Organization of a sparing regime of alternation of work and rest.

• Rejection of habits, destructive addictions. A reduction in alcohol consumption and the number of cigarettes smoked is required.
• Setting up a place to sleep. Get an orthopedic pillow and mattress that takes into account the structural features of the spine.
• Increase the time of physical activity in your daily schedule, avoid physical inactivity.
• Regularly perform a special warm-up during the working day. Ideally, you should set aside 5 minutes every hour for exercise.
• Avoid traumatic activities, extreme sports and excessive physical exertion.
• Watch your body weight. When obesity appears, try to lose excess weight as soon as possible.
• Regularly take specialized massage courses, learn safe self-massage techniques.

• Use comfortable backpacks to carry things, avoid bags that cause tilting when walking. Use head restraints when traveling seated.
• In case of injury, seek help immediately. Start following medical recommendations from the first days.

It is impossible to ignore situations when, against the background of preventive measures, the neck and the back of the head hurt. This is the first symptom of the disease and requires treatment.

Power protection

It is helpful to follow a special diet that will support the medically induced recovery processes in the neck and cervical spine.

The main principles of nutrition in the presence of such a problem or predisposition to it:

• the use of gel foods in food, which contribute to the restoration of cartilage in the body;
• maintaining a balance between protein and carbohydrate foods, a sufficient amount of lean meat and fish in the diet;
• limiting excessive consumption of salt and spices;
• reducing the consumption of pickled, smoked products;
• reducing the diet of sweets, including rich products;
• limiting caffeinated beverages;
• increasing the percentage of fresh vegetables and fruits in the daily menu;
• rejection of fatty and fried foods, fast food.

An important place in the life of a person with a similar disease should occupy exercise therapy. They are especially important for the elderly or those who lead a sedentary lifestyle. At the same time, a specific set of exercises should be repeated every day to achieve the expected result.

Despite the variety of traditional medicine, with dizziness due to cervical osteochondrosis, what to do, what to drink, how to cope with attacks, how to cure a deviation or eliminate a specific symptom, does this or that really helpdrug and does it cause additional damage, should be decided by a professional doctor. An online consultation with a neurologist can help here.

Do not blindly follow the advice of friends and try to eliminate the disease without seeking the recommendations of a qualified doctor.

In advanced cases, osteochondrosis can not only reduce the quality of life, but also deprive a person of his ability to work. Therefore, try to notice in time the factors that can lead to the destruction of intervertebral discs and, if possible, eliminate or reduce their harmful effects on the spine. If you are concerned about neck pain, be sure to consult your doctor. Only a specialist can determine the stage of the disease, choose sedatives and prescribe a course of physiotherapy or physiotherapy exercises.