Osteochondrosis is a disease of the spine, the main symptom of which is a decrease in the intervertebral discs and their dysfunction.
Osteochondrosis is a very common disease among people of different ages. Spinal pain in men and women manifests itself up to a maximum of 40 years. In old age, osteochondrosis affects 90% of the population. The most common type of this disease is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. We will talk about it.
Causes of osteochondrosis
As the aging process begins, the functions of blood vessels, bones and cartilage deteriorate, and with all these indicators, the body still does not receive enough vitamins, which further complicates the process.
However, there are reasons that are not related to aging, so the disease can manifest itself earlier than usual.
- Excess weight. Causes metabolic disorders and overloads the intervertebral disc.
- Heredity.
- injury.
- Passive lifestyle. Both stay in one position for a long time (driving).
- Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (straight legs, poor posture). Due to such diseases, the load on the spine is uneven.
- Severe stress on the spine (multiple pregnancies).
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
This type of osteochondrosis manifests itself more often than others. This is due to the fact that the cervical vertebrae are very close to each other and have a different structure from other vertebrae.
Why do cervical vertebrae move? This is due to their age-related fragility and poor development of the neck muscle frame.
In addition to pain, displacement of the cervical vertebrae can also constrict arteries or nerve bundles. Osteochondrosis can be confused with other diseases due to pain of different localization.
Other symptoms of osteochondrosis include:
- Pain in various parts of the body. In the heart, back of the head, neck, shoulders and collarbone. There may be weakness in the arms and problems with the arms spreading to the sides. This is due to the compression of the nerves in the cervical spine.
- Numbness in the fingers. Tingling sensation in the fingertips and low sensitivity of the hands.
- Anxiety while turning your head. Cracked vertebrae, lumbago in the neck, dizziness, heaviness in the head or shortness of breath. If these symptoms are especially severe during exercise, it indicates the initial stage of development of osteochondrosis. All of the above is due to the appearance of bone joints in the neck.
- Vision problems. Deterioration of vision, fog or flickering black spots. This indicates a late stage of osteochondrosis and is caused by insufficient blood flow to the brain.
- Anxiety in the throat. A lump in the throat, sweating and difficulty swallowing are signs of the early stages of osteochondrosis. Frequent nausea may also occur.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
What happens during treatment?
Under X-ray control, needles are inserted into the facet joints of the cervical spine. They inject two drugs into the affected joints: a local anesthetic that relieves pain and a hormone that further reduces inflammation in the problem area.
This blockade can provide flexibility for a long time. However, if the pain returns, it is possible to perform radiofrequency ablation of the nerves that remove the pain from the joints in the future, provided that the blockade has a positive effect.
Such a procedure is always carried out only in the second stage and has a lasting positive effect (from one to several years).
What are the advantages of this treatment for osteochondrosis?
- It does not require general anesthesia and lasts more than an hour.
- The patient can go home a few hours after the procedure.
- Minimal risk of complications.
- Weak and elderly patients can be treated in this way.
- Recovery period is not more than 2 days.
To speed up the recovery process, we recommend a course of postoperative exercise therapy. This is a type of therapy that involves certain physical activity after surgery. All exercises are selected individually by the attending physician.