Are you having back pain and numbness in your limbs?These are the first signs of osteoarthritis.A sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work, and stress on the neck and spine lead to cartilage wear and loss of moisture leading to damage.
With cervical spondylosis, degenerative changes occur in the intervertebral discs.Not only the intervertebral discs are damaged, but also the vertebrae and joints in the cervical region.If the disease is not treated for a long time, the patient's general condition will worsen: constant headaches, vertebral herniation will appear, cerebral circulation will decrease, leading to a decrease in cognitive function.
Reasons for the development of osteoarthritis
Improper sitting posture, neck pulled forward can lead to the development of cervical disease.In this case, excessive pressure occurs on the intervertebral discs, leading to changes in the nucleus pulposus and compression of blood vessels.This is a position a person holds at work in front of a computer.Therefore, office workers often face osteochondrosis in the cervical spine.
In addition, the reasons for the development of pathology may be:
- improper load distribution when carrying bags;
- the sleeping area is too soft (the spine curves unnaturally);
- genetic predisposition;
- lack of vitamins and trace elements in the diet;
- endocrine system disorders;
- curvature of the spine and poor posture during active development of the body;
- cervical vertebrae injury;
- Presence of bad habits.
Stages of the disease
Only an experienced doctor after examination and palpation can determine whether your pain symptoms are a sign of the development of cervical spondylosis and what is the stage of development of the disease.In total, cervical spondylosis goes through four stages of development:
- Nucleus - the central part of the intervertebral disc in the early stages undergoes moderate dehydration.As a result, the support and shock absorption function of the intervertebral discs is gradually lost.In the early stages, you will feel pain when making sudden movements, hypothermia, and staying in one position for a long time.
- The second stage of development is characterized by the appearance of congestion and spasms, which compress capillaries and blood vessels, preventing normal blood circulation.As a result, the frame of the disc becomes thinner, forming an anterior or posterior bulge.Under the influence of excessive loads, bone spurs form on the cervical vertebrae.Pain is localized in one place;When turning and tilting the head suddenly, dislocation of the cervical vertebrae may occur.
- Extrusion is caused by thinning of the intervertebral discs.The edge of the nucleus pulposus breaks through the annulus fibrosus and spreads beyond the edge of the vertebral body.Muscles and nerve endings are compressed.Pain in the neck, back and limbs.
- In the fourth stage of the disease, the intervertebral discs are displaced and central and lateral hernias form.Additionally, scars form on the disc, resulting in the affected joint being unable to move.The patient has constant back pain, spreading to other parts of the body, often feels tired, and the body parts are out of balance.
Symptoms of cervical spondylosis
Symptoms of cervical spondylosis manifest differently depending on the stage of development of the disease.In the early stages, the disease can occur with almost no symptoms.Pain in the neck and back may appear only if you hold one position for a long time or bend or turn suddenly.
At a later stage of development, crunching sounds are heard in the spine, back pain spreads to other limbs, and numbness appears in parts of the body.During bone formation and extrusion, the following occurs:
- headache in the back of the head and top of the head;
- speech disorders and tongue numbness;
- reduces the sensitivity of the neck skin;
- respiratory disorders;
- changes in blood pressure;
- arrhythmia;
- noise and congestion in the ears;
- faint.
Symptoms of cervical spondylosis in women are much more pronounced than in men.This is due to the fact that women are more prone to vascular diseases and the fragile structure of the spinal segments.Signs of the disease begin to appear when the intervertebral disc changes.This leads to disruption of normal blood circulation and causes severe headaches, dizziness and neurological disorders.More serious disease in women often occurs during menopause, when the body has hormonal changes.
Symptoms of cervical spondylosis in men are similar to those in women;Erectile dysfunction can be observed separately.
Headaches caused by cervical spondylosis are caused by poor circulation in the brain and spinal cord.When the vertebrae are misaligned, they compress the arteries and the oxygen content in the blood decreases.Unfortunately, such pain may not go away even after taking strong painkillers.Therefore, it is important to approach problem solving holistically.Dizziness with cervical spondylosis may be accompanied by dark eyes and tinnitus.This occurs because muscle spasm reduces the amount of oxygen supplied to the brain.
A lump in the throat accompanied by cartilage degeneration in the cervical spine, as well as a burning sensation, difficulty breathing and muscle spasms is a frequent occurrence.The disease causes compression of the nerve fibers of the cervical spine to the head and neck.Nerve impulse disorders cause sore throat.
Due to constriction of blood vessels and stimulation of nerve endings, blood pressure skyrockets.Lower pressure in osteonecrosis indicates impaired blood supply to certain areas of the brain due to compression of the vertebral artery by the intervertebral discs.As a result, hypoxia occurs and blood pressure increases.
How is cervical spondylosis diagnosed?
Diagnosis of pathology begins with consultation with a specialist.At the first manifestations of osteoarthritis, consult a rheumatologist, neurologist, surgeon or traumatologist-orthopedist.Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and how often they appear;You need to provide the specialist with your complete medical history and results of previous studies (if any).The specialist will conduct a visual examination and palpation, and will refer you for testing.During the examination, the doctor pays special attention to neck mobility, muscle tone, skin sensitivity and identifies the most painful areas.
To determine the condition of muscles, ligaments, blood vessels and detect inflammatory processes or tumors, a safe and informative diagnostic method is prescribed - MRI of the cervical spine.During an MRI scan of osteoarthritis, the patient lies supine on a special sliding table.Rollers are placed on the patient's head to reduce muscle tension, and the limbs are immobilized with straps.Any small movement during the procedure can affect the quality of the result.Next, the table moves into the tomographic area.The procedure is painless.The scanner makes a lot of noise during the scan, so you may want to use headphones to avoid discomfort.
If MRI is contraindicated, there are other diagnostic methods such as computed tomography and radiography.X-rays are only suitable for initial diagnosis and do not provide layer-by-layer images of the affected tissue.However, this study is the simplest and most economical, allowing you to examine the patient's body in multiple projections.Because the body is exposed to strong radiation, X-rays cannot be performed regularly.
During computed tomography, scanning is performed using one or more ionizing beams.They pass through the human body and are recorded by detectors.The detectors move along the patient's body in opposite directions and record up to 6 million signals.The image shows tissues of different densities with precise definition of the boundaries of organs and the affected area as a section.This procedure allows you to obtain images layer by layer.
Treatment of osteoarthritis of the cervical spine
The treatment of cervical spondylosis will be determined only by the doctor after examination, study of medical history and results of hardware diagnosis.If the disease is diagnosed in the early stages, treatment will be carried out using conservative methods.In the treatment of osteoarthritis, it is important to adhere to a comprehensive approach - medication, physiotherapy, massage therapy and avoidance of heavy physical activity.
First of all, you need to relieve pain.For this purpose, topical analgesics and analgesics are prescribed.For severe muscle spasms, an orthopedic collar is indicated.After the pain syndrome has been eliminated, it is necessary to stop the inflammatory process and restore normal blood circulation.For this purpose, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapy is performed.As additional measures, therapeutic exercises and swimming are prescribed.You can exercise both at home and with a trainer.
If osteoarthritis becomes severe, your doctor may recommend surgery.Surgery is used in rare cases when pathology develops against the background of other diseases - scoliosis, herniated disc, curvature or deviation of the spine, trauma.
Treatment of cervical spondylosis in women is not much different from treatment in men.However, doctors often advise women to apply compresses externally to warm and strengthen neck muscles.
Experts recommend preventing various back diseases from an early age.To do this, you need to develop correct posture when walking and sitting at your desk.Eating well and strengthening your back muscles properly will help you avoid negative consequences in the future.