Nowadays there is practically no person over the age of 25 who does not have spinal problems.One of the most common diseases is damage to the cervical vertebrae. If left untreated, it will definitely progress and make the patient increasingly uncomfortable.
What is osteoarthritis?
Cervical spondylosis is degenerative-dystrophic changes in the joints and intervertebral discs.
As cervical spondylosis progresses, the following symptoms begin to appear:
- decreased vision and hearing;
- tongue numbness;
- when you turn your neck suddenly, your vision becomes dark and you feel dizzy;
- sharp pain in the back of the head, possibly spreading to the temples and top of the head;
- pain in the neck and shoulder area, bothering the patient even when sleeping and increasing with movement or stress;
- stiff neck, especially in the morning;
- pressure in the sternum;
- difficulty breathing, feeling of lack of air.
Because the spinal cord does not receive enough nutrients, the range of motion as well as the sensitivity of the upper and lower limbs is significantly reduced.
Causes of cervical spondylosis
The tendency to develop cervical osteoarthritis is hereditary.In addition, common causes of the development of pathology are:
- unbalanced diet;
- scoliosis;
- flat feet;
- VSD;
- emphasize;
- Spinal injuries and bruises;
- excessive physical activity;
- rheumatism;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- excess body weight.
Authority to resolve!The main reason for the development of osteoarthritis is a disorder of mineral metabolism, which can be related to calcium deficiency or hormonal imbalance.Women often encounter this disease during pregnancy and menopause.
Diagnose
To determine the degree of degenerative changes in the spine, the following diagnostic methods are used:
- Doppler ultrasound of the carotid and vertebral arteries.Allows you to detect constricted blood vessels, as well as impaired blood supply to the brain and spinal cord.
- Audiometry to check the functioning of the hearing organ.
- Supersonic.
- CT and MRI of the head and cervical spine.It is performed to evaluate the affected area, check the position of the intervertebral discs, and determine spinal cord and blood vessel compression.
- Blood test.
- X-ray in the early stages of pathology.
- Neuroelectromyography shows the presence of inflammatory processes, nerve compression and damage.
- Double-sided scanning of the head's vessels.
Authority to resolve!It is most convenient to carry out all these procedures in one place, where the diagnosis is carried out using modern equipment.
Which doctor treats?
If symptoms of cervical spondylosis occur, treatment cannot be started immediately.First of all, you should make an appointment with a neurologist.The specialist will conduct an examination and then refer the patient for necessary tests.
Important!Performing manual therapy and other types of treatment without a preliminary diagnosis risks causing damage and exacerbating existing problems.
Treatment methods
Once the diagnosis is made, the patient can move on to treatment.Leading specialists work at the treatment and rehabilitation center, so the possibility of complications is very small.
The main method for treating cervical osteoarthritis is manual therapy.The specialist performs massage to help relax the neck and shoulders, return the vertebrae and joints to their natural position, and normalize the flow of lymph and blood circulation.
Manual therapy is often combined with therapeutic exercises that increase the tone of the neck muscles.In addition, drug treatment and physiotherapy are used to eliminate pathology.
Result
As a result of this therapy, the nerve endings are not compressed, the spine is stabilized and the pain disappears or weakens.A chiropractor can realign the vertebrae and increase the space between damaged discs, thereby eliminating friction.
Important!Grade 2 and 3 osteochondrosis cannot be completely cured.But therapy and rehabilitation will allow the patient to restore the impaired functions of the spine as much as possible.
Rehabilitation and lifestyle restoration
The treatment and rehabilitation center not only provides diagnosis and treatment of cervical spondylosis, but also provides rehabilitation measures.Patients leave the center healthy and ready to return to their normal lifestyle as soon as possible.
Rehabilitation aims not only to restore spinal function but also to prevent damage to healthy tissues.The program is compiled taking into account the severity of the pathology and the presence of complications.Physical therapy, massage, therapeutic exercise and mud applications have proven effective.If the patient still has pathological symptoms, a blocking drug will be prescribed.
Lifestyle with cervical spondylosis
To avoid recurrence of the disease, you must follow the following recommendations:
- change body position at least every half hour;
- Do not lift objects weighing more than 5 kg;
- walk more, do physical therapy, swimming, Pilates;
- Should use a backpack rather than a handbag;
- When doing sedentary work, take a 10-minute break every hour.
Important!The position of the human body during sleep is of great importance.You need to sleep on your back, on an orthopedic mattress of moderate firmness and an orthopedic pillow.In this case, the head and neck should lie on the pillow, and the shoulders should lie on the mattress.
Treatment of cervical spondylosis is most effective in the early stages, so do not delay seeing a neurologist.But it is possible to stop the progression of the disease and improve quality of life regardless of the level of joint and disc damage.To do this, it is important not to waste time and follow the recommendations of experts.