Compression and destruction of the intervertebral disc or cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine (ICD code - 10 - M42) ranks second in the frequency of cases after damage to the intervertebral disc of the lumbar region.High daily load or, conversely, low physical activity causes negative changes in the structure of the vertebrae.

What are the characteristic signs of cervical osteochondrosis?How dangerous is compression and destruction of the intervertebral disc?What are the symptoms and treatment, prevention methods, consequences of untreated diseases?

Cause

Deformation of the vertebral structure of the cervical spine is the result of the action of negative factors and pathological processes:

• poor posture;
• disturbances in metabolic processes due to poor nutrition;
• spinal cord injury;
• wear of the vertebral disc during the natural aging of the structure in old age;
• genetic predisposition to orthopedic diseases;
• physical inactivity, prolonged computer use, causing tension in the neck muscles;
• the development of an infectious inflammatory process due to hypothermia, exposure to drafts;
• defects in the development of the vertebral structure in the cervical region.

Factors that trigger damage to vertebrae, cartilage tissue and discs:

• obesity;
• too intense training;
• the head is thrown back for a long time or lowered to the chest during work;
• flat feet;
• incorrect body position when working in a sitting position;
• frequent microtraumas of the cervical spine due to too intense training.

First signs and symptoms

In the early stages of the disease, patients rarely associate frequent headaches, discomfort in the shoulders, neck numbness during prolonged standing in a stationary position with damage to the vertebral structure.Often, there is no effective treatment, and the pathology develops.

In the second to fourth stage of osteochondrosis, negative manifestations in the cervical region are more pronounced.In advanced cases, negative signs spread to other parts of the body: hearing aids, eyes, upper limbs.

Doctors identify several types of characteristic symptoms:

• radicular.Pain syndrome in the parietal, occipital, neck area, discomfort in the back muscles, shoulder girdle.The important thing is the loss of shoulder muscle reflexes.Radicular syndrome is more often observed in the third or fourth stage of pathology, a significant deterioration of the condition of the vertebrae and discs, and a significant decrease in the height of the bone structure;
• muscle tonic.Painful sensations appear in the chest and heart area.Acute symptoms often occur in the inner arm muscles;
• neurovascular.When capillaries and vertebral arteries are compressed, patients complain of headaches and dizziness.

Stage of development:

• first.Under the influence of negative factors, small cracks appear in the intervertebral disc, the integrity of the nucleus pulposus is disturbed, fluid gradually leaks, a decrease in elasticity is observed, and the disc shrinks.Weak pulsation of the vertebrae is heard when moving the head, pain and numbness in the cervical region disturbs when the body is in one position;
• the secondPathology develops, a violation of integrity, rupture, and a decrease in the density and thickness of the fibrous ring appear.The result of a negative process: squeezing out the core into the resulting cracks and breaks.The patient's condition worsened and performance decreased.The strength of the headache increases, stiffness appears in the cervical spine, the face, neck, and arms become numb;
• third.Bulging of the disc, active compression of the structure, loss of elasticity leads to protrusion and herniation of the intervertebral disc.Neurological disturbances appear, rupture of the fibrous ring occurs, the clinical picture is clearly expressed: reflex and radicular syndromes are alarming.Many patients complain of weakness in the hands, fingers, decreased hearing acuity, and vision;
• fourth.In advanced cases, the disc is flattened, the image shows osteophyte growth, and compensatory phenomena develop to maintain the spine in its normal position.The pain syndrome is relatively weak, but the stiffness of the cervical spine remains.

Diagnostics

The appearance of pain in the cervical region, frequent dizziness, decreased mobility and sensitivity of the fingers, the development of other signs of spondylosis deformans is a reason to visit a vertebrologist, neurologist or orthopedic traumatologist.The doctor knows the clinical picture, lifestyle, diet, history of spinal injuries, chronic diseases.It is important to understand the causes of osteochondrosis and identify factors that cause degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc.

Next, the specialist prescribes the examination:

• tomography - computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging;
• Dopplerography of blood vessels is carried out at an advanced stage, the presence of obvious neurological disorders, frequent fainting, numbness of the shoulders, hands and fingers;
• X-ray of the cervical spine (in the early stages of the pathology, the method is not very informative).

Effective treatment

In the first stage of the development of deforming spondylosis in the cervical region, special gymnastics and external agents with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects are sufficient.The patient must monitor his posture.You shouldn't be in one position for a long time, make sure you warm up every hour, and do neck exercises every day.

When the pathology develops, local medicines and gymnastics are not enough to eliminate the complex of negative symptoms.The degenerative-dystrophic nature of the changes affects the mobility of the cervical region, the pain syndrome intensifies, disc protrusions and herniations appear, doctors identify all kinds of radicular and reflex spondylosis symptoms.

Important!Only an integrated approach to therapy in combination with quitting smoking, alcohol, and changing your diet can partially or completely correct the condition.It is important to eat properly, including foods rich in calcium, phosphorus, fresh vegetables, cheese, and drink enough fluids.In the absence of timely and efficient therapy, there is a risk of patient disability.

Medicines

Doctors choose drugs to eliminate negative manifestations of various types:

• against pain syndrome.Names with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects are effective.The best option is NSAIDs in the form of tablets, injections, gels and ointments.In addition, you can take analgesics as prescribed by your doctor;
• elimination of swelling.Fluid retention in tissues is eliminated by diuretics, dehydrating compounds, and hormonal drugs.Take drugs in this group strictly as prescribed by your doctor: strong diuretics can cause serious problems with the heart and blood pressure;
• chondroprotectors to restore cartilage quality.When the elastic tissue is damaged, the friction between adjacent vertebrae increases, the density of the layers decreases, and the possibility of bulging of the disc and rupture of the fibrous ring due to compression of the vertebrae.Doctors prescribe drugs with combined effects.The formulation contains not only glucosamine and chondroitin, but also anti-inflammatory substances.Various multi-component products give a good effect;
• increased blood circulation in the problematic vertebral structure.Doctors choose drugs that thin the blood and compounds that dilate blood vessels;
• against muscle spasms.Against the background of weak bone structure and worn cartilage tissue, the muscles try to maintain the correct position of the spine;excessive fatigue causes significant pain.To relax the tissue, muscle relaxants are prescribed;
• activation of metabolism, improvement of local immunity.Patients take vitamin and mineral complexes, supplements with calcium, biostimulants, and antioxidants.

Physiotherapy procedures

Improving the effect on problem areas, activating blood circulation, delivering medicinal components to the affected area, nutrition, reducing inflammation - this is not a complete list of the beneficial properties of physiotherapy sessions.The doctor prescribes a set of procedures in addition to taking medicines and therapeutic exercises.

Effective types of influence:

• laser therapy;
• darsonval;
• electrophoresis with drugs;
• diadynamic current;
• infrared radiation;
• electrical stimulation of the affected muscle.

Therapeutic gymnastics

With osteochondrosis, it is important to maintain the mobility of the cervical vertebrae and strengthen the muscles and ligaments.After examination and clarification of the condition of the affected structure, the doctor prescribes special exercises for the cervical spine.Simple action maintains the elasticity and flexibility of the structure.

Therapeutic exercises for neck muscles:

• turn your head to the left, then to the right;
• tilting the head with a gradual increase in amplitude, forward and backward;
• circular motion.At first, the amplitude is minimal, gradually increasing the "circle", but without the appearance of a clear cervical fracture.

Perform all movements smoothly, jerking is prohibited.During exercise, you should not allow your vertebrae to contract too much or cause acute pain.The amplitude must be increased gradually, otherwise injury to the cervical spine may occur.Simple but effective exercises should be performed not only during therapy, but also to prevent osteochondrosis.The frequency of classes is two to three times a day, the duration of gymnastics is no more than five to seven minutes.Doctors recommend mandatory, complex daily implementation for people with "sedentary" jobs.

Manual therapy

Doctors are careful about realigning the cervical vertebrae.Most experts do not recommend manual therapy for osteochondrosis of this area.The slightest deviation during the procedure, more sudden movements, the use of the wrong technique - and the session can end with paralysis or fracture of the cervical bone with serious consequences, including death.

Osteochondrosis becomes "younger" every year.To prevent damage to the bones and elastic structures, you need to pay daily attention to the important parts of the spine, do simple exercises, change your body position more often during the work process, do not smoke, and eat right.If characteristic signs of deforming spondylosis appear, you should contact an orthopedic traumatologist or a vertebrologist.