Osteochondrosis is a disease of the spine, the main symptom of which is a decrease in the size of the intervertebral discs and a disruption of the work in them.
Osteochondrosis is a fairly common condition among people of different ages. In both men and women, spinal pain is most common around the age of 40. In old age, osteochondrosis affects 90% of the population. The most common form of such a disease is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. We'll talk about him.
Causes of Osteochondrosis
When the aging process begins, the functions of blood vessels, bones, and cartilage deteriorate; with all these indicators, the body still does not receive enough vitamins, which complicates the process.
But there are also reasons unrelated to aging that can make the disease manifest earlier than usual.
- Obesity. It causes metabolic disorders and overloads the intervertebral disc.
- Inheritance.
- Injury.
- Passive lifestyle. As well as in one position for a long time (driving).
- Musculoskeletal disorders (flat feet, poor posture). Due to such diseases, the load on the spine is uneven.
- Severe stress on the spine (multiple pregnancies).
Signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
This type of osteochondrosis manifests itself more often than others. This happened due to the fact that the cervical vertebrae are very close to each other and have a different structure from other vertebrae.
Why are the cervical vertebrae displaced? This is due to their age-related fragility and poor development of the muscular frame of the neck.
In addition to pain, the displacement of the cervical vertebrae can also pinch arteries or a bundle of nerves. Due to pain of different localization, osteochondrosis can be confused with other diseases.
Here are other symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- Pain in different parts of the body. In the area of the heart, the back of the head, the neck, the shoulders and the collarbone. There may also be weakness in the arms and problems spreading the arms to the sides. This is due to pinched nerves in the cervical spine.
- Numbness in the fingers. Tingling in the fingertips and poor hand sensitivity.
- Discomfort when turning the head. Crackling vertebrae, lumbago in the neck, dizziness, heaviness in the head or lack of air. If these symptoms are particularly acute during exercise, this indicates the initial stage of the development of osteochondrosis. All of this is due to the appearance of bone formations in the neck.
- Vision problems. Eyesight deterioration, clouding, or flickering black spots. This indicates a late stage of osteochondrosis and is caused by insufficient blood in the brain.
- Discomfort in the throat. A lumpy sensation in the throat, sweating, and difficulty swallowing are signs of the early stages of osteochondrosis development. Often nausea can also occur.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
What happens during the treatment?
Needles are inserted into the facet joints of the cervical spine under X-ray control. 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 blockage can provide relief for a long time. If the pain has returned, however, if the blockage has a positive effect, a radiofrequency ablation of the nerves can be performed in the future, which will take the pain away from the joints.
Such a procedure is always carried out in the second step and leads to a lasting positive effect (from one to several years).
What are the benefits of this type of osteochondrosis treatment?
- Does not require general anesthesia and takes no more than an hour.
- The patient can go home within a few hours of the procedure.
- Minimal risk of complications.
- Weak and aged patients can also be treated in this way.
- The recovery time is no more than 2 days.
To speed up the recovery process, we recommend postoperative exercise therapy. This is a form of therapy that involves certain physical activities after surgery. All exercises are selected individually by the attending physician.