Osteochondrosis is a disease that is accompanied by degenerative-dystrophic changes of the spine. It is often observed in the region of the cervical vertebrae. This disease is not a sentence for human health, modern medicine can deal with it easily. But it is necessary to know the degree of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the causes of its development, symptoms, as well as the main methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of pathology.
Factors contributing to the formation of pathology
Atrophic changes in the vertebrae are formed due to heavy loads on this part of the spine, spasms of muscle fibers and dysfunctions of the circulatory system in this area. Deviations occurring in the discs trigger the growth of formations of bone etiology, which causes pinching of nerve structures. The reasons can be:
- twisted posture or scoliosis;
- excess weight;
- inactive lifestyle;
- physical injuries of the spine;
- metabolic disorders;
- heavy load on the spine;
- genetic predisposition;
- malnutrition;
- frequent hypothermia;
- prolonged static tension of the back and neck muscles.
To reduce the risk of developing pathologies, you should try to avoid these factors. If this is not possible, it is necessary to know the symptoms of the disease in order to diagnose it at an early stage.
Signs of the disease
One of the very first and true symptoms of the disease is radicular syndrome. It develops as a result of the growth of the structures of the intervertebral discs and compression of the nerves. The patient presents with numbness of the tongue, speech and swallowing disorders, tingling in the shoulders, collarbones and heart muscle. The pain can radiate to other parts of the body, particularly the upper limbs and shoulder blades.
Common signs of pathological processes are:
- sensations of burning, tingling in the arms and back;
- chest pain;
- severe tinnitus, loss of vision;
- pain syndrome during movements;
- periodic headache and dizziness;
- frequent numbness of nearby body parts.
Knowing these symptoms, you can begin early diagnosis and the choice of a treatment strategy for the disease. This will greatly increase the chances of a complete recovery of the patient's health.
Degrees and stages of disease progression
This disease is a very insidious disease, because it has certain degrees and stages of osteochondrosis. They have a big difference between them, as stage 1 actually forms no symptoms and proceeds latently and at stage 2 the disease is very noticeable.
With osteochondrosis of the cervical region of the 1st degree, structural disorders are observed in the muscular apparatus due to damage to the capsular formations between the vertebrae. In this case, the patient is tormented by periodic pain, swelling and numbness of certain parts of the body). There is also frequent loss of vision and dilated pupils.
Osteochondrosis of the 2nd degree cervical spine is somewhat more dangerous than its predecessor. This is due to the fact that the pain is sharp and pronounced. Equally important symptoms of 2nd degree cervical osteochondrosis are circulatory disorders of the cartilage structures of the spine and numbness of the upper limbs. Their education should be a signal for a specialist to start therapy. Therefore, it is important to know what second degree osteochondrosis is.
In the presence of grade 3 osteochondrosis, this means that the patient has severe damage to the intervertebral discs and impaired cerebral circulation. This form of the disease is observed due to an inactive lifestyle. Some processes at the same time become irreversible and not amenable to therapy. The prognosis for the treatment of grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis is favorable in most cases, but does not guarantee a complete recovery of the patient.
4th degree osteochondrosis is a disease that is in a neglected and decompensated form. In this case, the patient shows very severe structural damage to the spine, as well as severe cerebrovascular insufficiency. This type of pathology is life-threatening for the patient, so it must be under the supervision of medical staff around the clock.
Attention!It is the division of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine into degrees that allows doctors to assess the patient's condition as accurately as possible, as well as choose the most effective strategy for its treatment.
Diagnosis and treatment of the disease
The disease is diagnosed using various instrumental and laboratory methods. These include:
- General and biochemical analysis of blood.
- X-ray examination
- Ultrasound examination.
- CT scan.
- Magnetic resonance.
An equally important factor is the subjective examination of the doctor. During it, the specialist must find out the anamnesis of the disease and the life of the patient. He also needs to visually inspect the affected area and listen to the patient's complaints.
With first-degree osteochondrosis and second-degree osteochondrosis, the goal of therapy is to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. Medicines should relieve headaches, spastic conditions in the muscular system, and also stabilize metabolic processes in the vertebral structures. In this case, the doctor uses analgesics. At the same time, it is necessary to know how to properly treat 2nd degree osteochondrosis so that the pathology does not go to the next stage.
During the treatment of 3rd degree cervical osteochondrosis, a neurologist may use warming and anti-inflammatory drugs. They help to cope with more severe manifestations of pathology. The last degree of the disease requires symptomatic therapy and patient care. In this case, large amounts of narcotic pain relievers are introduced to reduce the severity of a person's pain.
It is important to remember that only a doctor should deal with the treatment of the disease, as self-medication can lead to serious complications.