Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease of the cervical spine, in which destruction of the joint and intervertebral discs occurs. This disease affects the. Population of the world, over 35 years old.
Cervical osteochondrosis causes much more discomfort than the corresponding ones in the lumbar, sacral or thoracic region, as it contains more nerve fibers.
Classification of features
The symptoms of this disease are related to three main systems of the human body.
- The spinal cord is a violation of its integrity and compression.
- Peripheral nervous system - damage to its fibers.
- The vertebral artery is a violation of blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain.
Violation of these systems affects human health. The first symptoms are severe headaches.
Pain syndrome
Frequent radiating headaches in the neck are the first signs of the disease. Sometimes the pain migrates to the back of the head or shoulders. Unlike ordinary migraines, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can not be eliminated with the help of painkillers alone. This problem requires complex treatment.
Lack of air
Symptoms of shortness of breath often accompany cervical osteochondrosis. This is due to irritation of the phrenic nerve. It is difficult for a person suffering from migraine of the cervical spine to breathe deeply, it is especially difficult to take a breath. At night, patients may have short pauses in breathing, accompanied by snoring. If the patient's room is not ventilated, hypoxia develops, which leads to impaired memory and concentration.
Motion sickness
Symptoms of nausea include a disease such as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine due to reduced blood flow to the brain. Sometimes the symptoms of nausea are accompanied by vomiting, which occurs when walking, turning and tilting the head. This is due to the lack of oxygen in the inner ear - the place where the center of balance is located.
Change in blood pressure
A person who has been diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis must constantly endure fluctuations in blood pressure. Similar symptoms can occur with both hypertension and hypotension. This is due to a poor supply of oxygen to the vasomotor center located in the medulla oblongata.
Ringing and tinnitus
These symptoms are related to damage to the inner ear, as the vestibule is controlled from there. Sometimes there is a general hearing loss. Such symptoms are referred to by doctors as cochlear syndrome.
faint
Loss of consciousness or fainting are common symptoms in people suffering from a disease such as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The cause of this phenomenon is an intense spasm of the arteries, resulting from irritation of the convex bones of the vertebrae, the nerve endings.
Symptoms of the pharynx
Similar symptoms manifest as itching, dryness or a foreign body sensation in the throat. This phenomenon is associated with damage to the spinal cord of nerve trunks.
Reduced vision
The eyes also suffer from the onset of such a condition as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Symptoms such as reduced vision occur due to damage to the spinal cord of neurovascular trunks.
Treatment methods
To date, you can treat a migraine in the neck in the following ways:
- drug treatment;
- physiotherapy treatment;
- treatment with folk remedies.
Medical treatment
This treatment for neck migraines involves the use of tablets and analgesic injections. This is necessary to eliminate pain in the neck, head and shoulders. Analgesic injections have the advantage of being fast.
In addition, it is necessary to use injections and anticonvulsant tablets. These drugs are the most effective in relieving spasms that occur in the arteries of the spine.
Thus, anticonvulsant drugs protect the patient from fainting. In addition, anticonvulsant injections are used to treat pregnant women. Because these injections are safe for the mother and the unborn child.
Vascular drug therapy is also effective.
They help restore blood circulation to the affected areas of the throat. These injections relieve pain and partially help to get rid of other symptoms.
No less effective is the drug treatment based on the use of chondroprotectors. These drugs stop the progressive osteochondrosis of the neck, restoring the cartilage tissue of the joints. The most effective preparations, which include collagen hydrolysis. As this substance helps in the regeneration of cells that have been damaged by the disease.
Physiotherapy
The treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck with the help of physiotherapy procedures is widely used at present. Most used:
- ultraviolet (UVI) radiation;
- vibrations;
- electrotherapy.
Ultraviolet therapy helps to stop migraines in the neck, thanks to the analgesic, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory action of the rays. Ultraviolet radiation is used for migraine of the cervical spine at the back of the neck, in the subclavian area or at the top of the shoulders.
Exposure to vibration, as well as UVI, perfectly eliminates osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Best of all, the vibration relieves the pain.
Electrotherapy treatment allows you to get rid of pain, improve blood circulation, supply oxygen to the brain cells. The most effective procedure is transdermal electrical neurostimulation.
Folk remedies
From ancient times the potato and honey compresses have been used to treat cervical migraine. Also an effective remedy for osteochondrosis of the throat was a mixture of radish juice, aloe and liquid honey.
Many healers have prepared an ointment based on hop cones and pork fat. However, the most effective folk remedy for such a disease as osteochondrosis of the throat is a decoction of oregano, chamomile, parsley, nettle and burdock.
These herbs are poured into boiling water and infused in a dark place for 3 days. Drink this decoction one tablespoon twice a day.
Such an alternative treatment helps to treat pain, improve blood circulation and saturate the brain with oxygen, which is so necessary for him.