Cervical osteochondrosis is one of the most common and common diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Everything happens because modern living conditions create the most favorable conditions for the development of this disease. Bad posture from early childhood is considered the main harbinger of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Most modern jobs involve sitting in front of a screen for long periods of time. People lead a sedentary lifestyle for hours, days and years and develop osteochondrosis as a result. How do you recognize this disease, what are the symptoms?
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
- Pain in the cervical spine. Painful sensations are quite long and sore. The pain usually gets worse when you lie down.
- If the disease is left untreated, the pain becomes so intense and intrusive that the person becomes incapacitated. Painful sensations practically do not subside, but only weaken or, conversely, become stronger.
- The pain can be accompanied by weakness, dizziness, nausea, and even vomiting. In advanced cases, osteochondrosis can lead to unconsciousness.
- One of the symptoms of the disease is tinnitus and a feeling of vibration. Osteochondrosis also affects blood pressure.
- Tremors in the body and dark circles in front of the eyes are not uncommon in osteochondrosis.
- Sometimes the pain can be in the forearms or hands. Painful sensations turn into tingling and even numbness of the limbs.
How to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a degeneration of the articular cartilage. When the intervertebral discs become thinner, they affect the nerve endings, which in turn causes spasms in the blood vessels. The vessels narrow and do not let through enough blood for the brain. There is a lack of oxygen, which leads to serious consequences. Therefore, even if you have mild symptoms, you should not delay treatment. The earlier treatment starts, the more effective the result will be. To get rid of osteochondrosis, an integrated approach is required. These include medication, physical education, massage, manual therapy procedures, physical therapy, and following some dietary rules.
To get rid of this disease, you need to turn to an experienced and professional neuropathologist. Treatment is long enough, requires discipline and care on the part of the patient, but this is the only way to get relief and relief from this obsessive-compulsive pain.
Drug treatment consists in the appointment of vasodilator drugs. They help supply oxygen to the brain and improve blood flow to the body. It is possible to reduce the sensitivity of nerve endings with the help of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition, vitamins are prescribed to the patient to restore tissues in the body. Well, and of course pain killers, because it's just impossible to live with sensations like that. To relieve local pain, various ointments and gels that have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects are prescribed.
Exercises against osteochondrosis
- Slowly and completely tilt your head back and forth. Bend forward and try to put your chin against your chest. Repeat this movement 10 times.
- Make circular movements with your head. First 5 times in one direction, then 5 times in the other.
- Tilt your head forward slightly and rest your forehead against your open palms. Press your head onto your hands and lock this position for a few seconds. Repeat this exercise with the back of your head.
- Take a chair and sit on it. Tilt your head back. Slowly turn your head to the right and return to the starting position. Then turn your head to the left. Do at least 10 repetitions on each side. Movements should not be abrupt, make everything smooth.
- Tilt your head to the right and left, trying to reach your shoulder with your ears. Then, on the contrary, raise the shoulders to the motionless head, first together, and then alternately - then the right shoulder, then the left.
Massage in the fight against cervical osteochondrosis
A professional massage leads to amazing results after the first session. It is best to consult a specialist - a chiropractor. He will stretch the muscles and straighten the vertebrae. After manual therapy sessions, the spinal muscles are tightened, the blood circulation improved and the motor skills of the patient improved.
But to alleviate the condition, you can do the massage yourself at home.
- Sit on a chair or sofa and press your fingers against your neck along your spine. Rub the area up and down until you feel warm and evenly burning.
- Do the same thing in a circular motion. In addition to straightening your neck, grab the back of your head to help the blood flow in that area.
- Tap the back of your neck with your fingertips.
- There is another effective remedy that doctors recommend. Fill a plastic bottle with water and place it under your neck. On your own or with help, try to roll this bottle by your neck without hands.
I would like to point out that massage and manual therapy procedures cannot be performed in the event of exacerbations of a pain symptom.
Physiotherapy in the treatment of osteochondrosis consists in the use of a special device that improves the patency of nerve endings. Electrophoresis is also used.
Prevention of osteochondrosis
To get rid of pain forever, you must try to change your life for the better. Do sports, go out into nature more often. Get in the habit of running regularly in the morning or walking in the evening. Quitting smoking is also harmful to the intervertebral discs of the spine. Eat right, avoiding salt from your intake, or at least keeping it to a minimum.
To get rid of attacks of pain, you need to learn not to put strain on your neck. This means that you cannot read or watch TV while lying down. Do not turn your head too much to one side when driving a car. If you sit in front of papers or a screen for a long time at work, take regular breaks - get up, walk, do neck exercises. Take care of your workplace. The height of the table and chair should be coordinated so that you do not have to bend over papers while sitting.
Choosing the right place to sleep will help you ensure a normal, pain-free life. The bed should be flat and the mattress should be orthopedic. It's important that you choose your pillow wisely - it shouldn't be soft. The height of the pillow is determined by the distance from the neck to the shoulder. Only such a pillow will ensure the correct position of the body during sleep.
Osteochondrosis is not a self-treating disease that needs to be treated at home. It is very important to classify the disease and exclude other deviations. This can only be done by a doctor. Therefore, if there is pain in the neck area, then you can not go to a specialist. And then you can suppress the disease at its root, in the bud itself.