Osteochondrosis is a chronic degenerative-dystrophic pathology of the bone system, caused by metabolic disorders under the influence of provocative factors and characterized by a series of symptoms from many organs and systems. In osteochondrosis, the cartilage of the vertebrae is destroyed, and their bodies and processes are deformed.
Cervical osteochondrosis: symptoms and treatment
Today, there is hardly anyone who does not encounter the manifestations of this widespread disease: according to statistics, about 60% of the population in developed countries suffers from manifestations of osteochondrosis of varying degrees. The main reasons for such a widespread distribution are sedentary work and the lack of movement of modern people.
Previously, cervical osteochondrosis in men usually manifested itself starting at the age of 45-50, in women - a little later - at the age of 50-55. But now there is a rapid rejuvenation: the typical picture is noticeable signs of the disease in thirty-year-olds, and it is not uncommon for the first symptoms to appear at the age of 20.
Symptoms
In case of a prolonged injury of the vertebral artery, blood flow to the brain is disrupted. Due to hypoxia (lack of oxygen), the risk of ischemia (local reduction of blood supply), discirculatory encephalopathy (vascular brain damage) and stroke increases.
Vertigo is one of the symptoms of cerebrovascular infarction in cervical osteochondrosis
Cerebrovascular infarction with cervical osteochondrosis has the following symptoms:
- Vision disorders, oculomotor disorders. In patients, visual acuity decreases, "fog" appears in front of the eyes and diplopia (double vision) occurs. These signs appear in the initial stages of the pathology.
- Violation of the vestibular apparatus. Then the coordination of movements is disturbed, the patient staggers while walking, the tone of the muscles of the upper extremities decreases. Other symptoms of disturbed cerebral circulation are vertigo (vertigo), hearing disorders (noise, ringing, dimming), disturbances in the perception of objects, etc.
- Change in sleep and wakefulness patterns. Due to disturbed blood circulation in the brain, the patient feels weakness, increased fatigue, becomes drowsy during the day, and cannot sleep for a long time at night.
- A vegetative-vascular syndrome appears. Weakness suddenly appears, heart rate changes (increases or slows down), spikes in blood pressure and increased eye pressure are observed.
- Paroxysmal disorders. People with cervical osteochondrosis may faint after suddenly turning or throwing their head back. This happens due to severe compression of the vertebral artery and sudden slowing of blood flow.
- Mental disorders. The patient becomes suspicious, overly irritable and takes offense without any reason. His memory and attention are deteriorating.
In addition to the symptoms described above, cervical osteochondrosis is accompanied by severe cephalgia (headache). As a rule, painful sensations begin in the back of the head, but can spread to the hands. Some patients experience throbbing pain in the temples, which may be accompanied by an eruption of vomiting. The reaction to pain intensifies when turning or tilting the head.
With long-term compression of the vertebral artery, the symptoms intensify and the pathology progresses. In the absence of competent therapy, the risk of disability increases. In order to avoid dangerous complications, long-term complex treatment is necessary.
Stages of development of osteochondrosis
In the development of cervical osteochondrosis, it is common to distinguish 4 stages. But this is a rather arbitrary division, because most of the symptoms of the disease can also manifest in other pathologies. In addition, the actual degree of tissue degradation of the cervical spine may not correspond to external symptoms.
First phase (preclinical)
In the initial phase, symptoms are mild and often attributed to stress or other illnesses. You feel uncomfortable stiffness in your neck, pain during sudden movements or bending. At this stage, it is quite possible to get rid of initial osteochondrosis with the help of therapeutic exercises or simply move more and adjust your diet.
The second stage
The pain intensifies, becomes constant, and becomes severe with sharp turns or bends. Severe headaches appear, the patient begins to tire quickly, becomes absent-minded, and facial areas occasionally become numb.
The third phase
The formation of a disc herniation often causes dizziness, weakness of the arms, pain spreads to the back of the head and arms, and is constantly felt in the shoulders.
The fourth stage
Eventually, the intervertebral discs are destroyed and replaced by connective tissue. The nerves are compressed, which leads to difficulty in movement, acute pain, increased dizziness and ringing in the ears.
Causes of cerebrovascular infarction in cervical osteochondrosis
To understand why blood circulation in the brain is disturbed during osteochondrosis, you need to study the anatomy of the cervical spine. The transverse processes of the cervical segment have openings that form a channel, through which veins, nerves and vertebral arteries pass. The latter arise from the subclavian arteries, pass through the transverse foramen C6 (sixth cervical vertebra) and rise higher. At the level of the hindbrain, the left and right vertebral arteries join, forming an artery from which the posterior cerebral, internal auditory, and maloccipital arteries (anterior and posterior) originate.
Based on the above, arteries pass through the cervical spine, which are necessary for normal blood flow to the brain. In addition, veins and sympathetic nerves are located in the spinal canal.
The transverse openings are considered narrow, but there is enough space for the neurovascular bundle. Blood vessels and nerves are not constricted even when moving the head (turning, bending).
The cervical vertebrae are connected by elastic intervertebral discs. These are a kind of cartilaginous cushions that cushion shocks during running and jumping. These structures also protect nerves and blood vessels from damage.
In cervical osteochondrosis, the discs lose a lot of fluid and become fragile. The increased load causes flattening of the cartilage pads and the appearance of cracks on their outer shell. As a result, protrusions (protrusions, disc herniations), osteophytes (bone growths) occur, which injure nerves and blood vessels.
Reference. According to medical statistics, about 30% of cases of circulatory failure in the blood vessels of the brain are associated with damage to the vertebral artery. In most cases, the disorder occurs against the background of cervical osteochondrosis and atheromatosis (excessive growth of connective tissue on the blood vessel wall).
Cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis occurs for the following reasons:
- The nerve supplying the vertebral artery is compressed. It provokes spasm of the arteries, then the blood flow to the brain is disrupted.
- Long-term compression of the vertebral artery. Due to constant compression, the lumen of the vessel narrows or is completely blocked (occlusion). Then the risk of vertebral artery syndrome increases.
- Gross compression of the vertebral artery, which prevents the outflow of blood. This can happen when turning the head, then the person experiences a severe headache and may lose consciousness.
Compression and stretching of the vertebral arteries can occur even in healthy people. In cervical osteochondrosis, an important vessel is regularly damaged and then dangerous complications arise.
Causes and risk factors
It is strange that the possibility of developing osteochondrosis in humans is due to one of its evolutionary advantages - upright posture: the vertebrae press against each other, and with age, the connective tissue breaks down. As a result, in older people this is an almost inevitable process. But there are many factors that contribute to earlier and more intensive development of cervical osteochondrosis:
- First of all, it is a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle, which is often observed in modern life (office workers, drivers and other "sedentary" professions, TV, long hours at the computer), lack of physical activity
- Tense, unnatural positions during work: for example, at the computer, a person often leans forward, taking a tense position
- The opposite reason is that the burden is too high and unusual for a given person; but even trained athletes, for example, weightlifters, are at risk;
- Any reasons that disrupt the natural posture of a person: uncomfortable shoes, especially high heels, bad sleeping position, flat feet, rheumatism, scoliosis;
- Being overweight, which is often caused by poor nutrition
- Frequent stress, strong nervous tension, constant overload
- Local hypothermia
Why is cervical osteochondrosis dangerous?
Many vital vessels, arteries and capillaries are concentrated in the neck area, so any disorder there can have unpleasant consequences, including oxygen starvation, hypertension and vegetovascular dystonia.
Cervical osteochondrosis affects the segments of the spine that control the work of the shoulder and elbow joints, thyroid gland, hands and other organs. In osteochondrosis, if untreated, there is a high probability of pinching of nerves and compression of blood vessels, which inevitably affects the functioning of other organs.
Diagnostics
Since the symptoms of osteochondrosis are mild and often overlap with other pathologies, it is better to conduct an initial examination with a therapist or another specialist - neurologist, orthopedist. They will ask you about pain and other symptoms, check neck mobility, skin condition, balance and reflexes.
If the primary diagnosis of "cervical osteochondrosis" is made, the doctor will refer you to additional studies. The most effective of them is MRI, followed by computed tomography. X-ray studies are much less effective than the first two, especially in advanced disease. Ultrasound checks the condition of soft tissues. If your doctor suspects blood vessel damage, you may be referred for a vascular duplex scan.
Since some symptoms overlap with those of angina and coronary heart disease, you may need to see a cardiologist who will refer you for an EKG and echocardiography.
Features of treatment
Insufficient blood supply to the brain due to osteochondrosis of the cervical segment must be treated comprehensively. Medicines are the basis of therapy, and other conservative methods are also used (physical therapy, physiotherapy, etc. ). And in advanced cases, surgery may be required.
Doctors have identified the main goals of therapy:
Osteochondrosis and panic attacks
- Restoring the functionality of the brain, improving its blood supply, due to which the organ is saturated with a large amount of oxygen and nutrients.
- Alleviation of the inflammatory reaction, activation of the regeneration process of damaged tissues.
- Some drugs help to normalize the composition of the blood, making it more liquid, which improves its quality and speed of movement.
- Expand the lumen of blood vessels, make the damaged areas thicker.
- Stabilize blood pressure.
- Restore the normal structure of the spine, saturate the cartilage tissue with useful substances and strengthen it.
It is important to understand that complex therapy will help eliminate problems with circulation in the brain, but it will not be possible to completely cure osteochondrosis. But with proper treatment, it is possible to slow down the development of the pathology for a long time.
Carefully. You can take any medication for cerebral circulation disorder due to cervical osteochondrosis only for medical reasons. Otherwise, the symptoms of the disease may worsen or be supplemented by new ones, for example, drug-dependent headaches. When drugs are abused, blood circulation in the brain deteriorates.
Groups of drugs to improve cerebral blood flow
The following groups of drugs will help improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis:
- Vasodilators accelerate blood flow and the transport of nutrients to the brain by increasing the lumen of blood vessels.
- Medicines that prevent the formation of blood clots, as well as medicines based on aspirin. They improve the permeability of blood vessels and prevent red blood cells and platelets from sticking to their walls. As a result, the blood becomes thinner and flows faster to the brain.
- Diuretics. These drugs prevent stagnation and swelling. The first drug is used for the accumulation of excess fluid in brain cells, the second is suitable for removing swelling of any localization.
- Osmodiuretics are the only drugs that do not block urine production. It is used to stimulate diuresis in cervical osteochondrosis.
- Antioxidants. These tablets improve the condition of nerve endings and reduce harmful oxidative processes in body cells.
- Antipsychotics. These drugs slow down the transmission of nerve impulses, relieving pain for a longer period of time. They help in dealing with stress, prolonged pain and improve the condition of the spinal nerves.
However, it should be remembered that all medicines have contraindications, so taking them without the knowledge of a doctor is prohibited.
Medicines to improve cerebral circulation
Doctors have identified drugs that improve blood circulation in intracranial vessels for osteochondrosis of the neck:
- A bronchodilator that removes spasms and normalizes blood flow. It is often used during electrophoresis, a physiotherapeutic procedure during which drugs under the influence of electricity penetrate the body through the skin.
- The medicine based on theophylline and nicotinic acid saturates the blood with oxygen and improves its quality. When used, microcirculation is accelerated, blood vessels expand, and circulation is normalized. The drug can quickly lower blood pressure.
- A medicine containing thioctic acid, which helps to expand the lumen of blood vessels. It improves metabolic processes and removes vascular spasm.
- Medicine based on beef blood. It helps normalize the state of intracranial vessels, enriches neurons with oxygen and glucose.
- Nicotinic acid helps to expand small blood vessels, reduces the concentration of bad cholesterol and restores blood flow to the brain.
- Medicines for dilating blood vessels, making blood less viscous, normalizing microcirculation, helping to resolve dizziness.
Reference. In the case of cerebrovascular disorders associated with osteochondrosis, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are used. These drugs help relieve pain that occurs in the later stages of the pathology. However, it is forbidden to take them for a long time without the knowledge of a doctor, because they have numerous contraindications.
As a rule, during therapy, several drugs are used according to a specific regimen.
Additional treatments
Combined treatment is complemented by physical therapy that affects the cause of the disease. With the help of exercise therapy, you can improve blood circulation, metabolic processes and improve spinal trophism. Regular exercise strengthens the muscles around the damaged vertebrae, which allows them to relax a little. However, in order to achieve good results, classes must be carried out regularly.
In the case of cerebral circulation disorders associated with cervical osteochondrosis, special gymnastics is indicated
The patient must follow these training rules:
- Start with simple movements at a slow pace and minimal amplitude, gradually increasing the tempo.
- Before exercising, massage your neck or take a warm shower to warm up your muscles.
- During training, be attentive to your feelings. At first there may be discomfort, but after 3-4 days the body will adapt and your health will improve. If this does not happen or acute pain occurs, see a doctor.
The complex for each patient is compiled by the doctor, taking into account the symptoms, severity of the pathology, age and general state of health.
Reference. It is recommended to complement exercise therapy in case of cerebral circulation disorders by walking or cycling, swimming, yoga, breathing exercises and cardio exercises (elliptical, exercise bike).
An auxiliary method of treatment is physiotherapy. To improve cerebral circulation, electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, medicinal baths and acupuncture are prescribed.
In order for the spine and blood vessels to function normally, the patient must eat properly. The diet should be supplemented with food rich in fiber, fatty acids, elements of group B, tocopherol and ascorbic acid. To do this, you need to eat more vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs. In addition, it is beneficial for patients to eat fatty sea fish, lean meat, nuts, vegetable oils, etc. It is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of filtered water per day.
With poor nutrition, the lack of nutrients can be compensated with the help of vitamin-mineral complexes. Your doctor will help you choose the right medicine.
Surgery for poor circulation in the brain due to cervical osteochondrosis is performed only in extreme cases. The need for surgical intervention may arise if there is a large bony growth that compresses the vessel. During the procedure, the osteophyte is removed, and if this cannot be done for some reason, then a stent is inserted into the blood vessel.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis
Real, sustainable success in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis can be achieved only with an integrated approach that includes drugs, massage of the neck area, therapeutic exercises and physiotherapy. In particularly advanced cases, surgical intervention may be required. Of course, the patient must eliminate or minimize the factors that contribute to the development of the disease: move more, eat better, etc.
We strongly advise you not to resort to self-medication, first of all, because the symptoms of osteochondrosis can mean a completely different disease: not only will the drugs you choose not help in the treatment, but they can also cause harm. Even during painful exacerbations, do not rush to the pharmacy for painkillers - it is better to make an appointment with a doctor, and even better - to do it in advance, at the first symptoms.
Elimination of acute pain
Osteochondrosis, especially in the later stages, is accompanied by severe pain, so the first task of the doctor is to alleviate your suffering. They will prescribe you painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins, chondroprotectors to restore cartilage tissue, drugs to improve blood circulation and reduce muscle spasm.
In this article, we deliberately do not give the names of specific drugs - it is better to leave their choice to doctors who will take into account all possible consequences and evaluate contraindications.
Therapeutic exercises for cervical osteochondrosis
The simplest and most accessible method, including at home, are therapeutic exercises. At the same time, it is quite effective, because it strengthens the neck muscles, restores blood circulation in damaged areas and compensates for the lack of movement in everyday life. You can supplement physical therapy with swimming and water gymnastics.
There are many methods, including the use of simulators: most of them do not require special equipment or any special conditions, but we advise you to contact an exercise therapy office, where they will choose the most effective sets of exercises for you and conduct classes under the guidance of an experienced specialist.
Physiotherapy
Correct and constant application of physiotherapeutic methods improves blood circulation in damaged areas, reduces inflammation and pain, and slows down the ossification process.
Electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, laser therapy, shock wave therapy, therapeutic baths and showers, mud therapy and other methods are used for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Neck massage for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
In osteochondrosis, massage can be very effective: it improves blood circulation, reduces the likelihood of spasms by reducing muscle tone, relieves pain symptoms and improves the general condition of the patient.
But massage and manual therapy must be used extremely carefully, because incompetent and rough influence on diseased areas of the body can only harm. We recommend that you consult your doctor first.
Operation
In particularly advanced cases, even surgical intervention cannot be ruled out: narrowing of the lumen of the spinal column, the formation of herniated intervertebral discs or spondylolisthesis.
The decision on the need and method of surgical intervention is made by the surgeon, who also determines the preparatory operations, the duration of the postoperative period and rehabilitation.
Causes of cerebral circulation disorders and venous outflow
Venous outflow disorder with cervical osteochondrosis is a common cause of headache, reduced mental ability, constant weakness and drowsiness. Stagnation of venous blood leads to an outflow of fluid into the intercellular space. This can cause increased intracranial pressure. Brain structures are under enormous pressure and cannot function normally. Blood pressure levels can then begin to rise. In general, this situation is dangerous because there is a risk of a hemorrhagic stroke. It has a very high mortality rate even among young patients.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a disease whose negative impact can be minimized by proper and timely prevention. You need to think about its prevention in childhood: poor posture and flat feet in a child is a reason to consult a doctor for diagnosis.
The basis for the prevention of osteochondrosis is the correct lifestyle: reasonable physical activity and periodic exercise during sedentary work, healthy diet, weight control.
Complications
Chronic oxygen starvation quickly leads to disruption of processes in the human body. In the absence of timely and adequate treatment, the above symptoms will gradually intensify. Depending on which brain is most affected by the lack of necessary substances, there is a possibility of developing a number of complications.
Consequences of cerebrovascular infarction in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- hypertensive disease;
- cerebral ischemia;
- heart rhythm disorder;
- problems with orientation and coordination;
- change in the quality and type of breathing;
- reduced mobility of the upper limbs.
Even if the listed conditions started to appear, it is not a reason to panic. In such cases, there is also a chance for healing and complete restoration of impaired functions. The most important thing is not to delay the visit to the doctor, but to start the therapy quickly.