Ever since the distant human ancestor Homo Erectus stood up, mankind, in addition to all the possible advantages associated with upright walking (protection from wild animals, improved visibility, enhanced working capacity), received a wide range of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. One of them is cervical osteochondrosis. Some people do not take the disease seriously, considering it an annoying but insignificant obstacle. This is especially true in situations where there is no severe pain.
Cervical osteochondrosis: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention
Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis is usually perceived as a symptom separate from the main disease, but as a result, the disease can lead to serious complications and even disability. In this article, we will look at what drugs should be taken for dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis, learn how to get rid of dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis, and analyze what exercises should be done for dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae
The term osteochondrosis is derived from the ancient Greek words ὀστέον - "bone" and χόνδρος - "cartilage". Doctors use this term to denote a group of dystrophic changes in the articular cartilage caused by an increase in the volume of bone tissue. More than other joints, the cartilaginous seal between the vertebrae, which in medicine is called a "disc", suffers.
Osteochondrosis is divided by type into "cervical", "thoracic" and "lumbar". Cervical is the most common. Today, this disease is a constant companion of every person over 40 years of age. Despite the opinion that this disease develops with age and young people do not suffer from it, modern medical practice proves the opposite, showing disappointing statistics among people over 30 years old.
reasons
The causes of osteochondrosis include direct (compression of spinal vessels and nerves - compression of the cervical vertebrae) and indirect, related to the patient's lifestyle and physiological characteristics of his body.
Types of compression complications in osteochondrosis:
- Spondylolisthesis. Displacement of the spinal disc posteriorly or anteriorly. At significant rates, displacement is fraught with paralysis and death.
- Osteophytes. Abnormal, pathological growth of bone tissue due to calcium salts.
- Protrusion. Protrusion of the intervertebral disc without tearing the integrity of the collagen ring.
- Hernias. Displacement of the core of the intervertebral disc with rupture of the collagen ring.
Reasons for compression:
- intense physical work;
- lack of physical activity, "computer" disease, sedentary time;
- weight is higher than normal;
- metabolic disorder;
- genetic predisposition;
- incorrect posture;
- weak muscle tone of the neck and back in general;
- overstrain, fatigue of the back and neck muscles;
- tendency to a certain position of the neck, for example, the habit of tilting the head to one side;
- "old" injuries of the cervical spine;
- nervous breakdowns and stress.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are sporadic and constant pain in the neck, upper part of the shoulder girdle, collarbones and head. At an advanced stage of the disease, vertigo (dizziness) and loss of consciousness are possible.
The complete symptomatology of cervical osteochondrosis is so diverse that the patient is often unable to independently identify one or another symptom with osteochondrosis of the neck. Even the attending physician must conduct a detailed examination to make an accurate diagnosis.
The symptoms of the disease change depending on its progression. Modern medicine distinguishes 4 stages of progression of osteochondrosis:
I – minor changes in normal cervical lordosis. There may be slight pain when turning the head. Slight discomfort when bending the neck;
II - minor displacements between the vertebrae, twisting (uncoordinated rotation of the vertebra relative to the chord of the spine), a decrease in the thickness of the intervertebral cartilage. Pain of mild to moderate intensity appears in the neck and head, tingling of the fingertips, tinnitus, when turning the head, the patient hears a slight crunch;
III - the intervertebral cartilage is displaced by a quarter relative to the other, the thickness and size of the disc changes selectively, it thins, changes its normal shape, the posterior osteophytes narrow the spinal canal, damaging the spinal cord. The pain becomes intense, its sporadic character is lost, it acquires a stable character, varying from medium to severe. Weakness appears in the hands, hearing is impaired. When you turn your head, the crunching sound is heard not only by the patient, but also by the people around you. Possible loss of coordination of movements. By the way, dizziness with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a very alarming sign in which you should immediately consult a doctor, if this has not already been done;
IV - the intervertebral discs are significantly displaced, the posterior osteophytes and protrusions become unusually large, the spinal canal is significantly narrowed and curved, myelopathy is formed (syndrome of compression of the spinal cord and its vessels). Often dizziness, loss of consciousness. Strong and very strong pain in the neck, head, collarbone, shoulders. The face, tongue and palate are numb. Sight and hearing are significantly impaired. Weakness throughout the body. The legs and arms are taken away. Temporary paralysis of the limbs. Very significant loss of coordination in space. Swallowing reflex disorder. Complete loss of sensation in the hands and the whole body.
Treatment and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
Asking the question "how to cure osteochondrosis of the neck? "", we must remember that with cervical osteochondrosis, treatment must be timely, there is no way it can be late.
Therapeutic and preventive measures are closely related to each other in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck. Usually the difference between them is the severity of the disease. Prevention of osteochondrosis is applied before the onset of the disease and during its first three stages. Treatment of the disease begins from the moment of its occurrence.
In this section, we will find out whether it is possible to eliminate many of the unpleasant symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis at once, what exercises can be done to get dizzy with cervical osteochondrosis, which tablets, drugs and folk remedies are best used for complex osteochondrosis, how to treat dizziness, how to treat dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis osteochondrosis with folk remedies.
Prevention
Eliminates many signs of osteochondrosis at once. It includes four types of therapy:
- The traditional way to eliminate signs of cervical osteochondrosis and dizziness is to constantly lead a healthy lifestyle;
- physiotherapy (not recommended already at the third stage of the development of osteochondrosis, although the final decision depends on the vertebrologist);
- massage and self-massage (although manual therapy is very effective in cervical osteochondrosis and can easily relieve pain, it is not recommended in the last stages of the disease);
- apply orthopedic advice and orthopedic devices (applicator Kuznetsov, furniture, household items) in everyday life.
ethnic woman
Osteochondrosis of the neck can be treated at home using traditional medicine. The products created by her are a creative composition of herbs, essential oils, fats, poisons, roots of various plants with alcohol and iodine.
Can Traditional Medicine Relieve Dizziness and Pain? Here the situation is the same as with drug treatment - the pain may disappear almost immediately, the prevention of dizziness will take some time. Treatment with traditional medicine should be started as early as possible, then it will definitely lead to a positive result.