Cervical spine osteochondrosis belongs to the category of chronic chronic diseases. In the process of developing the disease, the intervertebral space is destroyed, which without treatment inevitably leads to the development of a disc herniation. In the modern world, both the elderly and children suffer from osteochondrosis. However, the healing process is delayed for months or even years and does not always guarantee a positive result. Thus, this problem must be approached with all seriousness, because the sooner a doctor can detect the presence of osteochondrosis of the cervix and prescribe treatment, the greater the chance that the patient will recover.
The disease in question has quite characteristic manifestations, so it will be difficult not to notice them. However, before looking at information on how to determine cervical osteochondrosis, you need to find out what your symptoms are and the factors responsible for its occurrence.
Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease that causes the onset of degenerative processes in the connective tissue between individual vertebrae. The progression of the disease disrupts the normal functioning of the body and can cause disability. At the same time, destructive processes cause inflammation, which is transmitted by nerve fibers passing nearby. This development of events leads to muscle cramps that overstretch and try to prevent the blood vessels and nerve roots from being compressed.
However, without external intervention, the body cannot cope with the disease, and as a result, the narrowing of the gap between individual vertebrae and other consequences of osteochondrosis cause significant difficulties in blood circulation and the human brain does not receive the necessary amounts of oxygen and important nutrients. Of course, this immediately affects the patient’s self-awareness, so osteochondrosis can be defined by a number of characteristic symptoms.
The main symptoms
The most common symptoms are:
- constant pain in the neck and head;
- regular nausea, sometimes vomiting;
- strong and sudden changes in blood pressure;
- dizziness, fainting.
As you can see, the symptoms are quite specific and it is impossible not to notice them, so it will not be difficult to determine osteochondrosis in the neck area. However, it should only be diagnosed by an experienced neurologist, as this disease affects the work of many functions, and the test should provide an accurate picture of what has happened to determine the most effective treatment.
To determine the nature of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, the patient is sent for X-ray and computed tomography. In some cases, an ultrasound examination may be prescribed. This usually occurs with complaints of chest pain in the background of missing heart disease.
Manifestation of heart pain in a patient with osteochondrosis of the neck indicates active spread of the disease along the spine. Such a symptom is rare, so the neurologist will certainly first refer the patient for examination to a cardiologist who will need to identify or confirm the absence of heart problems. If the work of the heart system is going smoothly, you have nothing to worry about, as osteochondrosis alone does not in any way affect the activity of an important organ like the heart.
The above symptoms appear in the first weeks of the onset of the disease. The only exception is dizziness and nausea, as these discomforts are found in patients in stages 2-3 of the onset of the disease.
Overall, there are three stages in the development of the disease, the third of which manifests itself in the most insidious way. If you do not treat osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, its transition to severe form will lead to disruption of the normal functioning of many vital systems of the human body.
Prerequisites for the onset of osteochondrosis
A number of factors are considered to be manifestations of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The main thing, however, is the incorrect posture of the spine. For this reason, it is extremely important to develop some habit of maintaining proper posture during work and rest from childhood.
The second very significant factor is called a sedentary lifestyle. A modern person usually complains about a lack of time for sports, but at the same time, he can spend a lot of time surfing the waves of the internet recklessly, empty communication on social networks, or playing computer games.
Since childhood, most people have reported the great benefits of simple morning exercises. Nevertheless, few modern people do this, although simple physical exercises in the morning can stimulate blood circulation, experience lively momentum, and help create a good mood throughout the day. In addition, morning exercises are healthy and agile in the joints for many years.
The last serious factor that causes osteochondrosis of the spine in the neck area, and at the same time many other problems, is the lack of vitamins. Usually in winter and early spring, the human body is deficient in vitamins, so during these periods you should eat as many raw vegetables and fruits as possible or buy vitamin complexes that are sold in any pharmacy. You should also pay attention to other trace elements that are important for your body. Otherwise, many mistakenly believe that osteochondrosis occurs due to a lack of calcium. This is not the case, although calcium should be used to treat the disease as it promotes rapid healing of the cartilage tissue.
Main stages of osteochondrosis
- First.In the initial stage, a dull pain appears, which quickly disappears when a person keeps their body at rest for a while. In addition, the patient may notice jumps in blood pressure, which is the first sign of oxygen starvation in the brain.
- Second.The next stage will already significantly obscure your normal lifestyle, as cervical pain syndrome will be quite severe and will not always go away even after taking painkillers. This makes a person extremely irritable, which negatively affects the attitudes of others. In addition, there is a feeling of constant fatigue, systematic headaches appear.
- Third.The last stage is the most dangerous. The patient causes unbearable pain in the neck and head that even strong painkillers cannot always cope with. Dizziness, nausea also appear, limited movement, etc.
As you can see, osteochondrosis has fairly pronounced symptoms, but in the initial stages, many people simply ignore the signs of impending disaster. It is extremely important to be vigilant and identify the disease in time for its first weak manifestations.
Usually, the neuropathologist’s patients are people whose osteochondrosis has already gone through the second stage of development. This complicates the healing process as it is only in the initial stages that the disease can be effectively combated.
Let’s not forget that osteochondrosis is one of the most serious back diseases. It can have a negative impact on the work of several vital systems at the same time. Failure to seek professional help in a timely manner can result in the onset of a disease that leads to the development of a spinal hernia, where only surgery will improve the situation.
The healing process of osteochondrosis is delayed for a long time and can only be successful if you strictly follow all the prescriptions of your doctor. Under no circumstances should you diagnose and prescribe treatment on your own, as it may further aggravate the situation.
Many people believe that osteochondrosis is the last sentence and it is impossible to fully recover from it. In fact, this is not the case at all if the disease has not gone through the final stages of development. In other cases, the situation can be corrected, but to do this you need to focus on long and hard work, in addition to changing your lifestyle, and making sports and outdoor activities an integral part of this.