Ever since man's distant ancestor, Homo Erectus, stood up, in addition to all the possible advantages of walking uphill (protection from wild animals, better visibility, expanded work), humanity has also received a rich set of locomotor diseases. Cervical osteochondrosis is one of them. Some people do not take the disease seriously, they consider 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 associated with cervical osteochondrosis is usually considered a separate symptom from the main disease, but as a result, the disease can lead to serious complications and even disability. In this article, we will consider what drugs to take for dizziness in cervical osteochondrosis, learn how to get rid of dizziness in cervical osteochondrosis, and analyze what exercises to do for dizziness in cervical osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The term osteochondrosis comes from the ancient Greek words ὀστέον - "bone" and χόνδρος - "cartilage". Doctors use this term to designate a group of dystrophic changes caused by an increase in the volume of bone tissue in the articular cartilage. More than other joints, the cartilaginous seal between the vertebrae, known in medicine as the "disc", suffers more.
According to the type of osteochondrosis, it is divided into "cervical", "thoracic" and "lumbar" categories. Cervical is the most common. Today, this disease is a constant companion of every person over 40 years old. Despite the fact that, according to the opinion, this disease develops over the years, and young people do not suffer from it, modern medical practice proves the opposite, showing disappointing statistics among people over 30 years old.
Cause
The causes of osteochondrosis include direct ones (compression of the vertebral vessels and nerves - compression of the cervical vertebrae) and indirect ones related to the patient's lifestyle and physiological characteristics of his body.
Types of compression complications of osteochondrosis:
- Spondylolisthesis. Displacement of the spinal disc from the back or front. In a significant proportion, displacement is associated with paralysis and death.
- Osteophytes. Abnormal growth of bone tissue due to calcium salts.
- Protrusion. Protrusion of the intervertebral disc without breaking 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;
- physical inactivity, "computer" disease, sedentary pastime;
- your weight is higher than normal;
- metabolic disorder;
- genetic predisposition;
- incorrect posture;
- weak muscle tone of the neck and back in general;
- overload, fatigue of the back and neck muscles;
- tendency to a certain position of the neck, for example, the habit of tilting the head to the side;
- "old" injuries of the cervical spine;
- nervous shocks and stress.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are sporadic and constant pain in the neck, upper shoulder girdle, clavicles and head. In advanced disease, vertigo (dizziness) and loss of consciousness are possible.
The overall symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are so diverse that the patient often cannot independently identify one or another symptom of cervical osteochondrosis. Even the attending physician must perform a detailed examination in order to establish an accurate diagnosis.
The symptoms of the disease vary depending on the progression. Modern medicine distinguishes 4 stages of the progression of osteochondrosis:
I – minor changes in normal cervical lordosis. Slight pain may occur when turning the head. slight discomfort when bending the neck;
II – smaller displacements between the vertebrae, torsion (uncoordinated rotation of the vertebra in relation to the chord of the spine), a decrease in the thickness of the intervertebral cartilage. Pain of mild to moderate intensity occurs in the neck and head, tingling in the fingertips, tinnitus, when turning the head, the patient hears a slight crackling;
III – the intervertebral cartilage moves by a quarter compared to the other, the thickness and size of the disc selectively changes, becomes thinner, changes its normal shape, the posterior osteophytes narrow the spinal canal, the spinal cord is damaged. The pain becomes intense, loses its sporadic character, becomes stable, and fluctuates from average to severe. Weakness appears in the hands, hearing deteriorates. When he turns his head, the screeching sound is heard not only by the patient, but also by those around him. Possible loss of coordination of movements. By the way, dizziness associated 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 abnormally large, the spinal canal is significantly narrowed and curved, myelopathy develops (syndrome of compression of the spinal cord and its vessels). Frequent dizziness, loss of consciousness. Severe and very strong pain in the neck, head, collarbone, shoulder. The face, tongue and palate become numb. Vision and hearing deteriorate significantly. Weakness throughout the body. Legs and arms are lost. Temporary paralysis of the limbs. Very significant loss of coordination in space. Swallowing reflex disorder. Complete loss of sensation in the hands and throughout the body.
Treatment and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
When we ask the question: "How can cervical osteochondrosis be cured? "", we must remember that in the case of cervical osteochondrosis, the treatment must be timely, it cannot be delayed.
Therapeutic and preventive measures are closely related to each other in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. Traditionally, the difference lies in the severity of the disease. Prevention of osteochondrosis is used before the onset of the disease and in its first three stages. Treatment of the disease begins from the moment of occurrence.
In this section, we will find out whether it is possible to eliminate many unpleasant symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis at the same time, what exercises can be performed in case of cervical osteochondrosis dizziness, which tablets, medicines and folk remedies are best for complicated osteochondrosis, how to treat dizziness, how to treatdizziness cervical osteochondrosis osteochondrosis with folk remedies.
Prevention
Eliminates many signs of osteochondrosis at the same time. It includes four types of therapy:
- The traditional way to remove the signs of cervical osteochondrosis and vertigo is to lead a healthy lifestyle;
- physical therapy (not recommended already in the third stage of osteochondrosis development, 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 tools (Kuznetsov applicator, furniture, household items) in everyday life.
ethnoscience
Cervical osteochondrosis can be treated at home using traditional medicine. The products he created are creative compositions made from 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 in the case of drug treatment - the pain goes away almost immediately, the prevention of dizziness takes some time. The treatment of traditional medicine should be started as early as possible, then it will definitely bring a positive result.