Since man's distant ancestor Homo Erectus stood up, in addition to all the possible benefits associated with upright walking (protection from wild animals, improved visibility, expanded work functionality), humanity has received a rich set of musculoskeletal diseases. Cervical osteochondrosis is one of them. Some people do not take illness seriously, viewing it as 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 generally 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 medicine to take for dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis, learn how to get rid of dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis and analyze what exercises to do for dizziness with 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 denote a group of dystrophic changes in articular cartilage caused by an increase in the volume of bone tissue. More than other joints, the cartilage 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 over the years and young people do not suffer from it, modern medical practice proves the opposite and shows disappointing statistics among people over 30 years old.
Reasons
The causes of osteochondrosis include direct (compression of vertebral vessels and nerves - compression of the cervical vertebrae) and indirect, related to the patient's lifestyle and the physiological characteristics of his body.
Types of compression complications of osteochondrosis:
- Spondylolisthesis. Displacement of the spinal disc from the back or front. At significant rates, displacement is fraught with paralysis and death.
- Osteophytes. Abnormal, pathological growth of bone tissue due to calcium salts.
- Projection. Protrusion of the intervertebral disc without breaking the integrity of the collagen ring.
- Complaining. Displacement of the core of the intervertebral disc with rupture of the collagen ring.
Causes of compression:
- intense physical work;
- physical inactivity, "computer" disease, sedentary pastime;
- weight is higher than normal;
- metabolic disorder;
- genetic predisposition;
- incorrect posture;
- weak muscle tone in the neck and back in general;
- overload, fatigue of back and neck muscles;
- a tendency to a certain position of the neck, for example, the habit of tilting the head to one side;
- "old" injuries to the cervical spine;
- nervous shock and stress.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are sporadic and constant pain in the neck, upper shoulder girdle, collarbone and head. In advanced disease, dizziness (vertigo) and loss of consciousness are possible.
The complete symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are so different that the patient is often not able to independently identify one or another symptom with cervical osteochondrosis. Even the attending physician must conduct a detailed examination to accurately make a diagnosis.
Symptoms of the disease change according to its progression. Modern medicine distinguishes between 4 stages of progression of osteochondrosis:
I – minor changes in the normal cervical lordosis. There may be slight pain when the head is turned. Mild discomfort when bending the neck;
II – minor displacements between the vertebrae, torsion (uncoordinated rotation of the vertebra in relation to the spinal chord), reduction in the thickness of the intervertebral cartilage. Pain of mild to moderate intensity appears in the neck and head, tingling in the fingertips, tinnitus, when turning the head, the patient hears a slight crack;
III – intervertebral cartilage is displaced by a quarter relative to the other, the thickness and size of the disc is selectively changed, it becomes thinner, changes its normal shape, posterior osteophytes narrow the spinal cord and damage the spinal cord. The pain becomes intense, its sporadic nature is lost, it becomes stable in nature, fluctuating from average 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 those 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 – intervertebral discs are significantly displaced, posterior osteophytes and projections become abnormally large, the spinal canal is significantly narrowed and curved, myelopathy is formed (compression syndrome of the spinal cord and its vessels). Frequent dizziness, loss of consciousness. Severe and very strong pains in the neck, head, collarbone, shoulders. The face, tongue and palate become numb. Sight and hearing are significantly reduced. Weakness throughout the body. Legs and arms are taken away. Temporary paralysis of the limbs. A very significant loss of coordination in space. Swallowing reflex disorder. Total loss of sensation in the hands and throughout the body.
Treatment and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
When we ask the question "how to cure neck osteochondrosis? ", we must remember that with cervical osteochondrosis, the treatment must be timely, there is no way to be late.
Therapeutic and preventive measures are closely related to each other in the treatment of neck osteochondrosis. Conventionally, the difference between them lies in the severity of the disease. Prevention of osteochondrosis is used before the onset of the disease and during its first three stages. Treatment of the disease begins from the moment it occurs.
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 performed for dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis, which tablets, drugs and folk remedies are best used for complicated osteochondrosis, how to treat dizziness, how to treat dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis, osteochondrosis with folk remedies.
Prevention
Eliminates many signs of osteochondrosis at once. Includes four types of therapy:
- The traditional way to remove signs of cervical osteochondrosis and vertigo is to constantly lead a healthy lifestyle;
- physiotherapy (not recommended already at the third stage of the development of osteochondrosis, although the final decision is up to the vertebrologist);
- massage and self-massage (although manual therapy is very effective for cervical osteochondrosis and can easily relieve pain, it is not recommended in the last stages of the disease);
- use orthopedic advice and orthopedic devices (Kuznetsov applicator, furniture, household items) in everyday life.
ethnoscience
Osteochondrosis of the neck can be treated at home using traditional medicine. The products she created are a creative composition of herbs, essential oils, fats, toxins, roots of various plants with alcohol and iodine.
Can a traditional medicine relieve dizziness and pain? Here the situation is the same as with treatment with medicine - the pain can go away almost immediately, preventing dizziness will take some time. Treatment with traditional medicine must be started as early as possible, then it will definitely give a positive result.