When a doctor diagnoses cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms of treatment are inextricably linked. This is because this disease is considered complex and multilevel, this or that symptom will indicate not only the stage of the disease, but also what exactly it extends to, which vital areas of the body were affected.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
- When the nerve endings in the spinal column are compressed, the symptoms take on their characteristic features. Pain develops in the neck, arms, and throat, and this pain may immediately reflect to other areas, such as the back. Breathing and swallowing can be difficult and the tongue feels numb or "swollen. "Noise is heard in the ears and throbbing pain may occur, vision "clouding" and "darkening" in the eyes. A person begins to experience severe discomfort, affecting various organs, perhaps a feeling of severe fatigue and apathy, there is a desire to lie down and rest. Usually there is no relief after the break.
- The vertebral artery loses its ability to fully feed the brain. This threatens with the appearance of headache (constant or periodic), loss of coordination when walking, dizziness and loss of consciousness. In addition, disturbances in the form of confusion, hallucinations, and mental disorders are possible. A person at a certain time may feel good, and having made some physical effort, he experiences some of these symptoms.
- In case of circulatory disorders, hypertension, tachycardia and spinal stroke occur. Vegetovascular dystonia with pinched vessels and arrhythmia will be observed until the osteochondrosis is completely healed.
- The level of intracranial pressure rises and symptoms appear such as a sensation of "swelling" of the head caused by severe pain, weakness and vomiting, dizziness and a severe collapse.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
A person who has experienced the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the neck in the form of pain and stiffness of movements can quickly relieve their condition. Pain relievers should be taken. Ointments will have an effective effect, they are inexpensive in expense. When taking painkillers, you need to observe the dosage and contraindications.
After alleviating the patient's condition, you should consult a doctor. We must not forget that painkillers can only mask the symptoms, but not get rid of the disease. Separately, it should be noted that for pain that is reflected from the neck to the back, arms and legs, the ointments are applied exclusively to the neck. But despite the fact that a person did not go to the doctor, he cannot know the exact diagnosis. And try to "treat" everything at once, successfully achieving only an allergic effect.
Treatment is prescribed only after a thorough examination and diagnosis. Its aim is to improve blood circulation to the affected areas, relieve swelling and tension, and eliminate pain. To do this, painkillers are used in the form of ointments or injections (antispasmodics).
Important!It is necessary to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, and vitamins B 6 and B 12.
Vasodilator medications work in different ways. These are neurotropic drugs that act by reducing the nerve and myotropic impulse, acting on the muscles themselves. Due to its action, the tone of the walls of blood vessels decreases and their lumen becomes larger, which increases blood flow to the brain.
Physiotherapy procedures will help relieve pain and alleviate the patient's condition. Electrophoresis, paraffin and water procedures, magnetotherapy, ultrasound, and ultraviolet irradiation are used successfully in this disease. Massage (not strong) and recovery gymnastics (regular) have proven to be good. Wearing special medical collars will help support your head and neck.
An alternative, and in other cases an addition to the treatment, is special gymnastics.
Folk remedies to alleviate diseases
- Gentle massage with warm honey. It is necessary to rub very carefully, then wrap the neck and make, thus, a warm honey.
- Rub with compounds that warm the sore spot. They can be based on alcohol: infusions of pepper, garlic, you can use the application of fresh parts of these plants (horseradish, onions and radishes are also suitable).
- Warm pine baths. Prepare a decoction of 0. 5 kg. needles and 2 liters. Water. This bath is taken within half an hour.
It is necessary to closely monitor the body's allergic reactions to the ingredients used and to remember that these remedies alleviate but do not cure the disease.
Disease prevention
A person who has problems with the spine in the cervical spine will have to regularly spend time in this area in order to start moving fully again and not face this problem in the future.
Speaking about the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, it should be noted:
- the importance of diet: food should be rich in calcium and magnesium (dairy and fish products, legumes and cereals) and vitamins.
- The need to spend time in maintaining the physical shape of the body (swimming is very useful), then the muscular neck brace will be strong enough and reduce the load on the spine.
- The importance of excluding (or reducing the influence) of your life of the factors that provoke cervical osteochondrosis. Symptoms and treatment are unpleasant and lengthy, and prevention is quite simple and easy.