Osteochondrosis refers to degenerative diseases of the spine, which include
Dystrophy, deformation and gradual deletion of vertebrates.This can lead to pain, several unpleasant consequences and in advanced cases - even to disability.It is important to pay attention to your health and consult a doctor in a timely manner when suspicious symptoms appear.
The cervical and thoracic spine is less common than the lumbar spine, however, the occurrence of osteochondrosis in these areas can be fraught with serious consequences.Due to the proximity of the cervical region, a violation of the blood supply to the brain sometimes develops in the head, which entails many complications.Also, the changes can lead to damage to the nerve roots - as a result, the patient feels severe pain and numbness.
The reasons for appearance
Osteochondrosis occurs in a very large number of people, especially today, when citizens massively lack adequate physical activity, proper nutrition and posture.The reasons that can provoke the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic region include:
- Age -related changes;
- genetic predisposition;
- Sedentary lifestyle, hypodinamia;
- posture disorders;
- Serious excess weight;
- injuries;
- overload;
- flat feet and other imperfections of the musculoskeletal system;
- stress and bad habits;
- Smoking Back and Stay Prolonged Stay in the cold.
Recently, osteochondrosis has increasingly begun to be observed in young people, which is mainly associated with the wrong way of life.
Cervical osteochondrosis symptoms
Like most chronic diseases, cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis is quite insidious and does not appear immediately.In the early stages, the patient can not notice anything but periodic discomfort in the spine, but the progression of the disease leads to the aggravation of symptoms:
- Pain in the head or neck, which sometimes falls into the shoulder girdle and upper limbs and, depending on the course of the disease, can be sharp and painful or aching, dull, manifested by periods;
- dizziness, visual impairment and hearing, coordination of movement;
- numbness, burning or tingling in the upper limbs;
- Astenia, fatigue, loss of normal work capacity;
- Intercostal neuralgia, heart pain, pressure drops.
Most of the negative symptoms are caused by the fact that deformed areas of the spine squeeze blood vessels and nerve roots, as a result of which their normal functioning is disturbed.Subsequently, these complications can lead to malfunctions in the body and even disability if you do not start timely treatment.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The doctor begins to suspect osteochondrosis in the patient based on his complaints and the collected anamnesis.To confirm or refute the diagnosis, the specialist prescribes diagnostic measures, the main of which is radiography of the spine in a direct and lateral projection.To obtain more detailed information, CT and MRI are performed: they help to track complications in time.
With osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine, treatment is prescribed comprehensively.As a rule, it includes several main directions:
- Drug therapy is mainly painkillers and anti -inflammatory drugs that allow you to reduce pain;In addition to them, muscle spasms, chondoprotectors to strengthen cartilaginous tissue and B vitamins are often prescribed to remove the state of nervous tissue;
- Physiotherapy includes massage and other procedures (ultrasound, magnetotherapy, etc.) designed to improve the state of the spine and remove the limitation of mobility;
- Therapeutic physical education allows you to activate blood flow, strengthen muscles, thereby removing excess load on the spine, lead the body to tone and adjust posture;It also helps reduce pressure on nerve roots.
The procedure for stretching the spine is applied periodically, with the aim of returning it to its original shape.