How to treat cervical osteochondrosis

There are several approaches to how to treat cervical osteochondrosis of the spine;only the patient can make the choice.Therefore, we invite you to learn how manual therapy for this disease differs and why the methods used by official medicine most often lead the patient to disability or the need for surgical intervention.

Let's start with the fact that in the district clinic, where the vast majority of patients with neck pain go, there is no effective treatment regimen for osteochondrosis.This is a degenerative dystrophic disease of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs.It develops when the nutrition of these fibers breaks down.Therefore, for a complete recovery, it is first of all necessary to normalize the diffuse exchange between the intervertebral discs and the paravertebral muscles that surround them.Unfortunately, official medicine does not want to accept the fact that only this approach to treatment gives positive dynamics in the patient's condition.

It is proposed to use exclusively symptomatic methods of influence.They allow you to alleviate the symptoms that accompany the process of destruction of the intervertebral discs.This is done on purpose because there are regulatory deadlines within which the patient must return to work.Human health is not taken into account in this process.The most important thing is to be released from sick leave on time.And for this it is enough to remove the pain syndrome.           

Meanwhile, it is worth understanding that the pain is part of a protective mechanism that prevents the final destruction of the intervertebral disc.Pain syndrome in cervical osteochondrosis can be caused by the following changes:

• excessive tension in the muscles of the neck and collar area (they unload the intervertebral discs, provide protection for the radicular nerves and injuries due to the convergence of adjacent vertebral bodies);
• inflammation, designed to increase blood microcirculation in the lesion, but in fact it provokes infiltrative swelling of soft tissues and increased pain;
• changes in the position of the vertebral bodies, due to which the suction stress is released;
• compression of a nerve fiber (radicular nerves, their branches, nerve plexus, large nerves extending from it);
• damage to paired cranial nerves.

Before treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is necessary to eliminate all pathogenic factors that provoke the appearance of the changes described above.Simply put, you need to restore all damaged tissues and create suitable conditions for their regeneration.

Complete treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is possible only with an integrated approach to solving this problem.An experienced vertebrologist or neurologist will be able to develop an individual recovery course.

Causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

There are reasons that lead to the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.If the effect of these pathogenic factors continues during the treatment and after its completion, then there is a high probability of the disease returning in the near future.

In order to understand the development process of the degenerative dystrophic process in cartilage tissue, we suggest you familiarize yourself with some facts from anatomy and physiology:

• intervertebral discs consist of an annulus fibrosus (a dense and elastic outer shell) and an inner nucleus pulposus (corpus pulposus that maintains the shape and height of the disc);
• they do not have their own circulatory network and can replenish their fluid and food reserves only through diffuse exchange with the surrounding tissues of the paravertebral muscles and end plates;
• end plates are cartilaginous structures located between the vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs, they are filled with capillary vessels and provide nutrition for the fibrous ring and periosteum;
• paravertebral muscles support the spine in a vertical position, giving it flexibility and plasticity;
• Yellow interspinous ligaments regulate the position of the vertebral bodies in the longitudinal direction;
• short transverse ligaments of the spine fix the vertebral bodies in the horizontal plane;
• long anterior and posterior ligaments regulate the entire spine and partially relieve the shock-absorbing load from it.

Degenerative dystrophic changes usually begin with the fact that the paravertebral muscles are not subjected to regular physical activity.They lose their ability to provide complete diffuse nutrition for the annulus fibrosus.It starts to dehydrate and crack.Its surface is calcified (calcium salts precipitate in the cracks) - this prevents the normal process of diffuse fluid exchange in the future.

Then the annulus fibrosus begins to receive fluid from the established tissue of the nucleus pulposus.It has a gelatinous, jelly-like texture.Therefore, it easily releases fluid, but at the same time significantly loses its physiological volume.This negatively affects its ability to maintain the physiological height of the intervertebral disc.

Begins to unevenly distribute the shock absorption load.There is an increase in the rate of pressure on the end plates.In their thickness, the process of sclerosis of capillary vessels begins.Endplates lose their ability to nourish disc cartilage and periosteum tissue.This is the extension phase.

If effective comprehensive treatment is not started at this stage, the annulus fibrosus will soon rupture under the influence of physical activity.An intervertebral hernia is formed in the cervical spine.This complication of long-term osteochondrosis significantly worsens the quality of life and the degree of human performance.

The possible causes that lead to the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are:

• maintaining a sedentary lifestyle without regular physical activity on the muscular framework of the neck and collar area;
• overweight and obesity (each additional kilogram provokes a multiple increase in the shock-absorbing load on the cartilaginous intervertebral discs);
• sedentary work, during which there is prolonged static tension of the muscle fiber in the neck;
• incorrectly composed diet and insufficient consumption of clean drinking water during the day;
• curvature of the spine and poor posture (for example, a round or bent back, scoliosis, etc.);
• smoking and drinking strong alcoholic beverages;
• violation of ergonomic rules during the organization of sleeping and working spaces;
• injuries in the neck and collar area;
• endocrine and vascular pathologies (atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus and accompanying diabetic angiopathy, etc.).

All of these potential causes should be addressed immediately.The sooner you do this, the higher the chances that the damaged cartilage fiber will be fully restored.As a rule, an experienced doctor carefully collects medical history data during the initial examination.He then makes individual recommendations for each patient based on the information gathered.If the patient performs them, then healing proceeds faster and more intensively.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis - how to treat them

The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:

1. pain in the neck and collar area (it can be shooting, pulling, tearing, knocking - it depends on what caused the pain syndrome);
2. muscle fiber tension, limited mobility;
3. changing the position of the head, bending the spine (compensatory);
4. headache and dizziness, decreased mental performance (this is a consequence of damage to the patency of the posterior vertebral arteries);
5. increased nervous excitability, emotional instability, panic attacks, etc.

Before treating cervical osteochondrosis of the spine, you need to understand which symptoms are associated with what.The use of symptomatic exposure methods is strictly prohibited.This can only lead to a significant deterioration of the patient's condition.

There are many methods for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis of the spine and vertigo - the choice usually remains with the patient, to whom an experienced doctor tells about all the possibilities and prospects for using one or another approach.Therefore, consultation with an experienced vertebrologist is always a critical priority.

You can make an appointment with a vertebrologist at a specialized manual therapy clinic right now.The doctor will conduct a thorough examination, make an accurate diagnosis and tell you how to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and the dizziness that develops as a result.

How to treat cervical osteochondrosis of the spine at home

Before treating cervical osteochondrosis of the spine at home, you should consult an experienced doctor.In most cases of the disease, hospitalization of the patient is not required.But first you need to take an individually developed course of treatment.

As a rule, treatment begins with several sessions of manual traction of the spine.This procedure allows you to increase the height of the intervertebral spaces to the physiological norm.This helps guide the annulus fibrosus tissue.The disappearance of the nerves of the root and their branches is eliminated.Pain syndrome and neurological clinical manifestations disappear.The patient may feel completely healthy.However, the complete restoration of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs is still far away.

It is required to undergo a full course of treatment aimed at normalizing diffuse metabolic processes, increasing tissue trophism, strengthening the muscular framework of the neck and collar area.

This course of treatment may include the following procedures:

1. osteopathy to restore the normal microcirculation of lymphatic fluid and blood in the areas of degenerative changes of dystrophic tissues;
2. massage to increase the elasticity of soft tissues (muscles, ligaments and tendons);
3. reflexology to activate the hidden reserves of the human body to initiate the processes of natural regeneration of damaged cartilage tissue;
4. physiotherapy, laser treatment, electrical myostimulation;
5. therapeutic exercises and kinesiotherapy etc.

The course of treatment is always developed individually for each patient.Therefore, if you contact a specialized clinic, then an effective and safe course of treatment will be developed for you, which will allow you to completely restore all the tissues of the spine.