It is important to recognize the first signs of cervical osteochondrosis in time to seek qualified medical help and prevent the negative consequences of the disease - chronic hypertension, heart attack, stroke, partial or complete restriction of motor activity, disability.
Why is osteochondrosis dangerous?
The main function of the intervertebral disc is to protect and prevent any damage to the vertebrae during walking, running, and jumping. In addition, they ensure the overall mobility of the spine.
When the body naturally ages and due to the influence of unfavorable factors - stress, injury, excessive physical activity - the height of the intervertebral disc decreases. The development of osteochondrosis causes the following complications:
- The dense fibrous ring of the intervertebral disc is destroyed and cracks appear in it.
- The contour of the intervertebral disc shifts beyond the physiological boundaries, forming a protrusion
- Without the help of specialists at the previous stage, the patient faced rupture of the fibrous ring and hernia
- Osteophytes are formed on cartilage and bone tissue - pathological growths, which are one of the causes of decreased mobility of the spine and pain.
- The spinal cord and surrounding tissues are subject to compression and inflammation
Features of cervical osteochondrosis that are not discussed
Many people mistakenly believe that osteochondrosis is exclusively an age-related disease. But, in most cases, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine begins to develop in childhood due to birth trauma. For most children, the first obvious symptoms appear when they start school. It is during this period that the need to sit for a long time in a forced position, physical inactivity, and neck muscle spasms in response to stress join existing negative phenomena and factors.
Many birth injuries of the cervical spine are not apparent during a routine visual examination. Although due to them children, and then adults, experience serious problems with breathing, heart, central nervous system, senses and motor functions of the body.
What threatens the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?
The brain is responsible for regulating the rest of the body. It is also the main consumer of oxygen, which comes through the blood.
Blood supply to the brain is carried out by the basilar artery. It, in turn, is formed from the fusion of two vertebral arteries that pass through the cervical vertebrae.
Deformation and damage to the intervertebral disc leads to instability and displacement of the cervical vertebrae. Compression of one or both vertebral arteries occurs, as a result of which the oxygen supply to the brain decreases, and it begins to send instructions to increase the pressure. This is how chronic non-communicable diseases develop, especially hypertension.
Over time, patients experience disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The risk of stroke, heart attack, and coronary heart disease increases significantly. In men - impotence.
Symptoms of cervical spine osteochondrosis
- Cramps and limitation of neck mobility, pain when turning and tilting the head
- Burning sensation, pain, lump in the throat, difficulty swallowing
- Numbness and coldness of hands or just fingers
- Pain and soreness in the chest
- Lack of air
- Chronic hypertension
- Headaches, migraines
- Dizziness, fainting
- Noise and buzzing in the ears
- Decreased visual acuity, the appearance of dots in front of the eyes
- Increased fatigue, weakness, drowsiness, decreased performance
- Hard to concentrate, easy to forget
- Sleep disturbance
- Chronic depression
- Panic attack
- Pain of varying intensity, spreading in the neck, shoulders, collarbones, upper back, and the entire surface of the head from the back of the head to the forehead
If you notice any of the listed symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis of the spine, we recommend immediately contacting a specialist at a modern clinic. Professional doctors will perform comprehensive diagnostics and develop individual treatment procedures.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in men and women in the clinic
The technique patented by the Candidate of Medical Sciences, Dr. Alexander Yuryevich Shishonin, allows you to stop the development of osteochondrosis and significantly improve the well-being of patients of all ages.
At the initial appointment, the clinician performs a microanatomy ultrasound of the neck canal to measure the speed of blood flow and identify muscle spasms that trigger compression of the vertebral arteries.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine includes:
Physical therapy. Physical inactivity is one of the main reasons for the development of osteochondrosis. Therefore, a set of individual physical exercises is developed for each patient. The complex of exercise therapy is prescribed based on the diagnosis, the patient's health status and the presence of acute or chronic diseases.
All exercises are performed under the supervision of a qualified instructor on a special simulator, this helps restore muscle tone and strengthen the muscle corset.
Correction of the muscles in the neck and back. The correctional specialist at the clinic restores blood supply to the brain through manual manipulation of the muscles in the neck and vertebrae. Blood pressure is normalized, cognitive functions - memory, concentration, mental performance - improve.
Prevention of the development of cervical osteochondrosis
You can prevent the occurrence or development of the disease by complying with the following recommendations:
- Walk around all day. In total, you should take at least 6, 000 steps per day.
- Play sports. The load should not be excessive. Start with exercises that are feasible, gradually increasing the duration of the exercises and the number of repetitions.
- Balance your diet and maintain a normal weight.
- Do Dr. Shishonin's neck exercises.