Severity of cervical osteochondrosis occurs after remission. Pathology develops in a chronic form. It is impossible to completely overcome osteochondrosis.
This disease develops due to an insufficiently active lifestyle, alcohol abuse, and nutritional problems.
The intervertebral disc reduces pressure on the vertebrae, but over the years the cartilage tissue wears out due to poor lifestyle choices. Regenerating cartilage tissue is not easy.
Cause
Let's think about what causes the symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- Some signs arise as a result of deformation of the vertebrae, osteophytes appear.
- The position of the vertebrae in relation to each other changes, the arteries are pinched, and the blood supply to the nervous system deteriorates.
- The appearance of complications due to displacement of the intervertebral disc also causes pain at the nerve endings.
- When the nerves in the cervical spine are pinched, radicular syndrome appears.
- Constant tension of the muscle tissue in the neck at the computer or while driving a car.
How does cervical osteochondrosis worsen?
In the neck area the size of the vertebrae is small. Severity of cervical osteochondrosis occurs with special symptoms. Therefore, when the first symptoms occur, you need to contact a specialist.The main problem is that the patient is not aware of the symptoms of the disease.
First degree
At first, small cracks appeared on the disc. The elasticity of cartilage tissue decreases, and pain appears in the neck if you do not change your position for a long time.
second degree
Severe neck pain indicates the beginning of the second stage. The pain worsens due to deformation of the intervertebral disc, dislocation appears.In rare situations, numbness of the hands and face occurs.
At the end of the day, the patient has pain in the neck, which runs further down the spine.
The severity is indicated by the falling head syndrome, where unbearable pain occurs, the head cannot be lifted, you need to fix it with a pillow or hands so that the symptoms decrease.
third degree
The third stage of the disease manifests itself clearly; the cause of unpleasant symptoms cannot be attributed to overwork after physical exercise. In the third stage, patients begin to feel pain, dizziness, tinnitus, and often faint. Acute osteochondrosis is characterized by neck numbness and tinnitus.
Sometimes the symptoms of the disease disappear, but recur with exacerbation after some time. New signs appear and the pain becomes stronger.
How to behave during an exacerbation?
During an exacerbation, you should not rub warming ointment on your neck or massage a large area. If you feel the signs of cervical osteochondrosis, you should try to rest and take the most comfortable position.
You need to lie on your back so that the muscle tissue stops straining. Attacks will not go away on their own.You need to call the doctor to give you painkillers, then make an appointment with a specialist. Many people have pain relievers in their home medicine cabinet. You can take these medicines so you don't have to call an ambulance.
First aid and treatment
Treatment is carried out by specialists:
- Before the doctor arrives, you need to move as little as possible.
- Sit comfortably on the bed, do not strain your body.
- Take painkillers.
- Wait for the doctor.
Specialists prescribe antibiotics and drugs to eliminate the inflammatory process. They are needed during exacerbations.
Patients are given chondroprotectors, which reverse the destructive process in the disc and worsen the speed indicator when it occurs.
The course of treatment with such drugs is long, less than six months. They are able to prevent the severity of the disease.
Medicines that belong to the category of muscle relaxants also help with osteochondrosis and relieve tension. Diuretics and vascular drugs, nootropics and B vitamins are also used.
During exacerbation, the disease is accompanied by pain, and a procedure called restriction is prescribed. An injection of novocaine is made into the deformed vertebral area. Symptoms can be relieved quickly. We list non-drug treatment methods: exercise therapy, physiotherapy, massage.
It will be possible to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and reduce the severity with the help of therapeutic exercises. You need to do exercises every day to strengthen your neck and spine muscles. A weak spine will be held better because of the developed muscles in the back.
Massage is mandatory, thanks to the full course, muscle tone improves, spasms are eliminated, swelling decreases, cerebrospinal fluid circulates better, and blood supply stabilizes. Intervertebral discs stop changing shape.
Other treatments
Thanks to the Shants collar, you can reduce the load on the cervical spine during exacerbations. Such a device will maintain the neck in a normal position, the load on muscle tissue and vertebrae will be reduced. You need to arrange your sleeping area properly; you need a hard mattress with an orthopedic effect, as well as a pillow that does not bend your neck while resting.
If therapy is carried out when the attack begins, and everything is done correctly, the peak of the disease will subside after some time. If the disease is not treated in time, the attack will subside, but will not be completely eliminated. In the future, you should expect several exacerbations, during which the pain will decrease. Painful symptoms worsen during an attack.
What drugs are used?
When the patient's condition worsens, medications must be used. The severity is eliminated with the help of such drugs. Anti-inflammatory or painkillers in tablets, ointments for local or external use. Muscle relaxants help relieve muscle spasms, which often occur with pain.
Vitamin B improves the conduction of nerve impulses through neurons. Initially used as an intramuscular injection, then the patient was transferred to tablets.If the disease increases blood pressure, calcium channels are blocked, inhibitors, ACE or combination agents.
When cervical osteochondrosis worsens, the symptoms cause cerebral circulation. Therapeutic procedures involve the use of drugs for rehabilitation. To do this, it is advisable to contact a specialist to receive accurate recommendations on medications.
When the patient has an emotional disturbance, the doctor prescribes sedatives, which may be herbal or tranquilizers. When choosing, experts are often guided by the severity of these symptoms. Spinal blocks using novocaine are used for severe painful symptoms.
Surgical intervention
What should be done in case of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis if the above methods are not effective? It is necessary to undergo an examination, if complications are identified, the specialist can recommend a surgical procedure aimed at reducing compression and stabilizing the position of the vertebrae. Complications arise after such an operation, so it is performed in extreme cases.
What to do at home?
Doctors do not recommend treating cervical osteochondrosis at home during exacerbations without prior consultation. You can take painkillers, wrap a scarf around your neck, and wait for the doctor to arrive. Depending on the severity of the process, therapy is continued at home or in the hospital.
Symptoms of acute osteochondrosis worsen the quality of life, so immediate measures should be taken. Therapy should be carried out after diagnosis, doctor's conclusion, and exclusion of other pathological options.
Severity of cervical osteochondrosis does not occur for a short period of time; the disorder does not go away on its own. Destructive processes in the cervical spine can develop and lead to complex consequences.
Severity during pregnancy
The body of a pregnant woman changes on a physiological level, the level of hormone production changes, the body's center of gravity changes due to the weight of the developing fetus. Minerals and nutrients are absorbed and absorbed more intensively. These changes have serious effects on the musculoskeletal system. There is a lot of pressure on the spine.
Symptoms in women are the same as in other patients. The difficulty lies in choosing a treatment regimen, because when prescribing a drug, one must take into account its possible effect on the child. When dealing with exacerbations, ointments are used that do not harm children.
During pregnancy, relapse of osteochondrosis occurs in 50% of cases due to changes in the spine.
Sometimes, for complex pain, painkillers or injections are prescribed. Many pregnant women are treated using unconventional methods. Traditional medicine recipes are less harmful to the fetus.
Another way to eliminate severity
If it is not possible to visit a doctor, you can use some recipes to reduce the general condition of patients with osteochondrosis in the cervical region. For example, taking a warm bath helps you relax. You can wrap a wool scarf or other clothing made of this material around your neck. Or apply a herbal compress to the affected area.
Onions, mint, and sage are also used for that purpose. Try making an ointment from mumiyo and butter. You can also keep the neck still so that the spinal cord roots are not pinched.
Worsening gradually
If the recurrence of painful symptoms is moderate, you need to go to a specialist. The patient can take painkillers and secure the neck with a collar, but only a specialist can choose the appropriate therapeutic procedure.
During an exacerbationcervical osteochondrosisprohibited:
- Apply a heating pad to your neck. Blood will rush to the problem area, the swelling will worsen, and the pain will be stronger.
- The cervical area should not be massaged so as not to aggravate the condition.
Manual therapy will be useful in such situations. A qualified professional can realign the vertebrae so that no pressure is placed on the nerves.
Therapeutic measures
The main condition for a successful outcome of the disease is complex therapy. Treatment measures include the use of injections, tablets, ointments, special patches and physiotherapeutic procedures.
Medicines
Drug treatment aims to relieve pain, which is very noticeable in the acute period. Prescribed medications such as:
- Analgesic. They try to give an anesthetic injection before the ambulance arrives, because it can be very difficult for the patient to endure the pain. If a person has osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, then he always has a stock of painkillers.
- Relax the muscles. Their action is to reduce skeletal muscle spasms in the cervical vertebrae.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They relieve pain well, relieve inflammation and help if the patient has a fever.
- Vitamin preparations. To treat exacerbations of osteochondrosis, injectable preparations based on vitamin B are used. They help restore damaged nerve tissue due to pathological changes in the intervertebral region of the cervical spine.
- Means for local therapy. To alleviate the patient's condition, ointments and gels with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects are prescribed. It is a means of complementary therapy and is prescribed to enhance the effect of injectable drugs. In addition, special patches impregnated with medicine are used. For example, patches containing diclofenac and lidocaine.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is a method of treating osteochondrosis, which has proven itself only on the positive side, and which has been used for decades. Currently, new techniques have been developed, the use of which helps to relieve the symptoms of worsening cervical osteochondrosis faster.
If manual therapy techniques are carried out at a very professional level, this has a good effect on the condition of muscle tissue, vertebrae and articular apparatus of the cervical spine.
The following manual therapy techniques are used:
- Knead the muscles in separate parts. This technique helps relieve muscle tension.
- Mobilization techniques. The doctor performs a series of actions because the function of the articular apparatus is restored only in certain areas of the cervical spine.
- Manipulation techniques. The procedure is a set of actions aimed at restoring the entire articular system that has suffered from pathological changes. This method is used both for cervical osteochondrosis and for the treatment of diseases called common osteochondrosis.
If the patient is prescribed a course of manual therapy, he must carefully choose the doctor who will treat him. After all, even small mistakes are fraught with serious consequences, including the patient's disability.
massage
Massage is another method to ease the patient's condition during an exacerbation of osteochondrosis. Its implementation helps relieve tension in the neck muscles, reduce the amount of lactic acid, the accumulation that causes muscle spasms, and normalize blood circulation in the inflamed area. The combination of these effects leads to a decrease in pain.
Surgical intervention
If the doctor sees that conservative treatment will not give the desired result, he prescribes surgical intervention to the patient. There are some indications where surgery is unavoidable.
- Narrowing of the spinal canal due to intervertebral hernia, which leads to compression of the vascular and nerve plexus.
- Vertebral displacement relative to the horizontal axis.
- Intervertebral hernia, which can be single or multiple. This pathology is not an absolute indication for surgery if it does not cause associated symptoms. If, after several courses of conservative therapy, it is not possible to achieve a positive result, then they resort to surgery.
Exercise therapy
Therapeutic exercise is a method used in the follow-up stage. In the acute period, any exercise performed will bring nothing to the patient except additional suffering. But when the attack has stopped, the inflammatory process is on the decline, then prescribe a course of physical therapy to be an assistant.
Thanks to exercise therapy, blood circulation returns to normal and muscles are strengthened. Spinal mobility improves and stiffness disappears, nerve tissue is restored, and pain is reduced.
When prescribing physical therapy, doctors take into account factors where it is contraindicated. Exercise therapy should not be used if the patient has diseases of the cardiovascular system, benign or malignant neoplasms, severe visual impairment, or diabetes mellitus.
Operation
Surgical intervention is carried out in two stages, but during one operation. In the first stage, the neurosurgeon removes the cause of the pain syndrome. This is the decompression method.
After this, the vertebrae become stable. Doctors take into account that after removing part of the intervertebral disc, dysfunction of the articular apparatus of the spine occurs.
Therefore, the vertebrae are fixed using special techniques.
In modern orthopedic practice, an artificial intervertebral disc is used, which makes it possible to avoid vertebral fusion when the damaged disc is completely removed.
What can you do at home?
Every patient suffering from cervical osteochondrosis should know what to do if it worsens at home. First of all, it is strictly forbidden to move during the attack. The patient should lie on a flat surface and take a position where the muscles are slightly tense.
Give the patient an anesthetic injection. If this is not possible, then give the patient an analgesic in tablet form. In addition, anti-inflammatory ointment or gel must be applied to the neck area. The emergency doctor will tell you what to do next.
The period of exacerbation of osteochondrosis: first aid at home
Treatment of spinal pathology should be entrusted only to an experienced doctor. But there are situations when pain appears suddenly and restrains the patient's body. Acute exacerbations can occur, for example, if there is a suspicion of intervertebral hernia. In this case, the patient cannot tolerate and measures must be taken to improve his condition.
To do this, you need to take the following steps:
- if possible, place the patient on a bed or floor to immobilize the spine;
- wrap the sore spot with a woolen scarf (using a heating pad is strictly prohibited);
- If the patient is bent over because he is in severe pain, you should not try to straighten him. It is better to place it in the same position on a flat surface;
- give him painkillers to drink. This can be Analgin, Diclofenac or Ibuprofen;
- call an ambulance.
The emergency doctor will determine how to relieve the pain symptoms, whether hospitalization is necessary or whether treatment can be continued at home.
First aid to patients
Acute osteochondrosis causes a lot of pain and discomfort, and even limits the mobility of the spine. If it is possible to contact a doctor at home, it is better to do this, because self-medication is fraught with greater complications. However, you should not endure the pain until he arrives. First aid can be given to patients:
- To begin with, you should limit the mobility of the cervical spine as much as possible, preferably sleeping.
- If the painful osteochondrosis of the cervical spine causes very severe pain, then it can be relieved with the help of drugs. If the discomfort is severe, these medications may not help.
- The neck muscles should be relaxed so that the spasm disappears as soon as possible.
- Local medications can also be used to relieve pain.
- In the first days after the onset of the attack, it is necessary to use a special orthopedic collar that will help to overcome it faster.
Many people are interested in the question of how long the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis lasts. This phase goes through differently for each person. If the treatment for the attack is started on time and the drugs turn out to be effective, then the duration does not exceed a few days. Otherwise, discomfort will accompany the patient for several weeks.
How long the period of exacerbation will depend on the characteristics of the human body, as well as the speed of the development of the disease. If the treatment of the pathology is started late, then this condition will recur.
Severity during pregnancy
Severity of illness during pregnancy is always undesirable. This brings suffering to the pregnant mother and her baby, but in addition, it is difficult to use therapeutic measures because of contraindications to taking medicine. Physiotherapy methods should not be prescribed to pregnant women.
Of the drugs used during pregnancy, Traumeel in the form of tablets, ointments and injections, and Paracetamol are allowed. In addition, physical therapy is prescribed, but under the strict supervision of a doctor. Exercises are chosen that require minimal physical activity. Priority is given to yoga techniques.
Traditional medicine for severe pain in the spine: effective recipes
The use of traditional methods has a positive effect only in combination with drug treatment. You can get rid of pain and discomfort with cervical osteochondrosis using radish leaves.
They should be applied to the sore spot, tied with a bandage and adhesive tape and left overnight. Cosmetic clay mixed with water has worked well as a compress.
Our grandmothers treated all types of osteochondrosis using compresses made from grated raw potatoes mixed with honey. This mixture is applied to the affected area, tied firmly and left for several hours or overnight. Colored pepper oil is very good for rubbing.
How to reduce relapse rates
If the disease can get worse, then the person already has a large amount of medicine in advance that can relieve the pain. However, without eliminating the cause, treatment will not be effective.
In addition, unpleasant sensations can return again, and with a vengeance. With the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment of the disease have been discussed earlier, it is necessary to understand how to prevent exacerbation.
To do this, the following preventive measures should be observed:
- A visit to the massage room. Naturally, the specialist must be experienced and skilled, so as not to aggravate osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. A massage session allows you to expand the cervical spine, improving its function and mobility. At the same time, both hard and soft tissues are better preserved, because blood circulation is normalized.
- Do physical exercise. This is necessary to strengthen the muscular corset of the upper back.
- It is advisable to take a walk every day before going to bed. This will allow you to get a good night's rest. It is best to avoid heavy sports, jumping and other exercises that involve high loads or sudden movements.
- If a person spends a lot of time in a static sitting position, then from time to time he needs to get up and warm up. When working sedentary, it is better to change the position of your body every quarter of an hour.
- Swimming is an excellent preventive measure for spinal problems. It not only relaxes the muscles, allowing you to relieve cramps, but at the same time strengthens them.
- For a night's sleep, it is better to choose an orthopedic mattress that maintains the correct body position throughout the night, no matter how he turns.
- For prevention, you can also use non-traditional methods, for example, acupuncture. Naturally, you can't do this yourself, and you shouldn't trust your health to the first "master" you meet either. The procedure must be carried out by an experienced specialist.
Prevention
To avoid worsening of the disease, it is recommended to follow some rules:
- Pay attention to your posture.
- Avoid stretching your muscles while working in front of the computer or sitting at a desk.
- Change your position every few minutes to avoid muscle cramps.
- If you have to be in one position for more than half an hour, then take a break to warm up.
- You need to sleep on a flat surface; A loose armored bed is contraindicated for patients with osteochondrosis.