The degree of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the main method of their treatment

spinal cord injury in cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a disease accompanied by degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine. It is often observed in the area of the cervical vertebrae. This disease is not a sentence for human health; modern medicine can overcome it easily. But you need to know the degree of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the causes of its development, symptoms, as well as the main methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of pathology.

Factors contributing to the formation of pathology

Atrophic changes in the vertebrae are formed as a result of heavy loads on this part of the spine, muscle fiber spasm and dysfunction of the circulatory system in this area. Deviations occurring in the disc activate the growth of bone etiological formation, which triggers pinching of nerve structures. The reason may be:

  • twisted posture or scoliosis;
  • overweight;
  • inactive lifestyle;
  • physical injury of the spine;
  • metabolic disorders;
  • heavy load on the spine;
  • genetic predisposition;
  • Malnutrition;
  • frequent hypothermia;
  • prolonged static tension on the back and neck muscles.

To reduce the risk of developing pathology, you should try to avoid these factors. If this is not possible, it is necessary to know the pathological symptoms to diagnose them at an early stage.

Signs of the disease

One of the first and true pathological symptoms is radicular syndrome. It develops as a result of the growth of the intervertebral disc structure and nerve compression. Patients experience numbness of the tongue, speech and swallowing disorders, tingling in the shoulders, collarbone, and heart muscle. The pain can spread to other parts of the body, especially to the upper back and shoulder blades.

Common signs of pathological processes are:

  • burning sensation, tingling in the arms and back;
  • chest ache;
  • severe tinnitus, loss of vision;
  • pain syndrome during movement;
  • periodic migraines and dizziness;
  • frequent numbness of nearby body parts.

Knowing these symptoms, you can begin early diagnosis and choice of treatment strategies for the disease. This will increase the chances of a complete recovery of the patient’s health.

Stages and stages of pathological development

This disease is a very dangerous disease, because it has a certain degree and stage of osteochondrosis. They have a big difference between themselves, because stage 1 does not actually form symptoms and persists latently, and at stage 2 the disease is very noticeable.

With grade 1 osteochondrosis of the cervical region, structural disturbances are observed in the muscular apparatus due to damage to the formation of the capsule between the vertebrae. In this case, the patient is tormented by periodic pain, swelling and numbness of some parts of the body). There is also frequent vision loss and dilated pupils.

Level 2 cervical spine osteochondrosis is slightly more dangerous than its predecessor. This is due to the fact that the pain is sharp and noticeable. Equally important symptoms of stage 2 cervical osteochondrosis are circulatory disorders of the cartilage structure of the spine and numbness in the upper part. Their education should be a signal to the specialist to begin therapy. Therefore, it is important to know what is second -degree osteochondrosis.

With the presence of grade 3 osteochondrosis, this means the patient has serious damage to the intervertebral disc, as well as impaired cerebral circulation. This form of the disease is observed as a result of an inactive lifestyle. Several processes at the same time become irreversible and unable to receive therapy. The prognosis for the treatment of grade 3 cervical osteochondrosis is good in most cases, but does not guarantee complete recovery of the patient.

Stage 4 osteochondrosis is a disease that is in a neglected, decompensated form. In this case, the patient showed very serious structural damage to the spine, as well as severe cerebrovascular insufficiency. This type of pathology is dangerous for the patient’s life, so he must be under the supervision of medical staff at all times.

Attention!It is the division of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine into degrees that allows the doctor to assess the patient's condition as accurately as possible, as well as choose the most effective strategy for its treatment.

Diagnosis and treatment of diseases

The disease is diagnosed using a variety of instrumental and laboratory methods. This includes:

  1. General analysis and biochemistry of blood.
  2. X-ray examination.
  3. Ultrasonic examination.
  4. CT scan.
  5. Magnetic resonance imaging.

An equally important factor is the doctor’s subjective examination. During that time, the specialist must know the anamnesis of the disease and the life of the patient. He or she should also visually inspect the affected area and listen to patient complaints.

With first -degree osteochondrosis and second -degree osteochondrosis, the goal of therapy is to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. Medications should relieve headaches, spastic conditions in the muscular apparatus, and also stabilize metabolic processes in the vertebral structure. In this case, the doctor uses analgesics. At the same time, you need to know how to treat stage 2 osteochondrosis properly so that the pathology does not move to the next stage.

During the treatment of stage 3 cervical osteochondrosis, neurologists may use warming and anti-inflammatory medications. They help overcome more serious pathological manifestations. The last stage of the disease requires symptomatic therapy and patient care. In this case, a large number of narcotic painkillers are introduced to reduce the severity of a person’s pain.

It is important to remember that only a doctor should deal with the treatment of this disease, because the drugs themselves can cause serious complications.