Cervical spondylosis – degenerative disease of the cervical spine, which is most often diagnosed in the elderly. The initial signs begin to appear not earlier than 50 years, although for a long time the disease does not make himself known, and to identify any changes is possible only by the radiograph.
The main reason is age related changes that occur in organs and tissues, including the spine. But sometimes this disease may occur at a fairly young age, the main reason should be considered a fracture of the cervical, or some other injury to this area.
Most often these are persons who lead a sedentary lifestyle, don’t exercise and put undue stress on this area, and weak muscles are not able to compensate for that load to get the vertebrae.
How does
Before talking about the treatment of cervical spondylosis, need to describe his symptoms. Long time patients do not show any complaints. Sometimes during continuous load of dull aching pain, but they completely disappear after the holidays.
Eventually, when the osteophytes begin to compress the vertebral artery, comes the dizziness, headaches, can disrupt vision and hearing, there flies flashing before my eyes.
As the disease progresses, the pain becomes stronger and longer. In the future, without treatment, pain can be permanent and do not pass even after a long vacation.
Due to pain syndrome, the muscles are in constant tension. This leads to the fact that the man can’t move his neck, be permanent limitations. Start later squeezed and the nerve roots, and it becomes a cause of neurological symptoms, for example, may develop sciatica or lumbar myelopathy. Other common symptoms include sensory disorders in the hands, pain in the lower back, shoulders.
Diagnosis
The examination includes a neurological examination and additional research. This files most often assigned to the most affordable and easiest method of diagnosis is radiography. However, to consider in detail the whole picture of the disease at such a picture will not work. Therefore, to clarify the diagnosis may require CT or MRI. To determine nerve conduction electromyography is used.
Not so long ago for the detection of spinal stenosis, myelography was used. In this case a contrast agent is injected into the spinal canal, then there is some pictures that show where the contrast got, and where not.
However, today, this technique is almost completely withdrawn from practice, as with the advent of CT and MRI diagnosis of such diseases as cervical spondylosis, became quite simple and not time consuming.
How to get rid of
The treatment of cervical spondylosis is the most different doctors. These may be neurologists, spine, traumatology and orthopedists. The main goal of this treatment is to eliminate pain and to improve blood circulation and maintain mobility of the cervical and slow down degenerative processes.
The basis of treatment is the use of chondroprotectors and anti-inflammatory drugs. If the pain is very strong, can be treated with analgesics. If there is pronounced muscle spasm, then treatment add taking muscle relaxants.
Exacerbation of mandatory physiotherapy, for example, the use of ultrasound, diadynamic currents, electrophoresis, as well as individually designed physical therapy complexes. If, in spite of disease and treatment, the patient is not able to abandon their way of life, it is recommended to wear a special neck collars.
All treatment is carried out at home. The patient is sent only if the pain syndrome with oral medication does not work. In the absence of contraindications can be assigned to manual therapy and massage. With sharp pains in the same place shows the blockade.
Surgery is performed rarely and only in the most severe cases. Thus the patient must be diagnosed with several severe pathological processes such as spondylosis and spondylosis. Also an indication is the lack of efficiency from conservative therapy.
Remember that degenerative diseases are not cured. You can only alleviate the condition and relieve symptoms.
