After remission, cervical osteochondrosis worsens. The pathology develops in a chronic form. It is impossible to completely deal with osteochondrosis.
The disease develops due to an insufficiently active lifestyle, alcohol abuse and nutritional problems.
Intervertebral discs reduce the pressure on the vertebrae, but the cartilage tissue wears out over the years due to a bad lifestyle. Cartilage tissue restoration is not easy.
Causes
Let's understand what causes the symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- Some signs are caused by deformation of the vertebrae, osteophytes appear.
- The position of the vertebrae in relation to the others changes, the arteries are compressed, and the blood flow to the nervous system deteriorates.
- The appearance of complications due to displacement of intervertebral discs also causes pain in the nerve endings.
- When the nerves in the cervical spine are pinched, radicular syndrome occurs.
- Constant overstrain of the muscle tissue in the neck while working at the computer or driving a car.
How does cervical osteochondrosis worsen?
In the neck area, the size of the vertebrae is small. Aggravation of cervical osteochondrosis occurs with special symptoms. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, you should contact a specialist.The main problem is that patients do not notice the symptoms of the disease.
First degree
Initially, small cracks appear on the discs. The elasticity of cartilage tissue decreases, and neck pain occurs if you do not change position for a long time.
Second degree
Severe pain in the neck indicates the beginning of the second stage. The pain intensifies due to deformation of the intervertebral disc, dislocations appear.In rare situations, numbness of the hands and face occurs.
At the end of the day, the patient feels pain in the neck, which continues down the spine.
Exacerbation is manifested by head drop syndrome, in which unbearable pain occurs, the head cannot be held, you have to fix it with pillows or hands in order to reduce the symptom.
Third degree
The third stage of the disease is clearly manifested, and the cause of unpleasant symptoms cannot be attributed to excessive work after physical exertion. In the third stage, the patient begins to feel nausea, dizziness, ringing in the ears and frequent fainting spells. Acute osteochondrosis is characterized by neck numbness and tinnitus.
Sometimes the signs of the disease disappear, but they recur with exacerbations after a while. New signs appear and the pain gets worse.
How to behave during an exacerbation?
During an exacerbation, you should not rub warming ointments into the neck or massage the larger area. If you feel signs of cervical osteochondrosis, you must try to relax and take the most comfortable position.
You need to lie on your back so that the muscle tissue stops straining. The attack does not go away on its own.You need to call the doctor to give you painkillers and then make an appointment with a specialist. Many people have painkillers in their home cupboard. You can take these medications so you don't have to call 911.
First aid and treatment
The treatment is carried out by a specialist:
- Before the arrival of the doctor, you must move as little as possible.
- Sit comfortably on the bed, do not strain your body.
- Take painkillers.
- Wait for the doctor.
The specialist prescribes antibiotics and drugs to eliminate inflammatory processes. They are needed during an exacerbation.
Patients are prescribed chondroprotectors, which change the destructive processes in the discs and worsen the speed indicators when they appear.
The course of treatment with such drugs is long, less than six months. They are able to prevent the aggravation of the disease.
Medicines belonging 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 exacerbations, the disease is accompanied by pain, and a procedure called blockade is prescribed. An injection of novocaine is performed in the area of the deformed vertebra. Symptoms can be alleviated quickly. We list non-medicinal methods of treatment: exercise, physiotherapy, massage.
With the help of therapeutic exercises, it will be possible to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and alleviate the aggravation. It is necessary to do exercises daily to strengthen the muscles of the neck and spine. Weakened vertebrae will be better held in place thanks to the developed back muscles.
Massage is mandatory, thanks to the full course, muscle tone improves, spasms are eliminated, swelling is reduced, cerebrospinal fluid circulates better, blood supply is stabilized. Intervertebral discs stop deforming.
Other treatments
Thanks to the Shants collar, you can reduce the load on the cervical spine during exacerbations. Such a device will keep the neck in a normal position, the load on the muscle tissue and vertebrae will be reduced. You need to properly arrange the sleeping area, you will need a hard mattress with an orthopedic effect, as well as a pillow that does not bend your neck during rest.
If the therapy is carried out when the attack begins and everything is done correctly, the peak of the disease will subside after a while. If the disease is not treated in time, the attack will subside, but will not be completely eliminated. In the future, several exacerbations should be expected, between which the pain will recede. Painful symptoms worsen during an attack.
What drugs are used?
When the patient's condition worsens, medication must be used. Exacerbation is eliminated with the help of such drugs. Anti-inflammatory or pain relievers in tablets, ointments for local or external use. Muscle relaxants help to relieve muscle spasms, which often occur with pain.
Vitamin B improves the conduction of nerve impulses through neurons. Initially, they are used as intramuscular injections, and then patients are switched to tablets.If the disease raises blood pressure, calcium channels are blocked, inhibitors, ACE or combination agents.
When cervical osteochondrosis worsens, its symptoms cause cerebral circulation. Therapeutic procedures include the use of drugs for recovery. To do this, it is advisable to contact a specialist in order to get accurate medication recommendations.
When patients experience emotional disturbances, doctors prescribe sedatives, which can be herbal ingredients or tranquilizers. When choosing, experts are often guided by the severity of these symptoms. Spinal blocks using novocaine are used for severe pain symptoms.
Surgical intervention
What to do in case of worsening of cervical osteochondrosis if the above methods are not effective? It is necessary to undergo an examination, if complications are detected, the specialist may recommend a surgical procedure aimed at reducing compression and stabilizing the position of the vertebrae. Complications arise after such operations, so they are 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 a pain pill, wrap a scarf around your neck and wait for the doctor to come. Depending on the severity of the process, therapy continues at home or in the hospital.
Symptoms of acute osteochondrosis worsen the quality of life, so it is necessary to take urgent measures. The therapy should be carried out after the diagnosis, conclusion of the doctor and exclusion of other pathology options.
Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis does not occur for a short time, the disorder does not go away by itself. Destructive processes in the cervical spine can develop and lead to complex consequences.
Exacerbation during pregnancy
The pregnant woman's body 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 a serious impact 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 is in choosing a treatment regimen, because when prescribing drugs, their possible effect on the child must be taken into account. When it comes to exacerbations, ointments are used that do not harm the child.
During pregnancy, relapse of osteochondrosis occurs in 50% of cases due to changes in the spine.
Sometimes painkillers or injections are prescribed for complex pain. Many pregnant women are treated with unconventional methods. Recipes of traditional medicine are less harmful to the fetus.
Other ways to eliminate exacerbations
If it is not possible to see a doctor, you can use several recipes to alleviate the general condition of patients with osteochondrosis in the cervical region. For example, a warm shower helps you relax. You can wrap a woolen scarf or other clothing made of this material around your neck. Or apply herbal compresses to the affected area.
Onions, mint and sage are also used for these purposes. Try making mummy and butter salve. You can also secure the neck in a stationary position so that the roots of the spinal cord are not compressed.
Gradual deterioration
If the recurrence of painful symptoms is moderate, it is necessary 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:
- Place heating pads on your neck. Blood will flow intensively to the problem area, the swelling will worsen, and the pain will become stronger.
- The cervical region should not be massaged in order not to worsen the condition.
Manual therapy will be useful in such situations. A qualified specialist can realign the vertebrae so that pressure is not placed on the nerve.
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 plasters and physiotherapeutic procedures.
Medicines
Drug treatment is aimed at alleviating pain, which is very pronounced in the acute period. Prescribed medicines such as:
- Analgesics. They try to give an anesthetic injection before the ambulance arrives, because it can be very difficult for the patient to bear the pain. If a person suffers from osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, then he always has a painkiller in stock.
- Muscle relaxants. Their effect is to reduce the spasm of the skeletal muscles in the cervical vertebrae.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They relieve pain well, relieve inflammation and help if the patient has a fever.
- Vitamin preparations. For the treatment of exacerbation of osteochondrosis, injectable preparations based on vitamin B are used. They help restore nerve tissue damaged by pathological changes in the intervertebral region of the cervical spine.
- Means for local therapy. In order to ease the patient's condition, ointments and gels with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects are prescribed. They are means of complementary therapy and are prescribed to enhance the effect of injectable drugs. In addition, special plasters impregnated with drugs are used. For example, a patch containing diclofenac and lidocaine.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is a method of treating osteochondrosis that has only been shown to be positive and has been used for several decades. During this time, new techniques were developed, the use of which helps to alleviate the symptoms of the deterioration of cervical osteochondrosis much faster.
If the techniques of manual therapy are carried out at a highly professional level, it has a beneficial effect on the condition of the muscle tissue, vertebrae and joint apparatus of the cervical spine.
The following manual therapy techniques are used:
- Crushing of muscles on a separate segment. This technique helps relieve muscle tension.
- Mobilization technique. The doctor performs a series of actions due to which the function of the joint apparatus is restored only in a certain area of the cervical spine.
- Manipulation technique. The procedure is a set of actions aimed at restoring the entire joint system that suffered as a result of pathological changes. This method is used both for cervical osteochondrosis and for the treatment of a disease called ordinary osteochondrosis.
If the patient is prescribed a course of manual therapy, he must carefully choose the doctor who will treat him. After all, even a small mistake is fraught with serious consequences, including the disability of the patient.
Massage
Massage is another method to alleviate the patient's condition during the deterioration of osteochondrosis. Its application helps to relieve tension in the neck muscles, reduce the amount of lactic acid, the accumulation of which causes muscle spasm, and normalize blood circulation in the inflamed area. The combination of these effects leads to a reduction in pain.
Surgical intervention
If the doctor sees that conservative treatment will not give the desired result, he prescribes surgical intervention for the patient. There are several indications in which surgery is unavoidable.
- Narrowing of the spinal canal due to intervertebral hernia, which leads to compression of vascular and nerve plexuses.
- Movement of the vertebrae in relation 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 was not possible to achieve a positive result, then surgery is resorted to.
Exercise therapy
Therapeutic exercise is a method used in the follow-up phase. In the acute period, any exercise performed will bring nothing to the patient except additional suffering. But when the attack is stopped, the inflammatory process is in a declining phase, then prescribing a course of physical therapy becomes an assistant.
Thanks to exercise therapy, circulation returns to normal and muscles are strengthened. The mobility of the spine improves and the stiffness disappears, the nerve tissue is restored, and the pain decreases.
When prescribing physical therapy, the doctor takes into account the factors for which it is contraindicated. Exercise therapy should not be used if the patient suffers from diseases of the cardiovascular system, benign or malignant neoplasms, severe visual impairment or diabetes mellitus.
Operation
Surgical intervention is performed 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 that, the vertebrae are stabilized. The doctor takes into account that after the removal of a part of the intervertebral disc, dysfunction of the articular apparatus of the spine occurs.
Therefore, the vertebrae are fixed using a special technique.
In modern orthopedic practice, artificial intervertebral discs are used to prevent fusion of the vertebrae when the damaged discs are completely removed.
What can you do at home?
Every patient suffering from cervical osteochondrosis should know what to do if it gets worse at home. First of all, it is strictly forbidden to move during an attack. The patient should lie on a flat surface and take a position in which the muscles are minimally tense.
Give the patient an anesthetic injection. If this is not possible, then give the patient an analgesic in the form of tablets. In addition, an anti-inflammatory ointment or gel must be applied to the neck area. The emergency doctor will tell you what to do next.
Period of exacerbation of osteochondrosis: first aid at home
The treatment of spine pathologies should be entrusted only to an experienced doctor. And yet, there are situations when pain appears suddenly and restrains the patient's body. An acute exacerbation may occur, for example, if an intervertebral hernia is suspected. In this case, the patient cannot tolerate it and measures must be taken to improve his condition.
To do this, you should take the following steps:
- if possible, place the patient on the bed or floor to immobilize the spine;
- wrap the painful area with a woolen scarf (the use of heating pads is strictly prohibited);
- If the patient is bent over because he feels 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 a painkiller. It can be Analgin, Diclofenac or Ibuprofen;
- call 911.
The emergency physician will determine how to relieve the pain symptom, whether hospitalization is necessary or treatment can be continued at home.
First aid to the patient
Acute osteochondrosis causes a lot of pain and discomfort, even limiting the mobility of the spine. If it is possible to call a doctor at home, it is better to do it, because self-treatment is fraught with even greater complications. However, you should not suffer the pain until it comes. First aid can be given to the patient:
- To begin with, you need to limit the mobility of the cervical spine as much as possible, it is better to go to bed.
- If painful osteochondrosis of the cervical spine causes very severe pain, then it can be alleviated with the help of drugs. If the discomfort is very 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 special orthopedic collars that will help you deal with it faster.
Many people are interested in the question of how long exacerbations of cervical osteochondrosis last. This phase passes differently for each person. If the treatment of the attack was started on time and the drugs proved to be effective, then its duration does not exceed a few days. Otherwise, discomfort will accompany the patient for several weeks.
How long the exacerbation period will last depends on the characteristics of the human organism, as well as on the speed of the disease's development. If the treatment of the pathology is started late, then this situation will repeat itself.
Exacerbation during pregnancy
Worsening of the disease during pregnancy is always undesirable. It brings suffering to the expectant mother and her baby, but in addition, it is difficult to apply therapeutic measures due to contraindications for taking medications. Physiotherapy methods should not be prescribed to pregnant women.
Among 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 that require minimal physical activity are chosen. Preference is given to yoga techniques.
Traditional medicine for severe back pain: effective recipes
The use of traditional methods has a positive effect only in combination with drug treatment. You can remove pain and discomfort in cervical osteochondrosis using horseradish leaves.
They need to be applied to the painful area, fixed with a bandage and adhesive tape and left overnight. Cosmetic clay mixed with water worked well as a poultice.
Our grandmothers treated all types of osteochondrosis with compresses made of grated raw potatoes mixed with honey. This mixture is smeared on the affected areas, firmly fixed and left for several hours or overnight. Pepper oil tincture is great for rubbing.
How to reduce the rate of relapse
If the disease can worsen, then the person already has a large number of drugs that can alleviate the pain. However, without eliminating the cause, the treatment will not be effective.
In addition, unpleasant sensations can return again, and with a vengeance. With exacerbations of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment of the disease have already been discussed earlier, it is necessary to understand how to prevent deterioration.
To do this, it is necessary to adhere to the following preventive measures:
- Visit to the massage room. Of course, the specialist must be experienced and skilled, so as not to worsen the deterioration of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Massage sessions allow you to develop the cervical spine, increase its functionality and mobility. At the same time, both hard and soft tissues are better nourished, because blood circulation is normalized.
- Do physical exercises. This is necessary in order to strengthen the muscular corset of the upper back.
- It is recommended to walk every day before going to bed. This will allow you to rest well. It is better to avoid heavy sports, jumping and other exercises that involve heavy loads or sudden movements.
- If a person spends a lot of time in a static sitting position, he has to get up from time to time and warm up. When you work sitting, it is better to change your body position every quarter of an hour.
- Swimming is an excellent preventive measure for spine problems. Not only does it relax the muscles, allowing you to relieve the cramp, but it also strengthens them at the same time.
- For a night's sleep, it is better to choose an orthopedic mattress that maintains the correct position of the person's body throughout the night, regardless of how he turns.
- For prevention, you can also use non-traditional methods, for example, acupuncture. Of course, you can't do it alone, and you shouldn't trust your health to the first "master" you come across. The procedure must be performed by an experienced specialist.
Prevention
To prevent the disease from worsening, it is recommended to follow a number of rules:
- Watch your posture.
- Avoid muscle strain while working at the computer or sitting at a desk.
- Change your position every few minutes to prevent muscle stiffness.
- If you have to stay in one position for more than half an hour, take a break to warm up.
- You must sleep on a flat surface; relaxed armored beds are contraindicated for patients with osteochondrosis.