Cervical bone necrosis

Prompt treatment of the disease increases the chances of a quick and successful cure. But in any case, it is better not to let the disease develop, especially serious illness such as cervical bone necrosis.

Definition of cervical bone necrosis

Fibroids of the cervix are a fairly common disease that recently increasingly affects young people. The disease affects the discs in the cervical spine. Usually, the development of the pathological process of degenerative-dystrophic changes is facilitated by an incorrect body position, for example, due to long work on a computer.

In addition, the problem can be caused by genetic factors, wrong posture, uncomfortable sleeping space, and sedentary lifestyle. Despite the fact that this type of bone necrosis develops quite slowly, it does tend to progress.

In elderly patients this disease is mainly associated with other degenerative processes, for example:

• interstitial arthritis;
• degenerative vertebrae;
• non-vertebral joint degeneration, v. v.

Symptoms

For the most characteristic symptoms, first of all, one may notice the appearance of acute pain arising from compression of nerve ends. The pain is usually concentrated in the lower back, cervix and back. In addition, you can find other syndromes:

• heart syndrome- includes some symptoms that appear similar to angina. This syndrome develops during root stimulation of the sternum muscle or the thoracic nerve. As a result, a person experiences a feeling of pain of a compressive nature in the heart muscle region, which can arise periodically and continue for several hours. Sneezing or sudden head movements often makes pain worse. What's more, during pain attacks, no changes in the ECG can be detected;
• lens syndrome- occurs when nerve ends in the cervical spine are pinched. At this point, pain is not only felt in the forearm, shoulder or scapula, but also spread to the lumbar region. The patient may experience mild tingling or a more pronounced sensation, depending on the degree of onset of bone necrosis;
• stimulated reflex syndrome- manifested by a burning sensation in the occipital and neck. Such symptoms usually appear after waking up from sleep, strong head turns, coughing and sneezing. Furthermore, the pain can manifest not only in the shoulder area, but also in the chest area;
• Spinal artery syndromeis ​​one of the typical manifestations of the disease, which is a burning headache or throbbing pain, more localized in the temples or region. occipital. Usually with this syndrome, it is the pain that is constantly occurring, but sometimes it can arise and subside.

Pay attention!When there are symptoms of cervical necrosis, experts note that fatigue increases, which can lead to impaired hearing and vision.

For other major symptoms of the disease, include:

• Pinching blood vessels, increasing blood pressure;
• severe headache occurs due to impaired blood circulation in the brain. This type of pain can lead to frequent use of pain relievers;
• vision and hearing problems;
• soreness, quite severe pain in the neck and shoulders, sometimes exacerbated by sharp and very uncomfortable "low back pain";
• clenched and sneered while tilting his head or turned to the sides;
• decreased arm muscle strength due to pain in the chest area;
• dizzy.

Important!As soon as you notice the first symptoms of this disease, you should seek help from a neurologist as soon as possible.

Reason

The main causes of osteonecrosis are as follows:

1. Metabolic disorders negatively affect the normal state of cartilage in the intervertebral disc.
2. Insufficient mobility of the cervical vertebrae, as a result, loss of fluid occurs, thus, negatively affects the elasticity of the cartilage.
3. Micro spinal injury, when tilting head, rotating body, v. v.
4. Poor heritability, so the margin of safety of the disc is very small.

Treatment

The course of direct therapy depends on the stage of the disease and is based on an integrated approach. Treatment lasts 1 - 3 months on average, after which it is necessary to assist in removing symptoms with preventive measures for an additional 1 year.

The treatment is mainly done in two directions, depending on the patient's health and the degree of neglect of the disease. For conservative treatment, this includes medication and exercise. Surgical treatment can only be performed if conservative measures have not shown any effect.

It is importantto follow the diet and ensure compliance with the recommendations regarding therapeutic exercises.

Conservative treatment aims to relieve pain, restore and normalize the functioning of the spine, while at the same time preventing adverse changes. In this therapy, a variety of therapies are used:

• pull the spine (pull). With the use of special medical devices, the spine is stretched to increase the distance between the vertebrae;
• drug therapy. The use of the drug in this stage of the disease is mainly aimed at relieving pain, reducing inflammation and the general normalization of metabolic processes in the body;
• physical therapy. Thanks to such therapies, it is possible to not only relieve pain but also enhance the effect of taking the medicine. Such methods are also used during rehabilitation. In this case, laser beams, ultrasonic waves, low frequency currents, operate with magnetic fields, etc. v. often used;
• kinesitherapytherapy and exercise-based exercise therapy;
• manual therapy. Such treatments are individually selected for each patient;
• massage. Thanks to massage, you can speed up blood circulation in tissues, eliminate clamping and muscle spasm, in general, improve the blood supply to the tissues of the whole body.

Although drugs cannot cure osteonecrosis, they can help restore blood supply to tissue. Therapy should be comprehensive, only in this case can we talk about the effectiveness of the treatment. In addition to taking drugs, it is necessary to practice physical therapy, follow a diet and give up bad habits.

In the absence of pain or obvious changes in dystrophy, it is not appropriate to take the drug without the prescription of a doctor. The following drugs are used to treat this disease and relieve pain:

• is ​​meant to regenerate, as well as prevent cartilage tissue degeneration: hyaluronic acid and its analogues;
• to reduce inflammatory processes;
Preparations
• for improving blood supply to tissues: vitamin B;
• antispasmodic;
• antioxidant: vitamins N, E and C.

The drug can be prescribed not only in the form of tablets and capsules for oral administration but also in the form of injections or topical ointments / creams. If there are acute complications, the drug is used to block nerve endings.

Along with drug treatment, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. Drink at least 1. 5 liters of water per day.

One and a half liters of water a day is the recommended standard for joint and overall health.

Naturally, you can also use herbal teas, fruit drinks, dried fruit juices or mineral water. Coffee, strong black tea, alcohol, and carbonated beverages should be eliminated from your daily diet.

Precautions

The main causes of osteonecrosis are ignorance of bodily requirements, heavy bearing and inappropriate nutrition. That is why prevention must be based on the complete elimination of negative effects on the spine and preventing the onset of pathological changes. For these purposes, simply following the usual rules of a healthy lifestyle (healthy lifestyle) is enough:

• only moderately active in sports: morning exercise, gymnastics, athletics, contactless objects, swimming is a great choice;
• in the case of being in a position for too long, such as when working sedentary, taking breaks is important, at least every 45-60 minutes. During this stage, you need to warm up your body for 5-15 minutes to help normal blood circulation. In addition, choosing an office chair or an armchair is also very important, giving priority to those that support the spine, controlling the precise position of the hands and feet on the floor. Try to independently monitor your posture (your shoulders should be in a relaxed position and your back should be straight);
• is ​​important to try to control your emotions, in case the spasmolytic reaction occurs during stress. For these purposes, you need to systematically learn relaxation techniques and engage in massage in order to strengthen the overall body;
• For sleeping, it is best to choose an orthopedic mattress with a flat surface. Of course, it won't be as soft as a feather bed, but its elasticity will ensure the correct position of the body;
• drink plenty of water and proper nutrition not only to maintain metabolism, but also strengthen the overall body:

Mental state also has a negative effect on the condition of the joint.

• if it is necessary to move or lift a heavy object, it is very important to do it as gently as possible, without jerking and jerking from a semi-squatting position. It is not superfluous if using a special support belt;
• an important point is to choose high quality orthopedic shoes that do not need high heels, enough width to fit the foot. It is also possible to reduce the load on the spine by promptly replacing worn-out shoes, which is especially important for women. In the summer, in the water, in the ocean, if possible, you need to walk barefoot on different surfaces, thereby strengthening the muscles of the foot.

It is important to rememberthat the prevention is much better and much easier than it is to treat the disease afterwards.

Exercises

Under no circumstances should you start doing physical activities and exercises without your doctor's appointment or before pain syndrome subsides. The specialist must first relieve any acute symptoms. When there are symptoms of pain, the person exercising will experience pain.

There are some really effective and simple exercises. They can be done not only at home, but also anywhere, including work or even on the road.

Start working, in any case, the initial posture is sitting on a chair, hands on knees:

Should start with boot:

1. In the starting position, you need to slowly turn your head to one side until it stops and then turn to the other side. At this point, you need to feel how tight the neck muscles are. As soon as your neck is fully turned to the side, you need to turn your neck as carefully as possible a few degrees, avoid sudden movements and stay in this state for 5 seconds. Experts recommend starting any exercise with a warm-up to strengthen your neck muscles. 5 turns in each direction is enough to develop the strength and flexibility of the neck.
2. Next, you need to tilt your head so that your ears can reach your shoulders. It is worth noting that at this moment, the right shoulder is still. At maximum reach, you need to fix the position. Be careful not to cause discomfort or pain in your actions. Doing these leaning movements 5 times on each side is sufficient.

Next, move on to the main exercises:

1. Now, after the warm-up is over, you can move on to specific exercises that can yield good results. In the starting position, you need to place your hand on the right temple. Try to tilt your head to the right now, and your hands will stop this. The effort should be as hard, but the head is still slowly leaning in this direction. For each side, 10 ramps will be sufficient. Of course, the hand also needs to be changed.
2. Next, you need to grasp the occipital region of your head, and create resistance, try to tilt your head back 5 times.
3. The same exercise should be done if the palm is placed on the forehead. Through drag, you need to pull your chin against your chest. It will suffice for 5 bends forward.
4. The conclusion of the session could be to start a trap, performed by lowering and raising the shoulders. At the highest point, you need to lock for a few seconds, then lower and completely relax. Enough for 10 repetitions.
5. Finish by stretching your neck in different directions. This set of exercises must be performed every day. This is a great option to warm your neck in case of osteonecrosis.

In addition to endurance training, can include neck flexibility exercises. They will not only strengthen the neck muscles, but also help the tendons and muscles. A warm-up will help make your neck move.

Exercises recommended by specialists are not only for cervical degenerative diseases but also for everyone over 30 years old. The problem is that at this age muscle fibers lose flexibility, so it is important to maintain them, along with the overall health of the body.

1. The chin should be pulled into the chest and support your head with your hand at this time.
2. Be very careful, with your hands, you need to tilt your head to the side to touch your shoulder with your ear.

Only correct treatment of the first symptoms of osteonecrosis allows you to cope with the problem as quickly as possible and return to a normal life, without pain and discomfort.

Next you need to make some circular movements of the head in one direction and then in the other. Enough will be 8 turns for each side. The exercise must be done very carefully. For safety reasons, you can hold your head with your hands.