Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis occurs after remission. The pathology develops in a chronic form. It is impossible to completely cope with osteochondrosis.
The disease develops due to an insufficiently active lifestyle, alcohol consumption and nutritional problems.
Intervertebral discs reduce the pressure on the vertebrae, but over the years, the cartilage tissue wears out due to a poor lifestyle. Cartilage tissue renewal is not easy.
Cause
Let's see what causes the symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- Some signs appear due to deformation of the vertebrae, osteophytes appear.
- The relative position of the vertebrae changes, the arteries become pinched, and the blood supply to the nervous system deteriorates.
- The appearance of complications due to displacement of the intervertebral discs also causes pain in the nerve endings.
- When the nerves of the cervical spine are compressed, radicular syndrome appears.
- Constant overloading of the muscle tissue of the neck at the computer or while driving.
How does cervical osteochondrosis worsen?
The size of the vertebrae in the neck area is small. Aggravation of cervical osteochondrosis occurs with special symptoms. That's why you should consult a specialist when the first symptoms appear.The main problem is that patients do not notice the symptoms of the disease.
First degree
Initially, small cracks appear on the plates. The elasticity of the cartilage tissue decreases, aching pain occurs in the neck if you do not change your body position for a long time.
Second degree
Severe neck pain indicates the beginning of the second stage. The pain increases due to the deformation of the intervertebral disc, dislocations appear.In rare cases, 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 manifests itself in falling head syndrome, in which unbearable pain occurs, the head cannot be held up, it must be fixed with a pillow or hands to relieve the symptom.
Third degree
The third stage of the disease is clearly manifested, the cause of the unpleasant symptoms cannot be attributed to overload after physical exertion. In the third stage, the patient feels unwell, dizzy, tinnitus and frequent fainting. Acute osteochondrosis is characterized by neck numbness and tinnitus.
Sometimes the signs of the disease disappear, but after a while they recur with worsening. New signs appear and the pain becomes stronger.
How should we behave during an exacerbation?
During an exacerbation, do not rub warming ointments on the neck or massage a large area. If you feel signs of cervical osteochondrosis, you should try to relax and take the most comfortable position.
You should lie on your back so that the muscle tissue is not strained. The attack does not go away by itself.To administer painkillers, you must call a doctor and then make an appointment with a specialist. Many people have pain relievers in their home medicine cabinet. You can take these medications so you don't need to call an ambulance.
First aid and treatment
The treatment is carried out by a specialist:
- Before the doctor arrives, you should move as little as possible.
- Sit comfortably on the bed, do not strain your body.
- Take a pain reliever.
- Wait for the doctor.
The specialist prescribes antibiotics and medicines to eliminate inflammatory processes. They are needed during an exacerbation.
Patients are prescribed chondroprotectors, which reverse the destructive processes of the discs and worsen the speed indicators when they occur.
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. Novocaine is injected into the area of the deformed vertebra. Symptoms can be alleviated quickly. We list non-pharmacological treatment methods: movement therapy, physiotherapy, massage.
With the help of therapeutic exercises, it will be possible to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and alleviate the exacerbation. You should do exercises daily to strengthen the muscles of the neck and spine. Weakened vertebrae will be more in place thanks to developed back muscles.
The massage is mandatory, as a result of the entire treatment, muscle tone improves, spasms disappear, swelling decreases, cerebrospinal fluid circulates better, and the blood supply stabilizes. The intervertebral discs stop the deformation.
Other treatments
Thanks to the Shants collar, you can reduce the load on the cervical spine during exacerbations. Such a device keeps the neck in a normal position, reducing the load on the muscle tissue and vertebrae. You need to arrange the sleeping area properly, you will need a hard mattress with an orthopedic effect, as well as a pillow that does not bend in your neck while resting.
If the therapy is carried out at the beginning of the attack 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 pass, but it will not stop completely. In the future, you should expect several exacerbations, between which the pain will go away. Painful symptoms worsen during the attack.
What drugs are used?
When the patient's condition worsens, drugs 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 eliminate muscle spasms, which are often accompanied by pain.
Vitamin B improves the conduction of nerve impulses through neurons. Initially, it is used as an intramuscular injection, and then patients are transferred to tablets.If the disease raises the blood pressure, the calcium channels are blockedinhibitors, ACE or combination agents.
When cervical osteochondrosis worsens, its symptoms cause cerebral circulation. Therapeutic procedures include the use of drugs necessary for recovery. For this, it is advisable to consult a specialist to get accurate recommendations about the medicines.
When patients experience emotional disturbances, doctors prescribe sedatives, which can be herbal ingredients or tranquilizers. When choosing, specialists are often guided by the severity of these symptoms. Spinal blocks containing 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? An examination is required, and if complications are detected, the specialist may recommend surgical intervention, the purpose of which is to reduce compression and stabilize 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 home treatment of cervical osteochondrosis during exacerbations without prior consultation. You can take a pain reliever, wrap a scarf around your neck and wait for the doctor to arrive. Depending on the severity of the process, therapy continues at home or in the hospital.
Symptoms of acute osteochondrosis impair the quality of life, so urgent measures should be taken. The therapy should be carried out after the diagnosis, the doctor's conclusion and the exclusion of other pathological possibilities.
Aggravation of cervical osteochondrosis does not occur for a short time, the disorder does not go away by itself. Destructive processes can develop in the cervical spine and lead to complex consequences.
Exacerbation during pregnancy
The body of pregnant women changes on a physiological level, the level of hormone production changes, the center of gravity of the body 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 lies in the choice of the treatment regimen, since the expected effect on the child must be taken into account when prescribing the drugs. In the treatment of 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. Traditional medicine recipes 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 of 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 an herbal poultice to the affected area.
Onions, mint and sage can also be used for such purposes. Try making an ointment from mumiyo and butter. You can also immobilize the neck in a standing position so that the roots of the spinal cord are not pinched.
Gradual deterioration
If the recurrence of painful symptoms is moderate, a specialist should be consulted. The patient can take painkillers and fix his neck with a collar, but only a specialist can choose the appropriate therapeutic procedure.
During the exacerbationcervical osteochondrosisprohibited:
- Place a heating pad on your neck. Blood flows intensively to the problem area, the swelling worsens, and the pain intensifies.
- The neck region should not be massaged so as not to worsen its situation.
Manual therapy will be helpful in such situations. A trained professional can adjust the vertebrae so that there is no pressure on the nerve.
Therapeutic measures
The main condition for the successful outcome of the disease is complex therapy. Treatment measures include injections, tablets, ointments, special plasters and physiotherapy procedures.
Medicines
The goal of drug treatment is to relieve pain, which is very pronounced in the acute period. Prescribed medicines such as:
- Pain relievers. Before the arrival of the paramedics, they try to give an anesthetic injection, because the patient is very difficult to bear the pain. If someone suffers from osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, there is always painkillers in stock.
- Muscle relaxants. Their action is to reduce the spasm of the skeletal muscles of the cervical vertebrae.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They relieve pain well, relieve inflammation and help when the patient has a fever.
- Vitamin preparations. For the treatment of the exacerbation of osteochondrosis, vitamin B-based injectable preparations are used, which help to restore the nerve tissue that has been damaged due to pathological changes in the intervertebral region of the cervical spine.
- Local therapy tools. In order to alleviate the patient's condition, anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving ointments and gels are prescribed. They are tools 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 proven itself only on the positive side and has been used for several decades. During this time, new techniques were developed, the use of which helps to relieve the symptoms of the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis much faster.
If manual therapy techniques are performed 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:
- Kneading the muscles on a separate segment. This technique helps relieve muscle tension.
- Mobilization technique. The doctor performs a series of operations 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 operations aimed at restoring the entire joint system that has suffered as a result of pathological changes. This method is used to treat both cervical osteochondrosis and joint osteochondrosis.
If a patient is prescribed manual therapy, he must carefully choose the doctor who will treat him. After all, even a small mistake can have serious consequences, including the disability of the patient.
Massage
Massage is another way to alleviate the patient's condition during exacerbation of osteochondrosis. Its implementation helps to relieve tension in the neck muscles, reduce the amount of lactic acid, the accumulation of which causes muscle spasms, and normalizes 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 does not bring the desired result, he prescribes surgical intervention for the patient. There are many signs that surgery is inevitable.
- Narrowing of the spinal canal due to intervertebral hernia, which leads to compression of blood vessels and nerve plexuses.
- Displacement of the vertebrae relative to the horizontal axis.
- Intervertebral hernia, which can be single or multiple. This pathology does not necessarily indicate surgery if it does not cause associated symptoms. If a positive result could not be achieved after several conservative therapies, they resort to surgery.
Exercise therapy
Therapeutic exercise is the method used in the follow-up phase. During the acute period, the exercises performed do not cause the patient anything other than further suffering. But when the attack is stopped, the inflammatory process is in a declining stage, and the prescription of physical therapy becomes an assistant.
Thanks to exercise therapy, blood circulation is normalized and muscles are strengthened. The mobility of the spine improves, the stiffness disappears, the nerve tissue is restored, and the pain decreases.
When prescribing physical therapy, the doctor takes into account the factors in which it is contraindicated. Exercise therapy cannot be used if the patient suffers from cardiovascular disease, benign or malignant tumors, severe visual impairment or diabetes.
Operation
The surgical intervention takes place in two stages, but during one operation. In the first stage, the neurosurgeon removes the cause of the pain syndrome. This is a 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 joint system of the spine occurs.
Therefore, the vertebrae are fixed using a special technique.
In modern orthopedic practice, artificial intervertebral discs are used, which make it possible to prevent fusion of the vertebrae when the damaged discs are completely removed.
What can you do at home?
Every patient with 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 assume a position in which the muscles are minimally tense.
Give the patient an anesthetic injection. If this is not possible, give the patient a pain reliever in pill form. Additionally, an anti-inflammatory ointment or gel should be applied to the neck area. The emergency doctor will tell you what to do.
The period of exacerbation of osteochondrosis: first aid at home
The treatment of spine pathologies should only be entrusted to an experienced doctor. And yet there are situations when pain appears suddenly and limits the patient's body. An acute exacerbation may occur, for example, if an intervertebral hernia is suspected. In this case, the patient does not tolerate it, and measures must be taken to improve his condition.
To do this, you need to perform the following steps:
- if possible, place the patient on the bed or floor to fix the spine;
- wrap the painful area with a woolen scarf (the use of a heating pad is strictly prohibited);
- If the patient is bent over due to severe pain, do not try to straighten him. It is better to place it in the same position on a flat surface;
- give him a painkiller to drink. It can be Analgin, Diclofenac or Ibuprofen;
- call an ambulance.
The emergency physician will determine how to relieve the pain, whether hospitalization is necessary, or whether treatment can be continued at home.
First aid to the patient
Acute osteochondrosis causes a lot of pain and discomfort, and even limits the mobility of the spine. If it is possible to call a doctor at home, it is better to do this, since self-medication leads to even greater complications. However, you should not endure the pain until it arrives. First aid can be provided to the patient:
- First of all, you need to limit the mobility of the cervical spine as much as possible, it is better to lie down.
- If painful osteochondrosis of the cervical spine causes very severe pain, it can be alleviated with the help of drugs. If the discomfort is very severe, these medicines may not help.
- The muscles of the neck should be relaxed so that the spasm goes away as quickly as possible.
- Topical medications can also be used to relieve pain.
- In the first days after the onset of the attack, special orthopedic collars should be used, which will help to cope with it faster.
Many people are interested in the question of how long the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis lasts. This stage is different for everyone. 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, the patient will be accompanied by discomfort for several weeks.
How long the exacerbation lasts depends 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 situation will be repeated.
Exacerbation during pregnancy
Aggravation of diseases during pregnancy is always undesirable. This causes suffering for the expectant mother and her baby, but in addition, it is difficult to apply therapeutic measures due to the contraindication of taking medication. Physiotherapy methods should not be prescribed to pregnant women.
Among the drugs used during pregnancy, Traumeel in the form of tablets, ointments and injections, as well as Paracetamol are allowed. In addition, physical therapy is prescribed, but under the strict supervision of a doctor. They choose exercises that require minimal physical activity. Yoga techniques are preferred.
Traditional medicine for severe spinal pain: effective recipes
The use of traditional methods only has a positive effect in combination with medication. With cervical osteochondrosis, you can eliminate pain and discomfort with horseradish leaves.
They should be applied to the painful area, fixed with a bandage and adhesive tape, and left overnight. Cosmetic clay mixed with water works well as a poultice.
Our grandmothers treated all types of osteochondrosis with poultices made of grated raw potatoes mixed with honey. This mixture is applied to the affected areas, fixed firmly and left for several hours or overnight. Paprika oil tincture is excellent for rubbing.
How to reduce relapse rates
If the disease can get worse, then a person already has many medicines that can relieve the pain. However, without eliminating the cause, the treatment will not be effective.
In addition, unpleasant feelings can return again, with a vengeance. With the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment of the disease have already been discussed, it is necessary to understand how to prevent exacerbation.
To this end, the following preventive measures must be observed:
- Visit to the massage room. Of course, the specialist must be experienced and skillful so as not to aggravate the aggravation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Massage treatments enable the development of the cervical spine, increasing its functionality and mobility. At the same time, the hard and soft tissues are also better nourished, as the blood circulation is normalized.
- Carrying out physical exercises. This is necessary to strengthen the muscular ligament of the upper back.
- It is advisable to walk every day before going to bed. This allows for a good night's rest. 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 needs to get up from time to time and warm up. In the case of sedentary work, it is better to change your body position every quarter of an hour.
- Swimming is an excellent preventive measure for spinal problems. It not only relaxes the muscles, allowing the spasm to be relieved, but also strengthens them at the same time.
- For night sleep, it is better to choose an orthopedic mattress that keeps the person in the right position throughout the night, regardless of how they turn.
- For prevention, you can also use non-traditional methods, such as acupuncture. Of course, you cannot do this yourself, and you should not entrust your health to the first "master". The procedure must be performed by an experienced specialist.
Prevention
In order to prevent the aggravation of the disease, it is recommended to follow some rules:
- Pay attention to your posture.
- Avoid straining your muscles while working at a computer or sitting at a desk.
- Change your position every few minutes to avoid 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, sagging armored beds are contraindicated for patients with osteochondrosis.