Can cervical osteochondrosis be cured?

How to cure cervical osteochondrosis? This question is asked by many patients and doctors around the world. Degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system are very difficult to treat and lead to various complications. In these conditions, the issue of effective therapy is extremely topical.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Before finding out whether cervical osteochondrosis can be cured, it is worth understanding the very essence of this disease. Osteochondrosis is a degenerative process that begins in the intervertebral discs - layers of cartilage between every two adjacent vertebrae.

Think of an intervertebral disc. It consists of an inner soft part - the nucleus pulposus and an outer shell - the fibrous capsule. This is what gives the soft part a certain shape so that the core fulfills its cushioning function.

In osteochondrosis, the primary degenerative process occurs precisely in the fibrous capsule:

1. Under the influence of harmful factors, a defect occurs.
2. The soft nucleus of the disc penetrates through it - the protrusion of the spinal discs is formed.
3. As the process progresses, part of the nucleus falls out - a herniated disc is formed.

All these processes involve the surrounding tissues in inflammation. First, a reflex pain syndrome develops, and then a compression syndrome - the nerve roots are compressed by the hernia.

This process can occur in any part of the spinal column. One of the most common locations is the neck. Is it possible to cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?

Treatment options

Understanding the essence of the disease and the mechanism of its development, we can assume which methods can completely and permanently cure the patient from this disease.

There are several different effects that we can expect from any therapy method: symptomatic (eliminates disease manifestations), pathogenetic (interrupts the pathological mechanism of development), etiological (directly affects the cause of development).

In osteochondrosis, the cause is a wide range of risk factors for the onset of the disease. It is impossible to influence them if the disease already exists. However, preventive measures are aimed precisely at removing the cause.

Many treatment methods have a possible pathogenetic effect, and we will try to find this in each of the methods proposed by modern medicine.

The symptomatic effect is also very important. The full course of therapy prescribed by the doctor should always include an impact on the manifestations of the disease, because during therapy it is necessary to alleviate the patient's health condition.

Among the different treatment methods, we will try to understand the following treatment options:

• Drug exposure.
• Orthopedic products.
• Physiotherapy.
• Physiotherapy, massage, manual therapy.
• Spine operations.
• Radiofrequency ablation.

It will be necessary to say a few words about prevention, which allows you to completely avoid the occurrence of the disease.

Drug therapy

Not all medicines prescribed by the doctor for osteochondrosis help. Many drugs have a purely symptomatic function:

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - remove inflammation.
2. Muscle relaxants – prevent reflex muscle spasms.
3. Local analgesics – relieve pain.
4. Vascular agents - used for cervical osteochondrosis in combination with vertebral artery syndrome.
5. Glucocorticosteroids - these hormonal drugs have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect.

However, several drugs have a pathogenetic effect. First of all, chondroprotectors should be mentioned. These drugs are used only in the first stages of osteochondrosis, when there is no disc herniation yet. They slow down the degeneration process and prevent the formation of bumps. It must be taken for a long time and constantly, but the therapeutic effect will be quite significant.

B vitamins - these drugs do not affect the degeneration process itself and do not help in the treatment of osteochondrosis. However, it is very important to use them in the presence of reflex or compression syndromes. Vitamins support the metabolism in nervous tissue and prevent the death of nerves.

So, among all drugs, only timely prescribed chondroprotectors help to solve cervical osteochondrosis.

Orthopedic products

The next method of treatment, which is very popular in modern medicine, is the use of orthopedic aids. The use of corsets, bandages and orthoses is widespread.

For cervical osteochondrosis, collars are most often used, but there are also other types of orthopedic devices. These products effectively remove pain, which is beyond doubt. However, can they affect the course of the disease?

The following characteristics of this type of therapy are important for the treatment of osteochondrosis:

1. Corsets and collars have a compression effect - they put pressure on a certain part of the spine. This prevents the formation of protrusions and hernias, that is, the formation of complications.
2. Orthopedic devices always separate the vertebrae from each other in a vertical plane. This helps relieve pressure from the nerve roots and the intervertebral discs themselves.
3. If there are protrusions or degenerative changes, the corset will not help to get rid of them. However, when used regularly, the drug helps not to remember the manifestations of the disease.

The above properties should be taken into account not only by the doctor, but also by the patient, so that they do not expect too much from the use of bandages.

Physiotherapy

Therapeutic exercises are one of the most underestimated methods of treating orthopedic diseases by patients. Regular exercises and activities help to get rid of most of the manifestations of any disease.

Osteochondrosis is no exception. In the case of cervical spine pathology, physical activity has the following healing properties:

1. Exercises help relieve pain, reflex muscle spasms, and compression effects on the vertebral artery and other vessels. This means that regular exercise can reduce the need for symptomatic therapy.
2. Exercises help to form the muscular corset of the cervical spine. Trained muscles hold internal structures, including bones and cartilage, and prevent bulges from forming.
3. Degenerative disc changes occur under the influence of excessive, improperly applied load or its lack. Correct exercises prevent the degenerative process and activate blood flow in the area of the intervertebral discs.

Even knowing about such a beneficial effect of exercise, many patients are too lazy to do exercises. Start training with a specialist, then implement it into your daily routine. Soon you won't be able to imagine your day without exercise and a series of useful exercises.

Physiotherapy and massage

Rather controversial methods of treatment are physiotherapy and massage. These methods certainly help alleviate some of the symptoms of the disease. Neck massage helps to get rid of muscle spasms, and physiotherapy relieves inflammation, pain and prevents the occurrence of compression syndrome.

But can these methods cure cervical osteochondrosis? Pathogenetic effect is achieved only as part of complex treatment. Physiotherapy and massage should be used together with physical therapy and medication. The effects of different treatment methods reinforce each other:

1. Electro- and phonophoresis help drugs reach the spine.
2. Manual therapy relaxes muscles after prolonged exercise.
3. Acupuncture and electromyostimulation combined with exercise therapy create a strong muscle corset and eliminate pain.

Examples of the combined effect of different methods of therapy can also be cited.

We should also not forget that all physiotherapy and massage methods increase local blood flow, and thus metabolism in damaged tissues. As a result, degenerative processes slow down or stop completely.

Surgical treatment

In some cases, pathology of the intervertebral disc can be eliminated only by surgery. This method also cannot be considered an etiological treatment - the surgeon does not act on the cause of the disease, but removes its consequences. However, in the presence of local osteochondrosis, surgery can help to permanently get rid of its symptoms.

There are different methods of surgical intervention, but most come down to two options:

1. Plastic disc surgery with palliative measures. During the operation, all complications of the disease are eliminated.
2. Prosthetics of the intervertebral cartilage or replacement of the entire spinal movement segment with a prosthesis.

Regardless of the choice of treatment method, recurrences of cervical osteochondrosis are possible. The disease can affect any other adjacent intervertebral disc. In order to prevent this from happening, preventive measures are taken.

The need for postoperative rehabilitation should also be kept in mind. Many of the above-mentioned therapy methods help restore performance. It is convenient to combine them during sanatorium treatment.

Radiofrequency ablation

A very effective and promising method of treatment is radiofrequency ablation. Not so long ago, this method was not known at all, but now ablation is carried out in many large cities.

The essence of the procedure is as follows:

• A special electrode is applied to the damaged intervertebral disc by inserting a needle.
• The disc is thermally processed with electricity.
• Nerves and the disc itself are destroyed in the impact zone.
• After ablation, the disc remains between the vertebrae. It is not able to perform the function of cushioning, but it does not cause pathological symptoms.

The advantages of the method are the absence of the need for general anesthesia, the short duration of the procedure and quick recovery. The technique can be used as the first stage of treatment if the symptoms are not completely removed.

In most cases, ablation helps to eliminate all symptoms of osteochondrosis, but the patient is not immune to damage to other intervertebral discs by this disease.

Prevention

From the above, we can conclude that all modern treatment methods only help prevent the progression of cervical osteochondrosis or eliminate its manifestations only on a specific disc. There is a high probability of recurrence of the disease and its spread to the adjacent cartilage layers.

This process cannot be eliminated, but it can be prevented. For this purpose, numerous methods are used to prevent osteochondrosis.

If the disease has just started to bother you, it has appeared in many relatives or you have been treated for osteochondrosis, follow these tips:

1. Normalize physical activity on the spine and neck in particular. Do preventive exercises, go swimming, skiing. Do not allow your neck to remain immobile for long periods of time.
2. Eat right. A balanced diet without harmful foods, which contains sufficient amounts of protein and calcium, will help prevent diseases.
3. Eliminate bad habits that can cause the degenerative process. First of all, it is smoking and frequent drinking of alcohol.
4. When sleeping, use orthopedic aids and the right mattresses to avoid additional stress on the cervical spine.
5. If you have diseases or spinal injuries, be sure to use orthopedic products.

Simple preventive measures help support the cervical spine and prevent the development of osteochondrosis.