To this day, osteochondrosis is a fairly common disease because people who lead a passive lifestyle are susceptible to it. As a rule, deformation of bone tissue and cartilage (code M42. 12) occurs in persons whose age does not exceed 45 years.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a process of deformation of the articular cartilage itself and its bone tissue. It has the code ICD-10 - M42. 12, adopted by the International Forum of Physicians. This part of the spine is the most susceptible to diseases, because it is the most mobile and is surrounded by a weak muscular corset, especially in children. It is also characterized by a large number of vascular and nerve formations. The symptoms of the manifestation directly depend on the stage of the disease and the nature of the deformation of the intervertebral discs.
Causes of osteochondrosis
As already mentioned, the main cause of the disease is lack of physical activity.
Passive lifestyle leads to:
- to failure of metabolic processes;
- salts appear in the lymph fluid and bloodstream;
- salts are deposited in the liver, kidneys, and cervical region.
Inflammation occurs in OSHOP (osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, code M42. 12) and due to the fact that there are not enough nutrients in the intervertebral discs. This happens when a person consumes unbalanced and wrong foods.
Symptoms include fever lasting 20 minutes, sore throat, pain in the spine and cervicothoracic region, severe attacks of pain when a person cannot sleep normally and he needs first aid in the form of painkillers. against such pain. Strong cough, but it is worth noting that cough with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is also common. Sport is contraindicated in this case, because sport can make the problem worse. It is better to sleep on an orthopedic mattress.
Why is osteochondrosis dangerous?
Many people wonder why cervical osteochondrosis is dangerous? This part contains the nerve roots and the spinal cord, as well as the artery that supplies blood to the back of the brain and the cerebellum. When a person develops OSOP, the artery is compressed, the blood circulation in the brain fails. Then there is inflammation, fever, lasts 30 minutes, a feeling of a lump in the throat, pain in the back and under the shoulder blade, which is sometimes difficult to remove.
In case of an attack of pain, it is necessary to consult a doctor immediately, he will be able to prescribe the necessary painkillers. Folk remedies or a forum where you can find a lot of advice will not help in this case. In acute attacks, sports or massage are strictly contraindicated.
In the advanced stage, compression of the artery can cause:
- coordination problems;
- impaired vision and hearing;
- fever may occur;
- Sore throat;
- stroke.
If the disease is not detected in the first phase and timely treatment is not started, the consequences occur in the form of intervertebral hernia and protrusion.
Degree of osteochondrosis
Diseases such as OSHOP develop gradually. And before starting treatment for cervical osteochondrosis, it is important to know its degree. Doctors call it 3 degrees of disease.
1 degree
From this phase, the process of deformation of the intervertebral discs begins. The fibrous ring is covered with small cracks, there is a process of reducing the elasticity and strength of the disk, its height is reduced. All this contributes to the compression of the nerve roots. It is important to understand that only light sports are allowed in such a situation.
The first sign of this stage is the appearance of painful pain, fever and sore throat when a person goes to bed. But it often happens that osteochondrosis in the cervical region has no clear clinical manifestation and the person practically does not feel pain and discomfort in the cervicothoracic region.
2nd degree
This phase of the disease is chronic. Occurs when help is not provided on time in the first phase. The person feels constant pain, a lump in the throat, a high temperature can rise when he goes to bed, a sore throat appears. In some patients, there is a lack of air in cervical osteochondrosis. The process of compression and destruction of the disc continues and causes small dislocations of the cervical vertebrae.
At this stage, the "falling" head cider develops. At the same time, the person feels sharp headaches and has to hold his head with his hand for about 20 minutes to alleviate the pain a bit. You have to sleep on an orthopedic pillow, sports are contraindicated.
3 degrees
ICD-10 code - M42. 12 - Grade 3 osteochondrosis is the most severe phase of the disease. It has the following characteristics:
- a severe headache that keeps you awake
- frequent nausea;
- high temperature rises;
- dizziness and loss of coordination;
- loss of sensation in the upper extremities.
In stage 3, the fibrous ring is virtually deformed, causing serious complications, such as intervertebral protrusion or hernia.
Due to the fact that the cartilage tissue is already completely destroyed, the person ceases to feel acute attacks of pain, the pain still remains, because the nerve roots are tightened. The temperature can often rise. Any, even light sport at this stage is strictly forbidden.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in youth
In children, osteochondrosis of the cervical region (has the code ICD-10 - M42. 02, established by his doctor's forum) is an extremely rare disease and at the same time dangerous. The spine in children still has a fragile structure and that is why it is so easily influenced by negative factors, especially since at this age the intervertebral discs and spine continue to grow.
Osteochondrosis in children can develop for several reasons:
- lack of useful minerals and vitamins in the child's diet;
- problems with the cardiovascular system;
- spinal cord injury;
- allergy;
- sports;
- somatic diseases;
- genetic predisposition;
- various pathologies in bone development;
- when a child’s body regularly carries infectious diseases.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in children
Many parents are interested in how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis in children. First of all, in the treatment of this disease, which is accompanied by symptoms such as sore throat, severe pain, due to which the child can not sleep, inflammation and swelling, conservative methods of treatment are used.
- Drugs that have an analgesic effect. As a rule, with the help of such drugs, the pain disappears after 20 minutes.
- Medications used to treat edema and relieve inflammation.
- The course of therapeutic massage, manual therapy and acupuncture, exercise therapy.
- Operative intervention. It is prescribed in the rarest cases and is directed against radicular syndrome.
Few parents know what cervical osteochondrosis is, especially in children, and that is why when a child first complains of frequent painful neck pains, consult a vertebrologist immediately.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
Nowadays, in order to diagnose osteochondrosis, it is necessary to visit a doctor who must perform an initial examination. Then, if necessary, it is sent for additional examination. For this, the cervicothoracic region is examined by magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. Thanks to this examination, it is possible to determine the diagnosis and the degree of the disease.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
The patient's question of how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis (code M42. 12), the doctor will be able to answer by determining the degree of the disease and studying the main clinical manifestations. To date, there are many different methods of treatment.
It is best to use a complex treatment, which includes traditional and non-traditional methods: manual therapy, drugs, exercise therapy, acupuncture, massage, physiotherapy and folk remedies. But it is important to understand that in the case of the latter method it is better to visit a doctor and consult with him, you should not go to the forum and take information there.
In order for the treatment of the disease (code M42. 12) to be effective, it is necessary to visit several specialists: masseur, vertebral neurologist, neurologist, surgeon and physiotherapist, they will prescribe in combination those methods that will be most effective.
Osteochondrosis, like all diseases, is best treated in the first phase of the disease, when you can competently provide help. But grades 2 and 3 are virtually incurable, so a long recovery process is required in this case.