Cervical lumbar osteochondrosis is a disease that develops in adults after the age of 25 due to structural changes in cartilage tissue. In the fairer sex, the disease develops more due to the characteristics of the hormonal background. We all need to know the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women in order to diagnose the disease in time and start complex treatment immediately.
An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor. An experienced neurologist is involved in the treatment. Assigns additional studies to determine not only the stage of development of the disease, but also the cause of its development. Then it is very easy to choose the optimal therapy regimen, rescuing the patient from the main manifestations of the disease.
Signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in women appear when the disease is already developing in the body. The slightest concern in well-being is a reason to see a doctor. If you solve the problem, over time, osteochondrosis will turn into a bulge or hernia, and the patient will be on the operating table. The consequences of the disease will last a lifetime. In the early stages of the disease, the symptoms can be completely eliminated. It is up to you to improve your health, to provide yourself with an active, full future without damage, dystrophic changes in the tissues and constant pain.
What is osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a common disease characterized by changes in the structure of cartilage tissue in the intervertebral discs. The disease can affect all joints, but in most cases affects the spine. Women have obvious signs of osteochondrosis, but the final conclusions about the development of the disease can be made only after a thorough diagnosis.
The cervical spine is the most mobile. This area is often exposed to various degenerative lesions because it is the least protected. There are no large muscles to protect and support the spine. The section consists of seven separate verbs. They are based on bone tissue. There is a soft "layer" between each vertebra - the intervertebral disc, which provides elasticity and mobility of the neck. Hormones have a major effect on tissue structure, so osteochondrosis develops differently in women and men.
According to statistics, 60-70% of the adult population of the planet suffers from this disease, and in 30% of cases of persistent headaches, migraines are cervical spine osteochondrosis.
To understand when to see a doctor, you need to study the list of symptoms of the disease.
Why osteochondrosis is dangerous for women
The main symptoms of osteochondrosis in women are considered more carefully, because the weaker sex suffers more from the disease.
This is due to the structure of the female body:
- Muscle tissue is less developed and pumped in women than in men, which is an aggravating factor in the development of the disease;
- Women work more in the office, spend more time sitting at the computer;
- The hormonal background of a woman's body is radically different from a man's; During menopause, dystrophic changes in the thickness of cartilage tissue become more pronounced.
In adulthood, women gradually break down bone tissue. This is due to the development of osteoporosis. Calcium is washed from the bones and reserves are not replenished. The female body no longer produces a special hormone that promotes the absorption of the trace element. If both cartilage and bone are destroyed at the same time, the consequences can be severe.
For this reason, after the age of 40-45, it is recommended that women have their blood calcium levels checked every year to check the condition of their bones and cartilage. Some preventive measures will help to get rid of the manifestations of the disease in time to restore the integrity of the cervical spine.
With osteochondrosis, the structure of cartilage tissue changes, becoming denser and stiffer. Vertebrae lose flexibility and mobility. If the disease progresses to the intervertebral disc, the contents of the disc extend beyond the annular fibrosis. It is difficult to get rid of such a complication without surgery. It is not worth bringing to such a situation. try to monitor your health.
The main manifestations of the disease in the early stages
In women, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis differ in the late and late stages of development. At first, the disease is almost not boring, but it is still worth paying attention to the small symptoms.
This list includes:
- Neck discomfort, especially in the morning;
- Grinding when tilting to the side during circular movements of the head;
- Frequent headaches;
- Slight dizziness with a sharp turn of the head.
Due to structural changes in the tissues, the nerve roots are compressed, which causes headaches.
The neck is no longer elastic. Progress is often observed in women.
It is becoming more and more difficult to maintain posture, and sometimes a slight hill is visible during the transition from the neck to the shoulder girdle. All this clearly indicates the development of osteochondrosis.
Instead of making an appointment with a neurologist, women go through numerous massage courses. This effect has a short-term effect. If you do the wrong massage, it will do more harm to the body over time.
Specificity of cervical osteochondrosis
In women, cervical lumbar osteochondrosis can be asymptomatic for a long time. Limited mobility of the neck, fatigue, muscle blockage, headaches are not yet very worrying. If this happens, stress, bad sleep is called their culprit. Acute hypothermia, minor injury may be a motivating factor for the disease to progress from latent to acute. Often the disease develops at a reactive rate. Yesterday she was still feeling well, but today she can't get her head out of the pillow because of the severe pain. Do not expect this state to pass by itself. Hurry to see a doctor. Even at this stage, you can completely get rid of the manifestations of osteochondrosis, provoking its factors.
It is strictly forbidden to consult a bone surgeon or osteopath. There is no such thing as "vertebral reduction" in formal medicine. Such specialists will only do harm. Due to excessive mechanical stress, cracks can form in the thickness of cartilage and bone tissue. You will feel really good during your first session with an osteopath, but all the actions he takes over time will only lead to osteochondrosis turning into a big hernia.
Traditional treatment consists of several stages, always painless and consistent. Any activity in the acute period is prohibited. You just have to listen to your doctor's basic advice to get rid of limited movement and severe pain. can be observed by a neurologist and a vertebrologist at the same time. These highly qualified doctors with higher medical education apply complex treatment methods.
Acute symptoms
As the disease progresses, the symptoms of cervical chondrosis change in women.
At this stage, the enlarged cartilage tissue presses on the nerve endings and nourishes it by squeezing the large blood vessels that run along the spinal cord to the brain. Oxygen starvation often manifests itself with fainting. Possible short-term memory loss, orientation in space.
Sensitivity in the limbs is lost due to compression of the nerve endings. The numbness in the shoulder girdle and the tingling sensation in the fingers are very frightening.
If you do not rush to start treatment at this stage, there is a possibility of partial paralysis. The patient completely stops feeling his upper limbs.
If you see a doctor at this stage, all efforts will be made to stabilize the patient's condition.
After the acute phase of the disease, various therapies are prescribed, including medication and various physiotherapeutic procedures.
Sports therapy is very effective if the classes are conducted by a certified instructor with sufficient experience in the rehabilitation of patients with spinal injuries.
Diagnostic methods
The diagnosis of cervical lumbar osteochondrosis is comprehensive. When you first see a doctor, you describe in detail all the symptoms that are bothering you. Based on this information, the doctor can already draw certain conclusions about the development of the disease. The final diagnosis can be made only after additional studies. Innovative methods of functional diagnostics are increasingly used in medical practice. These include computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Spinal tissues are examined in real time with the help of special equipment. The technique allows you to take three-dimensional images in different projections, to study a body, system or department in detail. The patient is given pictures and disks with examination notes. The diagnostician will give a detailed description, but your doctor is responsible for the final decoding.
Based on these examinations, it is already possible to assess the extent of the disease, the affected parts of the intervertebral discs. Follow-up examinations are performed every six months to assess the dynamics of treatment.
Sometimes additional biochemical blood tests are prescribed. They help to understand whether there is an inflammatory process in the body.
MRI or X-ray
Some patients complain that MRI or CT are too expensive. In most cases, such testing is carried out on a paid basis, because high-powered high-quality devices are very expensive and are used in private diagnostic centers. A natural question arises as to whether it is possible for patients to take an ordinary X-ray.
Only a panoramic X-ray can provide some information about the development of the disease
The cost of this procedure is not much lower than an MRI or CT scan. Bone tissue is clearly visible here, but it is difficult to draw reasonable conclusions about the condition of cartilage and connective tissue. For this reason, specialists prescribe more modern diagnostic methods. You should not give them up, because magnetic resonance imaging is also safer. Because the study does not use hazardous radiation, it can be done several times at short intervals.
Is it possible to get rid of osteochondrosis forever
Knowing the main symptoms and manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis in women, it will be very easy to get rid of the disease. The sooner the patient sees a doctor, the better the chances of a successful, rapid recovery.
Anti-inflammatory, decongestant drug complex, active use of natural collagen-based drugs that increase the elasticity of connective tissue, nutrition, moderate physical activity, sports therapy are the main areas of treatment.
You can achieve positive results only by correcting your habitual lifestyle and changing your attitude to physical activity.
Prevention
Knowing that cervical spine osteochondrosis often develops in women, it is advisable to use preventive measures to prevent the exacerbation of this complex disease. If you exercise, eat properly, walk a lot in the fresh air, control all the systems and functions in the body, then the disease will never pass you.
If you train in a gym, always do it under the supervision of an experienced qualified trainer who will make sure that the basic exercises are performed correctly.
Yoga and Pilates prevent osteochondrosis.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis are already visible in the early stages of the disease. It is important not to miss them and start treatment on time, then the health of the musculoskeletal system will be ensured.