Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis occurs after remission. The pathology develops in a chronic form. It is impossible to completely overcome osteochondrosis.
The disease develops due to an insufficiently active lifestyle, alcohol abuse and nutritional problems.
Intervertebral discs reduce pressure on the vertebrae, but over the years, the cartilage tissue wears out due to improper lifestyle choices. Cartilage tissue is not easy to renew.
Reasons
Let's understand what causes the symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- Some symptoms arise due to the deformation of the vertebrae, osteophytes appear.
- The position of the vertebrae in relation to each other changes, the vessels are compressed, the blood supply to the nervous system deteriorates.
- The appearance of complications due to displacement of intervertebral discs also causes pain in the nerve endings.
- When the nerves of the cervical spine are compressed, radicular syndrome appears.
- Constant overload of the muscle tissue in the neck while working at the computer or driving a car.
How does cervical osteochondrosis worsen?
The size of the vertebrae in the neck area is small. Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis occurs with special symptoms. Therefore, you should contact a specialist when the first symptoms appear.The main problem is that patients do not feel the symptoms of the disease.
First degree
First, small cracks appear on the discs. The elasticity of cartilage tissue decreases, and if you do not change your position for a long time, painful pain appears in the neck.
Second degree
Severe neck pain indicates the beginning of the second stage. Due to the deformation of the intervertebral disc, the pain intensifies, dislocations appear.Numbness of the hands and face rarely occurs.
At the end of the day, the patient feels pain in the neck area, which flows further down the spine.
Exacerbation is manifested by falling head syndrome, in which unbearable pain occurs, the head cannot be raised, it must be fixed with a pillow or hands to reduce the symptom.
Third degree
The third stage of the disease manifests itself clearly, the cause of unpleasant symptoms cannot be attributed to overwork after physical exertion. In the third stage, the patient begins to feel bad, dizzy, tinnitus, and often faints. Acute osteochondrosis is characterized by neck numbness and tinnitus.
Sometimes the symptoms of the disease disappear, but after a while they recur with exacerbations. New symptoms appear and the pain intensifies.
How to behave during an exacerbation?
During an exacerbation, you should not rub a warming ointment on your neck or massage a large area. If you feel the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, you should try to rest and take the most comfortable position.
To stop the tension of the muscle tissue, you need to lie on your back. The attack does not go away by itself. You should call a doctor to administer painkillers, then make an appointment with a specialist. Many people have pain relievers in their home medicine cabinet. You can take these medicines so that you don't need to call an ambulance.
First aid and treatment
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 the body.
- Take pain relievers.
- Wait for the doctor.
The specialist prescribes antibiotics and drugs to eliminate inflammatory processes. They are necessary during exacerbation.
Patients are prescribed chondroprotectors, which change the destructive processes in the discs and worsen the speed indicators when they occur.
The course of treatment with such drugs is long, less than six months. They are able to prevent the exacerbation 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 an exacerbation, the disease is accompanied by pain, and a procedure called blockade is prescribed. Novocaine is injected into the deformed vertebra area. Symptoms can be relieved quickly. We list non-drug treatment methods: exercise therapy, physiotherapy, massage.
With the help of therapeutic exercises, it will be possible to reduce the intensity of symptoms and relieve exacerbation. You should do daily exercises to strengthen the muscles of the neck and spine. The weakened vertebrae will be better held in place thanks to the developed muscles in the back.
Massage is mandatory, thanks to the full course, muscle tone improves, spasms are eliminated, swelling decreases, cerebrospinal fluid circulates better, and blood supply stabilizes. Intervertebral discs stop deformation.
Other treatments
Thanks to the shunt collar, you can reduce the load on the cervical spine during exacerbation. Such a device will keep the neck in a normal position, and the load on the muscle tissue and vertebrae will be reduced. You need to arrange the sleeping area correctly, you need a hard mattress with an orthopedic effect, as well as a pillow that does not bend your neck during rest.
If therapy is carried out when the attack begins 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 be reduced, but not completely eliminated. In the future, you should expect several exacerbations, during which the pain will decrease. Painful symptoms worsen during an attack.
What drugs are used?
Medicines should be used when the patient's condition worsens. With the help of such drugs, exacerbation is eliminated. Anti-inflammatory or pain relievers in tablets, ointments for local or external use. Muscle relaxants help relieve muscle spasms that often accompany pain.
Vitamin B improves the transmission of nerve impulses through neurons. First, it is used as an intramuscular injection, then patients are transferred to tablets.If the disease increases blood pressure, calcium channels are blocked, inhibitors, ACE or combination agents.
When cervical osteochondrosis worsens, its symptoms lead to cerebral circulation. Therapeutic procedures involve the use of drugs for recovery. To do this, it is advisable to contact a specialist to receive accurate recommendations on medications.
When patients experience emotional disturbances, doctors prescribe sedatives, which can be herbal substances or tranquilizers. When choosing, experts are often guided by the severity of these symptoms. Spinal blocks using novocaine are used for severe painful symptoms.
Surgical intervention
If the above methods are not effective, what to do in case of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis? It is necessary to undergo an examination, if complications are detected, a specialist can recommend a surgical procedure aimed at reducing compression and stabilizing the position of the vertebra. 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 painkiller, tie a scarf around your neck and wait for the doctor to come. Depending on the severity of the process, therapy continues at home or in the hospital.
Symptoms of acute osteochondrosis worsen the quality of life, so urgent measures should be taken. Treatment should be carried out after diagnosis, doctor's opinion and exclusion of other pathological options.
Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis does not occur in a short time, the disorder does not pass by itself.. Destructive processes can develop in the cervical spine and cause complex consequences.
Exacerbation during pregnancy
The body of pregnant women changes at the 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 choosing the treatment regimen, because when prescribing drugs, it is necessary to take into account their probable effect on the child. In the fight against exacerbation, ointments that do not harm the child are used.
Recurrence of osteochondrosis during pregnancy 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 non-traditional methods. Traditional medicine recipes are less harmful to the fetus.
Other ways to eliminate exacerbations
If it is not possible to consult a doctor, you can use several prescriptions to alleviate the general condition of patients with osteochondrosis in the cervical region. For example, a hot shower helps to relax. You can tie a woolen scarf or other clothing made of this material around your neck. Or apply herbal compresses to the affected area.
Onions, mint, and sage are also used for these purposes. Try making an ointment from mummy and oil. You can also secure the neck in a stationary position so that the roots of the spinal cord are not compressed.
Gradual deterioration
If the recurrence of painful symptoms is moderate, you should consult a specialist. The patient can take painkillers and provide a neck collar, but only a specialist can choose the appropriate therapeutic procedure.
During exacerbationcervical osteochondrosisprohibited:
- Apply heating pads to your neck. Blood will flow intensively to the problem area, the swelling will worsen and the pain will intensify.
- In order not to worsen the condition of the cervical region, it should not be massaged.
In such situations, manual therapy will be useful. A qualified specialist can realign 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 the use of injections, tablets, ointments, special patches and physiotherapeutic procedures.
Medicines
Drug treatment is aimed at relieving pain that is very pronounced in the acute period. Prescribed medicines such as:
- Analgesics. They try to give an anesthetic injection until the ambulance arrives, because the pain may be too difficult for the patient to bear. If a person suffers from osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, then there is always a painkiller in stock.
- Muscle relaxants. Their action is to reduce the spasm of the skeletal muscles in the cervical vertebrae.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They relieve pain well, relieve inflammation and help if the patient has a fever.
- Vitamin preparations. Injection preparations based on B vitamins are used to treat exacerbation of osteochondrosis. They help restore damaged nerve tissue as a result of pathological changes in the intervertebral region of the cervical spine.
- Means for local therapy. Ointments and gels with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects are prescribed to alleviate the patient's condition. They are a means of complementary therapy and are prescribed to enhance the effect of injection drugs. In addition, special patches impregnated with drugs are used. For example, a patch containing diclofenac and lidocaine.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is a method of treating osteochondrosis, which has proven itself only positively and has been used for several decades. During this time, new methods have been developed, the use of which helps to eliminate the symptoms of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis faster.
If manual therapy methods are performed at a high professional level, it has a beneficial effect on the condition of the muscle tissue, vertebrae and articular apparatus of the cervical spine.
The following manual therapy methods are used:
- Kneading muscles in a separate segment. This technique helps to relieve muscle tension.
- Mobilization technique. The doctor performs a number of measures, thanks to which the function of the articular apparatus is restored only in a certain region of the cervical spine.
- Manipulation technique. The procedure is a set of measures aimed at restoring the entire joint system damaged by pathological changes. This method is used to treat both neck osteochondrosis and general osteochondrosis.
If the patient is prescribed a course of manual therapy, he should carefully choose the doctor who will treat him. After all, even a small mistake is fraught with serious consequences, including the disability of the patient.
Massage
Massage is another method of relieving 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 spasm, and normalize 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 will not give the desired result, he prescribes surgical intervention for the patient. There are several signs that surgery is inevitable.
- Narrowing of the spinal canal due to intervertebral hernia causes compression of vascular and nerve plexuses.
- Displacement of the vertebrae relative to the horizontal axis.
- Intervertebral hernia, which can be single or multiple. If this pathology does not cause associated symptoms, it is not an absolute indication for surgery. If a positive result cannot be obtained after several courses of conservative therapy, they resort to surgery.
Exercise therapy
Therapeutic exercise is a method used at a later stage. Any exercise during the acute period will bring nothing but additional suffering to the patient. However, when the attack is stopped, the inflammatory process is at the stage of reduction, then the appointment of a course of physical therapy is helpful.
Thanks to exercise therapy, blood circulation is normalized and muscles are strengthened. Mobility of the spine improves and stiffness disappears, nerve tissue is restored and pain is reduced.
When prescribing physical therapy, the doctor takes into account the factors for which it is contraindicated. Exercise therapy should not be used if the patient suffers from diseases of the cardiovascular system, benign or malignant neoplasms, severe visual impairment or diabetes.
Operation
Surgical intervention is performed 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 vertebra is stabilized. The doctor takes into account that after removing a part of the intervertebral disc, dysfunction of the articular apparatus of the spine occurs.
Therefore, the vertebra is fixed using a special technique.
In modern orthopedic practice, artificial intervertebral discs are used, which allow preventing fusion of the vertebrae when the damaged discs are completely removed.
What can you do at home?
Every patient suffering from cervical osteochondrosis should know what to do if it worsens at home. First of all, it is strictly forbidden to move during the attack. The patient should lie on a flat surface and take a position with minimal muscle tension.
Give the patient an anesthetic injection. If this is not possible, give the patient an analgesic in tablet form. In addition, anti-inflammatory ointment or gel should be applied to the neck area. The emergency doctor will tell you what to do next.
The period of exacerbation of osteochondrosis: first aid at home
Treatment of spinal pathologies should be entrusted only to an experienced doctor. But there are situations when the pain appears suddenly and squeezes the patient's body. An acute exacerbation may occur, for example, if an intervertebral hernia is suspected. In this situation, the patient cannot tolerate and measures should be taken to improve his condition.
To do this, you need to take the following steps:
- if possible, put the patient on the bed or on the floor to immobilize the spine;
- wrap the wound with a woolen scarf (it is strictly forbidden to use a heating pad);
- If the patient is bent because he feels severe pain, you should not try to straighten him. It is better to place it in the same position on a flat surface;
- give him a pain reliever to drink. It can be Analgin, Diclofenac or Ibuprofen;
- call an ambulance.
The emergency doctor will determine how to relieve the pain symptom, 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, because self-treatment is fraught with even greater complications. But you don't have to endure the pain until it comes. First aid can be given to the patient:
- To begin with, you should 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, then it can be eliminated with the help of drugs. If the anxiety is very severe, these medications may not help.
- The neck muscles 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 an attack, it is necessary to use special orthopedic collars that will help to fight it faster.
Many people are interested in the question of how long the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis lasts. This stage is different for each person. If the treatment for the attack is started on time and the drugs are effective, its duration does not exceed a few days. Otherwise, discomfort will accompany the patient for several weeks.
How long the exacerbation period will last depends on the characteristics of the human body, as well as the rate of development of the disease. If the treatment of the pathology is started late, this situation will be repeated.
Exacerbation during pregnancy
Exacerbation of diseases during pregnancy is always undesirable. This causes suffering to the future mother and her baby, but in addition, it is difficult to apply therapeutic measures due to contraindications for taking medication. Physiotherapy methods should not be prescribed to a pregnant woman.
Among the drugs used during pregnancy, Traumeel and Paracetamol in the form of tablets, ointments and injections are allowed. In addition, physical therapy is prescribed, but under the strict supervision of a doctor. Exercises that require minimal physical activity are selected. Yoga techniques are preferred.
Traditional medicine for severe pain in the spine: effective recipes
The use of traditional methods has a positive effect only in combination with drug treatment. Using horseradish leaves, you can relieve pain and discomfort with cervical osteochondrosis.
They should be applied to the painful area, closed with a bandage and adhesive tape and left overnight. Cosmetic clay mixed with water works well as a compress.
Our grandmothers treated all types of osteochondrosis using compresses made of grated raw potatoes mixed with honey. This mixture is applied to the affected areas, tied tightly and left for several hours or overnight. Peppermint oil tincture is great for rubbing.
How to reduce relapse rates
If the disease can worsen, then a person has a large number of drugs that can relieve pain beforehand. However, treatment will not be effective without eliminating the cause.
In addition, unpleasant feelings can return again and with a vengeance. Symptoms and treatment of the disease with exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis have been discussed earlier, how to understand how to prevent exacerbation.
For this, the following preventive measures should be followed:
- Visit the massage room. Of course, the specialist should be experienced and skilled so as not to aggravate the exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Massage sessions allow you to develop the cervical spine, increase its functionality and mobility. At the same time, both hard and soft tissues are better nourished, because blood circulation is normalized.
- Doing physical exercise. This is necessary to strengthen the upper back muscle corset.
- It is recommended to take walks before going to bed every day. This will allow you to have a good night. It is better to avoid heavy sports, jumping and other exercises involving high loads or sudden movements.
- If a person spends a lot of time in a static sitting position, then he needs to get up from time to time and warm up. When working in a sedentary position, it is better to change the body position every quarter of an hour.
- Swimming is an excellent preventive measure for spinal problems. It not only relaxes the muscles, allows to remove the spasm, but also strengthens them.
- For night sleep, it is better to choose an orthopedic mattress that maintains the correct position of the body throughout the night, regardless of how the person turns.
- You can also use non-traditional methods for prevention, such as acupuncture. Of course, you can't do it yourself, and you shouldn't trust your health to the first "master" you meet. The procedure should be performed by an experienced specialist.
Prevention
To prevent exacerbation of the disease, it is recommended to follow a number of rules:
- Watch your posture.
- Avoid straining your muscles while working at the computer or sitting at a desk.
- Change your position every few minutes to prevent muscle stiffness.
- If you need to stay in one position for more than half an hour, take a break to warm up.
- It is necessary to sleep on a flat surface, swinging armored beds are contraindicated for patients with osteochondrosis.