Osteochondrosis is often called a disease caused by a person’s transition to a direct walk, a disease of a civilized world. In fact, the load on the spine in modern people is almost never distributed evenly, and osteochondrosis is characterized by damage to the intervertebral discs. Every year this disease is more and more suffering from the population around the world. At any age, a person can begin to suffer from pain, seizures and other manifestations of osteochondrosis, which, among other things, also causes a number of other diseases. The development of the disease is influenced not only by hereditary factors or age -related changes, as it used to be, but also a worsening environmental situation, food products that bring more harm than the benefits and other living conditions of people in the 21st century. The most common type of osteochondrosis is the lumbar, the second place is occupied by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine (cervical osteochondrosis).
The main causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical region
The modern world, despite the progressive methods of treatment, the development of science and medical technologies, still faces various kinds of diseases associated with the spine. Among the important causes of osteochondrosis, the following can be called:
1. The reasons for the objective nature, in the presence of which special attention should be paid to your own spine
- Hereditary predisposition: osteochondrosis can be inherited. If relatives suffered from such a disease, you should take all possible preventive measures to prevent its development
- Age -related changes: with age, the body itself less and less produces useful substances, which should also maintain a spine in a healthy state. In order for osteochondrosis to develop more slowly, you should already take care of its condition in the youth
2. The reasons associated with the way of life of a person. They are easy to eliminate if they do not be stable, and even better to immediately follow the principles of a healthy lifestyle
- Nutrition: what a person eats directly affects his health. A noticeable, rapid improvement brings the rejection of salt, sugar, flour and fatty dishes, from the consumption of products, which include preservatives and dyes, from chocolate and alcohol. And, on the contrary, you should include in the diet those products that help in the construction of bone and cartilage (for example, sour-milk products)
- Excess weight: the natural consequence of malnutrition is an increase in weight, which leads to an increase in the load on the vertebrae
- Hypothermia: any kind of hypothermia, drafts should be avoided. If this happened, it happened quickly for treatment, bringing it to the end
- Spinal injuries inevitably in the end will affect its condition
- Hypodynamia: Small mobility negatively affects the functioning of all parts of the spine
- Intoxication also affects the intervertebral discs, prevents the absorption of useful micro and macro elements. Smoking and alcohol are the main reasons for the intoxication of the body
- Stress: it would seem that lack of sleep, depression, a negative emotional state are not related to the discomfort that is tested with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. However, this is not so
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine must be started as early as possible. Like any disease in an advanced form, it is treated much harder, and the consequences affect the entire body. Sometimes symptoms of osteochondrosis are attributed to other diseases. In case of any deviations from the norm, you should immediately consult a doctor and revise your lifestyle. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include:
- Pain, mainly in the occipital region, between the shoulder blades, in the neck
- Feeling in the shoulders
- Numbness of the fingers (mainly during sleep)
- If, due to the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, cerebral circulation is disturbed, a person often dizzy, the so -called "flies" flashes before his eyes
- Feetings of angina pectoris can turn out to be false - with osteochondrosis of the cervical hotel, false angina pectoris often occurs
- Headaches
- In some cases, with osteochondrosis of the cervical region, there is even a deterioration in vision
- Noise, congestion, ringing in the ears. In some cases, hearing deterioration is possible
- Due to the pain of the head of the head are limited
- Lack of oxygen, which can be expressed in shortness of breath, snore, as well as increased fatigue
- Nausea, and sometimes vomiting
- Fluctuations in blood pressure
In the absence of proper treatment, symptoms can take more acute forms: for example, paralysis of the upper extremities can occur, hernia often appears in the cervical region, sleep is disturbed due to pain, memory worsens.
Methods of treatment and prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Diet. An important factor leading to the successful treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical region is the observance of a diet, which does not mean abandoning most products-with osteochondrosis, on the contrary, mono-diets, meager nutrition are contraindicated. To reduce weight, you should adhere to fractional power 4-5 times a day.
What products are important for the restoration of cartilage fabric:
- meat (low -fat, not fried)
- Fish and seafood
- dairy products, including cheese, cottage cheese, kefir
- olive oil
- Vegetables and fruits, both fresh, not canned or subject to some other processing. Broccoli, greens, dates are especially rich in so necessary for osteochondrosis by calcium
- Groups
- Nuts and seeds
- eggs
- Magnesium can "supply" bananas, cucumbers, oatmeal, dried apricots, legumes
Products from which, with osteochondrosis of the neck, you will have to refuse:
- bakery and sweet
- fat, acute, salty food
- canned food
- carbonated and alcoholic beverages
- Fast food products
- lard and sausages
- Strong tea and coffee
With osteochondrosis, you should drink 2. 5 - 3 liters of clean water, the remaining drinks, soups are not considered.
Physiotherapeutic procedures. This type of treatment has long established itself as an excellent method of reducing pain and edema, improving blood microcirculation, relaxation, and removal of toxins. Among physiotherapeutic procedures in modern medical practice, a whole range of opportunities: 
- Electrophoresis and galvanization
- ultra -frequency procedures (UHF)
- Magnetotherapy
- ultraviolet
- Paraffin and mud baths
- Massage of the collar zone
Medicines. With severe pain, drugs that can reduce them are taken to relieve inflammation. To replenish the lack of micro and macroelements in the body, it is recommended to take vitamins and food additives that can restore the necessary balance, which these days is difficult to achieve only using food products. A good impact on the cervical region has ointments designed to also reduce inflammation and pain
Medical physical education. The movement provides the opportunity to take a different position. Since a modern person is inactive and more often spends time in a sitting or lying down position, the gymnastics for strengthening the spine is simply irreplaceable. Exercises should not cause pain, discomfort and, moreover, injure. With osteochondrosis of the cervical region, physiotherapy exercises are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the neck:
- lying on the stomach, gently raise your head (straight back), hold it in this position for 1-2 minutes, lower it
- In the same position, turn your head to the left-right
- Exercise, which is easy to perform during the working day, sitting at the table: with your palms, resting on the forehead, forever resist ("butt"), then cross your arms on the back of the head and also rest your head in your palms, resisting.
- This exercise also does not require special conditions for fulfilling: turning the head to the left and right, tilting the head in both directions to the shoulders, tilts of the head back and forth and rotation of the head. It is better to do these exercises sitting, slowly, during dizziness, interrupt
- Since the cervical region is directly related to other parts of the spine, it is important to strengthen the back: for this you need to lie on your back, tighten your legs to your chest and roll (you should be performed on a hard surface); lying on your back, put your feet on a chair and pull your head to your knees; kneeling, clutching his hands behind his back, trying to get his knees with his forehead
Exercises are recommended to be performed regularly, at least a few minutes a day, otherwise the effect of them will be minimal. You should also properly organize a place for sleep: the suitable mattress (not pushed, with a flat, solid surface) and, which is extremely important with osteochondrosis of the neck of the collar zone, a special hard pillow of a certain shape for the proper position of the head and neck during sleep, should also lie on the bed.
Folk remedies. Despite the fact that osteochondrosis is a scourge of a modern person, people have long suffered from this disease, and therefore traditional medicine has many prescriptions for removing pain, edema, improving the general condition and prevention:
- For external use at home, you can make ointments and rubbing: the red elderberry berries are poured with 2/3 with alcohol and are worth it for a week - then this rubbing can begin to be used; hop cones are rubbed with butter and rubbed into the collar area
- For internal use, decoctions are made, infusions are brewed, herbal teas are brewed: herbal teas are recommended to be brewed based on St. John's wort, bell, hops - 2 tablespoons of grass per 0. 5 liters of water are usually brewed for 5 minutes, then the mixture is infused for half an hour, filtered and taken in several techniques during the day.
Taking measures to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, do not forget that the prevention of the disease is always more effective. In addition, any disease requires an integrated approach to treatment, since the effect should be provided on the whole organism as a whole.