Cerebral circulatory disorders in cervical osteochondrosis

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men General symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis Treatment and prevention of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis bother every 2nd person whose age has exceeded 30 years. Young and old are susceptible to this disease, its prevalence is colossal, and its consequences are varied and serious. Untreated cervical osteochondrosis can lead to vertebral artery syndrome, cervical radiculitis, deterioration in hand motor skills, vision, hearing, and serious problems with memory and other cognitive functions.

The disease is especially merciless for urban residents - symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are observed in them already at the age of 25, earlier than any other diseases of the musculoskeletal system (except, perhaps, autoimmune ones). How to recognize the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in time so as not to lose your ability to work long before retirement?

Cervical osteochondrosis: symptoms and treatment

It’s rare that anyone today does not encounter manifestations of this widespread disease: according to statistics, about 60% of the population in developed countries suffer from manifestations of osteochondrosis to varying degrees.
The main reasons for such widespread prevalence are sedentary work and the lack of movement of modern people. Previously, cervical osteochondrosis in men usually manifested itself starting from 45-50 years, in women - a little later - 50-55 years. But now there is rapid rejuvenation: the typical picture is noticeable signs of the disease in 30-year-olds, and it is not uncommon for the first symptoms to appear at 20 years of age.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine: symptoms

In the early stages, the disease practically does not manifest itself with painful symptoms: you may feel discomfort in the neck after heavy physical activity or prolonged sitting in a tense position, after a sudden movement or tilting of the head.

The main symptoms are headache, dizziness and lack of coordination, a slight crunch when moving the head, general weakness; Less commonly observed are weakness of the arms, numbness of the tongue and speech impairment, problems with breathing, vision, hearing, increased sweating, and abnormally high blood pressure. The main areas are the back of the head, neck, collar area. In most cases, only a few of the listed signs of the disease are observed at the same time.

In general, the symptoms of osteochondrosis are not obvious; they are often masked by the use of painkillers. This is one of its dangers: most of the symptoms are also possible with other pathologies, which makes it difficult to diagnose cervical osteochondrosis.

The most important

Poor blood circulation in the brain with cervical osteochondrosis is a serious pathology that threatens with dangerous complications (stroke, ischemia, disability). To avoid dangerous consequences, you need to visit a neurologist when the first symptoms of pathology appear (headache, loss of coordination, tinnitus). The specialist will conduct a comprehensive diagnosis to distinguish between impaired cerebral blood flow associated with cervical osteochondrosis and other pathologies. With timely complex therapy, the patient will be able to get rid of unpleasant symptoms, slow down the development of pathology and prevent life-threatening complications.

Stages of development of osteochondrosis

In the development of cervical osteochondrosis, it is customary to distinguish 4 stages. But this is a rather arbitrary division, since most of the symptoms of the disease can also manifest themselves in other pathologies. In addition, the actual degree of tissue degradation of the cervical spine may not correspond to the externally manifested symptoms.

First stage (preclinical)

At the initial stage, symptoms are mild and are often attributed to stress or other diseases. You feel unpleasant stiffness in the neck, pain with sudden movements or bending. At this stage, it is quite possible to get rid of incipient osteochondrosis with the help of therapeutic exercises or simply move more and adjust your diet.

Second stage

The pain intensifies, becomes constant, and becomes severe with sharp turns or bends. Severe headaches appear, the patient begins to get tired quickly, becomes absent-minded, and areas of the face periodically become numb.

Third stage

The formation of disc herniation often causes dizziness, weakness of the arms, pain radiates to the back of the head and arms, and is constantly felt in the shoulders.

Fourth stage

Eventually, the intervertebral discs are destroyed and replaced by connective tissue. The nerves are pinched, which leads to difficulties in movement, acute pain, increased dizziness, and tinnitus.

Types of disease

Circulatory disturbances due to vascular compression can have varying degrees of severity. There are two main types of pathology - transient and acute cerebrovascular accident (PAI and ACVA).

PNMK

PNMC is a reversible condition characterized by cerebral ischemia. This condition is less dangerous than stroke, since all changes are reversible and not persistent. PNMK with cervical osteochondrosis develops gradually. Autonomic, vestibular or vascular changes may develop. The most common symptoms of PNMK in the vertebrobasilar region include:

ONMK

ACVA (stroke) is an irreversible disruption of the blood supply to the brain. ACVA in osteochondrosis develops much less frequently than PNMK. This is usually facilitated by the presence of concomitant diseases - atherosclerosis, vascular abnormalities, arterial hypertension.

To suspect a person is having a stroke, you need to ask them to do three things:

1. Smile. With a stroke, the smile is often asymmetrical - one corner of the mouth is downward.
2. Speak. With a stroke, pronunciation is often impaired; a person will not be able to pronounce even a simple sentence.
3. Raise your hands. When a person has a stroke, they often raise their arms to different heights.

If even 1 symptom out of 3 is detected, there is a high probability of a stroke, you should immediately call an ambulance.

What should the patient do?

If symptoms of stroke appear, you should immediately call an ambulance. While the ambulance is traveling, it is recommended to begin providing first aid:

• lay the victim on his back or side;
• unbutton tight clothes;
• provide access to fresh air;
• do not allow the patient to eat or drink;
• do not take medications without direct indications.

In the case of PNMK, medical assistance is also indicated, but you can consult a doctor as planned.

Causes and risk factors

Oddly enough, the possibility of developing osteochondrosis in humans is due to one of its evolutionary advantages - upright posture: the vertebrae press on each other, and with age, the connective tissue degrades. As a result, in older people this is an almost inevitable process. But there are many factors that contribute to the earlier and more intense development of cervical osteochondrosis:

• First of all, this is a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle, often observed in modern life (office workers, drivers and other “sedentary” professions, TV, long hours at the computer), lack of physical activity
• Tense, unnatural postures while working: for example, at a computer, a person often leans forward, taking a tense posture
• The opposite reason is that the load is too high and unusual for a given person; but even trained athletes, for example, weightlifters, are at risk;
• Any reasons that disrupt a person’s natural posture: uncomfortable shoes, especially high heels, poor sleeping position, flat feet, rheumatism, scoliosis;
• Excess weight, which is often caused by poor diet
• Frequent stress, severe nervous tension, constant overwork
• Local hypothermia

Potential causes of cerebrovascular accident

In order to understand what potential causes can cause acute or chronic cerebrovascular accident during the development of cervical osteochondrosis, you need to have an idea of ​​how everything works and works. Therefore, to begin with, we suggest taking a short excursion into anatomy and physiology.

Let's start with the fact that the cervical region is the most responsible, since all the blood vessels responsible for feeding the brain structures pass through here. These are two posterior vertebral arteries that emerge from the thoracic cavity in the region of the 6-7 cervical vertebrae, and two carotid arteries located along the lateral projections of the neck. Next to them are veins through which waste blood flows out.

The posterior vertebral arteries are reliably protected using special channels. They are formed by uncovertebral (or hook-shaped) processes located along the entire cervical spine. The hook-shaped processes are connected to each other by uncovertebral joints. When making any movements of the head with changes in the position of the bodies of the cervical vertebrae, the arteries always remain protected.

Another aspect of providing protection from negative effects is cartilaginous intervertebral discs. They consist of a dense fibrous membrane (annulus) and a gelatinous, jelly-like internal body (nucleus pulposus). This design separates the vertebrae of the cervical spine. The exception is the first and second vertebrae. They are connected to each other using a movable joint, which provides the ability to make a variety of head movements.

The vertebral bodies are fixed not only with the help of intervertebral discs. They are also connected to each other using the facet and facet joints. Stability of the position is ensured by the ligamentous apparatus. These are two long longitudinal ligaments (posterior and anterior) running from the coccyx to the occipital bone. Also between each two adjacent vertebrae are the transverse and yellow ligaments. They securely fix the vertebrae and prevent them from moving relative to the central axis and each other.

There are many muscles in the neck and collar area. Some of them are paravertebral. They support the spinal column in an upright position. Their second important function is to provide complete diffuse nutrition to the intervertebral cartilaginous discs. The annulus fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus are completely devoid of their own blood vessels. Therefore, they can replenish fluid and nutrition reserves only during diffuse exchange with the surrounding paravertebral muscles. Also between the vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs are endplates. They contain a large number of small blood vessels. They provide partially diffuse nutrition to the intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies. With the development of osteochondrosis, sclerosis of the endplates begins. They lose the ability to nourish tissue. A total destructive process begins in the tissues of the spinal column.

Any disturbance in the tissues listed above in the area of ​​the cervical spine can lead to the development of the process of circulatory disorders in the brain. But there are also more specific reasons for these changes. These are diseases and conditions such as:

• protrusion of the intervertebral disc, in which it loses its height and begins to occupy a large area, putting pressure on all surrounding tissues, including the posterior vertebral arteries;
• displacement of the vertebral bodies, as a result of which the course of the arteries becomes tortuous and the volume of passing arterial blood decreases;
• development of posterior vertebral artery syndrome;
• an increase in cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the spinal canal, which inevitably provokes an increase in intracranial pressure - this has a spasmodic effect on the blood vessels;
• violation of the position of blood vessels due to pathology of the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs provokes the development of vertebrobasilar insufficiency (a serious condition characterized by pronounced clinical manifestations);
• excessive tension of the muscle fiber against the background of the development of protrusion, extrusion or intervertebral hernia provokes a sharp compression of the arteries;
• curvature of the spinal column and poor posture with compensatory tension in the muscle fiber on the affected side;
• spinal canal stenosis, etc.

Cerebral circulatory disorders in osteochondrosis can occur both during remission and during exacerbation. In the second case, the incidence of cerebral blood supply insufficiency is much higher. This occurs due to the increase in infiltrative swelling of the soft tissues in the neck area. In this case, total compression is applied to all blood vessels.

Before starting treatment, an experienced doctor will interview the patient to collect medical history data. Based on these, he will identify potential causes and make individual recommendations. These may include addressing risk factors such as:

• maintaining a sedentary lifestyle in which the muscles of the neck and collar area do not work;
• sedentary work, during which there is prolonged static tension in the muscles of the neck and collar area;
• improper organization of sleeping and working spaces;
• poor posture (the habit of slouching, pulling your head into your shoulders, pushing your head forward, etc.);
• excess body weight (every extra kilogram of weight provokes a multiple increase in the load on all tissues of the spinal column);
• smoking and drinking any alcoholic beverages;
• increased risk of tissue injury in the neck area (activities in active sports, certain circumstances at work, etc.)

All these factors can provoke not the cerebral circulatory disorder itself in cervical osteochondrosis, but will lead to the fact that a person will begin to develop degenerative dystrophic lesions of cartilaginous discs. Therefore, it is very important to eliminate the possibility of their negative impact continuing.

Why is cervical osteochondrosis dangerous?

Many vital vessels, arteries, and capillaries are concentrated in the neck area, so any disturbance there can have unpleasant consequences, including oxygen starvation, hypertension, and vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Cervical osteochondrosis affects the segments of the spine that control the functioning of the shoulder and elbow joints, the thyroid gland, hands and other organs. With osteochondrosis, if left untreated, there is a high probability of pinched nerves and compression of blood vessels, which inevitably affects the functioning of other organs.

Which doctor should I contact?

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are usually mild, especially at the initial stage, in addition, almost all of them are characteristic of other pathologies: in such conditions, it is best to consult a therapist who will analyze your complaints, conduct an examination and refer you for diagnosis and to a more highly specialized specialist - neurologist, orthopedist.
Who will carry out further treatment depends on the stage of the disease and the disorders detected during diagnosis. For example, the formation of a hernia or displacement of discs may require the help of a traumatologist. Massage and exercise therapy, physiotherapy are non-surgical methods of treatment; in severe cases, the patient is referred to a surgeon.

We diagnose the disease based on the main signs

During the initial diagnosis, seek the help of relatives or friends by discussing specific symptoms. Find on the Internet similar variants of the course of the disease as yours.

If you understand that osteochondrosis is not easy, but that there may be serious problems with blood circulation, then immediately seek medical help.

• Once again we remind you of the main symptoms of pathology in the bloodstream with osteochondrosis.
• Frequent attacks of dizziness.
• Severe and prolonged migraine attacks.
• Numbness of the arms and legs for short and long periods of time.
• Decreased visual acuity, pain in the eyes.
• Cramps.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Fatigue and irritability.

Similar symptoms occur in different diseases, so only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis. Do not self-medicate, it causes adverse reactions.

What types of examinations need to be completed?

Once again we emphasize the similar symptoms of the diseases. Osteochondrosis is easily diagnosed. And circulatory disorders during this pathology are not easy to determine, especially at the initial stage. It is important to identify this problem as early as possible. Therefore, do not be surprised if the doctor refers you to different types of diagnostics. The following options may include.

All diagnostics begin with an MRI and CT scan. During the examination, affected areas in the blood vessels are identified. The overall picture becomes clear - where and how serious the brain damage is.

An x-ray of the cervical spine is taken to determine the level of bone growth and closure of the main artery.
Dopplerography - diagnostics shows where the obstacle to the movement of blood flow is.

Antiography - diagnostics of blood vessels. Where are the problem areas in the vascular system and pressure on the vessels occurs.

The treatment package is prescribed by the doctor based on the diagnosis after analyzing all the diagnostic measures taken.

Diagnostics

Since the symptoms of osteochondrosis are mild and often overlap with other pathologies, it is better to conduct an initial examination with a therapist or other specialist - a neurologist, orthopedist. He will ask you about pain and other symptoms, check neck mobility, skin condition, balance, and reflexes.

If a primary diagnosis of “cervical osteochondrosis” is made, the doctor will then refer you for additional studies. The most effective of them is MRI, followed by computed tomography. X-ray studies are much less effective than the first two, especially with advanced disease. The condition of soft tissues is checked using ultrasound. If your doctor suspects blood vessel damage, you may be referred for a vascular duplex scan.

Since some symptoms overlap with signs of angina and coronary heart disease, you may need to consult a cardiologist who will refer you for an ECG and echocardiography.

How to treat cervical osteochondrosis

Real, sustainable success in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis can be achieved only with an integrated approach, which includes medications, massage of the collar area, therapeutic exercises, and physiotherapy.
In particularly advanced cases, surgical intervention may be required. Naturally, the patient must eliminate or minimize factors contributing to the development of the disease: move more, eat better, etc. We strongly advise against resorting to self-medication, primarily because the symptoms of osteochondrosis can mean a completely different disease: not only will the drugs you choose not help in treatment, they can also cause harm. Even during painful exacerbations, do not rush to the pharmacy for painkillers - it is better to make an appointment with a doctor, and even better - do it in advance, at the first symptoms.

Relieving acute pain

Osteochondrosis, especially in the later stages, is accompanied by severe pain, so the first task of the attending physician is to alleviate your suffering. He will prescribe you painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins, chondroprotectors to restore cartilage tissue, medications to improve blood circulation and reduce muscle spasms.

In this article, we deliberately do not give the names of specific drugs - it is better to leave their choice to doctors who will take into account all possible consequences and evaluate contraindications.

Therapeutic exercises for cervical osteochondrosis

The simplest and most accessible method, including at home, is therapeutic exercises. At the same time, it is also quite effective, as it strengthens the neck muscles, restores blood circulation in damaged areas, and compensates for the lack of movement in everyday life. Physical therapy can be supplemented with swimming and aqua gymnastics.

There are many methods, including the use of simulators: most of them do not require special equipment or any special conditions, but we advise you to contact the exercise therapy office, where they will select the most effective sets of exercises for you and conduct classes under the guidance of an experienced specialist.

Physiotherapy

Correct and constant use of physiotherapeutic methods improves blood circulation in damaged areas, reduces inflammation and pain, and slows down the ossification process.

For osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, electrophoresis, magnetic therapy, laser therapy, shock wave therapy, therapeutic baths and showers, mud therapy and other methods are used.

Neck massage for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

For osteochondrosis, massage can be very effective: it improves blood circulation, reduces the likelihood of spasms by reducing muscle tone, relieves pain symptoms and improves the general well-being of the patient.

But massage and manual therapy must be used extremely carefully, since inept and rough influence on diseased areas of the body can only cause harm. We strongly advise you to consult your doctor first.

Surgery

In particularly advanced cases, even surgical intervention cannot be ruled out: narrowing of the lumen of the spinal column, the formation of herniated intervertebral discs, or spondylolisthesis.

The decision on the need and method of surgical intervention is made by the surgeon, who also determines the preparatory operations, the duration of the postoperative period and rehabilitation.

Preventive measures

To prevent cerebrovascular accidents, a person must follow recommendations that will help him avoid diseases of the cervical spine and surrounding vessels:

• Eat right, watch your weight.
• Maintain a moderately active lifestyle, walk more often.
• When working sedentarily, get up every 2 hours and stretch your neck.
• Give up bad habits.
• Sign up for preventive massage courses.
• Get regular medical examinations to spot dangerous problems in time.

By adhering to these recommendations, a person will be able to maintain the health of the spine (including the cervical spine) for a long time.

Possible complications and consequences

In the neck area there are many nerve endings and blood vessels that directly affect the functioning of other parts of the body: if cervical osteochondrosis is not treated, it can lead to an increase in many other diseases:

• Migraine – it is in the neck area that the vertebral artery delivers blood to the brain: narrowing also leads to severe headaches.
• Visual impairment - the carotid and vertebral arteries, which are responsible for supplying blood to the visual organs, pass through the neck: compression of the nerve roots and blood vessels leads to decreased vision.

Establishing a diagnosis

When the first suspicious symptoms appear, for example, frequent headaches, vertigo, hearing and vision disorders, you should contact a neurologist, reflexologist or vertebrologist.

Currently, the following instrumental methods are used to identify cerebral circulation disorders against the background of cervical osteochondrosis:

• Doppler ultrasound (Doppler ultrasound) of the neck vessels is used to assess the degree of vasoconstriction, as well as measure the speed of blood flow.
• Transcranial Doppler ultrasound is an ultrasound examination of the blood supply to the brain, which allows one to assess blood flow through intracranial vessels. This technique allows you to identify a violation of venous outflow, as well as arterial outflow, to identify spasm or local dilatation of blood vessels (aneurysm).
• X-rays of the spine are used to identify bone growths, as well as areas where the height of the vertebrae is reduced.
• Using magnetic resonance imaging, the doctor can assess the condition of the cartilage linings of the vertebrae, detect protrusions, hernias, and determine their size. In addition, this study is informative regarding blood vessels.

After confirming the diagnosis, the doctor draws up a treatment plan.

Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a disease whose negative impact can be minimized with proper and timely prevention. You need to think about its prevention in childhood: poor posture and flat feet in a child are a reason to consult a doctor for a diagnosis.

The basis for the prevention of osteochondrosis is a correct lifestyle: reasonable physical activity and periodic exercise during sedentary work, a healthy diet, body weight control.

What happens to the vertebrae with cervical osteochondrosis?

The obscure medical term “degenerative process” refers to the following pathological changes occurring in the cervical spine:

• First of all, damage to osteochondrosis affects the intervertebral discs. They become thinner, thus reducing the distance between adjacent vertebrae. Small tears and microcracks form in their outer parts. Over time, this can lead to a herniated disc.
• As a result of disc damage, the stability of the vertebral connection is disrupted.
• Intervertebral joints also suffer from osteochondrosis of the cervical region - spondyloarthrosis develops. It also contributes to compression of the nerve roots.
• The pathological process extends to the vertebrae themselves. Due to the fact that the functions of the intervertebral discs are disrupted, the load on them increases. The spine tries to compensate for this violation, and bone growths appear on it - osteophytes.