To date, osteochondrosis is a fairly common disease, since people leading a passive lifestyle are susceptible to it. As a rule, deformation of bone tissue and cartilage (code M42. 12) occurs in people 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 an ICD-10 - M42 code. 12, which has been accepted by the International Physicians Forum. This part of the spine is the most susceptible to disease, since it is the most mobile and is surrounded by a weak muscular corset, especially in children. It is also distinguished by a large number of vascular and nerve formations. Symptoms of manifestation directly depend on the stage of the disease and the nature of the deformation of the intervertebral discs.
Causes of osteochondrosis
As mentioned above, the main cause of the onset of the disease is the lack of physical activity.
A passive lifestyle leads to:
- to a failure in the work of metabolic processes;
- salts appear in the lymph fluid and bloodstream;
- the salts are deposited in the liver, kidneys and cervical region.
Inflammation appears in OSHOP (osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, code M42. 12) also due to the fact that there are not enough nutrients in the intervertebral discs. It happens when a person consumes unbalanced and wrong foods.
Among the symptoms can be distinguished as a temperature that lasts 20 minutes, a lump in the throat, pain in the spine and cervico-thoracic region, severe pain attacks when a person cannot sleep normally andshe needs first aid in the form of painkillers for such pain. A strong cough, but it should be noted that cough with osteochondrosis of the chest region is also common. Sport in this case is contraindicated, since sport can aggravate the problem. It is better to sleep on an orthopedic mattress.
Why is osteochondrosis dangerous?
Many people wonder why cervical osteochondrosis is dangerous? This section contains the nerve roots and spinal cord, as well as an artery that supplies blood to the back of the brain and cerebellum. When a person develops OSOP, the artery is compressed, blood circulation in the brain fails. Then there is inflammation, fever, which lasts 30 minutes, a lump in the throat, pain in the back and under the shoulder blade, sometimes difficult to remove.
In case of pain attacks, you need to urgently consult a doctor, he can prescribe the necessary painkillers. Folk remedies or a forum where you can find a lot of advice will not help you in this case. In acute attacks, sport or massage is strictly contraindicated.
At an advanced stage, the compression of the artery can lead to:
- coordination problems;
- deterioration of vision and hearing;
- temperature may appear;
- sore throat;
- stroke.
If the disease was not detected at the first stage and timely treatment was not started, the consequences are manifested in the form of intervertebral hernia and protrusion.
Degrees of osteochondrosis
A disease like OSHOP develops gradually. And before starting the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, it is important to find out its degree. Doctors call 3 degrees of the disease.
1 degree
From this stage, the process of deformation of the intervertebral discs begins. The fibrous ring is covered with small cracks, the process of reducing the elasticity and strength of the disc occurs, its height decreases. 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 aching pains, a rise in temperature and a sore throat when a person lies down. But it often happens that osteochondrosis in the cervical region does not have clear clinical manifestations, and a person practically does not feel pain and discomfort in the cervicothoracic region.
2 degrees
This stage of the disease is chronic. This happens when support was not provided in a timely manner in the first stage. A person feels constant pain, a lump in the throat, a high temperature may rise when lying down, a sore throat appears. In some patients, there is a lack of air with cervical osteochondrosis. The process of compaction and destruction of the disc continues and causes small dislocations of the cervical vertebrae.
At this stage, the "dropping" head cider develops. At the same time, a person experiences sharp pains in the head and has to hold his head with his hand for about 20 minutes in order to relieve the pain a little. You need to sleep on an orthopedic pillow, sports are contraindicated.
3 degrees
ICD-10 code - M42. 12 - osteochondrosis of the 3rd degree is the most difficult stage of the disease. Has the following features:
- severe headache that keeps you from sleeping
- frequent nausea;
- high temperature rises;
- dizziness and loss of coordination;
- loss of sensation in the upper limbs.
In stage 3, the fibrous ring is practically deformed, which leads to serious complications, such as intervertebral protrusion or hernia.
Due to the fact that the cartilage tissue is already completely destroyed, the person ceases to experience sharp attacks of pain, the pain persists, as the nerve roots are pinched. The temperature can often rise. Any sport, even light at this stage is strictly prohibited.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at a young age
In children, osteochondrosis of the cervical region (it has an ICD-10 code - M42. 02, established by its forum of doctors) is an extremely rare and at the same time dangerous disease. The spine in children still has a fragile structure and therefore is so easily influenced by negative factors, especially since at this age the intervertebral discs and the 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 injury;
- allergy;
- sport;
- somatic diseases;
- genetic predisposition;
- various pathologies in the development of bones;
- when the child's body regularly carries infectious diseases.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in children
Many parents are interested in knowing how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis in children. First of all, in the treatment of this disease, which is accompanied by such symptoms as a lump in the throat, severe pain, due to which the child cannot sleep, inflammation and swelling, conservative treatment methods are used.
- Drugs having an analgesic effect. As a rule, with the help of such drugs, the pain subsides after 20 minutes.
- Drugs used against edema and relieving inflammation.
- Therapeutic massage courses, manual therapy and acupuncture, exercise therapy.
- Operational intervention. It is prescribed in the rarest cases and is directed against radicular syndrome.
What is cervical osteochondrosis, and especially in children, few parents know, and therefore when the child first complains of frequent pain in the neck, you should immediately contact avertebrologist.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
Nowadays, to diagnose osteochondrosis, it is necessary to consult a doctor who must conduct an initial examination. Then, if necessary, he sends for further examination. For this, the cervico-thoracic region is examined by magnetic resonance and computed tomography. Thanks to this examination, it is possible to establish the diagnosis and the degree of the disease.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
When the patient asks 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 better to use complex treatment, which includes traditional and non-traditional methods: manual therapy, medication, 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 consult a doctor and consult 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, you need to consult several specialists: a massage therapist, a spinal neurologist, a neurologist, a surgeon and a physiotherapist, they will prescribe in combination the methods that will be most effective.
Osteochondrosis, like all diseases, is best treated at the first stage of the disease, when you can provide competent assistance. But grades 2 and 3 practically do not lend themselves to treatment, so in this case a long recovery process is required.