Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis occurs after remission. The pathology develops in a chronic form. It is impossible to completely treat 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 down due to poor lifestyle choices. Cartilage tissue renewal is not easy.
Reasons
Let's find out what causes the symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- Some signs arise due to deformation of the vertebrae, osteophytes appear.
- The position of the vertebrae changes, the arteries are compressed and the blood supply to the nervous system deteriorates.
- The occurrence of complications due to displacement of the intervertebral discs also causes pain in the nerve endings.
- When the nerves in the cervical spine are compressed, radicular syndrome occurs.
- Constant overstrain of the muscle tissue in the neck at the computer or while driving a car.
How does cervical osteochondrosis worsen?
In the neck area the size of the vertebrae is small. Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis occurs with specific symptoms. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, you need to contact a specialist.The main problem is that patients do not notice the symptoms of the disease.
First degree
Initially, small cracks appear on the discs. The elasticity of cartilage tissue decreases and pain occurs in the neck if you do not change your position for a long time.
Second degree
Severe pain in the neck indicates the beginning of the second stage. The pain worsens due to deformation of the intervertebral disc, dislocations appear.In rare cases, numbness of the hands and face occurs.
At the end of the day, the patient feels pain in the neck, which flows further down the spine.
An exacerbation is manifested by the head drop syndrome, in which unbearable pain occurs, the head cannot be held up, you need to fix it with pillows or hands to reduce the symptom.
Third degree
The third stage of the disease is clearly manifested; the cause of the unpleasant symptoms cannot be attributed to excessive work after physical exertion. In the third stage, the patient begins to feel malaise, dizziness, tinnitus and frequent fainting spells. Acute osteochondrosis is characterized by neck numbness and tinnitus.
Sometimes the signs of the disease disappear, but reappear with exacerbations after some time. New marks appear and the pain becomes stronger.
How to behave during an outbreak?
During a flare-up, you should not rub warming ointments on your neck or massage a large area. If you feel signs of cervical osteochondrosis, you should try to relax and take the most comfortable position.
You need to lie on your back so that the muscle tissue stops being strained. The attack does not go away on its own.You need to call a doctor to administer painkillers and then make an appointment with a specialist. Many people have painkillers in their home medicine cabinet. You can take these medicines so you don't have to call an ambulance.
First aid and treatment
The treatment is carried out by a specialist:
- Before the doctor arrives, you need to move as little as possible.
- Sit comfortably in bed, do not strain the body.
- Take pain meds.
- Wait for the doctor.
The specialist prescribes antibiotics and drugs to eliminate inflammatory processes. They are needed during an outbreak.
Patients are prescribed chondroprotectors, which alter 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 class of muscle relaxants also help with osteochondrosis and relieve tension. Diuretic and vascular drugs, nootropics and B vitamins are also used.
During exacerbations, the disease is accompanied by pain, and a procedure called blockade is prescribed. Novocaine is injected into the area of the deformed vertebra. Symptoms can be relieved quickly. We list treatment methods without drugs: exercise, physiotherapy, massage.
It will be possible to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and relieve the exacerbation with the help of therapeutic exercises. You should do daily exercises to strengthen your neck and spine muscles. The weakened vertebrae will be better held in place thanks to the developed muscles in the back.
Massage is mandatory, thanks to a full course, muscle tone improves, spasms are eliminated, swelling is reduced, cerebrospinal fluid circulates better and blood supply is stabilized. Intervertebral discs stop deforming.
Other treatments
Thanks to the Shants collar, you can reduce the load on the cervical spine during exacerbations. Such a device will keep the neck in a normal position, the load on the muscle tissue and vertebrae will be reduced. You need to arrange your sleeping area properly; you will need a hard mattress with an orthopedic effect, as well as a pillow that does not bend your neck while resting.
If the treatment is carried out when the attack begins and everything is done correctly, the peak of the disease will subside after some time. If the disease is not treated in time, the attack will subside, but it will not be completely eliminated. In the future, you should expect several exacerbations, between which the pain will subside. Painful symptoms worsen during the attack.
What drugs are used?
When the patient's condition worsens, drugs must be used. Exacerbation is eliminated with the help of such drugs. Anti-inflammatory or painkillers in tablets, topical or external ointments. Muscle relaxants help eliminate muscle spasms, which often occur with pain.
Vitamin B improves the transmission of nerve impulses through neurons. It is initially used as intramuscular injections, then patients are transferred to tablets.If the disease raises blood pressure, calcium channels are blocked, inhibitors, ACE inhibitors or combination agents.
When cervical osteochondrosis worsens, its symptoms cause cerebral circulation. Therapeutic procedures include the use of drugs for rehabilitation. To do this, it is recommended to contact a specialist to receive accurate recommendations regarding medications.
When patients experience emotional disturbances, doctors prescribe sedatives, which can be herbal ingredients or tranquilizers. When choosing, specialists are often guided by the severity of these symptoms. Spinal blocks using novocaine are used for severe painful symptoms.
Surgery
What to do in case of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis if the above methods are not effective? It is necessary to undergo an examination; if complications are detected, a specialist may recommend a surgical procedure aimed at reducing compression and stabilizing the position of the vertebrae. Complications arise after such operations, so they are performed in extreme cases.
What to do at home?
Doctors do not recommend treating cervical osteochondrosis at home during exacerbations without prior consultation. You can take a painkiller, wrap a scarf around your neck and wait for the doctor to come. Depending on the severity of the process, treatment continues at home or in the hospital.
Symptoms of acute osteochondrosis worsen the quality of life, so urgent measures should be taken. The treatment should be carried out after the diagnosis, the doctor's conclusion and the exclusion of other pathological options.
Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis does not occur for a short time, the disorder does not go away on its own. Destructive processes in the cervical spine can develop and lead to complex consequences.
Aggravation during pregnancy
The body of pregnant women changes at a physiological level, the level of hormone production changes, the body's center of gravity 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 a treatment regimen, as when prescribing drugs their possible effect on the child must be taken into account. When we deal with exacerbations, ointments are used that do not harm the child.
During pregnancy, recurrence of osteochondrosis occurs in 50% of cases due to changes in the spine.
Sometimes, for complex pain, painkillers or injections are prescribed. Many pregnant women are treated with unconventional methods. Recipes of traditional medicine are less harmful to the fetus.
Other ways to eliminate exacerbations
If it is not possible to visit a doctor, you can use various recipes to relieve the general condition of patients with osteochondrosis in the cervical region. For example, a hot shower helps you relax. You can wrap a woolen scarf or other garment made of this material around your neck. Or apply herbal compresses to the affected area.
Onions, mint and sage are also used for such purposes. Try making a salve from mumiyo and butter. You can also immobilize the neck so that the roots of the spinal cord are not pinched.
Gradual deterioration
If the recurrence of painful symptoms is moderate, you should contact a specialist. The patient can take painkillers and secure the neck with a collar, but only a specialist can choose the appropriate treatment procedure.
During the flare-upcervical osteochondrosisprohibited:
- Apply heating pads to your neck. Blood will flow strongly to the problem area, the swelling will worsen and the pain will become stronger.
- You should not massage the cervical area so as not to worsen its condition.
Manual therapy will be helpful in such situations. A skilled practitioner can realign the vertebrae so that pressure is not placed on the nerve.
Therapeutic measures
The main condition for the successful outcome of the disease is complex treatment. Treatment measures include the use of injections, tablets, ointments, special patches and physiotherapy procedures.
Medicines
Drug treatment aims to relieve the pain, which is very intense in the acute period. Prescription drugs such as:
- Analgesics. They try to inject an anesthetic before the ambulance arrives, as it can be very difficult for the patient to bear the pain. If a person suffers from osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, then he always has 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. To deal with the exacerbation of osteochondrosis, injectable preparations based on B vitamins are used. They help to restore the nerve tissue that has been damaged due to pathological changes in the intervertebral region of the cervical spine.
- Means for local treatment. In order to alleviate the patient's condition, ointments and gels with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects are prescribed. They are means of complementary therapy and are prescribed to enhance the action of injectable drugs. In addition, special pads 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 been proven only on the positive side and which has been used for several decades. During this time, new techniques have been developed, the use of which helps to relieve the symptoms of the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis much faster.
If manual therapy techniques are performed at a highly professional level, this has a beneficial effect on the condition of the muscle tissue, vertebrae and articular apparatus of the cervical spine.
The following manual therapy techniques are used:
- Muscles of fermentation in a separate section. This technique helps relieve muscle tension.
- Mobilization technique. The doctor performs a series of actions due to which the function of the articular apparatus is restored only in a certain area of the cervical spine.
- Manipulation technique. The procedure is a set of actions aimed at restoring the entire joint system that has suffered as a result of pathological changes. This method is used both for cervical osteochondrosis and to treat a disease called osteochondrosis commona.
If a patient is prescribed a course of manual therapy, he must 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 to alleviate the patient's condition during an exacerbation of osteochondrosis. Its application helps 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.
Surgery
If the doctor sees that conservative treatment will not give the desired result, he prescribes surgery to the patient. There are many indications in which surgery is unavoidable.
- Narrowing of the spinal canal due to intervertebral hernia, leading to compression of the vascular and nerve plexuses.
- Displacement of the vertebrae in relation to the horizontal axis.
- Intervertebral hernia, which can be single or multiple. This pathology is not an absolute indication for surgery if it does not cause associated symptoms. If, after several courses of conservative treatment, it was not possible to achieve a positive result, then they resort to surgery.
Exercise therapy
Therapeutic exercise is a method used in the monitoring stage. In the acute period, any exercise performed will bring nothing to the patient except additional discomfort. But when the attack has stopped, the inflammatory process is at the stage of reduction, then the prescription of a course of physical therapy becomes an assistant.
Thanks to exercise therapy, blood circulation returns to normal and muscles are strengthened. Spinal mobility improves and stiffness disappears, nerve tissue is restored and pain is reduced.
When prescribing physical therapy, the doctor takes into account 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 mellitus.
Mode
The surgery 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 vertebrae stabilize. The doctor takes into account that after the removal of a part of the intervertebral disc, dysfunction of the articular mechanism of the spine occurs.
Therefore, the vertebrae are fixed with a special technique.
In modern orthopedic practice, artificial intervertebral discs are used, which make it possible to prevent 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, movement during an attack is strictly prohibited. The patient should lie on a flat surface and take a position in which the muscles are slightly stretched.
Give the patient an anesthetic injection. If this is not possible, then give the patient an analgesic in tablet form. In addition, an anti-inflammatory ointment or gel should be applied to the neck area. The emergency doctor will tell you what to do next.
Exacerbation period of osteochondrosis: first aid at home
The treatment of spinal pathologies should be entrusted only to an experienced doctor. And yet there are situations where pain appears suddenly and limits the patient's body. An acute exacerbation may occur, for example, if an intervertebral hernia is suspected. In this case, the patient cannot tolerate it and measures must be taken to improve his condition.
To do this you should follow the following steps:
- if possible, place the patient on the bed or floor to immobilize the spine.
- wrap the point of pain with a woolen scarf (it is strictly forbidden to use a heating pad).
- If the patient is bent over because of 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 painkiller to drink. This can be Analgin, Diclofenac or Ibuprofen.
- call an ambulance.
The emergency physician will determine how to relieve the pain symptom, if hospitalization is necessary, or if treatment can be continued at home.
First aid to a patient
Acute osteochondrosis causes a lot of pain and discomfort, even limiting the mobility of the spine. If it is possible to call a doctor at home, it is better to do this, since self-medication is fraught with even greater complications. However, you should not endure the pain until it arrives. First aid can be given to the patient:
- First, you should limit the mobility of the cervical spine as much as possible; it is best to go to sleep.
- If painful osteochondrosis of the cervical spine causes very severe pain, then it can be relieved with the help of drugs. If the discomfort 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 you deal with it faster.
Many people are interested in the question of how long the exacerbations of cervical osteochondrosis last. This phase goes through differently for each person. If the treatment for an attack was started on time and the drugs proved effective, then its duration does not exceed several days. Otherwise, discomfort will accompany the patient for several weeks.
How long the period of exacerbation will last depends on the characteristics of the human body, as well as on the speed of development of the disease. If the treatment of the pathology is started late, then this situation will repeat itself.
Aggravation during pregnancy
Exacerbation of diseases during pregnancy is always undesirable. This brings discomfort to the expectant mother and her baby, but apart from that, it is difficult to implement therapeutic measures due to contraindications to taking medicines. Physiotherapy methods should not be prescribed to a pregnant woman.
Of the drugs used during pregnancy, Traumeel in the form of tablets, ointments and injections and paracetamol are allowed. In addition, physical therapy is prescribed, but under the strict supervision of a doctor. Exercises that require minimal physical activity are chosen. Preference is given to yoga techniques.
Traditional medicine for severe pain in the spine: effective recipes
The use of traditional methods has a positive effect only in combination with drug therapy. You can eliminate pain and discomfort with cervical osteochondrosis by using horseradish leaves.
They should be applied to the painful area, fixed with a bandage and adhesive tape and left overnight. Cosmetic clay mixed with water has worked well as a compress.
Our grandmothers treated all types of osteochondrosis using compresses made of grated raw potatoes mixed with honey. This mixture was applied to the affected areas, fixed firmly and left for several hours or overnight. Pepper oil tincture is great for rubbing.
How to reduce relapse rates
If the disease can worsen, then the person already has a large number of drugs in advance that can relieve the pain. However, without eliminating the cause, the treatment will not be effective.
In addition, unpleasant sensations may return again, and even with a vengeance. With exacerbations of cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms and treatment of the disease have already been discussed earlier, it is necessary to understand how to prevent an exacerbation.
To do this, the following precautions must be observed:
- Visit to the massage room. Of course, the specialist must 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, as blood circulation is normalized.
- Doing physical exercise. This is necessary to strengthen the muscular corset of the upper back.
- It is recommended to take walks every day before going to bed. This will allow you to have a good rest. It is better to avoid heavy sports, jumping and other exercises that involve heavy loads or sudden movements.
- If a person spends a lot of time in a static sitting position, then from time to time he needs to get up and warm up. When you work sitting, it is better to change the position of your body every quarter of an hour.
- Swimming is an excellent preventive measure for spinal problems. It not only relaxes the muscles, allowing you to relieve the spasm, but at the same time strengthens them.
- For a night's sleep, it is better to choose an orthopedic mattress that maintains the correct position of the person's body throughout the night, regardless of how he turns.
- For prevention, you can also use non-traditional methods, for example, acupuncture. Of course, you can't do it yourself and you shouldn't trust your health to the first "gentleman" you meet. The procedure must be performed by an experienced specialist.
Prevention
To prevent the disease from worsening, it is recommended to follow certain rules:
- Watch your posture.
- Avoid straining your muscles while working on a computer or sitting at a desk.
- Change your position every few minutes to avoid muscle stiffness.
- If you have to stay at one stop for more than half an hour, take a break to warm up.
- You need to sleep on a flat surface; loose padded beds are contraindicated for patients with osteochondrosis.