Exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis occurs after remission. Pathology develops in a chronic form. It is impossible to completely fight with osteochondrosis.
The disease develops due to an insufficiently active lifestyle, alcohol abuse and nutritional problems.
Intervertebral discs reduce pressure on the vertebrae, but the cartilaginous tissue wears down over the years due to poor lifestyle choices. Regenerating cartilage tissue is not easy.
Reasons
Let's see what causes the symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- Some symptoms appear due to deformation of the vertebrae, osteophytes appear.
- The position of the vertebrae in relation to each other changes, the veins are compressed, and the blood supply of the nervous system deteriorates.
- The emergence of complications caused by displacement of the intervertebral discs also provokes pain in the nerve endings.
- Radicular syndrome occurs when the nerves of the cervical spine are compressed.
- Constant overstretching of the neck muscle tissue 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, when the first symptoms appear, it is necessary to consult a specialist.The main problem is that patients do not notice the symptoms of the disease.
First degree
First, small cracks appear on the discs. The elasticity of the cartilage tissue decreases, and if you do not change your position for a long time, pain in the neck appears.
Second level
Severe neck pain indicates the beginning of the second stage. The pain increases, the deformation of the intervertebral disc, dislocation occurs.In rare cases, numbness of the hands and face occurs.
At the end of the day, the patient has neck pain that radiates down the spine.
Exacerbation is indicated by the head drop 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
In the third stage of the disease, it is clear that the cause of unpleasant symptoms cannot be explained by overwork after physical exertion. In the third stage, the patient begins to feel pain, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and frequent fainting. Acute osteochondrosis is characterized by numbness of the neck and stiffness of the ears.
Sometimes the symptoms of the disease disappear, but after a while it worsens and reoccurs. New symptoms appear and the disease worsens.
How to behave during a flare-up?
Do not apply heating oils to your neck and massage a large area during the period of pain. If you feel symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, you should try to rest and take the most comfortable position.
It is necessary to lie on the back so that the muscle tissues stop tension. Attacks do not go away on their own. You should call the doctor to give you pain relievers and then make an appointment with a specialist. Many people have pain relievers in their home medicine cabinet. You can take these medicines to avoid calling the emergency room.
First aid and treatment
Treatment is carried out by a specialist:
- You should move as little as possible until the doctor arrives.
- Sit comfortably on the bed, do not put any weight on your body.
- Take pain relievers.
- Wait for the doctor.
The specialist prescribes antibiotics and drugs to eliminate inflammatory processes. They are needed in an emergency.
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 this drug is long, less than six months. They are able to prevent disease progression.
Medicines belonging to the category of muscle relaxants help osteochondrosis and relieve tension. Diuretics and vascular drugs, nootropics and B vitamins are also used.
In case of exacerbation of the disease, a procedure called blockade is prescribed. Novocaine is injected into the deformed spine. Symptoms may resolve quickly. We list non-drug treatment methods: exercise, physiotherapy, massage.
With the help of therapeutic exercises, it is possible to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and facilitate their exacerbation. Exercises should be done daily to strengthen the muscles of the neck and spine. Weak spines are better supported thanks to developed back muscles.
Massage is mandatory, thanks to the full course, muscle tone improves, spasms are eliminated, swelling decreases, cerebrospinal fluid circulates better, and blood supply is stabilized. Intervertebral discs stop the deformity.
Other treatments
Thanks to the Shants collar, you can reduce the load on the cervix during exacerbations. Such a device keeps the neck in a normal position, the load on muscle tissues and spine is reduced. You need to arrange your sleeping area correctly, you will need a hard mattress with an orthopedic effect, as well as a pillow that will bend your neck during rest.
If the therapy is carried out at the beginning of the attack and everything is done correctly, the peak of the disease will decrease after some time. If the disease is not treated in time, the attack will slow down, but not completely disappear. In the future, it is necessary to wait for several exacerbations, between which the pain will subside. Painful symptoms intensify during an attack.
What drugs are used?
Medicines should be used when the patient's condition worsens. exacerbation is eliminated with the help of such drugs. Anti-inflammatory or analgesic tablets, ointments for topical or external use. A muscle relaxant can help relieve muscle spasms that often occur with pain.
Vitamin B improves the transmission of nerve impulses through neurons. Initially administered as an intramuscular injection, patients are then switched to tablets.When pain increases blood pressure, calcium channels close, inhibitors, ACE or combination agents.
When cervical osteochondrosis increases, its symptoms cause cerebral blood circulation. Therapeutic procedures include the use of drugs for recovery. For this, it is advisable to consult a specialist for accurate recommendations on medication.
When patients experience emotional disturbances, doctors prescribe sedatives, which may be herbal or tranquilizers. When choosing, specialists 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 should be done when cervical osteochondrosis increases? It is necessary to undergo an examination, if complications are detected, the specialist can recommend a surgical procedure aimed at reducing compression and stabilizing the position of the spine. 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 without prior consultation. You can take painkillers, put 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, therefore it is necessary to take urgent measures. Therapy should be carried out after diagnosis, doctor's opinion and exclusion of other variants of pathology.
Aggravation of cervical osteochondrosis does not happen for a short time, the disease does not go away by itself.. Destructive processes of the cervical spine can develop and lead to complex consequences.
Increased during pregnancy
The body of pregnant women changes physiologically, the level of hormone production changes, and the body's center of gravity changes due to the growing weight of the fetus. Minerals and nutrients are intensively absorbed and absorbed. These changes have a significant impact on the musculoskeletal system. There is severe pressure on the spine.
Symptoms in women are similar to those in other patients. The difficulty lies in the choice of the treatment regimen, because when prescribing drugs, it is necessary to take into account their effect on the child. Oils that are harmless to the child are used to fight the disease.
Recurrence of osteochondrosis during pregnancy is associated with changes in the spine in 50% of cases.
Sometimes pain relievers or injections are given 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 the increase
If it is not possible to visit a doctor, you can use several recipes to ease the general condition of patients with cervical osteochondrosis. For example, a warm shower helps to 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 butter with mummy. You can also immobilize the neck to prevent compression of the spinal cord.
Gradual deterioration
If the painful symptoms of relapse are moderate, it is necessary to consult a specialist. The patient can take painkillers and fix the neck with a collar, but only a specialist can choose the appropriate therapeutic procedure.
during the increasecervical osteochondrosisprohibited:
- Use heating pads on your neck. Blood flows intensively to the problem area, the swelling increases, and the pain increases.
- Do not massage to avoid worsening the condition of the cervix.
In such cases, manual therapy can be helpful. A qualified professional can realign the spine so that there is no pressure on the nerve.
Therapeutic measures
The main condition for a successful outcome of the disease is complex therapy. Treatment measures include the use of injections, tablets, ointments, special patches and physiotherapy procedures.
Medicines
Drug treatment is aimed at relieving the pain, which is very evident during the acute phase. Prescribed medicines such as:
- Analgesics. They try to inject the anesthetic until the ambulance arrives, because the pain is too difficult for the patient to bear. If a person suffers from osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, he always has painkillers in stock.
- Muscle relaxant. Their action is to reduce the spasm of the skeletal muscles in the cervical vertebrae.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They relieve pain well, reduce inflammation, and help the patient with fever.
- Vitamin preparations. For the treatment of exacerbation of osteochondrosis, injectable preparations based on vitamins of group B are used. They help restore damaged nerve tissue as a result of pathological changes in the intervertebral part of the cervical spine.
- Means for local therapy. To alleviate the patient's condition, ointments and gels with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects are prescribed. They are a means of additional therapy and are prescribed to enhance the effect of injectable 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 treatment of osteochondrosis, which has proven itself only positively and has been used for several decades. During this time, new methods were developed, the use of which helps to eliminate the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis much faster.
If the methods of manual therapy are carried out at a high professional level, they have a positive effect on the condition of the muscle tissue, spine and articular apparatus of the neck.
The following manual therapy methods are used:
- Knead the muscles in separate segments. This method helps to relieve muscle tension.
- Mobilization technique. The doctor performs a series of actions, thanks to which the function of the articular apparatus is restored only in a certain part of the cervical spine.
- Manipulation technique. The procedure is a set of measures aimed at restoring the entire articular system affected by pathological changes. This method is used both in cervical osteochondrosis and in the treatment of the disease called general osteochondrosis.
If the patient is prescribed a course of manual therapy, he should carefully choose a doctor who will treat him. Because even a small mistake can have serious consequences, including the disability of the patient.
Massage
Massage is another way to ease the patient's condition during exacerbation of osteochondrosis. Its implementation helps to tighten the muscles of the neck, reduces the amount of lactic acid, its accumulation causes muscle spasms and normalizes blood circulation in the inflamed area. The combination of these effects leads to a reduction in pain.
Surgical intervention
If the doctor sees that this conservative treatment does not give the desired result, he prescribes surgical intervention for the patient. There are several indications that surgery may be necessary.
- Intervertebral hernia causes narrowing of the spinal canal, compression of blood vessels and nerve plexuses.
- Vertebral displacement relative to the horizontal axis.
- Intervertebral hernia can be one or more. This pathology is not an absolute indication for surgery, if it does not cause accompanying symptoms. If after several courses of conservative therapy, it is impossible to achieve a positive result, then they resort to surgery.
Exercise therapy
Therapeutic exercise is a technique used in the next step. Any exercise performed during the acute period will cause nothing but additional suffering to the patient. But when the attack is stopped, the inflammatory process is in a declining stage, then the appointment of a course of physical education will be helpful.
Thanks to exercise therapy, blood circulation is restored to normal and muscles are strengthened. Mobility of the spine improves, stiffness disappears, nerve tissue recovers, and pain decreases.
When prescribing physiotherapy, the doctor takes into account factors that are contraindicated. Physical therapy should not be used if the patient has diseases of the cardiovascular system, malignant or malignant tumors, severe visual impairment, diabetes.
Operation
Surgical intervention is carried out in two stages, but during one operation. In the first stage, the neurosurgeon eliminates the cause of the pain syndrome. This is the decompression method.
Then the spine is stabilized. The doctor takes into account that after the removal of the section of the intervertebral disc, dysfunction of the articular apparatus of the spine occurs.
Therefore, the vertebrae are fixed with the help of 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 be done at home?
Every patient suffering from cervical osteochondrosis should know what to do if it worsens at home. First, movement during the attack is strictly prohibited. The patient lies on a flat surface and in the receiving position, in which there is minimal muscle tension.
Give the patient an anesthetic injection. If this is not possible, then give the patient an analgesic in the form of tablets. 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 pathology should be entrusted only to an experienced doctor. However, there are cases when the disease appears suddenly and squeezes the patient's body. It can be aggravated, for example, if an intervertebral hernia is suspected. In this case, the patient cannot tolerate and measures should be taken to improve his condition.
For this you need to do the following steps:
- if possible, lay the patient on the bed or floor to immobilize the spine;
- wrap the affected area with a wool scarf (it is strictly forbidden to use a heating place);
- If the patient is bent over due to severe pain, do not try to straighten him. It is better to place it on a flat surface in the same position;
- give him a pain reliever. It can be Analgin, Diclofenac or Ibuprofen;
- call an ambulance.
The emergency doctor will determine how to relieve the symptoms of the disease, whether hospitalization is necessary or whether treatment can be continued at home.
Provide 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 good, because self-treatment is accompanied by even greater difficulties. However, you should not endure the pain until it arrives. First aid can be provided to the patient:
- To begin with, it is necessary to limit the mobility of the cervical spine as much as possible, it is better to go to bed.
- If painful osteochondrosis of the spine causes severe pain, it can be alleviated with the help of drugs. If the discomfort is too severe, these drugs may not help.
- In order for the spasm to go away as quickly as possible, the neck muscles must be relaxed.
- 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, which will help to deal with it faster.
Many people are interested in the question of how long the exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis lasts. This stage is different for everyone. If the treatment for the attack is started on time and the medication is effective, then its duration does not exceed a few days. Otherwise, discomfort accompanies the patient for several weeks.
How long the exacerbation will last depends on the characteristics of the human body, as well as the speed of development of the disease. If the treatment of the pathology is started late, then this condition will be repeated.
Increased during pregnancy
Disease exacerbation during pregnancy is always undesirable. This causes suffering to the expectant mother and her child, but in addition, it is difficult to use therapeutic measures due to contraindications to taking medications. Physiotherapy methods should not be prescribed for a pregnant woman.
Among 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. Yoga techniques are preferred.
Traditional medicine against severe pain in the spine: effective recipes
The use of traditional methods gives a positive result only in combination with drug treatment. You can eliminate pain and discomfort with cervical osteochondrosis using horseradish leaves.
They should be applied to the affected area, fixed with a bandage and tape and left overnight. Cosmetic clay mixed with water worked well as a compress.
Our grandmothers treated all types of osteochondrosis using compresses made of crushed raw potatoes mixed with honey. This mixture is applied to the affected areas, firmly fixed and left for several hours or overnight. A tincture of peppermint oil is excellent for rubbing.
How to reduce relapses
If the disease may worsen, then the person has already taken a large number of drugs, they may remove the pain. However, treatment will not work until the cause is eliminated.
In addition, unpleasant feelings can return, and with a vengeance. Symptoms and treatment of the disease with exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis have already been mentioned, how to understand how to prevent exacerbation.
For this, it is necessary to observe the following preventive measures:
- Visit the massage parlor. Of course, a specialist should be experienced and skilled, not to aggravate osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Massage sessions allow you to develop the spine, increase its functionality and mobility. At the same time, hard and soft tissues are well nourished, as blood circulation is normalized.
- Doing physical exercise. It is necessary to strengthen the upper back muscle corset.
- A daily walk before bed is recommended. This allows for a good night's rest. It is best 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, he should periodically get up and warm up. It is good to change the position of the body every quarter of an hour when working without motion.
- Swimming is an excellent preventive measure for spine problems. It not only relaxes the muscles, allows you to get rid of spasms, but at the same time strengthens them.
- For a good night's sleep, it is better to choose an orthopedic mattress that maintains the correct position of the human body throughout the night, no matter how it 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 "master" you meet. The procedure should be performed by an experienced specialist.
Prevention
In order to prevent the aggravation 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 have to stand in one position for more than half an hour, take a break to warm up.
- You need to sleep on a flat surface, hanging armored beds are contraindicated for patients with osteochondrosis.