To date, osteochondrosis is a relatively common disease, as people who lead a passive lifestyle are prone to it. As a rule, deformation of bone and cartilage tissue (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 the code ICD -10 - M42. 12, which has been accepted by the International Forum of Physicians. This part of the spine is most susceptible to disease, as it is the most mobile and is surrounded by weak muscular corsets, especially in children. It is also distinguished by a large number of vascular and neural formations. Symptoms of manifestation directly depend on the stage of the disease and the nature of the deformation of the intervertebral disc.
Causes of osteochondrosis
As noted above, the main cause of disease onset is lack of physical activity.
A passive lifestyle leads to:
- to failure in the work of metabolic processes;
- salts appear in lymph fluid and bloodstream;
- salts are deposited in the liver, kidneys and cervical region.
Inflammation appearing in OSHOP (osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, code M42. 12) is also due to the fact that there are not enough nutrients in the intervertebral disc. It happens when a person consumes an unbalanced and wrong diet.
Among its symptoms, can be distinguished such as temperature lasting for 20 minutes, lumps in the throat, pain in the spine and cervicothoracic area, severe pain attacks when a person cannot sleep normally and he needs first aid in the form of painkillers. against such pain. Strong cough, but it should be noted that cough with osteochondrosis in the thoracic region is also a common occurrence. Sports in this case are contraindicated, as sports can exacerbate the problem. It is better to sleep on an orthopedic mattress.
Why is osteochondrosis dangerous?
Many people are interested in why cervical osteochondrosis is dangerous? This part contains nerve roots and spinal cord, as well as arteries that supply blood to the back of the brain and cerebellum. When a person suffers from OSOP, the arteries are compressed, blood circulation in the brain fails. Then there is inflammation, fever, lasting 30 minutes, a feeling of lumps in the throat, pain in the back and under the shoulder blades, which are sometimes difficult to remove.
In case of a pain attack, you should immediately see a doctor, he will be able to prescribe the necessary painkillers. Rehabilitation of people or forums where you can get a lot of advice will not help in this case. In acute attacks, sports or massage are strictly prohibited.
At a later stage, squeezing the arteries can cause:
- problems with coordination;
- visual and hearing impairment;
- temperature may appear;
- sore throat;
- stroke.
If the disease is not detected in the first stage and timely treatment is not initiated, the consequences occur in the form of intervertebral hernias and protrusions.
Stages of osteochondrosis
Diseases such as OSHOP develop gradually. And before starting treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, it is important to know its extent. Doctors call 3 degrees of the disease.
1 degree
From this stage, the process of intervertebral disc deformation begins. The fibrous ring is closed with small cracks, the process of reducing the elasticity and strength of the disc occurs, its height decreases. All of this contributes to nerve root compression. It is important to understand that only light sports are allowed in such circumstances.
The first signs of this stage are the appearance of excruciating pain, increased temperature and sore throat when a person goes to sleep. But it often happens that osteochondrosis in the cervical region has no obvious clinical manifestations and a person practically does not feel pain and discomfort in the cervicothoracic region.
2 degrees
The stage of the disease is chronic. It occurs when assistance is not provided in a timely manner in the first stage. A person feels constant pain, lumps in the throat, high temperature can rise when he sleeps, sore throat appears. In some patients, there is shortness of breath 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 "falling" head cider develops. At the same time, a person feels a sharp pain in his head and he has to hold his head with his hands for about 20 minutes to relieve some of the pain. You need to sleep on orthopedic pillows, sports are contraindicated.
3 degrees
ICD -10 code - M42. 12 - 3rd degree osteochondrosis is the most difficult stage of the disease. Has the following features:
- a severe headache that keeps you awake
- frequent nausea;
- high temperature rise;
- dizziness and loss of coordination;
- loss of sensation in the upper leg.
At stage 3, the fibrous ring can be said to be deformed, leading to serious complications, such as intervertebral protrusion or hernia.
Due to the fact that the cartilage tissue is completely destroyed, the person stops feeling the acute attack of pain, the pain still remains, because the nerve roots are pinched. The temperature may rise frequently. Any, even light sports at this stage are 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 his doctor's forum) is a very rare and at the same time dangerous disease. The spine in children still has a fragile structure and therefore it is very easily influenced by negative factors, especially since at this age the intervertebral disc and spine continue to develop.
Osteochondrosis in children can develop for several reasons:
- lack of useful minerals and vitamins in the diet of children;
- problems with the cardiovascular system;
- spinal cord injuries;
- allergies;
- sports;
- somatic diseases;
- genetic predisposition;
- various pathologies in bone development;
- when the child's body frequently carries infectious diseases.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in children
Many parents are interested in how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis in children. First of all, in the treatment of this disease, which is accompanied by symptoms such as a lump in the throat, severe pain, because of which the child can not sleep, inflammation and swelling, conservative treatment methods are used.
- Drugs that have analgesic effects. As a rule, with the help of such drugs, the pain disappears after 20 minutes.
- Medications used against edema and relieve inflammation.
- Therapeutic massage courses, manual therapy and acupuncture, exercise therapy.
- Surgical intervention. It is prescribed in the rarest cases and is directed at radicular syndrome.
What is cervical osteochondrosis, and especially in children, few parents know, and that is why when a child first complains of frequent pain in the neck, you should immediately contact a vertebrologist.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
Nowadays, to diagnose osteochondrosis, it is necessary to visit a doctor who must conduct an initial examination. Then, if necessary, he sends for additional examination. For this, the cervicothoracic area was examined on magnetic resonance and computed tomography. Thanks to this examination, it is possible to establish the diagnosis and stage of the disease.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
When asked by the patient how to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis (code M42. 12), the doctor will be able to answer by determining the extent of the disease and reviewing the main clinical manifestations. To date, there are many different treatment methods.
It is better to use complex treatments, which include 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 visit a doctor and consult with him, you can not go to the forum and take the information there.
In order for the treatment of the disease (code M42. 12) to be effective, you need to visit several specialists: massage therapists, vertebral neurologists, neurologists, surgeons and physiotherapists, they will prescribe in a combination of methods that will be most effective.
Osteochondrosis, like all diseases, is best treated in the first stage of the disease, when you can provide relief efficiently. But grades 2 and 3 are practically unable to receive treatment, so in this case a lengthy recovery process is required.