To date, osteochondrosis is a fairly common disease, as people who lead a passive lifestyle are susceptible 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. Has an ICD-10 - M42 code. 12, which was accepted by the International Doctors Forum. This part of the spine is more susceptible to disease because it is more 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. The symptoms of the manifestation depend directly on the stage of the disease and the nature of the deformity of the intervertebral discs.
Causes of osteochondrosis
As mentioned above, the main cause of the onset of the disease is lack of physical activity.
A passive lifestyle leads to:
- for failure in the work of metabolic processes;
- salts appear in the lymphatic fluid and in the bloodstream;
- salts are deposited in the liver, kidneys and cervical region.
Inflammation occurs in OSHOP (cervical spine osteochondrosis, code M42. 12) also for the fact that there is not enough nutrients in the intervertebral discs. Occurs when a person consumes unbalanced and wrong food.
Among the symptoms can be distinguished as fever lasting 20 minutes, a lump in the throat, pain in the spine and cervicothoracic region, severe pain attacks when a person can not sleep normally and needs first aid in the form of sedatives. against such pains. A strong cough, but it is worth noting that cough with osteochondrosis of the chest region is also a common occurrence. Sport in this case is contraindicated, as sport can exacerbate the problem. It is better to sleep on an orthopedic mattress.
Why is osteochondrosis dangerous?
Many people are wondering 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 congested, blood circulation to the brain fails. Then there is inflammation, fever, lasts 30 minutes, a feeling of a lump in the throat, pain in the back and under the shoulder blade, which are sometimes difficult to remove.
In case of pain attacks, you should urgently consult a doctor, he will be able to prescribe the necessary sedatives. Folk remedies or a forum where you can find lots of tips will not help in this case. In acute attacks, sport or massage is strictly contraindicated.
In an advanced stage, squeezing the artery can cause:
- coordination problems;
- deterioration of vision and hearing;
- temperature may appear;
- sore throat;
- stroke.
If the disease was not detected in the first stage and treatment was not started in time, the consequences occur in the form of hernia and intervertebral elongation.
Degrees of osteochondrosis
A disease such as OSHOP develops gradually. And before you start treating osteochondrosis of the cervix, it is important to know its extent. Doctors call it 3 degrees of disease.
1 degree
From this stage begins the process of deformation of the intervertebral discs. 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 excruciating pain, a rise in temperature and a sore throat when a person goes to bed. But it often happens that osteochondrosis in the cervical region has no 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. Occurs when help is 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 going to bed, a sore throat appears. In some patients, there is shortness of breath with osteochondrosis of the cervix. The process of compression and destruction of the disc continues and causes small dislocations of the cervical vertebrae.
At this stage the "falling" head must develop. At the same time, the person feels sharp pain in the head and has to hold the head with the hand for about 20 minutes to alleviate the pain a bit. You need to sleep on an orthopedic pillow, sports are contraindicated.
3 degrees
ICD-10 Code - M42. 12 - grade 3 osteochondrosis is the most difficult stage of the disease. It has the following features:
- severe headache that keeps you awake
- frequent nausea;
- high temperature rises;
- dizziness and loss of coordination;
- loss of sensation in the upper extremities.
In stage 3, the fibrous ring is practically deformed, which causes serious complications, such as intervertebral extension or herniation.
Due to the fact that the cartilage tissue is already completely destroyed, the person ceases to feel acute attacks of pain, the pain still remains, because the nerve roots are tight. The temperature can often rise. Any sport, even light at this stage is strictly forbidden.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at a young age
In children, osteochondrosis of the cervical region (has an ICD-10 code - M42. 02, created 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 that is why it is so easily affected 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 cord injury;
- allergies;
- sport;
- somatic diseases;
- genetic predisposition;
- various pathologies in bone development;
- when the child's body regularly 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, due to which the child can not sleep, inflammation and swelling, conservative methods of treatment are used.
- Drugs that have an analgesic effect. As a rule, with the help of such medicines, the pain disappears after 20 minutes.
- Medications used against edema and relieve inflammation.
- Course of therapeutic massage, 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 this is why when the child first complains of frequent neck pain, you should immediately contact a vertebrologist.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
Nowadays, to diagnose osteochondrosis, it is necessary to visit a doctor who should perform an initial examination. Then, if necessary, he sends for additional examination. For this, the cervical region is examined on magnetic resonance and computed tomography. Thanks to this examination it is possible to determine the diagnosis and the degree 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 degree of the disease and studying the main clinical manifestations. To date, there are many different methods of treatment.
It is good 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 visit a doctor and consult with him, you should not go to the forum and get information there.
In order for the treatment of the disease (code M42. 12) to be effective, you need to visit several specialists: a massage therapist, a vertebral neurologist, a neurologist, a surgeon and a physiotherapist, they will describe in combination those methods that willbe more effective.
Osteochondrosis, like all diseases, is best treated in the first stage of the disease, when you can provide competent help. But grades 2 and 3 are practically not suitable for treatment, so in this case a long recovery process is needed.