Degenerative disc disease (low back pain) the cervical spine is an underlying cause of the pain symptoms in the neck or irradiiruet pain in the hand. The pain symptoms begin to manifest in the event that one or more intervertebral discs a cervical spine begin to collapse due to degeneration.
Prone to a few embers, develop osteoarthritis, who may have a genetic component. Trauma faster, sometimes, because a development of degenerative changes in the cervical spine.
Treatment of a degenerative disease is a disk cervical spine gives results is only good if you have regular characters and consistent, systematic. Osteochondrosis of a cervical spine included in the list of the most common look, symptoms, the patient of working age who sit long at a computer. Often the patient does not pay attention to the pain and not seek medical help , which is complications.
Risk factors a degenerative disease of a disk cervical spine
While almost all people sooner or later develop involutional degenerative changes in a cervical spine, factor there are a few that might be more of a early development, a degenerative disc disease or a symptoms. Ezek a risk factor the following:
- The genetic. Some studies of twins indicate a greater role of genetic, mint lifestyle, the early development of degenerative disease disk cervical spine, as well as a fast onset of the symptoms.
- Obesity. Weight is associated with risk of developing degenerative disc disease (osteoarthritis).
- Smoking. It's a habit obstructs the flow one nutrients the to the disk, and speeds up rehydration.
- In addition, spinal cord injury, or sometimes the start to speed up the process of degeneration of a cervical spine.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a degenerative disease is a disk cervical spine is different for different people.
When degenerative disc disease becomes symptomatic, the pain may develop gradually or suddenly appear. Symptoms may include neck discomfort may be some of that debilitating severe pain radiating to the arm, numbness and / or muscle weakness.
Main symptoms:
- Pain in the neck. Low intensity pain in the background of a stiffness of the neck is the most common symptom of degenerative disease is a disk cervical spine. Sometimes, however, the pain sharply increases, and then the last hours or a few days.
- Neuralgia. This type of pain is usually sharp, a kind of shock, or radiation, the shoulder, the arm, the hand and / or fingers. Generally felt that a neuralgia, only one side of a test.
- Neurological symptoms, a hand, wrist and / or fingers. You may feel the tingling, needles, numbness and / or weakness, which may extend along the upper limb. These types of symptoms can interfere with daily activities, such as printing, dress up, or hold objects.
- The pain increases with movement. In general, a disc pain caused by degenerative usually increases movement, reduces the other.
- If the pain comes to a degenerative disc, probably that will disappear by itself within art or within a few weeks. However, other symptoms of a degenerative disease is a disk cervical spine often become chronic, and require treatment, for example, if a facet joints of the neck, is to begin to a degenerate and / compression or nerve root.
Less common symptoms
The more a, cervical spine degenerate, the more likely it is that a spinal canal narrow, increase the spinal cord compression. If the spinal cord compression develop myelopathia appears the symptoms, such as:
- Having a hard time moving hand, and / or a leg
- Problems of a coordination and / or balance
- Loss of control of bowel and / or bladder
- Weakness and / or anywhere, numbness below the neck
- Stabbing pain in the extremities, which can increase when you lean forward
Cervical myelopathy is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. Usually this condition occurs in older people than 50 years ago.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of osteochondrosis of a cervical spine adjustable based on the data the such:
- Medical history. First, the physician needs to examine in detail the symptoms, medical history.
- Physical examination. Then the doctor will perform a physical examination, which sensor head, control the range of motion of the neck. In a test, patients are asked to perform certain movements and indicate increases or decreases the pain in the neck.
- If the pain they're too strong, or if neurological symptoms, such as pain, tingling, or muscle weakness in the shoulder, a hand, arm or, then probably the doctor for medical prescribe imaging .
- Medical imaging (x-ray, CT, MRI, PET). If the doctor finds to determine the exact origin of the symptoms it is necessary to obtain image of tissue (discs), then most likely your scheduled MRI. MR, x-ray or CT scan confirms that there are signs of the degeneration, or other identified conditions (e.g., osteoarthritis, or stenosis) that the symptoms can cause.
- After confirming an accurate diagnosis of a degenerative disease is a disk cervical spine, as well as any other States concluded, it can be understood, the Genesis of the symptoms to identify an effective treatment program.
A condition associated with degenerative disease is a disk cervical spine
Disc degeneration is often accompanied by other diseases, to simultaneously work for, or in some cases, the one causing the other. Most often we meet the following conditions:
- Hernia of a cervical spine following will be in the case of a disk degeneration disorder leads to a integrity of a ring of fibrous, protrusion of the contents occur outside of a ring. But a herniated disc can occur after injury , which ultimately accelerates the disc degeneration leads to the development of a degenerative disease disk cervical spine .
- The neck arthritis. As a disc degenerates, and a disc space within a spinal column will begin to decrease, a facet joints may start to move abnormally, the excessive wear of the cartilage and encourage the formation of joints of a cervical spine.
- A stenosis Cervical spine. This is a condition that occurs due to the arthritis or a herniated disc and narrowing of the spinal canal (where the spinal cord) or foraminal foramen (where the nerve root).
But understand you have to sometimes people a I was born narrowing of the spinal canal, as well as the development of symptoms associated with degenerative disc disease.
Cervical radiculopathy - symptoms of pain, tingling, numbness and / or weakness radiating, a shoulder, a hand, the arm may occur if one or more of the or nerve roots irritated zaselyalsya. If the narrowing occurs when a spinal cord compression by a herniated disc, joint, or you can develop myelopathy. Possible symptoms: pain, tingling, numbness and / weakness or it may be felt that this level of the neck, but any place below the level of compression. For example, brand a may be, or tingling weakness in the legs, balance problems, or difficulty controlling bowel, bladder.
If the symptoms of a spinal condition, it is very important to help ask for medical because of a condition of progress, and without treatment, eventually develop paralysis of the limbs, but it bothers me.
Treatment
As a general rule, if a disc symptoms degenerative disease in a cervical spine brings healing measures, which are aimed at reducing symptoms. Primarily in the treatment of a degenerative disease disk cervical spine does not use a surgical methods of treatment.
In rare cases, when a pain, a symptoms remain the persist, or worsen, despite several months of treatment, or if there is a danger of damage to the spinal cord, then it's a question of an operation.
The options for conservative treatment
To treat neck pain caused by degenerative disc disease, usually the doctor recommends one or more of the following treatment options:
- Vacation or lifestyle change. Certain activities may be more pain in the neck, the mint neck stretch, too, when working on the computer. Abstinence, or certain change of activities, a few days weeks usually or to reduce the pain. In addition, it is recommended to maintain the correct posture (instead of rely on, if ül, or bending the neck forward while driving, etc.). Healthy meals, a high hydration, and Smoking cessation is beneficial for health a disc.
- The treatment of pain, drug injection or. A certain effect can give over-the-counter pain relievers. If the pain is strong, the order can be the pain is stronger mint oral steroids, muscle relaxants or opiates.
Injections like facet injections, nerve or epidural blockade. Ezek include a corticosteroid injection to a specific structure to reduce local inflammation:
- Caudal epidural injection
- Injection of a dimension joints
- Interlaminar caudal epidural steroid injections
- Trans foraminal epidural injection
- Selective blockade of nerve roots
- Blockade of medial branches
- Ice heat can be used for a treatment of a degenerative disease disk cervical spine.
- LFK. Most non-surgical programs for the treatment of degenerative disease disk cervical spine would include a specific program of exercises, as isometric stretching .The selection of a the exercises a trained professional ( doctor, physical therapy) , as the practice is not high can lead to deterioration . In addition, the exercises should be chosen taking into account the individual characteristics of a particular person . Usually, increasing strength, flexibility, a neck to reduce the pain somewhat slow down the degenerative changes in the discs.
- Manual therapy. The cervical spine can be manually adjusted by skilled specialists with a area, the fajbiológia to improve range of motion and / or to reduce the pain. Depending on the specific symptoms the patients need to carry out a physical examination and / before it is displayed or a hand, the manipulation of the neck.
- Physical therapy
- Massage
- Acupuncture
- Corethrogyne
Surgical treatment of degenerative disease disc cervical spine
Management of the Operational osteochondrosis of a cervical spine are generally taken in two cases:
- Are these neurological symptoms like constant numbness in the hands and / weakness or problems with walking the intestine or the control. If neurological symptoms caused by degenerative disease disk cervical spine, there is a risk of discrimination, neurological damage, or that a surgery is recommended to reduce the pressure on nerves.
- Chronic pain, severe or not responding to treatment, at least hat months a surgical treatment and your daily activities will be difficult. The best results surgery can be expected in patients with chronic pain in combination with other conditions, such as the instability of the motion segments, a neck and / or radiculopathy.
Main surgical methods of treatment of a degenerative disease is a disk cervical spine:
- Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).
- Artificial disk replacement.
In addition, many other surgical procedures, a treatment of a degenerative disease is a disk cervical spine:
- Endoscopic decompression
- Endoscopic the foraminotomy
- Percutaneous decompression
- Within the disc used to electro-thermal therapy
- Selective endoscopic discectomy
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Radio frequency ablation
- Epidural lysis of adhesions
Surgical procedures on the neck to the decompression of nerve roots and / or spinal cord, thus reducing the neurological symptoms, such as pain or weakness in the hands, prone to a remote good results - a positive forecast of 80% to 90% .