Is it possible to cure cervical osteochondrosis?

How to cure cervical osteochondrosis? This question is asked by many patients and doctors around the world. Degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system are very difficult to treat and lead to a wide variety of complications. Under these conditions, the question of effective therapy is extremely relevant.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Before finding out whether cervical osteochondrosis can be cured, it is worth understanding the very essence of this disease. Osteochondrosis is a degenerative process that begins in the intervertebral discs – the layers of cartilage between every two adjacent vertebrae.

Imagine an intervertebral disc. It consists of an inner soft part - the nucleus pulposus and an outer layer - the fibrous capsule. This is what gives the soft part a certain shape so that the core fulfills its shock absorption function.

In osteochondrosis, the primary degenerative process occurs precisely in the fibrous capsule:

1. Under the influence of harmful factors, a defect is formed.
2. The soft core of the disc penetrates through it - a protrusion of the spinal discs is formed.
3. As the process progresses, part of the nucleus falls out - a herniated disc forms.

All of these processes involve surrounding tissues in inflammation. First, a reflex pain syndrome develops, and then a compression syndrome - the nerve roots are compressed by the hernia.

This process can occur in any part of the spine. One of the most common locations is the neck. Is it possible to cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine?

Treatment options

Understanding the essence of the disease and the mechanism of its development, we can assume which methods can completely and permanently cure the patient of this disease.

There are several different effects that we can expect from any method of therapy: symptomatic (eliminates the manifestations of the disease), pathogenetic (stops the pathological mechanism of development), etiological (directly affects the cause of development).

In osteochondrosis, the cause is a wide variety of risk factors for the disease. It is impossible to influence them if the disease already exists. However, preventive measures are specifically aimed at eliminating the causes.

Many treatment methods have a possible pathogenetic effect, and this is what we will try to find in each of the methods proposed by modern medicine.

The symptomatic effect is also very important. The full course of therapy prescribed by the attending physician must always include impact on the manifestations of the disease, since during therapy it is necessary to alleviate the patient's health status.

Among the variety of treatment methods, we will try to understand the following treatment options:

• Exposure to drugs.
• Orthopedic products.
• Physiotherapy.
• Physiotherapy, massage, manual therapy.
• Column operations.
• Radiofrequency removal.

A few words will need to be said about prevention, which allows you to completely avoid the onset of the disease.

Drug therapy

Not all medications prescribed by a doctor for osteochondrosis help to eliminate it. Many medications perform a purely symptomatic function:

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – eliminate inflammation.
2. Muscle relaxants – prevent reflex muscle spasms.
3. Local analgesics – relieve pain.
4. Vascular agents - used for cervical osteochondrosis in combination with vertebral artery syndrome.
5. Glucocorticosteroids - these hormonal drugs have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect.

Still, several medications have a pathogenetic effect. First of all, chondroprotectors should be mentioned. These drugs are used only in the early stages of osteochondrosis, when there is no disc herniation yet. They slow down the degeneration process and prevent the formation of bumps. It must be taken for a long time and constantly, but the therapeutic effect will be quite significant.

B vitamins - these drugs do not affect the degeneration process itself and do not help cure osteochondrosis. However, it is very important to use them in the presence of reflex or compression syndromes. Vitamins support metabolism in nervous tissue and prevent nerve death.

Thus, among all medications, only timely prescribed chondroprotectors help to eliminate cervical osteochondrosis.

Orthopedic products

The next method of treatment, which is very popular in modern medicine, is the use of orthopedic devices. The use of corsets, bandages and orthoses is widespread.

For cervical osteochondrosis, collars are most often used, but there are other types of orthopedic devices. These products effectively eliminate pain, of which there is no doubt. However, are they capable of influencing the course of the disease?

For the treatment of osteochondrosis, the following features of this type of therapy are important:

1. Corsets and collars have a compression effect - they put pressure on a certain part of the spine. This prevents the appearance of protrusions and hernias, that is, the formation of complications.
2. Orthopedic devices always separate the vertebrae from each other in a vertical plane. This helps to relieve pressure from the nerve roots and intervertebral discs themselves.
3. If there are bumps or degenerative changes, the corset will not help eliminate them. However, when used regularly, the medicine helps not to remember the manifestations of the disease.

The listed properties must be taken into account not only by the doctor, but also by the patient, so as not to expect too much from using the dressings.

Physiotherapy

Therapeutic exercises are one of the most underrated methods of treating orthopedic diseases by patients. It is regular exercises and activities that help eliminate most manifestations of any disease.

Osteochondrosis is no exception. In the case of cervical spine pathology, physical activity has the following healing properties:

1. Exercises help eliminate pain, reflex muscle spasms and the effects of compression on the vertebral artery and other vessels. This means that with regular exercise you can reduce the need for symptomatic therapy.
2. Exercises help form the muscular corset of the cervical spine. Trained muscles support internal structures, including bones and cartilage, and prevent the formation of protrusions.
3. Degenerative changes in the disc develop under the influence of incorrectly applied excessive load or its deficiency. Adequate exercises prevent the degenerative process and activate blood flow in the intervertebral disc region.

Even knowing these beneficial effects of exercise, many patients are too lazy to practice them. Start training with an expert and then implement it into your daily routine. Soon you will not be able to imagine your day without exercise and a set of useful exercises.

Physiotherapy and massage

Quite controversial treatment methods are physiotherapy and massage. These methods certainly help alleviate some symptoms of the disease. Neck massage helps eliminate muscle spasms, and physiotherapy relieves inflammation, pain and prevents the appearance of compression syndrome.

But can these methods cure cervical osteochondrosis? The pathogenetic effect is achieved only as part of complex treatment. Physiotherapy and massage should be used in conjunction with physiotherapy and medication. The effects of different treatment methods enhance each other:

1. Electro and phonophoresis help medications reach the spinal column.
2. Manual therapy relaxes muscles after prolonged exercise.
3. Acupuncture and electromyostimulation in combination with exercise therapy create a strong muscular corset and eliminate pain.

Examples of the combined effect of various therapy methods can be given later.

We should also not forget that all physiotherapy and massage methods increase local blood flow and therefore metabolism in damaged tissues. As a result, degenerative processes slow down or stop completely.

Surgical treatment

In some cases, intervertebral disc pathology can only be eliminated through surgery. This method also cannot be considered an etiological treatment - the surgeon does not act on the cause of the disease, but removes its consequences. However, in the presence of local osteochondrosis, surgery can help to permanently eliminate the symptoms.

There are several methods of surgical intervention, but most of them boil down to two options:

1. Plastic disc surgery with palliative measures. During the operation, all complications of the disease are also eliminated.
2. Intervertebral cartilage prostheses or replacement of the entire vertebral movable segment with a prosthesis.

Regardless of the choice of treatment method, recurrences of cervical osteochondrosis are possible. The disease can affect any other adjacent intervertebral disc. To prevent this from happening, preventive measures are taken.

You must also remember the need for postoperative rehabilitation. Many of the above therapy methods help restore performance. It is convenient to combine them during sanatorium treatment.

Radiofrequency removal

A very effective and promising treatment method is radiofrequency ablation. Not so long ago, this method was not known, but now ablation is performed in many large cities.

The essence of the procedure is as follows:

• Through a needle puncture, a special electrode is applied to the damaged intervertebral disc.
• The disc is heat treated with electricity.
• There is destruction of the nerves and the disc tissue itself in the area of impact.
• After ablation, the disc remains between the vertebrae. It is not capable of performing a shock absorption function, but does not cause pathological symptoms.

The advantages of the method are the absence of the need for general anesthesia, the short duration of the procedure and quick recovery. The technique can be used as the first stage of treatment if symptoms have not been completely relieved.

In most cases, ablation helps to eliminate all symptoms of osteochondrosis, but the patient is not immune to damage to other intervertebral discs caused by this disease.

Prevention

From the above, we can conclude that all modern methods of treatment only help to prevent the progression of cervical osteochondrosis or eliminate its manifestations only in a specific disc. There is a high probability of recurrence of the disease and its spread to adjacent cartilaginous layers.

This process cannot be eliminated, but it can be avoided. To this end, various methods are used to prevent osteochondrosis.

If the disease has just started to bother you, has occurred in many relatives, or you have undergone treatment for osteochondrosis, follow these tips:

1. Normalize physical activity in the spine and neck in particular. Do preventive exercises, swim, ski. Do not allow your neck to remain still for long periods of time.
2. Eat right. A balanced diet without harmful foods, containing sufficient amounts of protein and calcium will help prevent the disease.
3. Eliminate bad habits that can cause a degenerative process. First of all, this concerns smoking and frequent consumption of alcohol.
4. When sleeping, use orthopedic devices and suitable mattresses to avoid additional stress on the cervical spine.
5. If you have spinal diseases or injuries, use orthopedic products.

Simple preventive measures help support the cervical spine and prevent the development of osteochondrosis.