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 tissue and cartilage (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 an ICD-10 - M42 code. 12, which was accepted by the International Forum of Physicians. This part of the spine is most susceptible to disease because it is the most 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 manifestation directly depend on the stage of the disease and the nature of the deformation 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:
- to a failure in the work of metabolic processes;
- salts appear in the lymph fluid and bloodstream;
- the salts are deposited in the liver, kidneys and cervical region.
Inflammation appears in OSHOP (osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, code M42. 12) also due to the fact that there are not enough nutrients in the intervertebral discs. This happens when a person consumes unbalanced and wrong foods.
Among the symptoms, one can distinguish a temperature that lasts for 20 minutes, a lump in the throat, pain in the spine and cervicothoracic region, severe attacks of pain when the person cannot sleep normally and needs first aid in the form of analgesics against such symptoms. pain. A strong cough, but it is worth mentioning 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 interested in knowing 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 compressed, blood flow to the brain fails. Then there is inflammation, fever, lasts for 30 minutes, 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 need to urgently consult a doctor, he will be able to prescribe the necessary painkillers. Folk remedies or a forum where you can find a lot of advice will not help in this case. In acute attacks, sports or massage are strictly contraindicated.
At an advanced stage, squeezing the artery can cause:
- coordination problems;
- deterioration of vision and hearing;
- temperature may appear;
- sore throat;
- leakage.
If the disease was not detected in the first stage and timely treatment was not started, the consequences occur in the form of intervertebral hernia and protrusion.
degrees of osteochondrosis
A disease like OSHOP develops gradually. And before starting the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, it is important to know its degree. Doctors call 3 degrees of the disease.
1 degree
From this stage, the process of deformation of the intervertebral discs begins. The annulus fibrosus is covered with small cracks, the process of reducing the elasticity and strength of the disc takes place, 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 phase is the appearance of aching pains, a rise in temperature and a sore throat when the person goes to bed. But it often happens that osteochondrosis in the cervical region does not have clear clinical manifestations, and a person practically does not feel pain and discomfort in the cervicothoracic region.
2 degrees
This phase of the disease is chronic. Occurs when assistance was 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 cervical osteochondrosis. The process of disc compaction and destruction continues and causes small displacements of the cervical vertebrae.
At this stage, "falling off" head cider develops. At the same time, a person feels sharp pains in his head and needs to hold his head with his hand for about 20 minutes to relieve some of the pain. You need to sleep on an orthopedic pillow, sports are contraindicated.
3 degrees
ICD-10 code - M42. 12 - 3rd degree osteochondrosis is the most difficult phase of the disease. It has the following characteristics:
- severe headache that keeps you awake
- frequent nausea;
- high temperatures;
- dizziness and loss of coordination;
- loss of sensation in the upper extremities.
In stage 3, the annulus fibrosus is practically deformed, which causes serious complications such as intervertebral protrusion or hernia.
Due to the fact that the cartilage tissue is already completely destroyed, the person no longer feels sharp attacks of pain, the pain still remains, because the nerve roots are compressed. The temperature can rise frequently. Any sport, even light, at this stage is 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 its medical forum) is an extremely rare and at the same time dangerous disease. The spine in children still has a fragile structure and is therefore easily influenced by negative factors, especially since at this age the intervertebral discs and 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 injury;
- allergy;
- sport;
- somatic diseases;
- genetic predisposition;
- various pathologies in the development of bones;
- 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, because of which the child cannot sleep, inflammation and swelling, conservative methods of treatment are used.
- Medicines with analgesic effect. As a rule, with the help of such drugs, the pain disappears after 20 minutes.
- Medications that are used against edema and relieve inflammation.
- The massage therapy course, 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, which is why when the child 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 must perform an initial examination. Then, if necessary, he sends it for further examination. For this, the cervicothoracic region is examined by magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. Thanks to this examination, it is possible to establish 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 best to use a complex treatment that includes both traditional and non-traditional methods: manual therapy, medication, exercise therapy, acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, 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 him, you should not go to the forum and take information there.
In order for the treatment of the disease (code M42. 12) to be effective, you need to visit several specialists: massage therapist, spinal neurologist, neurologist, surgeon and physiotherapist, they will prescribe in combination the methods that will be most effective.
Osteochondrosis, like all diseases, is best treated at the first stage of the disease, when you can competently provide assistance. But grades 2 and 3 are practically untreatable, so in this case a long recovery process is required.