How to treat cerebral circulatory disorders with osteochondrosis?

Causes of poor blood flow

The cause of the disease may be age-related or genetic changes in the spine . This condition is affected by impaired metabolism.

Main reasons

With osteochondrosis, there is a loss of elasticity and firmness of the intervertebral discs. They wear out and this is manifested by the formation of seals. Under such circumstances, there is compression of the adjacent arteries that go to the brain.

In osteochondrosis, the following phenomena can cause deterioration in blood flow::

1. Effect on nerve endings located next to the vertebral artery. Against the background of excitement, frequent contraction of vascular fibers occurs. A spasm develops that disrupts blood circulation.
2. As a result of mechanical damage to the artery. Due to active pressure on the vessels, stenosis develops. Due to obstructed blood flow, vertebral artery syndrome is diagnosed.
3. Severe compression of the artery, due to which blood does not pass further. This condition is extremely dangerous as it can lead to complications. Therefore, if you feel pain and short-term clouding of consciousness when turning your head, you should definitely inform your doctor about it.

Provoking factors

There are a number of provoking factors that contribute to the development of cerebrovascular accidents or intensify existing manifestations of osteochondrosis in the cervical region:

• Presence of hypertension.
• Scoliosis.
• Fast fatiguability.
• Atherosclerotic disease.
• Nervous breakdowns.
• Thyroid gland dysfunction.
• Low physical activity.
• Weak muscle tone.
• Jobs in which people spend most of their time sitting.

Symptoms and signs

Impaired cerebral blood supply caused by damage to the intervertebral discs is not difficult to recognize. At the initial stage of the disease, the following signs of the disease develop :

1. At times, dizziness occurs, especially when standing up or suddenly turning the head.
2. Headache that develops suddenly.
3. Feeling of numbness in the face or the appearance of goosebumps on the neck and arm.
4. Sometimes nausea occurs.

Read more about dizziness and nausea with SCH here.

When degenerative changes in the spinal column begin to progress, the signs of cerebral blood supply become more intense. There is a disturbance in the patient's hemodynamics and brain activity.

This manifests itself as follows:

1. Memory and thinking abilities suffer.
2. Emotionally, a person becomes unstable.
3. The frequency of headaches increases.
4. Sleep patterns and quality are disrupted.
5. Hearing and vision are reduced.

All these symptoms are also accompanied by constant pain and discomfort in the back. There is a feeling of muscle stiffness in the cervical region, periodically there are shooting pains in this area, which are manifested by sharp pain.

All these signs help to distinguish impaired cerebral blood supply in cervical osteochondrosis from other similar pathologies.

What time is treatment carried out?

During the acute period of the disease, the first thing to do is relieve pain, since at this moment the main therapeutic actions cannot be carried out.

Pain syndrome is eliminated with the help of gels and ointments for osteochondrosis, and special painkillers. As the pain decreases, drug intervention decreases and is replaced by physiotherapy and exercise therapy.

Treatment of cerebral circulatory disorders with cervical osteochondrosis takes a long time. To relieve severe pain, fatigue, migraines, and reduce a person’s irritation for any reason, physiotherapy and the drug atarax for VSD are used, which relieves panic attacks of fear. All this is effective in the advanced stage of the disease, when terrible pain occurs and at an early stage, when drug treatment is not required.

Warming, water treatments, electrophoresis, and magnetic therapy are used. To relieve pain, massage the collar area. As recommended, the patient wears a neck corset in order to achieve complete peace in the problem area and create normal living conditions for the person. An accompanying treatment regimen is the systematic intake of B6 vitamins.

What is included in therapy?

The basis of treatment consists of such actions:

1. Symptomatic therapy, a complex effect on poor blood supply to the brain and its functions.
2. Fighting the main cause of this condition – cervical osteochondrosis.

An integrated approach involves carrying out such therapeutic measures:

• Use of appropriate medications.
• Physiotherapy and exercise therapy.
• Diet food.

The effect can also be achieved with the help of alternative therapy. These are acupuncture, manual therapy, homeopathy.

Medications

There are various medications, special medications that improve cerebral blood supply; What kind of means are we will consider further.

Pills

Tablets come in different directions:

1. Nootropic drugs are neuroprotectors designed to improve the metabolism of nerve cells. Such medications prevent hypoxia, that is, oxygen starvation, from developing in the brain. Such drugs include Piracetam, Thiocetam, Cavinton, Phezam. People with low blood pressure should take such medications under the supervision of a physician, as medications can dilate blood vessels, which further reduces blood pressure.
2. Peripheral vasodilators - in order to improve blood flow to the brain, it is necessary to first relieve spasm and reduce vascular tone. In this case, the doctor may prescribe the following drugs from the group of peripheral vasodilators: Xanthinol nicotinate, Nicergoline, Vasobral, Bencyclane.
3. Antioxidants – these agents improve blood circulation in the brain. Among other things, under the influence of antioxidants, the nervous system is restored and the destruction of neurons as a result of oxygen starvation is combated. So, this group includes the following tablets and other dosage forms: Actovegin, Mexidol.

Ointments

The doctor will best select the ointment, taking into account the localization of inflammation, pain syndrome and the presence of chronicity of the problem.

The most popular ointments prescribed for SCH are:

• Non-steroidal drugs for relieving inflammation - Dolgit, Nurofen, Fastum gel, Ortofen, Nemulex. Their composition may be different, but the action is the same.
• Warming ointments – Finalgon, Capsicam, Apizartron, Viprosal. Typically, such ointments are applied to the neck area once a day. They can improve heat exchange and relieve muscle tension.
• Herbal medicines - they are mainly used during massage. These are Shungite, Sabelnik-Evalar, Zhivokost, Cream Artro Plus, etc.

What other medications are prescribed?

In addition to the above, the following remedies are also prescribed:

1. Chondroprotectors – slow down the process of destruction of cartilage tissue.
2. Vascular drugs - they improve metabolic processes and increase blood flow to the brain. Most often, doctors prescribe Trental and Eufillin.
3. Muscle relaxants are necessary to restore muscle tone in the cervical region. These are Sirdalut and Mydocalm.
4. Analgesics – relieve pain in osteochondrosis. The most used: Baralgin, Analgin, Amidopyrine.
5. Vitamins - support immunity.

List of the most effective drugs

The most effective are the following drugs:

• Tanakan, Vinpocetine - correct blood circulation in the brain.
• Phezam, Actovegin are the most effective nootropics.
• Betahistine, Asniton are histaminergic drugs.

Other ways to improve in poor condition

In the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, various exercises and massage actions are also used.

Exercises

The exercises are initially shown by the doctor . In order for the desired effect to occur, it is necessary to follow some rules when performing them:

• Regularity in performing a set of exercises. After the condition improves, the number of classes can be reduced to 3-4 times a week.
• If while sitting or lying down you feel that your neck is stiff, then you need to move around, do some stretching or a few exercises for osteochondrosis.
• From time to time you need to complicate the exercises - increase the number of approaches or supplement them with other exercises.
• Always monitor your sensations; if pain is present, then you need to stop warming up.

Here are some types of exercises that will help with the disease::

1. The head tilts in different directions , while trying to lower it as low as possible. Each side requires 5 repetitions.
2. The head turns in different directions . In this case, you need to pull your chin back, turning your head. Performed 10 times for each side.
3. The head is tilted first forward and then back . When bending forward, the movement of the chin should be additionally directed downward, which allows you to develop the posterior muscles of the neck.
4. Draw a circle with your chin, rotating it . The exercise is performed 10 times, to the right and to the left.
5. The head tilts back and turns left and right . You need to try to see the floor.

Massage

Massage helps stimulate blood flow in the problem area . With regular massage, muscle tissue becomes stronger and the vertebrae in the cervical region are stabilized. For the first time, massage actions are performed by a specialist, later you can teach these actions to close relatives.

Is it possible to completely cure the disease?

Osteochondrosis is considered to be a chronic disease. Even if you managed to get rid of obsessive symptoms, you need to be prepared for the fact that sooner or later a relapse of the disease will occur.

By following all the rules of treatment, you can delay the return of signs of the disease for a long time.

And in more detail about whether it is possible to completely cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with the help of complex treatment, read here.

Syndromes caused by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Headache is one of the typical signs of cervical osteochondrosis. The pain can be pressing, burning, or bursting in nature. The intensity of the headache, its duration and location can be multifaceted.

Headache is generally the leading sign of the disease, but not everything is as simple as it seems, since cervical osteochondrosis can include many symptoms indicating this disease. In addition to pain, you can highlight:

• dizziness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• loss of consciousness;
• paresthesia on the face, in the back of the head or in the palate;
• visual disturbances (veils, spots before the eyes);
• tinnitus;
• sensation of a foreign body in the throat;
• sleep and performance disorders, weakness;
• irritability and anxiety.

Astrocytoma is a serious brain disease. Clinical manifestations of cerebral astrocytoma occur mainly at the last stage of the disease. The degree and statistics of survival for this disease.

The causes of dyscirculatory encephalopathy of the brain can be found here.

A bursting or pressing headache that spreads from the back of the head to the crown is the most characteristic symptom of cervical osteochondrosis. Hearing or vision disorders, paresthesia are mostly unilateral. All these signs are doubly intensified when turning the head and throwing it back. The head may become so dizzy that a person may fall and hit himself.

Quite often, many are mistaken in mistaking increased intracranial pressure for osteochondrosis, since dizziness is a characteristic symptom for these diseases. Unlike high blood pressure, with osteochondrosis there is no disruption of venous outflow. Otherwise, the disease would be even more complicated.

In short, headaches with cervical osteochondrosis occur due to the destruction of intervertebral discs.

This leads to a disorder in the organization of structures, accompanied by compression of arteries, nerve trunks and veins.

There are four main causes of pain in cervical osteochondrosis: vertebral artery syndrome, compression of the vertebral nerves, entrapment of the occipital nerves, and hypertensive syndrome.

Vertebral artery syndrome is accompanied by a throbbing headache, localized mainly in the back of the head, the pain can also gradually spread to the parietal lobe of the head. As a rule, the pain is long-lasting and bilateral. Analgesics are practically ineffective.

The cause of pain is compression of the vertebral artery due to displacement of the vertebrae, subluxation of joints, hernia, or protrusion. In addition to headaches, vision deterioration may occur, dizziness and nausea may occur.

Compression of the spinal nerves is the second cause of headaches in osteochondrosis. The peculiarity of this pain (another name is cervical migraine) is localization on the side of the affected nerve.

The neck and back of the head mainly hurt on one side, but gradually the pain moves to the parietal and temporal lobes. It should be noted that headaches sometimes drag on for up to several hours.

Entrapment of the occipital nerve is one of the symptoms of radicular syndrome, which is accompanied by entrapment, displacement of the vertebrae, and osteophytes. Headache appears when turning the neck, starting from the head and spreading to the occipital, parietal and anterior lobes. These symptoms are similar to those with the development of vertebral artery syndrome.

Dizziness is episodic. According to the distribution of pain, neuralgia can be unilateral or generalized.

In order to properly treat and cure neuropathy of the occipital nerve, it is necessary to know exactly the reasons that caused it.

Headache with hypertensive syndrome of a bursting and pressing nature. The reason is compression of some arteries and veins in the area of ​​the cervical vertebrae. This happens due to the fact that there is a displacement of the vertebrae, a narrowing of the lumen of the canals, the development of compression of blood vessels, and all this leads to a disruption of blood circulation in the brain.

It is worth noting that the pain intensifies with a sharp turn of the head and with eye movements. The headache may bother you for up to several hours.

Headache due to osteochondrosis is closely related to this disease, so therapy is aimed at eliminating tightness in the cervical spine. Prolonged immobility, incorrect posture during sleep, excess weight, metabolic disorders, and injuries contribute to discomfort.

By definition, the brain cannot get sick due to the absence of nerve roots. The development of intense headaches with cervical osteochondrosis is caused by dystrophic metamorphoses in the intervertebral discs, which become thinner, displaced, pinching tissues, arteries, and nerve nodes. As a result, blood circulation, the conductivity of impulses at the base of the brain, its membranes are disrupted, and bursting, pressing, throbbing pain occurs.

A pinched occipital nerve can cause headaches.

There are two main reasons:

1. If an artery is compressed during osteochondrosis of the neck, a minimum of oxygen will flow to the brain, so the body will try to compensate for the deficiency by increasing intracranial pressure.
2. The second option is to engage a protective mechanism in response to disc displacement. The body's emergency defense manifests itself in the tension of the neck muscles, which clamp the nerve endings.

The result is the same - referred pain, which is actually present in the neck area, but feels like a headache.

Headache with osteochondrosis occurs in different ways.

Only after a detailed diagnosis will the doctor select the optimal medications. The therapy program is compiled individually for each patient, taking into account his condition, the course of the pathology, and contraindications. Main objectives of treatment:

1. Elimination or reduction of pain;
2. Restoration of brain tissue that can be damaged by prolonged compression of blood vessels;
3. Restoring blood flow to damaged areas of the brain.

The following groups of drugs are usually prescribed:

1. Painkillers. Depending on the severity of the clinical picture and the development of pathology, local agents, tablet forms, and injections can be used.
2. Vitamin and mineral complexes. Thanks to the content of vitamins A, E, D3, and calcium in the supplements, the muscle corset in the painful area is relaxed and regeneration processes are accelerated.
3. Vasodilators. This group of medications relieves spasms of blood vessels, expands their lumen, which improves the nutrition of brain tissue.

After a course of drug therapy, physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed:

1. Exercise therapy is recommended for muscle relaxation, improved blood flow, and prevention. The complex helps reduce the load on the spine, strengthening the muscle corset. The selection of the complex is carried out on an individual basis.
2. To relax muscle tissue, strengthen the corset, and increase blood flow, massage is often recommended. But to perform the procedures, it is advisable to contact a specialist with a medical education. It is worth considering that massage cannot be performed in case of severe pain, high blood pressure, cardiovascular pathologies, infectious processes, or elevated temperature. The presence of ulcerative and purulent formations in the cervical region is also a contraindication.
3. When you have a headache due to cervical osteochondrosis, it is possible to use non-traditional methods: herbal and hirudotherapy, acupuncture, yoga.
4. A properly formulated diet will help reduce symptoms. It is prohibited to consume excessively fatty, salty, canned food flavored with seasonings. Fractional nutrition, small portions will help stabilize the patient’s condition, improve the metabolic process, which will have a beneficial effect on health.

May be interesting: Diet for cervical osteochondrosis - necessary products

In this article we will look at a disease such as osteochondrosis in the cervical spine, symptoms characteristic of this disease, the causes of its occurrence, stages and types of this disease.

general information

The cervical region is the most mobile part of the spine, which is why it suffers from osteochondrosis more often

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a progressive disease, which is a degenerative-dystrophic disorder of the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine.

The cervical spine consists of seven discs; this is the most mobile part of the spine, which provides the ability to tilt and turn the head. He has a relatively weak muscular corset. At the same time, the instability of the cervical spine itself, combined with constant physical activity (the need to support the head, control turns and bends), explains the high susceptibility of this part of the spine to both injuries and degenerative changes, which are essentially osteochondrosis.

Osteochondrosis is a disease that affects not only the cervical, but also other parts of the spine. There is also thoracic osteochondrosis, lumbar osteochondrosis and widespread - when the disease is spread to several different parts of the spine at once.

First stage - the main symptom at this stage is instability, which manifests itself in the initial violations of the spinal discs.

The second stage - here the main symptom is disc protrusion. The gaps between the vertebrae are reduced, the fibrous ring gradually begins to collapse, and pain syndromes associated with possible pinching of nerve endings are also possible.

Third stage - at this stage the final destruction of the ring occurs, resulting in the formation of intervertebral hernias. This stage is also characterized by severe deformation of the spine.

The fourth stage is the last and most difficult. Any movements begin to cause serious acute pain, and therefore it becomes very difficult to move. Periodically, there is an improvement in the general condition, as a result of which the pain decreases, but this does not mean anything good, it only indicates that bone growths are formed that connect the vertebrae and limit the possibility of movement, which leads to disability.

• Heredity. Oh, that notorious genetics.
• Age. As we age, our body declines, and many degenerative diseases begin to manifest themselves.
• Excessive loads. This includes heavy lifting, for example, for loaders, and work associated with frequent turns, bends, jerks, for example, for medical personnel, teachers, nannies, handymen, mechanics, etc. This also includes athletes, especially volleyball players, weightlifters, gymnasts, tennis players, etc. By the way, a sudden cessation of training is also a big stress for the spine.
• Unbalanced diet. This refers to a lack of microelements, vitamins, as well as collagen and fluid in the diet.
• Excess weight. This greatly increases the load on the entire skeleton.
• Poor posture. People with sedentary work (office employees, drivers, cashiers) and with a sedentary lifestyle are especially prone to poor posture.
• Stress, nervous tension.
• Spinal injuries in the neck area.
• Overload of the spine. This includes sleeping in an uncomfortable position (due to an unsuitable bed or pillow, for example), and wearing uncomfortable shoes, and flat feet, and women’s favorite stiletto heels. Pregnancy, naturally, also puts a lot of stress on the spine.

Consequences if you do nothing

If cervical osteochondrosis is not treated, irreversible changes in the brain will begin. As a result of oxygen starvation, the gradual death of nerve cells occurs.

Why is the complication dangerous?

It is known that with SCH, the functioning of many organs can be disrupted, since blood through the vessels has difficulty reaching them. So:

1. If the vessels leading to the cerebellum are pinched, a person’s coordination of movements and orientation in space are impaired.
2. When the vessels leading to the inner ear are pinched, the functioning of the vestibular apparatus is disrupted.
3. If blood circulation is impaired in the back of the head, where there is an accumulation of visual centers, there is a decrease in vision and other eye problems.

And the most dangerous complication is paralysis of all limbs.

Stages of disease development

In the absence of proper treatment for cervical osteochondrosis, the disease can progress. This leads to aggravation of the situation with cerebral circulation and deterioration of brain function. Over time, the list of neurological symptoms expands. They stop going away after rest, a light massage or a walk in the fresh air.

Experts distinguish three stages of development of problems with cerebral circulation against the background of cervical osteochondrosis:

• Stage 1 – dyscirculatory encephalopathy – the initial stage of the disease is characterized by the symptoms of the condition listed above. They respond well to specialized therapy and go away quickly after it starts;
• Stage 2 – subcompensation – neurological signs become more vivid and persistent. The clinical picture is complemented by deterioration in thinking and memory, lethargy, apathy, and problems with speech. The patient's general condition worsens. He loses his appetite, nausea and vomiting appear. Treatment can reverse negative processes and restore impaired functions;
• Stage 3 – decompensation – irreversible changes occur in the brain, the signs of the disease reach their peak. At this stage, patients lose the ability to care for themselves and need help from others. Therapy can only alleviate their condition and smooth out the manifestations.

The rate of progression of the disease depends on the person’s age, his individual characteristics, and the correctness of the therapeutic approach. The later treatment is started, the higher the patient’s risk of disability. If he has hypertension, there is a high risk of developing a stroke.

Is good sleep possible with this disorder?

One of the consequences of cervical osteochondrosis is systemic sleep disturbance . Approximately 90% of patients suffer from insomnia.

In addition to the fact that less oxygen reaches the brain, with neck pain, sometimes a person cannot choose a comfortable sleeping position. Because of this, sleep is interrupted and short, as a result in the morning the patient feels exhausted and tired.

How to sleep properly?

Sleeping positions are chosen in such a way that the back and neck can be completely rested. Otherwise, against the background of osteochondrosis and uncomfortable postures, displacement of the intervertebral discs, pinching and inflammation will begin.

Doctors recommend sleeping with this disease as follows::

1. Lying on your back, legs not fully bent. This is how the body position acquires its anatomical structure.
2. If a person sleeps on his side, then it is necessary that his head lies completely on the pillow and does not hang down.
3. It is advisable to take the fetal position while sleeping, so the spine can completely relax. To do this, you need to lie on your side and pull your bent legs towards your stomach. To make it more comfortable, you can place a pillow under your left leg.

Read more about healthy and proper rest with cervical osteochondrosis in this material, and find out information about orthopedic pillows for sleeping with cervical osteochondrosis here.

It is possible to cope with cervical osteochondrosis in the initial stages of the disease . If this is not done, then complications will begin that can only be eliminated surgically. Typically, surgical treatment is performed for severe pain in the arms or paralysis. Although, even surgery cannot guarantee a complete recovery.