The cervicothoracic spine is a sensitive area in many people. Pains in this area often speak of beginning or existing osteochondrosis. There is a drug treatment and various methods of preventing this disease.
Cervic-thoracic osteochondrosis can occur from long sitting at a table or a computer. It also occurs in motorists, due to the frequent sitting behind the wheel. In this immovable position, the vessels and nerves are squeezed, as a result pain, worsened mobility of cervical vertebrae.
If earlier this disease was characteristic of the elderly as a result of age-related changes, now the statistics are depressing. Prerequisites appear already in childhood, when the child sits for a long time in an uncomfortable position without movement. Technical progress makes it possible to enjoy its benefits, but at the same time deprives us of our health. Treatment and prevention of osteochondrosis are carried out with the help of drugs, complexes exercises, physiotherapy, massage and alternative medicine.
Pain and other symptoms of osteochondrosis
The disease goes through several stages of its development. Anatomical changes occur in the spine:
- Dehydration and loss of elasticity of intervertebral cartilage;
- The formation of hernias and protrusions ;
- Deterioration of blood supply to tissues and organs;
- Squeezing the spinal cord and nerve endings;
- The growth of bone tissue.
The following symptoms occur:
- Pain in the neck, between the shoulder blades, in the ribs, which are aggravated by bending or turning the head;
- Dizziness;
- Violation of the sensitivity and mobility of the vertebrae;
- Overstrain of some muscles and atrophy of others;
- Blood pressure jumps;
- Pain in the heart, which can be confused with heart disease;
- Hearing impairment, tinnitus;
- Violation of gait and coordination.
Symptoms may not all appear at once. The above are the conditions at the advanced stage of osteochondrosis. To avoid this, you need time to do treatment and prevention, move more and perform various physical exercises. After all, osteochondrosis of the cervical-thoracic department is not for nothing called the disease of office workers who sit at the computer all day.
Treatment and prevention of osteochondrosis
Like many diseases, osteochondrosis in the latter stages is almost impossible to cure. Therefore, it is important to take measures in time to prevent irreversible pathological changes. There are three main areas of the fight against osteochondrosis:
- Medications.
- Massage, a complex of exercises of medical gymnastics, reflexotherapy.
- Phytotherapy.
As a result, several problems are solved:
- Improves the elasticity and resilience of the intervertebral discs;
- Increased blood circulation;
- Decreased bone pressure on each other;
- Pain is relieved.
Drugs based on chondroitin sulfate normalize the metabolism in the bone and cartilage tissue, reduce its deformation. The use of chondroprotectors reduces the dose of analgesics that eliminate pain. They need to be combined with vasodilators and blood circulation improving drugs, as well as with agents that promote better penetration of nutrients.
Another group of drugs is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac, ibuprofen) and muscle relaxants ( myocain , mydocalm ), which relieve pain and muscle spasms. Hormone therapy is indicated for severe forms of the disease.
Manual therapy may well help if it is conducted by a competent specialist. With the right approach, as a result of manual therapy, the blood supply improves, the “tightness” in the vessels and nerves is removed, inflammation is removed. With a full course of treatment, the pain goes away for a long time, and the spine returns to normal.
Acupuncture, physiotherapy, hirudotherapy are also successfully used as treatment and prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervico-thoracic spine.
In the absence of the effect of the procedures performed in advanced cases (with hernia), surgical intervention is indicated. To prevent this, it is necessary to perform a special set of exercises as a therapeutic gymnastics for osteochondrosis.
Complex exercises with osteochondrosis
Physical therapy is the most effective method for the treatment and prevention of diseases of the back. In combination with medication, it gives very good results. The main thing is to practice regularly (except for periods of exacerbations).
- Sitting on a chair, place one hand on the forehead and the other on the back of the head. Bend forward, while pressing on the forehead, then back, pressing on the back of the head to feel resistance.
- The starting position is the same. Lower the chin down, then move your head back a little, but do not tilt it back strongly to prevent injury to the cervical region.
- Sitting on the floor, stretch your shoulders to your ears, trying to touch them. In the top position, hold for 10 seconds, then lower the shoulders.
- Rotate your hands back and forth with full amplitude.
- Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms up, with your palms on the floor. Head back up. Bend the arc, focusing on the palm and foot.
- Lying on your stomach, put your hands at the seams. Turn your head in different directions, touching the floor with your ears.
Some exercises can be performed even at work during breaks. The most usual tilts and head rotations will prevent and stop the development of osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic region.
The above exercise should be done 4-5 times a week. Wherein blood it will be better to distribute nutrients and oxygen; strengthen muscles, improve the elasticity of the ligaments and mobility of the vertebrae.
Determine the degree of the disease and the features of the treatment should be a doctor, who needs to consult, including on physical therapy. In time taken measures, the rationalization of the motor mode, the selection of the correct posture while sitting will allow the spine to remain flexible and healthy for many years.