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 internal soft part - the nucleus pulposus and an external shell - the fibrous capsule. It is this that gives the soft part a certain shape so that the core performs its shock-absorbing 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 disk is formed.

All 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 anywhere in 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 what methods can completely and permanently cure the patient of this disease.

There are several effects that we can expect from any method of therapy: symptomatic (eliminates the manifestations of the disease), pathogenetic (interrupts 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 specifically aim to eliminate 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 entire course of therapy prescribed by the attending physician should always include an impact on the manifestations of the disease, since during therapy it is necessary to alleviate the patient's health condition.

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.
• Spine operations.
• Radiofrequency ablation.

It will be necessary to say a few words about prevention, which allows you to completely avoid the appearance of the disease.

Pharmacological therapy

Not all drugs prescribed by the doctor for osteochondrosis help to get rid of it. Many drugs 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.

However, several drugs have a pathogenetic effect. First of all, chondroprotectors must be mentioned. These drugs are used only in the early stages of osteochondrosis, when the herniated disc is not yet present. 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 treat 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.

Therefore, among all drugs, only timely prescribed chondroprotectors help to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis.

Orthopedic products

The next method of treatment, 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 often used, but there are other types of orthopedic devices. These products effectively eliminate pain, which is beyond doubt. But are they able to influence 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 relieve pressure on the nerve roots and the intervertebral discs themselves.
3. If there are protrusions or degenerative changes, the brace will not help eliminate them. However, when used regularly, the remedy helps not to remember the manifestations of the disease.

The listed properties should be taken into account not only by the doctor, but also by the patient, so as not to expect too much from the use of bandages.

Physiotherapy

Therapeutic exercises are one of the most underrated methods for patients to treat orthopedic diseases. It is regular exercises and activities that help get rid of most manifestations of any disease.

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

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

Despite knowing the beneficial effects of exercise, many patients are lazy in doing the exercises. Start training with a specialist 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 massages

Rather controversial treatment methods are physiotherapy and massage. These methods definitely help alleviate some of the 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 a complex treatment. Physiotherapy and massage should be used in conjunction with physical therapy and the use of medications. The effects of the different treatment methods enhance each other:

1. Electrophoresis and phonophoresis help drugs reach the spine.
2. Manual therapy relaxes muscles after prolonged exercise.
3. Acupuncture and electromyostimulation in combination with physical therapy create a strong muscle corset and eliminate pain.

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

We must 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, the pathology of the intervertebral disc can be eliminated only with 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 permanently eliminate its symptoms.

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

1. Disc plastic surgery with palliative measures. During the operation, all complications of the disease are also eliminated.
2. Intervertebral cartilage prosthesis or replacement of the entire spinal movement segment with a prosthesis.

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

You should also remember the need for postoperative rehabilitation. Many of the therapeutic methods listed above help restore performance. It is convenient to combine them during treatment in a sanatorium.

Radiofrequency ablation

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

The essence of the procedure is as follows:

• Through a needle prick, a special electrode is applied to the damaged intervertebral disc.
• The disc is heat treated using electricity.
• There is destruction of the nerves and tissue of the disc itself in the area of impact.
• After ablation, the disc remains between the vertebrae. It is not able to perform a shock-absorbing 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 a 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 from damage to other intervertebral discs caused by this disease.

Prevention

From the above we can conclude that all modern treatment methods only help to prevent the progression of cervical osteochondrosis or eliminate its manifestations only on a specific disk. 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 prevented. For this purpose, numerous methods are used to prevent osteochondrosis.

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

1. Normalize physical activity especially on the spine and neck. Do preventive exercises, go swimming, ski. Don't leave your neck still for long periods of time.
2. Eat well. A balanced diet without harmful foods, which contains 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 is smoking and frequent alcohol consumption.
4. During sleep, use orthopedic aids and suitable mattresses to avoid further stress on the cervical spine.
5. If you suffer from spinal diseases or injuries, be sure to use orthopedic products.

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