Symptoms of cervical chondropathy in women
![The manifestations of female cervical osteochondrosis](/images/articles/275/The%20manifestations%20of%20female%20cervical%20osteochondrosis.jpg)
Because the cervical intervertebral discs are close to each other and the height is small, the symptoms of female rickets can be detected at the initial stage. Cervical rickets can lead to serious consequences-complications and even death. Indeed, arteries pass through the neck region and provide nourishment to the brain, nerve trunks and roots related to the lungs, arms and heart, and spinal cord. Therefore, you should not postpone calling a good doctor for treatment.
In order for a woman to recognize cervical osteochondrosis, she needs to pay attention to the following signs:
- When you turn your head, there will be neck tightening and unpleasant pain.
- Occipital lobe and temporal headaches often occur;
- Ejection pain radiating to the neck;
- Rapid fatigue, weakness and fatigue;
- High temperature;
- The neck is stiff and it is difficult to turn the head;
- When the arm is lightly loaded or coughing, the shoulder will feel discomfort.
- Numbness and tingling of limbs and tongue;
- Dizziness, eyes darkened;
- Snoring while sleeping; ;
- Difficulty swallowing;
- Unreasonable anxiety, fear;
- Mood fluctuations that have nothing to do with the cycle;
- Sleep disorders;
- Memory and concentration drop sharply;
- Increased blood pressure (increased or decreased);
- Pain in the heart area, hearing impairment and tinnitus, vision complications are rare.
- Nausea, vomiting;
- The skin is blue.
Cervical osteochondrosis can cause fever and discomfort.
Important!Women especially experience acute cervical osteochondrosis during menopause.
Features of female osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a disease of the musculoskeletal system. Due to this disease, the intervertebral discs and joints may collapse. Due to the structural characteristics of the body, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women are more pronounced than in men. The fact is that the shoulder area of a man is wider, which supports the entire spine, so as not to overload the neck.
The female cervical spine is characterized by active activities and a large number of nerve fibers, which act as conductors between the brain and other organs. The deformation of the intervertebral disc causes rapid pressure on the fiber roots of the nerve endings. Roughly speaking, women’s vertebrae are more fragile and bone tissue is thinner.
Important!Caring for babies after pregnancy also exacerbates this problem. During pregnancy, the burden on the spine increases, breastfeeding in an uncomfortable position and the baby's constant holding in the arms can cause the disease to worsen.
The development of cervical osteochondrosis is divided into several stages:
- The position of the spine is lowered due to dehydration of the nucleus pulposus (the interior of the intervertebral disc, which should usually be filled with semi-fluid and gel-like tissue).
- The muscles and ligaments are sagging, which is the cause of imbalance, that is, the vertebrae are displaced.
- Herniated disc (outside the contents) and arthropathy.
- The human body is trying to help the spine restore the "loose" vertebrae into place, removing supportive and protective barriers. For this reason, osteophytes appear on the vertebrae-bone growth. Fibrous tissue also grows. As a result, the motor segments of the spine are in a shell that interferes with movement.
Causes of women
![Causes of cervical osteochondrosis in women](/images/articles/275/Causes%20of%20cervical%20osteochondrosis%20in%20women.jpg)
It is believed that the occurrence of cervical osteochondrosis in women is related to salt deposition, but this is not the case. Osteochondrosis itself is the main cause of salt deposition. However, scientists believe that there are many reasons for cervical osteochondrosis. Let us consider the main ones:
- Orgasm. The fact is that less and less progesterone enters the body, and the muscles in the cervical area also decrease. All of these will cause part of the spine to become weak.
- Weakened immune system, recurrent disease;
- Overweight;
- Diseases of the circulatory system;
- Abnormalities of the vertebral artery that occur under the background of birth trauma, infection and genetics;
- Sedentary work, especially on a computer;
- Flat feet;
- Wrong posture;
- Smoking and excessive drinking;
- Excessive exercise;
- The spine is burdened during pregnancy;
- Unbalanced and unbalanced nutrition;
- Poor metabolism, metabolic problems;
- Any injury to the neck;
- Rheumatism or injury;
- Hormonal disorders in the body;
- Hypothermia;
- Heredity.
Being overweight can put extra pressure on ligaments and joints, and can cause problems in the cardiovascular system.
Why is cervical osteochondrosis dangerous?
Lack of treatment can lead to female disability. If you don’t start osteochondrosis treatment on time, you risk complications-from the mildest to the most severe:
- Constant head pain and dizziness.
- often suddenly loses consciousness.
- Hearing and vision problems.
- Blood circulation in the brain area will be impaired.
- Blood pressure often rises.
- The problem may start in the central nervous system: speech, coordination and behavior disorders.
- Nerve radiculitis and other back diseases.
- The blood vessels will be squeezed into the brain area.
- Displacement of vertebrae.
- Walking disorder caused by spinal stenosis.
- Intervertebral hernia and herniation.
- Schmorl's hernia.
Increased blood pressure in osteochondrosis may be related to poor blood permeability in arteries leading to the brain. Osteochondrosis causes narrowing of the arteries.
Inspection and treatment
Cervical chondrosis has common symptoms of many other diseases. Therefore, before treatment, neuropathologists will carefully listen to and collect the patient's medical records.After that, a diagnostic test will be performed:
![Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in women](/images/articles/275/Treatment%20of%20cervical%20osteochondrosis%20in%20women.jpg)
- Radiography.The doctor uses X-rays to examine the cervical spine to determine the location of the disease. In the picture, he will see changes in the shape of the vertebral segments, the presence of osteophytes and the narrowing of the intervertebral discs.
- Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.Today, these are the most effective ways to find out what defects are and where they are in the spine.
- Myelography.For the examination, a contrast agent is injected into the spinal canal. The procedure is not safe: if the puncture is unsuccessful, the patient may experience an allergic reaction and risk of spinal cord injury. However, for cervical osteochondrosis, unless the entire spine needs to be viewed, such studies are rarely conducted.
MRI will help to accurately diagnose and determine the extent of pathological development.
In order to treat cervical osteochondrosis, the doctor prescribed complex treatment methods. The purpose of this therapy is to relieve muscle spasms, relieve pain and reduce pressure in the intervertebral disc. At different stages of disease development, different types of treatments are used.
Generally, treatment goes through the following stages:
- Medicine.Use a cartilage protector to restore cartilage tissue. To supply blood to the brain, vasodilators are used. All of the above will eliminate inflammation, pain syndrome and improve the metabolic process of the intervertebral disc. Analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of gels or tablets are used as first aid medicine. They can prescribe magnesium nootropics and drugs. For osteochondrosis, sedatives can be taken because chronic illness can cause stress and depression. Sometimes a little motherwort or valerian is enough.
- Physical therapy.Designed to eliminate diseases in the affected area of the spine, relieve pain syndromes, and improve blood circulation. Good massage provided by competent experts, electrophoresis with anesthetic solution, and laser therapy can help the early stages of disease development. This procedure relieves muscle tension and stimulates blood circulation. In severe cases, use magnetic therapy, dynamic flow, ultrasound, electrical analgesia, and ultraviolet light. After the third operation, physical therapy will be effective, general conditions will improve, insomnia, headaches and tinnitus will disappear.
- Manual therapy.This therapy has a good effect, and I am grateful for it. The chiropractor will put the vertebrae back in place over several sessions to provide mobility and correct posture.
- Acupuncture.Also called reflexology. The purpose is to affect the malnutrition transformation of muscle tissue, eliminate inflammation and pain, and normalize blood circulation. Women with low pain scores have a great chance of recovery. Their lymph flow increases and their blood flow returns to normal.
- Orthopedic treatment.Experts will use special sleeping pillows to reduce the burden on the spine. It is also recommended to perform spinal traction (traction) underwater to relax the muscles under the action of warm water. Traction involves the use of various devices to enlarge the intervertebral space.
- Proper and clean nutrition.By providing the body with healthy fats, carbohydrates and proteins, as well as minerals and vitamins, women can significantly speed up the healing process.
- Physical activity.Doctors can prescribe physical therapy and special exercises for the cervical spine. The purpose of sports is to restore mobility and blood supply in the neck area. It can correct posture and strengthen muscle corset. In addition, for example, regular exercise in a gymnasium will prevent the development of cervical rickets.
- Wearing a corset.The cervical spine has a special device called a collar. It is rigid and stable. Wearing a collar will eliminate pain syndrome, improve posture and speed up recovery.
![Wear a collar for cervical osteochondrosis](/images/articles/275/Wear%20a%20collar%20for%20cervical%20osteochondrosis.jpg)
When choosing a collar, you need to choose the right product height. To do this, you need to measure the distance from the collarbone to the angle of the mandible.
Home Care
In order for this disease to not manifest or be diagnosed at the initial stage, women need to closely monitor their health, diet and lifestyle.
To alleviate this situation, you can use folk recipes at home:
- Chop the peeled potatoes, place them on a fine grater, add a small amount of honey and mix. The resulting mixture must be applied to the cervical spine, where it is most vulnerable. Repeat the treatment once a week.
- Rinse the horseradish leaves and apply to the affected area. Secure the compress with a bandage and sleep all night. Usually in the morning, you will feel relaxed and improved. In order to obtain a greater effect, the process should be repeated for 3 days or more.
Cervical spine exercises should be performed to strengthen the neck muscles and restore the mobility of the spine. You can exercise to prevent illness, but you should exercise steadily and do not exercise suddenly to avoid muscle cramps:
- Lean forward.Sit, place one palm on your forehead, then tilt your head forward while pressing the palm. One tilt for -10 seconds. After a short break, repeat the exercise again.
- Lean to one side.Sit, place one palm on your head in the temple area. Tilt your head to the side while pressing down with the palm of your hand to resist. Continue for 10 seconds. After a break, repeat the exercise.
- Turn to the side.When sitting on a chair or standing, put your arms down along your torso. Turn your head smoothly to the far right, and then to the far left. Repeat 10 times.
- Lift your shoulders.When sitting or standing, the arms will be lowered along the body, and the shoulders will be lifted as much as possible and held in this position for 10 seconds. Next, lower your shoulders, take a deep breath, and relax for 15 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Lean to the chest.Sitting or standing with arms down along the body. Lower your head steadily and try to press your chin as far as possible to your chest. The cervical spine has good mobility, and you can feel your chest with your chin. Repeat about 10 times.
- The ear touches the shoulder.Tilt your head back. Try to touch the left ear to the left shoulder and repeat 5 times. Perform the same operation on the right side.
- Tilt down.Place the chin on the neck. Rotate the head 7 times to the left and then 7 times to the right.
- neck muscle resistance. Throw your head back, but not completely. Slowly press your chin against your chest to overcome the resistance of your neck muscles. Do it 5-7 times.
- Wave your arms.It is necessary to make a circular motion with both hands in one direction and then in the other direction.
- Massage.Sit down or lie down, massage the area between the occipital bone and its soft part, the area where the head and neck conditionally meet, by yourself or with the help of others. The impact force should be large enough, please execute within 4 minutes.
Important!If it is cervical osteochondrosis, do not make a circular motion with your head anyway, as this will cause injury.
Prevention
- The doctor said that during embryonic development, even in the uterus, cervical osteochondrosis should be prevented. Expectant mothers are obliged to eliminate risk factors related to future fetal diseases and monitor their health conditions to prevent intrauterine infection, hypoxia and poisoning.
- Both parents need to monitor the child's injury and consult a doctor for diagnosis in time to rule out possible complications in the future.
- For girls and adult women, it is very important to prevent cervical osteochondrosis, because it is worth changing your lifestyle. You need to start walking a lot, at least 10, 000 steps a day, and gradually increase the walking time. If work is related to a sedentary lifestyle, you need to eat in the office, do simple exercises for office workers, and get up every hour, warm up, and take a walk. Sitting on a high-back chair with a headrest. It is also important to avoid soft furniture, because the car body must be supported by the ischial tuberosity.
- When driving a car, it is important that the back is well supported, and a roller can be placed between the lower back and the seat. Try to keep your head straight and relax.
- Harmful in the same place in front of the computer screen and TV screen. You need to change your posture from time to time to allow your muscles to bend.
- For people with cervical osteochondrosis, it is best to do housework while sitting down, such as ironing or cooking.
- To prevent osteochondrosis, it is necessary to prevent excessive pressure on the spine and cervical spine. The bag and packaging should be carried with both hands or alternately. When working in the garden and vegetable garden, you need to take a break for 20 minutes every 1. 5 hours, preferably in a horizontal position.
- In order to reduce the vibration during walking, you need to choose comfortable or orthopedic shoes with elastic soles.
- In the cold season, women should use scarves and hats to protect the neck collar area from hypothermia.
- The sleeping mattress should be firm. Depending on the location, you can also place cushions on your lower back, knee joints or under your stomach.
- To prevent osteochondrosis, it is worth taking a general intensive massage treatment. This will help prevent the onset of the disease and cure it in the initial stage.
- It is important for women to cope with stress and monitor their psychological stability, because neurological shock can damage the cervical spine.
- To prevent this disease, it is important to eat foods that are good for the spine to synthesize its cartilage tissue. Protein, mucopolysaccharides, minerals, and vitamins can be obtained from meat, beans, nuts, vegetables, gelatin, fish, eggs, and cheese.
![Prevent the development of cervical osteochondrosis](/images/articles/275/Prevent%20the%20development%20of%20cervical%20osteochondrosis.jpg)
When choosing a mattress that suits you, many factors should be considered, such as-skin color, height, weight, fillers, and most importantly, the degree of development of osteochondrosis.
Important!For women suffering from cervical osteochondrosis, swimming in a swimming pool or pond will be a very useful activity. But it is better to refuse bathing and sauna during the worsening period.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease of all women, and the problem is a sedentary lifestyle. These industries are many: accountants, tellers, tailors, musicians, writers, etc. During the remission period, it is useful for women to go to nursing homes and resorts, where they can strengthen the neck muscles, vascular system and heal the body. Seeing a doctor in time is the key to successful recovery.