Intervertebral hernia of the cervical spine

Before we talk about orthopedic pillows, we need to remember the structure of the human skeleton. There are 3 physiological curves in the human spine:

Cervical (directed forward).
Thoracic (directed backwards).
Lumbar (directed forward).

When our body is in an upright position, the normal state of the skeleton is monitored by ligaments and muscles. But in a horizontal state, the skeleton can take any shape. This is where the orthopedic pillow comes into play; it is simply necessary to maintain the curvature of the cervical spine. All orthopedic products are extremely rigid. Pillows made from memorix have a unique “memory effect”; they take on the shape of the human body as a result of exposure to heat generated by a person. Latex is also used in production to give them the necessary elasticity.

Basic information about the disease

An intervertebral hernia of the cervical spine develops when the integrity of the fibrocartilaginous discs—the shock-absorbing pads between the vertebrae—is disrupted. In this case, the elastic nucleus pulposus located inside extends beyond the spinal column, compressing the spinal cord and spinal nerve roots.

As a rule, this is preceded by periodic pain in the neck. Such complaints occur in more than half of the population, and constant pain persists throughout the year in a quarter of the adult population. Pains of a more varied nature occur in women, but in men they appear more often.

The cervical region is the most mobile part of the spine, consisting of 7 small vertebrae C1 - C7). The vertebrae are quite fragile and easily injured; the muscles that support the cervical spine are less powerful than the spinal vertebrae.

These structural features contribute to permanent injury to the cervical vertebrae. The hernia most often develops in the lower sections at the levels C5–C6 and C6–C7. The code for cervical intervertebral hernia according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) is M51.

A herniation of the cervical spine is accompanied by dysfunction of the brain and spinal cord, compression of the vertebral arteries supplying the brain and the development of severe complications. But not everything is so bad: contacting an experienced specialist will help stop the pathological process. Such specialists can be found at the Paramita clinic.

How to choose the right mattress?

A properly selected mattress is not only a comfortable rest, but also an investment in your own health. In particular, in the musculoskeletal system. For the purposes of both treatment and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, it is worth choosing orthopedic options and changing them every 8-10 years. The size of the product should take into account the height and weight of the sleeper, the degree of rigidity should be moderate.

An excessively hard or soft mattress provokes a slow but rapid curvature of the spine and the development of the disease. On a soft bed, the spine will bend, disrupting normal blood circulation. A rigid frame will result in constant muscle tension. The best option is a latex memory foam mattress that can remember the curves of the body.

Causes of development of a hernia of the cervical spine

Intervertebral hernia of the cervical spine develops under the influence of the following reasons:

Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the vertebral discs – osteochondrosis. The disease can develop at a young age in the presence of predisposing factors:
sedentary lifestyle - nutrition of intervertebral discs in adults occurs osmotically, becoming more active during movement; if a person moves little, the discs lose moisture, become thinner and crack;
poor nutrition, excess of high-calorie foods with limited vegetables and grains;
bad habits – smoking, alcohol abuse.
Cervical spine injuries:
macrotraumas – compression fractures, vertebral subluxations; They are rare, but very dangerous; against their background, a variety of changes in the vertebrae and discs subsequently develop.
Cervical scoliosis is a curvature of the spine due to hormonal disorders or hereditary predisposition.

The cervical region is the most mobile part of the spine.

People in the following professions are at risk for developing a cervical hernia: athletes, military personnel, dancers, people who work at a computer for a long time, hairdressers.

Psychosomatics

There is a clear connection between physical disorders and the characteristics of neuropsychic development and mental trauma. Thus, a hernia of the cervical spine often indicates the impossibility of coming to terms with some situation, solving it with willpower, or making a compromise. The constant fear of losing the love and support of a loved one leads to the same result.

Psychotraumatic situations continue for years, which leads to retraction of the neck into the shoulders, constant stubborn tilt of the head, and improper development of the neck muscles. All this sooner or later affects the condition of the cervical discs and ends with the development of a hernia.

Symptoms of a herniated cervical spine

A cervical hernia develops gradually and does not manifest itself at first. The sudden appearance of severe pain or other manifestations of a hernia is most often associated with some triggering factor - a sudden turn of the head, injury, stress or illness.

First signs of illness

At first, the signs of a cervical hernia are vague:

periodic neck pain that goes away on its own;
a feeling of numbness and crawling on one side of the neck when tilting or turning the head for a long time; numbness of fingers on one side;
crunch in the neck when turning;
changes in blood pressure;
frequent headaches, which are not always associated with the condition of the spine;
periodic attacks of dizziness;
double vision, tinnitus;
drowsiness during the day and insomnia at night.

If such signs appear, it is better to immediately consult a doctor and undergo a course of treatment - at this stage, a developing hernia is best treated.

Obvious symptoms

The characteristic symptoms of a cervical hernia usually develop after several years. In the cervical spine, symptoms have a clear connection with the level of disc damage. Symptoms are very varied:

Radicular syndrome

Radicular syndrome develops when the roots of the spinal nerves are pinched and manifests itself in the form of pain, motor and sensory disturbances, and metabolic disorders. When different discs of the cervical spine are affected, the following symptoms develop:

C2 – C3.
Tormenting headaches - migraines. Pain and sensory disturbances in the neck are often unilateral. Visual, auditory, olfactory disorders. Lesions of the facial nerve - paresis and paralysis, impaired tongue movements. Frequent inflammatory processes of the ENT organs. Hernias in this disc develop extremely rarely.
C3-C4.
Sensory disturbances extend to the entire half of the neck. The pain radiates to the teeth, face, ear. Visual and hearing impairments. Mental disorders are typical - depression, panic attacks. A rare type of hernia.
C4 – C5.
Numbness and pain spread throughout the neck, inner and front surface of the shoulder. Muscle weakness. It is difficult to turn your head and bend your arm at the elbow. A common type of hernia.
C5 – C6.
Pain and sensory disturbances along the back of the shoulder. The pain may spread along the outer edge of the arm to the thumb. The neck muscles are tense. Paresis and paralysis. Cough, shortness of breath, bronchospasms, hoarseness. The most common location of cervical hernia.
C6 – C7.
The pain spreads along the outer and back surface of the arm, radiating to the shoulder blade, elbow, 2nd to 5th fingers. The function of the thyroid gland is impaired. Happens frequently.

When different cervical vertebrae are affected, different symptoms appear.

Autonomic disorders

Often the main symptoms of cervical disc herniation are autonomic disorders. They develop when the autonomic fibers of the spinal nerve roots, which innervate internal organs and the walls of blood vessels, are pinched.

At the same time, pain in the heart of a very different nature, changes in blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, sweating, changes in body temperature, and hand tremors appear.

Dizziness

The cause of dizziness due to cervical disc herniation is vertebral artery syndrome. This group of symptoms develops when the vertebral artery that supplies the brain is compressed by a hernial protrusion. The two vertebral arteries enter the lateral foramen of the vertebrae at the level of C6. And once they enter the cranial cavity, they merge into a single basilar artery, which supplies the base of the brain, the medulla oblongata, which contains the vital vasomotor and respiratory centers.

Compression of the artery leads to disruption of the blood supply to the brain, causing severe dizziness, weakness, fainting, sudden loss of coordination, visual and hearing disorders. Headaches in the form of migraines (half of the head hurts) are also typical.

Numbness

Numbness of individual parts of the body develops when the sensory fibers of the spinal roots are pinched. This is one of the manifestations of radicular syndrome. Sometimes, instead of numbness, the patient has a feeling of goosebumps crawling throughout the body.

Symptoms of cervical hernia in men

Cervical hernia occurs more often in men than in women. They are more likely to experience pain along the pinched roots and impaired movement. More common are segmented types of hernia with segments entering the spinal cord, developing paresis and paralysis.

Symptoms of cervical hernia in women

Women are characterized by a wide variety of manifestations of cervical hernia. Especially often they develop vegetative symptoms with heart pain and changes in blood pressure. Panic attacks and very often migraines occur.

What types of intervertebral hernias are most difficult to treat?

4 stages of treatment for intervertebral hernia

Dangerous symptoms

The most dangerous symptoms of a cervical hernia include:

partial or complete movement disorders - paresis and paralysis - they signal that the spinal cord has been damaged;
a sharp sudden onset of dizziness, headache with nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness - indicates a sudden disturbance of cerebral circulation, which can be complicated by the development of ischemic stroke.

If such symptoms appear, the patient must be hospitalized, so it is necessary to call an ambulance.

Complications and consequences of the disease

The cervical region is the narrowest part of the spinal system, in which the largest arteriovascular highway passes. The department includes the largest arteries - the left, right vertebral and basilar, each of which forms up to 6 groups of vascular branches.

In the back of the neck there is also an important cervical nerve bundle (node), which consists of the hypoglossal, lesser occipital, greater auditory, transverse, and supraclavicular nerves.

Thus, even slight deformations of the disc, displacement of the vertebrae in an overly narrow area, densely penetrated by nerves and blood vessels, can cause a real catastrophe:

clamping of arteries and nerve roots, constant severe pain;
blocking the circulation of blood and cerebrospinal fluid between the spinal cord and brain with severe cerebro-vertebral signs;
neurotic nature of auditory and visual disturbances, frequent loss of consciousness, coordination disorders;
serious dysfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract (nausea, vomiting, fecal incontinence), urinary system (uncontrolled urination) and genital organs (impotence, frigidity, infertility);
muscle weakness of the arms, including complete or partial paralysis;
depression of respiratory functions due to severe damage to the spinal substance and nerve nodes, up to the cessation of breathing;
insufficient blood supply to the brain, which can lead to cerebral ischemia and stroke.

Why are hernias of the cervical spine dangerous?

Intervertebral hernia of the cervical spine is dangerous because the pathological focus is located near the vital centers of the brain and spinal cord. Therefore, it is very important to seek medical help promptly, without waiting for severe symptoms and serious complications to appear.

Stages

The formation of a cervical hernia occurs in the following stages:

degenerative-dystrophic
- under the influence of various factors, metabolism in the discs of the cervical spine is disrupted, they become thin, and lose their shock-absorbing properties; This stage is characterized by the appearance of primary symptoms;
protrusion
– the fibrous disc is covered with cracks, the nucleus pulposus is displaced at the edge of the disc. The pain intensifies, sensory disturbances and vegetative symptoms appear; a sudden movement or turn of the head is enough for the disease to progress to the next stage;
extrusion
- violation of the integrity of the fibrous ring and exit of the nucleus pulposus beyond the disc, compression of nerve roots, spinal cord and vertebral arteries; A detailed picture of the disease with all the characteristic symptoms;
sequestration
- segments are separated from the nucleus and enter the spinal cord, compressing it and disrupting various functions. At this stage, severe complications are possible - strokes, paresis, paralysis.

By size, cervical hernias are divided into small (up to 2 mm), medium (3 - 4 mm), large (5 -6 mm).

Complications

If a cervical hernia is not treated in the early stages, complications will arise.

In advanced stages of the disease, the following complications are possible:

cervicalgia (cervical lumbago) - the sudden appearance of severe pain in the neck, due to which the patient cannot move;
cervical migraine - severe attacks of headache in one side of the head with nausea and vomiting;
paresis and paralysis of the muscles of the face, neck, arms;
cardiac and respiratory arrest due to cerebrovascular accident.

The complications are serious, so if these symptoms appear, you should urgently call an ambulance.

What to do during an exacerbation

An exacerbation can begin under the influence of some external (trauma, heavy lifting) or internal (any acute disease) factors. With each exacerbation, the condition of the affected disc worsens - the disease progresses. During remission, this process stops.

Experts are trying to prevent exacerbation. For this purpose, courses of anti-relapse treatment are prescribed. With proper adequate treatment, the process of destruction of cervical discs can be completely stopped.

Types of cervical hernias

All manifestations of the disease depend on the direction in which the nucleus pulposus is displaced. Based on this feature, the following types of cervical hernias are distinguished:

Dorsal
– the nucleus falls back into the canal where the spinal cord passes. They occur frequently and are divided into:
paramedian
- with deviation from the middle; causes pinching of two roots - at this and the following levels; accompanied by severe pain along the nerves - radiculopathy.
Foramial
- the nucleus pulposus wedges into the hole from which the spinal nerve root emerges and pinches it. Severe radiculitis pain along the pinched nerve.
Lateral
- causes pinching of the root at a given level, but less severe than foramial. The cervical vertebrae are small and there is practically no distinction between foramial and lateral species.
Ventral
- the nucleus moves forward without touching the spinal cord, so it does not manifest itself for a long time. Pain and decreased mobility gradually appear due to ossification of the ligaments. A rare type of cervical hernia.
Schmorl's hernia (vertical)
- the nucleus is wedged into the bone of a vertebra located above or below the hernia. It occurs mainly in children or with severe osteoporosis - loss of bone tissue due to loss of calcium. It is asymptomatic, but can sometimes cause vertebral destruction.

Also distinguished:

diffuse (widespread) cervical hernia
- a large protrusion occupying half the circumference of the disc;
sequestered cervical hernia
- the separated segment enters the spinal canal; the most dangerous type of hernia.

What types of hernias develop in individual cervical discs

Lateral and foramial intervertebral hernias most often develop in the C6-C7 discs. They make up 60% of all hernias in a given disc. Median and paramedian hernias with movement disorders are much less common.

When the C5–C6 disc is affected, lateral and foraminal hernias with radicular pain are much less common, in approximately a quarter of cases. Here you can often find median hernias with significant motor impairments.

All types of posterior and lateral hernias occur on discs C4 – C5. On the upper discs, hernias are very rare and can have different directions.

Read about other types of spinal hernias here.

Each type of intervertebral hernia has serious complications, so you should not delay treatment.
See how easy it is to get rid of a hernia in 10 sessions

Pain due to hernia of the cervical spine

Acute pain from a herniated cervical spine is of two types: associated with compression of the spinal nerve roots - radiculopathy and headaches associated with cerebrovascular accidents and autonomic disorders.

In addition, patients may be bothered by constant aching pain that intensifies with various movements or after a long stay in the same position.

Symptoms of a cervical hernia include constant aching pain.

Cervical lumbago (cervical radiculopathy, cervicago)

The pain begins suddenly after a sharp turn or tilt of the head and is associated with pinching of the spinal nerve roots. The pain is very severe, patients compare it to an electric shock. This pain is most often localized on the back of the neck and spreads along the upper limb to the hand and fingers.

At the same time, a sharp spasm of the neck muscles occurs - the patient is unable to move his head. Severe pain does not allow movement, sometimes it is difficult for the patient to even talk, cough or sneeze. After some time, the pain may become less acute, but continues to be excruciating. Without medical help, it can last several hours or even days, and then over time become chronic with exacerbations and remissions.

Cervical migraine

These are attacks of painful unilateral headaches that develop against the background of vertebral artery syndrome. The cause of the sudden development of migraine may be tissue swelling or prolonged positioning of the head in the same position, followed by a sudden change in position.

Unlike classic migraine, in which the headache is associated with a sharp dilation of blood vessels and stagnation of blood, with cervical migraine there is compression of the vessels supplying the brain and the nerve plexuses surrounding them. The pain is one-sided, severe, and can begin either suddenly or relatively gradually. May have a pressing, tearing character. It often begins in the back of the head, then spreads to the eye socket, ear, teeth, and forehead. Accompanied by nausea, vomiting, visual and hearing impairment. The attack can last for several hours.

How to relieve pain

With a cervical lumbago, the patient should:

lie down on a hard surface with a small pillow under your knees; or take a different position in which the pain is felt less;
ask others to call an ambulance;
take any painkiller orally: Analgin, Pentalgin, Ibuprofen, etc. You can apply pain-relieving ointments externally to painful areas: Voltaren, Fastum-gel, etc.

Voltaren, Fastum-gel, Analgin, Pentalgin, Ibuprofen will help get rid of cervical lumbago.

Emergency doctor:

will give a painkiller injection; For this purpose, drugs from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - NSAIDs are usually used; the most effective is Diclofencac;
muscle relaxants (Mydocalm) are administered to relieve muscle tension;
if this does not help, a paravertebral blockade is performed - an anesthetic (Novocaine, Lidocaine) is injected into the soft tissue near the exit site of the spinal roots.

If this does not help, the patient is hospitalized and an epidural block is performed - an anesthetic is injected into the space between the hard shell of the spinal cord and the bone of the spinal column.

For cervical migraine, the patient should:

take the most comfortable position to help reduce pain during a spinal hernia; for most patients this is a supine position;
ask loved ones to open a window or window - the patient needs fresh air;
close the curtains on the window, reduce the number of sets, remove any sounds;
take a painkiller - Analgin, Nise, Paracetamol.

If the pain does not go away for a long time, you can call an ambulance. The doctor will enter:

intramuscularly any drug from the NSAID group - Diclofenac, Nise;
glucocorticoid hormones (Dexamethasone) – will relieve tissue swelling and reduce constriction of the vessel;
nootropic drugs – reduce tissue oxygen demand (Nootropil);
drugs that improve blood flow - Pentoxifylline.

Diagnostics

To make a correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment, the patient must be examined. The following instrumental studies are prescribed:

X-ray of the cervical spine in direct and lateral projections - for cervical hernias is not very informative, since it allows you to see a large hernia based on indirect signs - structural changes in the vertebral area;
computed tomography (CT) – you can clearly see any pathology of bone tissue; CT scan with contrast injection (performed only in a hospital) - allows you to assess how much the hernial protrusion compresses the spinal cord;
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - allows you to examine soft tissues in detail, including hernial protrusion.

How to treat a herniated cervical spine

Treatment of a herniated cervical spine should be comprehensive and include both medications and any other methods that can improve the patient’s condition.

Drug treatment and folk remedies

First of all, they try to relieve the patient from pain. For severe pain, NSAID injections are prescribed - Diclofenac, Nise, Ibuprofen. In the absence of the required effect, pain blockades with Novocaine or Lidocaine are performed. To eliminate muscle tension, treatment is carried out with muscle relaxants (Mydocalm)

If the pain is not too severe, treatment is carried out with medications of the same group, prescribed internally in the form of tablets and capsules and externally in the form of ointments, creams and gels. Neuroprotectors are required - B vitamins that improve the functioning of the nervous system (Milgamma, Neuromultivit).

Drug treatments for cervical hernia also include drugs to improve blood circulation (Pentoxifylline). To improve venous blood flow, Troxevasin and Detralex are included in the treatment.

To stimulate metabolic processes in damaged discs, agents based on animal cartilage tissue are prescribed - chondroitin and glucosamine (Astra, Teraflex, Dona).

Sometimes, to enhance the effectiveness of treatment and partially replace medications with natural remedies, traditional medicine methods are used, for example, the following:

dandelion jam; for a liter jar of dandelion flowers - a liter of water, keep on low heat for an hour, strain, discard the raw materials, add 1 kg of sugar, cook for another 45 minutes, then add the juice of one lemon, bring to a boil; cool and take a teaspoon 3 – 5 times a day; continue treatment for 1-2 months; Neck pain is gently and imperceptibly eliminated;
tincture for external use; Pour 15 bay leaves into 500 ml of vodka and leave in a glass jar for 72 hours in a dark place, shaking occasionally; strain and rub your neck overnight.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy goes well with any other methods of conservative treatment of cervical hernia. Physiotherapy relieves pain, improves blood circulation and metabolism. Depending on the stage of the disease and the type of hernia, the following procedures are included in the treatment:

electrophoresis
- administration of medicinal solutions using electric current; treatment is often prescribed at the stage of pain relief with novocaine;
Darsonval currents
are pulsed currents of high frequency and voltage, but of low strength; relieve pain, restore normal blood circulation;
laser therapy
– improves blood circulation, has an anti-inflammatory effect, prevents relapses of the disease;
UVT (shock wave therapy)
– treatment promotes the restoration of pathologically altered tissues.

Fixation means

For severe neck pain and vertebral artery syndrome, patients are recommended to wear a special cervical collar to fix the spine. This prevents tissue injury and gradually relieves pain. Wearing it is prescribed until the pain disappears completely (5 – 10 days). Wearing a collar all the time is not recommended, as the neck muscles weaken.

Another method of fixation is taping - a modern technique for fixing soft tissues using adhesive tapes, preventing microtrauma of the discs.

Massage and manual therapy

Massage for intervertebral disc herniation in the cervical spine is done at any stage of the disease. The course will improve blood circulation, tighten and strengthen the neck muscles and you will not experience pain for a long time. But these procedures can only be entrusted to a specialist with a medical education and a massage certificate. Doing such a massage in a bathhouse or sauna is life-threatening.

Manual therapy is a procedure performed by a manual therapist. During the session, the doctor will eliminate muscle spasms, compression of blood vessels and nerve roots. Sometimes it’s even possible to repair a hernia this way.

Massage and manual therapy are done at any stage of the disease.

Hirudotherapy

Treatment with leeches is almost always included in the complex therapy of cervical disc herniation, since the saliva of leeches has analgesic properties, perfectly relieves inflammation and swelling of tissues, thins the blood, and improves blood circulation.

Reflexology

A method of influencing acupuncture points located on the human body and reflexively connected with all organs and tissues of the body. The method allows the patient to completely relieve pain in the first sessions, even with severe disc damage. After completing a course of treatment, a person forgets about pain for a long time, and regular reflexology courses allow him to feel healthy.

Psychotherapy

All patients with cervical disc herniation should undergo courses of treatment from a psychotherapist or psychologist, since during their illness they have accumulated many unresolved psychological problems that aggravate the course of the disease. But such treatment is especially necessary for people whose disease is caused by psychosomatics. The task of a psychotherapist is to identify and treat these symptoms.

Surgery

Surgical intervention should be carried out strictly according to indications for:

the appearance of pronounced symptoms of compression of the spinal cord in the form of paresis and paralysis, which cannot be eliminated by conservative methods;
severe pain (radiculopathy) lasting more than 8 weeks despite treatment.

Nowadays, gentle operations are carried out using microsurgical techniques, which significantly reduce the risk of complications. But if we compare the long-term consequences of conservative and surgical treatment, they are almost the same.

Exercise therapy for herniated cervical spine

Why is therapeutic exercise so important for cervical hernias? The fact is that a feature of the intervertebral discs of an adult is the lack of blood supply. Nutrition to their tissues comes osmotically from the environment. But in order for the nutrient fluid necessary for metabolism in cartilage tissue to appear in the environment, muscles must work.

Only muscle work can maintain the discs in normal condition. With a sedentary lifestyle, and if you are still overweight, the discs are quickly destroyed. Exercise therapy also helps strengthen the muscles that support the spine, improves blood circulation and blood flow to the muscles, brain and spinal cord.

Therefore, complexes of therapeutic exercises are included in the treatment program immediately after pain relief. A set of exercises is selected by a physical therapy doctor and performed under the supervision of an instructor

Exercises for morning exercises

Together with an instructor, you can select a number of exercises for daily morning exercises, perform them under his supervision, and then continue exercising at home. Here are some exercises:

lie on your back, relax and begin to clench and unclench your fists with force; do 20 times, relax, count to 20 and repeat;
sit on a chair, hang your arms down and rotate your shoulders first in one direction, then in the other; perform 5 – 10 times; if difficult, 2 – 3 times;
sit on a chair, back straight, arms hanging down; raise your arms first to the sides, then, without stopping, up, and then lower them in the reverse order; repeat 3 times.

By doing morning exercises, you can gradually increase the number of exercises performed and the number of approaches.

If pain occurs during the exercise, exercise should be stopped immediately. The next day it can be performed only if there is no pain and the load has been reduced.

What should a bed be like?

The state in which a person remains after waking up depends entirely on what his dream was like. And it, in turn, depends on how and what a person slept on during the night’s rest. Correctly selected and mastered bed, pillow and sleeping accessories will help relieve discomfort, pain and will contribute to changes for the better in the fight against cervical osteochondrosis.

To ensure the right choice of conditions is worth it, you need to pay attention to the advice given by experts on this matter. You will have to forget about soft feather beds and silk bedding for a long time (ideally, forever). The first serious event that awaits a patient diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis is the choice of an orthopedic mattress.

You need to choose a suitable orthopedic mattress for sleeping

Orthopedic mattresses

The right mattress

Unlike daytime, which a person spends mainly on his feet, night means sleeping in a supine position. It puts minimal stress on the back, but there is a danger of spinal deformation if a person sleeps on an unsuitable mattress, since sleeping in an uncomfortable or physiologically incorrect position can last eight hours or more. Of course, if the sleeper is diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis, his pathological condition will worsen.

Important! With a well-chosen mattress, the body will take a physiological position that promotes complete relaxation, the vertebrae will straighten, the muscles will come out of spasm, the spine will “fall” into place and be fixed there.

Correct spine position

What should a mattress be like for proper sleep with cervical osteochondrosis? It is imperative to comply with two selection parameters - the orthopedic product must be semi-rigid and elastic.

With a soft mattress that bends under the weight of the body, a pathological position will be fixed. In addition, a soft, inelastic mattress will not provide the support necessary to fix the position. When rigid, the body will take an unnatural position.

Correct position for sleeping on your back and side

In the case of cervical osteochondrosis, a latex mattress of a special design is chosen. A suitable anatomical option is when the design has two planes of varying degrees of softness, one of which is medium and the other hard.

Versatile mattress made with alternating layers of natural latex and coconut coir

Orthopedic latex mattress

The ideal option is an orthopedic mattress. In addition to the fact that while sleeping on such a mattress, curvatures are corrected and the physiological position is fixed, it also stimulates blood circulation, relieves mild pain and relaxes the muscular system.

Latex easily changes shape and also quickly returns to its original position

Advice. It is strictly forbidden to sleep on a water mattress if you are diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis. Their increased mobility irritates the nerve endings and can increase the symptoms of the disease, leading to its progression and increasing deformities.

The right pillow

Even more important than choosing a mattress is choosing the right pillow for cervical osteochondrosis. When purchasing this sleep accessory, keeping in mind your diagnosis, you need to carefully consider the choice, analyze and comply with its criteria.

Table. Criteria for choosing a pillow.

Approach to treating the disease in our clinic

We fully examine each new patient using modern laboratory and instrumental diagnostic methods, including MRI. After this, the attending physician together with the patient draw up a treatment plan. Comprehensive treatment must include:

the most modern Western methods of treating cervical disc herniation;
traditional oriental methods aimed at improving the health of the body as a whole, which leads to healing from a hernia.

As a result of this approach to the treatment of intervertebral hernia of the cervical spine, the patient gets rid of pain already in the first sessions of treatment, his mood improves, and there is hope for a return to normal life. After completion of treatment, patients do not forget about our clinic and regularly come for maintenance treatment. Most of them return to normal life.

The truth about treatment: analysis of the effectiveness of all tactics

Do medications help?

In the acute period, doctors prescribe medications for pain, inflammation and swelling for local and internal use to relieve painful manifestations of the disease. The basis of such drug therapy is NSAIDs:

Indomethacin;
Ibuprofen;
Meloxicam;
Diclofenac.

In addition to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain, specialists prescribe medications from a series of analgesics:

Analgin;
Spasmalgon;
Ketorol.

If the clinical picture is aggravated by muscle hypertonicity, muscle relaxants are recommended to relax the spasmodic muscle structures. Among the most used muscle relaxants are Mydocalm and Siralud.

With constant debilitating pain, which NSAIDs and analgesics cannot cope with, a transition to treatment with strong hormonal or anesthetic drugs is carried out. These include glucocorticosteroids, lidocaine and novocaine. Using powerful hormone-containing and anesthetic agents, only as prescribed by a doctor in specialized conditions, the patient is given a course of spinal blockades. In the very near future, a person with such a critically unsafe diagnosis needs to undergo surgery.

All of the listed drugs act purely symptomatically: there will be no effect in terms of reducing the hernia component. In fact, they only temporarily relieve pain by blocking the transmission of nerve-pain impulses in the problem area. They also have a moderate anti-inflammatory effect. All intervertebral deformations and degenerations still do not disappear.

Note that limiting yourself only to drug therapy, even if it helps to get rid of pain, is the height of recklessness. With this approach, a hernia of the cervical spine will soon remind itself, and next time in a more vivid manifestation. But the worst thing is that, living only on painkillers, intervertebral pathogenesis will actively progress, increasing the risk of disability more and more every day.

Achieving stable remission through a drug regimen in complex combination with other conservative methods, as observations show, is not always achievable. If the initially prescribed complex treatment for 3 months, maximum 6 months, does not lead to tangible and lasting improvements, the patient is recommended to undergo surgery.

Long-term internal use of pain medications or their injection method is fraught with the development of side effects - stomach ulcers, liver and kidney diseases, hematopoietic and immune systems. External agents - gels, creams, ointments - have less negative reactions. But in terms of the strength of the analgesic effect they provide, they are significantly inferior to oral medications and injections.

It is impossible not to say a few words about popular chondroprotectors, the action of which is aimed at improving metabolism and activating nutrition in osteochondral structures. Remember, their benefits have been clinically confirmed exclusively for osteochondrosis that has not developed into a cervical hernia. It is acceptable to use such drugs for small protusions as a preventive measure for further degeneration of the cervical intervertebral disc. But! When hernia has already occurred, chondroprotectors are ineffective or “don’t work” at all. When a global restructuring of the disk contents into an irreversible (!) non-viable state has already occurred, they do not provide any therapeutic or prophylactic benefit.

General clinical recommendations

Patients with a cervical hernia are recommended to:

eat properly regularly, but do not overeat, exclude sweets, baked goods, and high-calorie foods from the diet; eat more vegetables and fruits; healthy dishes that include animal cartilage tissue and gelatin - jellied meats, jelly;
move more, do morning exercises, swim, just walk;
to the extent possible, cure all concomitant diseases;
monitor your weight;
you cannot: run, jump, ride a bicycle, hang on a horizontal bar, or lift weights.

Prevention of exacerbations

In order to prevent relapse of the disease, you need to lead an active healthy lifestyle, follow all the doctor’s recommendations and carry out a course of anti-relapse treatment several times a year.

We use non-surgical hernia treatment techniques
Read more about our unique technique

FAQ

How to sleep with a hernia in the neck?

It's better to sleep on your back, but if you're comfortable on your side, you can too. The bed should have a hard base and a fairly soft mattress. Orthopedic pillow with a bolster at neck level.

Is it possible to do yoga?

It is possible, but only after consulting with your doctor.

How to strengthen the neck muscles with a hernia?

Regular performance of special exercises selected during exercise therapy classes.

Only the attending physician can answer the question of how to treat a herniated cervical spine after an examination. You should not delay your visit to the clinic, because the sooner you seek help, the easier it will be to cure you.

Specialists from the Paramita clinic in Moscow are waiting for you!

Literature:

Levin O.S. Diagnosis and treatment of pain in the neck and upper extremities. RMZh.2006.9. 713 – 718.
Bubnovsky S.M. Spinal hernia is not a death sentence! - M.: Eksmo, 2010. - ISBN 978-5-699-41232-7.
Adams AC Neurology in Primary Care. F. A. Davis, Philadelphia, 2000, p. 83.
Eubank JD Cervical Radiculopathy: Nonoperative Management of Neck Pain and Radicular Symptoms // Am. Fam Physician. 2010. Vol. 81. P. 33–40.

Themes

Intervertebral hernia, Spine, Pain, Treatment without surgery Date of publication: 07/28/2020 Date of update: 03/16/2021

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What position should you sleep in with a progressive disease?

By adopting the wrong posture, your blood vessels are compressed, causing the spine and head to not receive sufficient blood supply. This causes pain that does not allow quality rest. Not every pose helps to achieve maximum muscle relaxation and correctly distribute the load throughout the body. Vertebrologists recommend giving preference to those that allow you to maintain the natural position of your back:

On your back with half-bent legs. In this position, the cervical vertebrae remain in their original anatomical position. If the legs are straightened, tension is created that does not allow the muscles to relax effectively. The shoulders should be on the mattress, the back of the head on the pillow. You can place a cushion under your lower back.
In a half-bent “fetal” position. During rest, this body position is considered one of the best. When a person sleeps on his side, bending his legs and tucking them to his chest, the spine relaxes as much as possible. For greater comfort, it is recommended to place a pillow between your knees. The only contraindications are stomach diseases, which are affected by tightness of the abdominal muscles.
On the side (right or left). This pose will be effective if your shoulder is resting on the mattress and your head is on a small soft pillow.

Many experts believe that the position on the stomach can be anatomically successful, but there are some nuances here. On the one hand, the organs do not put pressure on the spine, on the other, the head is turned to the side, which means several vertebrae continue to be under tension. Sleeping on your stomach should be the last resort.