Headaches due to osteochondrosis. Treatment with osteopathy

Osteochondrosis is premature wear and tear of spinal tissue. Due to the action of trigger factors, the intervertebral discs are less well supplied with blood and receive insufficient nutrition. They lose elasticity, become unstable and prone to deformation. The vertebrae come closer together, the nerve roots are compressed, and at this moment the patient feels pain. Arthrosis develops in the intervertebral joints, and the vertebrae themselves form outgrowths along the edges (osteophytes), which also compress nearby structures with the development of edema and inflammation. As a rule, ordinary people, and sometimes doctors, do not associate frequently recurring and prolonged headaches, pressure surges, and dizziness in any way with spinal osteochondrosis. Treatment for cervical headaches is prescribed, aimed at combating only the symptoms. It does not bring the expected results, because the cause of the headache - cervical osteochondrosis - is not eliminated. On the contrary, over time, headaches with osteochondrosis will only gain strength, worsening the patient’s quality of life and well-being. Failure to eliminate the cause of headaches in osteochondrosis of the cervical spine leads to the formation of disc protrusions and intervertebral hernias.

Why does osteochondrosis of the cervical spine cause headaches?

The cervical region bears complex functions of holding the head and moving it. This section consists of small vertebrae, and tension in the neck muscles quickly leads to accelerated wear. This is why osteochondrosis is often found in this area.

What leads to prolonged tension in the muscles of the cervical spine?

• chronic stress;
• head and neck injuries, incl. whiplash injury in road accidents;
• prolonged use of gadgets – smartphones and tablets;
• prolonged work at the computer or with papers in the wrong position;
• doing handicrafts – embroidery, knitting, etc.

The development of headaches in osteochondrosis is caused by several key mechanisms of the disease:

1. Spasm of the neck muscles. This condition is a compensation reaction in response to pain due to inflammation and compression of the roots. Tension in the neck is manifested by headaches due to osteochondrosis, mainly in the area of ​​the back of the head, crown and temples.
2. Compression of the vertebral arteries. In the cervical region, important vessels that transport blood to the brain pass through the transverse processes of the vertebrae. They can become pinched when osteochondrosis develops. This leads to insufficient nutrition and oxygen starvation of brain tissue.

Causes and mechanism of development of pain syndrome in osteochondrosis

Over the years, people lose the elastic properties of intervertebral discs, which provide significant softening of shocks during shocks and jolts that occur when running, walking, and jumping. This occurs due to age-related changes in blood vessels and impaired blood supply to the disc. As a result of insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the intervertebral disc, it becomes dehydrated, and the core becomes thicker and less elastic.

The load on the fibrous ring increases. It stretches and protrudes beyond the vertebral bodies. These processes begin at the age of twenty, and over time the pathological changes worsen. Cracks, detachments, and radial tears occur in the fibrous ring. The tissue of the intervertebral disc, which has undergone degenerative changes, protrudes towards the spinal canal and irritates the posterior longitudinal ligament, which is rich in pain receptors. Local pain and reflex tension of the paravertebral muscles occur periodically.

Due to thinning and perforation of the posterior longitudinal ligament, a hernial protrusion is formed. It irritates the nearest spinal root. An autoimmune process develops at the site of inflammation, which is manifested by periodically worsening radicular pain syndrome.

During the next exacerbation, compression of the radicular artery occurs. This leads to ischemia and acute dysfunction of the corresponding spinal nerve. When the radicular-spinal arteries are involved in the pathological process, chronic or acute insufficiency of blood supply to the spinal cord develops. In the presence of cervical osteochondrosis, the blood supply to the brain in the vertebrobasilar region may be disrupted.

Characteristic features of headache in osteochondrosis

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Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in the form of a headache may be the first manifestations of this disease even before the appearance of discomfort in the spine. It is characterized by localization in the crown, temples and back of the head. Headache with cervical osteochondrosis has an aching, bursting, pressing character. Patients complain of concomitant nausea, dizziness, malaise, pressure surges, congestion and ringing in the ears. Patients suffering from arterial hypertension often experience pain in the back of the head. For them, this is a common sign of increased blood pressure. But if the pressure is normal, and there are complaints of pain, then one of the reasons may be degenerative changes in osteochondrosis. However, spinal osteochondrosis can cause not only headaches, but also arterial hypertension. Important! With osteochondrosis, taking drugs with an analgesic effect is not effective enough, and the pain increases when moving the head.

Diagnosis of headaches in osteochondrosis

Adequate treatment of headaches with cervical osteochondrosis is impossible without an accurate and highly informative diagnosis. You should consult a doctor who will prescribe the following tests:

1. Magnetic resonance imaging. The images clearly visualize changes in the brain, as well as the condition of the soft tissues of the spine, the degree of their damage, and the presence of inflammation. MRI is the most accurate and reliable method for diagnosing headaches with osteochondrosis.
2. CT scan. Using X-rays, the doctor obtains layer-by-layer three-dimensional images of the structures of the brain and spine. In this way, you can determine the presence of cysts, tumor formations, signs of osteochondrosis and other pathological conditions of the spine.
3. X-ray of the spine. This method is able to detect dystrophic changes in the vertebrae at a later stage of the disease. A traditional, relatively inexpensive way to diagnose osteochondrosis.
4. Ultrasound of the vessels of the head and neck is necessary to determine the speed and volume of blood flow in them, obstruction due to obstacles (plaques, blood clots) or narrowings.

Treatment of pain syndrome

Neurologists at the Yusupov Hospital use innovative treatment methods to quickly relieve pain due to osteochondrosis and prevent its transition to the chronic stage. In the first days after the attack, the patient is provided with strict bed rest. To fix the body in the desired position, special orthopedic collars or corsets are used.

For acute and severe attacks of pain, centrally acting analgesics (tramadol) are used, as well as drugs that affect the central mechanisms of pain (benzodiazepines). They promote muscle relaxation, have an anxiolytic effect (reduce anxiety and fear), and improve the patient’s mental state. Additionally, muscle relaxants are prescribed (baclofen, mydocalm or tizanidine). In some cases, pain in osteochondrosis is relieved with anticonvulsants, which have an analgesic effect associated with the influence on the central mechanisms of pain formation. Carbamazepine is most often prescribed for this purpose.

Neurologists at the Yusupov Hospital relieve pain by performing paravertebral blockades with local anesthetics. The main treatment for pain in osteochondrosis today are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They have an inhibitory effect on the synthesis of the enzyme responsible for the development of the inflammatory response. Suppression of its production leads to a persistent reduction in inflammation, a decrease in tissue swelling and attenuation of pain. The most commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are:

• cake makers;
• nimesulide;
• celecoxib;
• diclofenac;
• ibuprofen.

In the acute stages of the disease, drugs are administered intramuscularly, and later they switch to oral tablets.

Drug therapy for pain due to osteochondrosis at the Yusupov Hospital is complemented by non-drug methods, which include physiotherapeutic procedures, manual therapy and massage, physical therapy and psychotherapy. Neurosurgeons at partner clinics perform surgical interventions in cases of spinal cord compression. The operation consists of removing a herniated intervertebral disc and decompressing the spinal canal. It is possible to perform puncture valorization of the disc, microdiscectomy, laser reconstruction of the disc, stabilization of the spinal segment, and replacement of the affected disc with an implant.

If you have pain, call the Yusupov Hospital. The clinic's neurologists quickly relieve pain and prescribe comprehensive treatment for osteochondrosis.

Treatment of headaches with cervical osteochondrosis

In the acute period of headaches with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, medications with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects are used. A neck brace helps relieve stress from spastic muscles and relieve pain due to osteochondrosis. After eliminating the pain syndrome, physical therapy can be prescribed, selected individually for the patient. It complements the main treatment and cannot be used independently. Next, a special physical training plan is drawn up for recovery after treatment of headaches due to osteochondrosis, strengthening the muscular corset of the back and neck. Osteopathy in the treatment of cervical headaches The effect of treating headaches with osteochondrosis can be obtained if it is aimed at the underlying mechanisms and causes of the development of the disease, and not just at the symptoms. Classical therapeutic methods cannot act as deeply. An osteopath eliminates the cause of osteochondrosis; his techniques are painless and can be used even in an acute period.

What does an osteopathic doctor do?

• Identifies and eliminates the consequences of previously suffered injuries and inflammations in the body, leading to distortions and overload in the cervical spine.
• Improves blood flow, lymph to the vertebrae and nutrition of the affected tissues, affecting the immediate cause of osteochondrosis.
• Eliminates compensatory tension in the back muscles that occurs in response to inflammation and pain.
• Works with internal organs that are connected to the affected vertebrae.
• Releases spinal and cranial nerves: their tension can cause neck pain and headaches.
• Removes tension in the spine, improves neck mobility.

For complete treatment, several regular visits to an osteopath are required. After each visit, the spine receives new resources for its release and healing, so the patient will feel changes after the first procedures in the form of a decrease in the frequency of headaches and easier movements in the cervical spine.

Clinical signs of osteochondrosis

Clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis develop with additional load on the spinal segment. Pain syndrome can develop after flexion and subsequent sharp extension of the lumbar spine, especially combined with lifting weights, or due to a sudden movement of the head. In the initial stages of the disease, pain occurs due to protrusion of the intervertebral disc towards the spinal canal and irritation of the posterior longitudinal ligament, rich in pain receptors. Its peculiarity depends on the location of the pathological process.

If pain occurs at the lumbar level, it is referred to as lumbago or lumbodynia. Pain syndrome at the cervical level is called cervicago or cervicalgia, and at the thoracic level - thoracalgia. Due to a reflex muscle reaction, pronounced tension in the paravertebral muscles occurs. This causes increased pain and flattening, smoothing of cervical or lumbar physiological lordosis, as well as limited mobility of the spine.

Cervicago is characterized by acute pain in the neck, provoked by head movements and tension in the neck muscles. Cervicalgia is manifested by severe pain and paresthesia (a feeling of tingling or crawling) in the cervical spine due to irritation of the receptors of the meningeal branches of the spinal nerves. When examining the patient, the neurologist determines pronounced tension in the neck muscles, fixation of the head, pain in the spinous processes of the cervical vertebrae and paravertebral points.

Lumbago or lumbodynia differ from each other in the degree of severity and duration of pathological manifestations. Due to pain, patients develop flattening of the lumbar lordosis and severe limitation of movements in the lumbar spine. Over time, the pain syndrome due to osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine fades away and remission occurs. An exacerbation of the disease occurs due to additional displacement of the intervertebral disc. During the next episode, the posterior longitudinal ligament is perforated, which leads to the development of the second stage of neurological complications.

In the second stage of osteochondrosis, as a result of perforation of the posterior longitudinal ligament, the prolapsed tissue of the intervertebral disc penetrates into the epidural space located above the dura mater. It irritates the spinal roots and spinal nerve, causing radicular syndrome. The cartilage tissue found in the epidural space performs the functions of an antigen. A focus of aseptic autoimmune inflammation occurs in the epidural space. Nerve roots are also involved in the pathological process. Patients often experience pain for a long time.

In the third, vascular-radicular stage of neurological disorders in spinal osteochondrosis, motor disorders and sensory disturbances develop due to ischemia of the roots or spinal nerve and compression of the corresponding radicular artery. While walking, the patient raises his leg high, throws it forward and at the same time slams his toe on the floor.

The fourth stage of neurological manifestations is characterized by dysfunction of the radicular spinal arteries. If this occurs at the cervical level, the patient develops signs of cervical discirculatory myelopathy, reminiscent of the manifestations of the cervical-upper-thoracic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Functional insufficiency of the arteries of the lower thoracic and lumbar region can cause the development of chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency of the spinal cord, which manifests itself as intermittent claudication. Patients complain of weakness and numbness in the legs that occurs while walking. They disappear after a short rest. The most severe manifestation of the fourth stage of neurological disorders in spinal osteochondrosis is an acute disorder of spinal circulation such as spinal ischemic stroke.

Prevention

To improve the quality of life and spinal function, it is recommended to adjust your lifestyle and habits and follow simple rules:

• when working in an office for a long time and sitting at a computer, the monitor (tablet, smartphone) should be slightly below eye level;
• It is necessary to warm up the neck every 30 minutes;
• choose backpacks and bags with a cross-body strap for daily use to evenly distribute the load on the spine and avoid prolonged tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle;
• After completing a course of treatment, usually consisting of several sessions, regularly attend osteopathy sessions - approximately once every six months.

Establishing osteochondrosis as the direct cause of headaches significantly improves the prognosis of treatment. And an osteopathic doctor can combat the main mechanisms of the development of the disease most effectively, preventing further progression of osteochondrosis and improving the patient’s condition after the first visits.

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Treatment methods for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

To create a correct and effective method of getting rid of pathology, the patient must undergo a comprehensive examination. The modern diagnostic complex in our neurosurgical department allows us to make an accurate diagnosis. Experienced neurologists and neurosurgeons of the clinic prescribe an effective way to alleviate the condition of patients with such ailments as cervical osteochondrosis, hernia, cavernoma, etc. Main treatment methods:

1. Physiotherapy is used as an additional way to get rid of the disease, in order to reduce pain and relieve muscle tension. Patients with cervical osteochondrosis are prescribed the following procedures: - massages; — vibration; — ultraviolet irradiation; - physiotherapy; — shock wave (impact of sound waves on the affected area) and laser therapy (helium-neon radiation); — balneotherapy (hot baths with massage function); — electrotherapy (exposure to electric current); — detensor therapy (use of a special simulator).
2. Drug therapy. Treatment of osteochondrosis with medications includes external, internal, intramuscular and intravenous administration by the patient of analgesics, muscle relaxants, non-steroidal medications, as well as chondroprotectors and vitamin complexes. Drug therapy gives more effective results when combined with other methods.
3. Exercise therapy. Gymnastics is not an independent method of treating osteochondrosis, but it perfectly complements other methods. Physical therapy is also a good way to prevent illness. Neck exercises improve the general condition of the patient, have a positive effect on the immune system, help dissolve salt deposits and increase muscle elasticity. Before performing neck physical therapy, you should consult with your doctor.
4. Cervical osteochondrosis: folk advice. On Internet forums you can find recommendations for treating pathology at home - various compresses and “magic” ointments. You should not trust popular advice; you should rely only on the diagnosis and recommendations of the doctor. Spinal pathologies, especially in advanced stages, cannot be treated without medical intervention. To facilitate the course of the disease, in combination with the treatment prescribed by a specialist, you can use folk advice: - adjust your diet; - engage in self-massage and exercise; - use salt rubdowns.
5. Therapeutic massage for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The procedure is also prescribed in combination with other methods of therapy. Professional massage helps reduce pain and improve blood circulation.
6. Surgical intervention. Surgery may be prescribed if conservative treatment methods are ineffective, or if there is severe deformation of the intervertebral discs. Depending on the patient’s condition: — the intervertebral disc is completely removed and replaced with an implant; — part of the spine is removed along with the ligament; — the affected area is partially removed.

Following the doctor's recommendations and following all instructions can significantly alleviate the symptoms of the disease and avoid surgery. If surgery is necessary, our clinic will carry it out competently and with a guarantee of a positive prognosis.