In recent years, with the rapid development of the economy, people’s work pressure is increasing and the threat of some chronic diseases to our health is drawing more and more attention, and cervical spondylosis is one of them. When it comes to cervical spondylosis, we may not be strangers, but do you know what kind of disease cervical spondylosis is? Do you know what harm cervical spondylosis can bring to our health? Do you want to know how to prevent and treat whiplash?
I. Classification of cervical spondylosis
Cervical spondylosis is divided into six types: cervical cervical spondylosis, neurogenic cervical spondylosis, vertebral artery cervical spondylosis, sympathetic cervical spondylosis, spinal cord cervical spondylosis and mixed cervical spondylosis, and the diagnostic criteria and treatment methods for each type are completely different.
(I) Cervical cervical spondylosis
1. Symptoms.
Cervical cervical spondylosis is the most common clinically and is the earliest cervical spondylosis, as well as the early manifestation common to all other types of cervical spondylosis. It is caused by long-term single posture of the head and neck, resulting in strain on the neck muscles, ligaments and joints. Patients mainly show easy fatigue of the neck, neck straightness, pain, inability to read and write for a long time, and often feel tightness, stiffness and limited movement of the neck in the morning.
2.Treatment.
Cervical cervical spondylosis is mainly treated by non-surgical treatment, and various self-therapies have different degrees of efficacy, especially self-traction therapy, physiotherapy of shoulder and neck, massage and external application of Chinese herbs. Patients with more obvious symptoms can also be protected by cervical collar, and it is more effective if intermittent cervical traction therapy is chosen. Patients with severe and persistent symptoms can be treated with silver needle therapy or X-ray guided cervical small joint injection therapy. Various triggering factors should be avoided in daily life and work, especially attention should be paid to the body position during sleep and work, and adverse stimuli such as trauma, strain and cold should be avoided.
(II) Nerve root type cervical spondylosis
1. Symptoms.
Neurogenic cervical spondylosis is also a more common type of cervical spondylosis. It is caused by cervical spine degeneration, hyperplasia and cervical disc herniation stimulating and compressing the cervical nerve roots. Patients often feel pain and numbness in the head, neck, shoulders, arms and hands, and numbness mostly occurs in the fingers and forearms.
2.Treatment.
Nerve root type cervical spondylosis is mainly treated with non-surgical therapy, and the vast majority of patients can be cured or improved. Traction with appropriate cervical braking or nerve root block has a more obvious effect. Massage and other manipulative operations also have certain efficacy. At present, the number of patients requiring surgery is relatively small, but with the improvement of people’s demand for quality of life, the proportion of surgery is increasing year by year. There are two types of surgical methods: minimally invasive and open surgery. Minimally invasive surgery includes cervical disc plasma ablation and cervical disc radiofrequency thermocoagulation. The advantages of minimally invasive surgery are less trauma and faster recovery. Surgery should be considered for those who have the following conditions: first, patients whose non-surgical therapy has been ineffective for more than 4 weeks and whose clinical manifestations, imaging examinations seen and neural localization examinations are consistent; second, those who have progressive muscle atrophy and severe pain with clear diagnosis; third, those whose symptoms recur and affect work, study and life despite the effectiveness of non-surgical therapy.
(III) Vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis
1. Symptoms.
On the basis of cervical spine degeneration, a series of diseases caused by insufficient blood supply to the vertebral artery. At the onset of the disease, patients usually have varying degrees of vertigo, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diplopia, tinnitus, deafness and other symptoms. Whenever the patient tilts his head back, lowers his head to read a book, suddenly turns his head, and repeatedly turns his head from side to side, vertigo and sudden collapse are symptoms unique to vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis, which often occurs suddenly when the neck is turned, the limbs become numb, weak and fall down, but the patient is clear and can mostly get up by himself. Middle-aged and elderly friends, such as the above conditions need to consider this type of cervical spondylosis.
2.Treatment.
Non-surgical treatment can make 80% to 90% of patients improve or cure. The lighter ones can be protected by neck circumference, while the heavier ones need to use traction therapy, which generally requires continuous traction in bed for 3-4 weeks and neck braking with jaw-neck plaster for 4-6 weeks, with an efficiency of more than 90%. 10%-20% of patients need decompression surgery. Surgery is suitable for those whose treatment is ineffective for a long time or whose recurrent attacks have affected their work and life, especially when accompanied by compression of spinal nerve roots or spinal cord, the proportion of surgery is higher.
(iv) Sympathetic cervical spondylosis
1. Symptoms.
This type of cervical spondylosis is mainly caused by degenerative degeneration of the cervical spine and the stimulation or compression of the sympathetic nerve in the neck by osteophytes. As the sympathetic nerve is stimulated, it causes dysfunction of the internal organs, glands and blood vessels it innervates. Patients mainly manifest symptoms such as head and occipital pain, dizziness, migraine, panic, chest tightness, cold limbs and low skin temperature.
2. Treatment.
Sympathetic cervical spondylosis should also be treated mainly by non-surgical treatment, and most patients can be relieved and cured by non-surgical treatment. Treatment methods include bed rest, cervical traction, cervical collar brake protection, physical therapy, etc. Bed rest, cervical collar brake protection and cervical traction can relieve the spasm of cervical muscles, increase the vertebral space and reduce the stimulation of sympathetic nerves. Cervical brace and collar can limit the excessive activities of cervical spine, and gentle massage and physiotherapy can accelerate the local inflammatory media and edema decreasing, relax the muscles and improve the local blood circulation. For recalcitrant cases, if conservative treatment is ineffective, surgical treatment can be considered.
(E) Spinal cord type cervical spondylosis
1. Symptoms.
Spinal cord type cervical spondylosis is a more serious cervical spondylosis, which is caused by the direct compression of the cervical spinal cord due to the backward protrusion of the cervical intervertebral disc and the osteophytes of the vertebrae. When the spinal cord is compressed, patients may experience unilateral or bilateral numbness, soreness and weakness in the upper or lower limbs, and in severe cases, symptoms such as difficulty in moving and unstable walking may occur.
2.Treatment.
Spinal cord type cervical spondylosis can be tried in the early stage of non-surgical treatment, mainly rest, neck traction, neck circumference protection and drug therapy, etc. Massage or physiotherapy is feasible for the neck, but do not push and hold, especially the heavier pushing and resetting movements. If the symptoms of cervical spinal cord compression are obvious, magnetic resonance or CT or MRI have also confirmed that the spinal cord is obviously compressed, and the non-surgical treatment is ineffective for one to two courses, surgery can be considered.
Since the condition of spinal cord cervical spondylosis is generally heavy and the indications for surgery are wider, patients and their families should pay attention to the preparation before surgery and postoperative care, and actively cooperate with the medical staff for the best results.
(F) Mixed cervical spondylosis.
1. Symptoms.
Any patient with more than two of the above symptoms is collectively referred to as mixed cervical spondylosis.
2. Treatment.
This type of treatment is relatively complex and requires comprehensive treatment by a professional physician.
2. Prevention.
How to prevent the occurrence of cervical spondylosis? Please persistently do the following.
1, work to pay attention to the combination of work and rest, to do relaxation. Even in the office, you can also take good care of the cervical spine, using breaks between work to practice. Increase outdoor activities is one of the ways to maintain the cervical spine, the recommended sports are swimming, playing ball, practicing yoga and kite flying, etc.
2, life pay attention to the development of good habits. For example, sleep less with a high pillow and sit correctly. In winter, it is more important to give their cervical spine to a comfortable temperature, it is best to prepare a shawl to protect the back of the neck.
3, the choice of pillow and bed is particularly important. The width of the pillow should reach the shoulder, low in the middle, high at both ends of the health care pillow has a good support role for the cervical spine, can let the cervical spine get a good rest; for people with bad cervical spine, wood bed, brown bed is the top choice, and that excessively soft bed is not good for the cervical spine.
4, cervical spondylosis patients must prevent cold to keep warm, avoid cold air stimulation, especially cold wind stimulation cervical spine.
5, quit smoking and quit drinking. Because smoking and alcohol can accelerate the degeneration of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
6, eat more high-protein, low-fat food, avoid cold, stimulating food.
7, often do cervical spondylosis rehabilitation exercise exercise. Cervical spine exercise: sitting, the whole body does not move, single head movement, respectively, do low, head up, left turn, right turn, forward extension, retraction; clockwise, counterclockwise around the action. Each time adhere to 5 minutes, the movement should be gentle and soft. If there is already neck discomfort, here is a simple self-treatment method: cross the fingers of both hands with each other, put them on the back of the neck, rub the neck back and forth, gently, rub 50 times in a row, after the neck is hot, there will be a very relaxed and comfortable feeling.