Osteochondrosis in the neck has been found in recent years in people of different ages, including young people. Office workers, drivers and those who sit in front of a computer for a long time are particularly susceptible to this disease.
People over the age of 20 who do not pay enough attention to their health and physical activity can develop osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, as a result of which the discs between the vertebrae thicken and collapse, which leads to compression of the nerve. endings and arteries.
What is dangerous cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is about what kind of disease every adult has, but not everyone knows that it is really dangerous. Many nerve channels and blood vessels run along this section of the spine, which are responsible for supplying the brain with nutrients. In the area of the neck, the vertebrae are located particularly close to each other, so even in the case of a slight change in their structure, nerve roots and blood vessels can be compressed.
Various health problems can occur against the background of circulatory disorders of the brain:
- migraine and severe headache with cervical osteochondrosis;
- hypertension;
- vegetovascular dystonia;
- cardiovascular disorders;
- pathology of the respiratory system;
- deterioration of vision, hearing, and even movement coordination.
In the later forms of development, osteochondrosis of the neck, as in the picture, leads to vertebral artery syndrome. The task of the latter is to supply blood to the cerebellum and nourish the medulla oblongata. As a result, cerebral ischemia and spinal cord stroke can occur.
A lump on the neck associated with osteochondrosis can be a sign of a malignant tumor: consult a doctor immediately!
Frequent osteochondrosis of the neck region can damage nerve endings:
- radiculopathy;
- loss of head mobility;
- the appearance of growths on the vertebrae.
In order to avoid serious complications, treatment must be started in time, which is impossible without a diagnosis.
X-ray for the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
The doctor can determine osteochondrosis of the cervical spine on an X-ray. For greater information content, each section of the spine can be transparent separately and at different angles. Such photographs of neck pathology can be examined in detail and the degree of damage to the vertebrae can be determined.
Some doctors refer the patient to a so-called functional X-ray: the patient must assume different positions to twist the spine to get an image of the neck. In rare cases, patients are injected with special substances into the disc, artery or spinal canal. In this case, the X-ray conclusion will be the most accurate and detailed.
Classification of cervical osteochondrosis according to the ICD
ICD 10 is the International Classification of Diseases, which in 2007 became the generally accepted guide for assigning appropriate codes to various diseases. Osteochondrosis of the cervical region, the ICD 10 code in 1998 was M42, and several pathologies were assigned to it. To date, according to the ICD, the disease has been identified in the range M50 to M54 along with other pre-dorsopathies. Depending on the pain syndrome, the disease can be divided into:
- M50. 0 - osteochondrosis with myelopathy;
- M50. 1 - with radiculopathy;
- M50. 2 - plate offset;
- M50. 3 - other pathology of the neck;
- M50. 9 - unspecified diagnosis.
Types of cervical osteochondrosis
Consider the most common types of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine according to the ICD classification.
Elevations in the disease
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with disc protrusion is one of the most popular complications. Protrusions are the initial stages of the appearance of an intervertebral hernia, so they should not be underestimated. The most important factors that cause the appearance of protrusions are the following:
- lack of amino acids in tissues;
- poor water supply to cells;
- low concentration of trace elements in tissues.
Intervertebral discs have a gelatinous nucleus surrounded by a special fibrous ring. In the background of osteochondrosis, the poor supply of cells with useful components damages the fibrous ring, which must hold the nucleus pulposus in the disc. Tissue pathologies occur with the formation of cracks in the ring and the penetration of gelatinous material into microcracks.
Cephalgia syndrome
Sometimes doctors diagnose osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in patients with cephalalgia syndrome. This is determined by the complaints of sick people, such as:
- tinnitus;
- heaviness in the head;
- pre-fainting conditions and fainting.
A combination of these symptoms indicates poor cerebral circulation, which causes the brain to receive less oxygen to function fully. Other symptoms include drowsiness and occasional fever.
Osteochondrosis of the neck with displacement
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with displacement, which occurs in some patients, is one of the most common forms. The disease develops for a number of reasons, including:
- congenital abnormalities;
- acquired injuries;
- diseases.
Displacement of the vertebrae contributes to the narrowing of the spinal canal, which causes pain and disrupts the work of various internal organs. If you feel pain in your neck and there is a suspicion of displacement of the discs, immediately consult a doctor who will prescribe an effective treatment.
Such osteochondrosis of the spine, displacement of the cervical discs and vertebrobasilar insufficiency are often interrelated disorders that require serious and immediate treatment.
Will I be drafted into the army if I have cervical osteochondrosis?
Many young conscripts suffer from unpleasant pathologies for various reasons. Some people are wondering if cervical osteochondrosis is included in the army?
We immediately note that in the primary stages of development, this disease does not even allow respite, as it does not interfere with service. In a more advanced stage of the disease, with pain syndrome and limited mobility, the patient must be registered with a neurologist. The doctor's official conclusion allows him to get a reprieve, and in the most advanced cases, the young man can be declared unfit.
According to the law, it is impossible to serve in the army with the defeat of three vertebrae and a hernia between the vertebrae of the neck region.
Can you get a sick leave certificate if you are diagnosed with osteochondrosis of the neck?
Now let's see if sick leave is given with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and for how long? It is really possible to release it, since serious bone pathologies can cause disc displacement, herniation and other dangerous disorders.
You can get sick leave due to cervical osteochondrosis if you do the following:
- Contact a neurologist who will diagnose and issue the appropriate certificate.
- The doctor diagnoses and determines the possible health risk, taking into account the patient's work.
- If inpatient treatment is prescribed, the sick leave will be one type, and in the case of a rest period of several days, the newspaper will receive a different date.
In case of osteochondrosis, the number of days of sick leave depends on many factors:
- in the initial stage, sick leave can be granted for 3-7 days, if going to work does not aggravate the condition;
- in an aggravated form, a maximum of two weeks of sick leave may be required;
- in the case of more serious lesions of the vertebrae, the patient can be treated for three months;
- the complicated form of periarthritis and other syndromes is treated for up to 7 months, and you can work after the condition is completely normalized.
If surgery is required to treat osteochondrosis, a sick leave sheet is issued, taking into account the timing of preparation and rehabilitation.