Dizziness With Cervical Osteochondrosis - Treatment, Causes

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis

Dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis acts as a symptom of the main pathology of the spinal column. It develops most often after a night's rest, as well as when making quick movements of the neck. At the same time, a person may have darkening in his eyes, tinnitus may appear, he may lose balance.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is one of the most common causes of dizziness. In this disease, the discs of the spinal column change their normal shape, put pressure on the vessels that feed the brain. The organ begins to suffer from hypoxia, which leads to an attack of dizziness.

Certainly, cervical osteochondrosis is not the only, but one of the most likely causes of dizziness. To clarify the etiology of this symptom, you must seek the advice of a specialist.

Content:

• Causes of dizziness in osteochondrosis
• Dizziness symptoms with osteochondrosis
• Diagnostics
• Treatment of dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis
• Prevention

Causes of dizziness in osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis of the spine is a chronic disease that is accompanied by degenerative changes in the vertebrae and discs located between them. To one degree or another, this disease develops in all people in adulthood, as it is a natural aging process of the body. Injuries, excessive loads, vascular, hormonal and hereditary diseases can provoke an early debut of osteochondrosis.

The vertebrae, which are located in the cervical spine, are much thinner than most other vertebrae. At the same time, a significant load lies on them, since they are obliged to keep their head in the correct position. Due to regular stress, the vertebrae can be deformed, and the person will develop osteochondrosis. Dizziness is one of the most striking symptoms of the disease.

The displaced vertebrae press on the nerve fibers, which causes pain and muscle spasm in the neck. At the same time, the vessels are infringed (arterial stenosis occurs), which feed the brain. Oxygen ceases to flow to it, hypoxia develops, resulting in dizziness.

The occipital part of the brain stops receiving blood before the rest. The nucleus of the human vestibular apparatus is located in this area. Therefore, dizziness is a constant companion of cervical osteochondrosis.

Other causes of dizziness

Sometimes a person mistakenly thinks that he is dizzy due to violations in the structure of the vertebrae. In fact, there can be many reasons for this phenomenon, in addition to osteochondrosis.

We list only the main ones:

• Diseases of the vestibular apparatus located in the inner ear. In this case, the dizziness will intensify during sharp turns of the head.
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system, such as atherosclerosis. Insufficient blood supply to the brain leads to the fact that it will suffer from the phenomena of hypoxia.
• Diseases of the nervous system such as migraines and epilepsy.

Sometimes dizziness is a side effect of medication. To make sure that this pathological symptom is precisely a consequence of osteochondrosis, knowledge of the main signs of osteochondrosis and comprehensive diagnostics will allow.

Video: neurologist on dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis:

Dizziness symptoms with osteochondrosis

With cervical osteochondrosis, dizziness can be systemic, non-systemic and complex:

• With a systemic form of dizziness, the patient feels how he himself or the objects around him begin to move in a circle.
• Patients describe non-systemic dizziness as if the earth is disappearing from under their feet. It seems to a person that he is in a state of falling.
• With a complex form of dizziness, a person simultaneously suffers from signs of systemic and non-systemic pathology.

Since with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, all three forms of dizziness can be present, it is necessary to pay attention to other signs of pathology, including:

• Pain in the spinal column. In the stage of exacerbation of the disease, it intensifies even with minor movements in the affected segment.
• A person tries to keep his head in a position that gives him a minimum of painful sensations.
• The patient's tongue may become numb, hearing and vision deteriorate. These symptoms develop with a significant deterioration in the blood supply to the occipital lobe of the brain, its trunk and cerebellum.
• When you try to turn your head, a crunch is heard.
• An attack of dizziness may be accompanied by pale or reddening of the facial skin, nausea, and tinnitus. The person sweats a lot.
• The dizziness will increase when the head is turned in different directions.

In general, dizziness and other disorders in the functioning of the brain in cervical osteochondrosis are explained by a deficiency in the blood supply to the vertebrobasilar basin against the background of compression of the vertebral artery.

Diagnostics

To clarify the nature of dizziness, you need to contact a neurologist. The doctor will examine the patient, conduct tests with him to assess the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

To clarify the diagnosis, the patient will be assigned the following examinations:

• USGD of the vessels of the brain and neck.
• Radiography of the cervical spine in 2 projections.
• MRI of the spine.

As a rule, these studies are enough to make the correct diagnosis and clarify the nature of the origin of dizziness.

Treatment of dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis

To cope with dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis will allow drugs that are prescribed by a doctor. However, it is important not to get rid of the symptoms of osteochondrosis; efforts should be made to eliminate the underlying pathology and to stop its progression.

For the period of exacerbation of the disease, the patient is shown wearing a Shants collar. This makes it possible to relieve the load on the vertebrae and stop their further deformation. This measure is especially relevant for people with unstable vertebrae.

Medicines must solve two problems - relieve spasms from the spinal cord and vertebral arteries, and also normalize the condition of the cervical muscles. To eliminate inflammation, the patient is prescribed drugs from the NSAID group. It can be Diclofenac, Nimesulide, Meloxicam, Ibuprofen, Analgin, etc.

To reduce muscle spasm, the patient is prescribed muscle relaxants. Excessive muscle tension becomes the main compression of blood vessels and nerve fibers. Therefore, the patient is prescribed drugs such as Mydocalm, Tizanidine, Cinnarizin, Trental, etc.

Anticonvulsants such as Carbamazepine and Gabapentin, as well as antidepressants Sertraline and Paroxetine, can reduce attacks of dizziness.

In addition to drugs, a person with cervical osteochondrosis should receive vitamins. They are aimed at increasing immunity, preventing further deformation of bone tissues, and preventing osteophytes from growing. B vitamins have a good effect on nerve fibers, trigger the processes of their regeneration, and also make the cartilage tissue elastic. In addition to vitamin B1, B2, B6 and B12, a person should receive Ascorutin and vitamin E.

Physiotherapy is the most important direction in the complex treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Thanks to a well-designed complex, it will be possible to strengthen bone tissues, bring muscle tone back to normal, and stop the progression of the disease. A distinctive feature of exercise therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is the limitation of rotational movements by the neck. Otherwise, nerves and blood vessels will be pinched, which will only aggravate the situation and increase dizziness.

Do not exercise when the disease worsens. It is necessary to wait until the acute stage of osteochondrosis passes.

Massage for osteochondrosis allows you to get rid of pain, relieve tension from muscle structures. The normalization of blood circulation, thanks to the skillful actions of the masseur, will make it possible to get rid of attacks of dizziness. Only an experienced osteopath should perform the massage.

Among physiotherapeutic procedures, methods such as electrophoresis, ultraviolet treatment, laser therapy, and ultrasound treatment have proven themselves well.

Surgical intervention is prescribed only with severe compression of the spinal cord by the vertebrae.

Video: exercises:

Prevention

In order to prevent the development of dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis, the following preventive measures must be observed:

• Physical activity should be moderate. The harder the work that a person does, the more the vertebrae are damaged.
• Necessarily need to engage in physiotherapy exercises.
• To maintain healthy bone tissue, you need to eat properly.
• If a person has excess body weight, then he needs to get rid of it.
• It is important to lead a healthy lifestyle, give up bad habits.

Dizziness with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is an unpleasant symptom of a serious illness. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable, since multiple structures of the body are involved in the pathological process: nerves, blood vessels, brain, spinal column. An experienced physician should guide patients with osteochondrosis.

Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist

Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.