Neck osteochondrosis has been found in people of different ages in recent years, including young people. Office workers, drivers and people who sit in front of a computer for long periods of time are especially vulnerable to the disease.
People over the age of 20, if they do not pay enough attention to their own health and exercise, will develop cervical osteochondrosis, and the intervertebral discs between the vertebrae will begin to thicken and collapse, compressing nerve endings and arteries.
What is Dangerous Neck Osteochondrosis
Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease that probably represents every adult, but not everyone knows what its real dangers are. Many nerve channels and blood vessels run along this part of the spine, and they are responsible for feeding the brain. In the neck, the vertebrae are so close together that even slight structural changes can squeeze nerve roots and blood vessels.
Against the background of cerebral circulation disorders, various health problems may arise:
- Migraine and severe headache associated with cervical osteochondrosis;
- hypertension;
- Vegetative vascular dystonia;
- Cardiovascular diseases;
- respiratory pathology;
- Vision, hearing and even motor coordination are impaired.
In a later developed form, as shown, cervical osteochondrosis can lead to vertebral artery syndrome. The latter is responsible for supplying blood to the cerebellum and nourishing the medulla oblongata. Against this background, cerebral ischemia as well as spinal cord stroke may occur.
A Neck Lump With Osteochondrosis Can Be a Sign of Malignancy: Seek Medical Attention!
Common cervical osteochondrosis can cause nerve ending damage:
- radiculopathy;
- Loss of head mobility;
- The appearance of growths on the vertebrae.
To avoid serious complications, treatment needs to be started in a timely manner, which is impossible without a diagnosis.
X-ray Diagnosis of Cervical Osteochondrosis
Doctors can identify cervical osteochondrosis with x-rays. In order to obtain more information content, each part of the spine can be translucent at different angles respectively. In this pathology photo of the neck, it is possible to examine in detail and determine the degree of damage to the vertebrae.
Some doctors recommend that patients undergo so-called functional x-rays: patients have to take different positions to twist the spine to create pictures of the neck. In rare cases, patients are injected with special substances into the discs, arteries, or spinal canals. In this case, the conclusion of X-ray 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 accepted guide for assigning appropriate codes to various diseases. Osteochondrosis of the neck, 1998 has M42 in ICD code 10, and several pathological types are assigned. To date, according to the ICD, the disorder has been identified in the section of other anterior dorsal disorders in the range M50 to M54. According to the pain syndrome, the disease is divided into:
- M50. 0 - Osteochondrosis with myelopathy;
- M50. 1 - Radiculopathy;
- M50. 2——disk offset;
- M50. 3 - Other pathologies of the neck;
- M50. 9 - Unspecified diagnosis.
Types of cervical osteochondrosis
Consider the most common types of cervical osteochondrosis according to the ICD classification.
prominent disease
Cervical osteochondrosis of disc herniation is one of the most common complications. Herniation is the initial stage in the appearance of intervertebral hernias, so they should not be underestimated. Key factors that contribute to the appearance of protrusions include:
- A lack of amino acids in the tissues;
- Insufficient water supply to cells;
- The concentration of trace elements in the tissue is low.
The intervertebral disc has a core of gel-like structure surrounded by a special fibrous ring. In the context of osteochondrosis, an insufficient supply of cells containing useful components leads to damage to the annulus fibrosus, which is supposed to fix the nucleus pulposus in the intervertebral disc. Tissue lesions occur as cracks form in the ring and a gel-like substance penetrates into the microcracks.
headache syndrome
Sometimes doctors diagnose patients with cervical osteochondrosis with craniocerebral syndrome. It was determined by the following patient complaints:
- tinnitus;
- heavy head;
- Presyncope and fainting.
A combination of these symptoms indicates poor circulation to the brain, so the brain gets less oxygen to function fully. Other symptoms include lethargy and occasional fever.
Cervical osteochondrosis with displacement
Cervical osteochondrosis with displacement, which occurs in some patients, is one of the most common forms. The disease develops for a variety of reasons, including:
- congenital anomalies;
- acquired injury;
- disease.
The displacement of the vertebrae causes the spinal canal to narrow, causing pain and disrupting the working of various internal organs. If you experience neck pain and suspect a displaced disc, you should see your doctor as soon as possible, who can prescribe effective treatment.
Such spinal osteochondrosis, cervical disc displacement, and vertebrobasilar insufficiency are often interrelated disorders that require immediate and serious treatment.
If I have cervical osteochondrosis, will they enlist me in the military?
For various reasons, many young conscripts suffer from unpleasant medical conditions. Interested is whether osteochondrosis of the neck is brought into the troops?
We noticed right away that in the early stages of development, the disease doesn't even give you respite because it doesn't interfere with services. Patients should be registered with a neurologist due to more advanced disease, pain syndrome, and mobility limitations. A doctor's formal conclusion will get you probation, and in the most serious cases, the young man may be declared unfit.
According to the law, it is impossible to join the army if the three vertebrae are defeated and there is a hernia between the cervical vertebrae.
Is it possible to issue a sick leave form after a diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis?
Now let's do the math, cervical osteochondrosis, do they take sick leave and how long? It's really possible to issue it, because severe bone disease can cause disc displacement, hernias, and other dangerous conditions.
You can get cervical osteochondrosis sick leave if you:
- Contact a neurologist who will make a diagnosis and issue appropriate certification.
- Taking into account the patient's work, the doctor will diagnose and determine possible health risks.
- When hospitalization is prescribed, sick leave will have one type, and if the patient is assigned days off, the table will receive a different appointment.
For osteochondrosis, the number of days of sick leave depends on a number of factors:
- If the illness does not aggravate at the beginning of work, you can take sick leave for 3-7 days;
- In serious cases, up to two weeks of sick leave may be required;
- If the vertebral damage is more severe, the patient may need three months of treatment;
- Complicated forms of treatment with frozen shoulder and other syndromes up to 7 months, work after full return to normal.
When the treatment of osteochondrosis requires surgery, a sick note is issued taking into account the preparation and recovery time.