Osteochondrosis is an insidious disease whose symptoms are often disguised as other diseases.Consequently, a person can suspect problems in the heart, lungs and other organs, while column disease remains unnoticed and progressing, causing severe discomfort.It is worth familiarizing with the manifestations of osteochondrosis and consulting a doctor if you notice similar symptoms.
Pathogenesis of pain in the legs and arms with cervical osteochondrosis
Often, with cervical osteochondrosis, pain appears in the legs and arms, a person loses working capacity and cannot even perform everyday tasks.You need to understand what mechanisms cause pain syndrome and what leads to it.As the disease develops, the cartilaginous tissue located between the vertebrae undergoes degenerative processes and becomes less elastic, its shock-absorbing properties decrease.As a result, cracks may appear in the intervertebral discs, fibrous rings begin to swell, which over time leads to the formation of hernias, so that neighboring tissues subsequently begin to be injured:
- spinal cord;
- nerve roots;
- blood vessels.
These are all possible causes of intense pain, since the nervous tissue is directly affected.The pain that occurs in such places can radiate towards the arms, legs and other parts of the body.
Symptoms
The pain in the legs with cervical osteochondrosis is far from being the only manifestation of the disease.In addition, people complain about:
- muscle weakness;
- pain that “spreads” to the shoulders and back of the head;
- abundant perspiration;
- numbness of the skin of the hands;
- violation of orientation in space;
- dizziness;
- decrease in hearing and vision;
- high blood pressure;
- headache, etc.
In addition, there are certain problems in the joints.If you know what to search, you can suspect that you suffer from osteochondrosis and quickly consult a neurologist for diagnosis and treatment.
The sound of the joints that crack
If you suffer from osteochondrosis of the cervical column, your arm hurts you and have the symptoms above, listen to your body.It is best to pay attention to how the neck "behaves" during movement.Clicks, crackles and other similar sounds may indicate the presence of osteochondrosis.They are often accompanied by pain, which make you want to stop immediately moving.
Loss of sensation
This is an inherent symptom of pinched nerves, which may indicate that the distance between the vertebrae of the cervical spine has decreased and the nerve process has been pinched.This condition is often accompanied by intense pain, which may radiate to the limbs or other parts of the body.Patients often complain that their arm hurts due to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and there is a feeling of “tingling” or tingling.
Increased joint size
Following degenerative processes, it may prove that the joints of the cervical column are hypertrophied, swollen and that their palpation is very painful.It is a certain sign of a pathological process in progress which can be triggered by osteochondrosis.If you discover such a demonstration at home, do not hesitate to consult a doctor.
Joint damage
If your arm hurts you because of cervical osteochondrosis, the disease may have damaged the structures of the spine.This is strewn with inflammation, pinching and other unpleasant phenomena, including a handicap.Osteochondrosis should be diagnosed as soon as possible, we therefore advise you to consult a specialist from the first characteristic signals.
Pain treatment in the hands and legs
It should be understood that the disease is very specific and there is no unique method that would forever save you from unpleasant manifestations of the disease.If pain gives the muscles of the hands with cervical osteochondosis and you feel other drawbacks, the treatment must be complete and include:
- take medication;
- nails;
- physiotherapeutic procedures;
- massages;
- Exercises to strengthen muscles.
Only by acting in a global illness can you get rid of its manifestations and find comfort in everyday life.
Pharmacotherapy
Taking medications for cervical osteochondrosis, when pain in the hands may appear, is designed to solve a lot of problems.Namely:
- improve blood circulation;
- slow down degenerative processes in cartilage;
- anesthetize the affected area;
- Ensure the supply of all the substances necessary for the tissues.
The doctor can prescribe your tablets, ointments or even injections, depending on the degree of disease and the intensity of its manifestations.Metamizol sodium, nimesulide, ketoprofen, etc.is often prescribed as an anesthetic.Injects are usually prescribed to eliminate a net condition and improve a person's well as soon as possible.This can be metamizole in the form of injections for pain relief, diclofenac as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic, ketoprofen, which is used only in severe conditions, as well as vitamins of group B, which are designed to protect nervous processes from damage.If the left hand hurts with cervical osteochondrosis, local medications are often prescribed - analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors and even irritant compounds.The latter improve blood circulation in the affected area, and the drugs themselves, when applied to the skin, cause a burning sensation, tingling, etc.
Physiotherapy
You may also be prescribed physical therapy.Often, treatment of cervical osteochondrosis and arm pain involves the patient undergoing:
- electrotherapy;
- magnetic therapy;
- laser therapy;
- shock waves procedures;
- Balneotherapy, etc.
The complex effect associated with taking medications brings tangible results.
Gymnastics
In case of cervical osteochondrosis, the patient's attitude to treatment is also of great importance.If a person approaches this process responsibly, he should devote appropriate time to daily gymnastics and performing therapeutic exercises.These methods aim to strengthen muscles, improve blood circulation and stabilize the vertebrae.As a rule, gymnastics and exercises are prescribed when severe pain disappears and a person can move his head normally and the former mobility of his arms and legs returns.It is recommended to perform exercises regularly and constantly, which will prevent recurrence of the disease.
Massage
If you do not know if cervical osteochondrosis can hurt the legs or if the pain radiates to the upper limbs, know that these are fairly common symptoms of the disease.The massages allow you to partially get rid of it.It is recommended to take a massage lesson provided by a professional and not to exclude other treatment methods, because only an integrated approach will solve the problem.In the future, under the direction of a massage therapist, you can learn self-massage at home.