In the complex therapy of cervical chondrosis (osteochondrosis), injection solutions, ointments, creams, tablets and dragees are used. The drugs cope well with pain, swelling, inflammation, loss of sensitivity, dizziness and increases in blood pressure.
Characteristic features of the disease
The development of cervical osteochondrosis is accompanied by a slow and irreversible destruction of the intervertebral discs. Deprived of shock-absorbing cartilaginous cushioning, bony vertebrae also begin to deform.When visiting a vertebrologist or neurologist, patients complain of sharp or aching pain, stiffness and dizziness when suddenly getting up. Therapeutic regimens therefore consist of drugs with various properties:
- external agents with local anesthetic, regenerating and warming effects;
- medications that provide adequate nutrition to the brain;
- chondroprotectors which trigger disc restoration processes;
- local and systemic analgesics.
The pathology cannot yet be completely cured. Doctors' efforts are aimed at eliminating painful symptoms and inhibiting the spread of the disease to other parts of the spine. For this purpose, complex treatment regimens are developed using drugs from different groups.
Signs of cervical chondrosis
In the early stages of the disease, there are practically no symptoms in women and men. Sometimes a person feels slight discomfort in the evening. He attributes them to fatigue after a day of work and therefore does not consult a doctor. During this time, his intervertebral discs are gradually destroyed. The vertebrae are deformed with the formation of bony growths, compressing the vertebral artery.
After about a year, the discomfort is replaced by pain that intensifies when you turn or tilt your head.Chondrosis manifests itself by the following symptoms:
- clicking, crackling in the neck;
- limitation of range of movements;
- increases in blood pressure;
- rapid heartbeat;
- unilateral throbbing migraine-like headaches;
- visual and hearing problems;
- dizziness, unsteadiness of gait, sensations of imaginary rotation of objects;
- attacks of nausea, rarely ending in vomiting.
Due to lack of oxygen to the brain, sleep is disturbed, weakness, apathy, fatigue and ringing in the ears appear. A person's psycho-emotional state worsens - he becomes nervous and worries over trifles.
Principles of drug treatment
Chiropractors, professional massage therapists, physiotherapists and physiotherapist doctors are involved in the treatment of cervical chondrosis. At the final stage, the use of folk remedies is allowed. But the main role in complex therapy is assigned to pharmacological drugs.All dosage forms are requested:
- solutions for injection are used for exacerbations of chondrosis to quickly eliminate its painful symptoms;
- tablets, capsules, dragees are prescribed during remissions to prevent disc destruction, relieve light or moderate pain and restore blood circulation;
- ointments, gels, balms, creams are the safest, quickly cope with stiffness and unpleasant crunches.
It is rarely possible to treat osteochondrosis with a single medication. Treatment regimens usually include at least 5 drugs with different pharmacological properties. They are compatible and convenient to use at home.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs are used more often than other drugs in the treatment of cervical chondrosis. They are indicated in cases of acute, piercing or distant and dull pain. The mechanism of action of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is based on their ability to inhibit the enzymes responsible for the production of neurotransmitters. All NSAIDs have a complex effect on the human body:
- eliminate painful sensations;
- eliminate cracking and clicking noises that occur when rotating the neck;
- stop the development of acute, subacute and chronic inflammatory processes affecting soft tissues;
- stimulate a reduction in swelling that affects sensory nerve endings;
- increase the range of motion of damaged cervical vertebrae.
In the treatment of chondrosis, drugs in the form of solutions for parenteral administration and tablets have proven themselves well.
Long-term use of NSAIDs leads to damage to the gastric mucosa. Simultaneous use of proton pump inhibitors will prevent this. Medicines reduce the production of aggressive gastric juice by parietal cells, which increases under the influence of NSAIDs.
Synthetic hormones
Glucocorticosteroids are synthetic analogues of hormones produced by the adrenal cortex. This is the "heavy artillery" of drug treatment for cervical osteochondrosis. Like natural hormones, glucocorticosteroids quickly relieve inflammation, swelling and eliminate pain almost instantly. They are used in the form of solutions for intramuscular administration. But in case of acute pain, it is possible to insert them directly into the area of the destroyed intervertebral disc. Treatment of aggravated pathology is carried out with hormonal drugs.One injection is enough to prevent the appearance of pain for 3 to 5 days. Glucocorticoids are prescribed to patients with osteochondrosis when NSAIDs are ineffective. It all depends on the long list of their potential side effects. Too frequent use of hormones leads to damage to muscles, bones and the tendon-ligamentous apparatus.
It is prohibited to use hormonal drugs during pregnancy, breastfeeding, adolescence and childhood.
All glucocorticoids have numerous contraindications. In clinical practice, cases of withdrawal include severe damage to the liver, kidneys and stomach after long-term hormonal treatment. They are not used in the presence of liver cirrhosis, peptic ulcer disease, renal failure or osteoporosis.
Drugs with chondroprotective effects
All means used in the complex treatment of chondrosis only eliminate its symptoms, thereby temporarily improving a person's well-being. The only exception concerns chondroprotectors. These medications contain ingredients that can trigger the restoration of damaged cartilaginous intervertebral discs. Neck pain stops hurting after their use and disappears not for a few hours, but forever.
In pharmacies, chondroprotectors are presented in a wide range. These are capsules, substances for the preparation of injectable solutions, powders packaged in sachets.They must contain one of the following:
- Glucosamine. Stimulates the synthesis of bioactive substances necessary for building tissues, improves the composition of synovial fluid. Increases the permeability of the joint capsule, restores enzymatic processes and inhibits the destruction of discs.
- Chondroitin. Participates in the construction of cartilage and bone tissue, accelerates metabolic processes. Inhibits the destruction of intervertebral discs, blocks enzymes that damage cartilage tissue.
Products that improve microcirculation
Xanthinol nicotinate is a substance sought to improve blood circulation in cervical osteochondrosis. This medication is used in the treatment of very serious pathologies, when not only the discs, but also the bone vertebrae are deformed. Compression of the vertebral artery manifests itself as cervico-cranialgia. This is the name of a whole complex of symptoms of damage to the vertebral artery: headaches, "floaters" before the eyes, temporary blurred vision, sweating, rapid heartbeat.
Thioctic acid helps improve microcirculation and eliminate "vertebral artery syndrome". The disadvantage of these drugs is their indiscriminate effect, as they accelerate the circulation of blood throughout the body, which is not always advisable. Therefore, the list of their contraindications includes epilepsy, hyperthyroidism and peptic ulcer.
Preparations with B vitamins
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in the acute stage cannot be carried out without the use of drugs, the composition of which is B vitamins. The fact is that acute bony growths of the vertebrae harm not only the vertebral artery. They also exert pressure on sensitive nerve roots, disrupting innervation. The nerve impulse enters the central nervous system with a delay and its responses are inhibited.
Disruption of innervation leads to paresthesias - loss of sensitivity in certain areas of the body.
In the drug treatment of cervical chondrosis, drugs whose activity is determined by pyridoxine, thiamine and B12 have proven themselves well.
Many of them are available as solutions for intramuscular administration. It contains B vitamins and an anesthetic. Therefore, after the injection, the pain instantly disappears and the range of motion in the cervical vertebrae is restored.
At the same time, the product improves blood circulation, the functioning of the nervous, muscular and cardiovascular systems, relieves inflammation and nerve degeneration. There are contraindications to its use. These are periods of pregnancy and breastfeeding, hypersensitivity to ingredients.
The best muscle relaxers
Elimination of mild symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and treatment of its exacerbations at home are often complicated by muscle spasms. The nerve root is compressed by displaced intervertebral discs and inflammatory edema. A severe pain syndrome appears, which the body tries to eliminate through muscle spasms. Thanks to this special protective reaction, a person's mobility is limited and discomfort disappears.
But often, an increase in skeletal muscle tone leads to even greater pressure on the nerve endings.
Muscle relaxants are combined with all means of drug treatment of chondrosis, including glucocorticoids. They are well tolerated by the body, but some can cause dependence and a "withdrawal syndrome". They are therefore not intended for long-term treatment. The duration of treatment does not exceed one week.
Medicines that improve the psycho-emotional state
Of all chondroses, it is cervical chondrosis that particularly worsens a person's psycho-emotional state. This is a violation of the vertebral artery by bony growths, which leads to cerebral hypoxia.The patient suffers from atypical symptoms for pathologies of the musculoskeletal system:
- panic attacks;
- depression, neurosis;
- visual and hearing problems;
- nonproductive dry cough;
- shortness of breath;
- anxiety, apathy, fatigue;
- various sleep disorders.
What you don't need to do when they appear is to use cough suppressants, eye or ear drops. Symptoms can often be eliminated by taking drug treatment that has a mild sedative effect: Tenoten, Novo-Passit, tinctures of motherwort, valerian, peony. Only for severe neuroses and depression are tranquilizers, antipsychotics and antidepressants prescribed.
Vitamin complexes
Most essential vitamins, micro- and macroelements enter the human body with food. But food products cannot always meet physiological needs or are poorly absorbed and distributed. For example, with circulatory disorders characteristic of cervical osteochondrosis. There is a deficiency of bioactive substances that negatively affects the functioning of all vital systems.
To quickly replenish the body's daily need for vitamins, micro- and macroelements, their balanced complexes should be included in treatment regimens.
Magnesium forms muscle and bone tissue and iodine regulates metabolism. Manganese, molybdenum, chromium, potassium, chlorine, selenium, zinc stimulate the strengthening of the tendon-ligamentous apparatus and copper stops inflammatory processes. These minerals are present in all of the above complexes.
The correct intake of medications involves using 1 tablet per day - this amount is enough to improve the blood supply to the brain of useful substances.
A week later, the signs of anemia that occur at stage 3 of the development of cervical chondrosis disappear. The person no longer feels sleepy and no longer suffers from problems with coordination of movements. Double vision of objects in front of the eyes disappears.
Ointments, gels, balms
External remedies are always used for exacerbations of chondrosis at home. They cannot cope with intense pain; injections or painkillers are necessary. Ointments, creams, gels, balms are used to eliminate pain that occurs during hypothermia and changes in climatic zones. Which of them will help cure a chronic illness:
- Anti-inflammatory. The drugs have a milder effect on the human body than other NSAIDs.
- Vasodilators. The agents exhibit local irritant activity and dilate the blood vessels that supply the brain.
- Painkillers. Medications help relieve pain immediately after application. They are well absorbed and do not leave greasy marks on clothes and bedding.
- Warming up. Products with pepper extract can only be applied using an applicator. The medications have an analgesic effect a few minutes after being applied to the back of the neck.
Products for external use are effective and very rarely cause the development of local allergic reactions. But caution is required during treatment. If the ointments come into contact with mucous membranes, rinse them quickly with water. Especially those that contain essential oils, natural poisons and turpentine.
Therapeutic dressings
A proven remedy for exacerbations of osteochondrosis is the Pepper patch. Its composition is represented by phytoextracts of red pepper, belladonna and dimexide. The active ingredients of the patch gradually penetrate into the area of the damaged disc and have an analgesic effect for 3-5 hours. If you have neck pain, the external remedy is used whole or cut into small pieces.
The pepper patch is convenient to use for treatment at home, at work or while traveling. But it also has a contraindication - individual intolerance to any of the components. And in women with sensitive skin, it can cause a chemical burn.
The patches have anti-inflammatory, decongestant and chondroprotective activity. They are intended for the treatment of all pathologies of the cervical spine. Their use helps to reduce the pharmacological load on the human body by reducing doses of systemic drugs.
How to properly treat cervical chondrosis?
Stopping the destruction of intervertebral discs is only possible with an integrated therapeutic approach. It is practiced to wear orthopedic devices (Schanz collars) which fix the vertebrae in an anatomical position. Applicators are needed to improve blood supply to damaged tissues with nutrients and bioactive substances. Daily physiotherapy classes, yoga, swimming and walks in the fresh air are offered.
It is advisable to use most medications to relieve symptoms during exacerbations. They have many side effects, including damage to liver tissue. Chondroprotectors, means of improving blood circulation, and balanced vitamin and mineral complexes are suitable for regular use.