Most doctors know that when a middle-aged patient comes to them with complaints of sudden dizziness, panic attacks, developing depression, it is first necessary to check for diseases of the spine, in particular, the cervical region. How cervical osteochondrosis and dizziness, fears and depression are connected, we will consider in this article.
Relationship between diseases
Cervical osteochondrosis, despite its seeming harmlessness, is a serious illness. Violations of the normal position of the vertebrae in this area leads to a lack of oxygen entering the brain with the bloodstream. Especially if it is an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.
Large vessels, as well as the vertebral artery, are squeezed or squeezed. Their patency decreases, nutrition althe substances necessary for the proper functioning of the brain come in much smaller quantities than required.
In addition, the vertebrae of the neck are very close to each other, unlike the vertebrae of other areas of the body. Accordingly, even minor changes will lead to the same result - impaired functioning of brain cells.
Cervical osteochondrosis and dizziness, fears and depression are certainly interconnected.
Causes of comorbidities
Knowing the mechanism of action of the disease, one should not be surprised at the frequent occurrence of problems with the nervous system in patients. Deprived of a large proportion of oxygen, the brain begins to send danger signals to the body, to which it reacts in an accessible way. The explanation for the development of depressive-anxiety states includes the following factors:
- The disease is protracted, so pain attacks occur regularly. To endure them, you have to put in a lot of effort. Pretty soon, a person's margin of safety dries up, because it is very difficult to endure pain all the time. Living in constant stress due to pain syndrome provokes depression.
- Serious problems and severe pain often force a person to radically change their lifestyle - from changing jobs to giving up their favorite hobbies. In middle age, this is extremely difficult, especially if the concomitant effect is the restriction of body mobility. This is dangerous exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.
- Patients living in anticipation of an attack for a long timepain, are in a state of strong nervous tension. It’s impossible to relax, because subconsciously you still have to fear that the pain can cover at any moment. Living in such conditions leads not only to depression, but also to more serious mental he alth problems.
- Drugs designed to relieve pain attacks and muffle the inflammatory process have many side effects that can replace one pain with another. For example, irritation of the gastric mucosa, leading to constant heartburn and nausea, does not contribute to maintaining calm. Stress from pain of different localization can also provoke the appearance of fears, anxiety and depression.
This is how cervical osteochondrosis and dizziness, fears and depression are connected.
Causes and signs of disease
Women suffer from cervical osteochondrosis more often than men, because among the common factors affecting the development of the disease, there is also a hormonal imbalance. The female endocrine system is less stable than the male, besides, huge loads often fall on it - menstruation, ovulation, pregnancy, childbirth and lactation, menopause. In general, both men and women are at risk if:
- live an unhe althy lifestyle;
- moving little;
- are overweight and have bad habits;
- rheumatic spectrum diseases and arthritis are present, posing a threat to cartilage tissues;
- detected violation of workendocrine system;
- there is a genetic predisposition;
- there were spinal injuries, especially in the neck area.
Feelings in women
Cervical osteochondrosis and dizziness, fears and depression develop in women most often around the age of 40, when the level of reproductive hormones drops and the body begins to rebuild before the loss of childbearing function. The set of sensations experienced by a woman is extensive and unpleasant:
- often there are severe nagging pains in the neck, radiating to the shoulders, forearms, head or just the temples, usually the sensations appear immediately after getting up in the morning and can remain almost all day;
- turning the head can provoke a sharp pain of a shooting nature in the neck or temples;
- there is a clamp in the muscles of the neck, making it difficult to move;
- neck, shoulders, back of the head often go numb, there is a burning sensation and a desire to properly stretch the sore spot;
- neck joints can clearly click, which indicates their defeat.
The consequences of cervical osteochondrosis can be very serious.
For men
Men are more susceptible to the disease at an even earlier age - 30 years is the most common period when males turn to doctors with complaints of the following symptoms:
- burning or sharp pain in the neck muscles, resembling a puncture;
- when coughing, sneezing, yawning, discomfort increases;
- the same posture held for a long time, for example, duringsleep or at work, causes numbness, burning, pulling pain in the neck, shoulders, sometimes all over the back;
- possible weakness in arms and legs.
Complicated course of the disease
Signs of cervical osteochondrosis are much more acute when there is a strong clamping of the blood vessels or vertebral artery, the development of thrombosis. This condition is called vertebrobasilar insufficiency, which often accompanies osteochondrosis of the neck. Vessels subjected to constant spasms lose their blood supply function. What can be the consequences of cervical osteochondrosis:
- severe headaches up to migraine;
- frequent and prolonged dizziness due to hypoxia, accompanied by tinnitus and partial loss of vision;
- disturbance of body coordination in space;
- fainting, nausea and vomiting;
- depression caused by constant mental stress;
- numbness of limbs, especially at night;
- ache and loss of sensation in different parts of the face;
- sleep disorders, insomnia.
Pain in osteochondrosis of the cervical region, lasting for a long time, exhausts the patient's psyche, making him irritable, aggressive, prone to uncontrollable outbursts of rage. A person begins to experience constant fears, often unfounded. Any little thing can trigger a panic attack. The quality of life of the patient is significantly reduced. After all, dizziness and nausea are often present with cervical osteochondrosis.
Showing signs of depression
As a rule, a person for quite a long time may not be aware of the presence of depression, especially associated with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. In fact, this disease threatens with serious problems, so you should definitely visit a doctor if you notice the following symptoms:
- Apathy, lack of energy, lack of desire to do anything.
- Loss or decreased appetite.
- Chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Unreasonable irritation or even hatred towards others.
- Persistent drowsiness or, conversely, the inability to fall asleep.
- Decreased interest in life, pleasures, entertainment.
- Self-doubt, low self-esteem, day-to-day reflection on imaginary or real shortcomings.
- Concentrating on negative and pessimistic thoughts.
- Sexual disorders.
- The appearance of suicidal thoughts.
Exhausted by constant pain, a person loses the ability to rationally reason, weigh the facts, the adequacy of perception is violated. At this stage, the help of relatives and friends is needed in order to have time to see a doctor, otherwise the consequences can become sad.
Treatment methods
What medications are prescribed for cervical osteochondrosis? More on that later.
The established diagnosis of "cervical osteochondrosis", complicated by a depressive mental disorder, implies an immediate start of treatment, including a whole range of measures. Medicinaldrugs of the following groups:
- antidepressants, tranquilizers if necessary;
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- chondroprotectors;
- vasodilators if needed;
- probably sleeping pills;
- complex of polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and microelements.
Other medications may be prescribed at the discretion of the doctor and the results of the examination.
A good effect is usually given by a course of massage performed by a professional chiropractor. It is able to relieve muscle stiffness, partially release blood vessels from pressure, increasing the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain. As a result, the manifestations of osteochondrosis symptoms are significantly reduced. Unfortunately, the courses will have to be repeated periodically, since cervical osteochondrosis in women and men is classified as chronic.
An additional way to fight the disease - physical therapy, carried out with cervical osteochondrosis, gives good results in alleviating the course of the disease. The main purpose of the exercises is to strengthen the muscles of the neck, improve the extensibility of the ligaments and the mobility of the joints. It is advisable to start classes under the supervision of a doctor so as not to harm even more. You can continue training at home, there is nothing complicated in therapeutic exercises. This should be done, especially if there is cervical osteochondrosis and dizziness. Treatment should be comprehensive.
Standardrecommendations for implementation sound like this:
- training should be done outdoors, in extreme cases - in a well-ventilated area, providing free access to oxygen;
- clothing should not be too tight or too tight to the body, you should give preference to loose house dresses, wide pants and t-shirts;
- all movements must be performed slowly and smoothly, avoiding the appearance of painful sensations;
- heart rate and blood pressure should be monitored to calculate a safe exercise level;
- breathing during exercise should be done calmly, without delay, measuredly;
- be sure to observe the regularity of classes, otherwise they will not bring any effect.
Often found in the diagnosis of "cervical osteochondrosis" tinnitus. This symptom will also go away with regular practice.
Examples of a set of exercises
You should be extremely attentive to exercise therapy, as the risk of damage to joints and muscles as a result of awkward or careless movement is quite high. Like any workout, physiotherapy exercises for cervical osteochondrosis should begin with a warm-up:
- Standing or sitting with a straight back, you need to press your hand on your forehead, counteracting with the back muscles of the neck.
- On the contrary, press the back of the head with your hands, preventing the head from lowering with the help of the tension of the front neck muscles.
- Do the same manipulations with the right and leftsides of the head and neck.
Stay in a static position for about 10 seconds. The pressure of resistance should build up gradually.
The main complex is performed in a standing position:
- Slightly tilting your head back, stretch your ears to the right and left shoulders.
- Having aligned the position of the head, make smooth turns alternately to the left and right, trying to place the chin over the shoulder.
- Move your head in circles with slow movements. The tilt of the head back is not carried out to the maximum deviation, there should not be a feeling of discomfort.
- Tilt your head back and forth to the stop, the movement back is carried out smoothly and accurately.
- Raising and lowering the shoulders with maximum amplitude.
- The chin slowly moves forward and slightly rises, then falls back. This exercise has a nice bonus - tightening the skin of the neck and eliminating the second chin, giving clarity to the oval of the face.
Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the cervical region should be performed in three sets of 5-10 times in each exercise. Daily repetition will help relieve the sensation of pulling pain, burning sensation in the muscles, improve the supply of oxygen to tissues, at the same time making the neck slim and beautiful.
Conclusion
Can there be depression from cervical osteochondrosis? Definitely can.
It is impossible to completely cure the acquired cervical osteochondrosis. But the disease lends itself well to correction and the establishment of a long-term remission, provided thattreatment-and-prophylactic complex. Here the well-being of the patient is in his hands.
You should definitely stop drinking alcohol and stop smoking. Establish a diet by adding more vegetables, fruits, greens, cereals, lean meats to it, minimizing the consumption of fried, fatty, s alty foods that contribute to the destruction of cartilage tissue. How else is cervical osteochondrosis, tinnitus and other unpleasant symptoms treated?
According to many patients, the practice of meditation, self-control, proper breathing and understanding the art of relaxation bring considerable relief. It is very important to remain calm, try to limit the occurrence of stressful situations.
It is advisable to relax more often in nature, engage in physical activity in the fresh air. It is better to spend your free time not in front of the TV, but doing your favorite hobby, meeting friends and getting enough sleep. In this case, the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the neck will be significantly smoothed out, a good mood and a feeling of fullness of life will return. It will help exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
