Violation of cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis
The content of the article:
- Why a complication develops
-
Disease types
- PNMK
- ONMK
- What should the patient do
-
Treatment methods
- How to improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis
- Comprehensive treatment
- Video
Violation of cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis is one of the most dangerous complications of the disease. Pathology occurs due to the clamping of the vessels that are involved in the blood supply to the brain. Often, cerebral circulation is impaired in the presence of concomitant diseases - atherosclerosis, hypertension. Treatment should be comprehensive, aimed at improving blood flow and the condition of the intervertebral discs.
In cervical osteochondrosis, cerebrovascular accident is associated with compression of the vessels supplying the brain at the level of the damaged vertebrae
Why a complication develops
The main reason why the blood supply to the brain is disrupted in osteochondrosis is the clamping of the vertebral artery. In the human body there are two vertebral arteries, which merge in the cranial cavity into the basilar artery, forming the vertebro-basilar basin. These arteries supply approximately 30% of the blood to the brain.
With deformation of the vertebrae in this part of the spine, the artery is clamped, respectively, part of the blood does not enter the brain. With osteochondrosis, spasm of the vertebral artery is also often observed, which only exacerbates the problem.
Disease types
Violation of blood circulation during vascular clamping can have varying degrees of severity. There are two main types of pathology - transient and acute cerebrovascular accident (PNMK and ONMK).
PNMK
PNMK is a reversible condition characterized by cerebral ischemia. This condition is less dangerous than CVA, since all changes are reversible and not persistent. PNMK in cervical osteochondrosis develops gradually. Autonomic, vestibular, or vascular changes may develop. The most common symptoms of PNMK in the vertebrobasilar basin include:
| Group of clinical manifestations | Description |
| Vestibular ataxia |
The main symptom is severe dizziness accompanied by ataxia: · Staggering; · Instability when walking; • loss of balance. Often, symptoms are provoked by a sharp turn of the head, which leads to clamping of the vertebral artery. |
| Vestibulo-cochlear syndrome |
Dizziness in this case is accompanied by additional symptoms: · noise in ears; · Hearing impairment. |
| Vegetative signs |
Vegetative reactions are often accompanied by PNMK in the vestibulo-basilar basin: Shortness of breath, asthma attacks; · Attacks of palpitations, fluctuations in blood pressure, pain in the heart; Hot flashes; · Increased sweating; · Frequent urination; · nausea, vomiting; Diarrhea; · Violation of swallowing. |
| Hemianopsia | Hemianopsia is a loss of half of the vision from both sides. That is, a person sees only a half picture with his left and right eyes. |
| Drop attacks |
Drop attacks occur when the head is thrown back suddenly. The following manifestations develop: · Severe muscle weakness; Loss of function of the arms and legs; · the fall. At the same time, a person does not lose consciousness. |
ONMK
ACVA (stroke) is an irreversible violation of the blood supply to the brain. ACVA in osteochondrosis develops much less frequently than PNMC. Usually, this is facilitated by the presence of concomitant diseases - atherosclerosis, vascular anomalies, arterial hypertension.
To suspect a person has a stroke, you need to ask him to do three things:
- Smile. With a stroke, the smile is often asymmetrical - one corner of the mouth is down.
- Speak. With a stroke, pronunciation is often impaired, a person will not be able to pronounce even a simple sentence.
- Raise your hands. With a stroke, a person often raises their arms to a different height.
What should the patient do
If symptoms of stroke occur, you should immediately call an ambulance. While the ambulance is on its way, it is recommended to start providing first aid:
- lay the victim on his back or side;
- unbutton tight clothing;
- provide fresh air access;
- do not give the patient food and drink;
- do not take medications without direct indications.
In the case of PNMK, medical assistance is also indicated, but you can consult a doctor on a routine basis.
Treatment methods
In case of impaired cerebral circulation, complex treatment is required. It includes the use of various medications, the use of physiotherapy, massage, physiotherapy exercises (exercise therapy). Therapy for this problem has two directions - improving blood circulation and affecting the underlying disease.
How to improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis
The first thing to do is to put the Shants collar on the patient. This will reduce the stress on the cervical spine. Further, medications are used, the action of which is aimed at improving blood circulation or protecting nerve cells.
| Group of medicines | Explanation | List of drugs |
| Preparations for improving cerebral circulation | They improve cerebral circulation and facilitate the tolerance of cerebral ischemia. |
· Vinpocetine; · Cinnarizine; · Pentoxifylline. |
| Neuroprotective agents | Improves metabolism in the brain, protects nerve cells from damage. |
Piracetam (Lucetam, Nootropil); Phenibut (Noofen, Bifren). |
With stroke, surgical treatment can also be used to restore blood flow. Surgical removal of osteophytes, decompression of the vertebral artery is possible.
Vinpocetine is one of the drugs that improves blood flow to the brain
In addition, osteochondrosis can be accompanied by other diseases that impair blood flow - vascular atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension. In this case, additional drugs are prescribed:
- with atherosclerosis - drugs from the statin group (Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin);
- with arterial hypertension - antihypertensive drugs (it is necessary to reduce the pressure gradually so as not to aggravate ischemia).
Comprehensive treatment
It is impossible to cure the disease only with the help of drugs that improve the blood supply to the brain. If you do not influence the mechanism of development of osteochondrosis, the violation of cerebral circulation will be repeated. Therefore, the main condition for getting rid of pathology is the complex treatment of osteochondrosis. What therapeutic methods are used:
| Treatment method | Explanation |
| Taking medications |
Several groups of medicines are used to treat osteochondrosis: 1. Chondroprotectors. They work to protect the cartilage and prevent further damage. The main representatives of this group are glucosamine and chondroitin. 2. Muscle relaxants. The action of muscle relaxants is aimed at relieving muscle tension. The main representative is Midocalm. 3. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs relieve pain and inflammation. Diclofenac, Meloxicam, Ketoprofen are prescribed. |
| Massage | With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, massage of the collar zone is indicated. Massage improves microcirculation and relieves muscle tension. |
| Physiotherapy | Physiotherapy includes exposure to laser, ultrasound, low frequency currents. The procedures are aimed at improving microcirculation in the neck area, as well as relieving pain. |
| Exercise therapy | Exercise therapy is aimed at strengthening the muscle corset. Exercises for the neck and upper shoulder girdle are used. |
| Manual therapy | Manual therapy is aimed at restoring the normal anatomical location of the spine structures in the cervical spine. |
In addition, you need to follow the general recommendations: sleep on a hard surface, eliminate sudden neck movements, move more during the day.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Anna Kozlova Medical journalist About the author
Education: Rostov State Medical University, specialty "General Medicine".
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