Displacement of the cervical vertebrae treatment at home symptoms

Center for Neurosurgery Dr. A.N. Baklanova successfully treats all types of spinal diseases, including vertebral displacement (spondylolisthesis). We will answer all your questions by phone: +7 (499) 746 - 99 - 50. You can also ask a question by filling out the request form below.

Vertebral displacement (spondylolisthesis) is a displacement of a vertebral body relative to another with a deviation of the spinal axis. This disorder occurs quite often in middle-aged and elderly people. When displaced, irritation of the nerve roots occurs, which causes back pain and stiffness. Spondylolisthesis varies according to the vectors of vertebral displacement. When the displacement is directed backwards, it is retrolisthesis; if the vertebra moves forward, it is vetrolisthesis. There are also more complex deformation changes in the spinal column. Late diagnosis and delayed treatment of the disease leads to serious consequences.

In colloquial speech you can hear: “displacement of vertebral discs”, “displacement of spinal discs”, “a disc has slipped out in the spine”, “a disc has popped out in the spine or back”, “displacement of intervertebral discs” and other options. All of them are not correct. Only the vertebrae can move.

What is this?

Vertebral displacement is a condition that is accompanied by rotation and displacement of the vertebrae , as well as narrowing of the intervertebral canal, leading to pain and disruption of the functioning of all internal organs.

Most often, displacement of the vertebrae occurs in the cervical region.

Flow pattern

From the moment of displacement to the first symptoms, a fairly long period of time can pass (sometimes it can be 2-3 years), which makes timely diagnosis and treatment very difficult.

The symptoms of this disease depend on the location of the pinching.

Degree of disease

Currently, doctors distinguish 5 degrees of development of this disease.:

The vertebral displacement is slight. There are no pronounced symptoms; the only thing present is mild pain in the neck.
The vertebra is displaced by half. There is aching pain in the neck, as well as general weakness.
The shift occurs by 3/4. There is severe pain in the neck and back, blood supply is disrupted, gait changes, and muscle rigidity appears.
Complete displacement of a vertebra, which is accompanied by severe pain, as well as disruption of the functioning of organs and all systems.
If the disease has progressed to the fifth degree, then the patient already has sagging of the vertebra. This puts pressure on the spinal cord and increases the risk of rupture. At this degree, paralysis may occur.

With the fifth degree of displacement, damage to the spinal cord can occur

ICD-10 code

According to the international classification, the displacement of the vertebrae is assigned code M43.1 - spondylolisthesis.

Prevalence

Spondylolisthesis occurs in 10% of the population, and displacement of the cervical vertebrae is most often diagnosed.

Causes

Displacement of the cervical vertebrae may occur due to reasons such as:

osteochondrosis, hernia;
injuries sustained by the child during childbirth;
in case of a sharp turn of the head, the vertebrae are displaced;
Large loads on the cervical spine;
Hypothermia, as well as frequent colds;
The hereditary factor is also of decisive importance. If one of the relatives in the family had problems with spinal disease, then the patient may also experience them;
An operation that was performed on the spinal column;
Muscle spasm;
Age. This is a natural cause of abrasion of intervertebral tissue.

Seeing a doctor immediately after an injury will help prevent complications and will also significantly speed up your recovery.

Consequences

Despite the fact that this disease is moderate, displacement of the vertebrae poses a great danger to the health and life of the patient. The disease is extremely dangerous in the presence of other diseases of the musculoskeletal system, including the spine.

What you need to be most afraid of is not headaches and dizziness, but compression (squeezing) or even rupture (a fairly rare occurrence) of nerve nodes or vertebral vessels.

Due to displacement of the vertebrae, internal bleeding or stroke can also occur . These complications are extremely rare, but do occur.

The staircase displacement of the neck vertebrae is severe - here 2-4 vertebrae are affected at once (they all fall out sequentially, and in the same direction). Sometimes this type of complication may require surgery (tablet treatment can be dangerous).

With scalene displacement, 2-4 vertebrae are affected

Symptoms and diagnostic methods

The manifestations of symptoms due to displacement of the vertebrae in the cervical spine are quite different. They directly depend on the reasons for their appearance.

However, the main symptoms are very similar for a large number of manifestations:

Headache and dizziness;
Fatigue, tiredness, and a constant feeling of lack of sleep;
Confusion, nausea;
Pain in the neck and chest;
Poor memory and absent-mindedness;
Feeling of numbness in the limbs. Numbness most often occurs at night;
Visual and hearing impairment.

If these signs appear, you should immediately go to the hospital for a full examination and timely treatment.

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Diagnostics

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Next fact

This disease is diagnosed by a traumatologist or veterinarian using one of the available methods.:

computed tomography (CT);
palpation;
radiography + functional test;
MRI.

If the doctor suspects a subluxation of one or several vertebrae, then a spondylography is performed. If there is a suspicion of a dislocation of the first vertebra, then an x-ray is taken through the mouth.

Each of the diagnostic methods allows not only to determine the exact location of the displaced vertebra, but also to assess the degree of damage. Once the full picture of the disease becomes clear, the doctor begins treatment.

Video: “Displacement of a vertebra in the neck: the worst thing that can happen?”

Symptoms of the disease

Initially, the pathology is asymptomatic, but as it progresses, patients begin to suffer from pain of varying intensity in the neck, lower back, coccyx or sacrum. Also typical are impaired mobility and neurological disorders, manifested by decreased sensitivity of the limbs, headaches, deterioration of hearing, vision, and functioning of the pelvic organs. Sometimes a violation of posture is noticeable due to a decrease in the length of the affected segment.

At the initial stages of development, treatment of spinal spondylolisthesis is carried out using conservative therapy, but since it practically does not manifest itself in any way, it is difficult to diagnose the disease during this period. In severe cases, it can only be dealt with surgically.

Vertebrologists at SL Clinic will help you get rid of the discomfort that accompanies degenerative spondylolisthesis. Our specialists are capable of performing operations of any degree of complexity, and the availability of the best modern equipment, combined with the high level of skill of doctors, reduces the risks of surgical intervention to a minimum. The spinal surgeon will thoroughly explain what vertebral spondylolisthesis is, give an objective assessment of the situation, select the most effective treatment method, and further guide the patient until complete recovery.

Treatment

Treatment of this type of disease is carried out only under the strict supervision of a doctor. After the diagnosis is confirmed by X-ray or MRI, conservative or surgical treatment is prescribed .

Drugs

Drugs are used to eliminate inflammation in spondylolisthesis. Conservative treatment directly depends on the stage of vertebral displacement, disturbances in the functioning of internal organs, and systems.

For pain, painkillers as amelotex, denebol, arthrozan, as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, dimexide, diclofenac) are prescribed.

In case of severe pain, novocaine blockade and administration of muscle relaxants are prescribed. This must be done in order to relieve pain.

After the acute period subsides and the pain is observed less and less often, it is recommended to carry out physical therapy , which is aimed at strengthening the abdominal and back muscles.

Due to these measures, the normal position of the spine is maintained. In addition, wearing a special corset is also prescribed, but it is important to remember that if you wear it frequently, the muscles can atrophy.

Surgery

Surgical intervention for this disease may be required in case of severe trauma (fall from a height, accident, etc.) or congenital pathologies of the spine. Spinal surgeries are performed extremely rarely.

Surgery is performed by fixing the damaged vertebra, which is strengthened with special pins or plates. Recovery after surgery takes a long time and may well result in complications.

Exercise therapy and massage

In case of displacement of the cervical vertebrae, manual therapy , therapeutic exercises and reflexology are prescribed. All these techniques help strengthen and relax the muscles that surround the spine, fix displaced vertebrae, alleviate the manifestations of the disease, and also restore damaged functions of our body.

It is better to start exercise therapy with post-isometric exercises, namely:

Rest your forehead or the back of your head against the surface of the bed;
Try to tilt your head forward, while pressing your hand on your forehead. Repeat the same action with the back of the head.

Massage and exercise therapy are under no circumstances prescribed during an exacerbation of the disease.

Traditional treatment

Unlike drug treatment, which can cause significant harm to health, medicinal herbal dressings are absolutely safe : they relieve pain, have a resolving effect, and also eliminate inflammation. Let's look at some of them.

Relieving pain with horseradish. Horseradish leaves will help you with this. You need to take a leaf and place it on your neck. Carefully secure it overnight. By morning the patient should feel better.
Potato. You need to mix grated potatoes with honey. Ultimately, the mixture should resemble an ointment. This product can be used as a compress at least once a week.

Video: “What you need to know about neck pain?”

Rehabilitation

The severity of the result of the surgical intervention largely depends on the correctness of the recovery period. The entire set of measures prescribed by specialists is aimed at eliminating the likelihood of relapse and the development of complications of the disease.

Surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis of the lumbosacral spine does not require prolonged bed rest in the postoperative period. You can get up for the first time only with the permission of the surgeon the next day. Any sudden movements or bends are unacceptable. You should refrain from lifting heavy objects and strenuous physical activity for at least 6 months.

Throughout the recovery period, pain of varying degrees of intensity may occur, as the installed screws and rods put pressure on the vertebrae. To eliminate them, painkillers from the NSAID group are prescribed.

In order to speed up recovery, patients are prescribed a course of physiotherapeutic procedures:

laser therapy;
electrophoresis;
sinusoidal modulated currents;
diadynamic therapy.

For each patient, the nature and duration of procedures is selected individually. Physical therapy is also mandatory. You should start regular exercise 2–4 months after surgery. Classes are recommended to be carried out under the supervision of experienced rehabilitation therapists who will be able to select the optimal load and list of exercises. Initially, they are performed from a lying position on the stomach or back. Gradually increase the duration of classes and the number of repetitions, complicate the exercises and add new ones.

Patients are recommended to wear a semi-rigid corset for 1 month. It will reduce the load on your back muscles and make movement easier. However, you should not use the corset for more than the recommended time, as this may weaken muscle tone too much and lead to re-occurrence of spinal problems. Regular swimming exercises have a beneficial effect on the condition of patients. Therefore, after completing the main stage of rehabilitation, with the permission of the attending physician, it is recommended to visit the pool at least twice a week.

Prevention

The best method of treatment is their timely prevention. In order to avoid the manifestation of pathologies in the operation of any systems, it is necessary to ensure the health of the spinal column. To do this, you should eat right, get plenty of rest, exercise daily, and regularly expose your body to physical activity.

In addition, it is also recommended to avoid prolonged sitting . If your job is sedentary, then you should do regular warm-ups.

All these rules will help keep the spine, body systems, and internal organs healthy until old age.

Forecast

The prognosis for displacement of the cervical vertebrae with timely treatment is favorable . However, in advanced cases, displacement can lead to the development of serious pathologies.

With timely realignment of the vertebrae, the prognosis is favorable. In most cases, displacement of the vertebrae leads to the development of protrusion, which leads to the appearance of an intervertebral hernia, which in turn leads to displacement of the nerve roots of the spine.

With grade 2 and 3 displacement, the spinal canal, which is located in the spinal cord, narrows, which affects the functioning of many systems and organs. With prolonged compression, arachnoiditis, epiduritis, and spinal cord abscess are observed.

With timely treatment, all these symptoms will gradually fade away, and the disorders will stop progressing.

An important point in a favorable outcome of the disease is radiological monitoring of the condition of the spine with a high probability of injury.

What is the threat?

In some cases, the appearance of this disease can be extremely dangerous, because when displaced, metabolic processes are disrupted. If it manifests itself through too much compression of the nerve roots, then there is a risk of developing paralysis and, as a consequence, disability. A timely visit to the doctor will help to avoid such problems.

Diagnostics

At the first visit to the patient, the doctor determines the need for hardware examination methods. Finds out complaints, causes of damage, examines and palpates the patient. After a comprehensive diagnosis, an exact therapeutic course is prescribed according to the diagnosis.

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