Symptoms, causes, treatment of cervical scoliosis

Scoliosis of the cervical spine is dangerous not only pain and disruption of the blood supply in the brain. Pathology is often accompanied by compression of the vertebral artery, passing to the openings in the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae. This vessel supplies about 25% of brain structures.

Cause of disease

The True cause of cervical scoliosis is still not installed. The doctors in determining etiological factors are guided by triggers:

1. Neuromuscular theory argues that the basis of the curvature of the cervical spine are disturbances in the muscle tissue. In children on the background of active growth of the skeleton skeletal muscles are unable to keep pace with the increase in the size of the vertebrae. Against the weakness of the ligamentous-muscular apparatus of the cervical asymmetry occurs, leading to distortion of this part of the vertebral column;
2. Hormonal theory of the disease raises the metabolic hormones, leading to softening of the bone structure. On the background of endocrine disorders also appears hypertonicity of the muscle tissue. As a result, this syndrome causes distortion of the vertebral column;
3. Degenerative (dysplastic) theory States that cervical scoliosis is formed on the background of violations of the nutrients and pathology of blood supply to the spine;
4. neuro-Humoral theory of disease connects with the violation of innervation of the skeletal muscles of the shoulder girdle and neck.

There are idiopathic curvature of the cervical spine in the lateral plane, in which the causes of the disease remain unclear.

Symptoms of lateral deformation of the neck

degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine on a lateral radiograph on the background of scoliosis. Circles selected marginal bony growths that compress nerve roots.

Symptoms of neck strain are not only on the background pathology of the spine, but also disorder of microcirculation in the brain. Depending on the clinical features distinguish the following forms:

1. upper cervical
2. Neck;
3. low-neck.

upper cervical scoliosis is characterized by lateral bending at the level of C1-C4. 1 when the extent of the disease may not have clinical signs, as there is no infringement of the nerve roots and compression of the vertebral artery. About the disease show the following symptoms:

• fatigue
• Periodic headaches and dizziness;
• the Inability to fully Flex the neck;
• Pain in the temporal region.

With 2 and 3 degrees of the disease appear the following symptoms:

• Sciatica and inflammatory changes in the spinal nerves on the background of a slipped disc. Clinical signs evident unilateral neck pain from the lesion. Pain over time extends to thoracic and occipital area. Classic symptom of the disease is numbness of the upper extremities by curvatures. When working at the computer these symptoms are intensified;
• Lateral curvature leads to degenerative disc disease (reduction of height of intervertebral disks). Against this background, there is often a infringement of the nerve roots with narrowing of the intervertebral holes of the bone osteophytes (outgrowth of the deposition of calcium salts);
• At the lower cervical scoliosis appear pain in region of shoulder girdle and upper back. The pain is worse when breathing and bending. This form of the disease often causes numbness in the upper limb from neck strain
• Cervical form of the disease is characterized by local pain in the neck in the morning after sleep. During the day pain is reduced. Due to hypertonicity of the neck muscles of the person may not engage flexor and extensor movements in the neck.

In all forms of deformation of the neck may appear following symptoms:

• pain in the neck radiating to shoulders, neck, face. They appear against the backdrop of worsening pathology;
• Discomfort in the upper limb occurs in the presence of osteochondrosis of 2 degrees during physical exertion or weight lifting
• impair functionality in the upper limbs accompanied by loss of sensation of the skin, weakening of muscle strength;
• Marked stiffness and a feeling of "flowing" in the upper limbs, which appear at the corners of the head and neck, seen against the background of load on upper limb
• Dizziness and low back pain leads to "flickering flies", nausea and tinnitus
• Headaches if the infringement of the vertebralartery in the cervical spine increase when you stay in an uncomfortable position, physical stress, feeling of heaviness in the head;
• On the background of deterioration of blood supply in the brain occur the deterioration of the sharpness of hearing and vision, and numbness of the tongue and loss of taste;
• Pain in heart region not eliminated by taking nitroglycerin, but are taken painkillers – "Asciano", "Aspirin" and "Baralgin".

Diagnosis using myography

Electromyography in large medical centers treatment to be applied before deformation of the neck and allows to detect errors in the functioning of muscles and more rational to prescribe therapy. The technique helps to detect disorders of motor activity in the cervical spine.

Analysis of muscle contractions to determine disorders in bioelectric process the transmission of nerve impulses. Diagnosis helps to eliminate the lesion of the neuromuscular system through manual therapy, massage and physical therapy.

When there is a sideways curvature of the neck, apply the following methods of electromyography:

• Stimulation
• Neurography.

Stimulation electromyography is used to assess the transmission of excitation at motor and sensory nerve fibres. Optimum speed of transmission of nerve impulses in the fibers of the upper extremity is equal to 40-60 meters per second. When pathological changes in the transmission rate decreases.

Electroneurogram used for the assessment of threshold values for transmission of motor fibers. The brain lesion is observed on the background of circulatory disorders at the compression of vertebral artery due to instability of the cervical vertebrae.

Topical methods of treatment

Treatment of lateral curvature of the neck 1 and 2 degrees is based on the following principles:

• physiotherapy
• Osteopathy
• Massage and chiropractic
• the Use of pharmaceuticals.

During the deformation of 3 degrees used surgical techniques:

1. Resection of the intervertebral disc with a hernia or protrusion;
2. Operation to stabilize the deformation with the use of bone grafts;
3. Cosmetic manipulation to eliminate visual defects.

Thus, scoliosis of the cervical spine is a serious pathology, which leads over time to changes in the brain. Its detection and treatment should be carried out from the early stages of the disease. To speed up the process of recovery will help the qualitative diagnosis using electromyography.