Osteochondrosis – which specialist treats this disease. Which doctor treats cervical osteochondrosis? Which doctor should you see for osteochondrosis?

Almost every person complains of pain in the neck or lower back. Trouble can make itself felt periodically, so many consider its manifestation to be banal physical fatigue. A superficial attitude to such symptoms leads to the development of serious diseases of the musculoskeletal system. One of these is spinal osteochondrosis.

Practice shows that people do not know which doctor to see when faced with this disease. Below we will tell you which doctor to contact for osteochondrosis, as well as the very essence of problems with the spine.

In order to get an answer to the question of which doctor treats osteochondrosis, it is necessary to understand what this disease actually is, which is faced today not only by older people, but also by young people.

In medical practice, this disease is defined as a violation of the full functioning of joints, damage to cartilage tissue, in which an inflammatory process develops, causing pain.

This disease can be either hereditary or acquired.

Types of osteochondrosis

In the fight against osteochondrosis, it is important to diagnose its type. Joint dysfunction can manifest itself in the neck, chest, and lower back. Depending on the location of the formation of the inflammatory focus, the disease is classified into:

cervical osteochondrosis;
chest;
lumbar;
vertebrate.

Most often, people are bothered by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine; dentists, designers, secretaries, and programmers suffer from this type of disease.

Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region and spine occurs in people whose activities involve heavy lifting and difficult working conditions.

The chest type of the disease is a complication in the development of the cardiovascular system.

Causes of the disease

Not only professional activity has a negative effect on the musculoskeletal system of people, but also such factors as:

metabolic disease;
infection of the body with infections;
poor nutrition;
sedentary lifestyle;
excess weight;
spinal bruises;
physical fatigue;
nervous stress;
bad habits (alcohol, smoking).

Symptoms of the disease

It is not difficult to recognize the disease in the early stages of development. The sooner you see a doctor, the greater the chance of curing the disease. You should pay attention to the following symptoms:

With cervical osteochondrosis, there is a numbness of the tongue, a crunch in the neck, pain in the arms (especially the hands), frequent headaches accompanied by dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, and colored spots appear before the eyes.
Osteochondrosis of the spine affects the lumbar region. Its main symptoms are sharp pain in the back and lower back, numbness of the lumbar region, increased pain symptoms when walking and physical activity, paralysis of the lower extremities.

Treatment of spinal diseases cannot be postponed until later. Untimely medical care can lead to disability and paralysis of the limbs.

With osteochondrosis, independent treatment is not advisable; only a competent physician who is engaged in the professional treatment of ailments of the musculoskeletal system can help diagnose it and prescribe effective treatment.

Who treats osteochondrosis

Who should a person suffering from spinal pain turn to? More than one doctor deals with this problem. It all depends on the complexity of the disease. The patient should:

The first task of the patient is to contact a local therapist. This specialist will not treat osteochondrosis, but after an examination he will give a referral to a neurologist.

Since pain in the spine is a consequence of a disorder of the central nervous system, the neurologist determines in which part of it the nerve endings are malfunctioning. And he is helped in this by MRI, CT and radiologists, whose task is an in-depth diagnosis of the patient’s musculoskeletal system.

Which doctor treats cervical osteochondrosis? Vertebroneurologists treat diseases of the cervical spine. These are highly specialized specialists. They treat neck diseases in adults and those aged 15–20 years. After an in-depth diagnosis of the spine, the attending doctor prescribes competent treatment.

Therapy for cervical osteochondrosis by a vertebroneurologist may be accompanied by consultations with a chiropractor, direct participation in the treatment process by physiotherapists, acupuncture specialists, and osteopaths.

In advanced cases, trauma surgeons help overcome osteochondrosis.

Regardless of who is treating the patient, therapeutic therapy is prescribed only after in-depth diagnosis and identification of the cause of the disease.

Diagnosis of the disease

A patient who comes to the doctor with complaints of pain in the spine, lower back and neck is sent for vertebral X-ray, computed tomography and MRI. These methods of studying the musculoskeletal system allow you to examine in detail the structure of the spine, the condition of the vertebrae, and identify foci of inflammation of the cartilage tissue.

Treatment methods

The main methods of treating osteochondrosis that specialists resort to:

prescription of painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs;
medical physical education;
massage treatments;
manual therapy;
electrophoresis procedures and laser therapy;
spine surgery.

Osteochondrosis is a complex disease of the musculoskeletal system. Knowing which doctor to contact when the main symptoms of the disease appear, the patient does not delay solving the problem until tomorrow, receives qualified medical care and returns to a full life.

Spinal osteochondrosis is a frequently diagnosed disease that has no age, gender or social restrictions. These are complex dystrophic disorders of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. They can affect any joint, any part of the spine, which subsequently affects the functioning of the entire musculoskeletal system. The disease is accompanied by pain in the back. But you shouldn’t independently determine whether you have a pathology, much less treat it, because many disorders in the functioning of the body are similar in their symptoms, but require different methods of correction. Therefore, a person faced with such a problem needs to know which doctor treats spinal osteochondrosis in order to contact him in a timely manner and receive qualified help.

There are three types of osteochondrosis: cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. It depends on the part of the body where the affected vertebrae or intervertebral discs are located. It is considered the most dangerous and serious, because a small and short load on the back is enough to cause compression of the nerves and blood vessels, which immediately results in pain.

To determine the direction of treatment for a patient with osteochondrosis, it is necessary to find out what caused its development. There are quite a lot of such reasons:

Hereditary factor.
Disturbed metabolic process.
Various chronic diseases of infectious origin.
Obesity.
Traumatic injuries of the spinal column.

Body mass index is equal to weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters

Unbalanced daily diet.

Excessive consumption of strong alcoholic drinks and smoking.

Frequent stressful situations, nervous overexcitation, emotional imbalance.

Professional factor.

A lecture on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of the disease is given by neuropathologist Radion Gennadievich Ignatiev:

Any of the above reasons or a combination of them can become a condition for the development of pathology, so the doctor who treats osteochondrosis will definitely, during a conversation with the patient, find out what factors contributed to its occurrence and whether it is possible to correct them, and will prescribe treatment.

Symptoms

Clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis include the following characteristic symptoms:

Pain in the cervical, thoracic or lumbosacral spine. Moreover, with the chest type of the disease, it increases at the moment of sighing and deep breaths.
With cervical osteochondrosis, a person has a headache. This pain is directly related to neck movements.
Due to the compression of the blood vessels, the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, so a person often feels dizzy.
Increased or decreased sensitivity in the hands and feet. Limitation of physical activity.

Decreased visual acuity and hearing.
Pain radiating to other parts of the body and internal organs: shoulders, arms, buttocks, legs, liver, heart.
With lumbar osteochondrosis, dysfunction of the urinary and reproductive systems is possible.
The need to take an uncomfortable position (standing or walking bent over) due to.

Any of these signs cause inconvenience to a person, so you need to know which doctor to contact to treat spinal osteochondrosis.

Which doctor should I contact?

If a person notices symptoms of pathology, he should first see a general practitioner or family doctor. The specialist will examine the patient, collect anamnesis, and establish a preliminary diagnosis. During the medical examination, he will try to find out whether the person’s complaints are related to the symptoms of osteochondrosis, then he will advise which doctor to go to for a consultation. Treatment depends on the course of the disease and the degree of tissue damage. Therefore, diseases are treated by doctors of the following specializations: vertebrology, neurology, neurosurgery, rheumatology, arthrology. Let's take a closer look at which specialist to contact with what:

A vertebrologist is a doctor whose specialty is any problems with the spine. This specialist has the ability, using modern equipment, to carry out diagnostics and establish the causes of the development of osteochondrosis. After analyzing the information received, he prescribes the necessary corrective measures. This can be drug therapy (taking NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, corticosteroids, painkillers), stimulating the body with vitamin complexes (for example, Pentovit vitamins). In the non-acute period - massage, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, etc. Vertebrologists are only on staff at specialized clinics, but, if possible, you should try to get an appointment with them.

A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in treating pathologies of the nervous system. For diseases of the spine, a neurologist organizes treatment for neurological disorders that are provoked by compression (squeezing) of the nerve endings in the spinal cord, as well as impaired blood supply and supply of nutrients to the spinal cord and brain. These processes manifest themselves in the form of a burning, acute pain syndrome in different parts of the back, which is especially felt during physical activity, becomes less pronounced or stops completely at rest. In severe situations, the patient’s sensitivity in the arms or legs is impaired, they become numb, and paralysis and immobilization may develop. A neurologist also deals with these cases. With cervical osteochondrosis, a sick person often suffers from drowsiness, headaches, and loss of consciousness may occur. If such signs are observed, then you should definitely undergo treatment from a neurologist.
A rheumatologist is a doctor who provides treatment if the cause of osteochondrosis is rheumatism. With this systemic inflammatory pathology in the human body, joints and ligaments are affected multiple times.
An arthrologist is a doctor whose specialty is joints. The spinal column has more than forty of them. If a person has a dull pain in the back (in the cervical, thoracic, spinal part), which intensifies in a calm state, but goes away with little physical activity, it is difficult for him to bend over, turn with his whole body, and his posture is also impaired, then it is necessary to undergo treatment from arthrologist. In addition, a doctor of this specialization observes patients with organic disorders of the spine: bone growths (osteophytes), atrophy of joint capsules, problems with ligaments.

Neurosurgeon. He treats patients if therapeutic methods have not given the desired result and a surgical solution to the problem is necessary. A doctor specializing in neurosurgery performs operations to remove and replace intervertebral discs, remove osteophytes, etc.
A rehabilitologist is a specialist who helps people recover after spinal surgery. This doctor develops an individual rehabilitation program and monitors the patient’s progress in its implementation.

In the most advanced and complex situations, a person may have to consult and follow prescriptions for the treatment of osteochondrosis from doctors of different specialties.

In any case, you should not self-diagnose, take medications, or use alternative medicine recipes, so as not to harm yourself. It will be much more effective if a person, having found out which doctor to contact for osteochondrosis, gets an appointment with him and begins to follow the recommendations received.

Which doctor should I contact with cervical osteochondrosis? This question worries patients. Cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by a violation of cellular metabolism, which leads to structural changes in the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine. People do not always understand which doctor they should see for a particular disease. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a complex pathology that, if not treated correctly, can lead to irreversible processes. The blood supply to the brain depends on the condition of the neck spine.

There are seven movable vertebrae in the cervical region. The first vertebra, the atlas, consists of arches that are connected by lateral thickenings. It is attached to the skull by condyles. The second is called the axis and is attached to the atlas by ligaments. With the help of two vertebrae, a person performs the main movements of the neck. All vertebrae are small in size, which determines the light load. The spinous processes of the vertebrae are bifurcated (except for the atlas). The seventh vertebra has a clearly prominent spinous process. Which doctor treats osteochondrosis?

Which doctor diagnoses and treats osteochondrosis?

Which doctor should I contact at the first symptoms of osteochondrosis?

It is necessary to contact a therapist who will determine the degree of the disease and take a solution.
Deciding which doctor should continue treatment.

The causes of the disease are heavy loads during incorrect head position. This leads to pinching of blood vessels, deterioration of blood supply to the brain, and, as a result, the following symptoms appear:

acute headache, dizziness;
changes in blood pressure, sleep disturbances, memory problems;
weakness, numbness of the arm muscles;
pain in the neck or limbs, when turning the head;
decreased vision, hearing, impaired coordination of movement.

Which doctor treats cervical osteochondrosis? After diagnosing the disease, the therapist gives a referral to a neurologist. A neurologist prescribes conservative or medicinal treatment. Which doctor should I contact?

Physiotherapist. The physiotherapist will determine the basic procedures for the treatment. It could be:
- ultraviolet irradiation;
- balneotherapy;
- shock wave therapy;
- electrotherapy.
All procedures are aimed at relieving tension from spasming muscles and relieving pain. Which doctor should I contact additionally?
Masseur. A massage specialist performs a procedure to relieve acute pain, normalize blood circulation, and relieve muscle spasms. The doctor may prescribe therapeutic exercises.
Vertebrologist. You can consult a doctor whose main specialization is the diagnosis and treatment of diseases associated with the spine and musculoskeletal system. When diagnosing a disease, a vertebrologist uses:
- magnetic resonance imaging, the images of which show the main bone structures, changes in tissue, deformations in the intervertebral discs;
- X-rays of the spine are used when it is necessary to determine the condition of bone tissue and the presence of vertebral displacement;
- Ultrasound examination of blood vessels and brain.
After carrying out the necessary diagnostics, the vertebrologist determines a treatment plan and prescribes exercise therapy.
A chiropractor uses manual pressure to diagnose and treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

Disease prevention

The main preventive measure for cervical osteochondrosis can be called movement. With a sedentary lifestyle, the muscle corset weakens, the body does not maintain the correct position and overstrain of the cervical vertebrae occurs. The best physical activity for cervical osteochondrosis is swimming, which relieves excessive tension in the muscles that hold the neck.

To avoid osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, you should monitor your posture and try to maintain a physiologically correct body position. Sleep on a hard mattress and low pillow. Undergo a preventive examination. When the first symptoms of the disease appear, consult a therapist who can correctly diagnose the extent of the disease. The therapist gives a referral for further examination by a neurologist or vertebologist.

Which doctor treats cervical osteochondrosis? With all the variety of medical specialists that they encounter throughout their lives, people cannot always immediately figure out the answer to this question. This disease has a wide range of possible symptoms, so patients may have difficulty choosing a specialist.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis

With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, patients most often note:

nagging pain in the neck;
crunching sound when turning the head;
dizziness;
increased fatigue, especially with a sedentary lifestyle.

But sometimes the signs of the disease go beyond the usual, and a person cannot understand why vision decreases, eyes quickly tire, or, for example, numbness and tingling are felt in the fingers. This occurs due to pinching of the nerve roots located next to the cervical vertebrae.

The cardiac group of symptoms is noted in a separate line: with osteochondrosis, pain may occur in the area. At the same time, there are attacks of palpitations and very real heart rhythm disturbances. The combination of these symptoms is very frightening for the patient, but a cardiogram and other specialized examinations most often do not detect any cardiac pathology.

Where to go for neck pain

The treatment of spinal problems is carried out by specialized specialists, to the point that the choice of a doctor may depend on the location of the disease: be it the cervical, thoracic or lumbar region. A neurologist works with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. This area has relatively recently become an independent specialty: previously, patients with similar symptoms were referred to a neurologist, but today it is the neurologist who deals with the correction of neurological problems associated with dysfunction of the central nervous system.

Of course, if a patient experiences atypical symptoms and does not know what could be causing them, it is better to contact a local physician. Collection of anamnesis and analysis of symptoms will indicate the direction of further diagnosis; this will determine which specialist the patient will be referred to for treatment.

A neurologist studies the symptoms, assesses the patient’s condition and, based on the data obtained, prescribes treatment and/or additional examinations.

To clarify the diagnosis, a person can receive a referral to a radiologist, an MRI or CT specialist, and other diagnostic doctors.

Which doctors treat osteochondrosis?

The answer to the question of who treats osteochondrosis of the cervical spine in each specific case will depend on the severity of the condition and examination data. First of all, treatment should be aimed at relieving pain and restoring affected tissues. It can be either conservative - massage, exercise therapy - or medicinal.

If treated promptly, physical therapy may be sufficient for treatment. This is done by a physiotherapist who will prescribe the type, quantity and frequency of necessary exercises and procedures. Manual therapy can also help here: in mild forms, osteochondrosis can be cured with massage under the guidance of an appropriate specialist.

In the acute form of the disease, cervical osteochondrosis is treated by a vertebroneurologist - a specialist who will assess the severity of the condition and prescribe the appropriate comprehensive treatment: massage, gymnastics, etc.

If the methods described above do not bring the expected result, there is only one option left - surgery. This happens when osteochondrosis significantly affects the functioning of internal organs: heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. The surgeon or neurosurgeon carefully examines the patient and, if necessary, prescribes surgery.

In addition to the specialists described above, there is also a doctor who can understand the causes of this disease. An osteopath is a doctor who performs gentle manual examination of the affected area of the spine. He can indicate the exact causes of the symptoms that arise and, by influencing certain points, relieve the severity of the manifestations of the disease.

How to protect yourself from the consequences of osteochondrosis

Among the causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are the following:

excess weight;
metabolic disorders in the body;
history of trauma;
hereditary tendency;
sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity.

To avoid the need to urgently go to the doctor, try to minimize the risk factors described above: watch your weight, compensate for sedentary work with physical activity and follow the basic principles of a healthy diet.

If the symptoms become intrusive and you cannot relieve them on your own, visit your doctor as soon as possible: timely initiation of diagnosis and treatment is more likely to yield a positive result.

Osteochondrosis is a common disease that affects older people and middle-aged people. Many people do not know which doctor to contact for osteochondrosis.

Sick people prefer self-medication and therapeutic exercises, but this does not help and leads to sad consequences. If you have symptoms of osteochondrosis, you should see a doctor. The doctor will determine the type of disease and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Doctors treating osteochondrosis

There is more than one doctor treating osteochondrosis. Doctors work with each other, consulting, making decisions about the disease. Let's look at the doctors who deal with the disease:

Initially, they make an appointment with a local doctor - therapist. After examining the patient, he will send him to a neurologist.
Without making an appointment with a therapist, you can go straight to a neurologist. The doctor will conduct a diagnostic examination, prescribe x-rays, computed tomography, and MRI. After reviewing the results, treatment is prescribed.
A narrow specialist dealing with osteochondrosis is a vertebrologist, vertebroneurologist.

Osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a complex of disorders in joint cartilage. Occurs in any joint. Depending on the location of the joint, osteochondrosis of the spine, cervical, and thoracic are distinguished.

With cervical osteochondrosis, pain is localized in the neck. This type of disease occurs frequently. Designers, programmers, secretaries, and dentists suffer. Spinal diseases often appear by the age of 35-40.

Various reasons contribute to the appearance of the disease. The older a person is, the greater the likelihood of developing a disease that requires seeing a doctor. The appearance of the disease depends on the reasons:

Genetic predisposition to the disease;
Metabolic failures;
Presence of infection;
Excess body weight;
Passive lifestyle;
Recent spinal injuries;
Activities that involve constant lifting of heavy objects;
Prolonged uncomfortable postures in a standing position;
Frequent stress, nervous tension;
Excessive use of cigarettes;

How to determine osteochondrosis?

Symptoms of the disease:

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis:

Constant pain in the hands;
Headaches, dizziness;
Noise in the head;
Colored spots before the eyes;
Numbness of the tongue;

Symptoms of spinal osteochondrosis:

Constant pain in the lower back;
Damage to nerve endings;
Sharp, shooting pain in the back;
Increased pain when walking fast or doing physical exercise;
Loss of sensitivity in the lower back.

Who to contact for cervical osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a disease that leads to tragedy if you do not see a doctor in time. Which doctor treats cervical osteochondrosis? The answer is a neurologist, vertebrologist. Not only a neurologist and a vertebrologist are involved in treatment.

In case of remission of cervical osteochondrosis, massage therapists and physiotherapists will be required.

Osteochondrosis of the spine is treated by a neurologist and vertebrologist. They will conduct an examination and prescribe treatment.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

Doctors use conservative treatment methods. There are many ways to treat the disease. These include:

Use of medications (pills);
Manual therapy;
Healing Fitness;
Physical therapy through electrophoresis, laser therapy;
Pharmacupuncture;
Surgical intervention;

The doctor will individually select treatment depending on the condition of the spine. In practice, exacerbations are weakened, inflammatory reactions are reduced, restorative medications are taken, and physical exercises are taken to strengthen the structure of the spine.

If your doctor has prescribed manual therapy, you should make sure that a professional will treat you. Because with the help of his hands he will relieve the pain, or make the situation worse. If you are sure that you have a specialist in front of you, he will improve your condition, improve your blood circulation, correct your posture, and normalize your metabolism.

In therapeutic exercises, to obtain a positive result, the main thing is consistency. If you perform the exercises correctly, back pain will ease and a muscle corset will be formed, which will help not put strain on the spine.

Physiotherapy is used in conjunction with another method of treating osteochondrosis. Physical therapy relieves pain and reduces inflammatory reactions. Massage normalizes blood circulation and improves the condition of the spine. Initially, you should consult a doctor; for many people, massage is contraindicated due to blood vessels.

Medicines used

A neurologist and vertebrologist prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory tablets, chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants, vitamin complexes, sedatives, and vasodilators. Medicines are prescribed to relieve pain in the back, neck, inflammatory processes, eliminate stagnation of blood circulation, so that a rapid recovery process of the spinal joint can begin.

Sedatives are necessary to eliminate the patient's fear and anxiety. They relax the muscles. Doctors prescribe them to make it easier to bear pain and to enable them to sleep at night.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – substances for pain. They relieve pain, inflammatory reactions, eliminate fever, and have the properties of hormonal agents.

Which doctor should I contact at an advanced stage?

When diagnosing osteochondrosis, a neurologist diagnoses a severe, advanced disease. Refers to a doctor dealing with the last stage of the disease - a surgeon, neurosurgeon. Surgical intervention is performed to improve the patient's condition. People turn to him when conservative treatment methods do not help.

Surgery is performed after viewing computed tomography and MRI images. Sometimes the surgeon asks the patient to undergo the examination again. If the stage of the disease is severe, urgent surgery is performed.

The article was written for general educational development. To establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment, ALWAYS consult a doctor