Experts remind: Even the strongest cervical spine cannot withstand the cold

Among the "Top Ten Intractable Diseases in the World" announced by the World Health Organization (WTO), cervical spondylosis ranks second. Data show that among the world's more than 6 billion people, 900 million sufferers of cervical spondylosis, with the incidence rate in my country being 17.3%, or about 160 million, of which adolescents account for as high as 10%. Data from a survey of "Workplace Health Report" shows that the health problems that white-collar workers are most worried about are cervical spondylosis and lumbar spondylosis, accounting for as high as 67.9%.

Autumn has passed and winter is coming. As the temperature gradually changes, the number of people who come to the hospital for treatment due to cervical spondylosis is also gradually increasing. Ma Yanchun, executive director of the General Practice Branch of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Research and professor of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, warned: "As a chronic disease, the onset of cervical spondylosis is not only related to bad daily work and life habits, but also to climate changes such as cold and humidity. Therefore, keeping warm in winter is crucial to the prevention of cervical spondylosis.

There are 5 common clinical types of cervical spondylosis

Professor Ma Yanchun introduced that cervical spondylosis is caused by the degeneration of the cervical intervertebral disc first, which then forms a domino-like effect, driving the degeneration of the intervertebral joints and ligaments. These degenerated tissues compress or stimulate the adjacent spinal cord, nerves, and blood vessels, giving rise to a series of symptoms and signs. According to different clinical symptoms, cervical spondylosis is usually divided into the following 5 types. Among them, cervical spondylosis, also known as mild cervical spondylosis, is the earliest cervical spondylosis and is also the common early manifestation of other types of cervical spondylosis. It is mainly because the neck muscles and ligaments are affected by cervical degenerative lesions, causing neck and shoulder pain, discomfort and limited movement. Nerve root type cervical spondylosis is caused by compression of the cervical nerve roots. In the early stage, it is mostly neck pain and neck stiffness, accompanied by radiating pain, numbness, heaviness and strength loss in the upper limbs. It is the most common in clinical practice.

Spinal cord type cervical spondylosis is usually more serious, with cervical spinal cord damage as the main pathological basis. In the early stage, it is common to experience numbness in one or both upper limbs, which gradually develops into abnormalities such as unstable walking, difficulty walking in a straight line, and tightness in the lower limbs. Vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis is caused by various mechanical and dynamic factors that work together to oppress and stimulate the vertebral artery, resulting in insufficient blood supply to the vertebral basilar artery. Sympathetic cervical spondylosis is caused by the degeneration of the intervertebral disc and segmental instability, which directly stimulates the sympathetic nerve endings around the cervical spine, thereby provoking the "chaos" of sympathetic nerve dysfunction, resulting in symptoms such as headache, dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia, nausea and vomiting.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a unique understanding of the occurrence of cervical spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis belongs to the category of "bi syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine. "Suwen Bi Lun" describes it this way, "wind, cold and dampness are mixed together and form bi." Professor Ma Yanchun explained that wind, cold and dampness are not only the direct promoters of cervical spondylosis, but also the important inducement of certain cervical spondylosis diseases. Wind, cold and dampness invade the human body, flow into the meridians and joints, and cause qi and blood to stagnate, which prevents them from flowing freely. If they do not flow freely, they will cause pain. Therefore, diseases such as cervical spondylosis are often accompanied by obvious pain, and they often have the characteristics of "the condition worsens when exposed to cold, and the pain is relieved when exposed to heat."

"Suwen·Tiaojinglun" points out that "all diseases are caused by deficiency and excess". Ma Yanchun believes that the cervical spine is an important supporting structure of the human body. Only when the organs function normally can the skin, flesh, tendons and bones of the neck be nourished and moisturized, and the skin and flesh can play a strong role in protecting the body. Since "the kidneys are responsible for bone and marrow production, and the liver stores blood and controls tendons", cervical spondylosis is particularly closely related to the liver and kidneys. If the liver and kidney function normally, the qi will be smooth, the blood will be smooth, the tendons and bones will be strong, and the joints will be smooth. If the liver and kidney are deficient in essence and blood, the bone marrow will be deficient, the bones will not be nourished, the liver and blood will be deficient, and the blood will not nourish the tendons, which will easily make the bones fragile, the limbs weak, and the tendons lose their nourishment, eventually evolving into unbearable cervical spondylosis.

In addition, Professor Ma also pointed out that trauma and chronic strain are also important external causes of cervical spondylosis. For example, walking or standing for a long time, incorrect posture for a long time, and prolonged or repeated pulling and friction of the tendons and bones of certain parts of the limbs will cause the cervical spine to be "involved" by continuous external forces and suffer injuries. Especially for people who have been bowing their heads over desks for a long time, the fascia and muscles of the neck are severely damaged, the external dynamic balance is disturbed, and the internal dynamic balance is secondary, which accelerates the process of cervical degeneration and brings a series of pain reactions in the neck, shoulders, arms and other parts.

Why is autumn and winter the peak season for cervical spondylosis?

In daily life, patients with cervical spondylosis are very common, especially in the northern region in autumn and winter. This is undoubtedly the result of the "wind, cold and dampness" behind the scenes. Ma Yanchun believes that cold is the main air in winter, and the human body is most vulnerable to cold evil in this season. Cold is a yin evil, and its nature is to contract and stagnate; yin evil is easy to hurt yang, and when yang is damaged, the meridians and blood lose warmth, which then causes the condensation and blockage of qi and blood, and the flexion and extension of tendons and veins are unfavorable. In simple terms, the temperature drops sharply in autumn and winter, and our necks are exposed to the outside, which is very susceptible to the stimulation of cold air, prompting the protective contraction of the neck muscles, which invisibly increases the tension of the neck and puts a lot of pressure on the nerves and blood vessels. In this case, the blood circulation is not smooth, which aggravates the pain and discomfort in the neck and shoulders. Moreover, for people who work at a desk for a long time, the stimulation of cold is more likely to make cervical spondylosis "worse than ever".

At the same time, after winter, people tend to reduce their exercise and lack of neck activity, and the probability of suffering from cervical spondylosis also "rises with the tide". Professor Ma Yanchun warned that in late autumn and early winter, people should pay more attention to strengthening neck exercises and keeping warm to prevent problems before they occur. Cervical spondylosis is a subtle process. At the beginning of the physiological structure of the cervical spine, the symptoms are usually mild. Most people only feel fatigue and soreness in the muscles around the neck, so it is easy to be ignored. Once diagnosed, treatment is often difficult and the recovery period is also long.

In daily life, the word "warmth" should be the first priority to protect the cervical spine

Professor Ma pointed out that as a common chronic disease, cervical spondylosis should be treated with "three parts treatment and seven parts care". For patients with cervical spondylosis, in addition to conventional treatment, some auxiliary methods of massage can be used to improve the condition. Under the guidance of a doctor, patients can choose the location of obvious muscle pain and stiffness in the cervical spine, and use simple manipulations such as tapping, rolling, rubbing, and lifting to relax muscles, reduce local circulation disorders, and relieve pain. Frequently pressing the Bingfeng, Fengchi, and Tianyou acupoints will yield good therapeutic effects.

At the same time, in daily study and work, you need to correct the bad habit of lowering your head for a long time, and do not let your neck maintain a posture for a long time; at the same time, you should not overwork yourself, and the pillow should not be too high or too hard when sleeping, and you should maintain a good sleeping posture; you should also strengthen physical exercise, such as playing badminton, swimming, flying kites, and other head-raising exercises and health exercises; when looking at the computer, you should relax your body, do not fatigue your neck, and keep the display screen at the same level as your eyes; you can also apply hot compresses to your neck frequently to promote blood circulation and relieve muscle spasms.

Ma Yanchun emphasized that keeping the neck warm in the cold winter is the first priority for preventing cervical spondylosis. When office workers and students go out in winter, it is best to wear a turtleneck sweater or a thick scarf to avoid being exposed to the cold due to the neck muscles. On the other hand, excessive neck movement and sudden twisting should be limited to protect the neck from external damage. Patients with cervical spondylosis can also put a hot water bottle on the neck at night, which is beneficial to the microcirculation of the neck and can help improve sleep quality, but they must prevent burns.

Several tips for effectively protecting the human cervical spine

Here, Professor Ma Yanchun also introduced two tips to readers, aiming to exercise the cervical spine and strengthen muscles and bones.

The first is to look up at your palms: raise your hands above your head, palms facing up, tilt your head back as far as possible, and look up at the back of your hands; pay attention to stretching your arms as straight as possible, otherwise the effect will not be achieved. The purpose of this move is to help blood circulation and relieve shoulder and neck muscles.

The second is to fight the head and neck: cross your hands and place them on your neck, tilt your head back, and push your hands forward, repeat this step by step every day. This action can enhance muscle toughness and strengthen the muscles behind the neck. But you must pay attention to slowness and coordination, and do not blindly pursue speed and strength.

Attached is a brief introduction of Professor Ma Yanchun

Doctor of Medicine, Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Researcher, Master's Supervisor, and Editorial Director of Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

He has presided over and participated in more than 30 projects of various levels and types, including the National Science and Technology Support Plan TCM Treatment of Common Diseases Research Project, the Ministry of Education "Chunhui Plan" cooperative research project, the Heilongjiang Natural Science Foundation, and the Heilongjiang Provincial Education Department Backbone Teachers Funding Project; he has won more than 20 science and technology progress awards from the Heilongjiang Provincial Government, the Provincial Education Department, the Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Provincial Pharmaceutical Industry Association, etc., including 2 second prizes of the Provincial Government Science and Technology Progress Award; 5 third prizes of the Provincial Government Science and Technology Progress Award; 3 first prizes of Heilongjiang Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology; 2 first prizes of Heilongjiang Provincial College Science and Technology Award. He has obtained 9 patents. He has published 15 monographs and textbooks; and published more than 60 academic papers in core journals.

He is the vice president of the Branch of Various Doctrines and Clinical Research of the China Association for the Promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research, the executive director of the Branch of General Practice of the China Association for the Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine Information, the standing committee member of the Branch of Famous Medicine Academic Thought Research of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the chairman of the Chronic Disease Rehabilitation Committee of the Heilongjiang Rehabilitation Medicine Association, and the standing committee member of the Tumor Rehabilitation Committee of the Heilongjiang Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He is also the editorial board member of the Journal of Chinese Clinical Health Care, Chinese General Practice, and Journal of Clinical Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the reviewer of the International Journal of Traditional Medicine, the International Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Anhui Medicine, and the Journal of the Armed Police Academy (Medical Edition).