The main signs and symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Cervical osteochondrosis is a very common disease that affects both men and women. Moreover, age does not play a special role here. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are found not only in the elderly, whose pathology is the result of the natural aging process. The disease is increasingly being found in young people, and in most cases they themselves are to blame.

Causes of pathological development

These spinal lesions have a degenerative-dystrophic character. That is, in the vertebrae, as well as in all its structural elements, pathological changes occur, which are unlikely to be reversed at a later stage. Osteochondrosis of this type is considered the most dangerous, because the consequence is a violation of the roots and major nerve channels that feed the brain. That is, over time, the spine stops functioning normally throughout its length.

The following reasons for the development of the disease can be distinguished:

1. Lifting and moving heavy objects.
2. Significant sports load.
3. Improper weighting.
4. Long -term adherence to static postures: working at a computer, writing notes, reading books, office work. This is the main reason young people.
5. Genetic factor.

Naturally, inflammatory processes that arise in the spine or other parts of the body can also provoke osteochondrosis of the neck. Other causes are not excluded: hypothermia, trauma, surgery.

Classification of symptoms

So, spinal treatment should be done only after the patient is given an accurate diagnosis. And for this, the doctor needs to know the clinical picture of the patient, as well as apply all methods of instrumental examination. Symptoms that arise in patients depend on the degree of damage to the body system:

1. A large number of symptoms from the side of the brain are due to impaired blood circulation due to vascular compression.
2. The picture of peripheral nerve damage appears due to compression of the nerve roots exiting the vertebral foramen.
3. Severe neurological disorders appear in the later stages of the development of the disease due to pinching of the spinal cord.

Now you can consider in more detail the main signs of cervical osteochondrosis.

The most common pathological symptoms

Although there are reasons for the problem, the clinical picture is almost always the same in all patients. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has the following symptoms:

• Painful sensation. They are localized in the neck, back of the head and collar area. The pain can also spread to the shoulders, chest, clavicle of the skull. Frequent migraines are a hallmark of osteochondrosis. Gradually, the discomfort becomes painful, chronic. Pathological exacerbation causes pain during movement. The muscles are very tense at the same time. Sometimes just an injection - an anesthetic restriction - can relieve these symptoms.
• Tinnitus, a feeling of clogging. This occurs due to a decline in blood supply to the vestibular apparatus.
• Dizziness. It is caused by a lack of oxygen, because the inner ear is poorly supplied with blood. This condition is also accompanied by irregular pupil movements.
• Fainting, from which the patient comes out quite quickly, if there is an increase in blood circulation in the affected area.
• Feeling short of breath. The symptoms shown appear due to irritation of the phrenic nerve. That is, the patient is unable to take a deep breath. He also snored and suddenly stopped breathing. Over time, patients experience shortness of breath and attacks of shortness of breath. Oxygen starvation will further damage brain tissue, resulting in attention and memory disorders.
• Nausea. Sometimes body or head movements are accompanied by vomiting, which is difficult to control. The patient's appetite is disturbed, weight is reduced.

• Sight problem. Cervical osteochondrosis can cause symptoms such as "flies" in front of the eyes or fog, decreased severity, violation of the focus of vision. Moreover, exercise therapy or wearing glasses cannot solve the problem.
• Pressure changes. This condition occurs due to arterial spasm. The patient may even lose consciousness.
• Dry and thick feeling in the throat. Sometimes this is the only symptom that says that his neck is affected. Therefore, osteochondrosis in this case can easily be confused with other pathologies.
• Temperature rise. These symptoms are not uncommon. Moreover, it is not the basal temperature that changes, but the local temperature. The skin on the neck becomes hot and red.
• Limited mobility. The neck appears to be jointed. And you can also hear unpleasant wrinkles and wrinkles in the neck when turning your head.
• Weakness in the arms and a burning sensation between the shoulder blades.
• Movement coordination disorders, which affect the patient's gait.

A number of signs of cervical osteochondrosis, listed above, are not specific. This makes it quite difficult to diagnose the disease, as one does not immediately see a specialist.

Symptoms of the disease, depending on its stage of development

Depending on what symptoms are observed in the patient, how common and intense, we can talk about the stage of development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Each degree has its own characteristics:

1. First stage. It is accompanied by periodic headaches, discomfort in the neck, shoulders, arms. There is little limit to movement. In the collar area, there may be a slight decrease in skin sensitivity. At this stage, practical treatment is not performed, as the patient does not seek medical help. A number of patients try to treat osteochondrosis at home using folk remedies.
2. The second level. In the cervical spine, the pain is increasing, unpleasant suffering is heard. In the shoulder area, as well as in the hands, serious sensitivity violations appear. Headaches at this stage practically do not disappear, the patient’s vision deteriorates, noise occurs in the head and ears, and the clarity of the tendon reflexes decreases. During an exacerbation of osteochondrosis, a shooting pain appears, radiating under the scapula. Here it is no longer possible not to notice the symptoms of the disease, and the patient tries to see a doctor. However, it is no longer possible to get rid of the defeat completely. This is only possible to slow down further development.
3. The third stage. Here the collagen fibers of the disc are already destroyed, the appearance of a hernial protrusion. The fixation of the vertebrae is disturbed, and they begin to fall. Even dislocations can occur. The patient experienced severe pain in the neck and heart, there was paresis and paralysis of the upper limbs, bent spine. Tendon reflexes at this stage of osteochondrosis development are almost non -existent. A complication of this stage of cervical osteochondrosis is spinal stroke.

If a person "saves" from illness at home without consulting a doctor, then this behavior can lead to disability.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine cannot be completely cured, but timely and proper therapy can slow its progression.

What syndrome causes osteochondrosis?

So, there are several sets of symptoms that indicate a person has a particular syndrome. If at least one sign is not present, then there is no need to talk about such a pathological condition.

There are several syndromes provoked by cervical osteochondrosis:

• Radicular. In other words, it can be called "cervical radiculitis". It appears as a result of a pinched nerve. It is characterized by the following symptoms: the presence of pain radiating to the shoulder blades, running along the shoulders and extending to the forearms and fingers; the appearance of "flies" in front of the eyes; tingling in fingers, forearms, hands. The localization of symptoms can vary depending on the damaged root pair.
• Irritating reflex. It is characterized by acute burning pain in the neck and occiput, which appears due to movement after sleep, when sneezing. Unpleasant sensations can be given to the chest.
• Vertebral artery syndrome. Here the following symptoms stand out: loss of consciousness, nausea, severe headache, extending to the parietal, temporal and occipital parts of the skull. Patients are characterized by weakness, hearing impairment, eye pain and blurred vision.
• HeartIt has a peculiarity - it is easy to confuse it with an attack of angina pectoris, so the prescribed treatment may be wrong. If a patient is diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms of cardiac syndrome are as follows: sudden appearance of pain, which increases with slight movement; tachycardia; inability to stop attacks with special heart pills that promote coronary vessel expansion. At the same time, there were no signs of circulatory disorders on the cardiogram.

Because osteochondrosis has a chronic form, exacerbations occur periodically. The intensity of symptoms increases. The feeling can last a long time, and only an injection of an anesthetic can get rid of it. Tablets may not be effective.

How is pathology diagnosed?

To accurately determine the severity of osteochondrosis, to identify the degree of vertebral destruction, the patient should undergo a thorough examination. This includes the following procedures:

• External examination of the patient.
• Neurological examination.
• Duplex scanning or Doppler ultrasound of blood vessels.
• MRI.
• CT.
• X-ray of the cervical spine in two projections.
• Electrocardiogram.

Laboratory analysis in this case is not informative. Although sometimes they are prescribed to determine the cause of the development of osteochondrosis.

Characteristics of pathological treatment

Therefore, treatment of cervical osteochondrosis must be carried out in the first stage. Moreover, the sick person can take the necessary medication, perform therapeutic exercises at home, but only after a thorough examination and consultation with a specialist.

Therapy must be comprehensive. It is not enough to simply eliminate the symptoms of pathology. It is necessary to restore the function of the cervical spine. For this, a person needs medications (painkillers, hormones, vitamin complexes, chondroprotective drugs), as well as therapeutic training.

To relieve pain so severe that the pill cannot stop, special injections are used, which are performed in the area between the articulations. However, this restriction method can only be used a few times a year.

In addition to drug treatment, patients are offered physiotherapy procedures: massage, ultrasound and ultraviolet treatments. If conservative therapy does not work, then the patient is prescribed surgical intervention. But, this is an extreme measure, and it is better not to let the disease into such a state.