The diagnosis of osteochondrosis, in my opinion, is not as sad as discirculatory encephalopathy and vegetative-vascular dystonia. Yes, under "osteochondrosis" we and abroad mean completely different pathologies. Abroad - these are severe skeletal lesions, mainly in children. With us, it is enough to complain about pain in the neck, to do an X-ray or MRI (where degenerative changes are sure to be found) - and here's the diagnosis of osteochondrosis.
The main causes of back pain
In most cases, the patient is diagnosed with osteochondrosis with back pain. But in fact, the reasons are different:
- Nonspecific back pain
Caused by muscles, ligaments, tendons. Does not require MRI. This is the most common cause of back pain and the most favorable option, because doctors usually prescribe quite suitable therapy - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, drugs for muscle relaxation, exercise therapy. It should be noted that for chronic pain that lasts longer than 3 months, completely different drugs are needed. - A fairly rare cause of back pain. Are you surprised? And if a hernia was found on an MRI, and the back hurts, isn't the hernia the cause of the pain? In most cases, no. With a hernia, in addition to pain, there should be other symptoms: weakness of certain muscles, decreased tendon reflexes, impaired sensitivity in the innervation zone of the root. There are no these symptoms - you can forget about the hernia as the cause of pain.
Serious causes other than pain and other symptoms are excluded on the basis of MRI.
It is much worse when the diagnosis of osteochondrosis is made with completely different complaints: increased pressure, dizziness, weakness, anxiety, headache. What should we exclude in this case?
- Tension headache and migraine.
Not related to your neck. To heal the neck means to go down the wrong path, bringing the chronicization of your pain closer. Tension headache may be accompanied by muscle tension, but it is still a tension headache, not osteochondrosis. - Dizziness
Not due to acute blues. The real causes of dizziness: benign paroxysmal positional dizziness, vestibular data injuries, vestibular migraine, Meniere's disease, vestibular paroxysm, pathology of the cerebellum and trunk, Psychogenic dizziness, iron and vitamin B 12 deficiency, heart disease, lung disease and much more. - Arterial hypertension.
Sometimes I come across the opinion that if a patient's blood pressure rises, then his neck and, of course, the vessels of the neck should be checked. Have you found arterial hypoplasia, tortuosity, degenerative changes in the cervical spine? Let's blame them for the pressure rise. This is absurd. In reality, there is no connection between increased pressure and neck. - Anxiety Depressive Disorders.
Do you have anxiety, dizziness, weakness and fatigue, sleep disturbance? Let's Benim neck again. And the poor patient, instead of consulting a psychiatrist with antidepressants and tranquilizers, receives physiotherapy, massage and some kind of homeopathy. - Iron deficiency, thyroid dysfunction.
Always keep in mind when complaining of fatigue, weakness, decreased concentration, dizziness, headache.
Changes occur in our body over the years. Baby's skin is soft and elastic. At 30 years old, no matter how we resort to cosmetic procedures, she is no longer like that. Imagine a sailor who has spent his entire life sailing: his skin is rough and wrinkled. The same thing happens with our spine. In most cases, protrusions and hernias are natural age-related changes. If there are many provoking factors in your life, for example, carrying heavy loads, then the likelihood of getting a large hernia increases.
Numerous studies have established that disc protrusions occur in healthy people: at 20 years old - up to 40% of the examined (remember, these are patients without back pain), at 70 years old - up to 90%. In addition, the severity of changes on MRI is not associated with the degree of pain syndrome: with a large hernia, there may be no pain at all, and with small protrusions, the patient may have severe pain (because the cause is not in the protrusions, but in something else).
Does a hernia never hurt?
Of course it does! In about 1-4% of all cases of back pain. How do you recognize this? A hernia leads not only to pain, but also to other disorders: impaired sensitivity, changes in reflexes, and sometimes a decrease in muscle strength. All this is determined by a competent doctor during a neurological examination.
If the muscle strength is sufficient, the reflexes when tapping with a hammer are symmetrical, not weakened, there are no sensory disturbances, then it is extremely unlikely that back pain is caused by a hernia.
In addition, squeezing the spinal root at a certain level (if you read the results of MRI, you will see that protrusions and hernias are described at the level, for example, C3-C5 or L5-S1), the hernia causes not just a decrease in sensitivity anywhere, but incertain segments, and strictly defined changes in reflexes. The neurologist correlates the lesion level with the MRI data.
Classification of symptoms in cervical osteochondrosis
The development of this ailment sometimes occurs before the age of 30-35, therefore, signs of the disease can occur even in adolescence. Signs of cervical osteochondrosis are discussed in detail below, the disease has become a real problem in the modern world. Sedentary work, prolonged stay in front of a computer negatively affect the state of health and well-being of a person. All the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are associated with malfunctions of several systems:
- In advanced cases, there are signs of compression, the integrity of the spinal cord located in the spinal canal is violated.
- The pathologic nervous process is able to influence the peripheral system. The roots of the spinal cord, located near the foci of deformation of the bone and cartilage tissue, are negatively affected.
- In some cases, pinching of the vertebral arteries occurs. These blood vessels deliver nutrients, oxygen, to the brain cells. Violation of these processes leads to a sharp deterioration in human well-being.
It is known that one of the first signs of the development of the disease is pain in the cervical spine. At first, it passes quickly, is periodic, but then becomes chronic. The main places of localization of pain are:
- occipital muscles (intensified by turning the neck, tilting the head);
- shoulder area;
- neck.
It can hurt in different ways depending on the location of the lesion, unpleasant sensations can be sharp, shooting, periodically subside, be aching and constant. Over time, head movements become more difficult due to tension in the neck muscles. If an artery is pinched, sometimes a cervical migraine is observed (with a weakening of blood supply, a lack of oxygen, a headache appears).
Nausea
In some cases, the blood vessels of the circulatory system are compressed, which provide the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the human brain and inner ear. Because of this, nausea occurs with osteochondrosis. This symptomatology is accompanied, as a rule, by loss of appetite, which causes weight loss, deficiency of necessary nutrients. In advanced stages, the disease can provoke vomiting when turning the head, walking or bending over. This is due to a lack of blood supply to the middle ear, where the center of balance is located.
Neurological symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Some manifestations of the disease may not immediately be attributed to characteristic signs. You should know what symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis cannot be ignored, for example, lack of air. If this section is damaged, phrenic nerve irritation syndrome may develop. The patient has difficulty breathing, there is a lack of oxygen, which provokes shortness of breath and even severe suffocation.
This manifestation of pathology is often accompanied by snoring, it intensifies if you take an uncomfortable position during sleep. This leads to the fact that a person does not rest at night, wakes up with a feeling of general malaise, weakness, feels tired and overwhelmed. This condition, if untreated, can lead to memory impairment, decreased concentration and irreversible changes in brain tissue.
Vestibular signs
Another direction, how osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifests itself - vestibular signs. The supply of the brain with all the necessary nutrients occurs through the vertebral arteries. If cervical chondrosis develops, in which the inner ear is disrupted, the patient experiences tinnitus and ringing. In certain cases, hearing impairment or loss is added to these symptoms.
Lump in the throat
In some cases, the disease manifests itself in only one symptom - pharyngeal. There is a feeling that a lump has formed in the throat with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, there is perspiration, itching, dryness, swallowing is difficult. These manifestations are associated with impaired conduction of neurovascular trunks emanating from the spinal cord. A lump in the throat is not a specific symptom of chondrosis; it may indicate a tumor or inflammatory process. When this symptom appears, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Visual signs of cervical osteochondrosis
Symptoms of cervical spine chondrosis can vary, but the most common are visual acuity disorders. The supply of visual analyzers occurs through the carotid and vertebral arteries. If a decrease in blood circulation occurs due to squeezing of the latter, a decrease in vision begins, which does not improve with wearing glasses. Cervical osteochondrosis - symptoms:
- low blood pressure;
- floating, flickering points;
- atherosclerosis of the arteries in the brain;
- violation of focusing on the subject;
- shroud, fog before the eyes.
A characteristic sign that a decrease in vision occurs due to pinching of a blood vessel by a vertebra, impaired blood circulation, will be the lack of improvement when wearing glasses, performing special exercises. Only timely treatment of the underlying disease (before the occurrence of irreversible tissue damage) will help to change the condition.
Arterial signs
The spine plays an important role in the human body, so any disease affects many systems. There are certain arterial signs of cervical osteochondrosis that indicate this disease. These include sudden loss of consciousness. This is the most unpleasant, dangerous symptom inherent in this disease. This happens due to impaired blood circulation, when blood temporarily stops flowing through the cerebral arteries.
Severe arterial spasm occurs due to the response of deformed bone processes to irritation of nerve endings. If your friend has osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and has lost consciousness, he must be laid down, his legs raised to a small elevation in order to increase the outflow of blood from the limbs and increase the flow to the brain. After that, people tend to recover quickly.
Blood pressure instability is another symptom of this disease. Doctors can diagnose spasmodic indicators if the blood supply is disrupted. This is not a specific symptom of chondrosis, but fits into the overall picture of the disease. Blood pressure can drop or rise sharply. A person feels a deterioration in his condition, so he needs to ensure peace.
Dizziness
Previously it was described that loss of consciousness sometimes occurs with this disease. This applies to cases where the flow of blood to the brain was very difficult. More often, patients feel dizziness with cervical osteochondrosis. This is a common symptom that accompanies all patients with this disease. This phenomenon has a spontaneous manifestation. This condition is caused by a reduction in the amount of oxygen supplied to the inner ear. It is located in the human brain and is responsible for the sense of balance. Dizziness occurs when:
- turning the head, neck;
- if you suddenly get out of bed.
Temperature in osteochondrosis
In some cases, pathological processes spread among the structures of the cervical segment of the spinal cord. This happens with disc protrusion, canal stenosis. Temperature in osteochondrosis is the body's response to these pathologies. The same reaction is possible with vertebral artery syndrome. This is a common occurrence in osteochondrosis in the last stages of the development of the disease. Therefore, an increase in temperature refers to nonspecific symptoms of the disease.
This symptom will not necessarily be present, the body thermoregulation may be normal. If you feel constant pain in the back of the head, shoulders, neck, and when you turn or tilt your head, an aggravation occurs, you should consult a specialist and undergo an examination. Lack of treatment will necessarily lead to the fact that the condition will worsen, the level of comfort of life will decrease.
Learn more about what to do when diagnosed with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Cervical osteochondrosis is a lesion of the vertebral discs of the cervical spine, as a result of which they undergo degenerative-dystrophic changes. The main reason for its development is a violation of the normal course of metabolic processes, which leads to a distortion of the structure of the vertebral bodies and cartilaginous discs. In the case of localization in the neck, the symptoms of pathology are largely determined by the compression of large vessels. Treatment methods are selected depending on the stage, the specificity of the course, the severity, the main symptoms.
Features of the disease
The cervical form is the most dangerous type of osteochondrosis: it leads to a deterioration in cerebral circulation, since the vertebral artery passes through this area - one of the largest vessels supplying the brain with necessary substances and oxygen.
Displacement of the vertebrae, abnormal changes and overgrowth of bone and fibrous tissue disrupt the normal functioning of the vessel.
The specificity of the symptoms of osteochondrosis in this part is determined, among other things, by one of the structural features of the cervical vertebrae, which consists in their closer adherence to one another. As a result, any change in one segment provokes the failure of the entire department.
Clinic depending on the stage
In the process of its development, cervical osteochondrosis goes through four stages. How does it manifest itself on each of them?
- Stage 1. It is characterized by the appearance of initial disturbances in the stability of the intervertebral discs. Symptoms are mild or absent. Not very pronounced pain sensations and local muscle tension are possible.
- Stage 2. The disc protrusion begins, the gaps between the vertebrae are reduced, the annulus fibrosus collapses. In many cases, as a result of the compression of the nerve endings, pain appears, mainly of a point nature. They intensify when turning, tilting the neck. Decreases tone, weakness often appears.
- Stage 3. The process of final destruction of the fibrous ring leads to the formation of hernias. This stage is characterized by a significant deformation of the spine. Increased pain and fatigue occur against the background of sensory disorders and limited mobility in the affected area.
- Stage 4 is the most difficult. Intense pain syndrome manifests itself with any attempts to move, which entails a significant limitation of the mobility of this department. At times, the pain subsides, but this does not show an improvement in the condition, but only indicates an increase in the size of bone growths, significantly limiting movement. They often lead to patient disability.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
When located in the cervical spine, the prevailing symptoms of osteochondrosis are:
Pain is the main symptom
- pain in the cervical, occipital, shoulder, arms;
- restriction of movements, crunching at various turns, neck tilt;
- weakness in the hands;
- pulling pain in the left side of the chest, radiating to the corresponding arm;
- burning in the interscapular zone;
- recurrent headaches;
- weakness;
- dizziness (with a severe course of cervical osteochondrosis can reach loss of consciousness);
- coordination of movements is impaired, which is mainly reflected in gait;
- hearing impairment, ringing in the ears;
- decreased vision;
- sore throat;
- poor dental health;
- weakening or hoarseness of the voice;
- snoring is a consequence of the tension in the neck muscles.
In the cervicothoracic type, the symptoms are almost similar to those of cervical osteochondrosis. It:
- asthenic syndrome;
- dizziness and headaches;
- periodic pressure fluctuations;
- flashing flies before the eyes;
- pain in the shoulder girdle and arms;
- muscle weakness;
- numbness, tingling, chilliness of the fingers;
- pain in the chest, heart area;
- nausea;
- numbness of the tongue, face;
- dental problems;
- sensation of current flowing along arms when trying to bend the neck.
Syndromes
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are not considered typical. Which of them are most pronounced depends largely on the specific target. Many of the manifestations can be mistakenly associated with other pathological conditions. Therefore, there are often cases when the wrong treatment is prescribed. The complex of symptoms is divided into the following groups:
- radicular;
- vertebral artery syndrome;
- irritative-reflex syndrome.
Radicular Syndrome
Its second name is cervical sciatica. The syndrome develops as a result of pinched nerve endings in the neck. The pains are transmitted down from the neck, given to the shoulder blades, down along the shoulder along the outside of the forearm to the fingers. In this case, often appear:
- creepy feeling;
- tingling of the hand, forearm, fingers;
- pasty.
Manifestations also vary depending on the area of the lesion. If the endings of the central nerve are affected, the pastiness extends to the thumb, middle, index fingers. When the endings of the brachial nerve are pinched, the little finger and ring finger are affected.
Irritative-reflex syndrome
Burning acute pain in the cervico-occipital region, appearing during movement after a static state: after sleep, when sneezing, a sharp turn of the head, becomes its sign. Often the pain radiates to the shoulder and chest.
Vertebral Artery Syndrome
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- throbbing or burning headache (paroxysmal or persistent in nature), extending to the temporal region, dark, occiput, superciliary arches;
- increased discomfort with certain movements or after a long time in an uncomfortable position;
- general weakness;
- nausea;
- loss of consciousness;
- hearing problems;
- disorders of the vestibular apparatus;
- eye pain;
- blurred vision.
Cardiac Syndrome
With the appearance of this complex of symptoms of osteochondrosis of the neck, a picture almost similar to angina pectoris develops, which often leads to erroneous treatment. Muscle contractions and spasms in the heart area are most likely a reflex response to compression of the nerve endings in the lower cervical region. Cardiac syndrome is a consequence of irritation of the phrenic nerve (its fibers lead to the pericardium) or the pectoralis major muscle:
- pains appear suddenly, last long;
- aggravated by a sharp movement of the neck, coughing, sneezing;
- tachycardia and extrasystole are possible;
- pain does not stop after taking coronary dilators;
- there are no signs of impaired circulation on the ECG.
Exacerbation of the disease
In the stage of exacerbation, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- increased pain and its irradiation to the shoulder blades, interscapular zone, arms, shoulders;
- Difficulty in the movement of the shoulders, torso, arms, sometimes breathing (inhalation and exhalation);
- pain syndrome often resembles a heart attack or intercostal neuralgia;
- when pain appears in the right hypochondrium or iliac area, the clinic is similar to the manifestations of gastritis or cholecystitis;
- headaches are of a prolonged nature, imbalance, visual and auditory functions are disturbed;
- in the innervation zone, skin trophism is disturbed, tingling, numbness, dryness, pallor, burning, chilliness appear;
- the tone of the cervical muscles increases;
- weakness, lethargy, nervous tension, anxiety, emotional instability appear;
- possible sleep disturbances, memory disturbances, and problems with concentration.
How the disease is diagnosed
The leading methods for the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis are:
- radiography;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- computed tomography;
- Doppler ultrasound;
- duplex scanning.
The last two methods are used to check the condition of the neck vessels.
Signs of cervical osteochondrosis
The cervical spine contains a huge number of blood vessels that provide nutrition to the brain. Therefore, any problems with the neck, including cervical osteochondrosis, can lead to a deterioration in the blood supply to the brain. Hence - and the most common signs of cervical osteochondrosis:
- regular headaches and dizziness,
- occasionally - sudden fainting,
- impaired coordination of movements, the appearance of "looseness" of gait,
- hearing impairment, ringing in the ears,
- visual impairment,
- the appearance of dental diseases,
- the appearance of hoarseness in the voice, changing the timbre of the voice, its weakening,
- snoring,
- persistent sore throat.
Other symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include a feeling of coldness in the fingers, their numbness, weakness in the arms, pain in the neck and shoulders, often accompanied by dizziness and nausea.
How to treat this ailment
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, symptoms and treatmentdepend on the patient's condition, the severity of the disease, the nature of the lesion of the cervical vertebrae.
- In the acute period, hospitalization and medication may be required.
Usually used analgesics, novocaine muscle blockade, muscle relaxants, relieving muscle spasm; chondroprotectors for cartilage tissue nutrition; sedatives that calm the nervous system, B vitamins that enhance neuromuscular conductivity.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is always long-term, and it should be comprehensive.
- During periods of remission, when there are no acute symptoms, methods of physiotherapy (electrophoresis, ultrasound, etc. ) are widely used, physical therapy, massage, as well as non-traditional procedures, such as acupuncture, are required.
There are many conservative treatments for osteochondrosis that can stop the progression of the disease. However, each patient needs an individual course of treatment, taking into account the stage of the disease, the characteristics of the organism, gender and age.
The goal of cervical osteochondrosis treatment is:
- Elimination of pain and swelling at the site of inflammation.
- Relaxation of tense neck muscles.
- Release of pinched nerve roots.
- Enhanced blood circulation.
- Metabolism activation.
- Improving the nutrition of the intervertebral discs.
Targeted complex treatment can prevent the occurrence of protrusions and intervertebral hernias.
In order not to startosteochondrosis of the cervical spine, symptoms and treatment, and to avoid severe complications of the disease, timely treatment should be started.