Many patients do not know they have osteochondrosis, but at the same time they are happy to make such a diagnosis for themselves. Meanwhile, the causes of pain in the back, lower back or neck can be numerous. These can be curvature of the spine, destruction of internal organs, tumors, infections, instability of the position of the vertebral bodies, etc. Therefore, you should not self-diagnose. Seek medical attention in case of pain.
There is no reliable algorithm on how to recognize osteochondrosis without special examinations. But there are some clinical signs that make possible the suspicion of this disease. We will talk about them in the material brought to your attention. In the meantime, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the mechanism of development of osteochondrosis.
Degenerative dystrophic disease of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs - this is what is scientifically called osteochondrosis. With its development, it leads to dorsopathy, which is complicated by dorsalgia, sciatica, sciatica, sciatica, lumbago and other syndromes associated with various tissue damage.
Osteochondrosis is a consequence of maintaining a person's wrong lifestyle. Contributing factors are:
- excess body weight - every kilogram creates an additional cushioning and mechanical load on the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral disc;
- a sedentary lifestyle without regular exercise in the muscular frame of the back;
- eating large amounts of carbohydrates, refined foods;
- wearing tight, uncomfortable clothes and shoes;
- wrong posture, habit of bending, bending, tilting the body in one direction or another;
- incorrect foot placement in the form of flat or bed feet;
- curvature of the spine;
- sedentary work or heavy physical work;
- smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages;
- insufficient consumption of clean drinking water during the day.
All of these factors slow down the microcirculation of blood in the capillary network to the thickness of the muscle tissue. It turns out that it is not able to perform a complete diffuse exchange with the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs. They do not have their own circulatory system. Thus begins the mechanism of destruction of the surface of the fibrous ring (this is the outer shell of the disc). Forms a deposit of calcium salts. They prevent the intake of fluids from the outside. Therefore, the fibrous ring begins to draw fluid from the pulposus nucleus located within it. This gelatinous body is responsible for maintaining the height and normal shape of the intervertebral disc. Therefore, with fluid loss, the pulposus nucleus loses its ability to maintain disc height. The second stage of osteochondrosis develops - elongation.
In the third stage, the fibrous ring ruptures and a portion of the pulposus nucleus protrudes. This is a disc herniation. It presses on the surrounding soft tissues, provokes an inflammatory reaction and so on.
The fourth stage of osteochondrosis is the sequestration of the intervertebral hernia. A portion of the pulposus nucleus separates or emerges completely through the rupture of the resulting fibrous ring. If the hernia enters the cavity of the spinal canal, then its sequestration requires an urgent surgical operation. Otherwise, a person may remain incapacitated with paralysis of the body throughout his life.
As you can see, this is a very serious disease, which must be diagnosed in a timely manner. The sooner complex treatment is started, the higher the chances of a complete restoration of the integrity of the intervertebral disc and its functions.
When the first signs of osteochondrosis appear, you can make an appointment with a vertebrologist or neurologist. Doctors will perform an examination and manual examination. They will make an accurate diagnosis and recommend the necessary additional examinations. Once an accurate diagnosis is made, you will be offered a course of treatment.
How to recognize cervical osteochondrosis
How do you know you have cervical osteochondrosis, not miosis, and what to do next? Before you know about cervical osteochondrosis, you should gather a history:
- when pain appears;
- which actions provoke their appearance;
- how long ago was the first crisis;
- are there any additional clinical signs;
- how the place of sleeping and working is organized;
- what bad habits exist;
- workplace and profession.
How to understand cervical osteochondrosis according to all this information? First of all, it is important to know that degenerative degenerative disease of the intervertebral discs manifests itself in the form of pain, stiffness of movements, excessive strain of the muscles of the neck and collar area only in the initial stage. These symptoms are followed by tension headaches, dizziness, hearing and vision impairment, increased fatigue, decreased mental performance, etc.
A distinctive feature of cervical osteochondrosis is that the worsening of symptoms begins at the end of the working day. And the patient's professional activity in most cases is accompanied by prolonged static tension of the muscles of the neck and collar area. On examination, there is pain on palpation of the spinous processes of the vertebrae, excessive muscle tension, and increased pain when trying to turn the head.
Before recognizing osteochondrosis of the cervical region, the doctor recommends that the patient have an x-ray. It shows reduced spaces between the vertebral bodies. This indicates that an extension is underway. With the help of an x-ray image, an experienced vertebrologist will be able to rule out the instability of the position of the vertebral bodies, their subluxations, retrolysis, antilysis, destruction of the intervertebral joints and a variety of other serious pathologies. If this examination is not sufficient, then an MRI or CT is recommended. If you suspect the development of posterior vertebral artery syndrome, it is recommended that you do an ultrasound scan of the vessels of the neck and head.
How to recognize osteochondrosis of the chest region
Before recognizing thoracic osteochondrosis, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of developing pathologies of internal organs, such as the heart, coronary circulatory system, lungs, pleura, bronchi, etc. Consider how to distinguish osteochondrosis of the chest region:
- the most important diagnostic technique is palpation, if the pain is determined exclusively by the spinous processes of the vertebrae and in the region of the paravertebral muscle, degenerative destruction of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs is not excluded;
- mobility is limited and every turn and inclination of the body increases the pain;
- the onset of pain was provoked by physical exertion, hypothermia or psychological stress factors;
- breathing deeply does not aggravate the pain.
It is very important to know how to understand heart or osteochondrosis, as acute chest pain is not infrequently a precursor to myocardial infarction. And in this condition the patient should be provided with cardiac care immediately.
So if anxiety, panic and fear of death are felt during a pain attack, then this is a 90% chance of a heart attack and you should urgently call an ambulance. If there is a tonometer, then you need to measure your blood pressure and count your pulse. When the pulse slows down to bradycardia (less than 50 beats per minute) and with an increase in blood pressure of 20-40 mm Hg above the age norm, an attack of unstable angina pectoris should also be suspected with a passage ofpossible in myocardial infarction. .
You do not have to look for information on how to understand heart pain or osteochondrosis, it is much more productive to seek medical help. Even the most common ECG, taken to the hospital emergency room, will show what gives the pain syndrome: the heart or spine. Independently, you can only rely on sensations on palpation. As a rule, with damage to the heart muscle, palpation of the spinous processes of the vertebrae does not give any unpleasant sensation. But at the same time, there are such clinical symptoms of osteochondrosis as shortness of breath, a feeling of shortness of breath, pale skin, a feeling of cold sticky sweat on the skin, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle, and severe muscle weakness.
How to recognize lumbar osteochondrosis
Quite acute is the question of how to understand that lumbar osteochondrosis causes severe pain. Moreover, with damage to some paired radicular nerves as well as nerve plexuses, clinical symptoms resembling diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and urinary system appear. These are constipation, diarrhea, frequent urination, etc.
How to understand that osteochondrosis of the back causes pain and all other clinical signs:
- no increase in body temperature;
- no nausea and vomiting;
- the tongue is not coated with white or yellow coating;
- when urinating, the color of the urine does not change from normal;
- when emptying the bowels, there is no tenesmus and other sensations of pain;
- there is no mixture of blood or mucus in the feces.
To rule out renal pathology, a test for Pasternatsky symptoms is performed. The patient stands upright with his back to the doctor. The doctor with the tip of the palm lightly hits the edge of the lower rib arch. If pain occurs, then there is a high probability that back pain is associated with damage to the kidneys and ureters.
How to recognize lumbar osteochondrosis with indirect signs:
- with each movement, the pain increases significantly;
- deterioration of the condition begins after a severe physical exertion, heavy lifting, hypothermia or overheating of the body;
- stiffness of movements is felt, often accompanied by muscle weakness;
- the muscles in the lumbar region are very tense, painful on palpation;
- the pain may spread along the course of the large nerves, for example, in the groin area, in the anterior abdominal wall, along the lower extremities;
- at rest, the pain syndrome disappears quickly.
When the characteristic symptoms of osteochondrosis appear, it is important to contact a neurologist or vertebrologist as soon as possible. Only an experienced physician can rule out the possibility of vertebral displacement, disc herniation, spinal stenosis, and other dangerous pathologies that require immediate medical attention.
What to do with the pain from osteochondrosis
We figured out how to understand that pain arises from osteochondrosis. For now, this is important information. You need to know how to behave correctly and what to do to get rid of such a disease.
A degenerative degenerative disease of the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs does not go away on its own. This is due to a number of factors. First of all, calcification of the surface of the fibrous ring occurs, as a result of which the ability to absorb the fluid secreted by the working muscles is lost. Second, in the process of reducing the height of the intervertebral discs, a secondary contraction of the ligaments and tendons occurs. It will be impossible to reset the height of the intervertebral spaces needed to adjust the discs yourself.