The main signs and symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the cervix is a very common disease that affects both men and women. Moreover, age does not play a special role here. The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are found not only in the elderly, whose pathology is a consequence of the natural aging process. The disease is increasingly found in young people and in most cases it is their own fault.

Reasons for the development of pathology

This spinal lesion has a degenerative-dystrophic character. That is, in the vertebrae, as well as in all their structural elements, pathological changes occur, which are no longer likely to return to later stages. This type of osteochondrosis is considered the most dangerous, as its consequence is damage to the main nerve roots and vessels that feed the brain. That is, over time, the spine ceases to function normally along its entire length.

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

1. Lifting and moving heavy objects.
2. Significant sports loads.
3. Improper weight bearing.
4. Long-term observance of a static attitude: computer work, writing notes, reading books, office work. This is the main reason for young people.
5. Genetic factor.

Of course, inflammatory processes that have arisen in the spine or other parts of the body can also provoke osteochondrosis of the neck. Other reasons are not excluded: hypothermia, trauma, surgery.

Classification of symptoms

Therefore, treatment of the spine should be done only after the patient has been given an accurate diagnosis. And for this, the doctor must know the clinical picture of the patient, as well as apply all the methods of instrumental examination. The symptoms that arise in the patient depend on the degree of damage to the body systems:

1. Most of the symptoms on the part of the brain are due to impaired blood circulation due to compression of blood vessels.
2. The picture of peripheral nerve damage appears due to compression of the nerve roots emerging from the vertebral hole.
3. Severe neurological disorders appear in the late stages of disease development due to spinal cord constriction.

I can now consider in more detail the main signs of cervical osteochondrosis.

The most common symptoms of pathology

Despite the reason that contributed to the appearance of the problem, the clinical picture is almost always the same in all patients. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has the following symptoms:

• Painful sensations. They are located on the neck, back of the head and collar area. The pain can also spread to the shoulders, chest, skeletal clavicle. Frequent migraine is characteristic of osteochondrosis. Gradually, the discomfort becomes painful, chronic. Worsening of the pathology causes shooting pain during movement. The muscles are very tense at the same time. Sometimes just an injection - an anesthetic block - can eliminate this symptom.
• Noise in the ear, muffled feeling. This occurs as a result of a deterioration in the blood supply to the vestibular apparatus.
• Dizziness. It is caused by a lack of oxygen, as the inner ear is poorly supplied with blood. This condition is also accompanied by irregular uncontrolled movements of students.
• Fainting, from which the patient emerges fairly quickly, if there is an improvement in blood circulation to the affected area.
• Feeling short of breath. The presented symptom appears due to irritation of the phrenic nerve. That is, the patient is simply unable to breathe deeply. It also snores and can suddenly stop breathing. Over time, the patient develops shortness of breath and choking attacks. Further oxygen starvation will damage brain tissue, resulting in impaired attention and memory.
• Mixed. Sometimes any movement of the body or head is accompanied by vomiting, which is difficult to control. The patient's appetite is disturbed, the weight is reduced.

• Vision problems. Osteochondrosis of the cervix can cause a symptom such as "flies" before the eyes or fog, reduced severity, violation of the focus of vision. Moreover, exercise therapy or wearing glasses can not fix the problem.
• Pressure change. This condition occurs due to arterial spasm. The patient may even lose consciousness.
• Feeling dry and lumpy in the throat. Sometimes this is the only symptom that says the neck is affected. Therefore, osteochondrosis in this case can be easily confused with other pathologies.
• Rising temperature. This symptom is unusual. Moreover, it is not the basal temperature that changes, but the local temperature. The skin around the neck becomes hot and red.
• Limited mobility. The neck seems to be piercing. And you can also hear an unpleasant crackling and creaking in the neck when you turn your head.
• Weakness in the arms and burning sensation between the shoulders.
• Impaired coordination of movements, which affects the patient's gait.

Some of the signs of cervical osteochondrosis, listed above, are not specific. This makes diagnosing the disease somewhat difficult, as a person does not turn to specialists in time.

Symptoms of the disease, depending on the degree of its development

Depending on the symptoms observed in the patient, what is their prevalence and intensity, we can talk about the stage of development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Each degree has its own characteristics:

1. The first phase. Accompanied by periodic headaches, discomfort in the neck, shoulders, arms. There is a slight limitation of mobility. In the collar area, there may be a slight decrease in skin sensitivity. At this stage, treatment is practically not performed, as patients do not seek medical help. Some patients try to treat osteochondrosis at home using folk remedies.
2. Second phase. In the back of the cervix, the pain intensifies, an unpleasant crisis is heard. In the shoulder region, as well as in the hands, a serious violation of sensitivity appears. The headaches at this stage practically do not disappear, the patient's vision worsens, noise occurs in the head and ears and the clarity of tendon reflexes decreases. During an exacerbation of osteochondrosis, shooting pains appear, radiating below the shoulder. 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 completely escape defeat. It will only be possible to slow down its further development.
3. The third stage. Here the collagen fibers of the disc have already been destroyed, the appearance of a hernial extension. The fixation of the beads is interrupted and they start to fall. Dislocations can also occur. The patient develops very severe pain in the neck and heart, has paresis and paralysis of the upper limbs, the spine is bent. Tendency reflexes at this stage of osteochondrosis development are practically absent. A complication of this degree of cervical osteochondrosis is a spinal stroke.

If a person "escapes" from the disease at home without consulting a doctor, then this behavior can result in disability.

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

Which syndromes cause osteochondrosis?

So there are certain sets of symptoms that indicate that a person has a certain syndrome. If at least one sign is missing, then there is no need to talk about such a pathological condition.

There are several syndromes provoked by cervical osteochondrosis:

• Radicals. Alternatively, it can be called "cervical radiculitis". It appears as a result of embedded nerves. It is characterized by the following symptoms: the presence of pain radiating to the shoulder blades, passing along the shoulder and extending to the forearms and fingers; the appearance of "flies" before the eyes; tingling sensation in fingers, forearms, hands. The localization of symptoms may vary depending on which root pair is damaged.
• Irritating reflex. It is characterized by acute burning pain in the neck and neck, which appears due to movement after sleep when sneezing. Unpleasant sensations may be given to the chest.
• Vertebral artery syndrome. The following symptoms stand out here: loss of consciousness, nausea, severe headache in nature, extending to the parietal, temporal and occipital parts of the skull. The patient is characterized by weakness, hearing impairment, eye pain and blurred vision.
• Cardiac. There is a peculiarity - it is easy to confuse it with an attack of angina pectoris, so the prescribed treatment may turn out to be wrong. If the patient is diagnosed with osteochondrosis of the cervix, the symptoms of cardiac syndrome are as follows: pain that appears suddenly, which increases with the slightest movement; tachycardia; inability to stop the attack with special heart pills that promote the dilation of coronary vessels. At the same time, there are no signs of circulatory disorders on the cardiogram.

Since osteochondrosis has a chronic form, its exacerbations occur periodically. The intensity of the symptoms increases. Feelings can last for a long time and only an anesthetic injection can remove them. Tablets may not be effective.

How is the pathology diagnosed?

In order to accurately determine the severity of osteochondrosis, to identify the degree of vertebral destruction, the patient must undergo a thorough examination. It includes the following procedures:

• External examination of the patient.
• Neurological tests.
• Duplex or Doppler ultrasound scan of blood vessels.
• MRI.
• c T
• X-rays of the cervical spine in two projections.
• Electrocardiogram.

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

Characteristics of pathology treatment

So the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis should be carried out in the early stages. Moreover, a sick person can take the necessary medication, do therapeutic exercises at home, but only after a thorough examination and consultation with specialists.

Therapy should be comprehensive. It is not enough just to remove the symptoms of the pathology. It is necessary to try to restore the functionality of the cervical spine. For this, a person needs medication (pain relievers, hormonal complexes, vitamins, chondroprotective drugs), as well as therapeutic exercises.

In order to eliminate the strong pain that the pills can not be stopped, a special injection is used, which is done in the inter-articular region. However, this blocking method can only be used a few times a year.

In addition to drug treatment, the patient is offered physiotherapy procedures: massage, ultrasound and ultraviolet treatment. If conservative therapy does not work, then the patient is prescribed surgery. But, on the contrary, it is an extreme measure and it is better not to allow the disease in such a state.