Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis or how to recognize the disease?

Already in his youth, a person has the initial symptoms of cartilage disease - osteochondrosis.

Often the cervical spine is the first to suffer, which can lead to an intervertebral hernia, as well as serious sensation and movement disorders.

Hence the need not only to know the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis of the spine, but also to be able to diagnose them in time.

Stages of cervical osteochondrosis

The disease begins to develop, after 25 years, when the metabolism in the cartilage deteriorates due to hormonal changes in the body. In this case, the blood supply to the intervertebral discs stops naturally.

These changes in the spinal column correspond to the initial stage of the disease, when there are still no manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis. However, a combination of additional factors (heredity, stress, early trauma, etc. ) stimulates further progression of the disease.

The next stage in the development of the disease is stretching of the intervertebral disc membrane, the fibrous covering. Due to the loss of moisture, the disc changes shape and "bulges", which in medicine is called a bulge. At this stage, the first signs appear - sharp, burning pains in the neck, which are caused by the pressure of the disc on the nerves.

The onset of the third stage of the disease is evidenced by the rupture of the membrane of the intervertebral disc (fibrous circle) and the appearance of an intervertebral hernia, which compresses the vessels and nerve fibers. At the same time, sensitivity and movement disorders of the upper extremities, as well as the neck area, join the pain.

The transition to the fourth stage of the development of the disease is the complete destruction of the intervertebral disc, when the blood supply not only to individual nerve fibers, but also to the entire spinal cord is stopped. The changes in this stage are irreversible, requiring surgical treatment.

General symptoms of the disease

Osteochondrosis can be diagnosed in one (or more) parts of the spine. At the same time, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is considered especially dangerous, since in this part of the spine are the great vessels and nerve roots, which irrigate and innervate not only the hands, but also the brain.

So, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are divided into three main groups:

1. Artery compression:In general, we are talking about the vertebral arteries, which are found in the processes of the cervical vertebrae and supply the brain;
2. Pinched nerve roots:manifested by impaired movement and sensation in the hands, as well as in the parietal region of the skull and the back of the head;
3. Spinal cord compression:a variant of stage IV of the disease, associated with severe neurological disorders (paralysis, lack of superficial sensations, etc. ).

The manifestations described are general. However, there are many private symptoms that allow you to detect the disease in the early stages.

Pain

The first manifestation of cervical osteochondrosis is a local pain syndrome: neck pain. It is usually a severe pain in the neck that sometimes spreads to the arm or the back of the head. The pain occurs after incorrect postures (long trips in transport, sleep) or physical activity. They usually go through on their own.

After sharp turns or tilts of the head, low back pain may occur in the neck area (otherwise cervicago). It is often accompanied by muscle tension, as a result of which head movements become impossible (up to 10 days after the onset of the cervicago).

Over time, adaptation to pain occurs. But in the second stage, the pain usually intensifies, indicating further displacement and destruction of the intervertebral disc.

When the "bulge" of the intervertebral disc reaches the nerve fibers, radicular syndrome (also known as "radiculitis") appears. It is usually accompanied by unilateral pain that extends to the arm (in addition to sensitivity and movement disorders). In this case, reflex muscle tension is observed - tilting the head is impossible.

Other variants of the pain syndrome are:

• oppressive headache, often mimicking a migraine but not relieved by regular pain relievers. It usually "diverges" to the back of the head, the parietal and temporal regions, sometimes to the eyeballs. In this case, it can be one or two-sided;
• "Heart" pain (or cardialgia) is extremely rare. Manifested by chest pain, which may resemble an attack of angina.

Be careful!If the cause of chest pain is osteochondrosis, in this condition, heart medications will not help! If these pills provide short-term relief, while there is a tangible fear of death, you should suspect a myocardial infarction and go to the emergency hospital.

Sensory disturbances in the cervical spine

Loss, decrease or increase of sensitivity are the main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Therefore, sensory disorders are often seen in the back of the head, as well as around the shoulder or hand joint.

In the latter case, these manifestations are accompanied by edema or other trophic pathologies (ulcers and others).

Movement disorders

If the intervertebral hernia compresses the motor nerve fibers, the patient may experience muscle weakness with limited range of motion: paresis. The extreme degree of movement disorders is paralysis: a total lack of movement, as well as a reduction in muscle tone (up to its atrophy) and the disappearance of reflexes. In the early stages, these symptoms can be temporary.

Other symptoms

The manifestations described above are the classic symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.

However, there are other (important! ) signs of the disease.

• Head turn. It is often accompanied by osteochondrosis. Dizziness is associated with a defect in the blood supply to the inner ear, a paired balancing organ located in the temporal bone. Irregular postures or periodic exacerbations of osteochondrosis lead to dizziness, which is sometimes accompanied by nystagmus, rapid fluctuations of the pupils. The human organ of balance receives blood through an artery: the vertebral artery. It passes in the cervical vertebrae, and therefore can be "squeezed" in diseases of the spine (with osteochondrosis, fractures).
• Tinnitus buzzing. Ringing in the ears or congestion in the ears is another option to affect the "supply" of blood to the inner ear. This symptom appears after a long stay in the wrong position and then disappears. It is the last symptom that distinguishes a similar symptom in osteochondrosis from similar symptoms in other diseases.
• Nausea. It is an independent symptom, but is sometimes accompanied by vomiting or vomiting. The latter is elicited by tilting and turning the head, sometimes even walking. The reason for this condition is the same as for dizziness: reduced arterial blood supply to the organ of balance. However, prolonged vomiting can have serious complications: dehydration and loss of salts from the body, which can lead to alkalosis (alkalization of the blood). This condition requires the intravenous administration of adequate saline solutions.
• Respiratory disorders. A symptom of cervical osteochondrosis can be shortness of breath when breathing becomes shallow (you cannot "fully breathe in with your chest"). It causes a similar state of compression or overstimulation of the phrenic nerve (it innervates the diaphragm, the muscle responsible for respiratory movements). In such situations, the patient feels short of breath or short of breath. However, overstimulation of the phrenic nerve is most often manifested by prolonged hiccups.
• Night attacks. Holding your breath during sleep with a failed posture can also be inherent in osteochondrosis of the cervical region. But more often, the ailment is manifested by snoring and morning lethargy due to a lack of oxygen-containing blood during nighttime sleep. This "oxygen deficiency" can cause disorders in the brain: loss of attention and memory loss.
• Sore throat. It is considered one of the most common symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis. It manifests as a dry throat, a "foreign body" sensation, possible itching or difficulty in the pharynx. The reason for this is to pinch the vascular and nerve bundles that run from the spine to the neck organs. In addition, we must not forget that similar symptoms may indicate other pathologies (tumors or respiratory diseases). At the same time, the presence of osteochondrosis does not exclude tumors or inflammatory processes.

• Visual disturbances. The visual organs receive blood from the vertebral and carotid arteries. Therefore, changes in vision with this pathology are less common, however, they are characteristic of people with atherosclerotic vascular plaques or hypotension (low blood pressure). Manifestations may include: "fog" or flickering of "flies" in front of the eyes, decreased visual acuity or alteration of its accommodation (focus). At the same time, the symptoms of the disease are unstable and cannot be corrected with optics (glasses, contact lenses) or visual gymnastics.
• Unstable pressure. When the vertebral artery is compressed, the blood supply to the vasomotor center may be disturbed, as a result of which an inappropriate rise and fall of pressure will be observed. The latter can be accompanied by syncope - fainting.
• Sinkope. Fainting is often seen in older people who also have atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries. Usually a reflex vasospasm (due to overstimulation of nerve endings by hernial protrusion or bone processes) leads to a sharp decrease in the volume of blood flowing to the brain. As a result, the brain feels hypoxia, oxygen deficiency, which is the cause of loss of consciousness. Be careful! In such situations, the help for fainting consists in the fact that a person lies on a flat surface and his legs are raised. Blood from the veins in the lower half of the body flows in large volumes to the heart and then to the brain, renewing the necessary blood flow. To give life to a person, it is worth using a substance with a pungent smell, for example, ammonia. Sometimes people have speech or movement problems after syncope, but these symptoms are usually temporary due to the short duration of the fainting spells. If the state of fainting lasted more than a few minutes, and then the headache worries, while these violations do not go away after a couple of hours, you should suspect a stroke and urgently go to the hospital.
• Temperature rise. This is a very rare symptom of cervical osteochondrosis. It occurs when blood flow is affected in the hypothalamus (the thermoregulatory center of the brain). So, not only an increase, but also a decrease in body temperature is possible. However, most of the time local phenomena are observed: hyperemia (redness and heating) in the area of ​​the collar. Remember, the presence of osteochondrosis does not exclude a rise in temperature due to inflammation or swelling.
• Static violations. It involves postural curvatures, "alignment" of the cervical curve of the spine, as well as subluxation in the joints of the spine. Such changes lead to a redistribution of the load, due to which some parts of the spine (for example, the lumbar) are overloaded. This can lead to the concomitant development of osteochondrosis in other parts of the spine.
• Stroke. As mentioned above, stage IV cervical osteochondrosis can result in a spinal stroke (spinal cord injury). Such a pathology is extremely rare, but is distinguished by its danger: there is usually tetraplegia (complete immobilization of the arms and legs), absence of pain and temperature sensitivity in all extremities, sometimes retraction of the eyes, drooping of the eyelid, narrowing of the pupil, altered sensitivity in the face, etc. In such cases, immediate surgical intervention is indicated.

Prevention of ailments

To prevent the development and complication of the disease, you need:

• treat spinal injuries (bruises and dislocations) immediately;
• correct postural disorders (kyphosis, lordosis, scoliosis), instability of the spinal segments, ligamentous apparatus;
• to correct orthopedic problems (clubfoot, flat foot), as well as to prefer orthopedic shoes, with comfortable heels or special insoles;
• to reduce overweight to normal;
• balance nutrition by increasing the level of micronutrients, fluids and foods that contain collagen (gelatin and bone broths);
• not leading a sedentary lifestyle, while limiting intense physical activity;
• undergo annual preventive examinations (especially for those employed in industries where there is a higher level of vibration from machines, equipment or moving machines);
• athletes, bodybuilders, etc. do not stop training abruptly.

Older people need to control comorbidities (atherosclerosis and high blood pressure). At the same time, it is important to exclude bad habits (consumption of alcohol and tobacco), as well as to avoid stressful situations that generate nervous tension.

It should be remembered that osteochondrosis is a progressive disease that does not go away on its own. Many patients are encouraged by remission (a period of weakening of the disease), causing them to return to their old way of life and discontinue treatment. And this, in turn, significantly aggravates the outcome of the disease. Therefore, if you notice the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, urgently consult a neurologist. After all, there is no better treatment than timely therapy!