The main signs and symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Cervical osteochondrosis is a very common disease that affects both men and women. Besides, age doesn't play much of a 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 common in young people and in most cases they are to blame.

The reasons for the development of pathology

This lesion of the spine 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 possible to reverse in the later stages. This type of osteochondrosis is considered the most dangerous, as its consequence is a violation of 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 causes of the disease can be distinguished:

1. Lifting and moving heavy objects.
2. Significant sports loads.
3. Improper weight bearing.
4. Long-term adherence to a static position: working on a computer, writing notes, reading books, working in an office. This is the main reason for young people.
5. Genetic factor.

Naturally, inflammatory processes that occur 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

Thus, treatment of the spine should be performed only after the patient has been accurately diagnosed. And for this the doctor must know the clinical picture of the patient, as well as apply all instrumental methods of examination. The symptoms that occur in the patient depend on the degree of damage to the body systems:

1. Most symptoms on the part of the brain are due to impaired blood circulation due to vascular compression.
2. The picture of damage to the peripheral nerves appears due to compression of the nerve roots that protrude from the spinal opening.
3. Severe neurological disorders occur in the late stages of the disease due to pinching of the spinal cord.

You can now take a closer look at the main signs of cervical osteochondrosis.

The most common symptoms of pathology

Despite the cause that contributed to 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 in the neck, back of the head and collar. The pain can spread to the shoulders, chest, clavicle of the skeleton. Frequent migraines are characteristic of osteochondrosis. Gradually the discomfort becomes painful, chronic. Exacerbation of the pathology causes shooting pains during movement. The muscles are very tense at the same time. Sometimes just an injection - an anesthetic block - can eliminate this symptom.
• Tinnitus, suffocation. This occurs as a result of deterioration of the 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 further accompanied by uncontrolled irregular movements of the pupils.
• A seizure from which the patient recovers quickly enough if there is an improvement in blood circulation in 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 take a deep breath. He also snores and may suddenly stop breathing. Over time, the patient develops shortness of breath and attacks of suffocation. Further oxygen starvation will damage brain tissue, leading to impaired attention and memory.
• Nausea. Sometimes every 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. Cervical osteochondrosis can cause such a symptom as "flies" in front of the eyes or fog, decreased weight, impaired focus of vision. In addition, exercise therapy or wearing glasses cannot solve the problem.
• Pressure change. This condition occurs due to spasm of the arteries. The patient may even lose consciousness.
• Dry and lumps in the throat. Sometimes this is the only symptom that says the neck is affected. Therefore, osteochondrosis in this case can easily be confused with other pathologies.
• Rising temperature. This symptom is unusual. In addition, 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 wedge. And you can also hear an unpleasant pop and crunch in the neck when you turn your head.
• Weakness in the hands and a burning sensation between the shoulder blades.
• Impaired coordination of movements, which affects the patient's gait.

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

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

Depending on what symptoms are observed in the patient, what is their distribution and intensity, 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 a slight restriction of mobility. There may be a slight decrease in skin sensitivity in the collar area. At this stage, treatment is practically not performed, as patients do not seek medical help. Some patients try to treat osteochondrosis at home with the help of folk remedies.
2. Second stage. The pain in the cervical vertebrae intensifies, an unpleasant crunch is heard. A serious sensory disturbance occurs in the shoulders as well as in the arms. The headache at this stage practically does not disappear, the patient's vision deteriorates, noise appears in the head and ears and the clarity of tendon reflexes decreases. During the exacerbation of osteochondrosis, shooting pains appear, radiating under the shoulder blade. Here it is no longer possible not to notice the symptoms of the disease and the patient tries to go to the doctor. It is no longer possible to completely get rid of the defeat. It will only be possible to slow down its further development.
3. Third stage. Here the collagen fibers of the disc are already destroyed, the appearance of a hernial protrusion. The fixation of the vertebrae is broken and they begin to fall. Dislocations may even occur. The patient develops very severe pain in the neck and heart, there is paresis and paralysis of the upper limbs, the spine is bent. Tendon reflexes at this stage of the development of osteochondrosis are practically absent. A complication of this degree of cervical osteochondrosis is a spinal stroke.

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

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

What syndromes does osteochondrosis cause?

So, there are certain sets of symptoms that indicate that a person has a certain syndrome. If at least one sign is absent, then it is not necessary to talk about such a pathological condition.

There are several syndromes provoked by cervical osteochondrosis:

• Radical. It can be called "cervical radiculitis". It occurs as a result of pinched nerves. It is characterized by the following symptoms: the presence of pain that radiates to the shoulders, passes over the shoulder and extends to the forearms and fingers; the appearance of "flies""in front of the eyes; numbness in the fingers, forearms, hands. The localization of the symptoms may vary depending on which pair of roots is damaged.
• Irritating reflex. It is characterized by sharp burning pain in the neck and nape, which occurs due to movement after sleep, when sneezing. Unpleasant sensations can occur on the chest.
• Vertebral artery syndrome. The following symptoms stand out here: loss of consciousness, nausea, severe burning headache in nature, extending to the parietal, temporal and occipital part of the skull. The patient is characterized by weakness, hearing loss, eye pain and blurred vision.
• Cardiac. It has a peculiarity - it is easy to confuse it with an attack of angina pectoris, so the prescribed treatment may be wrong. If the patient is diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms of cardiac syndrome are as follows: sudden onset of pain that increases with the slightest movement; tachycardia; the inability to stop the attack with special heart pills that promote coronary dilation. At the same time on the cardiogram there are no signs of circulatory disorders.

As osteochondrosis has a chronic form, its exacerbations appear periodically. The intensity of the symptoms increases. Feelings can last a long time and only an injection of anesthesia can remove them. The tablets may not be effective.

How is the pathology diagnosed?

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

• External examination of the patient.
• Neurological tests.
• Duplex scan or Doppler ultrasound of blood vessels.
• NMR.
• CT.
• X-ray 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 osteochondrosis.

Features of the treatment of pathology

So the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis should be carried out in the early stages. In addition, 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 eliminate the symptoms of the pathology. You need to try to restore the functionality of the cervical spine. For this a person needs drugs (painkillers, hormonal, vitamin complexes, chondroprotective drugs), as well as therapeutic exercises.

To eliminate the severe pain that the pills cannot stop, a special injection is used, which is done in the inter-articular area. However, this blocking method can only be used a few times a year.

In addition to the patient's medical treatment, physiotherapeutic procedures are offered: massage, ultrasound and ultraviolet treatment. If conservative therapy does not work, then the patient is prescribed surgery. But this is rather a last resort and it is better not to allow the disease to such a state.