Osteochondrosis is a common pathology of the spine, characterized by a dystrophic change in the structure of the cartilaginous discs of the vertebrae and their bone base. To one degree or another, osteochondrosis manifests itself in most people after 30 years of age. The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are varied, which often complicates diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
General symptoms and signs of cervical osteochondrosis.
The osteochondrosis process affects any part of the spine or several at the same time. The lumbar and cervical vertebrae are the most susceptible to pathology, as they are the most susceptible to stress due to the anatomy of the human skeleton.
The consequences of spinal osteochondrosis in the cervical region cause the most inconvenience and possible complications, because the neck is an area rich in neurovascular pathways, many of which directly feed the brain. For this reason, the clinical symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are largely associated with ischemia of brain areas. In addition, the nerve roots that provide sensitivity and motor activity of the arms and shoulder girdle, when compressed by destroyed spinal discs, can give a varied symptomatic picture.
Signs of osteochondrosis of the neck depend on which of the body systems is affected by the pathology: below we will consider the general clinic of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Pain in the back of the head, neck and neck.
This is the most common symptom. The location of the pain can spread, affecting the shoulders, clavicular region, and chest, turning into intense migraines.
The nature of the pain depends on the location of the injury and the severity of the pathology. In the early stages of disease development, pain can be quickly transient and gradually become chronic and painful.
During exacerbations, the pain becomes stabbing, with increased neck muscle tone and limited head movement. Often, pain in cervical osteochondrosis can be localized behind the sternum, in which case many patients confuse this symptom with angina. A differentiation can be made by taking a nitroglycerin tablet: it does not relieve the pain caused by osteochondrosis.
Noise, ringing, feeling of fullness in the ears.
These symptoms are often accompanied by hearing loss. These phenomena are associated with a decrease in blood flow from the vertebral arteries to the vestibular apparatus. The complex of these symptoms is called cochlear or cochlear syndrome and it is not always possible to determine their connection with osteochondrosis in the cervical region. A specific sign of differentiation is that noise, congestion and ringing in the ears are felt when changing positions, after a long stay in one position.
Dizziness
Dizziness is also caused by a disturbance in blood flow to the organs of the inner ear, which ensures the balance of the body. Dizziness is usually accompanied by nystagmus - voluntary oscillations of the pupils to the sides.
Shortness of breath
This sensation appears due to irritation of the phrenic nerve endings. It is a component of the cervical nerve bundle and participates in the regulation of breathing, its depth and frequency. Patients complain of inability to breathe deeply. In some cases, the symptom worsens to cause severe respiratory distress and suffocation. For the same reason, breathing stops at night and snoring is observed. Lack of oxygen due to breathing problems ultimately causes increased fatigue, decreased concentration and memory problems.
Nausea
Accompanied by belching air. It is also caused by problems with blood circulation in certain areas of the brain and inner ear. Nausea with uncontrollable vomiting, caused by movements of the head and body, is sometimes observed. Frequent nausea and vomiting cause decreased appetite, weight loss, and nutritional deficiency.
Eye sight problems
"Floaters" in the eyes, decreased visual acuity, fog before the eyes - all these are symptoms caused by ischemia of the part of the brain responsible for vision. Patients with osteochondrosis complain less often about vision, since the insufficient blood supply of the vertebral vessels is compensated by the blood flow of the carotid artery system. Glasses and therapeutic eye muscle exercises do not solve the problem; Vision usually improves after treatment of osteochondrosis.
Sudden increases in blood pressure
Unstable pressure levels are caused by a disturbance of blood flow in the medulla oblongata, which is responsible for the functions of the vascular-motor center.
Sudden fainting or syncope
It occurs when the cerebral arteries spasm due to a brief cessation of blood flow through the vertebral arteries. The patient can quickly come out of the unconscious state by lying down so that his legs are slightly higher than his head; blood flow to the brain allows the person to regain consciousness. After a fainting attack, reversible problems with speech and movement may occur for some time due to a brief interruption of blood flow.
Pharyngeal symptoms
They can often be the only sign indicating cervical osteochondrosis. It is expressed as pain, dryness and a feeling of lump in the throat, difficulty swallowing. Symptoms are associated with compression of the nerve plexuses responsible for the innervation of the pharynx. It is necessary to differentiate such manifestations from a similar clinic with inflammation or neoplasms.
Increased body temperature.
Increased body temperature in cervical osteochondrosis is not the most typical symptom, it is observed rarely and locally: in the cervical and neck area, with slight redness of the skin. The clinic of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine can be, firstly, of varying degrees of severity, it depends on the stage of development of pathologies, in addition during periods of exacerbations they are brighter and, secondly, they develop in certain syndromes.
Symptoms depending on the stage of cervical osteochondrosis.
Stage I: Beginning of degenerative processes in the cartilage of the vertebral discs. Symptoms are mild and sometimes may not be seen at all. Important: These symptoms become more pronounced when you tilt your head.
As a rule, at the first stage of cervical osteochondrosis, patients do not go to the doctor, believing that all symptoms are associated with fatigue, stress, age, lack of sleep. Stage II At this stage, protrusion of the vertebral discs has begun. , the intervertebral spaces narrow and the collagen fiber of the annulus fibrosus of the disc is destroyed. Noticeable pain symptoms of a punctual nature appear due to compression of the nerve trunks, which intensify with neck movements and head turns. Here you can already suspect cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which in the second stage are as follows: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
Holding your head in one position for a long time causes severe pain. At this stage of the disease, patients already turn to the doctor for help. Stage III The annulus fibrosus of the disc is destroyed and hernias form. In the third stage, deformation of the spine, displacement and dislocation of the vertebrae is observed due to their weak fixation.
This is a severe stage of the disease, in which the patient can no longer hold his head up on his own. Ischemia of the spinal cord and compression of the spinal arteries leads to paralysis and paresis in other parts of the body and spinal stroke.
Syndromes caused by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
The nonspecificity and wide variety of symptoms accompanying cervical osteochondrosis make diagnosis and subsequent treatment difficult, since some of them can be a sign of completely different diseases. The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are divided into certain groups called syndromes. Its presence and severity may indicate pathology in the cervical spine with a specific location.
A group of common syndromes:
Koreshkovy. Also called cervical radiculitis. It combines symptoms associated with impingement of the nerve roots of the cervical vertebrae. It is characterized by "goosebumps" in the affected area, tingling in the fingers and forearms, and pasty skin that extends to certain fingers.
Irritating-reflective. Burning and sharp pain in the nape of the neck and neck, sometimes radiating to the chest and shoulder, which occurs when the position of the head and neck changes, when sneezing, coughing or suddenly turning the head.
Vertebral artery syndrome includes:
Cardiac. A picture almost identical to that of angina often leads to incorrect diagnosis and treatment. The syndrome appears due to irritation of the phrenic nerve receptors, partially affecting the pericardium and the pectoralis major muscle. Therefore, spasms in the cardiac region are rather a reflex, in response to irritation of the cervical nerves. Symptoms:
Vegetative-dystonic syndrome. Subluxation of the first cervical vertebra with displacement can provoke the development of vegetative-vascular dystonia. VSD is not a definitive diagnosis, since it does not present pronounced symptoms.
There may be neurological signs, symptoms of impaired cerebral blood flow, sudden increases in intracranial pressure, and muscle spasms. As a result, the patient's complaints are reduced to dizziness, decreased visual acuity, loss of consciousness, headaches and nausea.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis
The described condition of the spine is a very serious pathology, which, if neglected, leads to disability and, as a result of profound disorders of cerebral circulation, to death. For this reason, it is not advisable to self-medicate if these symptoms appear.
In the initial stages, the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is conservative and includes medications: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anesthetics, hormonal agents, vitamin complexes, chondroprotectors; All this relieves inflammation, pain, improves trophism of soft tissues and cartilage of the vertebrae.