Osteochondrosis of the cervix signs of symptoms

23 November 2020

The diagnosis of osteochondrosis, in my opinion, is not as sad as circulatory encephalopathy and vegetative-vascular dystonia. Yes, by "osteochondrosis" we mean completely different pathologies and beyond. Abroad - these are severe skeletal lesions, mainly in children. For us, it is enough to complain of neck pain, do an X-ray or MRI (where degenerative changes will surely be found) - and here is the diagnosis of osteochondrosis.

The main causes of back pain

In most cases, the patient is diagnosed with osteochondrosis with back pain. But in fact, the reasons are different:

Nonspecific back pain
Caused by muscles, ligaments, tendons. Does not require MRI. This is the most common cause of back pain and the most favorable option, because doctors usually prescribe quite appropriate therapies - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxation drugs, exercise therapy. It should be noted that for chronic pain lasting more than 3 months, completely different medications are needed.
A fairly rare cause of back pain. Are you surprised? And if a hernia was found on an MRI, and the back hurts, isn’t the hernia the cause of the pain? In most cases, no. With a hernia, in addition to pain, there should be other symptoms: weakness of certain muscles, decreased tendon reflexes, impaired sensitivity in the area of root innervation. There are no such symptoms - you can forget the hernia as the cause of the pain.

Serious causes other than pain and other symptoms are ruled out on MRI.

is much worse when the diagnosis of osteochondrosis is made with completely different complaints: increased pressure, dizziness, weakness, anxiety, headache. What should we exclude in this case?

Tension headache and migraine.
It has nothing to do with your neck. Healing the neck means going the wrong way, approaching the chronicity of your pain. Tension headache may be associated with muscle tension, but it is still a tension headache, not osteochondrosis.
Dizziness
Not because of acute blues. True causes of dizziness: benign paroxysmal positive dizziness, vestibular data impairment, vestibular migraine, Meniere's disease, vestibular paroxysm, cerebellar and trunk pathology, psychogenic dizziness, iron deficiency and vitamin B 12, heart diseaseof the lungs and much more.
Hypertension.
Sometimes I come across the idea that if a patient's blood pressure rises, then his neck and, of course, the neck vessels should be checked. Have you found arterial hypoplasia, tortuosity, degenerative changes in the cervical spine? Let’s blame them for the increased pressure. This is absurd. In reality, there is no connection between increased pressure and the neck.
Depressive Anxiety Disorders.
Do you have anxiety, dizziness, weakness and fatigue, sleep disturbance? Let’s do Benim’s neck again. And the poor patient, instead of consulting a psychiatrist with antidepressants and sedatives, receives physiotherapy, massage and some kind of homeopathy.
Iron deficiency, thyroid dysfunction.

Always keep in mind when complaining of fatigue, weakness, decreased concentration, dizziness, headaches.

Changes happen in our body over the years. Baby skin is soft and supple. At the age of 30, no matter how we approach cosmetic procedures, she is no longer like that. Imagine a sailor who has spent his entire life sailing: his skin is rough and wrinkled. The same thing happens with the spine. In most cases, extensions and hernias are natural age-related changes. If there are many provocative factors in your life, for example, carrying heavy loads, then the chances of getting a major hernia increase.

Numerous studies have shown that disc extensions are found in healthy people: at the age of 20 - up to 40% of those examined (remember, these are patients without back pain), at the age of 70 - up to 90%. In addition, the severity of the changes on MRI is not associated with the degree of pain syndrome: with a large hernia, there may be no pain at all, and with small extensions, the patient may have severe pain (because the cause is not in the extensions, but in something else).

Does a hernia ever hurt?

Of course yes! In about 1-4% of all cases of back pain. How do you know that? A hernia leads not only to pain but also to other disorders: impaired sensitivity, changes in reflexes and sometimes a decrease in muscle strength. All this is determined by a competent doctor during a neurological examination.

If the muscle strength is sufficient, the reflexes when hitting with the hammer are symmetrical, do not weaken, there are no sensory disturbances, then it is extremely impossible for the back pain to be caused by a hernia.

In addition, squeezing the spinal cord to a certain level (if you read the MRI results, you will see that the extensions and hernias are described at the level, for example, C3-C5 or L5-S1), the hernia does not simply cause a decreaseof sensitivity everywhere, but certain sub-segments, and strictly defined changes in reflexes. The neurologist links the level of the lesion to the MRI data.

Classification of symptoms in cervical osteochondrosis

The development of this disease sometimes occurs before the age of 30-35 years, therefore, signs of the disease can appear even in adolescence. The signs of cervical osteochondrosis are discussed in detail below, the disease has become a real problem in the modern world. Sedentary work, prolonged stay in front of a computer negatively affect a person's state of health and well-being. All symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are associated with malfunctions of several systems:

In advanced cases, there are signs of compression, the integrity of the spinal cord located in the spinal canal is damaged.
The pathological nervous process is able to affect the peripheral system. The roots of the spinal cord, located near the foci of deformity of bone and cartilage tissue, are adversely affected.
In some cases, narrowing of the vertebral arteries occurs. These blood vessels provide nutrients, oxygen, to the brain cells. Violation of these processes leads to a sharp deterioration of human well-being.

It is known that one of the first signs of developing the disease is pain in the back of the cervix. At first, it passes quickly, is periodic, but then becomes chronic. The main sites of pain localization are:

occipital muscles (intensified by turning the neck, tilting the head);
shoulder area;
neck.

It can hurt in different ways, depending on the location of the wound, the discomfort can be sharp, shot, periodically calming, painful and persistent. Over time, head movements become more difficult due to the tension in the neck muscles. If an artery is compressed, a cervical migraine is sometimes observed (with a weakening of the blood supply, lack of oxygen, a headache appears).

Mixed

In some cases, the vessels of the circulatory system are congested, providing a supply of oxygen and nutrients to the human brain and inner ear. Because of this, nausea occurs with osteochondrosis. This symptomatology is accompanied, as a rule, by loss of appetite, which causes weight loss, lack of necessary nutrients. In advanced stages, the disease can provoke vomiting when you turn your head, walk or bend over. This is due to the lack of blood supply to the middle ear, where the center of balance is located.

Neurological symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Some manifestations of the disease can not be immediately attributed to the characteristic signs. You need to know what symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis can not be ignored, for example, shortness of breath. If this part is damaged, phrenic nerve irritation syndrome may develop. The patient has difficulty breathing, there is a lack of oxygen, which provokes shortness of breath and even severe suffocation.

This manifestation of pathology is often accompanied by snoring, it intensifies if you take an uncomfortable position during sleep. This leads to the fact that a person does not rest at night, wakes up with a feeling of general illness, weakness, feels tired and overwhelmed. This condition, if left untreated, can lead to memory impairment, decreased concentration, and irreversible changes in brain tissue.

Vestibular signs

Another direction, how osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifests itself - vestibular signs. The supply of the brain with all the necessary nutrients occurs through the vertebral arteries. If cervical chondrosis develops, in which the inner ear breaks, the patient experiences tinnitus and tinnitus. In some cases, these symptoms are compounded by hearing loss or loss of hearing.

Lump in the throat

In some cases, the disease appears only in one symptom - the pharynx. There is a feeling that a lump has formed in the throat with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, there is sweating, itching, dryness, difficulty in swallowing. These manifestations are associated with impaired conduction of neurovascular trunks emanating from the spinal cord. A lump in the throat is not a specific symptom of chondrosis; it may indicate a tumor or inflammatory process. When this symptom appears, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Visual signs of cervical osteochondrosis

Symptoms of cervical spine chondrosis can vary, but the most common are visual acuity disorders. Supply with visual analyzers occurs through the carotid and vertebral arteries. If a decrease in blood circulation occurs due to the squeezing of the latter, a decrease in vision begins, which does not improve when you wear glasses. Osteochondrosis of the cervix - symptoms:

low blood pressure;
floating dots, vibrating;
atherosclerosis of arteries in the brain;
violation of focus on the topic;
shroud, fog before the eyes.

A characteristic sign that a decrease in vision occurs due to constriction of the blood vessel by a vertebra, impaired blood circulation, will be the lack of improvement when wearing glasses, performing special exercises. Only timely treatment of the underlying disease (before the onset of irreversible tissue damage) will help change the condition.

Arterial marks

The spine plays an important role in the human body, so every disease affects many systems. There are certain arterial signs of cervical osteochondrosis that indicate this disease. These include immediate loss of consciousness. This is the most unpleasant, dangerous symptom that is inherent in this disease. This occurs due to impaired blood circulation, when blood temporarily stops flowing through the cerebral arteries.

Severe arterial spasm occurs due to the response of deformed bone processes to irritation of nerve endings. If your friend has osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and has lost consciousness, he should stretch, his legs raised to a small height in order to increase blood flow from the limbs and increase flow to the brain. After that, people tend to recover quickly.

Blood pressure instability is another symptom of this disease. Doctors can diagnose spasmodic indicators if the blood supply is interrupted. This is not a specific symptom of chondrosis, but fits into the overall appearance of the disease. Blood pressure can drop or rise significantly. A person feels a deterioration of his condition, so he needs to secure peace.

Dizziness

It has previously been described that loss of consciousness sometimes occurs with this disease. This applies to cases where blood flow to the brain was very difficult. Most often, patients feel dizzy with cervical osteochondrosis. This is a common symptom that accompanies all patients with this disease. This phenomenon has a spontaneous manifestation. This condition is caused by a decrease in the amount of oxygen supplied to the inner ear. It is located in the human brain and is responsible for the sense of balance. Dizziness occurs when:

turning the head, neck;
if you suddenly get out of bed.

Temperature in osteochondrosis

In some cases, pathological processes spread between the structures of the cervical segment of the spinal cord. This occurs with disc elongation, canal stenosis. Fever in osteochondrosis is the body's response to these pathologies. The same reaction is possible with vertebral artery syndrome. This is a common occurrence in osteochondrosis in the later stages of disease development. Therefore, an increase in temperature refers to nonspecific symptoms of the disease.

This symptom will not necessarily be present, body thermoregulation may be normal. If you feel constant pain in the back of the head, shoulders, neck and when turning or tilting the head, a deterioration occurs, you should consult a specialist and undergo an examination. Lack of treatment will necessarily lead to the fact that the condition will worsen, the level of comfort of life will decrease.

Learn more about what to do when you are diagnosed with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis Osteochondrosis of the cervix is an injury to the vertebral discs of the cervical spine, as a result of which they undergo degenerative-dystrophic changes. The main reason for its development is a violation of the normal course of metabolic processes, which leads to a distortion of the structure of vertebral bodies and cartilaginous discs. In the case of localization in the neck, the symptoms of the pathology are mainly determined by the compression of large vessels. Treatment methods are chosen depending on the stage, course specificity, severity, main symptoms.

Characteristics of the disease

The shape of the cervix is the most dangerous type of osteochondrosis: it leads to deterioration of cerebral circulation, as the vertebral artery passes through this area - one of the largest vessels that supplies the brain with essential substances and oxygen.

Dislocation of the vertebrae, abnormal changes, and excessive growth of bone and fibrous tissue disrupt the normal functioning of the vessel.

The specification of the symptoms of osteochondrosis in this part is determined, inter alia, by one of the structural features of the cervical vertebrae, which consists in their closest adhesion to each other. As a result, any change in a segment provokes the failure of the entire department.

Phase-dependent clinic

In the process of its development, cervical osteochondrosis goes through four stages. How does it appear in each of them?

Stage 1. Characterized by the appearance of initial disturbances in the stability of the intervertebral discs. Symptoms are mild or absent. Not very pronounced sensations of pain and local muscle tension are possible.
Stage 2. The lengthening of the disc begins, the gaps between the vertebrae are reduced, the annulus fibrosus collapses. In many cases, as a result of compression of nerve endings, pain appears, mainly of a point nature. They intensify when turned, tilting the neck. Decreases the tone, weakness often appears.
Stage 3. The process of final destruction of the fibrous ring leads to the formation of hernias. This stage is characterized by a significant deformity of the spine. Increased pain and fatigue occur against the background of sensory disturbances and limited mobility in the affected area.
Stage 4 is the hardest. Intense pain syndrome is manifested by any attempt to move, which involves a significant limitation of the mobility of this department. Sometimes, the pain subsides, but this does not indicate an improvement in the condition, but only indicates an increase in the size of the bone growths, significantly restricting movement. They often lead to patient disability.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

When located in the cervical spine, the predominant symptoms of osteochondrosis are:

Pain is the main symptom

pain in the cervix, occiput, shoulder, arms;
restricting movements, pressing in different turns, tilting the neck;
weakness in hands;
pulling pain on the left side of the chest, radiating to the corresponding arm;
burning in the intercapsular area;
recurrent headaches;
weakness;
dizziness (with a severe course of cervical osteochondrosis, may achieve loss of consciousness);
coordination of movements is impaired, which is mainly reflected in walking;
hearing impairment, tinnitus;
decreased vision;
sore throat;
poor dental health;
attenuation or hoarseness of voice;
snoring is a consequence of tension in the neck muscles.

In the cervicothoracic type, the symptoms are almost similar to those of cervical osteochondrosis. Ajo:

asthenic syndrome;
dizziness and headache;
periodic pressure fluctuations;
flash flies before the eyes;
pain in the shoulder girdle and arms;
muscle weakness;
numbness, tingling, coldness of the fingers;
pain in the chest, in the area of the heart;
mixed;
numbness of tongue, face;
dental problems;
the sensation of current flowing along the arms when you try to bend the neck.

Syndromat

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are not considered typical. Which of them is more pronounced depends mainly on the specific purpose. Many of the manifestations can be mistakenly associated with other pathological conditions. Therefore, there are often cases when a wrong treatment is prescribed. The symptom complex is divided into the following groups:

radicals;
vertebral artery syndrome;
irritant-reflex syndrome.

Radicular Syndrome

His second name is cervical sciatica. The syndrome develops as a result of nerve endings pressed into the neck. The pain is transmitted down from the neck, given to the shoulder blades, down along the shoulder along the outside of the forearm to the fingers. In this case, the following often appear:

feeling upset;
tingling sensation of hand, forearm, fingers;
pastry.

Manifestations also vary depending on the area of the lesion. If the central nerve endings are affected, the pastiness extends to the thumb, middle, index fingers. When the brachial nerve endings are gripped, the little finger and the ring finger are affected.

Irritant-reflex syndrome

Burning acute pain in the cervico-occipital region, which appears during movement after a static state: after sleep, when sneezing, a sharp turn of the head, becomes its sign. Often the pain radiates to the shoulder and chest.

Vertebral Artery Syndrome

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include:

throbbing or burning headache (paroxysmal or persistent in nature), extending to the temporal region, dark arches, occiput, overlapping;
increased discomfort with certain movements or after prolonged standing in an uncomfortable position;
general weakness;
mixed;
loss of consciousness;
hearing problems;
disorders of the vestibular apparatus;
eye pain;
blurred vision.

Cardiac Syndrome

When this complex of symptoms of neck osteochondrosis develops, an appearance almost similar to angina pectoris develops, which often leads to mishandling. Muscle contractions and spasms in the heart area are most likely a reflex response to compression of nerve endings in the lower cervical region. Heart syndrome is a result of irritation of the phrenic nerve (its fibers lead to the pericardium) or the large chest muscle:

pains appear suddenly, last a long time;
aggravated by a sharp movement of the neck, coughing, sneezing;
tachycardia and extrasystole are possible;
pain does not stop after taking coronary dilators;
there are no signs of impaired circulation on the ECG.

Worsening of the disease

In the exacerbation phase, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:

increased pain and its radiation to the shoulder, intercapsular area, arms, shoulders;
Difficulty moving shoulders, torso, arms, sometimes breathing (inhaling and exhaling);
pain syndrome often resembles a heart attack or intercostal neuralgia;
when the pain appears in the right hypochondrium or in the iliac area, the clinic is similar to the manifestations of gastritis or cholecystitis;
headaches are of a prolonged nature, imbalance, visual and auditory functions are impaired;
in the innervation area, skin trophism is disturbed, tingling, numbness, dryness, pallor, burning, coldness appear;
increases cervical muscle tone;
manifests weakness, lethargy, nervous tension, anxiety, emotional instability;
Possible sleep disorders, memory disorders, concentration problems.

How is the disease diagnosed

The main methods for diagnosing cervical osteochondrosis are:

radiography;
magnetic resonance;
computed tomography;
Doppler ultrasound;
duplex scanning.

The last two methods are used to check the condition of the neck vessels.

Signs of cervical osteochondrosis

The cervical spine contains a large number of blood vessels that provide nourishment to the brain. Therefore, any neck problem, including cervical osteochondrosis, can lead to a deterioration in the blood supply to the brain. Hence - and the most common signs of cervical osteochondrosis:

regular headaches and dizziness,
occasionally - sudden fading,
impaired coordination of movements, the display of "freedom" of walking,
hearing impairment, tinnitus,
visual impairment,
presentation of dental diseases,
the appearance of hoarseness in the voice, changing the timbre of the voice, its weakening,
snoring,
persistent sore throat.

Other symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include a feeling of coldness in the fingers, numbness, weakness in the arms, pain in the neck and shoulders, often accompanied by dizziness and nausea.

How to treat this disease

Cervical osteochondrosis, symptoms and treatmentdepend on the patient's condition, the severity of the disease, the nature of the cervical vertebral lesion.

In the acute period, hospitalization and treatment may be required.

Commonly used analgesics, novocaine muscle blockade, muscle relaxants, muscle spasm relief; chondroprotectors for nourishing cartilage tissue; sedatives that calm the nervous system, B vitamins that increase neuromuscular conduction.

Treatment of cervical spine osteochondrosis is always long-term and should be comprehensive.

During periods of remission, when there are no acute symptoms, physiotherapy methods (electrophoresis, ultrasound, etc. ) are widely used, physical therapy, massage, as well as non-traditional procedures, for example, acupuncture, necessarily described.

There are many conservative treatments for osteochondrosis that can stop the disease from progressing. However, each patient needs an individual course of treatment, taking into account the stage of the disease, the characteristics of the organism, gender and age.

The purpose of treating cervical osteochondrosis is:

Eliminate pain and swelling at the site of inflammation.
Relaxation of tense neck muscles.
Release of trapped nerve roots.
Extended blood circulation.
Activation of metabolism.
Improving the nutrition of the intervertebral discs.

Comprehensive targeted treatment can prevent intervertebral extensions and hernias.

In order not to startosteochondrosis of the cervix, symptoms and treatment, and to avoid severe complications of the disease, treatment should be started in time.