Osteochondrosis is a common pathology of the spine, characterized by a dystrophic change in the structure of the cartilage discs of the vertebrae and their bone base. To one degree or another, osteochondrosis appears in most people after the age of 30. The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are different, which often complicates the diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
General symptoms and signs of cervical osteochondrosis
The process of osteochondrosis affects any part of the spine or several at the same time. Lumbar and cervical vertebrae are most susceptible to pathology, as they are the most sensitive to stress due to the anatomy of the human skeleton.
The consequences of spinal osteochondrosis in the cervical region cause the greatest concern and possible complications, because the neck is an area rich in neurovascular highways, many of which directly feed the brain. For this reason, clinical symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are mainly associated with ischemia of brain areas. In addition, the nerve roots that provide sensation and motor activity of the arms and shoulder girdle, when compressed by destroyed spinal discs, can give a varied symptomatic picture.
The 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 collar
This is the most common symptom. The localization of the pain can expand, affecting the shoulders, clavicular area, chest, turning into an intense migraine headache.
The nature of the pain depends on the location of the lesion and the severity of the pathology. In the early stages of the disease, the pain may be transient, gradually becoming chronic and painful.
During exacerbations, the pain becomes excruciating, with increased neck muscle tone and limited head movement. Often the pain with cervical osteochondrosis can be located behind the sternum, in which case many patients mistake this symptom for angina pectoris. Differentiation can be done by taking a nitroglycerin tablet - the pain caused by osteochondrosis is not relieved by it.
Noise, noise, feeling of fullness in the ear
These symptoms are often accompanied by hearing loss. These phenomena are accompanied by 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 its connection with osteochondrosis in the cervical region. A specific sign for differentiation is that noise, compression and ringing in the ear are felt during a change of position, after a long stay in one position.
Dizziness
Dizziness is also caused by damage to blood circulation in the organs of the inner ear, which ensures the balance of the body. Dizziness is often accompanied by nystagmus - voluntary side-to-side movement of the eyeballs.
Lack of air
This sensation appears due to irritation of the phrenic nerve endings. It is a component of the cervical nerve bundle and is involved in the regulation of breathing, its depth and frequency. Patients complain of the inability to breathe deeply. In some cases, the symptom worsens to severe shortness of breath 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 of air. It is also caused by problems with blood circulation in certain areas of the brain and inner ear. Nausea is sometimes observed with uncontrollable vomiting, provoked by head and body movements. Frequent nausea and vomiting result in decreased appetite, weight loss and nutritional deficiency.
Vision problems
"Sunshine" in the eyes, reduced visual acuity, fog in front of the eyes - all these are symptoms caused by ischemia of the part of the brain responsible for vision. Patients with osteochondrosis rarely complain about vision, since the insufficient blood supply from the vertebral vessels is compensated by the blood flow from the carotid artery system. Glasses and therapeutic exercises for the eye muscles do not solve the problem; vision usually improves after treatment for osteochondrosis.
Increases in blood pressure
Unstable pressure levels are caused by impaired 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 narrow due to a short-term interruption of blood flow through the vertebral arteries. The patient can be quickly brought out of the state of unconsciousness by lying down so that his legs are slightly higher than his head - blood flow to the brain allows the person to return to consciousness. After a fainting attack, reversible problems with speech and movement may occur for some time due to a brief stoppage of blood flow.
Pharyngeal symptoms
Often they can be the only sign indicating cervical osteochondrosis. It is expressed as pain, dryness and feeling of a lump in the throat, difficulty in swallowing. The 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 clinic similar to inflammation or neoplasia.
Increase in body temperature
Increased body temperature for cervical osteochondrosis is not the most typical symptom, it is rarely observed locally: in the cervical and collar area, with a slight reddening of the skin. The clinic of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine can be, firstly, different degrees of severity, it depends on the stage of development of pathologies, also during periods of irritation they are brighter and secondly, they develop in certain syndromes.
Symptoms depending on the stage of cervical osteochondrosis
Phase I: The beginning of degenerative processes in the cartilage of the vertebral discs. Symptoms are mild and sometimes may not be noticed at all. Important: these symptoms become more pronounced when the head is tilted.
As a rule, in 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 In this stage, the elongation of the vertebral discs has begun. , the intervertebral spaces narrow and the collagen fiber of the annulus fibrosus of the disc is destroyed. Visible pain symptoms of a point nature appear due to the 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: 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Holding the head in one position for a long time leads to severe pain. At this stage of the disease, patients already come to the doctor for help. Stage III The fibrous ring on the disc is destroyed, hernias are formed. In the third stage, deformations of the spine, displacement and displacement of the vertebrae due to their poor fixation are observed.
This is a severe stage of the disease, in which the patient is no longer able to hold his head on his own. Ischemia of the spinal cord and compression of the spinal arteries lead to paralysis and paresis in other parts of the body and shock to the spine.
Syndromes caused by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The non-specificity and the large number of different symptoms accompanying cervical osteochondrosis make diagnosis and further treatment difficult, as some of them may be a sign of completely different diseases. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are divided into certain groups called syndromes. Their presence and severity may indicate pathology in the cervical spine with specified localization.
A group of common syndromes:
Koreshkovy. It is otherwise called cervical radiculitis. It combines symptoms related to pinched nerve roots of the cervical vertebrae. It is characterized by "goosebumps" in the affected area, tingling in the fingers and forearms, and peeling skin that spreads to certain fingers.
Irritative-reflexive. Acute burning and pain in the back of the head and neck, sometimes radiating to the chest and shoulder, which occurs when the position of the head and neck changes, when you sneeze, cough, or turn your head sharply.
Vertebral artery syndrome includes:
Cardiac. An almost identical appearance to angina pectoris often leads to wrong diagnosis and treatment. The syndrome occurs due to irritation of the phrenic nerve receptors, partially involving the muscles of the pericardium and pectoralis major. Thus, spasms in the cardiac region are more of a reflex, in response to irritation of the cervical nerves. Symptoms:
Vegetative-dystonic syndrome. Subluxation of the first cervical vertebra with displacement can lead to the development of vegetative-vascular dystonia. VSD is not a definitive diagnosis, as there are no obvious symptoms.
There may be neurological signs, symptoms of impaired cerebral circulation, increased intracranial pressure, and muscle spasms. As a result, the patient's complaints end up in 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 deep disorders of cerebral circulation, to death. For this reason, you should not self-medicate if such symptoms appear.
In the initial stages, the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is conservative, including medication: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anesthetics, hormonal agents, vitamin complexes, chondroprotectors - all this relieves inflammation, pain, improves soft tissue trophismand squeaks. beads.