The first signs of cervical osteochondrosis are quite difficult to notice. They often cause so little discomfort that a person does not pay attention to them and is in no hurry to consult a doctor. In other cases, the symptoms are confused with simple fatigue or a mild cold:
- increased pain in the neck;
- feeling of heaviness in the back of the neck;
- slight tingling in the hands.
These signs appear in thousands of people every day, but few can recognize that cervical osteochondrosis is developing.
Important! Remember that the disease develops slowly and in the early stages it is much easier to contain the progression of destructive processes than to treat an advanced stage.
Who is at risk?
Osteochondrosis develops not only in those who lead a sedentary life. Athletes in fields such as classical wrestling, judo, wrestling and sambo also suffer from this disease. The disease develops due to critical loads in the spinal area in the cervical region (constant falls and blows, high mobility of the neck). It is important to keep in mind that osteochondrosis is usually diagnosed before the age of 35 (more than 86% of cases).
How the disease develops
Currently, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is much more common than other pathologies of the spine. This is due to greater mobility of the neck. As the disease progresses, intense pain appears that worsens the person's life. Osteochondrosis progresses slowly, but surely leads to degenerative changes in the bone tissues of the spine. There are four degrees of development of the disease:
- The first stage is characterized by an almost complete absence of symptoms. The disease can only be diagnosed through routine examination. Sometimes mild pain may occur, which many identify as signs of stress or fatigue. In the first stage, the destruction of the nucleus pulposus occurs, so the vertebrae begin to withstand the load worse. As a result, degenerative-dystrophic processes develop. Among the first symptoms are: mild headaches that disappear quickly, "inside the neck" spasm syndrome, significant muscle tension in the upper back.
- In the second stage of the disease, cracks appear on the sides of the discs due to stress. They are not very deep yet, but they already contribute to squeezing out the core. During diagnosis, a protrusion is often detected and the height of the disc decreases. This stage is characterized by frequent and prolonged pain. A person loses strength, certain areas of his face begin to go numb, and stiffness in movements develops due to fear of new pain sensations.
- The third stage is characterized by the formation of a hernia in the cervical region between the vertebrae. All tissues are also affected, along with the vessels located in this area (veins, muscles, nerves, arteries). The pain flows smoothly and spreads from the neck to the occipital region. A special sensitivity occurs when moving the head. Patients also begin to complain of dizziness due to insufficient blood flow in the vertebral artery.
- In the fourth stage, osteophytes form: bone tissue grows in width because the body and brain literally send signals requiring an increase in area to distribute the load. As a result, the nerves in the vertebrae are pinched, the cavities between the vertebrae are reduced, severe stiffness occurs, and sometimes the impossibility of movement occurs. All adjacent joints are damaged. To eliminate the causes and "contain" cervical osteochondrosis at this stage, it will be necessary to carry out complex and long-term treatment, including surgical intervention.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis is an important process that will help contain the degradation of the cervical vertebrae, alleviate complications and preserve your quality of life. But to identify the pathology, it is not only necessary to monitor the symptoms, but at least once a year diagnoses are made and the necessary tests are carried out.
Features of the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Even minor changes in the vertebrae, ligaments and intervertebral discs cause a disturbance in the functioning of the nerve endings. Blood vessels are also affected. All of them connect directly to the brain and other organs, which is where unpleasant symptoms arise.
Important! It is the compression of blood vessels and nerves that causes discomfort and severe pain.
Clinical symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are divided into three groups:
- the first group is characterized by neurological manifestations of pathology that arise due to the impact of inflammatory processes and changes occurring in the tissues of the peripheral part of the nervous system;
- the second group is associated with the impact of processes on the spinal cord;
- The third group includes signs that depend on the disruption of processes in the nerve endings leading to the brain.
As soon as disturbances occur in the peripheral nervous system, a person begins to feel pain. They don't always start abruptly and last a long time, but they all start in the same place: inside the neck. The pain is not similar to muscle pain, there is no relaxation when kneading.
In most cases, when the peripheral system is damaged, a feeling of shortness of breath occurs. Patients feel as if they have a "lump" in their throat and find it difficult to breathe. The pain is characterized by being inexpressible, dull, and a constant tension is felt in the muscles. Sometimes after a night's sleep the pain intensifies.
The progression of the disease leads to the spread of symptoms. Following the head and neck, the arms begin to suffer:
- feeling weak;
- numbness occurs in one or more fingers;
- then most of the hands become numb.
If you feel pain and pressure in the heart area, we can talk about the development of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis. Osteochondrosis is often misidentified as angina or neuralgia. It is mainly characterized by symptoms such as:
- cough;
- stomachache;
- discomfort in the liver;
- pain in the lungs.
As soon as the vertebral artery is connected to the destructive process (supplies oxygen to the brain), symptoms begin to appear in the brain. As the disease develops, it becomes pinched and cannot function normally. This is how dizziness develops, vision deteriorates and tinnitus occurs.
The use of conventional pain relievers rarely helps with headaches in cervical osteochondrosis.
Physical activity and frequent nervous tension can provoke an exacerbation of the pathology. Symptoms of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis:
- increased irritation;
- sensitive and intermittent sleep;
- rapid fatigue.
If a person is diagnosed with vegetative-vascular dystonia, the symptoms intensify: neuroses develop, blood pressure rises. The diagnosis may also indicate the development of cervical osteochondrosis, so it is necessary to pass all tests, undergo an MRI and take other photographs of the cervical spine.
It is almost impossible to independently diagnose cervical osteochondrosis based on symptoms. Considering that the first stage occurs practically without obvious signs, it is necessary to undergo periodic preventive examinations. At the first signs of the disease, treatment should begin, following the doctor's recommendations. Even if the disease has not yet "gone" and does not cause tangible problems.
Syndromes
For an accurate diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis, a correct justification of the symptoms is necessary. Based on tests, images and examinations, the doctor must precisely determine the causes of the symptoms. All of them are associated with certain syndromes.
Humeroscapular periarthritis
The syndrome is characterized by intense pain and muscle contracture in the area of one of the shoulder joints. In left-handed people, the left shoulder joint is usually affected, and in right-handed people, the right joint is usually affected. Features of pain syndrome:
- constant;
- pain;
- pain.
In most cases, the pain intensifies at night. If you move your hand to the side or put it behind your back, the pain will also intensify. Sometimes pain is felt throughout the arm, in the occipital and scapular regions.
During the examination, the doctor often notices tension in the joint area, and during palpation the patient feels severe pain in the muscles. In some cases, the doctor notices compactions and small nodules on palpation, and there is slight swelling of the affected shoulder.
Root syndromes
The syndrome can develop when the spinal root is damaged. It usually appears several years after the onset of osteochondrosis. Irreversible destruction occurs in the vertebrae and discs: the cavity formed by nerves and vessels decreases as the cartilage thins or an intervertebral hernia forms. Osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome is characterized by certain symptoms:
- the pain is noted in the forearm, in the shoulder blade area and moves to the front of the chest;
- it becomes difficult to move the neck, pain and stiffness are felt;
- The sensitivity of the skin on the hands worsens, it becomes numb and a feeling of "goosebumps" appears;
- a person cannot raise his hand from the side of the affected parts.
irritative reflex syndrome
The syndrome is characterized by sharp, somewhat burning pain in the back of the head and neck. It appears when you move your head after a long period of immobility, for example, when working at a computer. Discomfort is felt in the shoulder joints, as well as in the chest area.
cardiac syndrome
The syndrome is often confused with angina, since the symptoms of the diseases are almost identical. This happens because pain and muscle tissue contractions in the heart area occur due to compression of the roots in the lower sections of the cervical spine. Hence the similarity of the diseases.
The syndrome is characterized by pain that occurs in attacks and can last from 10 to 15 minutes to several hours. It intensifies significantly with sudden movements (turning, coughing, sneezing). Often, cardinal syndrome is characterized by the development of tachycardia and coronary dilators do not relieve pain. There are also no signs on the cardiogram that are characteristic of circulatory disorders.
Vertebral artery syndrome
The function of the vertebral artery is to supply the brain and spinal cord. With the syndrome, the work of the periarterial sympathetic plexus is disturbed. The picture of the syndrome looks like this:
- headaches of varying intensity;
- alterations of the vestibular apparatus (wobble, loss of balance);
- mild and severe dizziness;
- nausea vomiting;
- Pharyngolaryngeal and ocular symptoms (impaired vision, appearance of a veil before the eyes).
In vertebral artery syndrome, burning pain often occurs not only in the neck, but also in the back of the head. A feeling of lethargy, resentment and irritability develops. Anxiety levels increase, sleep and memory may be altered.
Therefore, to make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to determine which syndrome underlies cervical osteochondrosis. Based on specific symptoms, test results, photographs and palpation, an experienced doctor will be able to accurately determine the characteristics of the pathology and prescribe the correct treatment.