Cervical osteochondrosis – a disease of the spine which caused degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs. In the first stage the symptoms are almost imperceptible, but the spread of the pathological process, the patient's condition is deteriorating.
The causes of the disease
Osteochondrosis arises as a result of uneven load on the spine. Predisposing factors:
- heavy physical exertion;
- wearing shoes;
- the malnutrition;
- the problem with the exchange processes;
- nervous, emotional exhaustion.
The disease can occur during a child. A high risk of multiple pregnancy. The pathological process may be genetically determined.
Stage photos
The development of osteoarthritis is slow. There are 4 main stages of the disease:
- In the first stage. The patient may feel discomfort after long walks, in the same situation. To develop seals in the vertebral discs.
- In the second section. Pain occur. The doctor prescribes manual therapy pain relievers.
- In the third section. There are marked degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs.
- In the fourth stage. The final stage of the disease, which affects almost every part of the spine.
The last stage of the conservative treatment is ineffective. The doctor prescribes surgery, which requires a long recovery.
Most common symptoms
Lower back pain may include one or more of the spine. Often affects the neck vertebrae. Clinical symptoms such differences are directly related to the work of the brain. Consider the main symptoms of the disease.
Pain in the neck, head-neck area
Patients often have neck pain, cervical or neck area. This is due to the insufficient blood supply to the brain. Deformation of the vertebrae leading to compression of the vertebral artery. The background of these degenerative processes can occur hernia.
Together with pain, there is a serious complications. For example, disorders, high blood pressure or permanent hearing impairment, vision. Sometimes the patients that panic attacks and anxiety. Then the last 30 minutes. This is a condition called diencephalic syndrome.
Another cause of pain is spasm of muscles, which leads to a decrease in blood flow. The patients temporarily lose the ability to move the neck. The strong strain leads to the fact that the pain in the neck to start on the head, continue to spread head. In such processes, the patient is suffering from a severe migraine.
Noise, ringing, a feeling of stuffiness in the ears
This complex of symptoms is called the cochlear or cochlear. The doctors aren't always able to associate such differences in the development of cervical degenerative disc disease.
Noise, ringing in the ears occurs when you change the position, or a long-term stay in a position.
Dizziness
The vertebrae in the neck are pretty thin, so the retention head is exposed to heavy loads. Are more prone to deformation than the vertebrae the thoracic. As a result, the deviation may occur dizziness, which can be:
- System. There is a sense of circular movement of the body to the surrounding objects. This is due to malfunction of the vestibular system, muscles and receptors of the joints.
- Not in the system. Patient describes a feeling of stunned but uncertain state in a vertical position. The sense of circle-of rotation is gone.
If you experience these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. Cause of emergency hospital treatment, the patient:
- the numbness of the shoulder;
- paralysis of the face muscles;
- loss of consciousness;
- severe headache.
Displaced vertebrae muscle spasm leads to pinched nerves, to nourish the brain. Due to the lack of oxygen, dizziness. Initially, the lack of oxygen occurs in the back of the head, since this is the center of the vestibular system.
The lack of air
The lack of air in the osteochondrosis can be multiple: the problems breathing lack of oxygen. Heavy breathing in the background of the pinched nerve, which signals the pharynx, the esophagus.
The air lack is due to a pinched nerve. The result is a spasm of the diaphragm, which may result in changes in the depth, the rhythm of the breathing. The patient becomes sweaty, it's hard to breathe.
This is a serious symptom, like shortness of breath osteochondrosis dangerous development of some other complications. In this case, the doctor prescribes medication.
Nausea
Neck is the most sensitive, since the structure, there is a large number of nerve fibers, and blood vessels. Passing through the carotid artery to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the brain. The cervical osteochondrosis formed protrusion and herniated disks.
The rear structures of the brain receive a sufficient quantity of arterial blood. This triggers compensatory reactions. The artery narrowing leads to an increase in the blood pressure. The patient's nausea.
If you don't restore the blood flow to the posterior brain structures, the patient vomiting, loss of consciousness. Long stroke increases the stroke risk of developing, and further disability.
The vision problems
Osteochondrosis of the neck, the patient may have double vision, floaters, flashing. This indicates that the onset of serious diseases that appear in the background of osteochondrosis. These include the following diseases:
- glaucoma;
- cataract;
- disease Claude Bernard-Horner.
It is very important to monitor the changing state of the eye. This is an important symptom that indicates that the health problems.
Jumping on the blood pressure
In the beginning it might seem that jumping in the blood pressure, lower back pain have nothing in common. However, it is not. Degenerative changes in the spine suffering from the autonomic nervous system.
Jumps observed during the day. Such disease is characterized by the prolonged high blood pressure.
Hopping dynamics daily uretralnoe hypertension occurs when the reflex irritations of the nervous terminations, as well as momentary cramps krovenosnyh vessels.
The symptoms of high blood pressure, cervical osteochondrosis:
- severe headache;
- pressure peaks after the stress or muscle strain;
- pain in the extremities: arms, legs, etc.;
- low sensitivity in the neck area.
Sudden fainting or collapse
Sudden fainting may occur as a result of a brief cessation of blood flow in the vertebral arteries. If the patient has lost consciousness, apply to feet over his head. This will activate the blood flow to the brain. After fainting, you may have problems with speech and movements.
Pharynx problems
Sometimes the event in the degenerative processes of the cervical vertebrae, can testify only pharynx symptoms. They manifest themselves through:
- difficulty swallowing;
- I have a sore throat;
- foreign body sensation in the throat;
- itching.
Such characteristics are related to damage to neuro-vascular trunks, which are the spinal cord. However, these symptoms are observed, not only in osteochondrosis, but also inflammation, swelling.
The rise in body temperature
The cervical osteochondrosis increased body temperature. This phenomenon occurs if the following lesions:
- artery vertebral syndrome;
- disc protrusion;
- stenosis of the spinal canal.
Fever is caused by neurosis, neurological zabolevaniem and fibromyalgics syndrome. Sometimes several pathological conditions that aggravate the symptoms of degenerative disc disease.
Symptoms depend on the stage of the disease
- The first stage of development of the disease symptoms is not observed. The first sign of the beginning of the degenerative process are: headache, mild limitation of physical activity neck, headache, discomfort in the neck, arms. These signals will be stronger, if you turn or tilt the head.
- The second phase of the development begins with the protrusion of the spinal discs, brain crevices start to gradually decrease. The pain is increasingly severe, you have ringing in the ears, sleep disorders.
- The third stage is characterized by destruction of the fibrous ring of the disc. There are dislocation and displacement of the vertebrae, herniation of the cervical spine.
- The fourth stage, the degenerative changes are irreversible.
That arise in the brain?
The symptoms of the brain can be pronounced or minimal. Brain abnormalities can only occur if a strong compression of the vertebral artery bony outgrowths. As a result, there are problems with the access, the blood, the head, the brain, and this provokes spasms of small blood vessels, as well as the hypothalamic dysregulation.
The cervical osteochondrosis can cause the following symptoms:
- The hypothalamus. This could be neurological or physical.
- Syncope and drop-syndrome. It seems that the patient feels weakness in the legs and lost consciousness for a few minutes.
- Vestibular-stem. Observed, dizziness of the head turn.
As a result of these degenerative processes, the patient should try to avoid in public places. Thus, undue fear, and depression.
The differences women and men
The symptoms of cervical chondrosis men and women are virtually indistinguishable. Degenerative changes of the cervical vertebrae is more common in women, this is due to the anatomical structure of the cervix. In men, the neck muscle is better developed.
Chondrosis of the spine in children and adolescents
Chondrosis of the spine in children and adolescents, caused by a general delay in development of connective tissue. This may be the result of genetic abnormalities or disorders of mineral metabolism. Immature intervertebral discs vulnerable to different pathological processes.
The disease is caused by sedentary lifestyle, long sitting at the computer, and the available overweight. This disease's symptoms are similar to the symptoms of osteoarthritis in adults. The defeat of the neck of the patient's pain in the back of the neck, dizziness, and migraine.
Diagnosis
Before diagnosis, the treatment, the doctor will perform several diagnostic tests. The external examination, assessment, posture, study the muscles.
Computed tomography
Computed tomography allows the bone in the 3d projection. The principle of subsidiarity is carried out according to this procedure similar to an x-ray. However, such diagnostics allows the multi-layer image.
This procedure is not available to children, pregnant women, because a high dose x-ray irradiation. Among the contraindications include lack of patient is able to stay put for a few minutes.
X-ray
X-rays – a classic procedure is assigned to the diagnosis of degenerative disc disease. Practically harmless, and allows you to assess the degenerative changes. With this technique it is possible to identify the disease at an early stage.
X-ray does not allow to obtain cross-sectional images of the affected tissues. A number of more modern, informative methods of examination. X-ray is only suitable for the initial diagnosis.
Osteochondrosis-threatening condition without timely treatment can lead to irreversible degenerative changes, and disability. In the initial stage may be only a mild discomfort. The development of the pathological process, the symptoms getting more intense. When the first signs of lesions of the spine contact your doctor immediately.