Cervical Osteochondrosis: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Osteochondrosis is a common pathology of the spine characterized by dystrophic changes in the vertebral cartilaginous discs and their bony bases. Most people develop osteochondrosis to some degree after the age of 30. The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are diverse, which often complicates diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

General signs and symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

The osteochondrogenic process can affect any part of the spine or multiple parts at the same time. The lumbar and cervical spine are most susceptible to pathology because they are most susceptible to stress due to the anatomy of the human skeleton.The consequences of cervical osteochondrosis cause the most inconvenience and potential complications because the neck is a region rich in neurovascular highways, many of which directly supply the brain. Therefore, the clinical symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are largely related to cerebral regional ischemia. Additionally, the nerve roots that provide sensitivity and movement to the arms and shoulder girdle can cause different symptoms when compressed by the damaged disc.The symptoms of osteochondrosis of the neck depend on which body system is affected by the pathology: below we will consider the general clinical presentation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

Pain in the back of the head, neck, and collar area

This is the most common symptom. The local area of pain can expand, affecting the shoulders, clavicle area, and chest, turning into a severe migraine.The nature of the pain depends on the location of the lesion and the severity of the pathology. In the first stages of disease development, pain may be transient and gradually become chronic.When it worsens, the pain becomes severe, neck muscle tension increases, and head movement is limited. Often, pain from cervical osteochondrosis may be localized behind the sternum, in which case many patients mistake the symptoms for angina. This can be distinguished by taking nitroglycerin tablets - the pain caused by osteochondrosis is not relieved by this.

Noise, ringing, fullness in the ears

These symptoms are often accompanied by hearing loss. These phenomena are associated with reduced blood flow from the vertebral arteries to the vestibular apparatus. The combination of these symptoms is called cochlear or cochlear syndrome, and its relationship to osteochondrosis of the neck is not always determined. A concrete sign of the distinction is the perception of noise, congestion and ringing in the ears when changing positions after maintaining one position for a long time.

Dizziness

Dizziness is also caused by impaired blood flow to the inner ear organs, which ensure the body's balance. Dizziness is often accompanied by nystagmus - the pupils of the eyeballs swinging randomly from side to side.

lack of air

This sensation occurs due to stimulation of the phrenic nerve endings. It is part of the cervical nerve tract involved in regulating breathing, depth and frequency. The patient complains of being unable to take deep breaths. In some cases, symptoms worsen to severe shortness of breath and suffocation. For the same reason, breathing ceases at night and snoring is observed. Lack of oxygen due to breathing problems can ultimately lead to increased fatigue, decreased concentration, and memory problems.

nausea

Accompanied by hiccups. It is also caused by blood circulation problems in certain areas of the brain and inner ear. Nausea sometimes occurs, accompanied by uncontrollable vomiting, caused by movements of the head and body. Frequent nausea and vomiting can lead to decreased appetite, weight loss, and nutritional deficiencies.

vision problems

"Floaters" in the eyes, decreased vision, and fogging in front of the eyes - these are all symptoms caused by ischemia in the part of the brain responsible for vision. Patients with osteochondrosis rarely complain of vision problems because insufficient blood supply from the vertebral vessels is compensated for by blood flow from the carotid system. Glasses and eye muscle therapeutic exercises do not solve the problem; vision usually improves after osteochondrosis treatment.

blood pressure soaring

Unstable pressure levels are caused by impaired blood flow in the medulla oblongata, which is responsible for the function of the vasomotor center.

Sudden fainting or syncope

This occurs when a cerebral artery spasms due to a short-term cessation of blood flow in the vertebral artery. By having the patient lie down with his legs slightly higher than his head, the patient can be quickly brought out of a state of unconsciousness - blood flows to the brain, bringing the patient back to consciousness. After an episode of syncope, reversible speech and movement problems may occur for a period of time due to a brief cessation of blood flow.

Pharyngeal symptoms

Often they may be the only sign indicating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Symptoms include pain, dryness, foreign body sensation in the throat, and difficulty swallowing. Symptoms are related to compression of the nerve plexus responsible for the pharyngeal nerve supply. It is necessary to distinguish such manifestations from similar clinical manifestations of inflammation or neoplasia.

Increased body temperature

Increased body temperature in cervical osteochondrosis is not the most typical symptom; it is rarely seen locally: in the cervical spine and collar area, with slight redness of the skin. The clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can be, firstly, of varying severity, depending on the stage of pathological development, and during exacerbations they will be brighter, and secondly, they can develop into certain syndromes.

Symptoms depend on the stage of cervical osteochondrosis

Stage 1: The beginning of the disc cartilage degeneration process. Symptoms are mild and sometimes may not be observed at all. Important: These symptoms become more pronounced when the head is tilted.Generally speaking, in the first stage of cervical osteochondrosis, patients do not go to the doctor, thinking that all symptoms are related to fatigue, stress, age, lack of sleep. Stage 2: In this stage, the disc has begun to herniate. , the intervertebral space narrows, and the collagen fibers of the annulus fibrosus of the intervertebral disc are destroyed. Due to compression of the nerve trunk, there will be obvious symptoms of point pain, which will be worse with neck movement and head rotation. Here you can already suspect cervical osteochondrosis, the symptoms of the second stage are as follows: Stages 1, 2, 3, and 4.Holding your head in one position for an extended period of time can cause severe pain. At this stage of the disease, patients already seek help from their doctors. In the third stage, the annulus fibrosus in the intervertebral disc is destroyed, forming a hernia. In the third stage, due to weak fixation, spinal deformation, vertebral displacement and dislocation can be observed.This is the severe stage of the disease in which the patient is no longer able to support the head on his own. Spinal cord ischemia and compression of spinal arteries can lead to paralysis and paresis in other parts of the body and spinal cord stroke.

Syndromes caused by cervical osteochondrosis

The nonspecific and large number of different symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis makes diagnosis and further treatment difficult, as some of the symptoms may be signs of completely different diseases. The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are divided into certain groups called syndromes. Their presence and severity may indicate specifically localized pathology in the cervical spine.A common group of syndromes:Koreshkovi. Also known as cervical radiculitis. It combines symptoms associated with nerve root compression in the cervical spine. It is characterized by "goosebumps" in the affected area, tingling on the fingers and forearms, and mushy skin that spreads to certain fingers.Irritation reflex. When the head and neck position is changed, sneezing, coughing, or turning the head violently, a burning sensation and severe pain in the back of the head and neck may occur, sometimes radiating to the chest and shoulders.Vertebral artery syndrome includes:heart. Images that are nearly identical to those of angina often lead to incorrect diagnosis and treatment. The syndrome occurs due to stimulation of phrenic nerve receptors, with partial involvement of the pericardium and pectoralis major. Therefore, spasms in the heart area are more of a reflex, a response to cervical nerve stimulation. symptom:Vegetative dystonia syndrome. Subluxation and displacement of the first cervical vertebra can lead to vegetative vascular dystonia. VSD is not a definite diagnosis because it has no obvious symptoms.Neurological signs, impaired cerebral blood flow, increased intracranial pressure, and muscle spasms may occur. As a result, the patient's complaints boiled down to dizziness, decreased vision, loss of consciousness, headache, and nausea.

How to treat cervical osteochondrosis

The spinal condition described is a very serious pathology that, if ignored, can lead to disability and, due to severe impairment of cerebral circulation, death. Therefore, you should not self-medicate if you experience such symptoms.In the initial stages, treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is conservative and includes pharmacotherapy: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anesthetics, hormonal preparations, vitamin complexes, chondroprotectants - all of which relieve inflammation, pain, improve soft tissue andNutritional properties of cartilage. vertebra.