Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the structure of the spine and adjacent tissues are called osteochondrosis. More than 70% of the world's population experienced back pain, accompanied by a deterioration in mobility, and many of them did not even suspect that all these problems were signs of osteochondrosis, the most common disease of the spine. It is very important to recognize the problem in its early stages, as the later stages of the disease are difficult to treat and with the onset of the disease you risk losing your mobility completely.
Today we will talk about how osteochondrosis manifests itself and what symptoms accompany this disease.
Clinical manifestations of the disease
The process of destruction in osteochondrosis affects not only the bone-cartilage tissue of the spine, but also the vessels, arteries, nerve endings, so the symptoms or rather the syndromes of osteochondrosis are combined according to the general clinical manifestations of the disease.
- Due to the change and destruction of the vertebrae, there is excessive pressure on the blood vessels, the main arteries, as a result, the blood supply deteriorates, hypoxia develops - this syndrome is called vascular syndrome.
- The deformity of the vertebrae, which occurs during the disease, involves abnormal changes in the spine (lordosis, scoliosis, kyphosis), a common change in posture is a static syndrome.
- Violation of nerve endings, blood vessels and arteries leads to deterioration of metabolic processes in the tissues, the supply of nutrients to them, as a result of which symptoms (in the form of skin ulcers) of osteochondrosis appear, which are called trophicsyndrome.
- Violation of the nerve endings is accompanied by numbness of the skin, worsening of the muscle reaction, such symptoms of the disease are called neurological syndrome.
The disease can affect any part of the spine - cervical, thoracic, lumbar, in addition, it often affects two parts at once. The signs of osteochondrosis depend directly on its location and the degree of destruction of the affected area.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae
Today, cervical osteochondrosis is quite commonly diagnosed in the working age population and the first signs, which, as usual, few people pay attention to, are frequent occipital headaches, which gradually move to the temporal area. Also, the initial stage of the disease is accompanied by discomfort, pulling short-term pain in the cervical spine, creasing when the head rotates.
Further, without proper treatment, the disease progresses, the pain intensifies, the sensitivity decreases (this is due to a deterioration of the blood supply) of the upper shoulder girdle.
The culmination of the disease is the complete loss of motor activity of the upper extremities. Also, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, which occur as a result of impaired blood supply, are:
- deterioration of vestibular functions, dizziness, noise, ringing, whistling in the ears. impaired visual function (blurred vision, flies in front of the eyes).
- in the elderly, periodic loss of consciousness, shortness of breath and lack of oxygen are possible.
In addition, a person may suffer from snoring, numbness, a feeling of coldness in the fingers often occurs, the likelihood of violation of coordination of movements is high.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic vertebrae is a fairly rare disease, as at this point the spine is less mobile and is supported by a strong rib frame. However, this disease occurs and the signs of osteochondrosis of the chest area are very different.
The initial stage of the disease is accompanied by chest pain, which descends to the upper abdomen. The symptoms of osteochondrosis of the breast are often confused with the manifestations of other diseases - cholecystitis, angina, and even renal colic. Quite often, a patient comes to a cardiologist complaining of pain in the heart area and after a thorough examination is referred to a neurologist with suspected osteochondrosis.
Depending on the location of the lesion (upper, middle, lower part of the chest), symptoms such as cough, so-called "throat lump", gastritis, increased pressure, arrhythmia and intestinal motility may occur. . Therefore, before making an accurate diagnosis, the doctor must conduct a thorough examination to rule out other conditions.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine
The initial manifestations of osteochondrosis are pulling pain in the lumbar region, which radiates to the lower extremities. During rest, a person practically does not notice discomfort, however, if he engages in physical work, makes a sudden movement or stays in a position for a long time, the sensations of pain intensify, accompanied by lumbar pain and numbness of the lower extremities. .
As the disease progresses, the pain syndrome can be given to the groin, while the sacrum, while taking a horizontal position, the person feels significant relief. Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine also has the following symptoms:
- reduced sensitivity, tingling, peeling of the skin.
- numbness of the legs, which can then develop into partial or complete paralysis.
- a feeling of coldness in the legs, this is due to a violation of the blood supply due to compression of the arteries, blood vessels.
- sweating function may be reduced.
- also, due to violation of the blood supply to the lower part of the spine, dysfunctions of the urogenital system are possible.
Osteochondrosis of any type is accompanied by deterioration of the motor activity of the vertebrae, blood flow, compression of the nerve endings and spasms of the muscle fibers. The initial stage of the disease responds well to treatment, something that can not be said about the later stages, so it is very important to make an early diagnosis of the disease and start treatment.
Knowing the initial signs of vertebral osteochondrosis, you have every chance to overcome it completely, without the use of drugs and surgery, at this stage, complete recovery occurs after the use of physiotherapy procedures and therapeutic exercises. Be alert, listen to your body and then you will be able to avoid many problems.