Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is represented by a degenerative-dystrophic pathology of the intervertebral discs. This disease refers to progressive disc disorders.
The cervical spine is represented by 7 discs. The cervical region is considered the most mobile. Thanks to this mobility, tilts and turns of the head become possible.
The reason for the frequent injury of this part of the spine is the weakness of its muscular corset. The cervical region withstands constant loads, which consist in maintaining the head, performing its turns, tilts. It is because of such a strong tension that dystrophic changes (osteochondrosis) occur in it.
Stages of the disease
In osteochondrosis, the following stages of development are distinguished:
- Osteochondrosis of the 1st degree of the cervical region has instability as the main symptom. In the vertebral discs, initial disturbances are noted.
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical region of the 2nd degree has protrusion of the discs as the main symptom. The destruction of the fibrous ring occurs due to a decrease in the gap between the discs. The patient is disturbed by painful sensations, the cause of which is the pinching of the nerve endings.
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical region of the 3rd degree manifests itself in the final destruction of the fibrous ring. As a result of such destruction, an intervertebral hernia occurs. At this stage of disease progression, the patient's spine undergoes severe deformities.
- The fourth degree is considered the most severe. The patient is disturbed by very strong sharp pains at the slightest movements. Periodically, the patient's condition improves, he is no longer worried about very severe pain. But such relief is very dangerous. It indicates the formation of bone growths connecting the vertebrae. The formed growths limit the movements of the spine and in the future can cause the patient's disability.
Causes of pathology
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine began to occur not only in people over 40, but also in young people (18-30 years old).
The most common causes of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:
- excess weight;
- trauma;
- violation of posture;
- hypothermia, infectious diseases;
- metabolic disease;
- the presence of nervous strain, stress;
- sedentary lifestyle.
Osteochondrosis develops against the background of muscle clamps. Under the influence of muscle spasms, there is a violation of blood supply, restriction of mobility and a violation of posture. As a result of these changes, dystrophic processes develop inside the intervertebral discs and vertebrae. As a result of dystrophic processes, narrowing of the intervertebral discs occurs, due to which the nerve roots emerging from them are compressed.
Symptoms
The peculiarity of the cervical spine lies in its saturation with blood vessels necessary to nourish the brain. Therefore, the signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine depend on insufficient blood supply to the organs of the head. The lack of oxygen and nutrients negatively affects the brain.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine symptoms are as follows:
- Frequent headaches.
- Hearing loss, ringing in the ears.
- The appearance of severe dizziness, which may even be accompanied by loss of consciousness.
- Reduced vision.
- Violation of coordination of movements.
- Appearance of hoarseness.
- Snoring occurs, indicating the presence of chronic muscle tension.
As a result of pinched nerves in the cervical region, the following symptoms appear:
- soreness of the skin, teeth;
- weakness in the arms;
- numbness, cold fingers on the upper limbs;
- pain in the neck, throat.
Pathological changes accompanying the disease have a lot of clinical manifestations. Most of them, in addition to pain in the neck, can raise the suspicion of the development of completely different diseases. Turning to the clinic with complaints of pain in the elbow, decreased vision, manifestation of visual disorders, the patient does not even allow the thought of developing osteochondrosis in him.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine are conventionally divided into 3 groups:
- neurological symptoms. It is a complication that occurs as a result of trauma to the discs, nerve roots, nerves, and nerve plexuses. These symptoms are pain. Pain in osteochondrosis of the cervical region is of a piercing, shooting character. It can also be characterized as boring, dull. It can be constant or intermittent, but always localized in the depths of the neck. It is pain in the neck that is considered the main sign of the development of osteochondrosis. She accompanies the patient from the moment of awakening, intensifying during the day. Pain can affect the upper limbs, chest area, head.
- Symptoms associated with the effect of the disease on the spinal cord. It manifests itself in the presence of movement disorders. The patient, closing his eyes, feels a lack of coordination. Insufficient supply of blood to the spinal cord causes increased fatigue, the development of myelopathy (disappearance of pain, temperature sensitivity). The patient is concerned about weakness in the upper, lower extremities.
- Symptoms associated with damage to the brain, cranial nerves, cerebral vessels. It manifests itself in a pathological effect on the vessels. The lack of blood flow within the system that regulates the blood supply to the brain stem provokes a violation of its functions. The patient has increased fatigue, irritability, he is worried about a sleep disorder. He has an increase in pressure with osteochondrosis of the cervical region, the pulse also increases, sweating, and dizziness appears. Also, the patient may experience noise in the ear with osteochondrosis of the cervical region. The patient is disturbed by the feeling of stuffiness in the ear, the hearing itself is reduced. In the presence of these symptoms, as well as a decrease in visual acuity, it is very difficult to determine the relationship with progressive cervical osteochondrosis.
Most often, these symptoms do not appear separately, but together, but with a predominance of one of the groups.
Syndrome classification
When osteochondrosis of the cervical spine occurs, the symptoms will depend on which object struck the disease:
- Syndrome of the vertebral artery.
- radicular syndromes.
- cardiac syndrome.
- Irritative reflex syndrome.
- Spinal cord compression.
Cardiac syndrome
Symptoms of the disease are similar to those of angina pectoris. Spasms of the heart muscle can be the result of compression of the nerve roots in the lower part of the cervical region. Cardiac syndrome appears with irritation of the pectoralis major muscle, the roots of the phrenic nerve.
Paroxysmal pains are felt for quite a long time, for several hours. They intensify during the performance of sudden movements (sneezing, a sharp turn of the head, coughing).
Radicular syndromes
The cause of their occurrence is a pinched nerve. Such symptoms appear in the patient due to compression of the nerve roots. The pain occurs directly in the neck, then goes down, affects the shoulder blade, shoulder, outer part of the forearm, reaching the fingers. The patient may feel pastosity, the effect of "running goosebumps", tingling on the fingers, hands, forearm.
The difference in the symptoms of the disease also depends on the segment that affected the disease:
- Pastosity of the index, middle fingers is noted when the roots of the central nerve are injured.
- Pastosity of the ring finger, little finger is characteristic of the defeat of the roots of the brachial nerve.
vertebral artery syndrome
It is characterized by the appearance of a throbbing headache. This constant pain also affects the temple, crown, occipital and superciliary regions. Sometimes the pain becomes paroxysmal. Increased pain is noted when moving, taking an uncomfortable position. The patient also has disturbances in the functioning of the auditory, visual, vestibular apparatus. The patient notices a drop in visual acuity, hearing, he begins to be disturbed by pain in the eyes, a disorder of the vestibular apparatus. With a general weakening of the body, there is a possibility of attacks of nausea, loss of consciousness.
Irritative reflex syndrome
The patient is disturbed by acute pain in the cervical-occipital region. It occurs at the beginning of movement after a state of rest, for example, after sleep. Also, burning pain can accompany sneezing, performing sharp turns of the head. She gives in the shoulder, chest.
If you feel any of these symptoms, you should contact the clinic for specialized treatment in order to avoid serious complications.