Degenerative dystrophic changes in the structure of the spine and adjacent tissues are called osteochondrosis. More than 70% of the world's population has experienced back pain, accompanied by deterioration in mobility, and many of them have not even suspected that all of these problems are signs of osteochondrosis, the most common disease of the spine. It is very important to recognize the problem at its early stage, as the later stages of the disease are difficult to treat and when the disease starts you run the risk of completely losing mobility.
Today we are going to talk about how osteochondrosis manifests itself and what symptoms accompany it.
Clinical manifestations of the disease
The process of destruction in osteochondrosis affects not only the bone-cartilaginous 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 disease .
- Due to the alteration and destruction of the vertebrae, excessive pressure on the vessels occurs, the main arteries, as a result, deteriorate the blood supply, develop hypoxia - this syndrome is called vascular.
- The deformity of the vertebrae, which occurs during the disease, causes abnormal changes in the spine (lordosis, scoliosis, kyphosis), a trivial change in posture is a static syndrome.
- The violation of nerve endings, blood vessels and arteries leads to a deterioration of metabolic processes in the tissues, the supply of nutrients to them, as a result of which the symptoms (in the form of ulcerative manifestations in the skin) of osteochondrosis, which are called syndrome occur. trophic.
- Violation of nerve endings is accompanied by numbness of the skin, deterioration of muscle reaction, such disease symptoms are called neurological syndrome.
The disease can affect any segment of the spine - cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and it often captures two sections at the same time. The signs of osteochondrosis depend directly on the location of its location and the degree of destruction in the affected area.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae
Today, cervical osteochondrosis is widely diagnosed in the population of working age and the first signs, to which, as usual, few pay attention, are frequent occipital headaches, with gradual progression to the temporal region. In addition, the early stage of the disease is accompanied by discomfort, short-term pulling pain in the cervical spine, a tightness when turning the head.
Furthermore, without proper treatment, the disease progresses, the pain intensifies, the sensitivity (this is due to a deterioration in the blood supply) of the upper shoulder girdle decreases.
The apogee of the disease is the complete loss of motor activity in the upper limbs. In addition, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, which arise as a result of deficient blood supply, are:
- deterioration of vestibular system functions, dizziness, noise, tinnitus, whistling in the ears; impaired visual function (blurred vision, flies in front of the eyes);
- in elderly people, periodic loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, and lack of oxygen are possible.
In addition, a person can be plagued by snoring, numbness, a feeling of cold in the fingers often occur, the probability of a violation of coordination of movements is high.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic vertebrae is a very rare disease, as in this location the spine is less mobile and is supported by a strong rib structure. However, this disease occurs and the signs of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region are very diverse.
The early stage of the disease is accompanied by pain in the chest, moving down to the upper abdomen. The symptoms of breast osteochondrosis are often confused with manifestations of other diseases - cholecystitis, angina pectoris and even renal colic. Often, the patient goes to the cardiologist complaining of pain in the heart region and, after a thorough examination, is referred to a neurologist with suspicion of osteochondrosis.
Depending on the location of the lesion (upper, middle and lower part of the thoracic segment), symptoms such as coughing, the so-called "throat lump", gastritis, increased pressure, arrhythmia and impaired intestinal motility may appear. Therefore, before making an accurate diagnosis, the doctor must carry out a thorough examination to exclude other diseases.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine
The initial manifestations of osteochondrosis are pulling pain in the lower back, radiating to the lower extremities. While at rest, the person hardly notices discomfort, however, if he engages in physical work, makes a sudden movement or remains in a position for a long period, the sensations of pain intensify, accompanied by low back pain and numbness in the lower extremities .
As the disease progresses, the pain syndrome can be applied in the groin area, while in the sacrum, by assuming a horizontal position, the person feels significant relief. Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine also has the following symptoms:
- decreased sensation, tingling, peeling skin;
- numbness of the legs, which can later progress to partial or complete paralysis;
- a feeling of cold in the legs, this is due to a violation of blood supply due to compression of arteries, blood vessels;
- sweat function may be impaired;
- also, due to a violation of the blood supply to the lower spine, dysfunctions of the genitourinary system can occur.
Osteochondrosis of any kind is accompanied by deterioration in the motor activity of the vertebrae, blood flow, compression of nerve endings, and spasms of muscle fibers. The initial degree of the disease responds well to treatment, which cannot be said of the later stages, so it is very important to diagnose the disease in a timely manner and start treatment.
Knowing the initial signs of spinal osteochondrosis, you have every chance of overcoming it completely, without the use of medications and surgical intervention. In this phase, full recovery occurs after the use of physical therapy procedures and therapeutic exercises. Be vigilant, listen to your body and that way you can avoid many problems.