Symptoms and signs of osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a widespread and rapidly "rejuvenating" disease affecting masses of people around the world.

These are degenerative changes of a dystrophic nature in the bone tissues of the spine, its joints, cartilage, ligaments.

For a while, a person may not notice the disease, but the signs of osteochondrosis make themselves felt quite quickly: the spine acquires pathological mobility, violates nerve endings, blood vessels, even adjacent tissues, which causes a strong pain.

If the disease has begun, the rapidly growing bone processes further damage the nerve roots and blood vessels.

Symptoms are largely due to the location of the disease.

The main symptoms of the disease

Usually, all symptoms are categorized into four large groups and associated with both the affected area and the individual characteristics of each patient's spine. It should be borne in mind that the manifestations of the disease can greatly increase if a person is too cold, has a cold, is under severe stress, abuses alcohol, eats irregularly or improperly, and also does not normalize physical activity.

1. Static symptoms depend on a change in the shape of each vertebra, which leads to a deterioration in posture: a person acquires scoliosis, or even kyphosis with lordosis, cannot normally straighten his back and turn his head freely. The spine loses its flexibility.
2. Neurological symptoms represent damage to nerve tissue, in which not only the strength of muscle contractions is disturbed, but also a violation of the sensitivity of the skin. The spinal roots are compressed, there is pain, numbness, tingling, disturbing sensation in the affected area. If the disease has started, it can cause paresis of the limbs (partial loss of the ability to move or even complete paralysis).
3. Vascular symptoms develop for two reasons. Firstly, due to compression of the arteries with veins (especially for cervical osteochondrosis, when the arteries supplying the brain are compressed), which leads to a noticeable deterioration in the blood supply to the brain, the appearance of nausea , dizziness and lack of oxygen in certain areas. Secondly, due to irritation of the nerve fibers, a change in the state of the sympathetic nervous system develops. The result is spasms of many vessels, even ischemia.
4. Trophic symptoms occur when the above neurological manifestations overlap with vascular symptoms. As a result, the nutrition of the tissues worsens a lot, which leads to the appearance of ulcers.

If osteochondrosis of the neck develops

The signs of osteochondrosis vary depending on the specific area of the body that is affected. Cervical osteochondrosis is a dangerous and insidious enemy. First, a headache appears, on which analgesics simply do not work.

Painful sensations can affect the back of the head, temples, intensify after a person is in a calm state without movement, and not only the head itself, but also the skin hurts. Then the painful sensations in the arms and shoulders join the problem, the sensitivity of these areas is disturbed.

If you do nothing, the case can end in hand paralysis.

In addition to pain, cervical osteochondrosis is accompanied by other symptoms:

• Nausea, unpleasant noises, unexpected dizziness.
• Deterioration of vision, flies in front of the eyes (all this is a consequence of a violation of proper nutrition and metabolism in the optical system).
• Fainting due to lack of oxygen in the brain, shaky and unstable gait.
• Hiccups, shortness of breath (if the phrenic nerve is affected), lump in the throat.
• Impaired mobility of the neck, painful sensations in it, constant muscle tension.
• Trophic changes in the skin of the hands.
• Constant weakness, lack of strength and fatigue, frequent irritability, a feeling of heat or, conversely, chills.

Quite often, a cervical spine injury is mistaken for stroke, hypertension, a problem with the ENT organs, and even neurasthenia.

If the thoracic region is affected

What symptoms accompany the disease, if it concerns the thoracic region, it is easy to imagine if you remember which organs can be affected. This department is affected relatively rarely, it is difficult to recognize the disease, as the signs are easily confused with the manifestations of other problems.

First, there is pain between the shoulder blades or in the chest, in the upper abdomen. It can involve internal pain and be mistaken for angina pectoris, intestinal or kidney colic, or liver problems. Then it all depends on the department concerned:

• If the upper thoracic segment is affected, the person has trouble swallowing, feels a lump in the throat, and coughs.
• The defeat of the central region of the chest causes pain similar to the manifestation of gastritis, peptic ulcer, heart problems. Arrhythmia appears, blood pressure rises.
• If the lower thoracic segment suffers, the intestinal function is disrupted, the pain is similar to the manifestations of appendicitis.
• To this can be added painful sensations in the heart, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, an uncomfortable feeling of cold, burning or tingling in the chest and abdomen.

The main problem is not that osteochondrosis can be mistaken for a heart attack, angina pectoris, abdominal disease or pneumonia for a long time, but that due to pain a person tries to breathe more accurately, thereby saving himself a vicious circle is obtained: pathology of the respiratory system, chronic respiratory insufficiency, heart damage.

If the lower back is affected

The lumbar region suffers most often, because it is he who receives the greatest loads not only during movements, any movement, but also when lifting heavy objects. The problem with the lumbar region, first of all, makes itself felt with painful sensations not only in the lower back, but also in the lower limbs, leads to numbness of the skin on the legs. Then additional symptoms appear:

• If the motor fibers are affected, paresis can develop, the case will end with paralysis of the legs.
• The defeat of the nerves gives not only pain in the lumbar spine, but also severe low back pain after any load.
• If the pelvic functions are impaired and the blood supply to the pelvic organs is impaired, a person will suffer not only from pain, but also from difficulty in urination (in the case of men, even with an erection), from fecal incontinence.

Most often, physical activity, sudden movements, hypothermia become the trigger for the appearance of pain. The roots are compressed, the intervertebral discs are displaced. The person begins to suffer from aching, dull or, conversely, sharp pain.

Often the painful sensations affect not only the lower back, but also the area of the buttocks, thighs, legs and even the feet. In advanced cases, the volume of the lower limbs may decrease.

Conclusion

Whatever areas are affected by osteochondrosis, it is always a very serious disease that requires the active participation and intervention of doctors. Despite various signs, its main manifestation is severe pain, difficulty moving. Painful sensations are "masked" as manifestations of other diseases, so very often people first turn to cardiologists, therapists, gastroenterologists, suspecting that they are diagnosed with problems with the heart, digestive tract or other organs.

It is necessary to contact a neurologist first, and it is advisable to do this before the pains appear, which are characteristic only of osteochondrosis, and even more so of other signs (such as paresis and paralysis). The doctor, first of all, will ensure the elimination of pain (he will prescribe various painkillers), improve metabolic processes in all tissues (both cartilage, muscle and nervous), eliminate hernias if they have already formed.

In addition to drugs, the patient is prescribed massage, compulsory physical education and various physiotherapy measures.