Signs of cervical osteochondrosis in a strong manifestation usually take the patient by surprise, although the prerequisites for the disease are observed long before the onset of the main symptoms and are the result of degenerative changes in the structure of the vertebrae. Most often, the nerve roots of the levels C5, C6, C7 (cervical spine) are affected.
Clinical manifestations
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are divided into root and reflexes.
Reflex syndrome
Low back pain is characteristic of reflex symptoms. Their main feature is the sudden appearance of an awkward movement, snap or prolonged presence of the head in one position. A low back pain of the cervical spine literally makes a person fall out of a groove, movements become restricted, the patient takes a forced position due to severe pain.
Frequent patient complaints:
- constricting headaches that radiate to the temples or eyes;
- decrease in visual acuity, in front of the eyes as if "everything was floating";
- possible pressure increase.
Vertebral artery syndrome occurs when the nerve plexus is irritated, which is often misdiagnosed as a cerebrovascular accident. Manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis with a similar syndrome are frequent dizziness that occurs with a sharp rotation of the head, almost always accompanied by an unpleasant feeling of nausea and even vomiting.
It is important to exclude cerebrovascular accidents when making a diagnosis, since the treatment of osteochondrosis is fundamentally different from the treatment of diseases of the vascular system.
With a cardiac symptom in the clinic of reflex syndromes in cervical osteochondrosis, the patient is characterized by sensations similar to an attack of angina pectoris, but difficulties in the accurate diagnosis of the disease are usually not observed, since the cardialgic symptom is accompaniedfrom a number of symptoms characteristic of osteochondrosis of the spine.
Radicular syndrome
Signs of cervical osteochondrosis in radicular syndrome occur in direct proportion to the "number" of the compressed nerve.
Symptoms, sensory and motor changes depend on the affected nerve root:
- C1- there is a violation of sensitivity in the occipital region;
- C2- the patient feels pain in the parietal and occipital regions;
- C3- pain appears in the middle of the neck where the infringement occurred. Symptoms: decreased sensitivity, interruption of work and touch of the tongue, speech disorders;
- C4- there are pains in the scapular region of the shoulder, reduced sensitivity, can injure the heart and liver;
- C5- the patient does not feel well the shoulder on its outer surface, he is worried about pain in this area;
- C6- pain in osteochondrosis at the level of the sixth vertebra extends to the forearm, shoulder blade, radial surface and "descends" to the thumb;
- C7- pain "spreads" from the neck to the shoulder blade, passes along the back of the shoulder and forearm, goes to 2-4 fingers of the hand, sensitivity in this areagets worse;
- C8- pains are localized from the neck to the shoulder and beyond to the little finger.
Inseparable pathological connection
VSD and cervical osteochondrosis are closely related and vegetative-vascular dystonia can occur as a result of damage to the cartilage of the cervical joint, which loosens the human nervous system. Dystonia and osteochondrosis, detected at the same time, can be a common disease or VSD occurs for common reasons.
Osteochondrosis is one of the factors that causes VSD, but the latter does not need to follow from the former.
Vegeto-vascular dystonia often occurs in various types of osteochondrosis, especially in disorders of the cervical spine. But it can also occur as a result of injury, compression of the nerves in the cervical spine occurs, blood flow worsens, and pressure inside the skull increases.
Diagnostic errors
VSD, osteochondrosis and chest pain are radically treated in different ways. Expensive (and often unnecessary) tests show nothing but problems in the cervico-thoracic region and disturbances in the work of blood vessels. In this case, the treatment often remains the same: heart complexes, vitamins, antidepressants. Chiropractors take away the pain, put the patient in an optimistic mood, but panic attacks, stress and fatigue are going nowhere.
More and more people are victims of improper therapy, panic attacks (or a VSD attack) are becoming almost the norm for them, but still, many patients prefer self-medication or visits from "doctors" whoseactivities are not aimed at getting rid of the disease, but only for personal enrichment.
Groups of characteristic manifestations
The main clinical signs of cervical osteochondrosis can be divided into several groups:
- Before
- .Neurological symptoms arise as a consequence of complications in cervical osteochondrosis and with direct pressure on nerve roots, nerve plexuses;
- second.Symptoms occur with direct exposure to the spinal cord;
- third.Symptoms arise in the brain, affecting its vessels, structures, membranes and trunk.
Each of the listed groups has its own clinical signs and pattern of manifestations, but there is a commonality of symptoms, thanks to which a correct diagnosis can be made.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae often appear as a neurological complication, a feature of which is pain in the shoulder joint. This pathology is called "periarthritis of the shoulder blade".
The distinguishing features of spinal cord compression in the cervical region are volumetric lesions in the tissues and a sharp decrease in important functions. The sensitivity of the skin and muscles is impaired, paresis develops and, in complex pathological cases, paralysis.
That is why, even at the first suspicion of cervical osteochondrosis, it is important to visit a specialist, carry out the necessary diagnostic measures and undergo a course of treatment. Remember that the pathology detected in time is eliminated quickly and without consequences.