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 impaired mobility, and many of them had no idea 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 initial stage, since the later stages of the disease are difficult to treat, and by starting 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 and cartilage tissue of the spine, but also blood vessels, arteries, nerve endings, so the symptoms or 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, worsen the blood supply, hypoxia develops - this syndrome is called vascular.
- Vertebral deformity, which occurs during the disease, leads to abnormal changes in the spine (lordosis, scoliosis, kyphosis), a banal change in posture is a static syndrome.
- Injury to nerve endings, blood vessels and arteries leads to deterioration of metabolic processes in tissues, supply of them with nutrients, resulting in symptoms (in the form of ulcerative manifestations on the skin) of osteochondrosis, the so-called. trophic syndrome.
- Injury to the nerve endings is accompanied by numbness of the skin, worsening of the muscular reaction, such symptoms of the disease are called neurological syndrome.
The disease can affect any segment of the spine - cervical, thoracic, lumbar, in addition, it often affects two parts at once. The signs of osteochondrosis directly depend on the place of its localization and the degree of destruction of the affected area.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae
Today, cervical osteochondrosis is quite often 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 region. Also, the initial phase of the disease is accompanied by discomfort, withdrawal of short-term pain in the cervical spine, squeaking when turning the head.
Further, without proper treatment, the disease progresses, the pain intensifies, the sensitivity decreases (this is due to the deterioration of the blood supply) of the upper shoulder girdle.
The apogee of the disease is the complete loss of motor activity of the upper limbs. Also, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, which occur as a result of impaired blood supply, are:
- deterioration of the functions of the vestibular apparatus, dizziness, noise, buzzing, whistling in the ears; impaired visual function (blurred vision, flies in front of the eyes);
- in the elderly, periodic loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing and lack of oxygen are possible.
In addition, a person may suffer from snoring, numbness, often a feeling of coldness in the fingers, there is a high probability of violation of coordination of movements.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic vertebrae is a rather rare disease, because in this place the spinal column is less mobile and is supported by a strong frame of the ribs. However, this disease occurs and the signs of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are very diverse.
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 pectoris, and even renal colic. The patient often comes to the cardiologist with complaints of pain in the area of the heart, and after a detailed examination, he is referred to a neurologist with suspected osteochondrosis.
Depending on the location of the lesion (upper, middle, lower part of the thoracic segment), symptoms such as cough, so-called. Therefore, before making an accurate diagnosis, the doctor must conduct a thorough examination to rule out other diseases.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine
The initial manifestations of osteochondrosis are dragging pain in the lumbar region, which spreads to the lower extremities. At rest, a person practically does not notice discomfort, however, if he engages in physical work, makes a sudden movement or stays in one position for a long time, the feelings of pain intensify, followed by lumbago and numbness of the lower extremities.
As the disease progresses, the pain syndrome may set in in the groin area, while the sacrum, while occupying a horizontal position, the person feels significant relief. Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine also has the following symptoms:
- decreased sensitivity, tingling, peeling skin;
- numbness of the legs, which may later develop into partial or complete paralysis;
- feeling cold in the legs, it is due to violation of the blood supply due to compression of arteries, blood vessels;
- sweating function may be impaired;
- also, due to disruption of the blood supply to the lower spine, malfunctions in the genitourinary system are possible.
Osteochondrosis of any kind is accompanied by worsening of motor activity of the vertebrae, blood flow, compression of nerve endings and spasms of muscle fibers. The initial stage of the disease responds well to treatment, which cannot be said about the later stages, so it is very important that the disease is diagnosed in time and treatment begins.
Knowing the initial signs of osteochondrosis of the spine, you have every chance to completely overcome it, without the use of drugs and surgery, in this phase there is a complete recovery after the use of physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises. Be careful, listen to your body and then you will be able to avoid many problems.