Back and neck injuries, intense physical exertion, sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy, old age - all these are the causes of diseases of the spine, the support of the human body. Symptoms of osteochondrosis, cervical, thoracic or lumbar, are different, so any sign, even subtle, cannot be ignored. The sooner the treatment begins, the sooner healing will come. If you notice the first manifestations of the disease in yourself, consult a doctor and undergo an examination.
What is osteochondrosis
One of the most diagnosed diseases of the spine is osteochondrosis, the signs of which are found in every third person after 35 years. It mainly affects older people with overweight, former athletes or workers whose professional activities are associated with heavy loads. According to the statistics of recent years, it is clear that the disease is getting younger. Girls and boys who prefer to lead a sedentary lifestyle no longer surprise doctors with complaints of back pain.
Osteochondrosis is a disease of the spine, in which there is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the intervertebral discs. If left untreated, destruction of the vertebrae themselves begins, leading to disability, atrophy and paralysis of the limbs. Such a problem can also provoke a stroke of the spinal cord, sciatica, kyphosis, protrusion. At the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to seek the help of a doctor.
Each degree of this dystrophic disorder of the spine is characterized by its own symptoms and signs. There are four stages in total. In the first stage, pathological changes occur, expressed in dehydration and decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc. On the second, the sagging of the vertebral muscles and ligaments is fixed, spondylolisthesis (displacement, curvature of the disc) is diagnosed. The third stage is characterized by the appearance of prolapses and protrusions of the discs. At the last stage, deformation of the vertebrae occurs, on which bone growths grow - osteophytes grow.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of osteochondrosis depend on the stage of development in which it is located. The type of disease also plays an important role. Osteochondrosis affects different parts of the spine: cervical, thoracic, lumbar. Some patient signs may not be associated with the spine, for example heart or headache, numbness in the fingers and toes. The patient at the same time complains that the neck hurts or stings the chest. It is very important to ask the hospital for help. Treatment of the disease takes about 3 months, plus a year is granted for rehabilitation.
The most common symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- back pain between the shoulder blades;
- dizziness;
- feeling of a lump in the throat;
- nausea;
- loss of sensation in the limbs;
- high temperature;
- numbness of the limbs.
Cervical osteochondrosis
If we consider the signs according to the type of disease, problems with the cervical vertebrae are dangerous due to the proximity to the brain. Here there is a partial overlap of the blood vessels that carry blood to the head. Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are:
- dizziness;
- clouding in the eyes;
- noise in the ears;
- "drift" when walking;
- pain in the nape, arms, shoulders.
Thoracic osteochondrosis
This type of disease affects the heart, as a result of which the patient begins to complain of such symptoms:
- pain in the chest, back, shoulders;
- pain in the heart;
- angina;
- feeling of a lump in the throat;
- attacks of shortness of breath;
- shortness of breath;
- numbness of hands and feet.
Lumbar osteochondrosis
A disease affecting the lower spine leads to problems with the pelvic organs. Sexual function suffers. The signs of lumbar osteochondrosis are:
- pain in the coccyx, sacrum, lower back;
- spasms of the muscles of the thighs, calves, buttocks;
- shoot in the legs;
- numbness of the limbs;
- poor joint mobility;
- exacerbation of diseases of the genitourinary system.
Symptoms of wandering osteochondrosis
This concept means osteochondrosis, which develops in two parts of the spine, for example, the cervicothoracic type of the disease. In this case, the patient will feel painful signs that appear first in one place on the back, then in another, i. e. the location of the pain will shift. In this case, the patient can diagnose a violation of the cardiovascular system and even take drugs to treat this problem, which cannot be done without a medical examination.
Signs of osteochondrosis
Depending on what affects the disease, doctors distinguish four groups of syndromes, each of which is characterized by its own symptoms. The syndromes of osteochondrosis are as follows:
- static syndrome. This concept refers to a change in the shape of the spine. There is a violation of posture: a person begins to bend over, stoop, lower one shoulder under the other. Scoliosis appears.
- neurological syndrome. The disease affects the nervous system. The person complains of tingling, numbness. Neurological symptoms turn into complications in the form of paralysis or convulsions.
- vascular syndrome. Here we are talking about squeezing the vessels through the processes of the vertebra. This situation is often observed in the cervical form of the disease. The result is a violation of blood circulation, oxygen starvation in the brain, which leads to fogging, dizziness, nausea, hearing and vision loss. With thoracic or lumbar osteochondrosis, chronic ischemia of the internal organs is observed.
- trophic syndrome. It is characterized by insufficient nutrition of tissues with essential substances. As a result, ulcers, inflammation and other defects appear on the skin.
The first signs of osteochondrosis
In the initial stage of the disease, as well as in the last, the patient does not feel any discomfort. Only a doctor is able to identify a problem at this stage of development, for example when diagnosing another disease or during a medical examination. The diagnostic methods are as follows:
- x-ray of the spine in two projections, if necessary x-ray of a single vertebra;
- magnetic resonance (determination of the herniated intervertebral disc, assessment of the condition of the spinal cord);
- discography (examination of the intervertebral disc);
- electrophysical examination (determination of the degree of damage to the nerve pathways).