Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the structure of the spine and adjacent tissues are called osteochondrosis. More than 70% of the world’s population suffers from pain in the back, accompanied by a decline in mobility, and many of them do not suspect that all of these problems are signs of osteochondrosis, the most common spinal disease. It is very important to recognize the problem at an early stage, because the late stages of the disease are difficult to treat, and by starting the disease, you risk losing mobility completely.
Today we will talk about how osteochondrosis manifests itself, and what symptoms accompany the disease.
Clinical manifestations of the disease
The process of destruction in osteochondrosis affects not only the cartilage tissue of the spine, but also the ducts, arteries, nerve endings, therefore the symptoms, or rather the syndrome of osteochondrosis, are combined according to the general clinical manifestations of the disease. .
- Due to the changes and destruction of the vertebrae, excessive pressure on the vessels occurs, the main arteries, as a result, deteriorates blood supply, hypoxia develops - this syndrome is called vascular.
- Vertebral deformities, which occur during the disease, require abnormal changes in the spinal column (lordosis, scoliosis, kyphosis), superficial changes in posture are static syndrome.
- Violation of nerve endings, blood vessels and arteries leads to deterioration of metabolic processes in tissues, the supply of nutrients to them, as a result of which symptoms (in the form of ulcerative manifestations on the skin) of osteochondrosis occur, so -called. trophic syndrome.
- Violation of nerve endings is accompanied by numbness of the skin, deterioration of muscular responses, symptoms of such a disease are called neurological syndrome.
The disease can affect any segment of the spine - cervix, thorax, lumbar, in addition, it often catches 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 frequently diagnosed in the working age population and the first signs, which, as usual, some people pay attention to, are frequent occipital headaches, gradually moving to the temporal region. Also, the early stages of the disease are accompanied by discomfort, pulling short -term pain in the cervical spine, dryness when turning the head.
Further, without proper treatment, the disease persists, pain increases, sensitivity decreases (this is due to a deterioration in blood supply) of the upper shoulder girdle.
The apogee of this disease is the complete loss of motor activity of the upper limbs. Also, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, which arise as a result of impaired blood supply, are:
- deterioration of vestibular function, dizziness, noise, ringing, wheezing in the ears; impaired visual function (blurred vision, flies in front of the eyes);
- in the elderly, periodic loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, and lack of oxygen are possible.
In addition, a person may be tormented by snoring, numbness, coldness in the fingers often occurs, the possibility of violation of coordination of movements is high.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic vertebrae is a relatively rare disease, because in this place the spinal column is less mobile and is supported by a strong rib skeleton. However, the disease occurs and the signs of osteochondrosis in the thoracic area are very varied.
The early stages of the disease are accompanied by pain in the chest, down to the upper abdomen. Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the breast are often confused with manifestations of other diseases - cholecystitis, angina pectoris, even renal colic. Often, the patient comes to the cardiologist with a complaint of pain in the heart area, and after a thorough examination he is referred to a neurologist with suspicion of osteochondrosis.
Depending on the location of the lesion (upper, middle, lower part of the thoracic segment), symptoms such as coughing, called "lumps in the throat", gastritis, increased pressure, arrhythmias, and impaired bowel movements may appear. . Therefore, before making an accurate diagnosis, the doctor must conduct a thorough examination to rule out other diseases.
Symptoms of lumbar spine osteochondrosis
The initial manifestation of osteochondrosis is pulling pain in the lumbar region, radiating to the lower part. During rest, a person is practically unaware of the discomfort, however, if he engages in physical labor, makes sudden movements or is in one position for a long time, the pain increases, accompanied by lumbago and numbness in the lower legs. .
As the disease progresses, the pain syndrome can be given to the groin area, while the sacrum, while taking a horizontal position, the person feels significant relief. Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine also has the following symptoms:
- decreased sensitivity, tingling, peeling of the skin;
- numbness of the feet, which can then develop into partial or complete paralysis;
- feeling cold in the legs, this is due to violation of blood supply due to compression of arteries, blood vessels;
- sweating function may be impaired;
- also, due to violation of blood supply to the lower spine, damage to the genitourinary system is possible.
Osteochondrosis of any type is accompanied by a deterioration in vertebral motor activity, blood flow, compression of nerve endings and muscle fiber spasm. The early stages of the disease respond well to treatment, which cannot be said about the later stages, so it is very important to diagnose the disease in a timely manner and start treatment.
Knowing the early signs of spinal osteochondrosis, you have every chance to overcome it completely, without the use of drugs and surgical intervention, at this stage, full recovery occurs after the use of physiotherapeutic procedures and therapeutic exercises. Be careful, listen to your body and then you will be able to avoid many problems.