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Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is a lesion of the vertebral discs of the cervical spine. As a result, they undergo degenerative-dystrophic changes. The main reason for its development is the violation of the normal course of metabolic processes, which leads to a distortion of the structure of the vertebral bodies and cartilaginous discs. In the case of neck location, the symptoms of the pathology are largely determined by the compression of large vessels. The treatment methods are selected according to the stage, the specificity of the course, the severity, the main symptoms.

Characteristics of the disease

The cervical form is the most dangerous type of osteochondrosis: it leads to a deterioration of cerebral circulation, as the vertebral artery passes through this area - one of the largest vessels that supply the brain with the necessary substances and oxygen.

The displacement of vertebrae, abnormal changes and excessive growth of bone and fibrous tissue disturb the normal functioning of the vessel.
The specificity of osteochondrosis symptoms in this part is determined, among other things, by one of the structural characteristics of the cervical vertebrae, which consists of their greater adherence to each other. As a result, any change in a segment causes the entire department to fail.

Clinic depending on the stage

In the process of its development, cervical osteochondrosis goes through four stages. How does this manifest in each of them?

  1. Stage 1. It is characterized by the appearance of initial disturbances in the stability of the intervertebral discs. Symptoms are mild or absent. Not very pronounced pain sensations and local muscle tension are possible.
  2. Stage 2. The protrusion of the disc begins, the gaps between the vertebrae are reduced, the fibrous ring collapses. In many cases, as a result of the compression of the nerve endings, pain, mainly punctual, appears. They intensify when turning, tilting the neck. The tone decreases, weakness often appears.
  3. Stage 3. The process of final destruction of the fibrous ring leads to the formation of hernias. This phase is characterized by a significant deformation of the spine. The increase in pain and fatigue occurs in the context of sensory disturbances and limited mobility in the affected area.
  4. Stage 4 is the most difficult. The severe pain syndrome manifests itself with any attempt at movement, which causes a significant limitation of mobility in this department. Sometimes the pain subsides, but this does not show an improvement in the condition, but only indicates an increase in the size of the bone growths, significantly limiting movement. They often lead to the patient's disability.
Pain is the main symptom of cervical osteochondrosis

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

When located in the cervical spine, the predominant symptoms of osteochondrosis are:

  • pain in the neck, neck, shoulder, arms;
  • movement restriction, crushing in several turns, neck bending;
  • weakness in the hands;
  • pulling the pain on the left side of the chest, radiating to the corresponding arm;
  • burns in the interscapular zone;
  • recurring headaches;
  • weakness;
  • dizziness (with severe course of cervical osteochondrosis, can reach loss of consciousness);
  • the coordination of movements is impaired, which is mainly reflected in gait;
  • hearing loss, ringing in the ears;
  • reduced vision;
  • sore throat;
  • poor oral health;
  • weakening or hoarseness of the voice;
  • snoring is the result of tension in the neck muscles.

In the cervicothoracic type, the symptoms are almost similar to those of cervical osteochondrosis. This:

    asthenic
  • syndrome;
  • dizziness and headaches;
  • periodic pressure fluctuations;
  • flies blinking before the eyes;
  • pain in the shoulder girdle and arms;
  • muscle weakness;
  • numbness, tingling, cold in the fingers;
  • chest pain, heart area;
  • nausea;
  • numbness of the tongue, face;
  • dental problems;
  • sensation of current flowing along the arms when trying to bend the neck.

Syndromes

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are not considered typical. Which one is more pronounced depends a lot on the specific target. Many of the manifestations may be mistakenly associated with other pathological conditions. Therefore, there are often cases where the wrong treatment is prescribed.
The symptom complex is divided into the following groups:

  • root;
    • vertebral artery syndrome
  • ;
  • irritative reflex syndrome.

Root syndrome

His second name is cervical sciatica. The syndrome develops as a result of the tightening of nerve endings in the neck. The pains are transmitted from the neck, passing to the shoulder blades, going down along the shoulder, on the external part of the forearm, to the fingers. In this case, they usually appear:

  • scary feeling;
  • tingling in the hand, forearm, fingers;
    • pasty
  • .

Manifestations also vary depending on the area of ​​the injury. If the central nerve endings are affected, the pastyness will extend to the thumb, middle and index fingers. When the brachial nerve endings are pinched, the little finger and the ring finger are affected.

Irritative reflex syndrome

Burning and sharp pain in the cervico-occipital region, which arises during movement after a static state: after sleep, when sneezing, a sudden turn of the head becomes its signal. Often, the pain radiates to the shoulder and chest.

Vertebral artery syndrome

The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:

  • throbbing or burning headache (paroxysmal or persistent), spreading to the temporal region, the top of the head, the nape and the eyebrow ridges;
  • increased discomfort with certain movements or after an extended stay in an uncomfortable position;
  • general weakness;
  • nausea;
  • loss of consciousness;
  • hearing problems;
  • vestibular disorders;
  • eye pain;
  • blurred vision.

Heart syndrome

With the appearance of this complex of symptoms of osteochondrosis of the neck, a picture almost similar to that of angina pectoris develops, which often leads to an erroneous treatment.
Muscle contractions and spasms around the heart are most likely a reflex response to compression of nerve endings in the lower cervical region. Cardiac syndrome is a consequence of irritation of the phrenic nerve (its fibers lead to the pericardium) or the pectoralis major muscle:

  • the pains appear suddenly, last a long time;
  • aggravated by a sudden movement of the neck, coughing, sneezing;
  • tachycardia and extrasystole are possible;
  • the pain does not stop after taking coronary dilators;
  • there are no signs of impaired circulation on the ECG.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Exacerbation of the disease

In the exacerbation phase, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:

  • increased pain and its radiation to the scapula, interscapular zone, arms, shoulders;
  • Difficulty moving the shoulders, torso, arms, sometimes breathing (inhalation and exhalation);
  • pain syndrome usually resembles a heart attack or intercostal neuralgia;
  • when the pain appears in the right hypochondrium or in the iliac area, the clinic is similar to the manifestations of gastritis or cholecystitis;
  • the headaches are long lasting, there is an imbalance of visual and auditory functions;
  • in the innervation area, the skin's trophism is disturbed, tingling, numbness, dryness, pallor, burning, cold appear;
  • the tone of the cervical muscles increases;
  • weakness, lethargy, nervous tension, anxiety, emotional instability appear;
  • possible sleep disorders, memory disorders and concentration problems.

Osteochondrosis and vegetative-vascular dystonia

Cervical osteochondrosis can lead to subluxation of the first cervical vertebra with displacement to the right or left, which causes the development of VSD (vegetative vascular dystonia). It is quite difficult to identify, as there are often no symptoms or are mild. In that case, you can:

  • compression of sympathetic nerve plexuses, leading to the appearance of neurological signs or VSD;
  • compression of arteries and impaired cerebral circulation;
  • compression of the veins, causing a violation of blood flow and a consequent jump in intracranial pressure;
  • compression of the spinal cord, causing a deterioration in the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid, which also results in high pressure inside the skull;
  • muscle spasm that worsens symptoms as a result of severe compression of blood vessels and nerves.

The resulting processes are:

  • headaches;
  • darkening of the eyes;
  • dizziness;
  • impaired visual acuity;
  • double vision (diplopia);
  • blinking before the eyes of "flies";
  • high or low pressure;
  • nausea, sometimes with vomiting;
  • loss of consciousness.

Vertebral subluxation is detected by x-ray. Its reduction is a very complicated procedure, usually performed under general anesthesia.

How the disease is diagnosed

The main methods for the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis are:

    radiography
  • ;
  • magnetic resonance imaging;
  • computed tomography;
  • Doppler ultrasound;
  • duplex scanning.

The last two methods are used to check the condition of the neck vessels.