The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are so contradictory that in the initial stages of the disease an incorrect diagnosis is often made and a completely different disease is treated. But over time, clearer signs appear and it becomes clear that the cause of the ailments is damage to the spine. Spondylosis of the neck is insidious due to its gradual development, so many patients for a long time do not even suspect that they have been at risk for a long time.
The disease can be triggered by congenital or acquired injuries, heredity, physical overload, poor posture and excess weight. Each case has its own individual cause for the formation of this disease.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis.
The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis depend on the stage in which the patient is. At each stage of spondylosis they manifest differently. There are four stages in total.
- First stage. There is an initial destruction and loss of elasticity of the intervertebral discs. It can be accompanied by pain in the neck, but sometimes it is simply a temporary discomfort that few people pay attention to.
- Second stage. The intervertebral spaces are reduced and the annulus fibrosus is destroyed. Severe pain becomes constant due to pinching of the nerve root. The manifestations of the disease become pronounced, and the treatment of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis usually begins at this stage. It is necessary to start doing exercises for cervical osteochondrosis.
- Third stage. Complete destruction of the annulus fibrosus is observed. Intervertebral hernias and significant deformations of the spinal column appear. Migraines, nausea, dizziness and numbness of the extremities are often observed.
- Fourth stage. Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine progress and manifest themselves as attacks of sharp pain with any movement. Bony growths form that limit movement.
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
The symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and its treatment will largely depend on the stage and abandonment of spondylosis and the patient's health status; at all stages they are completely different..
The most typical manifestations of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine are:
- severe headaches in the neck, temples and crown of the head;
- dizziness, fainting;
- severe pain that radiates to the arms and shoulders;
- coordination and vision problems;
- shooting pain in the arches of the eyebrows, temples;
- change in the timbre of the voice, hoarseness, snoring;
- painful attacks radiating to the chest;
- heart pain similar to angina pectoris;
- toothache;
- numbness of the face, fingers;
- breathing problems, nausea, eye and heart pain;
- memory impairment and decreased intelligence;
- pain in the neck, forearm, arm;
- noise in the ears;
- tingling in the extremities, weakness, chills.
Main syndromes of cervical spondylosis
Cervical osteochondrosis can present in different ways in different patients. Doctors have combined these symptoms into clinical syndromes. .
cardiac syndrome
It has symptomatic characteristics similar to angina pectoris. Because of this similarity, there is a serious risk of not treating cardiac ischemia instead of cervical spondylosis. It is characterized by irritation of the nerve roots of the thoracic region or the phrenic nerve. This syndrome is accompanied by prolonged paroxysmal pain. Tachycardia and extrasystole are observed. But the cardiogram doesn't show any abnormality.
irritative reflex syndrome
It is always accompanied by burning, unbearable pain in the cervical-occipital area, especially acute when moving. The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, which is manifested by this syndrome, consist of severe pain in the shoulder and chest.
radicular syndrome
Better known as cervical sciatica. It appears when the nerve endings in the cervical spine are pinched. When compression of the nerve roots occurs, the pain threshold drops from the neck to the shoulder blades, passing to the shoulder, forearm and fingers. Possible pastiness, tingling, sensation of goosebumps.
Vertebral artery syndrome
The patient begins to suffer from a burning, throbbing headache in the area of the eyebrows, crown, neck and temples, which can be constant or paroxysmal. If the immune system is weakened, dizziness, nausea and possible fainting occur. Hearing acuity decreases, noise is heard in the ears, and the functioning of the vestibular apparatus is disturbed. Sometimes there is a significant decrease in vision.
Cervicothoracic spondylosis
The symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis are very similar to those of cervical spondylosis. But the peculiarity of this complication is that an incorrect diagnosis is often made. It is often confused with angina pectoris or vegetative-vascular dystonia. Unfortunately, many patients have to take useless medications until it turns out that the cause of serious ailments is thoracic osteochondrosis.
It is characterized by painful attacks similar to intercostal neuralgia, cardiac ischemia, or cholecystitis or gastritis. Body movements are very difficult, the patient is afraid to breathe deeply.
Symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis.
The symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis also have their own characteristics, the treatment of which differs little from the general principles of therapy of this disease. The main manifestations of this pathology:
- asthenic syndrome;
- migraine attacks;
- blood pressure jumps;
- lack of coordination;
- double vision or stars in the eyes;
- dizziness;
- neck, chest, heart pain;
- numbness and coldness in the fingers;
- pain in the arms, shoulders, ribs;
- Constant noise in the ears.
Many patients think that the manifestation of the disease consists only of constant pain, but this is not the case. Dangerous complications may occur leading to disability. Advanced osteochondrosis causes protrusion of the cervical spine, hernias, intercostal neuralgia, radiculitis and complete deformation of the fingers.
Therefore, if you periodically experience pain of various types or the symptoms listed above sound familiar to you, seek qualified help immediately.