Injuries of the back and neck, heavy 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, even subtle signs, cannot be ignored. The sooner treatment begins, the sooner recovery 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 3rd person after 35 years. It affects mainly elderly people with excess weight, 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 guys 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 it is not treated, the destruction of the vertebrae themselves begins, which leads to disability, atrophy and paralysis of the limbs. Such a problem can also result in a spinal cord stroke, sciatica, kyphosis, protrusion. At the first signs of the disease, you need to seek help from 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. At the first stage, pathological changes occur, expressed in dehydration and a decrease in the height of the intervertebral disc. On the second, sagging of the vertebral muscles and ligaments is fixed, spondylolisthesis is diagnosed (displacement, curvature of the disc). 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 outgrowths - osteophytes grow.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of osteochondrosis depend on what stage of development it is at. The type of disease also plays an important role. Osteochondrosis affects different parts of the spine: cervical, thoracic, lumbar. Some signs of the patient may not be associated with the spine, for example, heart or headaches, numbness of the fingers and toes. The patient at the same time complains that the neck hurts or pricks in the chest. It is very important to seek help from the hospital. Treatment of the disease lasts about 3 months, plus a year is given 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;
- elevated temperature;
- limb numbness.
Cervical osteochondrosis
If we consider the signs according to the type of disease, then problems with the cervical vertebrae are dangerous due to 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 ears;
- "drifts" when walking;
- pain in the back of the head, 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;
- heart pain;
- angina;
- sensation of a lump in the throat;
- bouts of shortness of breath;
- tightness 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. Signs of lumbar osteochondrosis are:
- pain in the coccyx, sacrum, lower back;
- spasms of the muscles of the thighs, calves, buttocks;
- shooting 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 of the back, then in another, i. e. the location of the pain will move. 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 the disease affects, doctors distinguish four groups of syndromes, each of which is characterized by its own symptoms. 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 stoop, hunch over, lower one shoulder below the other. Scoliosis appears.
- neurological syndrome. The disease affects the nervous system. The person complains of tingling, numbness. Neurological symptoms develop into complications in the form of paralysis or seizures.
- vascular syndrome. Here we are talking about squeezing the vessels by 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 of the brain, leading to clouding, dizziness, nausea, loss of hearing and vision. 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, inflammations and other defects appear on the skin.
The first signs of osteochondrosis
At the initial stage of the disease, as well as at the last, the patient does not experience 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. Diagnostic methods are as follows:
- x-ray of the spine in two projections, if necessary, x-ray of a single vertebra;
- magnetic resonance imaging (determination of intervertebral disc herniation, 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).