Back and neck injuries, strenuous physical exertion, sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy, old age - all these are the causes of spinal diseases, the support of the human body. The symptoms of osteochondrosis, of the cervix, chest or lumbar, are different, so any sign, even subtle, can not 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 do 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 overweight elderly people, former athletes or workers, whose professional activities are associated with heavy workloads. According to statistics from recent years, it is clear that the disease is becoming 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, the vertebrae themselves begin to rupture, leading to disability, atrophy, and paralysis of the limbs. Such a problem can also result in spinal cord injury, sciatica, kyphosis, elongation. At the first signs of illness, you should seek help from a doctor.
Each degree of this dystrophic spinal disorder 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. In the second, the sagging of the muscles and ligaments of the vertebrae is fixed, spondylolisthesis (displacement, curvature of the disc) is diagnosed. The third stage is characterized by the appearance of prolapses and disc extensions. In the last stage, deformation of the vertebrae occurs, on which the bone protrusions grow - osteophytes.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of osteochondrosis depend on the stage of its development. The type of disease also plays an important role. Osteochondrosis affects different parts of the spine: cervix, chest, waist. Some signs of the patient may not be associated with the spine, for example, headache or heartburn, numbness of the toes and feet. The patient at the same time complains that the neck hurts or pierces the chest. It is very important to seek help from the hospital. Treatment of the disease lasts about 3 months, plus one year is given for rehabilitation.
The most common symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- back pain between shoulder blades;
- dizziness;
- feeling of a lump in the throat;
- nausea;
- loss of sensation in the limbs;
- elevated temperature;
- limb numbness.
Osteochondrosis of the cervix
If we consider the signs according to the type of disease, then problems with the cervical vertebrae are dangerous due to their proximity to the brain. Here there is a partial overlap of the blood vessels that carry blood to the head. The symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are:
- dizziness;
- blurred vision;
- tinnitus;
- "drifts" while 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 chest, back, shoulders;
- heart pain;
- angina;
- sensation of a lump in the throat;
- short periods of respiration;
- shortness of breath;
- numbness of the hands and feet.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region
A disease that affects the lower part of the spine leads to problems with the pelvic organs. Sexual function suffers. Signs of lumbar osteochondrosis are:
- pain in the coccyx, sacrum, lower back;
- muscle spasms of thighs, calves, buttocks;
- shooting in the leg;
- numbness of the limbs;
- poor joint mobility;
- exacerbation of diseases of the genitourinary system.
Symptoms of stray osteochondrosis
This concept implies osteochondrosis, which develops in two parts of the spine, for example, the cervicothoracic type of disease. In this case, the patient will feel painful signs appearing first in one place of the back, then in another, d. m. th. the location of the pain will move. In this case, the patient can diagnose a violation of the cardiovascular system and even take medication to treat this problem, which can not 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. Osteochondrosis syndromes 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, to bend, to lower one shoulder below the other. Scoliosis appears.
- neurological syndrome. The disease affects the nervous system. The person complains of tingling sensation, numbness. Neurological symptoms develop into complications in the form of paralysis or seizures.
- vascular syndromes. This is about squeezing the vessels from the vertebral processes. This situation is often observed in the cervical form of the disease. The result is a violation of blood circulation, brain starvation from oxygen, leading to dizziness, dizziness, vomiting, 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, inflammations and other defects appear on the skin.
The first signs of osteochondrosis
In the initial stage of the disease, as well as in the latter, the patient experiences no 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 imaging (determination of intervertebral disc herniation, assessment of spinal cord condition);
- discography (examination of the intervertebral disc);
- electrophysical examination (determination of the degree of nerve pathway damage).