Symptoms and signs of osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is a widespread and rapidly "rejuvenating" disease that affects masses of people around the world.

These are degenerative changes of a dystrophic nature in the bone tissue of the spine, its joints, cartilage, ligaments.

For a while, a person may not notice the disease, but the signs of osteochondrosis are felt quite quickly: the spine acquires pathological mobility, affects nerve endings, blood vessels, and even adjacent tissues, which causes severe pain.

If the disease starts, then the rapidly growing bone processes further damage the nerve roots as well as the blood vessels.

The symptoms are mainly due to the location of the disease.

The main symptoms of the disease

Usually, all symptoms are cataloged in four major groups and relate to both the affected area and the individual spinal characteristics of each patient. It should be borne in mind that the manifestations of the disease can increase significantly if a person is overly cold, has a cold, is under severe stress, abuses alcohol, eats irregularly or irregularly and also does not normalize physical activity.

1. Static symptoms depend on a change in the shape of each vertebra, which leads to a worsening of posture: a person acquires scoliosis, or even kyphosis with lordosis, normally unable to straighten his back and turn his head freely. The spine loses its flexibility.
2. Neurological symptoms represent damage to nerve tissue, in which not only the strength of muscle contractions is disturbed, but also a violation of skin sensitivity. The spinal roots are compressed, there is pain, numbness, tingling sensation, trembling sensation in the affected area. If the disease starts, it can cause paresis of the limbs (partial loss of ability to move or even complete paralysis).
3. Vascular symptoms develop for two reasons. First, due to the compression of the arteries with the veins (especially for cervical osteochondrosis, when the arteries supplying the brain are congested), which leads to a marked deterioration of the blood supply to the brain, the appearance of nausea, dizziness and lack of oxygen. in certain areas. Second, due to irritation of the nerve fibers, a change in the state of the sympathetic nervous system develops. The result is spasm of many vessels, even ischemia.
4. Trophic symptoms appear when the aforementioned neurological manifestations overlap over the vascular symptoms. As a result, tissue nutrition becomes much worse, which leads to the appearance of ulcers.

If osteochondrosis of the neck develops

Signs of osteochondrosis vary depending on the specific area of the affected body. Osteochondrosis of the cervix is a dangerous and insidious enemy. First, a headache appears, in which analgesics simply do not work.

Painful sensations can affect the back of the head, temples, intensify as a person is in a relaxed state without movement, and not only the head but also the skin aches. Then the problem is joined by painful sensations in the arms and shoulders, the sensitivity of these areas is disturbed.

If you do nothing, the issue can end in paralysis of the hands.

In addition to pain, cervical osteochondrosis is associated with other symptoms:

• Nausea, unpleasant noises, sudden dizziness.
• Deterioration of vision, flies before the eyes (all this is a consequence of violation of proper nutrition and metabolism in the optical system).
• Fainting due to lack of oxygen to the brain, shaky and unstable gait.
• Lemza, shortness of breath (if the phrenic nerve is affected), lump in the throat.
• Impaired mobility of the neck, painful sensations in it, constant muscle tension.
• Trophic changes in the skin of the hands.
• Persistent weakness, lack of strength and fatigue, frequent irritability, a feeling of heat or, conversely, chills.

Too often, a cervical spine lesion is confused with stroke, hypertension, problem with the ENT organs, and even neurasthenia.

If the chest region is affected

What symptoms accompany the disease, if it concerns the chest region, it is easy to imagine if you remember which organs can be affected. This department is affected relatively rarely, it is difficult to recognize the disease, as the signs are easily confused with the manifestations of other problems.

First, there is pain between the edges of the shoulders or in the chest, in the upper abdomen. It can include internal pain and be confused with angina pectoris, intestinal or renal colic, or liver problems. Then it all depends on the department affected:

• If the upper chest segment is affected, the person experiences swallowing problems, feels a lump in the throat and coughs.
• Loss of the lumbar region of the chest causes pain similar to the manifestation of gastritis, peptic ulcer, heart problems. Arrhythmia appears, blood pressure rises.
• If the lower chest segment suffers, intestinal function is disrupted, the pain is similar to the manifestations of the appendix.
• To this can be added painful sensations in the heart, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, discomfort from the cold, burning or tingling in the chest and abdomen.

The main problem is not that osteochondrosis can be confused with a heart attack, angina pectoris, abdominal cavity disease or pneumonia for a long time, but that because of the pain a person tries to breathe more accurately, saves himself, asresult, a vicious circle is obtained: pathology of the respiratory system, chronic respiratory failure, heart damage.

If the lower back is affected

The lumbar region suffers most often because it is the one that receives the greatest loads not only during movements, any movement, but also when lifting heavy objects. The problem with the lumbar region, first of all, is felt with painful sensations not only in the lower back, but also in the lower extremities, leading to numbness of the skin on the legs. Then additional symptoms appear:

• If the motor fibers are affected, then paresis may develop, the case will end in paralysis of the legs.
• Nerve damage gives not only pain in the lumbar spine, but also severe lumbago after each load.
• If the functions of the pelvis are affected and the blood supply to the pelvic organs is impaired, a person will suffer not only from pain, but also from difficulties with urination (in the case of men, also with erection), from incontinence of feces.

Most often, physical activity, sudden movements, hypothermia become the cause of the appearance of pain. The roots are compressed, the intervertebral discs are displaced. The person begins to suffer from pain, dull or, conversely, sharp.

Often, painful sensations affect not only the lower back but also the area of the buttocks, thighs, legs and even the feet. In advanced cases, the volume of the lower extremities may decrease.

Conclusion

Whatever the areas affected by osteochondrosis, it is always a very serious disease that requires active participation and intervention by doctors. Despite the various signs, its main manifestation is severe pain, difficulty moving. Painful sensations are "disguised" as manifestations of other diseases, so most often people first turn to cardiologists, therapists, gastroenterologists, suspecting that they have been diagnosed with problems with the heart, digestive tract or other organs.

First of all you should contact a neurologist and it is advised that before the onset of pain characteristic only for osteochondrosis and even more so other signs (such as paresis and paralysis). The doctor, first of all, will provide the elimination of pain (prescribe various sedatives), will improve the metabolic processes in all tissues (both cartilaginous and muscular, as well as the nervous one), will eliminate hernias if they alreadyare formed.

In addition to medication, the patient is prescribed massage, compulsory physical education and various physiotherapy measures.