Degenerative dystrophic changes in the spine and adjacent tissue structures are called osteochondrosis. More than 70% of the world’s population faces back pain. With the decline in mobility, many of them do not even suspect that all these problems are signs of osteochondrosis, which is the most common disease of the spine. It is very important to identify the problem in the initial stage, because the later stages of the disease are difficult to treat, and once the disease starts, you may lose mobility completely.
Today we will discuss how osteochondrosis manifests and what are the symptoms that accompany this disease.
Clinical manifestations of the disease
The destruction process of osteochondrosis not only affects the bone cartilage tissue of the spine, but also affects blood vessels, arteries, and nerve endings. Therefore, according to the general clinical manifestations of the disease, the symptoms or syndromes of osteochondrosis are combined. .
- Due to the changes and destruction of the vertebrae, excessive pressure occurs in the blood vessels, which leads to deterioration of the aortic blood supply and hypoxia-this syndrome is called vascular syndrome.
- Vertebral deformities that occur during the disease cause abnormal changes in the spine (lordosis, scoliosis, kyphosis), and mediocre changes in posture are a static syndrome.
- Damage to nerve endings, blood vessels, and arteries leads to deterioration of tissue metabolism and provides nutrients to the tissues. As a result, symptoms of osteochondrosis (in the form of skin ulcers) appear, which is called nutritional syndrome.
- Invasion of nerve endings, accompanied by skin numbness, muscle hyporesponsiveness and other symptoms, is called neurological syndrome.
This disease can affect any part of the spine-cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. In addition, it usually occupies two parts at the same time. The signs of osteochondrosis directly depend on its location and the extent of damage to the affected area.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Today, cervical spine osteochondrosis is often diagnosed in people of working age. The first sign, which is usually rarely noticed, is frequent occipital headaches that gradually transfer to the temporal area. In addition, the initial stage of onset is accompanied by discomfort, there is a short-term traction pain in the cervical spine, and there is a crunching sound when turning the head.
In addition, without proper treatment, the disease will progress, the pain will increase, and the sensitivity of the upper shoulder strap will decrease (this is due to the deterioration of the blood supply).
The highest point of the disease is the complete loss of upper limb motor activity. In addition, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis due to impaired blood supply are:
- Deterioration of vestibular organ function, dizziness, noise, tinnitus, whistle; impaired visual function (blurred vision, flies in front of eyes);
- In the elderly, there may be periodic loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, and hypoxia.
In addition, a person may be tortured by snoring, numbness, cold fingers often feel, and the possibility of violation of motor coordination is high.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
Thoracic osteochondrosis is a fairly rare disease, because in this place, the spine is less mobile and is supported by a strong rib cage. However, this disease occurs and the signs of osteochondrosis in the thoracic spine area are very diverse.
The initial stage of the disease is accompanied by chest pain, which descends to the upper abdomen. The symptoms of breast osteochondrosis are often confused with the manifestations of other diseases-cholecystitis, angina, and even renal colic. Many times, the patient sees a cardiologist due to pain in the heart area. After a thorough examination, he is referred to a neurologist who is suspected of having osteochondrosis.
Depending on the location of the lesion (upper, middle, and lower part of the chest), symptoms such as coughing, so-called "throat lump", gastritis, increased pressure, arrhythmia, and bowel motility disorders may occur. Therefore, making an accurate diagnosisBefore, the doctor must conduct a thorough examination to rule out other diseases.
Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis
The initial manifestation of osteochondrosis is traction pain in the waist and radiation to the lower extremities. People hardly feel uncomfortable when they are resting, but if they engage in physical labor, suddenly exercise or maintain a posture for a long time, the pain will increase, accompanied by low back pain and numbness of the lower limbs.
As the disease progresses, the pain syndrome can be applied to the groin area, and the sacrum, when taken in a horizontal position, people will feel significant relief. Lumbar osteochondrosis also has the following symptoms:
- Decreased sensitivity, tingling, peeling skin;
- Numbness in the legs, which can then progress to partial or complete paralysis;
- Chills in the legs, this is due to the compression of the arteries and blood vessels that disrupt the blood supply;
- Sweating function may be impaired;
- In addition, because the blood supply to the lower spine is disrupted, the genitourinary system may malfunction.
Any type of osteochondrosis is accompanied by deterioration of vertebral motor activity, blood flow, compression of nerve endings, and muscle fiber spasm. The early stage of the disease responds well to the treatment, but it cannot be said in the later stage, so it is very important to diagnose the disease in time and start treatment.
Knowing the first signs of osteochondrosis of the spine, you have a chance to overcome it completely without the use of drugs and surgical intervention. At this stage, you will fully recover after using physical therapy procedures and therapeutic exercises. Stay alert and listen to your body, then you can avoid many problems.