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 disease is damage to the spine. Cervical spondylosis is insidious due to its gradual development, so many patients for a long time do not even suspect that they are 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 individual reason for the formation of this disease.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis
The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis depend on the stage the patient is in. In each phase of spondylosis they manifest themselves differently. There are four stages in total.
- First step. There is an initial destruction and loss of elasticity of the intervertebral discs. It can be accompanied by pain in the neck, but sometimes there is simply temporary discomfort, which few people pay attention to.
- Second stage. The intervertebral gaps are reduced and the fibrous ring is destroyed. The intense pain becomes constant due to compression of the nerve root. The manifestations of the disease become pronounced and treatment of the 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 fibrous ring is observed. Intervertebral hernias and significant deformations of the spine appear. Migraines, nausea, dizziness and numbness in the extremities are often observed.
- Fourth stage. Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine become advanced and manifest as attacks of sharp pain with any movement. Bone growths form, limiting 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 neglect of the spondylosis and the patient's health status; at every stage they are completely different.
The most typical manifestations of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine are:
- severe headaches in the back of the head, temples, top of the head;
- dizziness, fainting;
- intense pain radiating to arms and shoulders;
- impaired coordination and vision;
- throbbing pain in eyebrows, temples;
- change in voice timbre, hoarseness, snoring;
- painful attacks radiating to the chest;
- heart pain similar to angina pectoris;
- painful 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 limbs, weakness, chills.
Main syndromes of cervical spondylosis
Cervical osteochondrosis can occur in different ways in different patients. Doctors have combined these symptoms into clinical syndromes.
cardiac syndrome
It presents symptomatic characteristics similar to angina pectoris. Because of this similarity, there is a serious risk of treatment failure for cardiac ischemia rather than cervical spondylosis. 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 shows no abnormalities.
irritant reflex syndrome
It is always accompanied by burning and unbearable pain in the cervico-occipital region, especially sharp when moving. The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, 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 compressed. 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, goose bumps.
Vertebral artery syndrome
The patient begins to feel a throbbing and burning headache in the region of the eyebrows, on the top of the head, in the back of the neck and in the temples; It 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 usually confused with angina pectoris or vegetative-vascular dystonia. Unfortunately, many patients have to take useless medications until they discover that the cause of serious illnesses 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 for this disease. The main manifestations of this pathology:
- asthenic syndrome;
- migraine attacks;
- jump in blood pressure;
- 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, along the 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 can occur that lead to disability. Advanced osteochondrosis leads to 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 are familiar to you, immediately seek qualified help.