Cervical osteochondrosis involves degenerative disorders of the intervertebral discs. The disease is accompanied by a complex of different symptoms. The clinical picture develops as the disease progresses - each phase corresponds to certain signs and the intensity of their manifestation.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis by stages
Osteochondrosis is a progressive disease, so the clinical picture develops gradually. This refers to the number of symptoms of the disease and the intensity of their manifestation. There are a total of 4 stages of the disease.
The first stageof osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is initial. Changes occur mainly at the biochemical level. This stage of the disease is accompanied by mild symptoms or is asymptomatic, so it is called preclinical. It has the following features:
- There is discomfort in the neck, which can extend to the arms and shoulders, sometimes the sensations become painful;
- headache;
- motor activity on the cervical spine is slightly limited;
- there are visual impairments that pass quickly;
- reduces the sensitivity of the collar skin;
- Symptoms increase with head tilt.
Many patients neglect the initial stage of osteochondrosis. The symptoms of the disease that occur are often attributed to age, fatigue, and stress.
The second stageof cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by the development of protrusions. This phase includes dehydration of the intervertebral disc, reduction of its elasticity and height, and the appearance of cracks in the annular fibrosus. In this case, the disc bulges into the intervertebral canal.
This stage of the disease is characterized by the following symptoms:
- severe neck pain, crunch possible;
- painful sensations burst in nature, radiating under the shoulder blade;
- pain is increased by prolonged holding of the head in one position;
- significant loss of sensitivity on the skin of the shoulders and arms;
- frequent and prolonged headaches;
- visual disturbances, flies in the eyes;
- tinnitus, ringing;
- muscle weakness in the upper limbs;
- decreased clarity of tendon reflexes;
- development of insomnia, rarely other sleep disorders;
- has a lump in his throat, difficulty swallowing.
The second stage of cervical osteochondrosis is quite clear, so many patients consult a doctor at this stage. In this case, conservative treatment is sufficient.
The third stageof the disease is characterized by the destruction of the annular fibrosus and the formation of an intervertebral hernia. At this stage, the spine is deformed, the vertebrae are displaced, and subluxations and dislocations develop in the background of their weak fixation.
This stage of the disease is characterized by the following symptoms:
- intense sharp pain that can spread to the heart;
- partial or complete violation of the sensitivity of the skin on the back of the head, shoulders, arms;
- paresis, paralysis of the upper limbs;
- almost complete absence of tendon reflexes.
Last,stage fourosteochondrosis involves the replacement of intervertebral disc tissue with scar tissue. At this stage, remission of the disease often occurs, but the pathological changes spread to other structures of the spine, so at the same time, clinical signs of different stages of osteochondrosis can be noticed.
General signs of cervical osteochondrosis
The clinical picture of cervical osteochondrosis is quite diverse. This is due to the disturbed blood flow, the involvement of the peripheral nervous system in the pathological process, possible compression and violation of the integrity of the spinal cord. In this context, different symptoms develop, but several common signs of the disease differ.
Pain
This symptom in cervical osteochondrosis is the main one. The main localization of painful sensations is the neck. Headaches and facial pains are also noticed. Painful feelings can radiate to various parts of the body.
This feature of the pathology depends on the affected area:
- if the C4-C5 disc is affected, the pain radiates to the outer surface of the shoulder and the medial part of the shoulder blade;
- with disc lesion C5-C6, painful sensations spread to the lateral surface of the forearm, hand, thumb and forefinger;
- Pathology C6-C7 is accompanied by painful sensations along the back of the shoulder and forearm, extending to the index finger and middle finger;
- if the C7-Th1 disc is affected, the pain radiates along the inner surface of the forearm and hand to the ring finger and little finger.
Reduced sensitivity and reflexes
These symptoms occur in the background of a violation of nerve root innervation. Painful sensations may be absent. The characteristics of reduced sensitivity and reflexes depend on the localization of pathological changes:
- When the C4-C5 disc is affected, the sensitivity in the upper part of the outer shoulder decreases. The biceps muscle reflex is reduced.
- Osteochondrosis of the C5-C6 disc is accompanied by decreased sensitivity of the lateral surface of the forearm, hand, thumb and forefinger. The biceps muscle reflex is also reduced.
- Disc pathology C6-C7 reduces the sensitivity of the index and middle fingers, the back of the hand and the forearm. The triceps muscle reflex is reduced.
- Defeat of the C7-Th1 disc is accompanied by a decrease in the sensitivity of the ring finger, little finger, inner surface of the hand and forearm. Reflexes are not affected.
Dizziness
This symptom often develops in the initial stage of cervical osteochondrosis and is one of the first manifestations of the disease. Dizziness is caused by a decrease in the volume of oxygen that is fed into the semicircular canals of the inner ear. They are located in the brain and provide balance. Simultaneously with dizziness, fluctuations of the pupils in the horizontal or vertical direction may be observed.
Nausea
In osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, blood flow through the cerebral vessels is disturbed. This causes nausea and belching air. These symptoms often occur when turning and tilting the head, and sometimes during normal walking. Symptoms can grow and reach unbreakable vomiting.
The following consequences are possible against the background of such characters:
- decreased appetite;
- weight loss;
- nutritional deficiency, nutritional dystrophy.
Lack of air
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine may irritate the phrenic nerve, which regulates the depth and frequency of breathing. With the defeat of this nerve, the person has difficulty breathing, cannot breathe completely. In this context, there is a lack of oxygen, which is burdened by the development of shortness of breath and even suffocation.
During nighttime sleep, especially if the head is uncomfortable, there is a risk of respiratory arrest. Usually these attacks are accompanied by snoring. In the absence of fresh air, hypoxia develops, on the background of which the following symptoms occur:
- fatigue even after sleep duration;
- malaise;
- weakness;
- impaired attention and memory.
Hearing loss, noise and tinnitus
In the background of circulatory disorders in cervical osteochondrosis, the vestibular apparatus suffers. This leads to inner ear dysfunction and provokes cochlear syndrome, also called cochlear. He has the following symptoms:
- tinnitus;
- rings;
- general hearing loss.
A characteristic feature that indicates cervical osteochondrosis is the appearance of tinnitus in the background of prolonged stay in a forced position.
Syncope
This symptom occurs in the background of circulatory disorders caused by cervical osteochondrosis. Usually, the blood is constantly moving through the cerebral arteries. In osteochondrosis, the bony processes of the vertebrae are deformed and irritate the nerve endings. This leads to a pronounced spasm of the arteries, against the background of which the blood flow temporarily stops, and the person suddenly loses consciousness. Unconsciousness usually lasts for a maximum of 2-3 minutes.
Pharyngeal symptoms
Such a manifestation of cervical osteochondrosis implies a whole complex of pathological signs:
- tickling;
- foreign body sensation;
- Difficulty swallowing
- dry throat;
- itching sensations.
Pharyngeal symptoms develop in the background of disorders of neurovascular lobes whose source is the spinal cord. When they appear, a differential diagnosis is necessary, because a similar clinical picture is characteristic of the inflammatory process and tumors.
Visual impairment
Such a disorder in cervical osteochondrosis often occurs against the background of low blood pressure or atherosclerosis of the arteries of the brain. Visual impairment can manifest as follows:
- veil before the eyes, objects are visible, as in a fog;
- visual acuity decreases;
- dots flash before the eyes;
- loses focus on certain topics.
A characteristic feature of visual disturbances on the background of cervical osteochondrosis is the lack of the effect of special gymnastics for the eyes or the use of glasses.
Temperature change
In cervical osteochondrosis, such a deviation occurs locally. This means hyperemia in the pathological area, ie a local increase in skin temperature.
Cervical osteochondrosis syndromes
The symptoms that accompany cervical osteochondrosis are quite common and accompany many other diseases of various organs and body systems. To facilitate diagnosis, clinical signs are grouped into groups called syndromes:
- Cervicalgia. This syndrome is reflexive and includes neck pain. This may indicate damage to the spine or muscles in this area.
- Cervicocranialgia. This syndrome is also reflex. It means painful sensations in the cervico-occipital region and occurs against the background of trauma, inflammation or degenerative changes.
- Cervicobrachialgia. This reflex syndrome involves neck pain radiating to the arm. It occurs in the background of compression of the nerve roots of the cervical spine. In addition to osteochondrosis, this syndrome is accompanied by muscular-tonic, vegetative-vascular or neurodystrophic manifestations.
- Radicular syndrome. It is also called in another way - cervical radiculitis. It includes a creepy feeling in the affected area, tingling in the fingers and forearms, a slight swelling that spreads to some fingers (depending on the location of the lesion).
- Irritant reflex syndrome. It involves cervicocranialgia. Painful sensations are sharp and burning, they can radiate to the shoulder, chest. Symptoms increase with a change in the position of the head, a sudden turn, sneezing.
- Spinal artery syndrome. This symptomatic complex includes headache, discomfort with certain movements, imbalance, hearing and visual acuity loss, weakness, nausea, and loss of consciousness. The headache is pulsating, it can be constant or paroxysmal.
- Cardiac syndrome. The clinical picture is reminiscent of angina pectoris. Suddenly, prolonged pain develops, which intensifies in the background of a sharp movement of the neck, coughing, sneezing. It does not disappear with heart medications, and the electrocardiogram does not show abnormal blood flow in the heart muscle. The clinical picture can be supplemented by tachycardia and extrasystole.
- Vegetative-dystonic syndrome. Occurs in subluxation with C1 vertebral displacement. This syndrome usually includes neurological symptoms of impaired cerebral blood flow - muscle cramps, drop in intracranial pressure, dizziness, decreased visual acuity, fainting, headache, nausea.
Cervical osteochondrosis is accompanied by various symptoms. The characteristics of clinical manifestations and their intensity largely depend on the stage of the disease, which implies certain pathological changes. Some signs of the disease are combined into syndromes - such groups of symptoms facilitate diagnosis.