Osteochondrosis usually has a long course. Therefore, the first signs in men and women can appear many years after the onset of the pathology. Since pathology leads to many complications, timely treatment and diagnosis of the disease will help slow down negative processes in the body.
Consequences of osteochondrosis
Diagnosing osteochondrosis in a timely manner is a need that almost every person faces.
This is explained by the fact that the disease causes a series of specific disorders in the body and, as they progress, complications can affect different parts. The most common of them are:
- Intense headache up to migraine;
- Partial hearing loss;
- Decreased visual capacity;
- Radiculopathy (also known as radiculitis);
- VSD or various autonomic dysfunctions;
- Dysfunction of the genitourinary system;
- Intervertebral hernia;
- Sciatica;
- Spondylosis, osteophytosis;
- Spondyloarthrosis;
- Lumbodynia and low back pain;
- Spinal stenosis.
These complications develop due to impaired blood circulation and innervation of the spine, which provokes a negative effect on internal organs and departments.
In severe cases, there is a negative effect on the heart and lungs, which can provoke heart attack, heart attack, stroke and so on.
First signs
There are some first signs that the pathology has begun to develop.
Patients most often ignore them, considering them insignificant and associated with the lifestyle - sitting for a long time, excessive exertion, lifting weights.
This is generally true, but it is these factors that provoke the progression of osteochondrosis.
As a result, it initially makes itself felt with various symptoms.
Mild stiffness in the morning does not manifest itself particularly intensely, but as it progresses, it will occur more and more frequently. The mobility of the affected area may gradually decrease. Also, with intense loads, discomfort will begin to appear. In the first stage, pain as such is usually not observed. Starts from the second stage.
Symptom groups
The symptoms of osteochondrosis will expand as it develops. Therefore, doctors divide them into several groups according to the mechanism of progression. This way, it is possible to identify the cuts and types of tissue most affected.
static syndrome
Static syndrome mainly refers to disorders in bone tissue. As a result, the shape of the vertebrae changes, which leads to deformation of the spine with the development of various types of curvature. In this case, pathological mobility of the vertebrae is observed. Bad posture manifests itself:
- Kyphosis;
- Kyphoscoliosis;
- Scoliosis;
- Lordosis.
The result of static syndrome is often impaired joint mobility. In advanced cases, the patient is unable to turn their head or straighten up completely.
Neurological
The neurological symptom complex is caused by damage to nervous tissue. At the same time, at the very beginning, the sensitivity of some individual areas of the skin is simply impaired. The motor capacity of the limbs and the strength of muscle contractions also decrease.
But the main manifestation of neurological syndrome is pain of varying intensity and location. It is caused by compression and irritation of the roots emanating from the spinal cord. In the first stage, it usually manifests itself simply as local discomfort. As the pain syndrome progresses, it spreads to areas of the body that are innervated by the affected root. There is often a feeling of numbness, tingling, goosebumps and decreased skin sensitivity.
Motor changes in this pathology are observed less frequently than sensory changes. Depending on the degree of progression of osteochondrosis, paresis and even paralysis may be felt. An example would be paresis or limited voluntary movement in the lower limb on both sides due to lumbar osteochondrosis.
Vascular
Vascular symptoms appear for approximately the same reason as neurological ones. That is, veins and arteries are compressed by the vertebrae, which leads to the development of corresponding symptoms.
This effect is most often manifested in cervical osteochondrosis. It is in this section that the maximum number of large vessels is present. As a result of the negative impact on them, cerebral hypoxia begins to develop, which can cause nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness, hearing and visual impairment.
If the tone of the sympathetic system of the central nervous system changes, irritation of the nervous plexus increases. Because it is located in the spine, the results also affect the blood vessels.
The most common manifestation of this disorder is a very prolonged spasm of peripheral vessels, followed by chronic ischemia and lack of oxygen in internal organs.
Trophic
The combination of the three previous syndromes can cause other disorders, in particular trophic syndrome. With a decrease in tissue nutrition, as well as disruption of the innervation of certain parts of the skin, ulcers may appear. In this case, neurological and vascular factors play the most important role.
Manifestations of pathology
Osteochondrosis can manifest itself with a different set of symptoms. This is explained by the fact that a specific department affects certain areas, and therefore the signs of the disease may differ from each other.
Cervical
The cervical spine is characterized by symptoms such as:
- Dizziness and even fainting when turning your head suddenly;
- Pain in shoulders, arms, chest, teeth;
- Spots and spots before the eyes;
- Deterioration in the functioning of vision and hearing, ringing in the ears;
- Change in voice and numbness of the tongue;
- Headaches that often worsen with movement. Painkillers cannot affect its intensity.
Such symptoms may be present for a long period of time and during exacerbations. Some signs are often confused with other pathologies, for example, dental or ENT problems.
Chest
With thoracic osteochondrosis they make themselves felt:
- Pain when bending over, lifting the arms or one arm, between the shoulder blades and in the chest area (often confused with heart pain);
- Increased pain at night, as well as when moving, hypothermia, increased physical activity;
- Increased pain when moving the chest (exhalation and inspiration);
- Interruption of the innervation of certain areas, sensation of numbness and goosebumps on the skin;
- Sensation of itching, burning, cold in the legs;
- Painful attacks in the ribs when walking;
- Sensation of chest being compressed by a bow, shortness of breath.
Thoracic osteochondrosis in the manifestation of pain syndrome is rich in localization. But it is precisely because of the greater involvement of the chest that many confuse it with a heart attack and a heart attack.
Low back
Lumbar osteochondrosis largely affects the functioning of the internal organs of the pelvis and lower extremities, although it can also cause pain in the chest area. The most common signs of the disease:
- Sharp, aching pain in the lower back;
- Increased pain with movement or exertion;
- Pain in the abdominal organs, legs, sacrum;
- Disturbance of innervation in the lower extremities;
- Inability to perform certain movements, such as bending and turning;
- The desire to maintain a certain posture.
When the lumbar region is affected, exacerbations most often occur under the influence of certain external factors, for example, with increased load, heavy lifting or hypothermia. In this case, many people say "the back is stuck. "The mobility of the department is reduced to a minimum during a painful attack.
Joints
Joint osteochondrosis manifests itself:
- Decreased mobility of the affected area (most often the shoulder, hip or knee joint);
- Strong pain;
- Increased pain when moving or lifting a limb;
- The range of motion is significantly reduced;
- Formations in joint and soft tissues can be observed on palpation;
- Swelling of the affected area;
- Redness, numbness, tingling sensation in the skin.
Due to damage to the joints, the person is forced to assume a forced position to reduce joint movement and, consequently, pain. If the symptom persists, it can cause soft tissue disorders, including atrophy.
pain syndrome
Pain in osteochondrosis in the early stages is usually temporary. As they progress, they become longer and more intense. The result is the presence of pain in general on a daily basis.
The pain is usually dull and aching in nature. During an exacerbation, the symptom is so intense that it can even completely deprive mobility, causing muscle spasm.
Forecast
If we talk about the prognosis, then osteochondrosis itself is an incurable disease. At the initial stage, there is a chance to provide high-quality treatment and slow down the pathology before serious symptoms develop. The longer the pathology progresses without treatment, the greater the negative impact on the body. Consequently, home treatment becomes less effective and takes longer. If the pathology continues to the point of serious complications, surgical intervention may be necessary.