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 the pathology leads to many complications, timely treatment and diagnosis of the disease will help slow down the negative processes in the body.
Consequences of osteochondrosis
Timely diagnosis of osteochondrosis is a need that almost every person faces.
This is explained by the fact that the disease causes a number 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;
- Reduced visual ability;
- Radiculopathy (aka radiculitis);
- VSD or various autonomic dysfunctions;
- Dysfunction of the genitourinary system;
- Intervertebral hernia;
- Sciatica;
- Spondylosis, osteophytosis;
- Spondyloarthrosis;
- Lumbodynia and lumbago;
- Spinal stenosis.
These complications arise due to disturbed blood circulation and innervation in the spine, which causes a negative effect on internal organs and departments.
In more severe cases, there is a negative effect on the heart and lungs, which can cause a heart attack, heart attack, stroke, etc.
First signs
There are certain first signals that the pathology has begun to develop.
Patients most often ignore them, considering them insignificant and connected with lifestyle - prolonged sitting, overexertion, lifting heavy loads.
This is usually true, but it is precisely these factors that cause osteochondrosis to progress.
As a result, he initially feels with several symptoms.
Mild stiffness in the morning is not particularly intense, but as it progresses it will appear more and more often. 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 perceived. It starts from the second phase.
Clusters of symptoms
Symptoms of osteochondrosis will spread as it develops. Accordingly, doctors divide them into several groups according to the mechanism of progression. In this way, it is possible to identify the most vulnerable parts and tissue types.
Static syndrome
Static syndrome mainly refers to disorders in bone tissue. As a result, the shape of the vertebrae changes, which leads to the deformation of the spinal column with the development of various types of curvature. In this case, pathological mobility of the vertebrae is observed. Bad posture is manifested by:
- kyphosis;
- kyphoscoliosis;
- scoliosis;
- Lordosis.
The consequence of static syndrome is often reduced joint mobility. In advanced cases, the patient cannot turn his head or stand up straight.
Neurologically
A neurological complex of symptoms is caused by damage to nerve tissue. At the same time, at the very beginning, the sensitivity of certain parts of the skin is simply impaired. The motor ability of the limbs and the strength of muscle contractions also decrease.
But the main manifestation of the neurological syndrome is pain of varying intensity and localization. It is provoked by compression and irritation of the roots coming out of the spinal cord. In the first stage, it usually manifests simply as local discomfort. As the pain syndrome progresses, it spreads further to areas of the body that are innervated by the affected root. A feeling of numbness, tingling, goosebumps and impaired sensitivity of the skin often occurs.
Motor changes in this pathology are observed less frequently than sensory ones. Depending on the degree of progression of osteochondrosis, paresis and even paralysis can be felt. An example would be paresis or limited voluntary movements in the lower limb on both sides due to lumbar osteochondrosis.
Vascular
Vascular symptoms occur for approximately the same reason as neurological symptoms. That is, the veins and arteries are compressed by the vertebrae, which leads to the development of the corresponding symptoms.
This effect is most often manifested in cervical osteochondrosis. It is precisely in this section that the maximum number of large vessels is present. As a result of the negative impact on them, hypoxia of the brain begins to develop, which can lead to nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness, hearing and vision impairment.
If the tone of the sympathetic system of the central nervous system changes, then the irritation of the nerve plexus increases. Since it is located in the spine, the results also affect the blood vessels.
The most common manifestation of this disorder is a fairly long-lasting spasm of peripheral vessels, followed by chronic ischemia and oxygen starvation of internal organs.
Trophic
The combination of the three previous syndromes can cause other disorders, especially the trophic syndrome. With a decrease in tissue nutrition, as well as a disruption of the innervation of certain parts of the skin, ulcers may appear. In this case, neurological and vascular factors play the biggest role.
Manifestations of pathology
Osteochondrosis can be manifested by a variety of symptoms. This is explained by the fact that a certain department affects certain areas, so the signs of the disease can differ from each other.
Cervical
Cervical spine is characterized by symptoms such as:
- Vertigo and even fainting when suddenly turning the head;
- Pain in shoulders, arms, chest, teeth;
- Spots and spots before the eyes;
- Deterioration of vision and hearing, ringing in the ears;
- Change in voice and numbness of the tongue;
- Headaches that are usually worse with movement. Analgesics cannot affect their intensity.
Such symptoms can 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
Thoracic osteochondrosis causes:
- Pain when bending, raising 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 with movement, hypothermia, increased physical activity;
- Increased pain when moving the chest (exhalation and inhalation);
- Disturbance of the innervation of certain areas, feeling of numbness and goosebumps on the skin;
- Sensation of itching, burning, coldness in the legs;
- Painful attacks in the ribs when walking;
- Chest feels tight with a hoop, difficulty breathing.
Thoracic osteochondrosis in the manifestation of pain syndrome is rich in localization. But precisely because of the greatest involvement of the chest, many people confuse it with infarction and heart attack.
Lumbar
Lumbar osteochondrosis greatly 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 and aching pain in the lumbar region;
- Increased pain with movement or exertion;
- Pain in abdominal organs, legs, sacrum;
- Innervation disorder in the lower extremities;
- Inability to perform certain movements, such as bending and turning;
- 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 workload, heavy lifting or hypothermia. In this case, many people say "the back is stuck". The mobility of the ward is reduced to a minimum during a painful attack.
Joints
Osteochondrosis of the joints is manifested by:
- Decreased mobility of the affected area (most often shoulder, hip or knee joint);
- Severe pain;
- Increased pain when moving or lifting limbs;
- Range of motion is significantly reduced;
- During palpation, formations on joint and soft tissues can be observed;
- Swelling of the affected area;
- Redness, stiffness, stinging and pins and needles in the skin.
Due to joint damage, a person is forced to take a forced position in order to reduce joint movement and, accordingly, pain. If the symptom persists, it can lead to soft tissue disorders, including atrophy.
Pain syndrome
Pain in osteochondrosis in the first stages is usually temporary. As they progress, they become longer and more intense. The result is the presence of pain in general in everyday life.
The pain is usually nagging, aching in nature. During an exacerbation, the symptom is so intense that it can even completely immobilize you, causing muscle spasms.
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 more pathologies progress without treatment, the greater the negative impact on the body. Consequently, treatment at home becomes less effective and takes longer. If the pathology continues to severe complications, surgical intervention may be required.