Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the neck is a common disease of the spine that affects patients of all ages.

Represents degenerative changes in the spinal disc, which develop against the background of severe stress, wearing the wrong shoes, heavy physical exertion and malnutrition. It develops gradually, so that the patient may not notice the first symptoms immediately.

Main signs of the disease

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis appear as the pathology progresses. They are more noticeable during exacerbations. Noticing the first signs of the disease, it is recommended to consult a doctor, because it is often disguised as other disorders, which complicates the timely diagnosis.

Patients are usually contacted with the following complaints:

• Severe pain in the collar area.
• Noise and congestion in the ears.
• Frequent dizziness.
• Shortness of breath, feeling short of breath.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Blood pressure drops.
• Frequent fainting or syncope.
• Increase in body temperature.

The signs of cervical osteochondrosis in men do not differ much from those that occur in women. Patients complain of discomfort in the nape of the neck, sternum, and shoulder girdle. You should contact your local therapist or neurologist for a diagnosis.

Neck pain

One of the most common symptoms of chondrosis of the cervical spine is neck pain that affects the back of the head and shoulders. The nature of the pain (painful, sharp, light tingling) directly depends on the location of the lesion and the severity of the development of the pathological process. In the initial stage, this can be a slight discomfort that does not allow you to turn your head freely in all directions. Gradually, the pain becomes chronic and limits the range of motion.

Pain is manifested as a result of deformation of the vertebrae, due to insufficient blood supply in the collar area. In the background of this process, cramps, anxiety attacks and panic are noticed. A painful sensation in the neck area can radiate to the shoulders or arms. Increase after sleeping, sudden movements, laughing or sneezing. Discomfort is combined with characteristic contraction when trying to turn or muscle weakness.

Muscle spasm and poor circulation often lead not only to pain, but also to temporary loss of the ability to move the neck. Constant overexertion spreads throughout the head and the patient begins to complain of migraine attacks.

Tinnitus and stuffy ears

Osteochondrosis in the neck area is also manifested by a feeling of congestion in the ears, hearing loss and noise. All this is due to insufficient intensity of blood flow to the vestibular apparatus. This symptom complex is called cochlear, but doctors rarely associate it with a vertebral disorder. Pay attention to the nature of noise and ringing in the ears, they are usually amplified when a person is in one position for a long time or tries to change it.

Patients with hearing impairment are referred to an otorhinolaryngologist. In the presence of concomitant disorders of the condition, such as numbness of the face, limited mobility of the neck, additional consultations with a neurologist are required to clarify the diagnosis and determine the cause.

Headaches and migraines

The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men are rarely accompanied by frequent headaches, the female population is more sensitive to them. The vertebrae in this area are constantly exposed to excessive stress, leading to their gradual deformation if the muscle tissue is not elastic enough to keep them in their natural position. It is more difficult to identify the cause of the headache, because the symptom is not specific.

The following reasons trigger the attack:

• Cerebral vasospasm.
• Compressed nerve endings in the cervicothoracic spine.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Acute violation of venous outflow.
• Increased fatigue.
• Longer stay in an unnatural position.

Headaches worsen during exacerbations and in patients, including men. By nature it can be constant, dull in the form of seizures or pulsations. In the elderly, this symptom requires great attention, as it may indicate an onset of stroke, angina pectoris, heart attack, or arterial hypertension. Therefore, first of all, these conditions are excluded before starting the treatment of osteochondrosis.

In cardiac pathologies, patients also complain of compression in the chest area, irregular heart rhythm, which allows the doctor to differentiate the condition in time. Headaches accompanied by nausea, shortness of breath necessarily require an ECG.

Dizziness

Impaired coordination and frequent dizziness often occur when osteochondrosis develops to grade 2 or higher. This is due to degenerative changes in the vertebrae, cramps, constriction of nerve endings. The brain does not receive the required amount of oxygen, which negatively affects the work of the vestibular apparatus.

As a result of the deviation of the condition, the symptom is:

• Systemic vertigo.They appear as a sensation of the whole body and surrounding objects spinning. Dysfunction occurs due to malfunction of the vestibular apparatus, weakening of muscle tissue and receptors located in the joints.
• Non-systemic vertigo.In addition to instability, patients experience bouts of nausea, an insecure state in an upright position. Circular rotation is usually not present.

Dizziness is a serious symptom that should be treated immediately by a doctor. In case of shoulder numbness, facial muscle paralysis, loss of consciousness, urgent hospitalization is required.

Shortness of breath and shortness of breath

Another serious symptom of advanced osteochondrosis in the shoulder area is a constant feeling of shortness of breath. Breathing problems are caused by compression of nerve endings and receptors that do not transmit impulses from the pharynx to the esophagus. Shortness of breath occurs when the vertebrae are moved, it increases in a state of stress, accompanied by a lump in the throat. After taking sedatives, the health condition normalizes.

Lack of air causes radicular syndrome. Diaphragm spasm affects the depth and rhythm of breathing. The patient becomes blocked and has difficulty breathing air, problems with memory and concentration. Such a symptom in osteochondrosis requires urgent help, because it can cause a number of serious complications. The doctor selects the drug individually, taking into account the condition.

Nausea

There is a large collection of nerve endings in the cervical area, where an artery passes, which is responsible for transporting nutrients to the brain. With osteochondrosis, protrusions and intervertebral hernias gradually form, which affects blood pressure, and as a result, the patient experiences an attack of nausea.

Prolonged damage to normal blood circulation leads to vomiting, loss of consciousness and causes stroke and disability. Therefore, the appearance of such a symptom, which is not associated with dietary errors, requires urgent medical advice.

Increased blood pressure

For cervical osteochondrosis, a typical symptom is a jump in pressure during the day. Elevated or decreased blood pressure is not maintained for a long time, which is a characteristic sign of degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The daily dynamics of blood pressure is sudden, because the irritation of the nerve endings is reflex and causes short-term spasms of blood vessels.

A characteristic feature of increased pressure in cervical osteochondrosis is:

• headache;
• chest discomfort;
• decreased sensitivity in the collar area;
• Muscle tension after a long stay in one position.

All this is taken into account when making a diagnosis. Rapid deterioration and sudden changes in pressure are the basis of hospitalization of the patient and the provision of assistance in a hospital setting.

Visual impairment

Osteochondrosis in the cervical spine often causes such unpleasant symptoms as double vision, flickering, the appearance of "flies". This signals the severity of the process and requires a visit to the doctor.

Against the background of the destruction of connective tissue in the vertebrae, the following diseases can develop:

• Glaucoma.The patient is diagnosed with increased intraocular pressure, optic nerve damage. It is impossible to completely eliminate pathologists, only with complex treatment to achieve stable remission.
• Cataract.This pathological process leads to the destruction of the lens. The changes are associated with metabolic processes and acute disruption of the brain's oxygen supply. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of "flies" in front of the eyes. Timely start of treatment helps to preserve the patient's vision.
• Claude Bernard-Horner's illness.Hypoxia in the occipital region is considered to be one of the causes of the lesion. The main signs of a pathological condition are a decrease in the pupillary reaction or a difference in the size of the pupil in different eyes. Some patients complain that they cannot close their eyes completely for a night’s rest, and they also suffer from twilight vision.

An ophthalmologist prescribes treatment after a thorough examination. But therapy is carried out only in a complex aimed at eliminating the cause of the violation. Only then can the problem be solved effectively.

Throat problems

Degenerative changes in the cervical spine cause swallowing problems. The patient complains of a lump in the throat, sweating, a feeling of a foreign body in the throat, itching. Signs indicate a malfunction of the neurovascular logs coming from the spinal cord. But the symptomatology is not considered characteristic and can be noticed in pathological disorders such as inflammation, swelling.

Body temperature change

Osteochondrosis, as it progresses, causes a rise in body temperature. This symptomatology occurs when the spinal artery is damaged, spinal canal stenosis, or disc protrusion. It causes changes in neuroses and accompanying neurological disorders.

In the background of the increase in temperature, numbness of the tongue or hands, inflammation in the lymph nodes, burning of the tongue are noticed.

Characteristic crunching when turning the neck suggests osteochondrosis.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis, depending on the stage

Signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine largely depend on the degree of development of the pathology, the force of compression of the nerve endings and the process of disc deformation. It causes the appearance of symptoms of compression of the vertebral artery and violation of blood flow to the brain. Compressed nerve endings lead to serious neurological pathologies.

The severity of the signs directly depends on the stage of the disease:

1. Initial.The patient degenerative processes on the spinal discs take place imperceptibly. It is quite difficult to notice the first changes, as these can be mild headaches (felt more in women), discomfort in the neck, a slight deterioration in vision or loss of sensitivity in the collar area. At this stage, patients rarely go to the doctor, attributing symptoms to fatigue, lack of sleep, or stress.
2. Second phase.As the pathology progresses and disc protrusion appears, more pronounced symptoms appear. The destruction of the annular fibrosus affects the movements of the head, they become more limited. Also, patients begin to complain of constant ringing in the ears, impaired visual function, neck pain with characteristic crunch, swallowing problems, sleep disturbance, and decreased reflex clarity. Holding the head in one position causes serious discomfort, which requires a doctor’s consultation.
3. Third phase.Gradually intervertebral hernias are formed, the fibrous ring is completely destroyed, there is a deformation of the vertebrae, displacement of bone segments, dislocations, instability. The patient complains of acute neck pain, pronounced shoulder syndrome, paralysis of the upper limbs, tendon reflexes are not noticed, impaired sensitivity of the scalp. This is a difficult stage of the disease that requires complex treatment.

Osteochondrosis is a chronic systemic disease that manifests itself in a variety of symptoms. The reason always lies in compressed nerve endings, circulatory disorders and deformation of intervertebral discs. Protrusion, hernia, and displacement gradually lead to loss of vertebral motility.

Age directly affects the severity of symptoms. The older the patient, the stronger the changes in connective and bone tissue. This is due to weakness of muscle fibers, nutritional deficiencies and chronic inflammatory diseases in the body.

Patient Reviews

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a common disease because nerve roots are constantly exposed to stress due to excessive segment mobility. Timely detection of pathology avoids serious complications, so many people read patient reviews and compare them with their symptoms.

It is strictly forbidden to make a diagnosis without laboratory and instrumental tests. All information should be taken as a note only.

Cervical osteochondrosis is manifested by a large number of symptoms, but most of them are easily confused with similar pathologies. Therefore, it is recommended that the patient's complaints be considered in a complex and differential diagnostics be performed, which enables timely identification of the disease and prescribing the correct treatment, which includes physiotherapy, gymnastics and drug treatment.