The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are so contradictory that in the initial stages of the disease, a wrong 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 problems is damage to the spine. Neck spondylosis is insidious due to its gradual development, so many patients do not even suspect that they have been in danger for a long time.
The disease can be caused by congenital or acquired injuries, heredity, physical overload, poor posture and excess weight. Each case has its own individual reasons for the occurrence of this disease.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis depend on the stage in which the patient is. Each stage of spondylosis manifests itself differently. There are four stages in total.
- The first stage. The initial destruction and loss of elasticity of the intervertebral discs occurs. It can be accompanied by neck pain, but sometimes there is simply a temporary discomfort that few people pay attention to.
- The second stage. The intervertebral spaces are reduced, and the fibrous ring is destroyed. Severe pain becomes constant due to pinching of the nerve root. Manifestations of the disease become pronounced, and the treatment of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis most often begins at this stage. It is necessary to start doing exercises for cervical osteochondrosis.
- The third phase. Complete destruction of the fibrous ring was observed. Intervertebral hernias and significant deformation of the spinal column appear. Migraines, nausea, dizziness and numbness of the extremities often occur.
- The fourth stage. Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine become advanced and manifest as sharp attacks of pain with any movement. Bony growths are formed that limit movement.
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
The symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and their treatment will largely depend on the stage and neglect of spondylosis and the health of the patient, in all stages they are completely different..
The most typical manifestations of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine are:
- severe headaches in the back of the head, temples, crown;
- dizziness, fainting;
- intense pain radiating to arms and shoulders;
- impaired coordination and vision;
- throbbing pain in the area of the eyebrows, temples;
- voice change, hoarseness, snoring;
- painful attacks radiating to the chest;
- heart pain like angina pectoris;
- painful toothache;
- numbness of the face, fingers;
- breathing problems, nausea, pain in the eyes and heart;
- memory impairment and reduced intelligence;
- pain in the neck, forearm, hand;
- tinnitus;
- tingling limbs, weakness, chills.
The main syndromes of cervical spondylosis
Cervical osteochondrosis can appear in different forms in different patients. Doctors combined such symptoms into clinical syndromes.
Cardiac syndrome
It has symptomatic features similar to angina pectoris. Because of this similarity, there is a serious risk of not treating cardiac ischemia instead of cervical spondylosis. It is characterized by irritation of the nerve roots of the thoracic region or the phrenic nerve. This syndrome is accompanied by long-term paroxysmal pain. Tachycardia and extrasystoles are observed. But the cardiogram shows no abnormalities.
Irritative-reflex syndrome
It is always accompanied by burning, unbearable pain in the cervical-occipital region, especially acute when moving. The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, manifested by this syndrome, consist of intense pain in the shoulder and chest.
Radicular syndrome
Better known as cervical sciatica. It occurs when the nerve endings of the cervical spine are compressed. When the nerve roots are compressed, the pain threshold descends from the neck to the shoulder blades, moving to the shoulder, forearm and fingers. Possible pastiness, burning sensation, feeling of suffocation.
Vertebral artery syndrome
The patient begins to suffer from a burning, throbbing headache in the area of the eyebrows, crown, back of the head and temples, it can be constant or paroxysmal. If the immune system is weakened, dizziness, nausea and possible fainting occur. Hearing acuity decreases, tinnitus is heard, 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 cervical spondylosis. But the peculiarity of this complication is that it is often misdiagnosed. It is usually confused with angina pectoris or vegetative-vascular dystonia. Unfortunately, many patients have to take useless drugs until it is shown that the cause of serious diseases 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 of deep breathing.
Symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis
Symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis also have their own characteristics, the treatment of which differs slightly from the general principles of therapy for this disease. The main manifestations of this pathology:
- asthenic syndrome;
- migraine attacks;
- spike in blood pressure;
- lack of coordination;
- double vision or stars in the eyes;
- dizziness;
- pain in the neck, chest, heart;
- numbness and coldness in the fingers;
- pain in arms, shoulders, along ribs;
- constant noise in the ears.
Many patients think that the manifestation of the disease consists only of constant pain, but this is not so. Dangerous complications can occur that lead to disability. Advanced osteochondrosis leads to protrusion of the cervical spine, hernia, intercostal neuralgia, radiculitis and complete deformation of the fingers.
Therefore, if you occasionally feel pain of a different type or the above symptoms are familiar to you, seek qualified help immediately.