Osteochondrosis most often has a long course. Thus, the first signs in men and women can appear several 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 negative processes in the body.
Consequences of osteochondrosis
Timely diagnosis of osteochondrosis is a necessity that almost everyone faces.
This is because the disease causes a number of specific disorders in the body and as they progress, complications can affect various parts. The most common of them are:
- Intense headaches up to migraine;
- Partial hearing loss;
- Decreased 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 develop due to impaired blood circulation and innervation of the spine, which causes a negative effect on internal organs and departments.
In severe cases, there is a negative effect on the heart and lungs, which can cause heart attack, heart attack, stroke, etc.
First signs
There are certain early signs that the pathology has begun to develop.
Patients most often ignore them, considering them insignificant and associated with lifestyle - prolonged sitting, overwork, heavy lifting.
This is generally true, but it is these factors that cause the progression of osteochondrosis.
As a result, it initially manifests itself by several symptoms.
Slight morning stiffness does not manifest itself particularly intensely, but as it progresses, it appears more and more often. The mobility of the affected area may gradually decrease. In addition, with intense loads, discomfort will begin to appear. At the first stage, pain as such is usually not observed. It starts from the second step.
Symptom groups
Symptoms of osteochondrosis will increase as it develops. So, doctors divide them into several groups according to the mechanism of progression. In this way it is possible to identify the sections and types of tissues most affected.
Static syndrome
Static syndrome mainly refers to disorders of 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.
Static syndrome often results in impaired joint mobility. In advanced cases, the patient is unable to turn their head or sit 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 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 the neurological syndrome is pain of varying intensity and localization. It is caused by compression and irritation of the roots emanating from the spinal cord. At the first stage, this usually manifests itself simply as local discomfort. As the pain syndrome progresses, it spreads to areas of the body innervated by the affected root. Quite often there is a feeling of numbness, tingling, goosebumps and impaired sensitivity of the skin.
Motor changes in this pathology are observed less frequently than sensory changes. Depending on the degree of progression of osteochondrosis, paresis or even paralysis may be felt. An example would be paresis or limitation of voluntary movements of the lower limbs on either side due to lumbar osteochondrosis.
Vascular
Vascular symptoms appear for much the same reasons 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 by cervical osteochondrosis. It is in this section that the maximum number of large ships is present. Due to their negative impact, brain hypoxia begins to develop, which can lead to 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. Since it is located in the spine, the results also affect the blood vessels.
The most common manifestation of this disorder is a fairly prolonged spasm of peripheral vessels, followed by chronic ischemia and lack of oxygen to internal organs.
Trophy
The combination of the three previous syndromes can cause other disorders, including trophic syndrome. With a decrease in tissue nutrition, as well as a violation of the innervation of certain parts of the skin, ulcers may appear. In this case, neurological and vascular factors play the greatest role.
Manifestations of pathology
Osteochondrosis can manifest itself with a different set of symptoms. This is because 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 suddenly turning the head;
- Pain in shoulders, arms, chest, teeth;
- Spots and spots before the eyes;
- Deterioration in the functioning of vision and hearing, ringing in the ears;
- Voice change and tongue numbness;
- Headaches that usually get worse with movement. Painkillers cannot affect their intensity.
Such symptoms can be present both for a long time and during exacerbations. Certain signs are often confused with other pathologies, for example dental or ENT problems.
Chest
With thoracic osteochondrosis, they are felt:
- Pain when bending over, raising one arm or one arm, between the shoulder blades and in the chest (often confused with heart pain);
- Increased pain at night, as well as with movement, hypothermia, increased physical activity;
- Increased pain when moving the chest (exhaling and inhaling);
- Disturbance of the innervation of certain areas, feeling of numbness and goosebumps on the skin;
- Itching, burning, cold sensation in legs;
- Painful attacks in the ribs when walking;
- Chest feeling compressed by a hoop, 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.
Lumbar
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 lumbar region;
- Increased pain with movement or exertion;
- Pain in abdominal organs, legs, sacrum;
- Innervation disorders in the lower limbs;
- 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 that "the back is stuck". The mobility of the service is reduced to a minimum during a painful crisis.
Joints
Osteochondrosis of the joints manifests itself:
- Decreased mobility of the affected area (most commonly the shoulder, hip, or knee joint);
- Severe pain;
- Increased pain when moving or lifting a limb;
- Range of motion is significantly reduced;
- Formations on joint and soft tissues can be observed on palpation;
- Swelling of the affected area;
- Redness, numbness, tingling sensation on the skin.
Due to damage to the joints, a person is forced to take a forced position in order to reduce the movement of the joint and, as a result, pain. If the symptom persists, it can lead to soft tissue disorders or even atrophy.
Pain syndrome
Pain from 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 in daily life.
The pain is usually persistent, aching in nature. During an exacerbation, the symptom is so intense that it can even completely deprive you of mobility, causing muscle spasms.
Forecast
If we talk about the prognosis, osteochondrosis itself is an incurable disease. At the initial stage, it is possible to provide high-quality treatment and slow down the pathology before serious symptoms appear. The more the pathology progresses without treatment, the greater the negative impact on the body. As a result, home treatment becomes less effective and takes longer. If the pathology persists to the point of serious complications, surgical intervention may be necessary.