The symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are so contradictory that in the early stages of the disease, a wrong diagnosis is often made and a completely different disease is treated. But over time, more obvious signs appeared, and it became clear that the cause of the disease was damage to the spine. Cervical spondylosis is dangerous because of its gradual development, so many patients for a long time do not suspect that they have long been at risk.
This disease can be triggered by congenital or acquired injuries, heredity, excessive physical load, poor posture, and excess body weight. Each case has its own reason for the formation of this disease.
Stages of development of cervical osteochondrosis
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis depend on the stage at which the patient is. At each stage of spondylosis they show themselves differently. There are four levels in total.
- First stage. There is early destruction and loss of elasticity of the intervertebral disc. It may be accompanied by pain in the neck, but sometimes there is temporary discomfort, which few people notice.
- Second stage. The intervertebral gap is reduced and the fibrous ring is destroyed. Severe pain becomes constant due to a pinched nerve root. Manifestations of the disease become clear, and the treatment of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis most often begins at this stage. It is necessary to start doing exercises for cervical osteochondrosis.
- Third stage. Complete destruction of the fibrous ring was observed. Intervertebral hernia and significant deformation of the spinal column appear. Migraines, nausea, dizziness, and numbness in the legs are often observed.
- Fourth stage. Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine become advanced and manifest as sharp pain attacks with any movement. Bony growths form, limiting movement.
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and its treatment largely depend on the stage and neglect of spondylosis and the patient's health status; at all levels they are completely different.
The most typical manifestations of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine are:
- severe headache in the back of the head, temples, crown of the head;
- dizziness, fainting;
- strong pain radiating to arms and shoulders;
- impaired coordination and vision;
- throbbing pain in brow ridge, temples;
- changes in voice timbre, hoarseness, snoring;
- painful attacks radiating to the chest;
- heart pain resembling angina pectoris;
- toothache;
- numbness of the face, fingers;
- breathing problems, nausea, pain in the eyes and heart;
- memory impairment and decreased intelligence;
- pain in the neck, forearm, arm;
- noise in the ears;
- tingling in the limbs, weakness, shivering.
Primary syndrome of cervical spondylosis
Cervical osteochondrosis can occur in different forms in different patients. Doctors have combined such symptoms into clinical syndromes.
Cardiac syndrome
It has symptoms similar to angina pectoris. Because of this similarity, there is a serious risk of failing to treat cardiac ischemia instead of cervical spondylosis. Characterized by irritation of the nerve roots of the thoracic region or the phrenic nerve. This syndrome is accompanied by prolonged paroxysmal pain. Tachycardia and extrasystole were observed. But the cardiogram showed no abnormalities.
Irritation-reflex syndrome
It is always accompanied by burning, unbearable pain in the cervical-occipital region, especially acute when moving. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, which this syndrome shows, consist of severe pain in the shoulders and chest.
Radicular syndrome
Better known as cervical sciatica. It appears when the nerve endings of the cervical spine are pinched. When nerve root compression occurs, the pain threshold descends from the neck down to the shoulder blade, moving to the shoulder, forearm and fingers. Possible hobbies, tingling, goosebumps.
Vertebral artery syndrome
The patient begins to experience a burning, throbbing headache in the area of the brow ridge, crown of the head, back of the head, and temples; it can be constant or paroxysmal. If the immune system is weak, dizziness, nausea, and possible fainting occur. Hearing acuity decreases, noise is heard in the ears, and the function of the vestibular apparatus is disturbed. Sometimes there is a significant decrease in vision.
Cervicothoracic spondylosis
Symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis are very similar to cervical spondylosis. But the peculiarity of this complication is that the wrong diagnosis is often made. It is usually confused with angina pectoris or vegetative-vascular dystonia. Unfortunately, many patients are forced to take useless drugs until it turns out that the cause of a serious disease 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 to breathe deeply.
Symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis
The 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;
- blood pressure jumps;
- lack of coordination;
- double vision or stars in the eyes;
- dizziness;
- neck, chest, heart pain;
- numbness and coldness in the fingers;
- pain in the arms, shoulders, along the ribs;
- constant ringing in the ears.
Many patients think that the manifestation of the disease consists only of constant pain, but this is not so. Dangerous complications leading to disability may occur. Advanced osteochondrosis leads to protrusion of the cervical spine, hernia, intercostal neuralgia, radiculitis and complete deformation of the fingers.
Therefore, if you periodically experience pain of various types or the symptoms listed above are common to you, immediately seek qualified help.