There are many diseases characterized by degenerative dystrophic manifestations, one of which is osteochondrosis. In humans, the signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifest themselves in different ways, and it is sometimes impossible to think about this pathology. The entire spine is gradually affected, especially in the thoracic region.
Often, in addition to the fact that there is pain, other symptoms can also occur. Which one, you need to understand in more detail, because numbness and violations of the tongue are a manifestation of this particular disease. This psychosomatic can confuse anyone, there are reasons for such a disease. Let's try to understand the variety of symptoms in more detail below.
degrees of disease
Osteochondrosis is characterized by a chronic course with periods of remission and exacerbation, which can be very difficult to remove. Psychosomatics is capable of taking a person to extremes, as the pain is particularly intense. Even if you act on the causes, the disease is constantly progressing, only a certain regimen and timely treatment can help. Psychosomatics does not appear immediately, in the first stages the person feels quite normal, and after the second or third attacks it simply becomes unbearable.
In total, there are four degrees of manifestation of the disease:
- In the initial phase, the changes are minimal, occurring within the intervertebral disc. It gradually loses moisture, which eventually leads to the fibrous capsule cracking. At this stage, everything is not manifested in any way, the changes are visible only on an MRI. It is at this stage that it is best to treat the disease, while the causes of occurrence can be reversed, and by starting treatment, the manifestations of the disease can be completely eliminated.
- In the second stage, disc damage occurs and pain may appear. The height of the disc decreases, which leads to sagging of the ligaments and muscles. Instability develops, the vertebrae begin to shift relative to each other. At this stage, a person feels pain, a specific lesion appears, characteristic of osteochondrosis.
- In the third stage of the disease, the pain may be more pronounced and is often accompanied by disc protrusion.
- The fourth stage is the final stage, during which osteophytes and spinal deformation are formed. Due to osteophytes, the body tries to reduce the signs of cervical osteochondrosis. After that the ligaments begin to ossify and the vertebrae gradually dislocate.
The reasons why everything happens
To better understand the symptoms of the disease, you need to understand what are the causes of its appearance. All psychosomatics arise, first of all, due to compression of the spinal cord in the spinal canal. But such causes can be found very rarely and with a very advanced degenerative process. The cause of the occurrence can be a significant size of the intervertebral hernia, trauma or dislocation.
Psychosomatics often develops due to compression of the spinal roots. The causes of pain are that they can be compressed by neighboring vertebrae, herniated discs and inflammation.
Often the problem can be with vessels that are located nearby. Especially often, psychosomatics develops as a result of damage to the vertebral artery, which runs in the thickness of the spine and supplies blood to the posterior parts of the brain.
Based on the characteristics of the lesion, it is possible to understand the symptoms, which, in both men and women, present the same manifestations.
Symptoms due to spinal cord injury
Cervical osteochondrosis against the background of spinal cord compression develops very rarely. Such a condition can cost a person not only his health, but also his life. In this area, the respiratory and vasomotor centers are located nearby. And if compression occurs at the level of 3 or 4 segments, a person can become completely paralyzed. If the diaphragm is affected, it often ends with paralysis and respiratory arrest.
Body temperature is normal, even if 4-5 segments are affected, paralysis is possible, but breathing will not suffer. If the 5th to 8th segment is damaged, the muscles of the arms and legs may suffer, the temperature also does not change, and there may be a disturbance in the function of Organs pelvic organs.
When a nerve fiber is damaged
With damage to the plexuses and nerve fibers, the temperature also does not rise. In the cervical region, as well as in the thoracic region, pain occurs. It can be permanent and is called cervicalgia, and in the form of attacks - cervical. Attacks occur in the neck, neck or shoulder girdle, upper thoracic spine. Irritation occurs due to compression of the root, it becomes inflamed, although the temperature remains normal. As a result of this, the muscles that innervate the roots involved in the pathological process become very tense, numbness.
With neck pain in both men and women, the pain is constant and of varying intensity. Psychosomatics with her is very pronounced, seizures can be very difficult to remove. Often, everything is dismissed as a simple migraine. But you can bear the pain, although it occurs as a result of sudden movement, turning, tilting of the head. During movement, numbness and a characteristic crisis may appear.
With the cervix, the temperature also does not rise, but the pain has its own characteristics. It occurs for no apparent reason in the form of "lumbago" or electric shock. The intensity is so strong that it can give way in one hand, a person is simply forced to wear a collar of Shants. Lasting from a few seconds to minutes, then comes neck pain to replace it. This happens as a result of a sudden movement or compression of the nerve in the neck or upper thoracic spinal cord, which can result in numbness and mild tremor.
root damage
The main nerves of the upper limb are formed from the roots of the cervical spinal cord, there are three nerves in total: ulnar, radial and median. If osteochondrosis of the cervical spine develops, these structures can be affected, resulting not only in pain and tremor, but also in numbness. All these nerves have mixed fibers that are responsible for sensitivity and motor skills. Symptoms can be so severe that a Shants collar must be used and it depends on the type of root affected. There may be numbness or loss of sensation in the 2nd or 3rd finger, or even paralysis of some muscles. A neurologist is able to determine exactly where the violation took place.
occipital nerve neuralgia
This rather unpleasant condition develops as a result of damage to the occipital nerves. These structures are formed by 2, 3, 4 pairs of spinal nerves. With nerve damage as a result of the development of osteochondrosis, the temperature remains normal, severe pain in the head worries, especially in the back of the head. Often, in connection with this, patients, and often they are women, are simply forced to wear a collar from Shants.
Symptoms are very typical of the disease, correctly asking the patient, you can make a diagnosis without special examination methods. Everything occurs suddenly and is located on one side, less often it has a bilateral character. To a person, "lumbago" resembles an electric shock, which forces him to wear a Shant collar. The duration of the attack is only a few minutes, but it can be repeated throughout the day. It all starts in the region of the posterolateral face of the neck and extends to the region of the occipital protuberance. The sensitivity of the skin is disturbed, numbness occurs, a feeling of crawling "goose bumps", a tremor, which makes a person put on a collar of Shants. The temperature does not rise.
on the side of the heart
Often, violations in the neck lead to pathology of the organs of the thoracic region. Angina pectoris and other heart problems can be directly related to osteochondrosis. Sometimes first aid for heart disease doesn't bring the expected relief. The reason is that it is in the neck that the nerves involved in the innervation of the thoracic trunk are formed, the fibers of the phrenic nerve partially pass into the pericardium. That's why help doesn't make sense.
The damaged nerve fibers send signals to the muscles in the chest area, resulting in heart-like pain. Pain in osteochondrosis is long-lasting, reaching hours or days, and is unaffected by angina pectoris medication. The temperature does not change and the pain itself is not associated with physical activity, but it subsides with a change in body position and disappears if you wear a Shants collar. Strengthening occurs with movements and turns of the head, when coughing or sneezing. What are the symptoms of angina pectoris? Therefore, nitroglycerin preparations cannot relieve pain.
But don't relax, because there are atypical variants of angina pectoris, which the doctor knows about. If there is pain in the heart or thoracic spine region, it is best to do an ECG again, it is completely safe and painless. If there is osteochondrosis, with the next attack of pain, there may be more numbness than film changes.
Vertebral artery damage
If there are symptoms of vertebral artery damage, along with the rest of the treatment, a Shants collar will be required. The brain experiences a lack of oxygen, resulting in headache, numbness. It manifests as a throbbing headache in the back of the head, temples and crown of the head. In some cases, there is tremor, dizziness, nausea, followed by vomiting.
The temperature is normal, but there are visual disturbances, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss. Along with the fact that there is a tremor, the coordination of movements and balance are disturbed. Shants treatment and collar help to remove these symptoms.
In severe cases, falling attacks develop, a state without loss of consciousness with a sudden turning of the head. Memory suffers, work capacity decreases, concentration of attention is disturbed.
If the above symptoms and hand tremor appear, you will need to go to an appointment with a neurologist and undergo an additional examination. You don't have to choose the Shants necklace on your own, it's also better to do it with the help of an expert.