Osteochondrosis is a widespread and rapidly "rejuvenating" disease that affects people all over the world.
These are degenerative changes in the dystrophic nature of bone tissue, joints, cartilage, and ligaments of the spine.
For a while, a person may not notice the disease, but the signs of osteochondrosis make them feel quickly: the spine gains pathological activity, invades nerve endings, blood vessels, and even adjacent tissues, which can cause severe pain.
If the disease starts, the fast-growing bone process can further damage nerve roots and blood vessels.
The symptoms are mainly due to the location of the disease.
The main symptoms of the disease
Generally, all symptoms are divided into four major groups and are associated with the individual characteristics of the affected area and each patient's spine. It should be remembered that if a person is too cold, cold, excessively stressed, alcohol abuse, irregular or improper eating, and abnormal physical activity, the manifestations of the disease will increase significantly.
- Static symptoms depend on changes in the shape of each vertebra, which can lead to posture deterioration: a person suffers from scoliosis, or even a kyphotic deformity of lordosis, usually unable to straighten the back and unable to rotate the head freely. The spine has lost its flexibility.
- Nervous system symptoms represent damage to nerve tissue, in which not only the strength of muscle contraction is disturbed, but also the sensitivity of the skin is violated. The root of the spinal cord is compressed, and the affected area feels pain, numbness, tingling, and horror. If the disease starts, it can cause paralysis of the limbs (partial loss of mobility or even complete paralysis).
- There are two reasons for vascular symptoms. First, due to venous compression of the arteries (especially cervical osteochondrosis, when the arteries supplying the brain are compressed), the blood supply to the brain deteriorates significantly, causing nausea, dizziness and hypoxia in certain areas. Secondly, due to the stimulation of nerve fibers, the state of the sympathetic nervous system changes. The result is many vasospasm and even ischemia.
- When the above neurological manifestations are superimposed on vascular symptoms, nutritional symptoms will appear. As a result, tissue nutrition becomes worse, leading to the appearance of ulcers.
If neck osteochondrosis develops
The signs of osteochondrosis vary depending on which specific area of the body is affected. Cervical osteochondrosis is a dangerous and insidious enemy. First, when headaches occur, analgesics do not work at all.
Pain will affect the back of the head and temples, and it will aggravate when a person is in a calm state. Not only the head itself, but the skin will also be injured. Then the pain in the arms and shoulders can also be problematic, and the sensitivity of these areas is disturbed.
If you do nothing, this case may eventually cause hand numbness.
In addition to pain, cervical osteochondrosis is also accompanied by other symptoms:
- Nausea, unpleasant noise, unexpected dizziness.
- Loss of vision, flies in front of eyes (all these are the result of violations of proper nutrition and metabolism in the optical system).
- He fainted due to lack of oxygen in the brain, and his gait was wobbly.
- Hiccups, shortness of breath (if the phrenic nerve is affected), lump in the throat.
- Impaired neck movement, pain, and continuous muscle tension.
- Nutritional changes of the skin on the hands.
- Persistent weakness, lack of strength and fatigue, frequent irritability, feeling hot, or, conversely, chills.
Many times, cervical lesions are mistaken for stroke, high blood pressure, ENT organ problems, and even neurasthenia.
If the chest area is affected
If you remember which organs might be affected, what symptoms the disease accompanies, if it involves the chest area, it is easy to imagine. Undergraduates are relatively less affected, difficult to identify, and easily confused with the performance of other problems.
First of all, pain between the shoulder blades or chest and upper abdomen. It may involve internal pain and be mistaken for angina, intestinal or renal colic or liver problems. Then it all depends on the affected department:
- If the upper chest is affected, the patient will have swallowing problems, a lump in the throat and cough.
- Failure in the mid-thoracic region can cause pain similar to manifestations of gastritis, peptic ulcers, and heart problems. Arrhythmia occurs and blood pressure rises.
- If the lower thoracic segment is involved, intestinal function is disturbed, and the pain is similar to appendicitis.
- Heart pain, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, unpleasant coldness, burning or tingling in the chest and abdomen may increase.
The main problem is not that osteochondrosis has long been mistaken for a heart attack, angina, abdominal disease or pneumonia, but because of pain, a person tries to breathe more accurately, thereby avoiding oneself. As a result, a vicious cycle is obtained: respiratory pathology, Chronic respiratory failure, heart damage.
If the lower back is affected
The waist area is most often affected because he not only bears the greatest load during exercise, any exercise, but also bears the greatest load when lifting heavy objects. For waist problems, first of all, not only in the lower back, but also in the lower extremities, you will feel pain, causing numbness in the skin of the legs. Then other symptoms appear:
- If the sports fibers are affected, it will develop into paralysis, which will eventually lead to paralysis of the legs.
- Nerve failure not only causes pain in the lumbar spine, but also severe back pain after any load.
- If the pelvic function is affected and the blood supply to the pelvic organs is impaired, people will not only feel pain, but also have difficulty urinating (males also have difficulty erecting) and fecal incontinence.
In most cases, physical activity, sudden movement, and hypothermia are the triggers for pain. The root is compressed and the intervertebral disc is displaced. The patient begins to feel pain, dull pain, or conversely severe pain.
Usually, pain will not only affect the lower back, but also the hips, thighs, legs and even the feet. In advanced cases, the volume of the lower limbs may decrease.
in conclusion
No matter which part is affected by osteochondrosis, it is always a very serious disease and requires the active participation and intervention of doctors. Although there are various physical signs, the main manifestations are severe pain and difficulty in moving. Pain is "disguised" as a manifestation of other diseases, so in most cases, people first turn to cardiologists, therapists, gastroenterologists, and suspect that they have been diagnosed with heart, digestive tract or other organ problems.
It is necessary to contact a neurologist first, and it is best to do this before the pain appears. This is only a characteristic of osteochondrosis, especially for other symptoms (such as paresis and paralysis). First of all, the doctor will make sure to eliminate pain (prescribe various painkillers), improve the metabolic process of all tissues (cartilage and muscle, and nerve tissue), and eliminate the hernia that has formed.
In addition to drugs, massage, compulsory physical education and various physical therapy measures are also prescribed for patients.