The most common degenerative-dystrophic disease of the spine is osteochondrosis. Its peculiarity is that in the early stages it does not manifest itself in any way, so many patients go to the doctor when the process of tissue destruction has already progressed too far. But even in this case, the diagnosis is not made immediately, but after a series of laboratory and instrumental examinations. It is very important to correctly diagnose osteochondrosis, because the sooner the treatment is started, the better the chance of preventing complications. The higher the chance. That is why you need to recognize the symptoms of osteochondrosis in time and consult a doctor.
Causes and mechanisms of development
Osteochondrosis begins with destructive processes in the intervertebral discs. They gradually dry out and decrease in volume. This leads to the fact that the discs can no longer perform their function correctly. They can collapse, And then a hernia develops. But often this condition leads to the development of osteochondrosis.
After all, the intervertebral disc protects the vertebrae from destruction, acts as a shock absorber during various movements and keeps the vertebrae in the correct position. As its volume decreases, the vertebrae are displaced. A segment of the spineInstability of the bone leads to the formation of osteophytes - bone growths that keep the vertebrae at a distance. Otherwise, pinching of the nerve roots and compression of blood vessels can occur. All of these processes lead to the appearance of many different symptoms of osteochondrosis. are, which is why it is so difficult to diagnose it in time. But if you know why this pathology develops, people at risk can be more careful.
Osteochondrosis usually occurs due to the following reasons:
- Congenital disorders in the development of the spinal cord or connective tissue defects;
- Injuries or frequent overloads, heavy physical labor;
- Poor posture, flat feet, wearing uncomfortable shoes;
- Staying in uncomfortable positions for a long time, sedentary lifestyle;
- Obesity, poor nutrition, overweight;
- exposure to chemicals, for example, bad habits, taking certain medications;
- repeated stress;
- Natural processes that occur during the aging of the body;
- Effect of continuous vibration on the spinal cord.
Osteochondrosis develops after a decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs, after which the vertebrae themselves begin to collapse.
Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor your health, to consult a doctor at the first symptoms. This is especially important for athletes, loaders, drivers, gymnasts, women, who often worry about their loved ones and itsReasons to experience stress.
symptoms
Symptoms of osteochondrosis depend on the stage of the disease, as well as on which part of the spine is affected by degenerative processes. Very often, at first the patient does not even feel back pain, only in the morning. A slight stiffness is felt at the time of movement. In the process of destruction of the intervertebral discs due to displacement of the vertebrae, the nerve roots are compressed and pain occurs. Depending on the location of the disease, they can appear not only in the back areaOften the pain spreads to the shoulder blades, chest, arms or legs and may also cause headache.
A feature of osteochondrosis in the early stages is also that the pain intensifies with physical activity and subsides after rest. The patient feels better even after adopting a comfortable position of the body. Hypothermia, stress, prolongedPainful sensations increase after prolonged periods of time, for example, when working at a computer or sleeping on an uncomfortable bed. Very often, with osteochondrosis, stiffness in movements, muscle weakness and constant fatigue are observed. The patient aTries to take a comfortable position in which he experiences less pain.
The main symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis are pain and stiffness in walking.
Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis
The most common place of degenerative-dystrophic processes is the lumbar spine. It can withstand heavy loads not only when walking, but also when a person sits for a long time in the same position. With the sedentary lifestyle of modern peopleThe reason is that the muscular corset here is weak, so any overload can lead to disc destruction or displacement of the vertebrae.
In addition to pain and general stiffness, spinal osteochondrosis in the lumbar region has special symptoms. If the following symptoms make themselves felt from time to time, you need to make an appointment with a neurologist:
- Lower limbs become numb;
- Skin sensitivity is impaired, paresis may develop;
- Pain is felt in the pelvic organs, their functioning is disrupted;
- The patient cannot turn or bend, feels pain even while sitting.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
It is especially important to know what symptoms a patient experiences with cervical osteochondrosis. After all, sometimes pain in the neck is not even felt, and other symptoms are similar to vascular disorders that a person can treat with medications. Trying to treat. If the destructive processes in the cervical spine are not stopped, it can lead to disruption of blood supply to the brain and even complete paralysis of the body.
Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to the following signs in time:
- Headache that cannot be relieved with conventional analgesics;
- Dizziness occurs when turning the head;
- Pain can be felt in the shoulders, back of the head, arms;
- Vision deteriorates, spots or colored spots appear before the eyes;
- There is hearing loss, tinnitus;
- The tongue and fingers become numb;
- Coordination of movements is impaired.
With cervical osteochondrosis, headache and tinnitus are often observed.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
Symptoms of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region are easily confused with diseases of the internal organs. And although the main symptom is back pain, it has its own characteristics. Patients describe this sensation as if the chest is being pressed with a ring. BreathingThe pain intensifies when taking and exhaling, so many people associate these sensations with heart pathologies.
With thoracic osteochondrosis, the pain will intensify with hypothermia, raising your arms, and even at night. You may experience numbness of the skin, goosebumps, and coldness in the arms and legs. The functioning of the digestive system is often disturbed. She goes.
diagnosis
To prevent complications of osteochondrosis, it is very important to consult a doctor as soon as its first symptoms appear. This is stiffness in movement and back pain after exercise. This pathology is treated by a vertebrologist or neurologist. AAn experienced doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis during examination and conversation with the patient.
But some symptoms of the disease are very non-specific and resemble manifestations of many other pathologies. Therefore, differential diagnosis is very important, which will help to exclude diseases in which vascular and neurological symptoms also develop. There are. It can be angina pectoris, hypertension, peptic ulcer, pyelonephritis. The main difference between osteochondrosis and them is that its course is chronic and develops gradually with periodic exacerbations, and the pain often subsides at rest. decreases with.
But without special diagnostics, it is still difficult to make the correct diagnosis. For this, instrumental examination methods are often used: radiography, CT, MRI, ultrasound, myelography and others. Sometimes laboratory tests may also be required. They will help to identify the presence of an inflammatory process and an increase in the concentration of calcium in the blood.
The most common diagnostic method in the early stages of the disease is radiography.
radiograph
At the initial stage, X-ray diagnosis is required to confirm the diagnosis. This is the main method of examining osteochondrosis. It is the simplest and most accessible, and it has the fewest side effects. After determining the location of the pain in the spinePhotographs are taken of this area. They are usually done in two projections: direct and lateral.
If the diagnosis is made correctly, this will be indicated by the following radiological signs: the distance between the vertebrae decreases, atrophy of the intervertebral discs is observed, osteophytes appear, destruction of the vertebral tissue may occur orThere may be a change in the shape of the spine.
vertebral canal
This is a more complex method, it may have side effects and it is not suitable for everyone. After all, myelography is based on the injection of a special contrast fluid into the spinal canal. This may cause an allergic reaction or damage to the spinal cord. Bone damage may also occur. After this, X-ray of the spinal cord is done.
This method allows you to examine the spinal canal and determine where it is damaged by degenerative processes. In addition, myelography can determine the presence of intervertebral hernia at an early stage.
MRI is a more informative examination method, therefore it is used when differential diagnosis is necessary.
tomography
Osteochondrosis is diagnosed less often using CT or MRI, since these methods are not yet available everywhere. Therefore, they are used in difficult cases, as well as if it is necessary to differentiate osteochondrosis from other diseases. But with an MRI or CT scan, you can examine the spine and surrounding tissues in detail.
These diagnostic methods allow you to see the condition of blood vessels, the presence of hernia, compression of the nerve roots and the size of the intervertebral disc. They are useful for the differential diagnosis of osteochondrosis from osteomyelitis, spinal cord tumors, spondylitis, ankylosing spondylitis and syringomyelia. are necessary for.
Timely identification of the symptoms of osteochondrosis and its correct diagnosis will help to start timely treatment. This will prevent the development of complications, alleviate the patient's condition and reduce the number of exacerbations.