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 figure out this pathology. The entire spinal space is affected gradually, especially in the thoracic area.
Often, in addition to the fact that there is pain, other symptoms may also occur. Which, you need to understand in more detail, because numbness and violation of the tongue are manifestations of this particular disease. Such psychosomatics can confuse anyone, there is a reason for such a disease. We will try to understand the various symptoms in more detail below.
Stage of the disease
Osteochondrosis is characterized by a chronic course with periods of remission and deterioration, which can be very difficult to remove. Psychosomatics is capable of taking a person to an extreme level, because the pain is so strong. Even if you act on the causes, the disease is constantly evolving, only certain regimens and timely treatment can help. Psychosomatics do not appear immediately, in the first stage a person feels quite normal, and after the second or third attack becomes unbearable.
In total, there are four stages of disease manifestation:
- In the early stages, changes are minimal, they occur in the intervertebral disc. It gradually loses moisture, which eventually leads to cracking of the fibrous capsule. At this stage, everything is not noticeable in any way, changes can only be seen on MRI. At this stage it is better to treat the disease, while the cause of the occurrence can be reversed and, by starting treatment, the manifestations of the disease can be completely eliminated.
- In the second stage, damage to the disc occurs and pain may appear. The height of the disc decreases, which leads to sagging of the ligaments and muscles. As instability develops, the vertebrae begin to shift relative to each other. At this stage, a person feels pain, certain lesions appear, 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, in which osteophytes and spinal column deformities form. Due to osteophytes, the body tries to reduce the signs of cervical osteochondrosis. After the ligaments begin to harden and the vertebrae gradually shift.
The reason why it all happened
To better understand the symptoms of the disease, you need to understand what causes their 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 distant degenerative processes. The cause of the incident can be a significant size on the intervertebral hernia, trauma or displacement.
Often psychosomatic develops due to compression of the spinal roots. The cause of pain is that it can be compressed by neighboring vertebrae, disc herniation, and inflammation.
Often the problem may be in a nearby ship. Especially often, psychosomatics develop as a result of damage to the vertebral arteries, which run in the thickness of the spine and supply blood to the back of the brain.
Based on the characteristics of the lesion, one can understand the symptoms, which, both in men and women, have similar manifestations.
Symptoms due to spinal cord injury
Cervical osteochondrosis against the background of spinal cord compression develops very rarely. Such a situation can cost a person not only health, but also life. In this area, respiratory and vasomotor centers are located nearby. And if compression occurs at the level of 3 or 4 segments, a person can be completely paralyzed. If the diaphragm is affected, then often it all ends with paralysis and respiratory arrest.
Body temperature is normal, although 4-5 segments are affected, then paralysis is possible, but breathing will not suffer. If the 5th to 8th segments are damaged, the muscles of the arms and legs may suffer, the temperature also does not change, and there may be disturbances in the function of the pelvic organs.
When nerve fibers are damaged
With damage to the nerve plexus and fibers, the temperature also does not rise. In the cervix, as well as in the thoracic region, pain occurs. It can be permanent and is called cervicalgia and in the form of an attack - the cervix. Attacks occur in the neck, neck or shoulder girdle, upper thoracic spine. Irritation occurs as a result of compression of the roots, it becomes inflamed, although the temperature remains normal. As a result, the muscles that invade the roots involved in the pathological process become very tense, numb to join.
With cervixgia in men and women, the pain is persistent and of varying intensity. Psychosomatic with it is very noticeable, seizures can be very difficult to remove. Often, everything is eliminated as a simple migraine. But you can withstand the pain, even if it occurs as a result of sharp movements, dizziness, tilt of the head. During movement, numbness and characteristic cramps may appear.
With cervicago, 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. Its intensity is so strong that it can give into one hand, one just has to wear a Shants collar. Duration from a few seconds to minutes, then cervicalgia comes to replace. This occurs as a result of sharp movements or compression of nerves in the neck or upper thoracic spinal cord, which can result in numbness and slight tremors.
Root damage
The main nerve of the upper limb is formed from the root of the cervical spinal cord, there are three nerves in total: ulnar, radial and median. If osteochondrosis of the cervical spine develops, this structure may be affected, resulting in not only pain and tremors, but also numbness. All of these nerves have mixed fibers that are responsible for sensitivity and motor ability. Symptoms may be so severe that a Shants collar must be worn, and depend on the type of root affected. There may be numbness or loss of sensation in the 2nd or 3rd finger of the hand, or even paralysis of some muscles. A neurologist can determine exactly where the violation occurred.
Occipital nerve neuralgia
This rather unpleasant condition develops as a result of damage to the occipital nerve. This structure is formed by 2, 3, 4 pairs of spinal nerves. With damage to the nerves due to the development of osteochondrosis, the temperature remains normal, strong pain in the head is concerned, especially in the back of the head. Often, in connection with this, patients, and often these are women, are simply forced to wear Shants collars.
The symptoms are very typical for this disease, by properly asking the patient, you can make a diagnosis without special examination methods. Everything happens suddenly and is localized on one side, the more rarely it has a two-way character. For someone, "lumbago" resembles an electric shock, which forces him to wear a Shants collar. The duration of the attack is only a few minutes, but it can be repeated throughout the day. It all starts in the posterolateral surface area of the neck and extends to the occipital protuberance area. Skin sensitivity is disturbed, numbness occurs, a feeling of crawling "goosebumps", tremors, which makes a person wear a Shants collar. The temperature did not rise.
From 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 linked to osteochondrosis. Sometimes first aid for heart disease does not bring the expected relief. The reason is that in the neck that the nerves involved in the preservation of the thoracic trunk are formed, the frenic nerve fibers partially move to the pericardium. That's why help doesn't make sense.
Damaged nerve fibers send signals to muscles in the chest area, resulting in heart -like pain. Pain in osteochondrosis has a long duration, reaching hours or days, it is not affected by medications for angina pectoris. The temperature does not change, and the pain itself is not associated with physical activity, but decreases with changes in body position and disappears if you wear a Shants collar. Consolidation occurs with movement and rotation of the head, during coughing or sneezing. What are the symptoms of angina pectoris? Therefore, nitroglycerin preparations cannot relieve pain.
But do not relax, because there are atypical variants of angina pectoris, which are known to doctors. If there is pain in the heart area or thoracic spine, it is better to do the ECG again, it is completely safe and painless. If there is osteochondrosis, then with the next attack of pain, there may be more numbness than changes in the film.
Damage to the vertebral arteries
If there are symptoms of damage to the vertebral arteries, then along with other treatments, a Shants collar will be needed. The brain suffers from a lack of oxygen, resulting in headaches, numbness. It manifests itself as a throbbing headache in the back of the head, temples, and crown of the head. In some cases, there are tremors, dizziness, nausea, followed by vomiting.
The temperature was normal, but there were visual disturbances, ringing in the ears and hearing loss. Along with the fact that there are tremors, coordination of movements and balance are disturbed. Shants treatment and collar help relieve such symptoms.
In severe cases, a fall attack develops, a condition without loss of consciousness with a sharp round of the head. Memory suffers, work capacity decreases, attention span is disturbed.
If the above symptoms and tremors in the hands appear, then you need to go to an appointment with a neurologist and undergo additional examination. You do not have to choose the Shants collar yourself, it is also better to do this with the help of an expert.