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 turn to doctors when the process of tissue destruction has gone 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 earlier treatment is started, the greater the chance of preventing complications. It is for this reason that you need to identify 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 causes the disk to no longer perform its function properly. They can collapse, and then a hernia develops. But most often this condition causes the development of osteochondrosis.
After all, the intervertebral discs protect the spine from destruction, serve as shock absorbers during various movements and keep the spine in the correct position. When the volume decreases, the spine becomes displaced. Instability of spinal segments leads to the formation of osteophytes - bone growths that keep the vertebrae spaced apart. Otherwise, nerve roots are pinched and blood vessel compression may occur. All these processes lead to the presence of many different signs of osteochondrosis, which is why it is very difficult to diagnose it in time. But if you know why this pathology develops, people at risk can be more careful.
Osteochondrosis is usually caused by the following reasons:
- congenital abnormalities in spinal development or connective tissue defects;
- injury or constant overload, hard physical work;
- poor posture, flat feet, wearing uncomfortable shoes;
- staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time, sedentary lifestyle;
- obesity, poor nutrition, overweight;
- exposure to chemicals, for example bad habits, taking certain medications;
- frequent stress;
- natural processes that occur during aging of the body;
- the effect of constant vibration on the spine.
Osteochondrosis develops after a decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs, after which the spine itself begins to collapse.
Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor your health in order 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 experience stress because of this.
Symptom
Signs of osteochondrosis depend on the stage of the disease, as well as which part of the spine is affected by the degenerative process. Often, at first the patient does not even feel back pain, only a little stiffness in the morning. In the process of destruction of the intervertebral discs due to displacement of the vertebrae, the nerve roots are pinched and pain occurs. Depending on the location of the disease, it can appear not only in the back area. Often the pain radiates to the shoulder blade, chest, arms or legs, and there may be a headache.
A characteristic feature of osteochondrosis in the early stages is that the pain increases with physical activity and subsides after rest. Even after taking a comfortable body position, the patient feels better. Painful sensations are exacerbated after hypothermia, stress, prolonged static position, for example when working at a computer or when sleeping in an uncomfortable bed. Very often, with osteochondrosis, stiffness of movements, muscle weakness and constant fatigue are observed. The patient tries to take a comfortable position in which the pain is reduced.
The main signs of lumbar osteochondrosis are pain and stiffness when moving.
Symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis
The most common location of degenerative-dystrophic processes is the lumbar spine. It is able to withstand the heaviest loads not only when moving, but also when a person sits in one position for a long time. Due to the sedentary lifestyle of modern society, the muscle corset here is weak, so any overload can lead to disc damage or displacement of the vertebrae.
In addition to general pain and stiffness, there are specific symptoms of spinal osteochondrosis in the lumbar region. If you experience any of the following signs occasionally, you should make an appointment to see a neurologist:
- lower limbs numb;
- skin sensitivity is disturbed, paresis may occur;
- pain is felt in the pelvic organs, their function is impaired;
- the patient cannot turn or bend, pain is felt even when sitting.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
It is very important to know what symptoms patients with cervical osteochondrosis experience. Indeed, sometimes pain in the neck is not even felt, and other symptoms are similar to blood vessel disorders that a person tries to treat with medication. If the destructive processes in the cervical spine are not stopped, this can cause disruption of the blood supply to the brain and even total paralysis of the body.
Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to the following signs of time:
- headaches that do not respond to conventional analgesics;
- dizziness occurs when turning the head;
- pain can be felt in the shoulders, back of the head, arms;
- vision worsens, colored spots or dots are visible before the eyes;
- there is hearing loss, tinnitus;
- tongue and fingers numb;
- impaired movement coordination.
With cervical osteochondrosis, headaches and tinnitus are often observed
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
Signs of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are easily confused with diseases of internal organs. Although the main symptom is back pain, it has its own characteristics. Patients describe this feeling as if their chest is being squeezed by a circle. The pain increases when inhaling and exhaling, so many associate these sensations with cardiac pathology.
With thoracic osteochondrosis, the pain will increase with hypothermia, raising the arms up, and also at night. You may experience skin numbness, goosebumps, and cold extremities. Disturbances in the function of the digestive system often occur.
Diagnostic
To prevent complications of osteochondrosis, it is very important to consult a doctor as soon as the first signs appear. These are stiffness when moving and back pain after exercise. This pathology is treated by a vertebrologist or neurologist. An experienced doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis during an examination and conversation with the patient.
But some symptoms of this disease are very nonspecific and resemble the manifestations of many other pathologies. Therefore, differential diagnosis is very important, which will help exclude diseases that also cause vascular and neurological symptoms. This may be angina pectoris, hypertension, gastric ulcer, pyelonephritis. The main difference between osteochondrosis and osteochondrosis is that the disease has a chronic course and develops slowly, with periodic exacerbations, and the pain most often subsides with rest.
However, without a specific diagnosis, it is still difficult to establish a correct diagnosis. Most often, instrumental examination methods are used for this: radiography, CT, MRI, ultrasound, myelography and others. Sometimes laboratory tests may also be necessary. They will help 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.
Radiography
In the early stages, X-ray diagnostics are necessary to confirm the diagnosis. This is the main method of examination for osteochondrosis. It is the simplest and most accessible, and has the fewest side effects. After determining the location of the pain, a photo of the spinal area is taken. Usually performed in two projections: straight and lateral.
If the diagnosis is established correctly, this will be indicated by the following radiological signs: the distance between the vertebrae is reduced, atrophy of the intervertebral discs is observed, osteophytes are visible, there may be damage to the spinal tissue or changes in shape. from the spine.
Myelography
This is a more complicated method, may have side effects, and is not suitable for everyone. After all, myelography is based on the injection of a special contrast fluid into the spinal canal. This can cause allergic reactions or even damage to the spinal cord. After that, the spine is x-rayed.
This method allows you to examine the spinal canal and determine where it is damaged due to degenerative processes. In addition, myelography can detect the presence of an intervertebral hernia at an early stage.
MRI is a more informative examination method, so it is used when differential diagnosis is needed.
Tomography
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis using CT or MRI is less common, because this method is not available in all places. 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 tissue in great detail.
This diagnostic method allows you to see the condition of the blood vessels, the presence of hernias, compression of nerve roots and the shape of the intervertebral discs. They are necessary for the differential diagnosis of osteochondrosis from osteomyelitis, spinal cord tumors, spondylitis, ankylosing spondylitis and syringomyelia.
Timely identification of symptoms of osteochondrosis and correct diagnosis will help start treatment on time. This will prevent the development of complications, alleviate the patient's condition and reduce the number of exacerbations.