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 sometimes it is impossible to think about this pathology. The entire spine is gradually affected, especially in the thoracic region.
Quite often, in addition to the fact that there is pain, other symptoms can also occur. Which, you need to understand in more detail, because numbness and violations of the language are a manifestation of this particular disease. Such psychosomatics can confuse anyone, there are reasons for such a disease. Below we will try to understand the variety of symptoms in more detail.
Degrees of the 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 constantly progresses, only a certain regimen and timely treatment can help. Psychosomatics does not appear immediately, in the early stages a person feels quite normal, and after the second or third attack they become simply unbearable.
In total, there are four degrees of manifestation of the disease:
- In the initial stage, the changes are minimal, they occur inside the intervertebral disc. It gradually loses moisture, which eventually leads to the rupture of the fibrous capsule. At this stage, everything does not manifest itself in any way, changes are visible only on an MRI. It is at this stage that it is best to cure the disease, while the causes of the onset can be reversed and, 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 disc height decreases, which leads to relaxation 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 protrusion of the disc.
- 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 move.
The reasons why everything happens
To better understand the symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to understand what causes their appearance. All psychosomatics arises, first of all, due to the 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 event can be a significant size of the intervertebral hernia, trauma or displacement.
Psychosomatics often develops due to compression of the spinal roots. The causes of pain are that they can be compressed by nearby vertebrae, slipped disc and inflammation.
Often the problem could be in the ships that are nearby. Especially often, psychosomatics develops due to damage to the vertebral artery, which runs through the thickness of the spine and supplies blood to the posterior parts of the brain.
Based on the characteristics of the lesion, the symptoms can be understood, which, in both men and women, have the same manifestations.
Symptoms due to spinal cord injury
Cervical osteochondrosis against the background of compression of the spinal cord develops very rarely. Such a condition can cost a person not only health, but also life. In this area the respiratory and vasomotor centers are located nearby. And if the compression occurs at the level of 3 or 4 segments, a person can be completely paralyzed. If the diaphragm is affected, it often ends with its paralysis and respiratory arrest.
Body temperature is normal, even if 4-5 segments are affected, paralysis is possible, but breathing will not be affected. 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 the pelvic organs.
When a nerve fiber is damaged
With damage to the nerve plexuses and 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 neck pain, and in the form of attacks - cervical. Attacks occur in the neck, neck, or shoulder girdle, in the upper thoracic spine. Irritation occurs due to compression of the root, it becomes inflamed, although the temperature remains normal. As a result, the muscles innervating the roots involved in the pathological process become very tense, numbness joins.
With neck pain in both men and women, the pain is constant and of varying intensity. Psychosomatics with her are very pronounced, convulsions can be very difficult to remove. Most often, everything is erased like a simple migraine. But you can endure the pain, even if it occurs due to a sharp movement, rotation, tilt of the head. Numbness and a characteristic crunch may appear during movement.
With the cervicus also the temperature does not rise, but the pain has its own characteristics. It occurs for no apparent reason in the form of "low back pain" or electric shock. The intensity is so strong that it can give way in one of the hands, a person is simply forced to wear a Shants collar. Duration from a few seconds to minutes, then comes the neck pain to replace. This happens as a result of a sudden movement or compression of the nerve in the neck or upper thoracic spinal cord, which can cause numbness and a slight 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 may be affected, causing not only pain and tremor, but also numbness. All of these nerves have mixed fibers which are responsible for sensitivity and fine motor skills. Symptoms can 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 is able to determine exactly where the violation occurred.
Neuralgia of the occiput nerve
This rather unpleasant condition develops due to damage to the occipital nerves. These structures consist of 2, 3, 4 pairs of spinal nerves. With nerve damage due to the development of osteochondrosis, the temperature remains normal, severe pain in the head worries, especially in the back of the head. Very often, in connection with this, patients, and often it is women, are simply forced to wear a Shants collar.
Symptoms are very typical of the disease, correctly asking the patient, it is possible to make a diagnosis without special examination methods. Everything happens suddenly and is localized on one side, less often it has a bilateral character. For a person, "low back pain" resembles an electric shock, which forces him to wear a Shants collar. The attack lasts a few minutes, but can be repeated throughout the day. It all begins in the region of the posterolateral surface of the neck and extends to the region of the occipital protuberance. Sensitivity of the skin is disturbed, numbness occurs, a sensation of creeping "goosebumps", a tremor, which causes a person to wear a Shants collar. The temperature does not rise.
From the side of the heart
Most often, violations of the neck lead to the pathology of the organs of the thoracic region. Angina pectoris and other heart problems can be directly related to osteochondrosis. Sometimes the emergency room for heart disease does not bring the expected relief. The reason is that it is on the neck that the nerves involved in the innervation of the thoracic trunk are formed, the fibers of the phrenic nerve partially pass to the pericardium. That's why the help doesn't make any sense.
Damaged nerve fibers send signals to the muscles in the chest area, causing heart-like pain. Pain in osteochondrosis has a long duration, reaching hours or days, it is not affected by drugs for angina pectoris. The temperature does not change, and the pain itself is not associated with physical activity, but decreases with a change in body position and disappears if you wear a Shants collar. Strengthening occurs with movements and turns of the head, during 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 region of the heart or thoracic spine, it is better to repeat an ECG, it is completely safe and painless. If there is osteochondrosis, with the next bout of pain, there may be more numbness than changes in the film.
Damage to the vertebral artery
If there are symptoms of vertebral artery damage, a Shants collar will be needed along with the rest of the treatment. The brain experiences a lack of oxygen, resulting in pain in the head, numbness. It manifests itself 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. The treatment and the Shants collar help remove these symptoms.
In severe cases, attacks of falling develop, a state without loss of consciousness with a sharp rotation of the head. Memory suffers, working capacity decreases, concentration of attention is disturbed.
If the above symptoms and tremor in the hands appear, you need to go to an appointment with a neurologist and undergo an additional examination. It is not necessary to choose the Shants collar yourself, it is also better to do it with the help of a specialist.