Cervical osteochondrosis often remains undiagnosed for a long time.Headaches, dizziness and other symptoms are attributed to general malaise or vitamin deficiency.But taking vitamins and getting a lot of rest does not help: over time, headaches attack in the morning after sleeping and resting properly.What's happening?"Normal" osteochondrosis of the cervical spine progresses, which is easy to identify at home and accurately diagnose through a comprehensive examination.Timely detection of the pathology guarantees quick and effective treatment.Otherwise, the disease causes severe pain in the neck and partial paralysis or numbness of the extremities.
What is cervical osteochondrosis?
Before examining the question of how to determine cervical osteochondrosis, it is necessary to study the pathogenesis of the pathology.Cervical osteochondrosis is a destructive lesion of the intervertebral discs.The defeat may be long-lasting or progress rapidly.The same is said about the stage of the disease: depending on external and internal factors, the pathology can reach an advanced stage in a short time or can manifest itself for many years with pain in the neck after a long static position.
Cervical osteochondrosis is the destruction of the cartilage of the intervertebral discs, which develops for various reasons.The leading position is occupied by cartilage dystrophy, a kind of thinning of the cartilage of the intervertebral disc, which develops as a result of a deficiency of useful microelements, impaired blood circulation and pressure on the vertebrae.Thinning causes pinching of the root of the spinal cord;This is where intense pain begins in the neck and back of the head and causes an increase in blood or even cranial pressure.
To the horror of people who are not yet aware of the development of the presented pathology, it should be noted that the destruction can be affected by a prolonged stay at the computer or an unhealthy and banal diet.Therefore, it is important to diagnose the disease in time and start treatment.
Important!Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease that cannot be completely cured.Therefore, it is important to prevent it and not “repair already destroyed areas.”
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis.
Doctors recommend going to the clinic at the first symptoms of the development of cervical osteochondrosis.Of course, they are easy to identify at home, and not only here: dangerous manifestations can await the patient even during harmless activity.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include:
- Pain in the head, dizziness, periodic loss of balance for no apparent reason, fainting, blurred vision - the presented symptoms indicate syndrome (pinching) of the vertebral artery, as a result of which the brain and organs do not receive the necessary beneficial microelements and oxygen.
- Increased intracranial pressure, nausea and vomiting - against the background of insufficient oxygen supply and other disturbances in the blood supply to the brain, hypertensive syndrome develops.
- Pain in the neck, shoulders, arms, characteristic tingling or numbness, partial or complete paralysis of the arms, sore throat and ears, hearing impairment - radicular syndrome develops, characterized by the already mentioned pinching of the root of the spinal cord.
- Hypertension and tachycardia, development of cervical migraine: impaired blood flow in the vertebral arteries.
From the above it is clear that unexpressed manifestations in the future can manifest themselves with significant signs that will lead to disruption of the usual activities of a person's life and partial loss of motor activity.
Important!You should consult a doctor already at the stage of pain and discomfort in the neck after a long stay in a static position or after sleeping.If after moving your head you feel heat in the affected area, it is likely that the intervertebral disc is destroyed, and heat means a rush of blood and complete restoration of blood circulation.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis.
As soon as pain and discomfort are detected in the neck area, you should immediately consult a doctor for an examination, which is carried out in three stages:
- inspection;
- Radiography;
- Differential diagnosis.
Visual inspection by a specialist.
If pain occurs, it is better to immediately contact a chiropractor, who, after a single examination, will be able to provide a more accurate picture of the development of pathology.So, at the appointment the doctor verifies:
- condition of the muscles in the neck area, shoulder girdle, arms;
- symmetry of the neck, chin, supraclavicular areas;
- shoulder position;
- presence of spinal curvature.
The therapist performs an examination by palpating the back and sides of the neck;People with osteochondrosis usually feel pain or discomfort that they should not feel.If the development of cervical osteochondrosis is suspected, the doctor performs tests to determine the intervertebral space using special instruments.
Also an important criterion during a visual examination is the determination of normal mobility of the neck;As a rule, the patient cannot easily perform complete turns or tilts of the head.This criterion makes it possible to preliminarily determine the location of the affected area and the concomitant pinching of the spinal cord root.
X-rays and other instrumental diagnostics.
After identifying osteochondrosis, it is important to understand at what stage the disease is and what are the possible further consequences.Here they resort to instrumental diagnosis, which consists of the following methods:
- X-ray is the simplest and most informative way to determine the development of pathology.This is radioactive X-ray radiation, from which an image is taken that highlights the musculoskeletal system.From the image you can determine the affected disc, possible pinching and other characteristics of the pathology.
- Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography are the most modern methods of instrumental diagnostics, from which doctors can determine the nature of the existing pinch and its stage.Based on the data received, the doctor suggests a further deterioration in the patient's condition.
- Doppler ultrasound allows you to determine the condition and blood supply to the brain and neck.This explains the presence of dizziness or headaches.
A complete study of the data obtained allows not only to diagnose the disease and determine its stage, but also to prevent further damage to the spine.Depending on the diagnosis, the appropriate treatment is taken.
Differential diagnosis
The differential diagnosis consists of the usual exclusion of possible diseases that have signs and symptoms similar to those of cervical osteochondrosis.If a person suffers from headaches during the pathology in question, it is necessary to exclude possible head injuries and other causes that caused this symptom.
It is also important here, when pain in the neck is detected, to exclude diseases of the spine itself, for example, the same injury, dystrophic changes of a congenital or acquired nature, an inflammatory process or cancer.Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is often confused with heart disease, stomach ulcers, vegetative-vascular dystonia and other diseases.
As a result, the doctor may additionally prescribe the patient the following tests:
- general blood test to exclude the development of an oncological process;
- general urinalysis - to exclude an inflammatory process;
- Ultrasound of the abdominal organs - to exclude gastritis, ulcers and other organ pathologies;
- fluorography - to exclude tuberculosis;
- other methods of examining the patient's health.
Based on the data obtained, the doctor prescribes appropriate treatment, which consists of several stages: elimination of the exacerbation, maximum possible recovery with treatment of the consequences of the disease and preventive measures to avoid a new exacerbation.It is not advisable to delay visiting a specialist, since treatment and rehabilitation in advanced conditions can last several years.