Symptoms of osteochondrosis: signs and manifestations of the disease in different parts of the body

Osteochondrosis usually has a long course. Therefore, the first symptoms in both men and women may appear many years after the onset of pathology. Since pathology can lead to many complications, prompt treatment and diagnosis of the disease will help slow down negative processes in the body.

Consequences of osteochondrosis

Prompt diagnosis of osteochondrosis is a problem faced by almost everyone.This is because the disease causes many specific ailments in the body, with complications affecting various parts of the body as the disease progresses. The most common of these are:

• Severe headaches to migraines;
• partial hearing loss;
• Decreased visual ability;
• Radiculopathy (also known as radiculitis);
• VSD or various autonomic dysfunctions;
• Urogenital system dysfunction;
• intervertebral hernia;
• Sciatica;
• Spondylosis, osteophyte;
• Spondyloarthropathies;
• lumbago and lumbago;
• Spinal stenosis.

These complications occur due to compromised blood circulation and innervation of the spine, which negatively affects internal organs and departments.

In severe cases, it can negatively impact the heart and lungs, leading to heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and more.

first sign

There are some preliminary signs that pathology has begun to develop.Patients often overlook them, thinking they are trivial and related to lifestyle - sitting too long, overexerting, lifting heavy objects.Often this is true, but it is these factors that trigger the progression of osteochondrosis.Therefore, it initially presents with a variety of symptoms.Mild stiffness in the morning won't be particularly intense, but will occur more frequently as the condition progresses. There may be a gradual decrease in mobility in the affected area. Additionally, as the load increases, discomfort may begin to occur. In the first stage, pain itself is usually not observed. Start with the second phase.

symptom group

The symptoms of osteochondrosis will expand as the condition progresses. Therefore, doctors divide them into groups based on the mechanism of progression. In this way, the most affected sections and tissue types can be identified.

static syndrome

Static syndrome mainly refers to diseases of bone tissue. As a result, the shape of the vertebrae changes, causing the spine to deform and develop various types of curvatures. In this case, pathological mobility of the vertebrae is observed. The symptoms of bad posture are as follows:

• Kyphosis;
• kyphoscoliosis;
• Scoliosis;
• Lordosis.

Static syndrome often results in impaired joint mobility. In advanced cases, patients are unable to turn their head or stand upright completely.

Neurology

The neurological symptom complex is caused by damage to nervous tissue. Also, initially, the sensitivity of certain individual areas of the skin is compromised. The ability to move the limbs and the intensity of muscle contractions also decrease.But the main manifestation of neurological syndrome is pain of different intensity and location. It is caused by pressure and irritation of the roots emanating from the spinal cord. In the first stage, it usually manifests only as local discomfort. As the pain syndrome progresses, it spreads further to areas of the body innervated by the affected root. Feelings of numbness, tingling, goosebumps, and impaired skin sensitivity are commonly experienced.

Motor changes are observed less frequently than sensory changes in this pathology. Depending on how advanced the osteochondrosis is, paresis or even paralysis may occur. An example is paralysis or limitation of voluntary movement of the lower limbs on both sides due to lumbar osteochondrosis.

Blood vessel

Vascular symptoms occur for much the same reasons as neurological symptoms. That is, the veins and arteries are compressed by the vertebrae, causing corresponding symptoms.This effect is most commonly seen in cervical osteochondrosis. It is in this area that the number of large ships is greatest. Due to the negative effects on them, the brain begins to be deprived of oxygen, which can lead to nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness, hearing and vision impairment.If the tone of the sympathetic nervous system of the central nervous system changes, stimulation of the nerve plexus increases. Since it is located in the spine, the results can also affect blood vessels.

The most common manifestation of this disease is a rather prolonged spasm of peripheral blood vessels, followed by chronic ischemia and hypoxia of the internal organs.

Nutritional

The combination of the three aforementioned syndromes may lead to other diseases, especially nutritional syndromes. As tissue nutrition decreases and innervation of certain parts of the skin is destroyed, ulcers may develop. In this case, neurological and vascular factors play the greatest role.

Pathological manifestations

Osteochondrosis can present with a range of different symptoms. This is because specific sectors affect specific areas, so the symptoms of the disease may vary.

cervix

The cervical spine has the following symptoms:

• Dizziness or even fainting when you turn your head suddenly;
• Shoulder, arm, chest, tooth pain;
• Spots and spots before eyes;
• Deterioration of vision and hearing function, tinnitus;
• Voice changes and tongue numbness;
• Headaches usually worsen with exercise. Painkillers do not affect its strength.

These symptoms may last for a long time or may appear during exacerbations. Some signs are often confused with other conditions, such as dental or otolaryngology problems.

Chest

With thoracic osteochondrosis, they feel:

• Pain between the shoulder blades and in the chest area when bending over or raising an arm or arm (often confused with heart pain);
• Pain worsens at night and during exercise, hypothermia, or increased physical activity;
• Pain that worsens when moving the chest (exhaling and inhaling);
• The innervation of certain areas is disturbed, causing numbness and goosebumps on the skin;
• Itching, burning, or cold sensation in the legs;
• Rib pain when walking;
• My chest feels tight and my breathing is short.

Thoracic osteochondrosis is richly localized in the presentation of pain syndromes. But precisely because the chest is most affected, many people confuse it with a heart attack and a heart attack.

lumbar spine

Lumbar osteochondrosis largely affects the function of the internal organs of the pelvis and lower limbs, although it can also cause chest pain. The most common symptoms of the disease:

• Severe pain in the lower back;
• Pain that worsens with movement or exertion;
• Pain in abdominal organs, legs, sacrum;
• Lower limb innervation disorders;
• Inability to perform certain movements, such as bending and turning;
• The desire to maintain a certain posture.

When the lower back is affected, the condition most often occurs under the influence of some external factor, such as increased load, heavy lifting, or hypothermia. When encountering this situation, many people will say "the back is stuck". During the harrowing attack, the unit's mobility was reduced to a minimum.

joint

Articular osteochondrosis manifests as:

• Decreased mobility in the affected area (most commonly the shoulder, hip, or knee);
• severe pain;
• Pain that worsens when moving or lifting the limb;
• The range of activities is significantly reduced;
• Formations on joints and soft tissues may be observed on palpation;
• Swelling of the affected area;
• Redness, numbness, and pins and needles sensation on the skin.

Due to damage to the joints, the person is forced into forced postures to reduce the movement of the joints and thus reduce pain. If symptoms persist, soft tissue disease, including atrophy, may result.

pain syndrome

Pain in the first stages of osteochondrosis is usually temporary. As they progress, they become longer and more intense. The result is widespread pain in daily life.

The pain is usually constant and painful. During an exacerbation, symptoms can be so severe that they can completely deprive you of mobility, causing muscle spasms.

forecast

In terms of prognosis, osteochondrosis itself is an incurable disease. In the initial stages, there is an opportunity to provide high-quality treatment and slow the progression of the condition before serious symptoms develop. If left untreated, the more serious the pathology progresses, the greater the negative impact on the body. Therefore, at-home treatments are less effective and take longer. If the pathology continues to progress to the point of severe complications, surgical intervention may be required.