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 a long rest do not help: over time, headaches attack in the morning after adequate sleep and rest.What's the problem?“Ordinary” 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 ensures rapid and effective treatment.Otherwise, the disease causes severe neck pain and partial paralysis or numbness of the limbs.
What is cervical osteochondrosis?
Before considering 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 can be long-lasting or progress rapidly.The same is said for the stage of the disease: depending on external and internal factors, the pathology can quickly reach an advanced stage, or it can manifest itself for many years with aching 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 due to a deficiency of useful microelements, reduced blood circulation and pressure on the vertebrae.The thinning leads to pinching of the root of the spinal cord - this is where severe pain in the neck and back of the head begins and an increase in blood or even cranial pressure is provoked.
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 influenced by a long stay at the computer or a banal, unhealthy 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 “patch up already destroyed areas”.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
Doctors recommend contacting 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 a harmless activity.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include:
- Head pain, 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, pain in the throat and ears, hearing impairment - radicular syndrome develops, characterized by the aforementioned 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 becomes clear that unexpressed manifestations in the future can make themselves felt with significant signs that will lead to disruption of normal life activities of a person and partial loss of motor activity.
Important!You should consult a doctor already in the stage of neck pain and pain after a long stay in a static position or after sleep.If, after moving your head, you feel heat in the affected area, it is likely that the intervertebral disc is destroyed, and heat means influx of blood and complete restoration of blood circulation.
Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis
As soon as pain and discomfort in the neck area are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor for an examination, which takes place in three stages:
- inspection;
- X-rays;
- differential diagnosis.
Visual inspection by a specialist
If pain occurs, it is best to immediately contact a chiropractor, who, after just one examination, will be able to provide a more precise picture of the development of the pathology.So, at the appointment the doctor checks:
- condition of the muscles of the collar 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: usually people with osteochondrosis feel pain or discomfort that should not be there.If the development of cervical osteochondrosis is suspected, the doctor carries out tests to determine the intervertebral space using special instruments.
Another important criterion during the visual examination is the determination of normal neck mobility: as a rule, the patient cannot easily turn completely or tilt his head.This criterion can preliminarily determine the location of the affected area and the concomitant pinching of the root of the spinal cord.
Radiography and other instrumental diagnostics
After identifying osteochondrosis, it is important to understand what stage the disease is at and what further consequences are possible.Here they resort to instrumental diagnostics, which consists of the following methods:
- X-ray is the simplest and most informative way to determine the development of pathology.It is the radioactive radiation of X-rays, on the basis of which an image is taken, highlighting the musculoskeletal system.From the image it is possible to determine the affected disc, any pinching and other characteristics of the pathology.
- MRI and CT are the most modern methods of instrumental diagnostics, on the basis of which doctors can determine the nature of the existing pinching and its stage.According to the data received, the doctor suggests further worsening of the patient's condition.
- Doppler ultrasound allows you to determine the condition and blood supply to the brain and neck.This helps explain the presence of dizziness or headaches.
A comprehensive 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.Based on the diagnosis, appropriate treatment is adopted.
Differential diagnosis
Differential diagnosis is the usual exclusion of possible diseases that have signs and symptoms similar to cervical osteochondrosis.If a person suffers from headaches during the pathology under consideration, it is necessary to exclude possible head injuries and other causes that caused this symptom.
It is also important here, when neck pain is detected, to exclude diseases of the spine itself, for example, the lesion itself, dystrophic changes of a congenital or acquired nature, inflammatory process or cancer.Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is often confused with heart disease, gastric ulcers, vegetative-vascular dystonia and other diseases.
Accordingly, the doctor may also prescribe the following tests to the patient:
- 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 to examine 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.You should not delay a visit to a specialist, as treatment and rehabilitation in advanced conditions can last several years.