How to identify cervical osteochondrosis: symptoms

A woman is worried about cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis often remains diagnosed for a long time.Headaches, dizziness and other symptoms are attributed to general abuse or vitamin deficiency.But taking vitamins and long rest does not help - over time, headaches attack in the morning after proper sleep and rest.What is the matter?The "common" cervical back osteochondrosis progresses, which is easy to identify at home and diagnose accurately through a thorough examination.Timely detection of pathology guarantees rapid and effective treatment.Otherwise, the disease provokes severe pain in the neck and partial paralysis or limb numbness.

What is cervical osteochondrosis?

Before examining the question of how to determine the cervical osteochondrosis, it is necessary to study the pathogens of pathology.Cervical osteochondrosis is a devastating lesion of the intervertebral discs.Loss can be long -term or progress rapidly.The same is said for the stage of the disease - depending on the external and internal factors, the pathology can reach an advanced phase within a short time, or it can make itself feel for many years with painful neck pain after a long static position.

The cervical osteochondrosis is the destruction of the cartilage of the intervertebral discs, which develops for various reasons.The main position is occupied by cartilage dystrophy - a type of intervertebral disc cartilage, which develops as a result of a deficiency of beneficial microelements, damaged blood circulation and pressure on the vertebrae.Thinja leads to the top of the root of the spinal cord - here begins severe neck pain and back of the head, and there is provoking an increase in blood or even cranial pressure.

Neck pain is a symptom of osteochondrosis

For the horror of people who are not yet aware of the development of the pathology presented, it should be noted that destruction can be affected by a long stay on the computer or an unhealthy banal diet.Therefore, it is important to diagnose the disease in time and start treatment.

Important!Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease that cannot be fully cured.Therefore, it is important to prevent it, and not "unite the already destroyed areas".

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Doctors advise to contact the clinic in the first symptoms of the development of cervical osteochondrosis.Of course, they are easy to identify at home, and not just here - dangerous manifestations can wait for the patient even during harmless activity.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include:

  1. Pain in the head, dizziness, periodic loss of balance for no apparent reason, faded, unclear vision - the symptoms presented indicate the vertebral artery syndrome, as a result of which the brain and organs do not receive the necessary useful microelections and oxygen.
  2. Increased intracranial, nausea and vomiting pressure - against the backdrop of insufficient oxygen supply and other disturbances in the blood supply of the brain develops hypertension.
  3. Pain in the neck, shoulders, arms, tingling or numbness, partial or complete arms paralysis, sore throat and ear pain, hearing damage - radical syndrome develops, characterized by the top mentioned of the root of the spinal cord.
  4. Hypertension and tachycardia, the development of cervical migraine - the flow of damaged blood in the vertebral arteries.
Sore throat may be a sign of cervical osteochondrosis

From the foregoing, it becomes clear that the unproven manifestations in the future can make themselves feel important signs that will lead to the breakdown 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 neck pain after a long stay in a static or after sleep.If, after moving your head, you feel warmth in the affected area, it is likely that the intervertebral disc is destroyed, and warmth means a blood rush and complete restoration of blood circulation.

Diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis

Once pain and discomfort in the neck area are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor for examination, which is performed in three stages:

  • inspection;
  • X-ray;
  • Differential diagnosis.

Visual inspection by a specialist

If the pain appears, it is best to contact a chiropractor immediately, which, after only one examination, will be able to give a more accurate picture of the development of pathology.So at the meeting the doctor checks:

  • The condition of the muscle of the collar area, the shoulder band, the wings;
  • symmetry of the neck, beard, supraklavicular areas;
  • shoulder position;
  • The presence of spinal curve.
A doctor consults a patient with cervical back osteochondrosis

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 does tests to determine the intervertebral space using special instruments.

Also an important criterion during a visual examination is to determine normal neck mobility - as a rule, the patient cannot easily make complete curves or slopes of the head.This criterion can pre -determine the location of the affected area and the simultaneous top of the root of the spinal cord.

X-ray and other instrumental diagnostics

After identifying osteochondrosis, it is important to understand what stage the disease is and what are the potential consequences further.Here they use instrumental diagnosis, which consists of the following methods:

  1. X-ray is the simplest and most informative way to determine the development of pathology.Radiation is radioactive X -rays, on the basis of which an image is obtained - emphasizing the muscular system.From the image you can determine the affected disk, possible pinching and other features of the pathology.
  2. 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 obtained, the doctor suggests further deterioration of the patient's condition.
  3. Doppler ultrasound allows you to determine the condition and supply of blood to the brain and neck.This makes it possible to explain the presence of dizziness or headaches.
Radiography is a popular method for the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis.

A comprehensive study of the data obtained makes it possible not only to diagnose the disease and determine its phase, but also to prevent further spinal cord damage.Based on the diagnosis, proper treatment is obtained.

Diagnosis

Differential diagnosis is the usual exception of potential diseases that have similar signs and symptoms such as cervical osteochondrosis.If a person suffers from headaches during the pathology under consideration, it is necessary to exclude potential head injuries and other causes that caused this symptom.

Also important here, when detecting neck pain, to exclude diseases of the spine itself - for example, the same damage, dystrophic changes of a congenital or acquired nature, an inflammatory process or cancer.Cervical spine osteochondrosis is often confused with heart disease, gastric ulcers, vegetative-vascular dystonia and other diseases.

As a result, the doctor may also prescribe the following tests for the patient:

  • Overall blood test to exclude the development of an oncological process;
  • General urinarys - 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.
Blood test for cervical osteochondrosis to exclude the development of oncology

Based on the data obtained, the doctor prescribes the appropriate treatment, which consists of several stages - elimination of irritation, the maximum possible healing with the treatment of the consequences of the disease and preventive measures to avoid new irritation.You should not delay a visit to a specialist, as treatment and rehabilitation in advanced conditions can last several years.