Cervical osteochondrosis signs and symptoms

A fairly common disease in our time is cervical osteochondrosis. The number of people suffering from this condition is increasing every year. If earlier people of mature age faced the disease in question, now there are many young people at risk.

neck pain with osteochondrosis

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men

Many factors contribute to the development of cervical osteochondrosis in men. The progression of the disease is caused by:

  • sedentary lifestyle
  • weakened immunity;
  • unbalanced diet;
  • overweight;
  • lesions of the cervical spine.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men are:

  • Cracking when turning the neck. If this symptom is not eliminated in time, neck mobility is likely to worsen significantly in the short term. A crunch in the neck is a direct consequence of the destruction and displacement of the intervertebral joints.
  • Pain in the temples and occiput. Painful sensations at first appear only in the cervical region, but gradually move to the back of the head. Muscle spasm causes such pain.
  • Weakness. It involves squeezing and damaging the nerves responsible for normal limb movement. This, in turn, leads to muscle weakness.
  • Weakness. Poor blood supply caused by osteochondrosis leads to brain dysfunction.
  • Deterioration of vision. This signal indicates an advanced stage of the disease.
  • Pain in the heart. The pain does not extend to the heart itself, but to the chest. Osteochondrosis causes a strong heartbeat, which contributes to arrhythmias.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women

In women, the muscular corset is less toned and the vertebrae are much thinner than in men. That is why the fair sex has a faster deformation of the cervical spine.

Causes of cervical osteochondrosis disease in women:

  • lack of regular simple physical activity;
  • individual anatomy;
  • heavy loads on the spine during pregnancy;
  • hormonal changes that can provoke the emergence of a hormonal hump that prevents movement of the cervical spine.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in women include:

  • pain in the cervical spine and shoulder;
  • acute low back pain when turning the head;
  • feeling of stiffness in the cervical spine;
  • burning in the shoulders and neck;
  • a crunch in the neck when tilting and turning the head;
  • muscle spasms with shoulder pain;
  • feeling tired;
  • frequent headaches.

Vertebral artery syndrome symptom with cervical osteochondrosis

In order to prevent serious unwanted complications (strokes), it is necessary to know the symptoms of vertebral artery syndrome in cervical osteochondrosis. Similar symptoms occur due to poor blood flow to the brain.

Vertebral artery syndrome manifests itself with the following symptoms:

  • shooting pain that occurs in seizures in one part of the head;
  • impaired coordination of movements, dizziness and nausea;
  • cases of loss of consciousness are often observed;
  • sparkles and "floating" in the eyes.

Vertebral artery syndrome is characterized by pain when moving the neck and head. The feeling of fatigue can turn into a state of constant sleepiness, as a result of which performance is significantly reduced. Over time, a lumpy feeling in the throat may appear.

If you experience any of the above symptoms, see your doctor immediately. In this case, it is impossible to postpone the trip to the doctor. Delays can lead to irreparable consequences.

Treatment of symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis with exacerbation

Exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is almost always accompanied by severe and intense pain. An aggravated disease can be caused by:

  • Fatigue. Constant worries cause spasm of the occipital muscles, which leads to poor circulation and headaches.
  • Autumn season. During this period, there is a high probability of hypothermia of the neck, a restructuring of biological rhythms occurs.
  • Exacerbation of other chronic diseases. Even a common cold can exacerbate cervical osteochondrosis.
  • Prolonged static head position.
  • Incorrectly chosen treatment or self-medication. Improper treatment, unprofessional massage, gymnastics (can be contraindicated) can exacerbate cervical osteochondrosis.

In the event of an attack, relax the tense muscles by resting your head against something. It is recommended to use a warming anti-inflammatory ointment, take painkillers in tablets. Try wearing a cotton-gauze collar for several days.

If the first attack occurs, be sure to see a doctor. After diagnosis, you will receive complete information on what stage your disease is at.

Complex treatment of the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis during exacerbation includes:

  • professional massage;
  • remedial gymnastics;
  • physiotherapeutic procedures;
  • taking anti-inflammatory painkillers;
  • appropriate nutrition. Reduce your consumption of meat, legumes, and coffee.

To prevent osteochondrosis of the neck, you should lead a mobile life, it is important to exclude severe stress on the spine.

Treatment of the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis with injections

In the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis symptoms, injections are traditionally very effective. The benefits of injections are:

  • almost instantaneous penetration of the drug to the nerve endings;
  • injection of the drug directly into the lesion;
  • analgesics do not have medicinal properties, but are able to relieve pain in 10-15 minutes;
  • antispasmodics help increase mobility in damaged areas and neutralize muscle spasms;
  • injections of chondroprotector help restore cartilage tissue;
  • injections of non-steroidal drugs have an antipyretic effect and relieve swelling;
  • injections of B vitamins help restore nerve endings.

Drugs for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can be given:

  • in a standard way, that is, intramuscularly;
  • using a dropper;
  • therapeutic block, that is, an injection is made directly into the nerve endings of the affected part of the body.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is a very difficult and long process. If you don't want to face complications, be sure to see a doctor when symptoms of the disease appear.