After 25-30 years, everyone has symptoms of osteochondrosis. However, not all of these phenomena cause clinical manifestations (complaints and other symptoms of the disease, the most common of these symptoms is back pain).
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
- Pain in the neck, aching, burning sensation. The pain can radiate to the face, shoulder, arm, along the spine. Painful sensations can significantly limit the movements of the head and arms.
- Dizziness, worse when turning the head
- Areas of reduced sensitivity on the hands
- Weakness in the arms
- Swelling of the arms and hands
- Pain in the interscapular region, a feeling of a “stick” in the back, soreness in the area of the shoulder girdle (what we usually call the shoulder).
- Pain in the heart area of a stabbing nature.
- Pain radiating along the intercostal spaces, arm, and scapula area. Pain can interfere with sleep.
Attention: If such symptoms appear, you should first and immediately consult a general practitioner or cardiologist to rule out an attack of angina or myocardial infarction.
- Pain in the lower back, radiating to the buttock area, along the back of the leg.
- Pain in the buttock, calf muscles. The pain can also radiate to the groin area and perineum. Pain can appear only at the moment of movement, or can persist even at rest.
- Pain when sitting.
- Limitation of range of motion in the leg joints.
- Areas of decreased sensation on the legs.
- Decreased muscle strength.
- Decreased muscle volume.
- Sexual dysfunction is not uncommon.
- Swelling of the feet.
Diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis
Is it possible to relieve the patient from such manifestations?
Yes, completely, although it is not always possible to completely eliminate organic disorders (arising during the long course of the disease).
To clarify the diagnosis, you will need to undergo a certain amount of examination, which has some specifics, depending on the part of the spine being examined.
Examples of examinations for various diseases:
In the cervical region:
- X-ray of the cervical spine with functional tests
- MRI of the cervical spine.
- Doppler ultrasound of neck vessels (for dizziness)
In the thoracic region:
- X-ray of the thoracic spine
- ECG, cardiologist consultation
In the lumbar spine:
- X-ray of the lumbar region
- MRI of the lumbar spine
- Ultrasound of the abdominal organs
This list is not mandatory, but allows you to make the diagnosis as accurately as possible and eliminate possible complications during treatment. In order to be completely sure that the treatment will not harm, it is necessary to supplement the examination with some more techniques, but the doctor must determine their need based on the situation.
If you notice some of the listed signs, you need to seek medical help. Alas, if osteochondrosis has manifested itself, then there is no point in hoping to resolve it on your own, but it is quite possible to get complicated forms of this disease, which are much more difficult to treat.
For those who, without reading, looked at the end of the article, we do not recommend self-diagnosis and, especially, self-medication. For our more patient readers, we invite you to take into account our recommendations and, if necessary, seek more detailed information on the topic that worries you from a neurologist at our Prima Medica medical center.