Cervical osteonecrosis often goes undiagnosed for a long time.Headaches, dizziness and other symptoms are attributed to general malaise or vitamin deficiency.But taking vitamins and taking a long rest will not help either - over time, the headache will attack in the morning after proper sleep and rest.What's up?“Common” osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is progressive, easily identified at home, and accurately diagnosed through a comprehensive examination.Timely detection of diseases ensures quick and effective treatment.Otherwise, the disease will cause severe pain in the neck and partial paralysis or numbness of the limbs.
What is cervical spondylosis?
Before considering the question of how to determine cervical spondylosis, it is necessary to study the pathogenesis of the pathology.Cervical spondylosis is a destructive lesion of the intervertebral discs.Failure may be prolonged or progress rapidly.The same can be said about the stage of the disease - depending on external and internal factors, the pathology can progress to an advanced stage in a short time, or can cause yourself to feel pain in the neck for many years after a long static position.
Cervical spondylosis is the destruction of the cartilage of the intervertebral discs, developing for many different reasons.The leading position is occupied by achondrodystrophy - a thinning of the cartilage of the intervertebral disc, which develops due to a deficiency of useful trace elements, impaired blood circulation and pressure on the vertebrae.Thinning leads to compression of the spinal roots - this is when severe pain begins in the neck and back of the head, and causes an increase in blood or even cranial pressure.
To the horror of those who are not yet aware of the development of the presented pathology, it should be noted that destruction can be influenced by long-term use of a computer or a banal unhealthy diet.Therefore, it is important to diagnose the disease promptly and begin treatment.
Important!Osteonecrosis is a chronic disease that cannot be completely cured.Therefore, it is important to prevent it and not “patch the damaged areas”.
Symptoms of cervical spondylosis
Doctors advise to contact the clinic at the first symptoms of the development of cervical spondylosis.Of course, they are easy to recognize at home, and not only here - dangerous manifestations can await the patient even when performing a harmless operation.
Symptoms of cervical spondylosis include:
- Headaches, dizziness, periodic loss of balance for no apparent reason, fainting, blurred vision - symptoms appear that indicate vertebral artery (pinching) syndrome, as a result of which the brain and organs do not receive the necessary beneficial trace elements and oxygen.
- Increased intracranial pressure, nausea and vomiting - against the background of insufficient oxygen supply and other disorders in 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, sore throat and ears, hearing loss - developmental radicular syndrome, characterized by compression of the spinal roots has already been mentioned.
- Increased blood pressure and tachycardia, the development of migraines in the neck - blood flow in the vertebral artery is impaired.
From the above, it becomes clear that unexplained manifestations in the future can make themselves felt significant signs that will lead to disruption of a person's usual activities of living and partial loss of motor activity.
Important!You should consult a doctor when you have pain in your neck after a long period of time in a static position or after sleeping.If, after moving your head, you feel warmth in the affected area, it is likely that the disc has been destroyed. Warmth means blood rushes back and blood circulation is completely restored.
Diagnosis of cervical spondylosis
As soon as you detect pain and discomfort in the neck area, you should immediately contact your doctor for examination, which is done in three stages:
- investigate;
- X-rays;
- differential diagnosis.
Visual inspection by a professional
If pain occurs, it is better to immediately contact an orthopedist, who after just one examination will be able to give a more accurate picture of the development of the pathology.So, at your appointment, your doctor will check:
- condition of the muscles of the neck, shoulder girdle, and arms;
- symmetry of the neck, chin, and supraclavicular area;
- shoulder position;
- Presence of spinal curvature.
The therapist conducts an examination by palpating the back and sides of the neck - often people with osteoarthritis will feel pain or discomfort that shouldn't be there.If the development of cervical spondylosis is suspected, the doctor will perform tests to determine the space between the vertebrae using special instruments.
In addition, an important criterion during visual examination is the determination of normal neck mobility - as a rule, the patient cannot easily rotate or tilt his head completely.This criterion can roughly determine the location of the affected area and the simultaneous compression of the spinal cord roots.
X-ray and other diagnostic instruments
After identifying osteonecrosis, it is important to understand what stage the disease is in and what the next possible consequences are.Here they use instrumental diagnostic methods, which include the following methods:
- X-rays are 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 images are taken - highlighting the musculoskeletal system.From the image, you can determine the affected disc, the possibility of compression and other pathological features.
- MRI and CT are the most modern instrumental diagnostic methods, on the basis of which doctors can determine the nature of the current compression and its stage.According to the data received, the doctor believes that the patient's condition will worsen further.
- Doppler ultrasound allows you to determine the condition and blood supply to the brain and neck.This may explain the presence of dizziness or headaches.
A comprehensive study of the data obtained will help not only diagnose the disease and determine its stage, but also prevent further damage to the spine.Based on the diagnosis, appropriate treatment is performed.
Differential diagnosis
Differential diagnosis is the usual exclusion of diseases that may have signs and symptoms similar to cervical spondylosis.If a person has headaches during the pathological process under consideration, possible head injuries and other causes of this symptom should be excluded.
Here it is also important that when pain is detected in the neck, diseases of the spine must be excluded - for example, similar injuries, dystrophic changes of a congenital or acquired nature, inflammatory processes or cancer.Cervical spondylosis is often confused with heart disease, stomach ulcers, vegetative dystonia and other diseases.
Therefore, doctors may prescribe the following additional tests for patients:
- general blood test to exclude the development of a cancerous process;
- general urinalysis - to exclude the inflammatory process;
- Ultrasound of abdominal organs - to exclude gastritis, ulcers and other organ pathologies;
- fluorography - to rule out tuberculosis;
- Other methods to check the patient's health.
Based on the data obtained, the doctor prescribes the appropriate treatment, which includes several stages - elimination of exacerbation, maximum possible recovery by treating the consequences of the disease and preventive measures to avoid new exacerbations.You should not delay seeing a specialist, because treatment and rehabilitation in a severe condition can last several years.