Complications of osteochondrosis: causes, symptoms and consequences

2024 Author: Curtis Blomfield | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 20:44

Such a disease as osteochondrosis of the spine, only sometimes provokes some terrible consequences. But this does not mean that this disease is completely harmless to humans. The presence of a disease in a patient is harmful to he alth, affecting various systems and organs. Complications of osteochondrosis can even affect the autonomic nervous system, resulting in serious restrictions in some household activities.

Danger for the body is the pathology of all parts of the spine, but the most severe is the defeat of the lumbar and cervical. As for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, the complications of this disease are quite serious. The thoracic region in the human body is immobile initially and is highly resistant to any disease. Why is this disease dangerous?

Varying degrees of disease

Complications of osteochondrosis will depend on the degree of this disease. For example, if a patient is diagnosed with the first degree, then the likelihood of any serious complications is almost zero. Butif the patient has a 3rd degree of osteochondrosis, complications can occur with a high degree of probability. It is necessary to separately understand what negative consequences an illness can lead to, depending on one stage or another.

First degree

As a rule, this stage of the disease does not cause much harm to the body. In most cases, with osteochondrosis of the 1st degree, there are no symptoms, and the patient arrives in a satisfactory condition. However, complications of osteochondrosis of the 1st degree can occur as a degeneration of the disease into the next stage. In any case, if left untreated, the first stage of osteochondrosis will move into the second.

Second degree

At this stage of development, osteochondrosis is very harmful to he alth and often provokes severe headaches and dizziness in the patient. As for the complications of cervical osteochondrosis, they manifest themselves in the form of visual pathologies, as well as low-frequency tinnitus. These symptoms do not pose a particular danger to the patient's he alth, but they seriously impair a person's performance.

Third degree

Complications of cervical osteochondrosis are manifested in the form of severe pain, which is localized in the affected area, back muscles, and also in the head. If the lumbar region is affected, the sensitivity of the lower extremities may be impaired in the patient. But if osteochondrosis of the thoracic region was diagnosed, then the sensitivity of the upper limbs is disturbed. Pain in this case can give in variouspatches on the body.

Fourth degree

Many experts believe that this stage of the disease is absent, while classifying it as the third. Other doctors mean by the fourth stage of the disease various symptoms of complications of osteochondrosis, for example, serious posture disorders, pathological kyphosis and lordosis. If osteochondrosis of the cervical region was diagnosed, then complications may consist in attacks of syncope, that is, loss of consciousness.

Very good news for patients is that this disease is treatable at absolutely all stages of development. For this reason, various kinds of neurological complications of osteochondrosis can be avoided. Therefore, it is wiser to start treating the disease when the first symptoms appear.

Causes of disease development

In most cases, the main reason for the development of osteochondrosis is the natural aging of the human body. But in recent decades, experts have recorded earlier manifestations of this disease. Statistics show that this disease manifests itself in people after 30 years. It is important to note that osteochondrosis among adolescents and children appears due to an unhe althy lifestyle.

The causes of this disease are divided into external and internal. It is worth familiarizing yourself with them in more detail.

External causes

Such provoking factors for the development of osteochondrosis include the following:

1. Sedentary lifestyle, in which a person sits a lot. This reasonis one of the main in the development of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine.
2. Constant extension and flexion of the torso, as well as sharp turns of the body.
3. Squatting, bending over, carrying weights in the wrong posture of a person.
4. Excessive exercise during sports.
5. Very frequent lifting of heavy loads. This reason is one of the main reasons why osteochondrosis develops in the lumbar spine.
6. Human work under adverse conditions, such as low air temperature or high humidity.
7. Frequent vibration loads on the human body.
8. Various spinal injuries, including those from many years ago.
9. Sleep on an uncomfortable pillow or bed.
10. Frequent dehydration of the human body.
11. Constant exposure to various chemicals in the body.
12. Unfavorable environmental situation.

Internal Causes

These include the following:

1. Hereditary predisposition. If one of the patient's relatives had diseases of the spine, then it is necessary to be more attentive to one's own he alth, periodically undergoing examination in a medical institution.
2. Impaired metabolism in the human body. This reason negatively affects the condition of the intervertebral discs.
3. Natural aging of the body.
4. Overweight.
5. Flat feet.
6. Curvatureposture, which often provokes the development of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.
7. Alcoholism and smoking.
8. Presence of some infectious chronic diseases.
9. Hypocooling of the body.
10. Frequent consumption of fatty, spicy, s alty foods, as well as the wrong diet.
11. Abrupt cessation of training by professional athletes.
12. Frequent stress and nervous tension.

Symptoms of disease

Symptoms of osteochondrosis can be different, depending on the affected area of the spine. It is worth considering separately the signs of this disease. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are as follows:

1. Soreness in the neck and shoulder area.
2. Headaches and migraines.
3. Impaired cerebral circulation.
4. Frequent dizziness, especially when throwing back the head and turning the neck sharply.
5. Pain in the shoulder area and arms.
6. Pain when raising arms up.
7. Vomiting and nausea.
8. Increased blood pressure.
9. Ringing and tinnitus.
10. Deterioration of memory, vision and hearing.
11. Limited mobility in the neck.
12. In some cases, there is numbness of the tongue, as well as a slight change in the voice.
13. Tearfulness and irritability.
14. Numbness in arms and shoulders.
15. Sudden loss of consciousness.

Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are as follows:

1. Pain in the chestcells.
2. Shortness of breath.
3. Pain between the shoulder blades.
4. Pain while raising arms up.
5. Loss of sensation in certain areas on the skin.
6. Feeling cold and burning in the lower extremities.
7. Pain in ribs while walking.
8. Feelings of heaviness that are localized in the chest area.
9. Problems with the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
10. Feeling of weakness in the legs or arms.
11. High blood pressure and palpitations.

Signs of lumbar osteochondrosis are as follows:

1. Severe pain in the lumbar region.
2. Pain in the legs and coccyx, as well as in the internal organs of the small pelvis.
3. Desensitization of the legs.
4. Aches in the limbs and weakness.
5. Impotence in men.
6. Reduced fertility in women.
7. Discomfort during pregnancy.
8. Problems while urinating.

Consequences of cervical osteochondrosis

In most cases, there are complications of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. This is due to the fact that the vertebral artery is concentrated in this area, and the department itself is very mobile. In addition, next to this department is the brain, as well as the sensory system, such as vision and hearing. Possible complications of osteochondrosis of the spine in the neck are as follows:

1. Headaches that can be of varying intensity. Most often they proceed in moderate severity, but inFor some people, they are so painful that they interfere not only with everyday life, but also do not allow a person to fall asleep normally.
2. Severe dizziness, and quite often chronic or ongoing with episodes of exacerbation. During an exacerbation, dizziness is so severe that the patient may even lose consciousness.
3. The formation of a low-frequency constant squeak (or noise) in the ears, quite often which causes severe discomfort to the patient. This symptom cannot be cured. To get rid of such discomfort, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause - osteochondrosis.
4. Vertebral artery syndrome, in which there is compression or rupture of the arteries in the spinal column, due to which a person can lose consciousness, and sometimes even a heart attack or stroke occurs.
5. Disturbance of coordination of movement and balance. At the same time, the patient may fall out of the blue, micromotor skills are disturbed, it is quite difficult for the patient to finger some small details, write or draw.
6. Vomiting attacks, nausea, and an increase in blood pressure, which occurs only in rare cases.

To avoid possible complications of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, which were described above, you should seek help from a specialist in time when the first symptoms appear.

Danger of thoracic osteochondrosis

The thoracic region of the spinal column is only rarely affected by osteochondrosis. This is due to the fact that the thoracic region is very strong andmotionless, which means that it is much less likely to be injured, and if they are present, it quickly recovers. This area has a smaller significant load than the lumbar. The only problem is that thoracic osteochondrosis is difficult to treat due to immobility and localization. Possible complications of thoracic osteochondrosis are as follows:

1. Breathing problems and mild shortness of breath. It is difficult for patients to take a deep breath or a deep breath. But at the same time, the rate of oxygen saturation of the blood is within the normal range, as is the level of carbon dioxide. This symptom is purely subjective.
2. Strongly expressed pain syndrome, which is localized only in the thoracic spine. But quite often it moves to the anterior zone of the sternum, as a result of which the patient develops intercostal neuralgia. Pain worsens when coughing, bending over, sneezing, or trying to take a deep breath.
3. Feeling of numbness, which is localized in the upper limbs. In some cases, there is a feeling that the upper limbs are not their own.
4. Subjective sensation of interruptions in the heart. The patient develops sinus tachycardia, which does not interfere with the work of the heart.

Lumbar osteochondrosis. Consequences

Complications of lumbar osteochondrosis are about the same as in the case of the cervical region. They are as follows:

1. Severe soreness that appears due to a featurelocation and accumulation of nerve endings in the lumbar region. Sometimes the pain syndrome is so severe that no medication in the form of tablets has a visible effect.
2. Lower limb dysfunction. The patient may develop intermittent claudication, as well as clubfoot. If the patient walks incorrectly for a long time, then flat feet of the second or first stage may appear.
3. Disturbance of sensation in the lower extremities, convulsions at night, frequent paresthesias.
4. Severe pain in the coccyx, which increases with prolonged sitting, attempts to bend the body to the sides or forward, and when lifting weights.
5. Frequent urination and phantom urge to defecate.
6. Painful sensations that are localized in the peritoneal area. In fact, they are irradiation from the lumbar region.

Who is at risk

In most cases, the risk of developing osteochondrosis is associated with the professional activities of the patient. Representatives of the following speci alties fall into the risk group:

1. Office employees.
2. Drivers.
3. Movers.
4. Professional athletes.
5. Builders.
6. Cashiers and accountants.
7. Those people who are often worried and nervous.
8. Women during pregnancy.
9. People who constantly tilt their heads down and stretch their shoulders.
10. Obesity patients.

If a person is at risk, then you should be more attentive to your own he alth, note any deviations that are associated with the spine. It will be much easier to prevent this disease than to try to cure it later. Moreover, the consequences of complications of osteochondrosis are almost always deplorable. In the later stages, the disease is almost impossible to cure, especially if it provoked strong pathological changes in the body. However, with complex therapy, it is possible to improve the quality of life even in severe cases.