Osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome is a very common pathology that develops in humans as a result of long-term treatment of dystrophic disorders in the articular cartilage of the spinal column. The disease is often accompanied by various complications. Initially, even a specialized specialist will not be able to say what they will be, since they depend on the reason why osteochondrosis has developed, as well as on structures that have undergone physiological changes.
General information
Dystrophic processes in the intervertebral joints most often develop in people who have problems with metabolism. Cartilage, as well as soft and bone tissues, do not receive the proper amount of nutrients, as a result of which they begin to change their natural structure. As a result, the fibrous ring expands and begins to collapse, passing cerebrospinal fluid. Thus, the vertebrae put pressure on each other, while squeezing the nervepost.
The disease is very serious, because it is not only accompanied by severe pain, but also limits the physical capabilities of a person. It becomes difficult for him to cope even with elementary daily tasks. And in the absence of proper therapy for a long time, dystrophic changes become irreversible, so it is very important to go to the hospital as soon as possible and start treatment.
What is radicular syndrome?
Radiculopathy is a frequently diagnosed neuralgic syndrome accompanied by pronounced symptoms. It develops as a result of compression of the roots of the spinal nerves and, in fact, is a more complex form of dystrophic changes in the articular cartilage. As a rule, osteochondrosis of the spine with radicular syndrome develops in the second or third year of the pathology, when the patient for some reason did not seek help from a medical institution or refused therapy. In this case, irreversible complications may develop, and it will be impossible to help the patient.
Main causes of pathology
As mentioned earlier, most often radicular syndrome is a complication of osteochondrosis. However, this is far from the only reason why it can develop. There are a number of factors that significantly increase the risk of radiculopathy.
Among the main prerequisites are the following:
- displaced spinal disc;
- inflammatory process;
- destruction or damage to the myelin sheath;
- Nerve ischemia.
As statistics show, osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome is diagnosed in approximately half of the people living in our country who have crossed the mark of 40 years. And at the age of 70, almost every inhabitant of the planet suffers from this pathology. However, it is important to understand here that lesions of the intervertebral discs are not always accompanied by pinching of the nerve column.
Consequences
You should read them first. The following factors influence the development of complications:
- excessive physical stress on the spine, most often associated with difficult working conditions, being overweight or wearing uncomfortable shoes with too high heels;
- curvature of the spinal column;
- lower limb asymmetry;
- flat feet;
- severe hypothermia;
- various infectious diseases;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- injured.
It is worth noting that lumbar osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome can also develop due to malnutrition. People at increased risk are those who consume insufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals and nutrients or an excess of s alt, do not maintain the body's water balance or tend to overeat.
Clinical manifestations
If you have osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, the symptoms here depend on the severity of the coursediseases, as well as on which part of the spine has undergone dystrophic changes. Most often, patients complain of severe pain, which can manifest itself both locally and pass along the entire back. In addition, there may be numbness of the lower or upper limbs, most often the first, burning, tingling and impaired sensitivity.
Clinical manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis
This type of disease is diagnosed much less frequently than the pathology of the chest or lower back. In this case, the main symptoms of osteochondrosis appear, radicular syndrome can also develop, there are severe pain in the neck that occurs when turning the head or coughing, as well as limited mobility. However, even in the presence of pronounced clinical manifestations, only a specialized specialist can make an accurate diagnosis and determine the severity of the disease.
The doctor palpates the patient, during which he pays attention to the following:
- With dystrophic damage to the first and second roots, pain occurs in the region of the crown. In addition, it may be accompanied by numbness of the skin. In some cases, the patient has a protein-energy deficiency and reduced muscle tone.
- When the third root is damaged during the palpation of the cervical region, a piercing acute pain and numbness of the epidermis occur. Also, sometimes there is a strong swelling of the tongue, as a result of which a person’s speech is disturbed and it becomes difficult for him to speak.
- Osteochondrosis withradicular syndrome, in which the fourth nerve node is compressed, patients complain of pain and numbness in the area of the shoulder girdle, shoulder blade and collarbone, so they very often confuse the pathology with cardiac colic. On palpation, doctors often find muscle flabbiness.
- With dystrophic changes in the fifth root, discomfort is localized on the outer part of the shoulder joint. In this case, there is often numbness and weakness in the upper limbs, as well as their poor mobility.
- If the sixth ganglion is affected, then the pain syndrome spreads from the crown of the head to the scapula itself, and also affects both hands.
- Squeezing the seventh root is accompanied by similar symptoms as described above, but fingers are also added here.
- When the eighth node is affected, in addition to discomfort and limited mobility, there is also severe weakness in the upper limbs.
Regardless of which nerve node is affected by osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome, treatment should be started immediately. Otherwise, irreversible processes may begin, in which, as a rule, therapy is useless.
Thoracic spine injury
This osteochondrosis of the spine, radicular syndrome, as a rule, is pronounced, it is also accompanied by very strong and acute pain, the localization of which depends on which of the nerve nodes was affected. In total, there are twelve of them in the thoracic region of the human spinal column.
Whensqueezing the first root, the pain sensations are aching in nature, and they are also accompanied by a decrease in the sensitivity of the epidermis in the area of the shoulder blades and forearm. More complex is the form of the disease that affected the first six nerve nodes of the thoracic spine. In this case, very often the patient experiences some discomfort in the esophagus, which makes eating a little difficult.
If the 7th and 8th nerve nodes were compressed, then the clinical manifestations are almost completely the same as those described above, however, the discomfort spreads to a large area of the body. In addition, the patient often experiences pain in the abdominal region and near the heart.
If a person has lumbar osteochondrosis, radicular syndrome can be of varying severity, with damage to the 9th and 10th nerve nodes, the pain spreads almost along the entire length of the chest and back. At the same time, it becomes difficult for a person to perform not only any physical actions, but also to sit and lie down. In the case when the 11th or 12th root was pinched, then in addition to this, the symptoms described above are accompanied by numbness and discomfort in the area from the chest to the groin.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine
It is on this area of the spine that the greatest load is created, so the manifestations of its defeat will be the most intense. Symptoms, as in previous cases, depend on which nerve nodes were pinched.
The clinical picture is as follows:
- from the 1st to the 3rd root - sharp aching pains and numbness of the skin inhip area;
- 4th ganglion - discomfort covers the lower back, lower leg and part of the thigh;
- 5th root - severe pain almost along the entire length of the lower limbs.
It is worth noting that the symptoms become more pronounced during the performance of any actions and subside a little when the person is in the supine position.
Diagnosis
As mentioned earlier, only a specialized specialist after a comprehensive examination of the patient can confirm or refute osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome.
This pathology has common symptoms with some other diseases, so doctors prescribe the following laboratory tests:
- X-ray of the spine in several planes;
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
If the results are inconclusive, then consultation with other specialists dealing with problems related to the cardiovascular and digestive systems may be required in this case.
Basic Therapies
If osteochondrosis with radicular syndrome has been confirmed, treatment is aimed at relieving the patient of pain.
For this designate:
- painkillers and injections;
- anti-inflammatory drugs;
- muscle relaxants;
- drugs that improve blood circulation and normalize metabolic processes;
- massages;
- physiotherapy;
- therapeutic gymnastics.
In addition, any physical activity is contraindicated for patients. Moreover, they must adhere to strict bed rest, limiting any mobility.
Conclusion
The radicular syndrome is a dangerous pathology that is diagnosed in a huge number of people around the world. At the first suspicion of this disease, you must go to the hospital to start treatment. Self-medication in this case can lead to very serious consequences, up to disability. Therefore, do not risk your he alth, but take appropriate measures immediately.
