The main signs and symptoms of necrosis of the cervical spine

Neck pain caused by bone necrosis

Cervical fibroids are a very common disease that affects both men and women alike. Furthermore, age doesn't play a special role here. Symptoms of cervical necrosis are not only found in the elderly, they are the result of the natural aging process. This disease is increasingly discovered in young people, and in most cases it is it that is the cause of the disease.

The reasons for the development of the pathology

This spinal injury has a degenerative-dystrophic nature. That is, in the vertebrae, as well as in all their structural factors, pathological changes that occur, are no longer reversible in the later stage. This type of bone necrosis is considered the most dangerous, as its consequence is damage to the major nerve roots and blood vessels that feed the brain. Meaning that, over time, the spine ceases to function normally along its entire length.

The following reasons for the development of the disease can be distinguished:

  1. Lift and move heavy objects.
  2. Significant sport load.
  3. Wearing weights incorrectly.
  4. Long-term adherence to static posture: working in front of a computer, writing notes, reading, working in an officeThis is the main reason for young people.
  5. Genetic factors.

Naturally, inflammatory processes that arise in the spine or other parts of the body can also cause bone necrosis in the neck. Other reasons not excluded: hypothermia, trauma, surgery.

Symptom classification

Therefore, the treatment of spondylosis should be carried out only after the patient has been correctly diagnosed. And for this, the doctor needs to know the clinical picture of the patient, as well as apply all instrumental examination methods. Symptoms that arise in patients depend on the degree of damage to the body systems:

  1. Most symptoms from the brain are due to impaired blood circulation due to pressure on blood vessels.
  2. Peripheral nerve damage appears by squeezing nerve roots out of the vertebrae.
  3. Serious neurological disorders occur in the late stages of the development of the disease due to a pinched spinal cord.

Now you can look in more detail at the main signs of osteonecrosis of the cervix.

The most common symptoms of pathology

Although the reason contributes to the occurrence of the problem, the clinical picture is almost always the same in all patients. Cervical spinal tumors have the following symptoms:

  • Painful feeling. They are localized in the neck, back of the head, and the collar area. The pain can also spread down the shoulder, chest, collarbone. Frequent migraines are characteristic of osteonecrosis. Over time, the discomfort becomes stinging, chronic. The exacerbation of the pathology causes pain when moving. The muscles are very tight at the same time. Sometimes just one injection - blockade of anesthesia - can get rid of this symptom.
  • Tinnitus, feeling stuffy. This occurs due to a decrease in blood supply to the vestibular apparatus.
  • Dizziness. This is due to lack of oxygen, because the inner ear is poorly supplied with blood. This condition is also accompanied by abnormal, uncontrolled movements of the pupil.
  • Fainting, from which the patient passes out fast enough, if there is an improvement in blood circulation in the affected area.
  • The feeling of lack of air. The presented symptoms appear due to phrenic nerve stimulation. That is, the patient simply cannot breathe deeply. He also snores and can suddenly stop breathing. Over time, the patient experiences shortness of breath and attacks of asphyxiation. Lack of oxygen further damages brain tissue, leading to impaired attention and memory.
  • Nausea. Sometimes any movement of the body or head is accompanied by vomiting, which is difficult to control. Patients with appetite disorder, weight loss.
  • Dizziness and nausea are signs of cervical bone necrosis
  • Vision problems. Cervical fibroids can cause symptoms such as "flying flies" in the eyes or fog, a decrease in the severity, a violation of the focus of vision. What's more, exercise therapy or wearing glasses can't fix the problem.
  • Pressure change. This condition occurs due to constriction of the arteries. The sick person may even lose consciousness.
  • A feeling of dryness and lumpiness in the throat. Sometimes this is the only symptom that says the neck is affected. Therefore, osteonecrosis in this case can be easily confused with other diseases.
  • Increased temperature. This symptom is not common. Furthermore, it is not the base temperature that changes, but the local temperature. The skin around the neck becomes hot and red.
  • Cell restriction. The neck seems to be wedging again. And you can also hear an annoying click and rattle in your neck when you turn your head.
  • Arm weakness and a burning sensation between the shoulder blades.
  • Impaired ability to coordinate movement, affecting the patient's gait.

Some of the signs of cervical bone necrosis listed above are nonspecific. This makes it difficult to diagnose the disease, as a person does not see the specialist in time.

Symptoms of the disease, depending on the degree of its development

Depending on the symptoms observed in the patient, their prevalence and intensity, we can talk about the stage of development of necrosis of the cervical spine. Each level has its own characteristics:

  1. Early stage. Accompanying them are cyclical headaches, discomfort in the neck, shoulders, arms. There is a bit of a limitation in terms of mobility. In the collar area, there may be a slight decrease in skin sensitivity. At this stage, actual treatment is not performed, since the patient does not seek medical help. Some patients try to treat bone necrosis at home with folk remedies.
  2. Second stage. In the neck spine, the pain gradually increased, an unpleasant scratching sound was heard. In the shoulder area, as well as in the arm, the sensitivity is severe. Headaches in this stage actually do not go away, the patient's vision is reduced, the head and ears are noisy, the tendon reflexes are reduced clearly. During the exacerbation of osteonecrosis, splashes of pain appear under the scapula. Here it is impossible not to notice the symptoms of the disease, and the patient tries to go to the examination. However, it is no longer possible to completely get rid of failure. It will only be able to slow its further development.
  3. Third stage. Here the collagen fibers of the disc have been destroyed, the bulge appears. The fixation of the vertebrae is interrupted and they begin to fall out. A dislocation can even occur. The patient appeared very severe pain in the neck and heart, with manifestations of paralysis and paralysis of the upper extremities, curved spine. Tendon reflexes at the advanced stage of osteonecrosis are practically absent. One complication of this degree of cervical vertebra degeneration is a spinal stroke.

If a person "saves" himself from illness at home without consulting a doctor, this behavior can lead to disability.

Cervical spinal tumors cannot be completely cured, but timely and proper treatment can slow the progression of the disease.

What syndromes cause bone necrosis?

So there are several sets of symptoms that indicate a person has a certain syndrome. If at least one sign is absent, then it is not necessary to talk about such a pathological condition.

There are several syndromes caused by cervical bone necrosis:

  • Lenticular form. In a different way, it may be called "cervical gland inflammation". It is caused by a pinched nerve. It is characterized by the following symptoms: the presence of pain that spreads down the shoulder blades, runs along the shoulder and extends to the forearms and fingers; the appearance of the "fly" before the eyes; tingling in fingers, forearms, hands. Symptoms localized may vary depending on which root pair is damaged.
  • Irritating reflex. Manifestation is acute burning pain in the neck and occipital, appearing due to movement after sleeping, when sneezing. Discomfort may be given in the chest.
  • Spinal artery syndrome. Here the following symptoms stand out: loss of consciousness, nausea, intense burning headache of the nature, extending to the apical, temporal and occipital parts of the skull. Patients present with weakness, impaired hearing, eye pain, and blurred vision.
  • Heart. It has a special property - it is very easy to confuse with angina, so the prescribed treatment can become wrong. If the patient is diagnosed with cervical osteoporosis, the symptoms of heart syndrome are as follows: sudden onset of pain, increased with slightest movement; fast heart beat; Inability to stop the attack with special heart drugs that promote dilation of the coronary arteries. At the same time, there were no signs of circulatory disturbances on the electrocardiogram.

Since osteonecrosis has a chronic form, its exacerbations occur periodically. The intensity of symptoms increased. The sensations can last for a long time and only one shot of anesthetic can get rid of them. The pills may not be effective.

How is pathology diagnosed?

To accurately determine the severity of degenerative cervical degenerative disease, determine the degree of destruction of the vertebrae, the patient needs to be carefully examined. It includes the following procedures:

  • External examination of the patient.
  • Neurological tests.
  • Double-sided scan or ultrasound of Vascular Doppler.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging.
  • CT.
  • X-ray of the cervical spine in two shots.
  • ECG.

Laboratory analyzes in this case are not informative. Although they are sometimes prescribed to determine the cause of the development of osteonecrosis.

Features of the treatment of pathology

Therefore, the treatment of cervical fibroids must be carried out right from the very first stages. Moreover, the patient can take the necessary medicines, perform home treatment exercises but only after having been examined carefully and consulted by specialists.

Therapy must be comprehensive. It is not enough just to eliminate the symptoms of pathology. Efforts should be made to restore functions of the cervical spine. For this, a person needs medications (pain relievers, hormones, vitamin complexes, chondroprotective protection drugs), as well as therapeutic exercises.

To eliminate severe pain that the drug cannot be stopped, a special injection is used, which is made in the inter-joint area. However, this method of blockade can only be used a few times a year.

In addition to drug treatment, patients are performed physical therapy procedures: massage, ultrasound and ultraviolet therapy. If conservative treatment is not successful, the patient is prescribed surgical intervention. But rather, it is an extreme measure, and it is better not to let the disease go to such a state.