Cervical fibroids indicate degenerative disorders in the intervertebral disc. The disease is accompanied by a complex of different symptoms. The clinical picture develops as the disease progresses - each stage corresponds to certain signs and to the intensity of their manifestation.
Symptoms of cervical bone necrosis by degree (stage)
Osteochondrosis is a progressive disease, so the clinical picture develops gradually. This refers to the number of symptoms of the disease and the intensity of their manifestations. In total, there are 4 stages of the disease.
First stagebone necrosis of the cervical spine. The changes occur mainly at the biochemical level. This stage of the disease is accompanied by mild or asymptomatic symptoms, therefore it is called preclinical. It has the following features:
- An unpleasant sensation
- appears in the neck, which can spread down the arms and shoulders, and sometimes the sensation becomes painful;
- headache;
- slightly limited motor activity in the cervical spine;
- has vision defects that quickly pass away;
- reduced sensitivity of the skin to the collar;
- Symptoms increase when head is tilted.
The first stage of osteonecrosis is overlooked by many patients. The symptoms of the disease appear often due to age, fatigue, stress.
The second stageof cervical osteonecrosis is characterized by the development of protruding nodules. This stage involves water loss of the disc, reduced elasticity and height of the disc, and cracks in the annular shape. In this case, the disc bulges out into the disc tube.
This stage of the disease is characterized by the following symptoms:
- severe pain in the neck, possibly scratching;
- painful sensations that emanate naturally, radiating under the scapula;
- pain increases when holding the head in a prolonged position;
- has a significant loss of skin sensitivity to the shoulder and arm skin;
- frequent and persistent headache;
- visual disturbances, flies flying into the eyes;
- tinnitus, ringing;
- muscle weakness in the upper extremities;
- clearly reduced tendon reflexes;
- develops insomnia, less often - other sleep disorders;
- has a lump in the throat, difficult to swallow.
The second stage of cervical fibroids manifests quite clearly, so many patients see a doctor at this stage. In this case, conservative treatment is sufficient.
The third stageof the disease is characterized by destruction of annular fibers and the formation of a herniated disc. At this stage, the spine is deformed, the vertebrae are displaced, on the basis of their weak immobilization, the development of appendages and dislocations.
This stage of the disease is characterized by the following symptoms:
- severe sharp pain that can spread to the heart;
- violates part or all of the sensitivity of the skin behind the head, shoulders, or arms;
- paralysis, paralysis of the upper extremities;
- has almost no tendon reflex.
Finally,fourth stageosteonecrosis implies replacement of disc tissue with callus. At this stage, the disease is usually in remission, but pathological changes spread to other structures of the spine, so that clinical signs of different stages of bone necrosis can be observed simultaneously.
General signs of cervical osteonecrosis
The clinical picture of fibroids of the cervix is quite varied. This is due to impaired blood flow, involvement of the peripheral nervous system in the pathological process, which can compress and disrupt the integrity of the spinal cord. Against this background, different symptoms develop, but several common signs of the disease are distinguished.
Pain
This is the main symptom in cervical bone necrosis. The primary site of pain is the neck. Headache and facial pain were also observed. Pain can spread to different parts of the body.
This characteristic of the pathology depends on the area affected:
- if the C4-C5 disc is affected, the pain radiates to the outer surface of the shoulder and the middle part of the scapula;
- with C5-C6 disc lesions, soreness radiating to lateral surfaces of forearms, hands, thumb and index fingers;
- C6-C7 pathology is accompanied by pain along the back of the shoulder and forearms, extending to the index and middle fingers;
- if the C7-Th1 disc is involved, the pain diffuses along the inner surface of the forearm and hand to the ring and little finger.
Reduces sensitivity and reflection
These symptoms occur on the background of a violation of nerve root encapsulation. Pain may not be present. Characteristics of reduced sensitivity and reflection depend on localization of pathological changes:
- When the C4-C5 disc is affected, the sensitivity in the upper part of the outer shoulder is reduced. There is a decrease in reflexes from the arm muscles.
- Bone tumor of C5-C6 disc accompanied by decreased sensitivity of the lateral surfaces of forearm, hand, thumb and index finger. The reflexes from the biceps are also reduced.
- C6-C7 disc pathology reduces the sensitivity of the index and middle fingers, the backs of the hands and forearms. Reduced reflexes from triceps.
- The failure of the C7-Th1 disc is accompanied by a decrease in the sensitivity of the ring finger, the little finger, the inner surface of the hand and forearm. Reflections are not affected.
Dizziness
This symptom usually develops in the early stages of cervical necrosis and is one of the first manifestations of the disease. Dizziness is caused by a decrease in the volume of oxygen supplied to the semicircular tubes of the inner ear. They are located in the brain and provide balance. Simultaneously with dizziness, there may be fluctuations in the pupil in a horizontal or vertical direction.
Nausea
With necrosis of the cervical spine, blood flow through the brain vessels is disrupted. This causes feelings of nausea and belching. These symptoms usually occur with turning and tilting the head, and sometimes normal walking. Symptoms may develop and lead to irrespective of vomiting.
In the context of such signs, the following consequences are possible:
- reduced appetite;
- lose weight;
- nutritional deficiencies, nutritional dystrophy.
Lack of air
With cervical necrosis of the spine, it is possible to stimulate phrenic nerves, regulate the depth and frequency of breathing. With the defeat of this nerve, a person has difficulty breathing, unable to breathe completely. Against this background, lack of oxygen leads to difficulty breathing and even asphyxiation.
During nighttime sleep, especially if the head is uncomfortable, there is a risk of respiratory arrest. Usually these episodes are accompanied by snoring. In the absence of fresh air, hypoxia develops, on the background of the following symptoms:
- tired even after sleeping;
- malfunction;
- weaknesses;
- impaired attention and memory.
Hearing loss, noise and tinnitus
In the context of circulatory disorders in cervical necrosis, the vestibular apparatus is affected. This leads to dysfunction of the inner ear and causes cochlear syndrome, also known as the cochlea. It has the following symptoms:
- tinnitus;
- rings;
- general hearing loss.
A distinctive feature that indicates cervical osteonecrosis is tinnitus resulting from prolonged forced posture.
Fainting
This symptom occurs on the basis of blood flow disturbances caused by cervical bone necrosis. Normally, the blood is constantly moving through the brain arteries. With bone necrosis, the bone process of the vertebra is deformed and the nerve ends are stimulated. This leads to a pronounced constriction of the arteries, with blood flow temporarily stopped, and the patient suddenly unconscious. Fainting usually lasts no more than 2-3 minutes.
Pharyngeal Symptoms
Such cervical necrosis implies a full spectrum of complex pathological signs:
- sweating;
- foreign body sensation;
- Difficult to swallow
- dry throat;
- itching sensation.
Pharyngeal symptoms develop on the basis of disorders of the nervous vascular trunks, of which the origin is the spinal cord. When they appear, a differential diagnosis is necessary, since the same clinical picture is characteristic of the inflammatory and tumor process.
Visually Impaired
Such cervical necrosis disorder usually occurs due to low blood pressure or cerebral atherosclerosis. The visual impairment can manifest as follows:
- a veil in front of your eyes, objects visible, as if in fog;
- reduced vision; The
- dots blink before your eyes;
- loses focus on certain topics.
A distinctive feature of visual disturbances from the background of cervical necrosis is the lack of effect of special eye exercises or the use of glasses.
Changing the temperature
With cervical necrosis, such deviation occurs on a local level. This means an increase in blood pressure in the pathological area, i. e. a local increase in the temperature of the skin.
Osteoporosis of the cervix syndrome
Symptoms associated with cervical fibroids are quite common and accompany many other diseases of the various organs and systems of the body. To facilitate diagnosis, clinical signs are grouped into groups called the syndrome:
- Cervical pain. This syndrome is reflexive and associated with neck pain. It may show that the spine or muscles in this area are injured.
- Cervical pain. This syndrome is also reflex. It means painful sensation in the occipital region and occurring against the background of trauma, inflammation or degenerative changes.
- ankle pain. This reflex syndrome involves neck pain spreading down the arm. It occurs on the background of compression of the nerve roots of the cervical spine. With osteonecrosis, this syndrome is accompanied by manifestations of myotonia, vascular vegetative or neurodystrophy.
- Lens syndrome. It is also called in another way - inflammation of the cervical gland. It implies a feeling of shivering on affected area, tingling in fingers and arms, mild swelling and spread of some fingers (depending on the location of lesion).
- Irritable reflex syndrome. It implies cervical pain. A burning and burning pain that can spread to your shoulder or chest. Symptoms increase with changes in head position, sharp turns, sneezing.
- Spinal artery syndrome. This symptom combination includes headache, discomfort with certain movements, loss of balance, loss of hearing and vision, weakness, nausea and loss of consciousness. Severe headache, which can be constant or paroxysmal.
- Heart syndrome. The clinical picture resembles angina. Prolonged pain suddenly develops, intensifies on the background of strong neck movements, coughing, sneezing. It does not go away when taking heart medication and the electrocardiogram did not show a violation of the blood flow of the myocardium. The clinical picture can be supplemented with tachycardia and extrasystole.
- Plant dystrophy syndrome. Occurs when degeneration of the vertebrae with movement of the C1 vertebrae. This syndrome often refers to neurological symptoms of impaired cerebral blood flow - muscle spasm, decreased intracranial pressure, dizziness, vision loss, fainting, headache, nausea.
Fibroids of the cervix accompanied by various symptoms. The characteristics of the clinical manifestations and their intensity largely depend on the stage of the disease, which implies certain pathological changes. Some signs of the disease are combined into syndromes - groups of such symptoms facilitate diagnosis.