Acute chondrosis of the cervical spine is not a completely correct term. When we talk about cervical chondrosis, we mean a disease like osteochondrosis, which has a chronic, progressive process. The essence of this pathology lies in the degenerative-dystrophic changes of the cervical vertebrae and the intervertebral discs located between them. The main complication of this disease is the development of intervertebral hernia, which in turn can compress the spinal cord, blood vessels, and so on. In this article, we examine the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis and also talk about its diagnosis.
How does cervical osteochondrosis manifest itself?
The main clinical sign of cervical osteochondrosis is pain syndrome.
Some patients show fairly intense, sharp neck pain, which is exacerbated by the slightest movements. With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the sick person is unable to turn his head due to painful feelings and holds him compelled, causing the least discomfort, posture.
Most often, however, mild, persistent pain of moderate intensity is observed. The patient complains of discomfort in the neck, which is accompanied by active physical activity, sleeping in an awkward position, and so on. There is no forced posture in such people. However, they still need to limit their motor activity somewhat, such as trying to avoid sharp turns and tilting their heads.
In addition, the clinical picture can be supplemented with sensitive disorders of the neck region, such as a feeling of "creeping" around the neck.
With further progression of osteochondrosis and the development of intervertebral hernia, the pain syndrome becomes much more intense. A sick person indicates constant severe pain in the neck, which significantly impairs their quality of life.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The primary method of diagnosing cervical osteochondrosis is a two-projection X-ray. X-ray results may show:
- Straightening of cervical lordosis;
- Flattening of intervertebral discs;
- Narrowing of the intervertebral foramen;
- Marginal bone growth and so on.
The more informative diagnostic method, which not only allows the identification of osteochondrosis but also performs differential diagnosis of other diseases, is magnetic resonance imaging. Computed tomography can also be performed. In 2015, scientists at the Academy of Postgraduate Medical Education published a paper that found that quantitative computed tomography was the method used to identify the earliest changes in bone tissue.
In addition, the survey plan may be supplemented by:
- Myelography;
- Discography;
- Electrophysiological research and so on.