Osteochondrosis affects the bone and joint tissue of the spine. It can affect any of its departments or even several at the same time. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is quite common, since this area is the most vulnerable and is more susceptible to degenerative processes. With cervical osteochondrosis, in addition to neck pain, headaches and dizziness may occur. This is due to inflammation of the nerve roots of the cervical spine and their relationship with the peripheral nervous system. In some cases, dizziness may be the first sign of the development of osteochondrosis, and will appear before pain in the spine. If you experience frequent dizziness, you should consult a neurologist.
The Yusupov Hospital employs qualified specialists who have extensive experience in treating spinal pathologies and their manifestations. Doctors will perform a high-quality examination that will show the extent of damage to the spinal tissues, and will also prescribe adequate therapy.
What is cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is characterized by the presence of changes in the intervertebral discs, as well as loss of vertebral mobility. Pathological processes begin to occur in the vertebral discs and bone growths form. With cervical osteochondrosis, the vertebrae and intervertebral discs of the cervical spine are affected. This leads to disruption of its functions, which affects the functioning of the brain.
Cervical osteochondrosis can occur as a result of a number of reasons:
- sedentary lifestyle;
- forced stay in the same position for a long time, “sedentary” work (programmers, drivers, accountants, etc. are most susceptible to osteochondrosis);
- neck injuries;
- overweight;
- bad habits;
- poor nutrition;
- frequent stress.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine significantly worsens a person’s quality of life and can lead to disability. It is accompanied by severe pain in the neck, headache, and dizziness. With osteochondrosis, working capacity decreases, and it becomes difficult for a person to perform usual work (mental and physical). Progression of the disease can cause pain during arm movements, walking, sitting or standing. Constant pain leads to the development of depression and apathy.
The main causes of the development of osteochondrosis
Causes:
- spinal deformity (scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis), trauma;
- incorrect posture, forced posture due to professional activities;
- passive lifestyle;
- lack of physical exercise, physical inactivity;
- lack of calcium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, vitamin D;
- genetic predisposition;
- replacement of cartilage tissue with bone tissue;
- obesity;
- autoimmune diseases (Bechterew's disease);
- stress;
- injuries.
Why do you feel dizzy with cervical osteochondrosis?
The cervical spine contains many blood vessels and nerve trunks that are directly connected to the brain. In the neck area, the spinal canal narrows, so the slightest damage to the spine in this area has a direct effect on the brain. With osteochondrosis, blood circulation in the cervical region is impaired, as a result the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients. This leads to the development of dizziness.
A characteristic feature of dizziness with osteochondrosis is its appearance after waking up. However, episodes during the day are not excluded. They can occur after a sudden movement of the head. The person may also feel disoriented and see black spots in front of their eyes. Usually, dizziness with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is short-term in nature; it completely disappears after a few seconds or minutes. With advanced osteochondrosis, dizziness will appear frequently, their duration increases, and the development of fainting cannot be ruled out.
Impaired blood supply to the brain and pinching of nerve fibers in cervical osteochondrosis provokes the development of two syndromes: vestibular-trunk and cochlear-trunk.
With vestibular-trunk syndrome, the vestibular apparatus is damaged, and dizziness may be accompanied by the following symptoms:
- a feeling of circular motion of surrounding objects and walls;
- nausea and vomiting;
- loss of balance.
With cochlear-trunk syndrome, in addition to dizziness, the patient often feels:
- congestion in the ears;
- hearing loss;
- audibility of whistling in the ears;
- feeling dazed.
Dizziness with osteochondrosis occurs after a sharp turn of the head. This symptom allows the doctor to suspect osteochondrosis.
Clinical picture
The patient has a feeling that he is losing coordination in space, he notes nausea and vomiting, decreased visual acuity, hearing loss, and possible tinnitus.
Discomfort and pain appear in the cervical spine during physical activity. As the cartilage tissue grows, the pain intensifies, stiffness, crunching and headache appear. As the disease progresses, the pain increases and becomes constant, sensitivity in the cervical region decreases, snoring, nasal congestion, and a feeling of numbness in the face and hands may occur.
Osteochondrosis? Feeling dizzy? They will help you at the Yusupov Hospital!
To treat osteochondrosis, the Yusupov Hospital uses modern methods of therapy. The Yusupov Hospital employs qualified doctors who have extensive experience in successfully treating this pathology. The patient receives advice from a neurologist, traumatologist, rehabilitation specialist, reflexologist and other specialists who will be necessary to carry out differential diagnosis and make the correct diagnosis. The decision on the choice of therapy is made jointly by doctors. This allows you to choose the most effective treatment that will eliminate pain, eliminate dizziness and improve the patient’s well-being. It is almost impossible to completely cure osteochondrosis. However, after treatment at the Yusupov Hospital, patients experience stable remission and are no longer bothered by unpleasant symptoms. Additionally, you can undergo regular preventive examinations, which will help identify the progression of the pathological process at an early stage and exclude relapse of the disease.
To treat osteochondrosis, the Yusupov Hospital uses an integrated approach, which will include drug therapy, physiotherapy, reflexology, massage, and physical therapy. Medicines are selected based on the patient's symptoms, as well as his general health. The presence of somatic diseases, in particular cardiological and gastroenterological diseases, is taken into account, which is necessary to prescribe safe therapy. Physiotherapy is carried out by experienced doctors who use modern effective techniques to restore the functions of the spine and improve metabolic processes in it. Gymnastics classes take place under the guidance of professional exercise therapy instructors.
The duration of the course of therapy will depend on the degree of damage to the spine, the severity of dizziness and other symptoms. The duration of treatment is determined by the attending physician based on the body's response to the therapy. After completing the main course of treatment, the patient receives recommendations from doctors and can continue rehabilitation at home. If necessary, you can always use the help of specialists from the Yusupov Hospital at any time of the day.
To make an appointment with doctors, get information about the work of the rehabilitation clinic, exercise therapy department, and clarify other information, you can call the Yusupov Hospital.
The vestibular system and the main features of its functioning
The vestibular system is responsible for maintaining body balance when performing all movements, both voluntary and involuntary, as well as when changing body position or posture. This is achieved due to its close relationship with other parts of the nervous system, in particular the visual, cerebellar, proprioceptive, extrapyramidal, cortical and spinal.
When the body is faced with the need to maintain balance, the nerve impulse initially originates in the peripheral receptors of the semicircular canals of the labyrinth, which are part of the inner ear. From them, through the vestibular nuclei of the brain stem, they are transmitted to other systems and turn on complex mechanisms for maintaining balance at each individual moment in time when performing a particular movement. This ensures maintaining balance when running, walking, bending, changing direction and speed, etc.
Of great importance in this mechanism is the transmission of nerve impulses from the lateral vestibular nuclei to the motor ones located in the spinal cord. This is realized through the vestibulospinal and reticulospinal tracts, as they are responsible for the degree of tonic tension of skeletal muscles. They trigger a mechanism for reducing the tone of some muscle groups, while simultaneously increasing the tone of others in accordance with the characteristics of changes in body position. This is called reciprocity or reciprocal innervation. This ensures stability and balance.
How to determine that the pathology is caused by osteochondrosis
The following symptoms are typical for panic attacks and depression:
• spontaneity. Anxiety may appear for no apparent reason;
• changes in character: increased aggressiveness or “tearfulness” in a balanced patient, apathy in an active patient, reluctance in sexual intimacy in a loving one;
• feeling of lack of air. Thus, the brain sends a signal about a lack of oxygen to the respiratory organs.
• sleep and appetite disturbances. Anxiety symptoms affect the nervous system. The desire to eat normally disappears, night rest becomes restless, and dreams become chaotic, often nightmarish.
If such symptoms are caused by osteochondrosis, then usually a person can also feel the following “bonuses”: dizziness, sudden changes in pressure (dystonia), headache, periodic numbness of the limbs and facial muscles, hearing and vision impairment.
If at least 2 of the above symptoms coincide, you will not be able to cope with depression and panic attacks on your own. A doctor's help is needed.
Osteochondrosis of the lumbar region
The most common type of osteochondrosis is lumbar osteochondrosis. Pain syndrome is observed in the lumbosacral region with pain spreading to the legs (ischalgia) or localized only in the leg (ischalgia).
The pain, predominantly dull and aching, intensifies with sudden movements and with prolonged forced posture, decreases with a horizontal position of the torso. Atrophy and paresis (loss of sensitivity), decreased reflexes are possible.
Autonomic disorders manifest themselves in the form of dryness and flaking of the skin, impaired sweating and cyanosis of the skin. Static disorders are manifested by flattening of the lumbar lordosis as an adaptive reaction to reduce the range of motion of the spine.
Reviews
Elena I began to experience dizziness after I had a neck injury. After examination, it turned out that the intervertebral discs were damaged and osteochondrosis developed. Its consequences are manifested by mild dizziness, chills, and palpitations. Symptoms worsen when tilting the head. Therapy now consists of vascular drugs - Cavinton, magnesia, Lucetam, painkillers - injections of Movalis and Mydocalm, as well as electrophoresis for cervical calving.
Nikita I have a sedentary office job, so often even just climbing the stairs made me dizzy. It turned out that the reason was cervical osteochondrosis. Now, on the recommendation of a doctor, I regularly perform special neck exercises throughout the day, which unblock the blood vessels and tone the muscles. Thanks to them, the headaches are much less frequent and the unpleasant episodes when everything floats before your eyes have practically stopped.
Olga I was given a variety of diagnoses - both vegetative-vascular dystonia and migraine, but as a result it turned out that the cause of headaches and dizziness was osteochondrosis in the cervical hotel. Now I regularly undergo treatment with a chiropractor and do physical therapy exercises at home. My health has improved significantly, there is no staggering or terrible headaches, I can easily do without painkillers and not be afraid of sudden loss of consciousness.
Associated syndromes
With cervical osteochondrosis, several syndromes associated with headaches occur:
Actovegin for cervical osteochondrosis
- Posterior cervical sympathetic syndrome is a headache in the cervical-occipital region that occurs after sleep, when walking, or prolonged vertical exercise. The pain is pulsating in nature, radiates to the parietal, frontal and occipital regions, intensifies with turns of the neck and is accompanied by dizziness.
- Vestibulo-cochlear syndrome – pain accompanied by “noise in the head”, dizziness, hearing impairment, which increases with neck movement.
- Ophthalmic syndrome – scintillating scotoma (loss of visual fields), decreased vision, which is associated with a change in head position.
- Vegetative syndrome from irritation of the cerebral arteries and spinal column - a feeling of heat, a feeling of coldness in the extremities, sweating, palpitations.
- Transient ischemia – disturbance of motor and tactile activity, vision, diplopia, dizziness, nausea, swallowing reflex.
Often patients ignore headaches and don’t even ask the question, can they feel dizzy with cervical osteochondrosis? To recognize this variant of dizziness, you should pay attention to the following symptoms:
- headache or dizziness occurs after prolonged sitting (for example, while driving a car);
- attacks occur when the neck is tilted to the side or after lying on the side on a soft pillow that does not support the neck in a straight position.
- dizziness is accompanied by severe pain in the back of the head, there may be nausea or vomiting, which, however, does not bring relief.
- When you press your fingers on the sides of the cervical vertebrae, the dizziness intensifies. The head becomes “cloudy” and the feeling of fullness inside the skull increases.
Prevention of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Regular physical activity and exercises to strengthen the muscular corset of the back effectively maintain the normal condition of the spinal structures. Daily gymnastics and monitoring the position of the neck and back during the working day help normalize blood circulation and relieve excess stress on individual segments of the spine.
It is also necessary to monitor the diversity of your diet and prevent excess weight. A massage course, which should be repeated 2-3 times annually, helps to activate metabolic processes and eliminate muscle spasms.
Necessary research
Subjective symptoms of dizziness from osteochondrosis must be confirmed by the results of an objective study:
- radiography;
- CT scan;
- MRI;
- ultrasound doppler;
- angiography using functional tests for flexion-extension and neck rotation.
Ultrasound and Doppler examination of the neck vessels help identify the cause and areas of their compression
Methods for diagnosing and treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
The diagnosis is made by an orthopedic doctor or neurologist based on examination, X-ray or computed tomography of the spine. If an intervertebral hernia is suspected, an MRI will be required, and to assess functional circulatory disorders, rheoencephalography and fundus examination will be required.
Conservative therapy includes symptomatic measures (pain relief, anti-inflammatory therapy, antispasmodics), as well as restoration of natural cartilage tissue with the help of chondroprotectors. Acupressure massage, physiotherapy, and therapeutic exercises are also effective.