Increased temperature during osteochondrosis: possible causes and diagnostic methods

An increase in temperature is one of the physiological reactions to various pathological changes in the human body. Osteochondrosis causes significant pathologies in bone tissue and intervertebral discs. Some of them are accompanied by an increase in temperature and are signs of dangerous processes. In order to better understand how many days a high temperature with osteochondrosis can last, you should know about the physiological reasons for its increase.

How many days is the temperature for osteochondrosis?

Criteria for evaluation

The patient’s well-being largely depends on how much the body temperature has increased. Medicine distinguishes several types of deviations from normal values:

• 37°С…38°С – subfebrile;
• 38°С…39°С – febrile;
• more than 39°C – high;
• more than 40°C – life-threatening for the patient.

Human body temperature

During a medical examination, the doctor analyzes the patient’s condition based on many clinical signs, including body temperature. There are several factors that allow you to find out about an increase in temperature without using thermometers. Its increase is indicated by general weakness and fatigue, headache, chills, and body aches. Some patients may feel cold and their heart rate increases.

Heat

Why does body temperature increase with osteochondrosis?

Unfortunately, recently young people are increasingly suffering from osteochondrosis. If previously problems with the spine were mostly experienced by older people, now patients aged 35–40 years old come to doctors. The reason is a sedentary lifestyle or excessive stress on the spine during professional sports. An increase in temperature is not an obvious clinical sign of the disease; it appears quite rarely. Many doctors consider such symptoms to be evidence of new pathological processes in the body. They are associated with the course of the main disease or do not have such a direct relationship.

Stages of osteochondrosis

For what reasons can the temperature rise?

An increase in temperature, as a rule, appears in the last stages of the disease or as a result of other pathologies.

Table. Causes of temperature rise.

Spinal infections

Causes

A fairly large number of diseases of varying nature can be accompanied by the development of weakness, increased fatigue, decreased attention and performance. But most often the reason for this lies in the occurrence of pathological changes in the cervical spine, namely osteochondrosis and its complications.

According to statistics, cervical osteochondrosis is present in almost 30% of people, which is caused by a sedentary lifestyle and increased stress on the cervical spine when working on computers or gadgets.

Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease in which degenerative changes occur in the intervertebral discs. As a result, their height decreases and the elasticity of the outer shell, called the annulus fibrosus, decreases. This creates the preconditions for its gradual destruction, which ultimately, if left untreated, will lead to the formation of protrusion of the intervertebral disc (its deformation with the formation of a protrusion on one side), and subsequently a disc herniation.

Intervertebral discs are cartilaginous formations located between almost all vertebrae of the human spinal column.

The reason for the development of weakness and fatigue in cervical osteochondrosis is a decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs. Since against this background the length of the ligaments passing through the spine remains the same, they “sag” and lose the ability to fix the vertebrae in a normal position. Therefore, as the disease progresses and the height of the intervertebral discs decreases, the vertebrae lose the stability of their position and begin to shift. This negatively affects the condition of all anatomical structures passing through the cervical region:

• vertebral arteries;
• spinal canal;
• spinal roots;
• muscles of the neck and collar area.

We also must not forget about the development of the aseptic inflammatory process that accompanies pathological changes in the intervertebral discs. Since the body directs maximum forces to eliminate them, its resources are quickly depleted, which also contributes to weakness and decreased performance.

In addition, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine itself and, to an even greater extent, its complications cause pain of varying degrees of intensity. When the disease worsens, they can become very strong and affect the quality of sleep, causing insomnia. As a result, a person loses the ability to fully rest and recover at night, and therefore experiences drowsiness and fatigue during the day. This further aggravates his condition.

Vertebral artery syndrome

Two vertebral arteries pass along the lateral surfaces of the cervical vertebrae directly through the natural openings in them. They, like ligaments, retain their original length and, as the height of the discs decreases, they also change their course, bending. This causes a decrease in their lumen, and hence the amount of blood entering the brain. Therefore, in such situations, the brain experiences a deficiency of oxygen, and therefore disturbances in the functioning of its structures occur. This leads to a decrease in the ability to concentrate, performance, both mental and physical, fatigue and drowsiness.

Conditions in which the lumen of one or both vertebral arteries decreases are called vertebral artery syndrome.

Increased fatigue can be more pronounced with the formation of protrusions and intervertebral hernias. In addition, this is almost always accompanied by the appearance of other symptoms of the disease, especially acute pain, often radiating to the head or arms. This is due to the fact that displaced vertebrae or directly deformed intervertebral discs can compress the spinal roots passing near them, provoking the appearance of acute pain and disturbances in the innervation of the corresponding parts of the body or organs.

Also, compression of the vertebral arteries can be caused by disruption of the muscles of the neck and collar area. With osteochondrosis, protrusions and herniated intervertebral discs, they can reflexively spasm in response to pain.

In any case, the signs of vertebral artery syndrome cannot be ignored. After all, prolonged oxygen deficiency has an extremely negative effect on the functioning of the brain and leads to:

• decreased mental abilities;
• memory impairment;
• decreased attention.

In severe cases, oxygen deprivation can cause areas of ischemia and even ischemic stroke.

Increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure

Also, changes in the structure of the cervical spine can lead to a decrease in the length of the spinal canal, and in severe cases with large intervertebral hernias of the cervical spine and its compression, which is called stenosis. The arches and body of each vertebra form an oval foramen, which are aligned with each other along the entire length of the spinal column and thereby form the spinal canal. It contains the spinal cord, as well as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which constantly circulates, including through the skull.

If the vertebral bodies converge and the height of the discs decreases, the spinal canal also contracts. But at the same time, the amount of liquid present in it remains constant. Even with a minimal decrease in the length of the spinal canal, an increase in intracranial pressure is observed, which is manifested by drowsiness and increased fatigue. After all, this negatively affects the condition of the blood vessels of the head.

Increased temperature with cervical osteochondrosis

A large number of vital vessels and nerve fibers are concentrated here. With lesions of the lumbar calf, paralysis of the limbs may occur. Cases of failure of the functioning of the pelvic organs have been described; these are the most severe complications. Cervical dysfunction can have fatal consequences. Due to this importance, you need to be very careful about changes in well-being with cervical osteochondrosis. An increase in temperature is an alarming signal indicating the onset of new pathological processes.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

To find out the specific cause, you should come for a consultation with your doctor as soon as possible. To make an accurate diagnosis, he writes out a referral for special examinations. Most often it is necessary to undergo an MRI; this is the most modern medical device that allows you to see with great accuracy the actual condition of the soft tissues located next to the cervical vertebrae. Based on MRI data, the presence of a focus of inflammatory processes is not simply recorded, but its size and specific location are also determined. Taking into account the patient's condition, a treatment plan for the patient is selected. In the most difficult cases, a decision is made on surgical intervention.

If the examination shows that the increase in temperature is not caused by complications of osteochondrosis, then additional tests are prescribed to identify the real cause. Only after a diagnosis can you begin to treat the pathology that caused the increase in body temperature.

Cervical osteochondrosis

Temperature during protrusion

Among all cases of high temperature with osteochondrosis, this is the most common case. The protrusion itself can also be a consequence of a violation of the physiological parameters of the vertebrae. Over time, they change shape, in some places thickenings or growths may appear, creating concentrated loads on the intervertebral discs. Their surface is not designed to withstand such great forces, the discs become deformed or completely rupture. The consequence is inflammatory processes accompanied by an increase in temperature. In this case, it does not decrease for quite a long time; when it increases to a critical level, it is necessary to use antipyretic drugs.

Herniated discs

An IVD herniation is a rupture of the annulus fibrosus of the disc with subsequent displacement of the nucleus pulposus. The cause may be heavy lifting, sudden clumsy movement or heavy physical work. The formation of a hernia is usually accompanied by the development of an inflammatory process. Sometimes the spinal root is pinched, which also leads to the appearance of neurological symptoms.

Signs of a lumbosacral hernia:

• sharp sudden pain in the lower back, often radiating to the lower limb;
• difficulties in flexion and extension of the spine;
• weakness in the legs;
• inability to perform daily work or lead a normal lifestyle.

Lumbar hernia.

Characteristic signs of IVD herniation of the cervical spine:

• neck pain spreading to the back of the head and upper limb;
• feeling of stiffness, numbness in the cervical region;
• dizziness and headache;
• slight increase in blood pressure;
• numbness of the fingers, weakness in the upper extremities.

Hernias of the thoracic region are manifested by painful sensations and limited mobility of the spine. Because of this, it becomes difficult for the patient to sit in the same position for a long time. Such hernias appear in people with scoliosis, kyphosis or kyphoscoliosis. The reason for their formation is excessive load on the IVD due to spinal curvature.

A sudden increase in temperature during osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbar spine often indicates the presence of complications. If this symptom appears, you need to go to the doctor and get examined.

Increased temperature with thoracic osteochondrosis

It is rarely described, more often the clinical picture of osteochondrosis corresponds to a typical disease. An increase in temperature occurs only when the patient becomes infected with pathogenic viruses. The thoracic region consists of a large number of vertebrae, in total their number exceeds the number of cervical and lumbar ones. But its discs are thin and inactive, not designed for heavy loads; the weight is supported by the ribs and sternum. The main reason for the development of pathology is physical inactivity and incorrect posture during sedentary work.

Thoracic osteochondrosis

Symptoms of the disease

1. Pain of varying intensity in the chest area. They can radiate to the back, get worse in the evening, and disappear completely during sleep. With sudden movements, the intensity increases.
2. Feeling of continuous compression of the chest, difficulty during deep breathing.
3. Numbness of the hands, limited movement.

Numb hands

In severe stages, goosebumps appear on the body and the temperature rises. Patients should remember that medications should be taken after an increase in temperature only after the cause has been identified and the underlying disease has been treated. But it is impossible not to take measures to suppress the source of inflammation; this is a rather dangerous pathology that can lead to very negative complications.

Why might the temperature rise?

If the temperature can rise or rise without an obvious reason, then there are several possible reasons:

1. Hernias and protrusions.
2. Deformation of the spinal canal.
3. Problems with arteries in the back.
4. Inflammation and infection in the muscles.
5. Neuralgia.

Hernia and protrusion

This is what a disc looks like during protrusion and herniation

Sometimes the temperature rises due to hernia and protrusion of the spine, in which there is displacement of the intervertebral disc and its protrusion into the spinal canal. As the problem progresses, cracks appear in the tissues, the annulus fibrosus begins to rupture and a hernia appears.

Added to this is severe pain and stiffness. This inflammatory process provokes an increase in temperature, which can only be brought down at levels above 38 degrees.

Spinal canal deformity

Narrowing of the spinal canal

If osteochondrosis is not treated for a long time, stenosis and a sharp narrowing of the spinal canal may develop.

This happens for the following reasons:

• Wear of cartilage tissue.
• Injuries, improper load on the spine, sports injuries.
• Degenerative changes in the spinal column.

The main manifestations of spinosis include:

1. Disruption of internal organs.
2. Pain.
3. Numbness and loss of sensation.
4. Inflammation.
5. High temperature.

If you have identified similar symptoms, watch the video:

Pinched arteries

Most often, pinched arteries are observed in the cervical region, which causes poor oxygen supply to the brain, and the following manifestations can develop:

• Pain in the back of the head, especially when moving the head.
• Noise in ears.
• Nausea.
• Weakness.
• Vision problems.
• Ischemia.

If pinched arteries and nerves are left untreated for a long time, then in addition to fever, chills and shortness of breath, a heart attack, stroke, or micro-stroke may develop.

Inflammation of muscle tissue

Inflammation in muscle and cartilage tissue occurs with osteochondrosis of the thoracic or lumbar region, hernia, and infections. In addition, severe pain, spasm and stiffness in the area of ​​inflammation occurs, and the temperature rises to 37.5 degrees.

Video on the topic:

Neuralgia

It is possible to diagnose one of the neuralgic pathologies, due to which the temperature rises, by the following manifestations:

1. Sleep problems.
2. Sweating.
3. Apathy, depression.
4. Problems with emotional state.
5. Poor resistance to stress.
6. Heart rhythm disturbance.

A more detailed description of the symptoms is presented in the video:

High fever after injury

Often, when the spine is bruised, especially in the lumbar or thoracic region, the vertebrae are displaced, a nerve is pinched, or ruptured, which causes the temperature to rise sharply.

The causes of spinal bruise are shown in the figure below:

In this case, you need to urgently go to the hospital, since we are talking about a serious degenerative process.

Physical activity and high temperature

If a person has previously been diagnosed with chronic osteochondrosis, then physical activity or improper load distribution can lead to a temperature rise of up to 37.8 degrees. This happens due to metabolic disorders in cells, body tension, and increased blood pressure. Often this condition goes away on its own.

Brain canal stenosis

Appears when standing is neglected or osteochondrosis is not treated correctly. The vertebrae are deformed to such an extent that they narrow the central canal of the spine, where the spinal cord and nerve bundles are located. Brain canal stenosis also often occurs due to disc protrusion. Depending on the degree and duration of compression, the spinal canal receives injuries of varying intensity. Soft tissues can become inflamed, and the body reacts to this pathology with an increase in temperature. This is an alarming signal that requires accurate diagnosis and immediate qualified treatment.

Spinal stenosis

It is very difficult to eliminate the cause of fever surgically due to the high risks of complications. Spinal cord injury is always one of the most severe negative consequences of surgical treatment.

Main causes and associated symptoms

Any irritant can raise the temperature for a short time. A rapid violation of thermoregulation gives rise to diagnostics of the whole organism. Doctors say that elevated temperature due to spinal disease is a sign of concomitant pathologies that arise against the background of degenerative destruction of the structural elements of the spinal column.

Protrusions and hernias

Against the background of the inflammatory process, radicular syndrome appears.
A protrusive formation is characterized by a violation of the anatomical position of the intervertebral disc with penetration into the spinal canal. The progression of the pathological condition leads to the occurrence of a hernia. Under the influence of hernial formations, nerve endings are pinched, which causes radicular syndrome and immediate inflammation. There is active cell destruction, which may increase the temperature.

Cellular breakdown products cause the accumulation of toxins, which is typical for intervertebral hernia. Due to the pathological condition, the body's protective functions are activated. The temperature during a spinal hernia can rise above 38 °C. There is also impaired mobility, increasing pain, dizziness and tissue swelling.

Vertebral artery syndrome

The pathology provokes oxygen starvation of the brain.
Cervical osteochondrosis can provoke pathology. With degenerative disorders, the structure of the spine changes, which leads to pinching of the arteries with a narrowing of their lumen. The progression of the disease is caused by oxygen starvation of the brain due to improper blood flow. Blood vessels are located close to nerve cells, and when irritated, inflammation occurs. Violation of thermoregulation is accompanied by additional signs:

• swelling in the affected area;
• increased pulsation in the back of the head;
• headaches;
• visual and hearing impairment;
• nausea;
• rapid heartbeat.

Spinal canal stenosis

Due to the active development of dystrophic processes, a narrowing of the spinal canal occurs, which is accompanied by thinning of the cartilage and bone tissue. The disease causes protrusion of the vertebrae and the formation of osteophytes, which provokes neurological and inflammatory processes. This condition projects cervical, thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis. Violation of thermoregulation, tight mobility, numbness of the limbs and severe pain indicate active tissue destruction, which requires intervention.

Other reasons

An increase in temperature is a reaction to mechanical damage to the spine.
Sometimes low-grade fever develops against the background of injuries to the musculoskeletal system and inflammation of muscle tissue. This condition leads to impaired functionality of muscles and joints, which is accompanied by limited mobility, pain, hyperemia of the skin and swelling in the affected area. Quite rarely, disturbances in thermoregulation are accompanied by neuroses. They are characterized by symptoms such as nervousness, profuse sweating, lack of appetite, and depression.

Compression of the vertebral artery

The temperature does not rise due to mechanical stimuli; the increase is explained by psychological factors. When the walls of the artery are compressed, its lumen inevitably narrows. The intensity of blood flow decreases, internal organs suffer from a lack of oxygen and nutrients. Sympathetic nerve endings passing through the processes of the vertebrae are also often affected. An increase in temperature indicates the onset of inflammatory processes, edema and other pathologies.

Disruption of the vertebral arteries during RAS may not lead to cerebral ischemia, but there is a risk of other pathologies

Symptoms and treatment

It is possible to normalize the temperature only after eliminating the cause, and this requires complex treatment. Medications are used to reduce tissue swelling, relieve pain and reduce fever. What symptoms should alert patients?

1. Headache . They can be monotonous and long-lasting, located in the back of the head. The discomfort lasts all day and intensifies at night. No increase in temperature is observed. This is the initial stage of the development of pathology, at which inflammatory processes are diagnosed extremely rarely.
2. Nausea, decreased vision, there are cases of double images . A more severe stage of the disease may provoke high fever.

Nausea is one of the symptoms of pathology

Duration of sick leave for complications

Osteochondrosis, having begun, does not retreat from a person. This disease cannot be completely cured, so a series of exacerbations and the duration of the pathology can ultimately lead to complications. These include unbearable pain of a constant nature and inflammatory processes that cannot be treated at home - all together lead to long-term therapy that does not bring positive results. A complicated disease entails the inability not only to carry out work activities, but also to care for oneself.

If the duration of your sick leave has exceeded 4 months, you are required to undergo the examination necessary to establish your disability. Such persistent disability and the ineffectiveness of traditional treatment methods require abandoning hard work and switching to easy working conditions, according to a group determined by the commission.

If osteochondrosis is still treatable, it is recognized as chronic, and the standard periods of sick leave are “legally” extended. So, if the neurologist does not send you to the hospital for serious therapy, the certificate of incapacity for work can last up to 30 days.

Increased temperature due to concomitant diseases

Due to the fact that older people are more likely to suffer from osteochondrosis, concomitant diseases are no exception. An aging body cannot independently resist many diseases; it has reduced immunity. In addition, diseases that are not completely cured, often turning into sluggish chronic ones, have an impact. Over time, the clinical picture of concomitant diseases intensifies, and various inflammatory processes arise. These factors can cause an increase in body temperature.

The younger generation leads a sedentary lifestyle, which has a very negative impact on overall health indicators. Not only muscles, but also all internal organs degrade. They are unable to perform their functions; at the slightest overload, pathological changes appear. Often such processes cause an increase in temperature. If the described factors occur against the background of severe osteochondrosis, then the likelihood of an increase in temperature increases. What can provoke such a clinic?

1. Neuroses. The increase in temperature is spontaneous, no obvious reasons are described. The condition of a patient with osteochondrosis is influenced by psychological factors. Neurosis is a functional psychogenic disorder that has a reversible form. But in the absence of qualified treatment, they can continue for a long time. Psychogenic provoking factors cause an increase in temperature. If neurosis is caused by osteochondrosis, then a sharp deterioration in the quality of life becomes a strong irritating factor. The temperature returns to normal after the patient’s psyche calms down.

   
   Neurosis can cause high fever

2. Cervicocranial syndrome. The reason for the increase in temperature is injury to the neck or head, while the patient’s condition rapidly deteriorates. If the clinic is affected by osteochondrosis, the negative consequences intensify. The temperature decreases independently after the acute phase, and subsequently the patient’s condition improves. Medical attention is required only in cases of very severe vertebral injuries.

   
   Cervicocranial syndrome

3. Fibromyalgia syndrome . It becomes the cause of chronic symmetrical pain in the entire spine. Inflammatory processes cannot be detected; many doctors consider this pathology to be purely psychological. For the same reason, the temperature may rise. Osteochondrosis is not directly related to the deterioration of well-being; unstudied mental mechanisms are triggered.

Fibromyalgia causes headaches

Practical advice. Regardless of the cause of the fever, it is recommended to consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.

Causes

With osteochondrosis, the temperature may rise. What caused this reaction? There are several reasons:

• Bulging compressed intervertebral discs can lead to pinched nerves. In this case, a pronounced pain syndrome occurs and the temperature may rise.
• The increase in temperature may be caused by the progression of osteochondrosis - the transition from protrusions to hernias.
• The temperature with osteochondrosis increases if you put excessive stress on the spine.
• The temperature may increase in the presence of infectious diseases that appear in parallel with osteochondrosis.
• If the temperature stays above 37 degrees for more than a week, this is a sad symptom. Possibly associated with diseases of internal organs.
• Back injuries caused by osteochondrosis can cause fever. The symptom indicates a deterioration in the condition.
• Depression, stress, neurosis, a depressed state against the background of osteochondrosis can provoke an increase in body temperature and chills.

If your body temperature rises sharply, it is better to consult your doctor. The help of a specialist will protect you and reduce the risk of negative consequences. Knowing the answer to the question of whether there is a temperature with osteochondrosis, you will feel more knowledgeable. But even then you should not self-medicate.

We recommend reading: fever and lower back pain

Diagnosis of the cause of fever

At present, medical science is not able to provide answers to questions that interest doctors; there is no confirmed evidence of an increase in temperature solely due to spinal osteochondrosis. In the vast majority of cases, this is a consequence of inflammatory processes, concomitant diseases or neuroses. But patients should always monitor their well-being very carefully. An increase in temperature indicates the onset of new pathological changes in the body. As a rule, such processes have a very negative impact on the course of osteochondrosis.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Therapy)

If the temperature persists for a long period of time, this may indicate very dangerous pathologies, including malignant tumors. To clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to have laboratory tests and examination data using modern medical devices. A comprehensive examination includes the following procedures.

1. Blood chemistry. It is considered one of the basic examinations of the body; it allows one to assess the actual condition of a person’s internal organs. The doctor has information about metabolic processes, the content of microelements important for life, etc. In laboratories, the amount of glucose, urea, non-protein nitrogen and creatine in the blood is determined. In addition to these parameters, the number of total lipids, creatine, cholesterol, bilirubin is calculated, a total of 16 data are analyzed. Detected deviations from the norm indicate the presence of certain abnormalities in the functioning of internal organs or various diseases, including viral ones. Most of these pathologies increase body temperature.

   
   A biochemical blood test is a simple and informative method for the primary diagnosis of a wide range of pathologies

2. Clinical blood test . The so-called general blood test, which makes it possible to determine the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin. Based on the data obtained, the general condition of the body is assessed.

Blood test norms

Nerve root damage

Radiculitis can develop due to pinching of the spinal roots by IVD hernias. It can also be caused by hypothermia, acute intoxication, or compression of nerves by spasmed muscles of the back or neck.

With radiculitis, the temperature can rise to 37-37.2 degrees. If it rises above these numbers, a more serious pathology should be suspected. Under the mask of radiculitis, urolithiasis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, tumors or tuberculosis of the spine, rheumatic diseases, etc. can be hidden.

Do not confuse elevated temperature due to cervical osteochondrosis with occipital neuralgia caused by hypothermia. The latter is manifested by severe pain in the back of the head and is often accompanied by headache, runny nose, cough and other colds.

conclusions

Patients should always remember that an increase in temperature rarely occurs without a clinical reason and always signals new pathological processes. There is no need to delay visiting a medical facility; the sooner treatment begins, the less likely there are serious complications.

You should never self-medicate; a treatment plan is selected by certified doctors only after an accurate diagnosis has been made. This requires complex medical examinations, often performed in a hospital under the constant supervision of a doctor.

If osteochondrosis is at an early stage of development, and the temperature remains at 37.5°C for a long time, then this is a very alarming signal. Quite often, malignant neoplasms are found in such patients. In the first stages, oncology is cured in almost 90% of patients; there is no need to panic and sign your own death warrant. A successful recovery process largely depends on your mood. Oncology is completely incomprehensible to modern medical science, but in practice it has been proven that the psychological state is very important.