Thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine is observed rarely, when compared with the prevalence of diseases such as chondrosis of the lower back and neck. Osteochondrosis of the chest has certain symptoms and requires appropriate therapy, like any other disease.
The thoracic region is characterized by a special structure: it includes more discs than the lumbar and cervical regions as a whole, and the discs are smaller and very thin. The mobility of this department is very low, and most of the load falls on the sternum and ribs.
The appearance of pain of varying degrees during heavy loads or with sudden movements, as often happens in the case of lumbar or cervical osteochondrosis, is not observed at all, while complications related to the suspicion of the development of cardiovascular disease or respiratory function disorders. become the most important.
The reasons
Mainly, osteochondrosis of the chest begins to develop due to physical inactivity, that is, with a lack of stress on the muscles, which creates an increase in pressure on the discs located between the vertebrae.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can cause the following conditions:
- The presence of bad habits;
- Scoliosis and uneven posture;
- hereditary factors;
- lack of mobility;
- Frequent heavy physical activity;
- Get a spinal injury;
- Great stress and mental pressure.
The intervertebral discs of the thoracic vertebrae are affected by both increased levels of physical activity and physical inactivity.
symptoms
In the case of the development of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region, the symptoms manifest themselves significantly. Treatment in such cases should be started immediately. Symptoms of the disease are:
- The presence of acute pain in the thoracic spine, which occurs after a long stay in one position. Pain also appears in case of sudden movements and because of lifting objects that have a lot of weight.
- There is pressure in the back and chest. Thoracic osteochondrosis causes difficulty breathing - it becomes painful to inhale / exhale deeply.
- In the presence of chondrosis of the thoracic spine, there are symptoms such as numbness of certain areas of the body. This is due to damage to the nerve roots that emerge from the spinal cord.
- If a person has osteochondrosis in the thoracic region, then he cannot turn the body sharply, or stretch his arms and lift them. All such actions are very painful.
- The presence of dull pain in the shoulder blades (most often among them).
- The feet are usually cold, because the blood supply is insufficient due to the violation of some body functions.
- There is a state of shivering and "chilling".
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest are determined by the degree of neglect of the disease. In addition, such diseases can cause damage in the functioning of other systems in the human body. Therefore, osteochondrosis sometimes also manifests itself in symptoms such as:
- The appearance of intercostal neuralgia;
- Burning/itching in the legs;
- Bloating, constipation or diarrhea, nausea/heartburn;
- Due to the violation of the function of blood vessels, the skin begins to peel, and the nails become thin and brittle;
- There are difficulties in the work of the reproductive / reproduction system;
- Sometimes there is a significant lack of oxygen.
With thoracic osteochondrosis, acute and prolonged pain is appropriate, which appears in attacks. If there is an exacerbation of the disease, the symptoms become very clear. At this time, the intervertebral disc is under heavy pressure. In most cases, patients are shown a hospital regimen. In addition, a person has symptoms:
- pancreatitis;
- Urolithiasis;
- cholecystitis.
It is important to note that osteochondrosis of the chest does not cause a decrease or increase in body temperature.
Dorsago and dorsalgia
Often there are signs of thoracic osteochondrosis as a vertebral syndrome, including: dorsalgia and dorsago.
Doraso is called acute pain in the thoracic spine that occurs suddenly. As a rule, such pathologies are faced by those who have to be in the same position for a long time, for example, sitting. Often it is felt when a person gets up from the desk after working for a long time in an unchanging body position. Dorsago pain is sometimes unbearable. It happens that the possibility of movement in the lumbothoracic / cervical area is limited.
As for dorsalgia, the development of this syndrome does not happen immediately, it takes several weeks. Dorsalgia is characterized by the presence of mild pain and discomfort in the damaged part of the spine. The pain increases if you take a deep breath and lean to the side or forward.
Muscle tissue tension occurs, and in addition, there are restrictions on movement in the lumbothoracic / cervical area. As a rule, the pain becomes very strong in the evening, and in the morning all painful sensations disappear by themselves if you walk for 10 minutes.
What other pain syndromes exist in osteochondrosis of the thoracic region?
Such diseases may also have other pain syndromes that can complicate the correct diagnosis. Pain in thoracic osteochondrosis in the area of the esophagus, pharynx and feeling of "lump in the throat" appears if the disease has overcome the upper thoracic segment of the chest. Chondrosis affecting the mid-thoracic segment causes discomfort under the hypochondrium on the right side.
If the disease affects the lower thoracic region, then pain is observed in the abdominal cavity, which is very similar to the sensations that occur with intestinal pathology.
It should be noted that any relationship between the appearance of pain in osteochondrosis of the chest and the level of quality of food used and human diet could not be detected. In addition, the appearance of pain has nothing to do with the time of year. But pain in osteochondrosis in the thoracic region can increase closer to the night and after heavy physical exercise. In the morning, as usual, any sensation of discomfort disappears or decreases.
Complications
Thoracic osteochondrosis is dangerous because it is difficult to diagnose. For a long time, it was possible to treat angina pectoris or respiratory diseases without suspecting the presence of this unpleasant disease.
If we continue to talk about the complications caused by osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, then over time, developing, this disease can cause the appearance of various problems that affect the internal organs.
The most common complications can be called diseases related to the cardiovascular system. Such problems arise due to irritation of the receptors in the thoracic and cervical areas.
Sometimes observed:
- Disorders in the function of the duodenum;
- Disorders in the digestive tract;
- There are pathologies such as gallbladder dyskinesia.
Is there a need to prove the importance of starting timely treatment for thoracic osteochondrosis?
Diagnostic steps
The thoracic area should begin to be treated after a thorough examination of the patient. It involves the following procedures:
- The patient is examined, and all his observations on the course of the disease are recorded. If the disease reaches stage 2-3, the skeleton looks deformed. The doctor is responsible for taking the patient's medical history to exclude / confirm hereditary factors for the development of osteochondrosis of the chest.
- It is necessary to remove urine and blood for analysis.
- X-rays can be used to determine:
- The presence and size of osteophytes;
- Determine the height/contour of the intervertebral disc.
- Hernia size/location;
- The presence of changes in the shape of the disc.
- Discography will provide an opportunity to consider the outline of the nucleus pulposus. This procedure uses contrast.
- CT scan. This study is very rarely used, because during this study the patient is irradiated a lot.
- Electrocardiography. Since the symptoms of thoracic chondrosis are similar to ischemic heart disease, this research method is used to confirm this diagnosis.
Chest treatment
Before organizing the treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest, it is necessary to understand why this disease appears in principle. In some people, chondrosis appears due to an insufficient lifestyle, while others have been injured in the spine and because of this, the blood supply process is disturbed. Therefore, the reasons why the development of a disease such as osteochondrosis in the thoracic region becomes appropriate are a large number.
In any case, effective therapy for chondrosis of the chest consists not only of the use of drugs that have an analgesic effect, designed to neutralize pain in case of exacerbation of the disease. In addition, it is necessary to identify the original cause of this disease. A serious attitude towards the treatment of this disease is required.
Also, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region with the help of drugs should be combined with physiotherapy, remembering that small loads are beneficial.
Treatment with drugs
To treat the disease during its exacerbation, it is necessary to observe bed rest, take drugs characterized by analgesic effects and other drugs that are effective in combating the disease.
Relief of the pain syndrome is achieved by drugs in the early stages of the development of the disease. Tablets and injections of pain relievers relieve pain with moderate strength. Painkillers are prescribed together with drugs that relieve inflammation, with drugs that restore cartilage tissue.
The selection of drugs, the intake of which is necessary for the regeneration of bone tissue, is carried out individually. Doctors need to take into account the characteristics of the organism and the course of the disease in the patient in each individual case. Therefore, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest through drugs involves taking these drugs:
- Analgesic to eliminate acute pain in the thoracic region, causing damage to the respiratory system and causing a lot of discomfort during movement.
- Tablets that relieve muscle spasms.
- Preparations that contain large amounts of B vitamins.
- Medicines of natural origin to maintain fluid in the intervertebral disc, which has spread to osteochondrosis.
Effective Exercise
People who are dealing with the problem of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region need to do exercises that have a positive effect on the spine. A well-organized list of simple tasks will eliminate acute pain. In this way, breathing exercises with diseases such as chondrosis will also give results and reduce the number of attacks. The following exercises are recommended:
- The plank is a good exercise in the case of this disease, while it is advisable to do this exercise for no more than 1. 5 minutes with a gradual increase in the load on the thoracic spine.
- Relying on the horizontal bar should be as often as possible, followed by the addition of time to the training period.
- In the "board" position, on the other hand, you need to press your knees to your chest and hold them in this position for a few seconds. Such preventive measures are useful for joints and reduce pressure on the thoracic region in osteochondrosis.
For the treatment of pathologies, it is better to use exercise therapy and other physiotherapy methods and at the same time be in the hospital under medical supervision. Such exercises do not cause any difficulties, because the patient performs simple and effective manipulations to get rid of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region. Such therapy is one of the important elements for disease prevention in people at risk.
Manual therapy
The chiropractor's help in the form of massage for osteochondrosis of any part of the spine leads to greater efficiency and significantly improves the well-being of the patient. Such treatment:
- Prevents pain during dorsalgia;
- Reduces tension in muscle tissue.
In addition, manual therapy is a good opportunity to normalize systemic circulation in the intercostal space, to determine appropriate tissue nutrition and stimulate better blood oxygen saturation.
In the case of pectalgia (this is also one of the types of pain syndrome), such therapy is also used, but only as prescribed by the doctor.
Massage
Massage is a good therapy for osteochondrosis, even in the hospital, even at home. This procedure:
- Causes the elimination of back muscle hypertonicity;
- Helps strengthen the body of the intervertebral disc.
If massage is part of the general therapy against osteochondrosis, then it can bring the complete recovery time closer, if the patient's diagnosis is acute osteochondrosis in the thoracic region. Various therapeutic massages, as a rule, are recommended simultaneously with treatment by a chiropractor in combination with therapeutic physical activity.
What to do if thoracic osteochondrosis is inflamed?
The severity of osteochondrosis can be triggered by physical load (sports, hard work), hypothermia, stress or severe fatigue, lifting heavy objects.
In the event of an exacerbation of chondrosis, a person feels unbearable pain, which is unrealistic to remove at home on his own with the help of painkillers. For this reason, in such cases it is necessary to call an ambulance.
If the pain is not so strong and bearable, then the use of painkillers is not desirable, as this will make the doctor's task in making an appropriate diagnosis difficult. With osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, you can not self-medicate - it is dangerous to health.
Often chondrosis enters the acute stage after:
- stressful situations;
- Great physical exercise;
- Hypothermia.
To eliminate the worsening process of osteochondrosis as soon as possible, you should listen to these recommendations:
- The patient should adhere to bed rest (as far as possible, avoid any movement);
- It is better to make a comprehensive diet and eat properly;
- The posture taken by the patient should not cause pain in it;
- There is a need to take medication: pain relievers and muscle spasm relievers;
- It will not be superfluous to carry out physiotherapeutic manipulations;
- Exercise therapy is very important in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region. Of course, all exercises must be done very carefully.
Prevention
To prevent the occurrence of spinal disease (osteochondrosis of different departments), you should adhere to the following tips:
- Don't sit still: register for the pool, arrange a morning jog, warm up your muscles;
- If during work activities (for example, you work in the office), you are in one position, then try to always align your back and relax your shoulders;
- Work while sitting should be exclusively on a chair that supports the spine;
- Buy orthopedic pillows and mattresses - so, during sleep, the spine will take the correct position;
- Do not carry a lot of weight, and if necessary, try not to lift it suddenly;
- Pump your abdominal muscles;
- Your shoes should not cause discomfort when wearing;
- Organize your diet in a way that contains as many useful and enriched microelements as possible.
No one is protected from the appearance of a disease such as osteochondrosis of the chest. If you suddenly notice the presence of the first manifestations of the disease, then you should immediately visit a doctor - after all, it is easier to prevent osteochondrosis than to treat it for a long time.
If you follow all the above recommendations, then the chances of facing this disease are minimal.
Additional Tips
It is clear that to avoid any problems with the spine, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations related to a healthy lifestyle.
If your work is inactive, then every hour is worth arranging a break, and, if possible, warming up. Very effective in the prevention of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is swimming. A balanced diet will not be excessive.
It is worth every day for preventive purposes to exercise in the morning and play sports in your spare time.
In principle, thoracic osteochondrosis does not pose any danger, but it presents serious complications if you do not treat it. It is important to organize the treatment of osteochondrosis in time to avoid other problems with the spine in the future, because in our body all systems and organs are interconnected - remember this.
Everyone wants to live without pain, not to limit himself in anything because of the presence of any disease. Therefore, it is important to identify osteochondrosis in time and treat it if this problem still surprises you.
Many people who have osteochondrosis in the thoracic region, who have responded to the disease at the right time and, having taken the treatment, have forgotten what osteochondrosis is and what symptoms it has. Don't delay either!
And even better, to prevent the occurrence of this disease. Just live an active lifestyle!