Thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine is rarely observed, when compared with the prevalence of diseases such as chondrosis of the lower back and neck. Chest osteochondrosis 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 combined, and its discs are smaller and very thin. The mobility of this department is very low, and most of the loads fall on the sternum and ribs.
The appearance of pain in 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 suspicions of the development of cardiovascular diseases or disorders of respiratory function. become primary.
reason
Mainly, osteochondrosis of the chest begins to develop due to physical inactivity, that is, with a lack of stress on the muscles, which provokes an increase in stress 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;
- He received spinal injuries;
- Great stress and mental strain.
The intervertebral discs of the thoracic vertebrae are equally affected by both an increased level of physical activity and physical inactivity.
Symptoms
In the case of the development of osteochondrosis of the chest region, its symptoms appear quite clearly. Treatment in such circumstances should begin immediately. Symptoms of the disease are:
- The presence of acute pain in the thoracic spine, which appears after a long stay in one position. The pain also appears in the case of sudden movements and due to the lifting of objects that have a lot of weight.
- There is pressure in both the back and the chest. Osteochondrosis of the chest causes difficulty in breathing - it becomes painful to inhale/breathe deeply.
- In the presence of chondrosis of the thoracic spine, there is such a symptom as numbness of certain areas of the body. This is appropriate due to damage to the nerve roots that exit the spinal cord.
- If a person has osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, then he is unable to sharply turn the body, or extend the arm and lift it up. All such actions are very painful.
- The presence of dull pain in the shoulder blades (more often between them).
- The feet are usually cold, because there is not enough blood supply due to the violation of some body functions.
- There is a state of chills and "goosegun".
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest are determined by the level of neglect of the disease. In addition, such a disease can lead to a breakdown in the functioning of other systems in the human body. Therefore, osteochondrosis sometimes also manifests itself in such symptoms:
- Occurrence of intercostal neuralgia;
- Burning/itching sensation in 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 fragile;
- There are difficulties in the work of reproductive/reproductive systems;
- Sometimes there is a noticeable lack of oxygen.
With thoracic osteochondrosis, acute and prolonged pain is appropriate, which appears in attacks. In case of an exacerbation of the disease, the symptoms become extremely bright. At this time, the intervertebral discs are subjected to severe stress. In most cases, the patient is 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 either a decrease or an increase in body temperature.
Dorsago and dorsalgia
Often there are such signs of thoracic osteochondrosis as vertebral syndromes, including: dorsalgia and dorsago.
Doraso is called acute pain in the thoracic spine that occurs suddenly. As a rule, such a pathology is faced by those who have to stay in the same position for a long time, for example, sitting. It is often felt when a person gets up from the table after working for a long time in an unchanged body position. Dorsago pain is sometimes unbearable. It happens that the possibility of movement in the lumbothoracic / cervical region 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 pain and mild discomfort in the part of the spine that is damaged. The pain increases if you take a deep breath and tilt your body to the sides or forward.
Muscular tissue tension occurs, and in addition, there are limitations in movements in the lumbothoracic / cervical regions. As a rule, the pains become very strong in the evening, and in the morning all painful sensations go away by themselves if you take a walk for 10 minutes.
What other pain syndromes exist in osteochondrosis of the thoracic region?
Such a disease may also have other pain syndromes that may complicate the correct diagnosis. Pain in thoracic osteochondrosis in the region of the esophagus, pharynx and feeling of "lump in the throat" appear if the disease has overcome the upper thoracic segment of the thorax. Chondrosis affecting the middle segment of the chest causes discomfort under the hypochondrium on the right side.
If the disease affects the lower chest region, then pain is observed in the abdominal cavity, which is very similar to the sensations that occur with intestinal pathologies.
It should be noted that any relationship between the occurrence of pain in osteochondrosis of the chest with the level of quality of food consumed and the human diet is not traceable. In addition, the appearance of pain has nothing to do with the time of year. But the pain in osteochondrosis of the chest region can intensify closer to night and after heavy physical exercise. In the morning, as usual, any feeling of discomfort disappears or diminishes.
Complications
Thoracic osteochondrosis is dangerous because it is difficult to diagnose. For a long time, it is 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 chest region, then over time, developing, this disease can cause the appearance of various problems that affect the internal organs.
The most common complication can be called a disease related to the cardiovascular system. Such problems arise due to irritation of the receptor in the chest and cervical regions.
Sometimes observed:
- Disorders in the function of the duodenum;
- Disorders in the digestive tract;
- There is such a pathology as dyskinesia of the gallbladder.
Does the importance of early treatment for thoracic osteochondrosis need to be proven?
Diagnostic measures
The chest region should begin to be treated after a comprehensive examination of the patient. It includes the following procedures:
- The patient is examined and all his observations regarding the course of the disease are recorded. If the disease reaches stage 2-3, the skeleton is visibly deformed. The doctor is obliged to take the patient's medical history to exclude / confirm hereditary factors for the development of osteochondrosis of the chest.
- It is necessary to pass urine and blood for analysis.
- X-rays can be used to determine:
- Presence and size of osteophytes;
- Determine the height/contours of the intervertebral discs.
- Size/location of hernias;
- The presence of changes in the shape of the disk.
- The discography will provide an opportunity to review the outlines of the nucleus pulposus. This procedure uses contrast.
- CT scan. This study is used extremely rarely, as during this study the patient is very irradiated.
- Electrocardiography. Since the symptoms of thoracic chondrosis are similar to ischemic heart disease, this research method is used to verify this diagnosis.
Breast treatment
Before organizing the treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest, it is necessary to understand why this disease appeared in the first place. In some people, chondrosis appeared due to an insufficiently mobile lifestyle, while others were once injured in the back and because of this, the blood supply processes were disrupted. Thus, the reasons why the development of a disease such as osteochondrosis of the thoracic region became appropriate are a large number.
In any case, effective therapy for chondrosis of the chest consists not only in the use of drugs that have an analgesic effect, designed to neutralize pain in case of an exacerbation of the disease. In addition, it is required to identify the original cause of the 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 useful.
Treatment with medications
To treat the disease during its exacerbation, it is necessary to adhere to bed rest, take drugs characterized by analgesic effect and other drugs that are effective in fighting this disease.
Alleviation of the pain syndrome is achieved with drugs in the initial stages of the development of the disease. Medicines in tablets and injections for pain relieve pain of 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 required for the regeneration of bone tissue, is carried out on an individual basis. The doctor must take into account the characteristics of the organism and the course of the disease in the patient in each individual case. Thus, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest through medications includes taking these drugs:
- Analgesics for the elimination of acute pain in the chest region, causing malfunctions in the respiratory system and causing a lot of discomfort during movement.
- Tablets that relieve muscle spasm.
- Preparations containing a large amount of B vitamins.
- Medicines of natural origin for fluid retention in the intervertebral discs, which have spread in osteochondrosis.
Effective exercises
People facing the problem of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region should perform exercises that have a positive effect on the spine. A well-written list of simple tasks will relieve acute pain. By the way, breathing training with a disease such as chondrosis will also give its 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 perform this exercise no more than 1. 5 minutes with a gradual increase in the load on the thoracic spine.
- Hanging on the horizontal bar should be as often as possible, followed by adding time to the duration of the exercise.
- In the "plank" position, on the other hand, you should press your knees to your chest and hold them in this position for a few seconds. Such a preventive measure is beneficial for joints and reduces stress on the chest region in osteochondrosis.
For the treatment of the pathology, 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 discomfort, since the patient performs simple and effective manipulations to get rid of osteochondrosis of the chest region. Such therapy is one of the important elements for the prevention of the disease in persons who are at risk.
Manual therapy
The help of a chiropractor in the form of massages for osteochondrosis of any part of the spine causes greater efficiency and significantly improves the patient's well-being. Such treatment:
- Prevents pain during back pain;
- Reduces tension in muscle tissue.
Moreover, manual therapy is a great chance to normalize the systemic circulation in the intercostal space, to determine the proper tissue nutrition and to 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 according to the doctor's recommendation.
Massages
Massage is a good therapy for osteochondrosis, both in the hospital and at home. This procedure:
- It causes the elimination of hypertonicity of the back muscles;
- It helps in strengthening the bodies of the intervertebral discs.
If massage is part of a general therapy against osteochondrosis, then it can significantly bring the moment of complete recovery closer, if the patient's diagnosis is acute osteochondrosis of the chest region. Various therapeutic massages, as a rule, are recommended simultaneously with treatment by the chiropractor in combination with therapeutic physical activity.
What should you do if thoracic osteochondrosis is inflamed?
Aggravation of osteochondrosis can provoke physical overload (sports, hard work), hypothermia, severe stress or fatigue, lifting heavy objects.
In case of an exacerbation of chondrosis, a person feels unbearable pain, which is unrealistic to remove on his own at home 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 can be endured, then the use of sedatives is undesirable, as this will complicate the task of doctors in establishing an appropriate diagnosis. With osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, you cannot self-medicate - it is dangerous to health.
Chondrosis often passes into an acute phase after:
- stressful situations;
- Great physical exertion;
- 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 good to have a comprehensive diet and eat properly;
- The postures that the patient takes should not provoke the appearance of pain in him;
- There is a need to take medications: pain relievers and drugs to eliminate muscle spasms;
- It will not be superfluous to carry out physiotherapeutic manipulations;
- Exercise therapy is of great importance in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region. Of course, all exercises should be performed with extreme caution.
prevention
To prevent the occurrence of diseases of the spine (osteochondrosis of various departments), you should pay attention to the following tips:
- Do not sit still: sign up for a pool, organize morning runs, warm up your muscles;
- If during work activity (for example, you work in an office), you are in one position, then always try to straighten your back and relax your shoulders;
- Sitting work should be exclusively in a chair that supports the spine;
- Buy an orthopedic pillow and mattress - so, during sleep, the spine will take the right position;
- Do not carry too many weights, and if necessary, try not to lift them suddenly;
- Pump the abdominal muscles;
- Your shoes should not cause discomfort while wearing them;
- Prepare your diet in such a way that it includes as many useful microelements as possible and strengthens.
No one is protected from the occurrence 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 later.
If you follow all the above recommendations, then the likelihood of facing this disease is minimal.
Additional tips
It is clear that in order to avoid any problems with the spine, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations related to a healthy lifestyle.
If your work is sedentary, then every hour it is worth taking a break and, if possible, warming up. Very effective in preventing osteochondrosis of the chest region is swimming. A balanced diet will not be superfluous.
It is worth every day for preventive purposes to do exercises in the morning and play sports in your free time.
Basically, thoracic osteochondrosis does not pose any danger, but it can lead to serious complications if you do not treat it. It is important to organize the treatment of osteochondrosis at the right time to avoid other problems with the spine in the future, because in our body all systems and organs are interconnected - remember this.
Every person wants to live without pain, not to be limited in anything due to the presence of any disease. Therefore, it is important to identify osteochondrosis in time and treat it if this problem has still taken you by surprise.
Many people who have encountered osteochondrosis of the chest region, who have responded to the disease in time and, having received its treatment, have already forgotten what osteochondrosis is and what symptoms it has. Don't even procrastinate!
And even better, to prevent the occurrence of this disease. Just lead an active lifestyle!