Thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine is rarely observed, compared with the prevalence of diseases such as chondrosis of the lower back and neck. Chest osteochondrosis has some signs and requires appropriate therapy, like any other ailment.
The thoracic region is characterized by a special structure: it includes more discs than the lumbar and cervical regions in total, 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 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 development of cardiovascular diseases or respiratory function disorders become fundamental.
The reasons
Predominantly, chest osteochondrosis begins to develop due to physical inactivity, that is, with a lack of stress on the muscles, which causes increased 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 irregular posture;
- hereditary factors;
- lack of mobility;
- Frequent heavy physical activity;
- He received spinal injuries;
- Great stress and mental tension.
The intervertebral discs of the thoracic vertebrae are equally affected by both an increase in the level of physical activity and physical inactivity.
Symptoms
In the case of the development of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, its symptoms manifest themselves quite noticeably. Treatment in such circumstances 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 due to lifting objects that have a lot of weight.
- There is pressure in both the back and chest. Thoracic osteochondrosis causes difficulty in breathing: it becomes painful to inhale / exhale 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 emerge from the spinal cord.
- If a person has osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, he is unable to sharply turn the body or stretch his arm and lift it. All these actions are very painful.
- The presence of dull pain in the shoulder blades (most often between them).
- Feet are usually cold, because the blood supply is insufficient due to a violation of some bodily functions.
- There is a state of chills and "goosebumps".
Symptoms of chest osteochondrosis are determined by the level of neglect of the disease. Also, such a disease can lead to a disruption of the functioning of other systems in the human body. Therefore, osteochondrosis sometimes also manifests itself in such symptoms:
- The appearance of intercostal neuralgia;
- Burning / itchy sensation in the feet;
- Bloating, constipation or diarrhea, nausea / heartburn;
- Due to a violation of the function of blood vessels, the skin begins to peel off, and the nails become thin and brittle;
- There are difficulties in the work of the reproductive / reproductive systems;
- Sometimes there is a noticeable lack of oxygen.
With thoracic osteochondrosis, acute and prolonged pain, which appears in attacks, is appropriate. In case of exacerbation of the disease, the symptoms become extremely bright. At this time, the intervertebral discs are under severe strain. In most cases, the patient is shown a hospital regimen. Also, a person has symptoms:
- pancreatitis;
- urolithiasis;
- cholecystitis.
It is important to note that osteochondrosis of the chest causes neither a decrease nor an increase in body temperature.
Dorsago and back pain
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. Often it makes itself felt as 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 back pain, the development of this syndrome does not occur immediately, it takes several weeks. Back pain is characterized by the presence of mild pain and discomfort in that part of the damaged spine. The pain increases if you take deep breaths and lean your body to the side or forward.
There is tension in the muscle tissue and, in addition, there are restrictions on movement in the lumbothoracic / cervical regions. As a rule, the pains become very strong in the evening, and in the morning all painful sensations disappear on their own if you take a walk for 10 minutes.
What other pain syndromes exist in osteochondrosis of the thoracic region?
Such a disorder can also have other painful syndromes that can complicate the correct diagnosis. Pain in thoracic osteochondrosis in the region of the esophagus, pharynx and a feeling of "lump in the throat" appear if the disease has passed the upper thoracic segment of the chest. Chondrosis affecting the middle thoracic segment causes discomfort under the hypochondrium on the right side.
If the disease affects the lower thoracic region, pain in the abdominal cavity is observed, which is very similar to the sensations that occur with intestinal pathologies.
It should be noted that any relationship between the appearance of pain in chest osteochondrosis with the quality level of the food consumed and the human diet is not traceable. Also, the pain aspect has nothing to do with the time of year. But the pain in osteochondrosis of the thoracic region can intensify closer to the night and after intense physical exertion. In the morning, as usual, any feelings of discomfort disappear or diminish.
Complications
Thoracic osteochondrosis is dangerous because it is difficult to diagnose. For a long time it is possible to cure 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, over time, developing, this disease can cause the appearance of various problems affecting internal organs.
The most common complication can be called a disorder associated with the cardiovascular system. Such problems arise due to irritation of the receptors in the thoracic and cervical regions.
Sometimes observed:
- Disturbances in the function of the duodenum;
- Disorders of the digestive system;
- There is such a pathology as dyskinesia of the gallbladder.
Is it necessary to demonstrate the importance of early treatment for thoracic osteochondrosis?
Diagnostic measures
The thoracic region should begin to be treated after a complete 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 is significantly deformed. The doctor is obliged to collect the patient's medical history in order to exclude / confirm hereditary factors for the development of chest osteochondrosis.
- It is necessary to urinate 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 disc.
- The discography will provide the opportunity to consider the contours of the nucleus pulposus. This procedure uses contrast.
- CT scan. This study is used very rarely, since the patient is strongly irradiated during this study.
- Electrocardiography. Since the symptoms of thoracic chondrosis are similar to ischemic heart disease, this research method is used to verify this diagnosis.
Chest treatment
Before organizing the treatment of chest osteochondrosis, it is necessary to understand why this disease appeared in principle. In some people, chondrosis appeared due to an insufficiently mobile lifestyle, while others were once injured in the spine, and because of this, the blood supply processes were disturbed. Therefore, the reasons why the development of such a disease as osteochondrosis of the thoracic region has become appropriate are a huge number.
In any case, effective therapy for thoracic chondrosis consists not only in the use of drugs that have an analgesic effect, aimed at neutralizing pain in case of exacerbation of the disease. In addition, it is necessary to identify the original cause of the disease. A serious attitude to the treatment of this disease is required.
In addition, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region with the help of drugs should be combined with physiotherapy, remembering that minor loads are useful.
Treatment with drugs
To cure the disease during its exacerbation, it is necessary to adhere to bed rest, take drugs characterized by an analgesic effect and other drugs effective in the fight against this disease.
Relief from pain syndrome is achieved by drugs in the early stages of the development of the disease. Medicines in tablets and injections of painkillers eliminate pain of moderate strength. Pain relievers are prescribed alongside 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 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. Therefore, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest through drugs involves taking these drugs:
- Analgesics to eliminate acute pain in the thoracic 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 vitamins of group B.
- Medicines of natural origin to preserve fluids in the intervertebral discs, which have spread to osteochondrosis.
Effective exercises
People facing the problem of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region need to perform exercises that have a positive effect on the spine. A well-composed list of simple tasks will remove acute pain. By the way, respiratory training with such ailment as chondrosis will also give its results and reduce the number of attacks. The following exercises are recommended:
- The plank is a good workout in case of this disease, while it is advisable to perform this exercise for 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, in turn, you must press your knees to your chest and hold them in this position for several seconds. Such a preventive measure is useful for the joints and reduces the stress on the thoracic region in osteochondrosis.
For the treatment of pathology, it is better to use physical therapy and other methods of physiotherapy and at the same time be in the hospital under medical supervision. Such exercises do not cause any inconvenience, as the patient performs simple and effective manipulations to eliminate osteochondrosis of the thoracic region. This therapy is one of the important elements for the prevention of the disease in people at risk.
Manual therapy
The help of a chiropractor in the form of massage for osteochondrosis of any part of the spine causes greater efficiency and significantly improves the patient's well-being. This treatment:
- Prevents pain during back pain;
- Reduces tension in muscle tissue.
In addition, manual therapy is a great opportunity to normalize systemic circulation in the intercostal space, to determine the appropriate tissue nourishment and to stimulate better oxygen saturation in the blood.
In the case of pectalgia (this is also one of the types of pain syndrome), such therapy is also used, but only by prescription.
Massages
Massage is good therapy for osteochondrosis, even in the hospital, even at home. This procedure:
- It causes the elimination of the hypertonicity of the back muscles;
- Helps strengthen the bodies of the intervertebral discs.
If the massage is part of a general therapy for osteochondrosis, it can significantly bring the time of complete recovery closer, if the patient's diagnosis is acute osteochondrosis of 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?
Exacerbation of osteochondrosis can provoke physical overload (sports, hard work), hypothermia, severe stress or fatigue, lifting heavy objects.
In case of exacerbation of chondrosis, a person experiences unbearable pain, which is unrealistic to remove at home on their 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 severe and can be endured, the use of painkillers is undesirable, as this will complicate the task of doctors in making an appropriate diagnosis. With osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, you can not self-medicate - it is dangerous to health.
Often chondrosis enters an acute stage after:
- stressful situations;
- Great physical exertion;
- Hypothermia.
To eliminate the process of exacerbation of osteochondrosis as quickly 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 go on a complete diet and eat right;
- The positions that the patient assumes should not cause the appearance of pain in him;
- It is necessary to take drugs: painkillers and drugs that eliminate muscle spasms;
- It will not be superfluous to carry out physiotherapeutic manipulations;
- Physical therapy is of great importance in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region. Of course, all exercises must be performed with extreme caution.
Prevention
In order to prevent the occurrence of diseases of the spine (osteochondrosis of different departments), you should pay attention to the following tips:
- Do not sit still: sign up for a swimming pool, organize morning jogging, warm up the muscles;
- If during work activity (for example, you work in an office), you find yourself in one position, then always try to align your back and relax your shoulders;
- Seated work should only be in a chair that supports the spine;
- Buy an orthopedic pillow and mattress - so, during sleep, the spine will assume the correct position;
- Do not carry a lot of weights and, if necessary, try not to lift them abruptly;
- Pump the abdominal muscles;
- Your shoes shouldn't cause discomfort while wearing them;
- Prepare your diet in such a way that it includes as many useful trace elements as possible and is fortified.
Nobody is protected from the appearance of such a disorder as osteochondrosis of the chest. If you suddenly notice the presence of the first manifestations of the disease, you should immediately visit a doctor - after all, it is easier to prevent osteochondrosis than to treat it for a long time afterwards.
If you follow all the above recommendations, the likelihood of encountering this disease is minimal.
Additional tips
It is clear that in order to avoid spinal problems, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations relating to a healthy lifestyle.
If your work is sedentary, every hour it is worth organizing 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 superfluous.
It is worthwhile for prevention every day to exercise in the morning and play sports in your free time.
Basically, thoracic osteochondrosis poses no danger, but it does provide serious complications if left untreated. It is important to organize the treatment of osteochondrosis in a timely manner in order 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 limited to anything due to the presence of any diseases. Therefore, it is important to identify osteochondrosis in time and treat it if this problem has still caught you by surprise.
Many people who have experienced osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, who have responded to the disease at the right time and, after starting treatment, have already forgotten what osteochondrosis is and what symptoms it presents. Don't procrastinate either!
And even better, to prevent the occurrence of this disease. Just lead an active lifestyle!