Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, in contrast to cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis, is very rare.
It's about the structure of the thoracic region: it has more intervertebral discs than the cervical and lumbar spine combined, the intervertebral discs are smaller and thinner. This section is generally less mobile and some of the load is taken up by the ribs and sternum.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can be mistaken for a heart attack, for example. The reason for this is the specificity of the disease.
Painful pain during movement and exertion, as in cervical or lumbar osteochondrosis, does not occur in this case, and complications related to suspected angina pectoris or myocardial infarction or with impaired respiratory function come to the fore.
reasons
To a greater extent, the development of osteochondrosis is facilitated by hypodynamia - a deficit in muscle loads that leads to a lack of training of the muscle corset, a weakening of its functions and an increase in the load on the ligaments and intervertebral discs.
The following conditions can also trigger the onset of osteochondrosis:
- Incorrect posture and lateral curvature of the spine;
- bad habits;
- Nervous and physical strain, stress;
- Overloading the back and spine when wearing high-heeled shoes, during pregnancy and with flat feet;
- back injuries;
- hypodynamics;
- inheritance;
- Physically hard work.
The intervertebral discs of the thoracic vertebrae are affected equally by a sedentary lifestyle and physical activity, which increases the likelihood of injury.
What is the specificity of the thoracic spine?
Everyone knows that the chest region is functionally inactive, especially when compared to the neck. And the load on him is not so great, for example, relative to the lumbar spine. Because of this, the occurrence of a disease of the chest region with symptoms at an early stage of development is quite rare.
Low mobility of the thoracic spine is associated with its anatomical features - the connection of the vertebrae with the ribs and the sternum allows the creation of a sufficiently mobile and at the same time strong structure, which is less prone to injuries and external influences.
The relatively low level of stress in this department means that problems (e. g. displacement of the vertebrae, intervertebral hernia, intervertebral disc protrusion) are rare. This is confirmed by statistics. But at the same time, their appearance can not be called something extraordinary. For example, poor posture and scoliosis can be some kind of provoking factors that lead to the appearance of diseases of the spine.
At the same time, the symptoms of such diseases appear quite late and are quite typical of osteochondrosis - they usually represent compression of the nerve roots, in rare cases compression of the spinal cord itself or its damage due to a violation of the blood supply, it is also a narrowingpossible as a result of compression of the veinsand arteries.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can show completely different symptoms, similar to other diseases of the internal organs. Often, it is chest osteochondrosis that is confused with coronary artery disease, cholecystitis, ulcer disease, and even myocardial infarction and pneumonia. For this, this disease is called "chameleon".
Pain-related symptoms:
- The pain is localized below the shoulder blades and can radiate to the intercostal nerves. This leads to neuralgia. The pain increases when a person takes a breath and actively moves.
- Chest pain is mostly localized on the left and can resemble ischemic heart disease. In this situation, it is important to find out in time why the pain occurred. The cardiovascular system must be fully examined.
Neurological symptoms:
- Numbness or "goose bumps" in the legs, upper chest and stomach (depending on the disc affected);
- reflex tension in the muscles of the chest or upper back;
- In particularly advanced cases, it is possible to disrupt the function of the pelvic organs, which in men leads to a decrease in potency.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, in addition to pain in the spine and back near the location of the osteochondrosis, can also include pain in the upper abdomen, heart, liver and gall bladder.
When such pain occurs, it can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis. Pain on the right side of the chest under the ribs can be mistaken for inflammation of the gallbladder on the left side of the chest - it can be mistaken for a heart attack. It is a mistake to confuse pain in the corresponding areas of the abdominal cavity with the manifestation of a gastric ulcer or gastritis.
Dorsago
Dorsago is one of the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, which manifests itself in acute pain. Usually this symptom occurs in people who sit in one position or in an uncomfortable position for a long time and do monotonous work monotonously.
You may experience pain in the spine in the chest area, muscles are tense, and it is often difficult to breathe. Intercostal neuralgia can occur.
Dorsalgia
The flare-up period lasts 2-3 weeks. In this case, the painful sensations will gradually increase. Mild pain occurs in the affected spine. Pain usually manifests itself particularly actively with deep breathing and bending forward and backward to the sides.
The type of dorsalgia pain can be very different. The pain can pull, burn, ache, cut, can be given under the leg, arm, buttocks, shoulder blade. In terms of localization, the pain is no less different. They can appear below, above, in the middle, right, left between the shoulder blades.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
When creating a treatment plan that defines how to treat chest osteochondrosis, diagnostic data based on an X-ray examination will help. Such an examination gives a clear idea of how to treat thoracic osteochondrosis, since x-rays that indicate the growth of the vertebral bodies and the presence of changes in intervertebral spacing (decrease in height) are a characteristic symptom of this disease.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine depends on the stage of the disease and is mainly reduced to conservative therapy. Surgery is extremely rare for a broken spine.
Medicines
Drug therapy is based on the following principles:
- Use of a special drug that allows you to keep fluid in the intervertebral disc.
- vitamins. Most often, complete vitamin complexes or preparations with the B group of elements are prescribed
- Antispasmodic and muscle relaxants that reduce spasms in the muscles surrounding the spine.
- painkillers. NSAIDs and analgesics based on drug combinations.
- chondroprotectors. Indispensable for catalyzing the repair process of damaged cartilage.
After the elimination of acute events, a massage of the back and lower extremity muscles is performed. With the development of functional blocks, manual therapy is indicated in the case of 1-3 degrees of osteochondrosis. It includes various options for soft and rough effects on the back muscles.
The duration of treatment for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine depends on the severity of the disease and the degree of age-related changes, as well as the patient's care in complying with the prescriptions of the attending physician.
Gymnastics for breast osteochondrosis
With osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, patients are prescribed therapeutic exercises, the main purpose of which is to increase the mobility of the cost-vertebral and intervertebral joints. Exercise therapy (subject to regular and correct movement) allows you to get rid of even very strong muscle spasms. Moderate physical activity relieves the stiffness of the spine that occurs with a weak muscle corset.
Daily sessions, supervised by an experienced instructor, have a positive effect on the entire body in general and on the bronchopulmonary system in particular. Patients have improved their lung ventilation and can breathe deeply and exhale painlessly.
Massage
Massage not only weakens the severity of the symptoms of the disease, but also helps a person to recover. Efforts have a positive effect on other elements of complex therapy.
It is prescribed individually, based on the clinical picture of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the presence of chronic diseases and contraindications.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is used to relieve muscle hypertension and spasms, as well as restore back mobility. Manual therapy helps release blood vessels, improve nutrition and oxygen supply to the intervertebral disc tissue.
Correct position at rest and while sleeping
For the prevention of osteochondrosis and during the period of treatment, it is necessary to organize the correct position during rest and sleep. It is best to sleep on a flat and hard bed, but in order to be without fanaticism if the bed does not meet the requirements, it is not recommended to sleep on the floor so that you can catch a cold. This measure is very important so that the spine quickly returns to its normal shape.
At first, however, there may be quite intense pain sensations, which persist until the vertebrae assume a physiological position. To relieve pain and discomfort, you can place a roller under the affected area.
Exercises
The most effective treatment for muscle spasms is physical therapy. Selected exercises relax and strengthen and train the back muscles at the same time. This stabilizes the thoracic spine and releases strangled spinal nerves.
The exercises for osteochondrosis of the chest are performed as follows:
- Starting position - stand upright while inhaling, legs together, arms down. Extend your arms - exhale, then bend back - take a deep breath. Lower your arms, bend forward, curl around your back, and lower your shoulders and head - exhale. Do 8 to 10 repetitions.
- Starting position - sit on a chair. Slowly bring your hands behind your head - inhale, bend back five times and lean your shoulder blades against the back of the chair - exhale.
- Starting position - get on all fours and bend your back as much as you can, hold for 3 seconds and keep your head straight for three seconds. Do 5-7 repetitions.
- Starting position - it is comfortable to lie on your stomach and put your hands on the floor. At the same time, bend back forcibly, trying to tear the body off the floor. Do 5-8 reps.
- Starting position - lying on your stomach with outstretched arms on your body. Bend in your chest, trying to raise your head and legs as much as possible. Do 5-8 reps.
If you follow all medical prescriptions, you can slowly but surely make a significant improvement.
Prevention
The health of the chest and other parts of the spine can be affected by:
- long static loads (in front of the television, computer);
- weightlifting;
- sloppy habit;
- Hypothermia and frequent colds.
Office workers who sit at work because of their duty to attend have to change their posture more frequently, get up and do physical exercises. Simple stretching is also beneficial.