How to recognize and treat thoracic osteochondrosis?

Chest osteochondrosis is rare, but can cause many complications. It is important to make a thorough diagnosis in order to make an accurate diagnosis. Treatment should be timely and comprehensive. Preventive measures will help prevent the development of such a disease.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a degenerative disorder of the cartilaginous structures. Without timely and competent treatment, osteochondrosis can cause various complications, so it can not be ignored. Preventive measures will help to avoid such pathology.

General characteristics of the disease

Osteochondrosis is a fairly common lesion of the musculoskeletal system, but it rarely affects the thoracic region compared to other parts of the spine. This is due to the fact that this part of the spine is less mobile, so it experiences less stress.

This feature is also the risk of the disease - its symptoms are less pronounced, so patients go to the doctor with advanced osteochondrosis.

The disease is characterized by the development of degenerative and dystrophic processes. They cause pathological changes that affect bone and cartilage tissue. If left untreated, the pathology changes the structure of ligaments, intervertebral discs, joints, which causes their destruction.

With the development of osteochondrosis, bone structures are affected first, then the pathological process spreads to cartilage structures, muscles, connective tissue. At a young age, such pathological changes provoke premature aging of the body.

Classification

Pathology is characterized by gradual progression, so there are four stages (degrees), each of which is characterized by certain clinical manifestations and complications:

1. The first stage usually involves rupture of the intervertebral disc, which can cause excessive stress or sudden movement.
2. In the second stage, the elongation of the intervertebral discs is observed. In this case, the disc swells in the intervertebral canal - the elongation is usually no more than half a centimeter. At this stage, spinal instability develops.
3. The third stage of osteochondrosis is characterized by an increase in the intensity of clinical manifestations and is often accompanied by an intervertebral hernia.
4. The fourth stage of the disease is called the most severe and dangerous. At this stage, osteophytes appear. Their spread creates pressure on the spinal cord and nerve endings.

Reasons

Osteochondrosis can develop at any age. The risk of its occurrence is not related to gender.

The disease often develops against the background of the following factors:

age
• - people over the age of 40 are at risk;
• various pathologies of the spine, including curvature of the spine;
• hereditary predisposition;
• trauma resulting in intervertebral disc damage;
• chronic stress;
• hypothermia;
• hormonal imbalance, metabolism of the material;
• impaired blood circulation in the chest region;
• features of professional activity that create an added burden in the chest region.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine

The disease can have different symptoms and sometimes appears atypical. Most often, the pathology is expressed by the following signs:

• Pain. This symptom is the main one. Painful sensations usually occur when the body is in a position for a long time, physical exertion, weight lifting. As the pathology progresses, the pain may also be noticed at rest and intensify due to any movement. It can be dull or painful.
• Crush in the middle of the back. In this case, it is more difficult for a person to breathe. The pain is felt when you inhale deeply or exhale.
• Body parts become numb.
• There may be chills and goose bumps.
• The local standing temperature is falling.
• Itching and burning may be felt in the lower extremities.
• If the pathology affects the cardiovascular system, causing malfunction, this may be accompanied by peeling of the skin, thinning of the nail plates and increased brittleness of the nails.
• As osteochondrosis progresses, the work of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract disrupts, which can lead to a whole range of symptoms: nausea, heartburn, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, painful sensations in the abdomen.

Pain is one of the main signs of osteochondrosis in the chest, but it can appear in completely different ways. In some cases, dorsalgia is observed - painful sensations arise at the site of the wound and persist for a long time. In other cases, dorsago occurs - the pain appears intense and sharp, arises in paroxysms, restricts muscles and interferes with breathing.

The clinical picture of osteochondrosis mainly depends on its stage:

1. In the first stage of the disease, there is usually a rupture of the intervertebral disc. This phenomenon is expressed by severe pain and muscle tension. Feelings recall the effect of an electric current, the discharge of which seems to pass along the spine.
2. In the second stage, elongation can be observed, which is accompanied by pain in the chest region, which can also affect the internal organs.
3. In the third stage of pathology, pain occurs more often. It becomes more difficult for the patient to breathe, headaches appear. The disease can slightly disrupt the work of the heart.
4. In the fourth stage, due to compression of the nerve roots, intercostal neuralgia may develop. In this case, a sharp pain occurs in the chest. At first, it affects only one area, but then spreads throughout the chest. This makes breathing difficult. The patient sometimes can not change body position, the pain with various movements intensifies many times, can be unbearable. Due to the strong pain, the pupils may expand.

Symptoms for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region usually increase at night, which is accompanied by a long stay of the body in a horizontal position. Upon awakening, the symptoms become less intense or disappear altogether, but sudden movements or low body temperature can increase them.

Atypical manifestations of osteochondrosis of the chest include the following symptoms:

• Painful sensations in the heart region. Such a manifestation raises suspicions of a heart attack or angina pectoris. Sometimes this symptom lasts for several weeks.
• Concentration of abdominal pain, resulting in severe discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract. This symptom increases with physical activity.
• Acute spastic pain in the upper abdomen. This symptom is characteristic of gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis.
• In women, an exacerbation of the disease can provoke an attractive pain in the mammary glands. In this case, there are suspicions of a malignant neoplasm.
• Violation of the genitourinary organs.
• If the pathological changes are concentrated in the upper chest region, then the pain may affect the esophagus or pharynx. Patients in this case complain of the sensation of a foreign object in the throat.

Only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Chest osteochondrosis is associated with many symptoms that are characteristic of other pathologies as well. A qualified specialist will be able to understand all the nuances of the clinical picture.

Diagnosis

The doctor can make a preliminary diagnosis already at the stage of the initial examination of the patient. Usually a neurologist deals with the problem of osteochondrosis. The doctor examines the spine in different body positions.

To confirm the diagnosis and identify the features of the pathology, they use instrumental diagnosis. The basic study is X-rays.

In addition, the following measures may apply:

• computed tomography;
• magnetic resonance;
• scintigraphy;
• discography;
• electromyography.

They also use laboratory diagnostics. May consist of general and biochemical blood and urine tests. Such studies are performed for the purpose of differential diagnosis, identifying the features of the pathology, the accompanying complications.

Diagnosis is necessary not only to confirm the diagnosis but also to differentiate osteochondrosis from other pathologies. With its atypical course, the clinical picture may resemble other pathologies that may not even be associated with the thoracic region.

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine

The disease requires complex treatment. This means not only the use of medication, but also various physiotherapeutic methods, physiotherapy exercises, massages.

During an exacerbation of the disease, bed rest is required. Mobility should be limited as much as possible. Often, the pain syndrome is so severe that the patient calls an ambulance. Treatment in this case is performed in a hospital setting.

Restrict movement during treatment. When bed rest is no longer necessary, you can walk, but long walks are forbidden. Walking should be alternated with rest. You also do not have to sit in one position for a long time.

When the disease progresses, they use withdrawal. This technique involves stretching the spine. This allows you to increase the distance between the vertebrae, reduce the size of the intervertebral hernia and activate the nutrition of the intervertebral discs.

Drug therapy

Various medications for breast osteochondrosis are used to relieve pain, muscle tension, and improve blood supply. For these purposes, the following medications may be prescribed:

• The basis of drug therapy is usually non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which relieve pain and eliminate inflammation. Such medicines are prescribed in the form of oils and gels for external use, tablets and capsules for oral administration, solution for injection. Therapy may involve the concomitant use of several forms of medication of the same group. The therapeutic course usually lasts 1-2 weeks.
• For severe pain, use glucocorticosteroids. Medications are usually used for injections or intramuscular applications through physiotherapy.
• Analgesics are also used for severe pain.
• In case of excruciating pain, they turn to medication blockages. Blockades are performed strictly according to the indications in a hospital setting.
• Local irritants can help reduce pain. They can be based on natural ingredients - chili pepper extract, bee venom or snake.
• To restore blood circulation to the affected area, intramuscular injections of nicotinic acid are prescribed.
• Muscle relaxants are used to relieve muscle tension.
• After stopping the worsening of the disease, drugs are often prescribed to activate metabolic processes, to restore cartilage structures. This effect is provided by chondroprotectors. These medications include a long therapeutic course lasting several months.

Only a doctor can prescribe the necessary medication in a particular case. It is necessary to determine the duration and scheme of taking each drug, to take into account the compatibility of different medicinal substances.

Physiotherapy and massage

With thoracic osteochondrosis, physiotherapy methods allow you to get rid of pain, restore movement. Your doctor may prescribe the following treatments:

• electrophoresis or phonophoresis with drugs, including anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs;
• magnetic therapy;
• darsonvalization;
• paraffin applications;
• ozokeritoterapia;
• balneotherapy;
ultrasound
• ;
• mud therapy;
• UHF therapy.

Special attention should be paid to massage for osteochondrosis of the chest. In treating such a pathology, the following techniques may be included:

• Classic.In this case, the massage consists of light stroking, kneading, rubbing, rubbing. Such treatment must be safe. A course can include up to 15 sessions, each of which lasts no more than 20 minutes.
• Njolla.Impact can be made on painful points or acupuncture. The movements are performed with the fingertips in a circle with a gradual increase of the compressive force.
• Canned food.Using cans allows you to create a vacuum, which increases blood circulation and lymph drainage. Cup massage increases muscle tone, eliminates pathological reflexes, accelerates the microcirculation of various fluids in the body.
• Segmentar.This massage is performed to improve blood supply to the affected area, to stimulate lymphatic drainage and oxygenation tissues.

Healing gymnastics

Physiotherapy exercises provide excellent effect in case of osteochondrosis of the chest. It should be done under the supervision of a specialist, but some exercises can be performed at home:

• Warm up before remedial gymnastics. For this purpose, you can take a shower and do some heating. It consists of swinging the arms, rotating, turning the body.
• Lie on the floor, on your stomach. Place both hands behind your head while stretching your elbows wide. Slowly lift your shoulders and body up. Pull the right elbow first, then the left. Do 5 repetitions.
• In the same starting position, place your hands behind your back and squeeze them into the lock. Making a turn on the torso, raise the arms up without opening them. At the extreme point, you need to delay for a few seconds, return to its normal position normally.
• Stand on the floor and place your hands behind your shoulders. Raise your shoulders alternately, moving your head in the same direction.
• Lie on a firm surface, in the abdomen. Stretch your arms forward as you raise your body. Do several repetitions, then perform the same body raises but with the arms extended along the body.
• Sit in a chair and place both hands on your belt. Move the shoulder girdle, raising it smoothly and lowering it to its original position. At the extreme point, you need to delay for a few seconds. Do 5 repetitions.
• This exercise should be done with a gymnastic stick. It is necessary to sit down and raise your arms while sucking, holding a stick in them. As you exhale, return to the starting position and tilt your body forward.
• Jump on the floor and put your hands on a shoulder strap. Then tilt the body left and right. This exercise is contraindicated in scoliosis.
• Sit in a chair with one back, lean on it and bend over.

All exercises should be done normally and slowly. Immediate movements are excluded. If an exercise is painful, you should stop doing it and rest a bit. If the pain persists, then exercise should be completed and a physician consulted.

Prediction, complications

Depending on the timely detection and competent treatment of osteochondrosis in the chest, the prognosis is favorable. If the disease is neglected, life expectancy is reduced by about 7%.

The progression of osteochondrosis may lead to the development of other pathologies:

• elongation of the intervertebral disc when inflated in the intervertebral canal;
• intervertebral hernia - unlike extension, it involves rupture of the ring fibrosus;
• intervertebral canal stenosis, vertebral artery;
• radiculopathy - a complex of symptoms that occur when the roots of the spinal cord are damaged;
• kyphosis - commonly called lump and means curvature of the spine with posterior bulging (sagittal plane);
• pneumosclerosis;
• herpes;
• malignant neoplasms;
• sexual dysfunction.

Prevention

Any disease is easier to prevent than to stop and cure the pathological changes that have already occurred.

Adherence to the following preventative measures will help prevent breast osteochondrosis:

• Maintain a normal body weight.
• Moderate physical activity. It is necessary to exercise regularly or do it at least every day. The set of exercises should contain elements to strengthen the back muscles.
• Avoiding injuries, physical overload.
• Maintain correct behavior, if necessary, perform its correction.
• Avoiding emotional overload, stress.
• Proper nutrition.
• Eliminate bad habits.
• Correct organization of the sleeping place. It is important to correctly choose the durability of the mattress, orienting it to your individual characteristics.
• Organize your workplace properly. If the work is sedentary, then you should take care of a chair with a high back. It is necessary to take vacations and warm up during them.
• Timely medical examinations.
• Complete and timely treatment of any pathology.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can lead to various complications that negatively affect the quality of life. It is essential that at the first signs of pathology you consult a doctor who will diagnose and prescribe a competent treatment. All regulations must be strictly followed.