Osteochondrosis is a dystrophic change in the spine, where the structure of the intervertebral disc changes, with subsequent deformation, stratification and violation of boundaries and height.
Previously, medical specialists believed that osteochondrosis exclusively affects the areas of the spine, now this opinion has changed. Osteochondrosis can be confidently called a systemic disease, as the spine is not only a support for the motor system, but also affects all organs of the human body.
Thoracic spine osteochondrosis is a pathological change characterized by a degenerative-dystrophic process in the intervertebral disc of the thoracic spine.
Signs and Causes
The main cause of breast osteochondrosis is a violation of the metabolic process in the body, accompanied by a deterioration of blood supply.
So, the main signs of the development of osteochondrosis:
- Hard physical work.
- Nervous stress and stress.
- Bending of the spine.
- Obesity.
- Intensive physical training, inadequate training performance.
- Bad ecology.
- Smoking.
- Back injury.
- Improper nutrition.
- A person's sedentary lifestyle (physical inactivity).
- Continuous vibrating effect on the spine (prolonged driving).
- Hypothermia.
- Age-related changes and so on.
Symptoms
It should be noted that the cause of the formation of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is scoliosis, the preconditions for which are formed in school. The chest is a sitting area, and therefore, the symptoms have obvious differences from other types of osteochondrosis. In most cases, the main difference between osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is the absence of acute pain syndrome, but dull or aching pain is present.
The main symptoms are as follows:
- Chest pain. Significantly worse when breathing or moving. In most cases, osteochondrosis pain of the chest region has a herpes in nature;
- Symptoms of numbness. There is a feeling that the sounds of geese are crawling on the chest;
- Pain in stomach, liver and heart. Osteochondrosis of the breast is disguised as other diseases, showing symptoms of gastritis, heart attack, angina pectoris, peptic ulcer, etc.
- Sexual dysfunction;
- Pain in the shoulder area (there is a lumbago at the level of the intercostal nerves, this condition is called intercostal neuralgia);
- Decreased thoracic spine maneuverability (symptoms are characteristic of Forestier, Bekhterev, Scheerman-Mao disease, and scoliotic deformity, using radiographs to determine the true cause).
In addition, thoracic osteochondrosis has two vertebral syndromes - dorsalgia and dorsago.
Dorsago has a characteristic sharp pain in the chest. It is usually found in those who are in a bent position for a long time (for example, welders), then turning sharply. Dorsago pain syndrome is quite strong, even during breathing. Muscle tone is tense, which causes restriction of movement in certain parts of the spine.
Dorsalgia manifests itself gradually and invisibly, lasting up to three weeks. There is no pronounced pain syndrome in the affected area of the spine and discomfort. The pain increases with deep breathing, leaning forward or sideways. The muscles are tense.
Movement is limited to upper dorsalgia (cervicothoracic region) or lower dorsalgia (lumbar-thoracic region). The pain intensifies at night, during the waking period, the pain syndrome passes on its own with a short walk. With deep breathing or prolonged body position in one position, the pain intensifies again.
diagnostic
A feature of osteochondrosis in the thoracic spine is the extraordinary ability to be confused with the symptoms of another disease. It is not for nothing that medical specialists call this disease "disease - a chameleon".
Osteochondrosis is disguised as a pain syndrome of cardiovascular diseases, angina pectoris, heart attack, appendicitis and cholecystitis, gastrointestinal diseases, respectively gastritis, peptic ulcer, renal or hepatic colic. Experienced specialists perform comprehensive diagnostics in order to find the differences between breast osteochondrosis and similar diseases. In this regard, it is recommended that you undergo not only X-ray examination, but also MRI, gastroduodenoscopy, ultrasound, etc. In the future, the method of treatment takes into account concomitant diseases.
The diagnosis of thoracic spine osteochondrosis is made on the basis of an X-ray, where an increase in the vertebral body, or a decrease in height in the intervertebral discs, is clearly visible.
Treatment methods
Treatment in thoracic spine for spinal osteochondrosis mainly depends on the stage of the pathological process and is limited to conservative treatment. The surgeon's surgical operations are used extremely rarely, usually with complications, namely a spinal hernia.
During the period of exacerbation, treatment is intended to relieve pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, as well as analgesics. To increase the movement of the thoracic spine and to relax the muscle tone, muscle relaxants are prescribed. To improve blood flow to the spine - vasodilators. Medicines are combined with massage and physical therapy.
In the recovery phase, treatment is directed at stretching the muscular system of the thoracic region in the spine. The most effective method is kinesitherapy.
During the remission period, the treatment aims to improve the maneuverability of the spinal intervertebral discs, strengthen the spinal muscles, and restore spinal posture.
In addition, there are the following methods:
- Laser therapy;
- Acupuncture treatment;
- Pharmacopuncture treatment;
- Magnetopuncture treatment;
- Treatment with vacuum therapy.
Treatment with folk methods
- Raw potatoes prevail as an excellent pain reliever. For the treatment of recurrence of osteochondrosis of the chest region, a compress is prepared, rubbed on a grater (1: 1), mixed with honey. The resulting mass is applied to the affected area, where it is located for about two hours.
- The symptoms of osteochondrosis of the affected spine in the acute phase, effectively alleviate a mixture of internal and external use. Prepared with honey in half a glass, 50 gr. vodka, two tablespoons of salt and ¼ glass of radish. The resulting mass is applied by rubbing the affected area twice a day or inside before meals twice a day.
- Osteochondrosis is treated with tea. The infusion is prepared from the fruits and crushed leaves of strawberries, taken one tablespoon at a time. This mixture is poured for ten minutes.
- The symptoms of rheumatism, gout and osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are well treated with an oil consisting of lard (one tablespoon) and hop cone powder (one tablespoon).
Complications
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine has the following complications:
- Thoracic spine intervertebral hernia;
- Disc extension;
- Radiculopathy (sciatica);
- Sciatica;
- Hernia and Schmorl;
- Lumbago;
- Spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis;
- VSD;
- Osteophytosis, spondylosis;
- Stenosis in the spinal canal.