Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease manifested by the degradation of the tissue structure of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. There are three types of osteochondrosis, depending on which part of the spine the disease affects: lumbar, thoracic and cervical.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine
Thoracic osteochondrosis does not manifest itself immediately and in the initial stages it can be almost invisible. Therefore, in order not to cause the disease, you should not ignore its first symptoms and manifestations.
The main symptom is pain in the chest during movement, physical activity, as well as when maintaining a body position for a long time. It can appear as a sharp, sudden and strong pain that makes it difficult to move and breathe (dorsago) or as a moderate, gradually increasing pain (dorsalgia).
Dorsalgia-like symptoms do not always indicate the presence of problems with the spine, therefore, for an accurate diagnosis, it is advisable to undergo a comprehensive examination.
Symptoms may also include tightness in the chest muscles, a feeling of tightness, a feeling of weakness in the limbs, and partial or complete loss of sensation in the limbs.
Symptoms may also appear at the level of the autonomic system, particularly as follows:
- headache;
- sleep disorders;
- pain in the internal organs, which can be confused with the manifestations of other diseases (for example, pain in the stomach, heart and kidneys);
- local skin peeling, nail thinning;
- cold feeling in the arms and legs, chills;
- impaired sweating in the place where the nerve fibers are pressed by the affected vertebrae.
If you have discovered any of the listed symptoms and you need to consult a doctor who treats osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine or any other specialist, contact a professional medical center. The doctors will choose a convenient time for your appointment and answer any questions.
Since some symptoms are characteristic of both osteochondrosis and a number of other diseases (such as stomach ulcers, gastritis, kidney and heart failure, hypertension, migraine), it is recommended to undergo an ultrasound and ECG examination to excludethese pathologies.
Causes of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
There are many reasons for the appearance of the disease. More precisely, there are a number of factors that negatively affect health and can provoke osteochondrosis. For each patient, the set of such factors may be different, therefore, in order to identify and rule them out, we recommend that you seek advice from a neurologist.
List of the most common situations that have a negative impact on the spine:
- excessive physical activity;
- passive lifestyle;
- wrong posture and wrong body position during sleep, when you are sitting at the table, etc. ;
- hereditary diseases;
- violation of metabolic processes;
- injuries;
- and a number of other factors.
The consequences of the development of thoracic osteochondrosis
Thoracic osteochondrosis, in addition to the similarity of symptoms with other diseases, is also dangerous because it can provoke the appearance of many different diseases due to the compression of blood vessels and nerve endings from damaged vertebrae.
Thus, osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can lead to diseases of internal organs (heart, kidneys, stomach, lungs, intestines), as well as pathologies of the respiratory system.
Diagnosis and treatment of the thoracic spine
A complete examination, diagnosis and diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the chest region is possible only when an integrated approach is used. The doctor usually turns to diagnostic methods such as:
- oral questioning of the patient to identify symptoms and negative factors affecting the body;
- examination and palpation of the spine;
- controlling reflexes, skin and muscle sensitivity;
- x-ray to determine the location of the disease;
- computed tomography (CT) to determine whether spinal cord lesions are present;
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can evaluate all the tissues and vessels around the spine.
If you are not sure which doctor you should contact about your symptoms, go to a specialized clinic for an appointment, where they will tell you which specialist will help solve the problem.
To treat spine problems in the medical center, it is also possible to use an integrated approach. The combination of different treatment methods and modern rehabilitation procedures makes it possible to eliminate the manifestations of the disease and reduce the risk of relapse due to the general health of the body.
Some methods that have proven themselves in the treatment of spine problems:
- physiotherapy;
- osteopathy;
- manual therapy;
- psychotherapy;
- drug therapy.
Please note that only a doctor can prescribe competent and effective treatment. If you have any doubts about which tests or procedures you need, please contact the specialists for advice.