Degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine are a kind of human payment for upright gait. It is known that other mammals do not suffer from osteochondrosis as their spine is located horizontally to the surface of the earth. Vertical loads during gait lead to a gradual destruction of the cartilage tissue from the intervertebral discs and contribute to displacement of the vertebrae in a dangerous position.
In the thoracic region, such processes occur less frequently than in the sacral and cervical, but this does not reduce the risk of this disease. This article will discuss in detail the issues of symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region as well as points related to the prevention of this disease.
Functions of thoracic osteochondrosis
The thoracic spine is characterized by low mobility, which reduces the likelihood of degenerative processes in this area. Nevertheless, cases of this disease are regularly registered by orthopedists and traumatologists in representatives of different age groups.
In recent decades, there has been a steady increase in the incidence of osteochondrosis in civilized countries. Doctors believe that the main reasons for this trend are an inactive lifestyle, poor diet and the general environmental background on the planet.
Women suffer from thoracic osteochondrosis 2-3 times more often than men. This is due to the peculiarities of female anatomy and physiology. Additional influencing factors are: childbirth, walking in heels, general weakness of the muscular ligament apparatus in women.
In both sexes, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region causes painful symptoms and reduces the range of motion. The progression of the pathology is fraught with compression of nerve endings, which inevitably affects the condition of the internal organs. The advanced cases of the disease are often accompanied by disturbances in the work of blood vessels and heart, breathing problems.
Anatomically, 12 thoracic vertebrae are connected by the ribs and sternum to a strong and inactive frame structure that protects the internal organs from mechanical stress. In the initial stage, the disease hardly causes severe symptoms, but in the later stages, the manifestations of pathology are so different that this sometimes prevents an accurate diagnosis. It is no wonder that osteochondrosis is often called "chameleon disease".
The most common causes of thoracic osteochondrosis are trauma, muscle weakness, physical inactivity, metabolic disorders, excessive back strain and genetic predisposition. The disease develops gradually, which on the one hand allows you to start treatment on time and stop degenerative processes, but on the other hand it prevents early detection of pathology.
Disease stages
Physicians classify thoracic osteochondrosis according to stages of development:
Step 1.The intervertebral discs lose their elastic properties, decrease in size, but do not yet move from their anatomical position.
Step 2.There is a further decrease in the height of the discs and the spine itself loses its stability. Cracks form in the annulus, the discs shift and put pressure on nerve endings, blood vessels and muscles. The second stage is characterized by severe back pain and neurological symptoms.
Stage 3.Degenerative processes can lead to the development of protrusions and fractures of the annulus fibrosus. In such cases, herniated discs are diagnosed. Disks lose their cushioning properties and cease to perform their proper anatomical functions. The spines themselves also suffer - they collapse, collapse and form osteophytes - dangerous bone growths.
In addition to hard tissue, muscles, ligaments and tendons are affected. Muscles are blocked, spasmodic phenomena occur in them. The body tries to immobilize the affected area as much as possible to reduce pain - this leads to muscle overload and muscle atrophy.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
As already mentioned, thoracic osteochondrosis manifests itself weakly or does not manifest itself at all. As the pathology progresses, periodic pain occurs between the shoulder blades: the symptoms intensify after physical activity or vice versa after prolonged rest. Often, pain bothers patients in the morning after waking up and weakens within an hour. Sometimes pain moves along the interostost nerve and radiates out to the chest when coughing, sneezing or running.
Typical characters
At 2-3 stages, the most indicative symptom of degenerative disc disease in the thoracic region is constant pain in the interscapular zone. Chest pain is also quite typical: sensations resemble an angina pectoris attack with coronary artery disease or heart failure.
The similarity between symptoms and heart disease is a fairly common cause of misdiagnosis. However, it is quite simple to distinguish pain in degenerative processes in the spine from cardiac symptoms: nitroglycerin and similar drugs that relieve angina attacks with osteochondrosis do not relieve the patient's condition in any way.
Other Characteristic Symptoms of Thoracic Osteochondrosis:
- Stiffness in the muscles of the trunk during deep breathing (dorsalgi) - as if the body were squeezed with a brace;
- Dorsago - a sharp pain in the chest (the so-called "chest lumbago");
- Feeling of goosebumps and numbness in the hands (in the presence of radicular syndrome)
- Intercostal pain during walking and physical activity (intercostal neuralgia): with inflammation of nerve endings, the pain becomes constant;
- Spasms of the thoracic spine;
- Pain by lifting arms, twisting torso and breathing deeply.
The stages of the disease directly affect the intensity of the symptoms. For patients therapeutically, it is important not to eliminate pain with drugs and unconventional methods (painkillers, antispasmodics, various ointments, compresses and heating pads), but to visit the clinic and find out the cause of the pain from a doctor. Self-treatment of osteochondrosis is rarely effective, and in some cases it even exacerbates the course of the disease.
Rare symptoms
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is often disguised as other pathologies and causes their symptoms. This complicates the diagnosis and is often the cause of inadequate treatment.
Atypical manifestations of the disease are very different:
- Signs of ischemia, heart attack, heart attack (ECG or other tests must be performed for differential diagnosis);
- Pain reminiscent of breast diseases in women: To rule out the presence of tumors, you should be examined by a mammologist;
- Pain similar to gastritis, colitis, stomach ulcer, hepatitis - to rule out these diseases a diagnosis is prescribed by a gastroenterologist;
- Paroxysmal belt pain similar to renal colic or other urinary tract diseases.
Urinary tract and reproductive system disorders are also possible. Women have anorgasmia, painful and heavy menstruation (menorrhagia) and sometimes infertility. Men suffer from erectile dysfunction. Doctors are not always able to find the true cause of these pathologies, and therefore treatment of reproductive diseases does not provide positive dynamics.
Sometimes pressure rises, toothache and headache, sleep disturbances, tinnitus with osteochondrosis in the thoracic region are observed. Psycho-emotional disorders are not excluded - irritability, depression, tearing, anxiety.
Diagnosis, therapy and prevention
External examination, palpation and series of motion tests are performed to detect the disease. It is important to learn in detail from the patient about the duration of the symptoms, their nature and concomitant manifestations of the disease.
The following procedures are prescribed:
- X-ray of the spine
- MRI, CT and ultrasound of the abdominal cavity (if necessary)
- Blood and urine tests
- Myelography;
- ECG (to rule out cardiac pathologies).
After the diagnosis, a treatment regimen has been developed. There is no single protocol for treating osteochondrosis: wellness procedures depend on the patient's condition, his age, physical condition and the status of the immune system.
The main goal of treatment is to minimize the consequences of degenerative processes in cartilage tissue and prevent the development of complications. Therapy is usually outpatient, except in particularly severe clinical situations. Conservative therapy is mostly practiced.
Medicine
Medications are prescribed only for severe pain syndrome and inflammatory processes. It is preferred to use drugs in the form of external ointments, tablets, intramuscular or epidural injections are less frequently prescribed.
Most current drug types:
- Analgesics;
- Anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Muscle relaxants and antispasmodics;
- Vitamin complexes;
- Steroids.
Experienced therapists never offer purely drug-based therapy. Once the pain and inflammation have subsided, the medication is stopped.
Physiotherapy, exercise therapy, massage
These methods play a leading role in the treatment of degenerative diseases of the thoracic spine. These techniques eliminate pain, strengthen ligaments and muscles, restore and stimulate blood circulation and metabolic processes.
Popular Physical Therapy Methods:
- Magnetotherapy;
- Electro- and phonophoresis;
- Laser exposure;
- Amplipulse treatment;
- Ultrasound treatment
- Paraffin applications;
- Kinesio bottling;
- Mud therapy;
- Balneotherapy; Hypothermia;
- Hirudotherapy, treatment with bee venom.
The biggest benefit of physiotherapy is its safety. The procedures can be prescribed at any age with almost all concomitant diseases. A separate area of physiotherapy is reflexology (acupuncture). The method is effective, but requires the presence of a professional specialist.
Physiotherapy is a mandatory stage in the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis. Gymnastics strengthens the muscular apparatus, restores the normal anatomical position of vertebral structures, reduces the pressure on nerve endings and prevents the development of protrusions and hernias on intervertebral discs.
Complex exercises should be performed regularly and over a long period of time - only in this case they will give a noticeable therapeutic effect. Ideally, the sessions should be conducted under the guidance of an instructor, as any incorrect movement can injure and cause pain.
Massage (manual effects and hardware effects) has the same therapeutic tasks as exercise therapy: pain relief, improving blood flow, muscle strengthening. In addition to the influence with the hands of a specialist, they practice the use of massagers, applicators, orthopedic devices.
Radical treatment
Surgery for osteochondrosis of the breast in modern medical institutions is used in exceptional cases - when there is a real danger of squeezing the spinal cord or there are dangerous protrusions and hernias. Spine surgery is always an additional risk, so interventions are rarely and only performed by experienced surgeons.
Prevention
Disease prevention is much easier than long-term (and sometimes lifelong) treatment. Alas, modern medicine can not reverse degenerative processes, it can only minimize the consequences of pathology and eliminate acute symptoms.
For this reason, prevention of osteochondrosis should be handled from childhood. The development of the disease is prevented by: proper posture, balanced nutrition, proper alternation of physical activity and rest, sleeping on a comfortable bed. A positive role is played by the timely diagnosis of the disease and the strict implementation of the doctor's recommendations.