Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, in contrast to cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis, is very rare.
It's all about the structure of the thoracic region: it has more discs than the cervical and lumbar ones combined, the discs are smaller and thinner. The mobility of this section is generally less and part of the load is supported by the ribs and sternum.
In osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, symptoms can be confused, for example, with a heart attack. The reason for this is the specificity of the disease.
Painful pains during movement and exertion, as in cervical or lumbar osteochondrosis, are not present in this case, and complications associated with 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 hypodynamics - deficit in muscle loads, which forms the lack of training of the muscle corset, weakening its functions and increasing the load on the ligaments and intervertebral discs.
The following conditions can also trigger the appearance of osteochondrosis:
- Incorrect posture and lateral curvature of the spine;
- Bad habits;
- Nervous and physical effort, stress;
- Overloading the back and spine when wearing high heels, during pregnancy and flat feet;
- Back injuries;
- Hypodynamics;
- Heredity;
- Physically hard work.
The intervertebral discs of the thoracic vertebrae are also affected 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 thoracic region is functionally inactive, especially when compared to the neck. And the burden on him is not so great, relative, for example, to the lumbar spine. For this reason, the appearance of a disease in the thoracic region is quite rare, with any symptoms at an early stage of development.
The low mobility of the thoracic spine is associated with its anatomical characteristics - 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, less susceptible to injuries and external influences.
The relatively small load in this department contributes to the fact that the occurrence of any problems in it (for example, displacement of the vertebrae, intervertebral hernia, protrusion of the disc) are quite rare, this is confirmed by statistics. However, at the same time, their appearance cannot be called something extraordinary, for example, poor posture and scoliosis can be some types of provocative 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 characteristic of osteochondrosis - they usually represent compression of the nerve roots, in rare cases, the spinal cord itself can be compressed or damaged due to a violation of the blood supply, it is also possible to narrow due to the compression of veins and arteries.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can have completely different symptoms, similar to manifestations of other internal organ diseases. It is often thoracic osteochondrosis that is confused with coronary heart disease, cholecystitis, peptic ulcer and even myocardial infarction and pneumonia. That is why this disease is called "chameleon".
Symptoms related to pain:
- The pain is located below the shoulder blades and can radiate to the intercostal nerves. This leads to neuralgia. The pain increases when the person breathes, actively moves.
- Chest pain is most often located on the left and can resemble ischemic heart disease. In this situation, it is important to find out in time the reason for the pain. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the cardiovascular system.
Neurological symptoms:
- Numbness or "chills" in the legs, upper chest and abdomen (depending on the affected disc);
- Reflex tension in the chest or upper back muscles;
- In especially advanced cases, it is possible to interrupt the functioning of Organs pelvic organs and reduce the potency in men.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, in addition to pain in the spine and back, near the location of the location of osteochondrosis can also be pain in the upper abdomen, heart, liver, gallbladder.
With the appearance of such pain, it is sometimes possible to be misdiagnosed. 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 the pain in the corresponding areas of the abdominal cavity with the manifestation of a stomach ulcer or gastritis.
Dorsago
Dorsago is one of the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, which is manifested by acute pain. Typically, this symptom occurs in people who sit in an uncomfortable position or position for a long time, with monotonous monotonous work performance.
You may experience pain in your spine, chest, tense muscles, and sometimes even breathing difficulties. Intercostal neuralgia may occur.
Back pain
The exacerbation period will last 2 to 3 weeks. In that case, the painful sensations gradually increase. Mild pain appears in the affected spine. As a rule, pain manifests itself in an especially active way with deep breathing and tilting back and forth to the sides.
The nature of back pain can be very different. The pain can be pulling, burning, aching, cutting, it can give under the leg, arm, buttocks, shoulder blade. In terms of location, the pains are no less varied. They can appear below, above, in the middle, on the right, on the left, between the shoulder blades.
Treatment of thoracic spine osteochondrosis
When drawing up a treatment plan that determines how to treat osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, diagnostic data based on X-ray examination helps. This examination gives a clear idea of how to treat thoracic osteochondrosis, since X-ray readings that indicate the growth of vertebral bodies and the presence of changes in intervertebral distance (decreased height) are a characteristic symptom of this disease.
The 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 in the case of a spinal hernia.
Medication
Drug therapy is based on the following principles:
- Using a special medication that allows you to keep the fluid inside the intervertebral disc.
- Vitamins. Most of the time, complete vitamin complexes or preparations with group B elements are prescribed
- Antispasmodics and muscle relaxants that reduce the spasm of the muscles around the spine.
- Painkillers. NSAIDs and analgesics based on drug combinations.
- Chondroprotectors. Essential to catalyze the repair process of damaged cartilage.
After the elimination of acute symptoms, massage is performed on the muscles of the back and lower extremities. Manual therapy is indicated for 1-3 degrees of osteochondrosis in the case of the development of functional blocks. Includes several options for smooth 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 diligence in complying with the prescribing physician's instructions.
Gymnastics for thoracic osteochondrosis
In the case of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, patients are prescribed therapeutic exercises, the main objective of which is to increase the mobility of the costal-vertebral and intervertebral joints. Exercise therapy (subject to regular and correct exercises) allows you to eliminate even very strong muscle spasms. Moderate physical activity will help to relieve spinal stiffness, which occurs with a weak muscle corset.
The daily sessions, supervised by an experienced instructor, will have a beneficial effect on the whole body as a whole and, in particular, on the bronchopulmonary system. Patients improved lung ventilation and were able to breathe and exhale deeply without pain.
Massage
Massage not only weakens the severity of the symptoms of the disease, it also helps the person to recover. Efforts are a positive effect of other elements of complex therapy.
It is prescribed individually based on the clinical picture of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, presence of chronic diseases and contraindications.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is used to eliminate hypertonicity and muscle spasms, as well as to restore mobility of the back. Thanks to manual therapy, it is possible to release blood vessels, improve nutrition and oxygen supply to the tissues of the intervertebral discs.
Correct position at rest and while sleeping
For the prevention of osteochondrosis and during the treatment period, it is necessary to organize the correct position at rest and when sleeping. It is better to sleep in a hard and uniform bed, but in order not to be fanatical, if the bed does not meet the requirements, it is not recommended to sleep on the floor, as you may get a cold. This measure is very necessary for the spine to return quickly to its normal shape.
However, at first, a very intense painful sensation may appear, which persists until the vertebrae are in 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. Well-chosen exercises relax and, at the same time, strengthen and train your back muscles. As a result, the thoracic spine is stabilized and the strangulated spinal nerves are released.
The set of exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis is performed as follows:
- Starting position - when inhaling, stand upright, legs together and arms down. Stretch your arms - exhale, then bend back - take a deep breath. Lower your arms, lean forward, bend your back and lower your shoulders and head - exhale. Do 8 to 10 repetitions.
- Starting position - sitting in a chair. Slowly place your hands behind your head - inhale, lean back 5 times, leaning on the back of a chair with your shoulder blades - exhale.
- The starting position is to stand on all fours and bend your back as long as possible, take 3 seconds, so keep your head straight for three. Do 5 - 7 repetitions.
- Starting position - it is comfortable to lie on your stomach and rest your hands on the floor. At the same time, lean back hard and try to pull the body off the floor. Do 5 to 8 repetitions.
- Initial position - lying on your stomach with your arms extended along your body. Flex your chest, trying to lift your head and legs as much as possible. Do 5 to 8 repetitions.
If you follow all the doctor's prescriptions, you can slowly but surely get a significant improvement.
Prevention
The health of the chest and other parts of the spine can be impaired by:
- long static charges (sitting in front of the TV, computer);
- weight lifting;
- sloppy habit;
- hypothermia and frequent colds.
Office workers who are in the workplace on duty, need to change their body position more often, get up, exercise. Even simple stretching is beneficial.