Thoracic osteochondrosis

Thoracic osteochondrosis is a disease in which the intervertebral discs in the thoracic spine are destroyed. As this department is the most sedentary, it is less susceptible to illnesses.

Thoracic osteochondrosis is characterized by spasms and pain in the chest, under the ribs, shortness of breath, stitches, cuts, and sharp pain behind the breastbone. The symptoms and manifestations of the disease may be similar to those of other diseases.

Symptoms

Back pain is the most common and superficial symptom. Of course, they don't always talk about the development of osteochondrosis in humans. Therefore, you should pay attention to other sensations in the body:

1. Unpleasant sensations and chest pains. Often, if you are sedentary, you may not notice this. But as soon as you start doing any physical activity where your breathing is quickened, you'll notice the pain intensify. The nature of this pain can be called herpes zoster.
2. Also, you may experience pain in completely unexpected places - heart region, abdomen, liver. This is because thoracic osteochondrosis tends to "disguise" itself as a particular disease. For example, many may mistake it for gastritis, ulcers, or angina pectoris.
3. If you notice that every now and then in the chest region you get "shivering" then, in conjunction with other manifestations, this could indicate thoracic osteochondrosis.
4. In some cases, there may be loss of sexual function, for example impotence in men.

Pain in thoracic osteochondrosis

One of the main features of this type of pain is shingles. But it is not always possible to recognize this pain because of this. See how else it can be felt and characterized:

• most often manifests in the dark, behind the breastbone;
• a sensation that might be described as a "stake in the chest";
• unpleasant sensations in the hypochondrium region, both on the right and on the left;
• feeling as if there is some foreign body behind the breastbone;
• if the lesion only touches the upper part of the thoracic region, pain may be felt by a person in the esophagus and pharynx region.

Since these symptoms are still very vague and may speak to a number of other illnesses, your doctor recommends undergoing an additional electrocardiographic analysis.

Influence on organs

In the developmental process, this disease can negatively affect the internal organs, namely the lungs and the heart. Here is what thoracic osteochondrosis can bring about:

• effect on the heart. It is mainly caused by pinching of the nerve roots in the chest area. After all, that's where the cardiac nerve plexuses come from. It is these plexuses that are involved in regulating the heart. The main alarms here are regular heart palpitations (extrasystoles), arrhythmia, tachycardia. The effect on the cardiovascular system, therefore, can manifest itself in one of these symptoms or all at the same time;
• effect on the lungs. It most often manifests as shortness of breath and painful sensations at the same time.

Why does thoracic osteochondrosis appear?

Although osteochondrosis as a whole disease is quite common, thoracic osteochondrosis is less common. The prerequisites for the onset of the disease can already be found among students who, grimacing, sit at the table. Because of this, children can develop scoliosis, and at a more mature age - osteochondrosis. Most other causes of development are closely related to scoliosis:

• posture violation;
• metabolic disorders that affect the integrity of the intervertebral discs;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• hereditary reasons;
• spinal injury;
• static work and prolonged stay in an uncomfortable and twisted position.

How to treat?

After an accurate diagnosis has been established during testing, the doctor prescribes special drug treatment. In the case of thoracic osteochondrosis, it may include the following medications, depending on the severity of the disease and the characteristics of its manifestation:

1. First, medications are prescribed that "remove" the pain and alleviate the discomfort. They are called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticosteroid medications.
2. To avoid lack of fluid in the intervertebral disc, papain is used.
3. Medications called "chondroprotective" are prescribed. With their help, a general strengthening of the cartilaginous tissue takes place.
4. Drugs can be added to the list to relieve muscle spasms around the spine.
5. If the development of an inflammatory process is detected, special anti-inflammatory therapy is prescribed.

But, of course, it's impossible to cure with drugs alone. Make sure you follow a healthy lifestyle, eating proper food. These actions will be useful not only for the treatment, but also for the prevention of this and many other diseases.

Exercises for Thoracic Osteochondrosis

As the lack of physical activity is one of the fundamental causes for the development of the disease, the role of exercise, in this case, is great. Also, by complementing the drug treatment with exercise, your body will return to normal and stabilize much faster.

There are several special exercises for the thoracic region. When doing them, follow the basic rules: no bumps, act slowly, gently, without trying to overload the body. An increase in amplitude is allowed, but only if you don't feel pain. So what are the most effective exercises provided by physical therapy?

1. Lie down on the floor on your stomach. Hands - along the body. We bend in the thoracic region - gently, gently. Raise your arms and head as much as you feel, but try to avoid the pain. It is recommended to complete at least 5 approaches.
2. For the next exercise, we need a chair with a small, sturdy back. Sit down exactly on a chair. We exhale, bending backwards as we pull our arms back. Then we return to the starting position. We repeat 10-12 times.
3. We straightened out. Hands in the seams, feet together. We took a deep breath and raised our hands. On exhalation, we slowly lean back and lower our arms. We return to the starting position. It is recommended to take 7-9 approaches at a time.
4. Get on all fours on the floor. Slowly arch your back as you inhale and exhale - return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 7 to 10 times.
5. We lay face down on the floor. Hands in the seams. Your task is to pull your body off the ground, extending your head toward your heels. We pull the whole body, work the chest. The required number of approaches is 7-8.
6. We work with the upper part of the thoracic region. Starting position - hands in seams, feet shoulder-width apart. We work with our shoulders. We create them first together, then each one separately. We roll our shoulders forward - backward, forward - backward. We performed 10-15 approaches for each task.
7. Also, for the upper part of the thoracic region, you can perform circular motions with your hands. Starting position as in the previous task. We stretch our arms out to the sides, clench our palms into fists. We rotate the wrists back and forth, then rotate the elbow hand back and forth, then the whole hand back and forth. We perform each part of the exercise 4-6 times, generally repeating the exercise 2-4 times.

Exercise in the morning and evening for at least 15-20 minutes. Thin it down with a set of exercises for other muscle groups by entering several of the options above.

Massage

Massage is also a very good remedy in the fight against osteochondrosis. Here, a therapeutic massage is performed, which is prescribed by a specialist after a thorough examination of the patient. You can also do this at home - here are several options for how this can be done.

Honey massage. We need 2-3 tablespoons of honey, preferably uncrystallized, hot. Dip your palms in honey so they are covered with a thin layer. We apply it to the area behind the sternum and pull it off abruptly, repeating several times, moving the palms from one place to another.

This massage should not be done for a long time as it is painful. Plenty of 10-15 minutes for one session. After that, the skin will be red, "it will burn".

Classic massage. It consists of several steps, which include: stroking, kneading, vibrating, rubbing. Massage with osteochondrosis cream or ointment is recommended - may be recommended by your specialist.

The duration of this massage should not exceed 20 minutes, and the general course of treatment with this method should include no more than 11-13 sessions. As a preventive measure, kneading is therefore also recommended for the neck, arms, shoulders, buttocks and even legs.

home treatments

Additionally, there are alternative methods for the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis. For example, rubbing is very good, the foundation of which can also be used for massaging. Lilac flowers, horseradish root, garlic, onion, potato, ficus are usually taken as a base. Honey, vegetable oil, and sometimes cologne or alcohol are added. Everything is thoroughly mixed into a homogeneous mass and the damaged area is rubbed. For example, according to the following recipe, you can prepare the ficus leaves rub:

• Ficus leaves worth 6-8 are passed through a grater or cut into small pieces. Placed in a container, where 2 vials of triple colony are poured. Mix. Grinding should be done in a dark place for 2 weeks. Then it is necessary to use it at least 2 times a day until heat appears on the skin.

Working at a computer is one of the most important causes of osteochondrosis. If you spend a lot of time on the computer, it's a good idea to exercise at least every two hours.

Computer work and osteochondrosis

Performing computer activities every day without physical activity can lead to incorrect posture. This is because the person performs static work for a long period, not giving rest to the muscles and spine and not warming up or resting. In the future, without correcting this problem, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region may occur.

To prevent this from happening, experts advise you to carry out the so-called office loading, designed specifically for those who work in front of the computer most of the time.

For example, the following exercises are very good:

1. Bend your back, pulling your arms up, throwing your head back. Feel a pleasant weight on your back. Run after every hour of computer work at least 3-4 times.
2. Make circular rotations with your head. Look left and right, tilt your head back and forth.
3. Raise your arms - to the sides - to the front - to the sides. Repeat several times.
4. Stay close to your desktop if you can, and shift from foot to foot.

Don't forget to change positions while working at the computer, so you'll maintain your health, spine and posture for a long time to come!

Strengthening of back muscles with osteochondrosis

Strengthening the back muscles is a very important part of treating and preventing osteochondrosis. For that, all you have to do is do physical activity - exercising, going to gym classes or going to the gym. Choose the option that works best for you. For example, swimming strengthens your muscles well, so you can not only have fun, but also improve your body.