Osteochondrosis– a set of dystrophic disorders in the articular cartilage. This disease usually affects men and women over the age of 30. But recently, it is even found in teenagers.
Depending on the localization of the damage to the joints, cervical, thoracic and lumbar are distinguished. In most cases, osteochondrosis manifests itself as severe back pain, headache and dizziness.Osteochondrosis of the thoracic regionIt is rarer than cervical, but it is no less dangerous due to various complications.
Thoracic osteochondrosis: what is it?
In thoracic osteochondrosis, pathological changes in the spine occur in the thoracic region. Intervertebral discs are most commonly affected. The chest area is not as mobile as the cervical area, which is why the characteristic symptoms of the disease are not immediately noticeable. The diagnosis is made already in the later stages of the disease.
Dystrophic disorders affect the cartilage and connective tissue of the muscles, which leads to complications and causes other serious diseases.
Patients are used to treating osteochondrosis lightly, but without timely treatment, thoracic osteochondrosis can be dangerous to health. Often the disease affects both the cervical and thoracic spine, which affects the quality of life.
What are the degrees?
Treatment of the disease begins with diagnosis and determination of its stage.
- At the first stagepeople usually do not notice any changes, pain does not appear, but the intervertebral discs begin to lose their elasticity, characteristic protrusions appear when the disc protrudes into the spinal canal without tearing the annulus fibrosus.
- In the second stage– the disease progresses, pain, dizziness and other neurological symptoms appear. The intervertebral discs are even less elastic, there is a danger of bulging into the spinal canal with rupture of the fibrous ring - a hernia is formed.
- In the third stagethe pain causes a lot of inconvenience and is aggravated by the appearance of a hernia.
- Osteochondrosis of the chest infourth stagecharacterized by progressive neurological symptoms, the intervertebral discs completely lose their rigidity and elasticity. The destruction of the vertebrae begins.
It is impossible to determine osteochondrosis by external signs, although it often accompanies another pathology of the spine - scoliosis, which is noticeable during a visual examination.
What could be the reasons
The cause of the disorders occurring in the spine is insufficient nutrition of the cartilages and vertebrae. It is impossible to say exactly why such a malfunction in the functioning of the body occurs.However, there are many factors that contribute to this:
- A sedentary lifestyle and, as a result, weak back muscles.
- Bad posture, awkward posture.
- Various back injuries, improper lifting of weights (pulling off the floor), heavy physical activity.
- Other diseases of the spine.
- Improper nutrition, lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the diet, especially calcium, which are necessary for the formation of healthy bone tissue.
- PregnancyWomen often notice signs of osteochondrosis of the chest during pregnancy, when the load on the spine becomes higher, in addition, due to additional resource costs, the body often lacks vitamins and minerals.
- Heredity. If you have relatives who suffer from this disease, the probability of developing it increases. In this case, you should take care of prevention.
Often, when making a diagnosis, doctors identify a combination of factors: sedentary work, frequent incorrect lifting of weights and poor posture.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest
In the early stage, the disease does not manifest itself in any way. Often, even before the severe pain syndrome, there are neurological disorders (dizziness, spots in the eyes, etc. ), which the patient does not associate with back problems. People begin to suspect problems with the spine when pain occurs. Let's look at the main signs of thoracic osteochondrosis:
- Sharp, squeezing pain in the upper part of the chest, which worsens after exercise, hard work or staying in an uncomfortable position. It can be accompanied by shortness of breath, coughing and breathing problems.
- Cold sensation in hands and feetwithout cause, numbness of the limbs.
- Headache, dizziness, foggy eyes, blurred vision, feeling tired, shortness of breath. When the intervertebral discs are displaced, nerve endings and blood vessels are pressed, which is why neurological symptoms appear.
Thoracic osteochondrosis causes patients pain in the region of the heart or stomach, which greatly complicates the diagnosis of the disease.
These are the main signs indicating intervertebral osteochondrosis. Some patients experience pain in the gastrointestinal tract and heart, which often leads to an incorrect diagnosis. The nature of the pain is also different. For example, some patients experience prolonged, mild pain -dorsalgiaor, conversely, severe pain that stiffens the muscles and makes breathing difficult -dorsago.
These sensations can be felt in the stomach area, the patient misinterprets them and is sent for examination of the liver, pancreas, etc. , without suspecting that the cause of the pain is osteochondrosis of the chest area. With a combination of several forms of chondrosis - cervical and thoracic - people complain of a feeling of a foreign body in the throat, which becomes pronounced after physical exertion or after being in an uncomfortable position.
Complications
- During the development of the disease, accompanying diseases are added to the main disease. Thus, prolonged compression of the blood vessels in the region of the spine leads toto malfunctions of the cardiovascular system, which in particularly severe cases can disrupt the work of the heart.
- Another common complication, especially when combining thoracic and cervical forms of osteochondrosis, isvegetative-vascular dystonia. The compression of blood vessels and nerve endings disrupts the proper nutrition of the brain, as a result of which patients experience severe long-lasting headaches, dizziness, a feeling of fog in the eyes and blurred vision. In advanced cases, fainting may occur due to back disease.
- From the side of the nervous system possiblepanic attack, which occur with excessive mental or physical exertion, severe fatigue. At these moments, patients note a rapid heart rate and breathing problems: it is difficult to breathe, there is not enough air.
- Another complication that makes it difficult not only for patients but also for doctors isintercostal neuralgia.The pinching of the nerve roots in the thoracic spine causes a specific pain syndrome reminiscent of the sensations associated with heart disease. Patients turn to doctors with heart complaints, which complicates diagnosis. This disease accompanies various pathologies of the spine, but as a rule, the symptoms disappear with the start of treatment.
If you do not pay attention to the development of osteochondrosis of the breast, after some time it will begin to significantly affect the quality of life, limit activity and range of motion.
Diagnosis
Doctors are prevented from making a correct diagnosis by the variety of symptoms, which is why they often suspect disorders in the gastrointestinal tract or the nervous system. To avoid mistakes, orthopedists or neurologists send a chest X-ray, and often an MRI or CT scan is performed to clarify the diagnosis.
To rule out heart disease, the patient is given an ECG. Treatment is prescribed only after diagnosis.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest
Unfortunately, this disease cannot be cured. When pain occurs, the changes that have occurred in the spine cannot be corrected. However, modern medicine can relieve pain and thus improve the quality of life. Correctly selected therapy and a healthy lifestyle can avoid exacerbations.
Treatment involves several factors that work together. Medicines and physical therapy are usually used to relieve symptoms and prevent the situation from worsening. Surgery is only necessary if a herniated disc develops. There are dozens of home remedies, but each of them should be discussed with the doctor in order not to make the situation worse.
Drug treatment
Medicines for osteochondrosis are used to relieve pain, anti-inflammatory pain relievers are often used for this purpose. In the later stages or in case of severe exacerbation of the patient, an anesthetic block is applied. To relieve neurological symptoms, take drugs to improve cerebral circulation.
Physiotherapy
Effective non-drug ways to relieve pain and tension in the back muscles:magnetic therapy, laser therapy, acupunctureand so on. A positive result will be noticeable only after a few full-fledged procedures. Use only after consulting a doctor!
Massage
The most popular and affordable home method. Massage relieves muscle tension, which relieves pain. The best results can be obtained from specialists, but self-massage of the collar area will also bring benefits. The impact on the muscles helps to relax the sore spot. It is recommended that the massage be performed in courses.
Exercise therapy
The complex of treatment of osteochondrosis includes physiotherapy. Moderate exercises strengthen the back muscles, improve the flexibility and mobility of the spine. Regular physical exercise will help avoid exacerbations of the disease or even delay the onset of the first symptoms for decades. Many doctors recommend the doctor's method, which offers its own program to fight back diseases using specialized exercise equipment.
Each method of treatment hascontraindications, a doctor's consultation is required before use. In addition, with a complex effect on the disease, vitamin and mineral complexes are used to restore the proper nutrition of cartilage tissue and joints.
What to do in case of exacerbation of osteochondrosis
An exacerbation of osteochondrosis surprises you: you need to go to work, but your back does not straighten, it is difficult to turn your neck and you feel dizzy. It usually appears as a result of excessive physical exertion, a long time in an uncomfortable position (sitting at a computer, working in garden beds, etc. ). Exacerbation is characterized by severe back pain or headache, limitation of movement, dizziness or even fainting.
What actions should you take to relieve these symptoms? Light exercise, massages and sleeping in the fresh air will help. Severe pain is treated with medication. Only a doctor prescribes medicine! When using drugs, improvement occurs within two hours.
People's funds
Despite their availability, folk remedies should also be used with caution. All of them are aimed at eliminating pain. To do this, use different compresses, for example, from raw grated potatoes with honey. The paste is applied to the affected area and wrapped with a film. The compress should be left on for several hours, preferably overnight, and then rinsed off.
To alleviate neurological symptoms and manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia, decoctions of soothing herbs help: chamomile, lemon balm, sage, mint, blueberry leaves.
There are contraindications, a consultation with a specialist is necessary.
Only a set of procedures will help in the fight against osteochondrosis: proper nutrition, physiotherapy, massage, avoiding excessive physical activity and an active lifestyle. If the disease is felt, then it will not be possible to get rid of it completely, but it is possible to bring the disease to a long-term state of remission.