Degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine are a form of human payment for vertical gait. Other mammals are known not to suffer from osteochondrosis because their spine is located horizontally on the surface of the earth. Vertical loads during gait lead to the gradual destruction of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs and contribute to the displacement of the vertebrae in a dangerous position.
In the chest region, such processes are less common than in the sacrum and neck, but this does not reduce the risk of this disease. This article discusses in detail the symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region and issues related to disease prevention.
Characteristics of chest osteochondrosis
The thoracic spine is characterized by low mobility, which reduces the likelihood of degenerative processes in this zone. Nevertheless, cases of this disease are regularly recorded by orthopedists and traumatologists in different age groups.
The incidence of osteochondrosis in civilized countries has steadily increased in recent decades. Doctors believe that the main reasons for this trend are inactive lifestyles, poor diet and the general environmental background of the planet.
Women suffer from chest osteochondrosis 2-3 times more often than men. This is due to the peculiarities of female anatomy and physiology. Other influencing factors include childbirth, gait, and general weakness of the muscle ligament 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 the nerve endings, which inevitably affects the condition of the internal organs. Advanced cases of the disease are often accompanied by disturbances in the work of blood vessels and the heart, breathing problems.
Anatomically, 12 thoracic vertebrae are connected to the ribs and sternum in a strong and inactive frame structure that protects internal organs from mechanical stress. In the initial stages, the disease hardly causes severe symptoms, but in the later stages, the manifestations of the pathology are so varied that sometimes this prevents an accurate diagnosis. No wonder osteochondrosis is often referred to as "chameleon disease. "
The most common causes of chest osteochondrosis are trauma, muscle weakness, physical inactivity, metabolic disorders, back strain, genetic predisposition. The disease develops gradually, which on the one hand allows the timely initiation of treatment and the cessation of degenerative processes, and on the other hand prevents the early detection of pathology.
Disease Stages
Doctors classify chest osteochondrosis according to the stages of development:
Section 1.Intervertebral discs lose their elastic properties, shrink in size, but do not yet move out of their anatomical position.
Stage 2The height of the discs continues to decrease and the spine itself loses its stability. Cracks form in the ring, the plates shift and put pressure on nerve endings, blood vessels and muscles. The second stage is characterized by severe back pain and neurological symptoms.
Section 3.Degenerative processes can lead to the formation of protrusions and cracks in the annulus fibrosus. In such cases, herniated plates are diagnosed. The plates lose their damping properties and eliminate their corresponding anatomical functions. The vertebrae themselves also suffer - collapse, collapse and form osteophytes - dangerous bone growths.
In addition to hard tissues, muscles, ligaments, and tendons are also affected. The muscles are blocked, with spasmodic phenomena occurring in them. The body tries to fix the affected area as much as possible to reduce the pain - this leads to muscle congestion and muscle atrophy.
Symptoms of Chest Osteochondrosis
As mentioned, in the initial stage, chest osteochondrosis occurs poorly or not at all. As the pathology progresses, intermittent pain occurs between the shoulder blades: symptoms increase after physical activity or, conversely, after prolonged rest. Often the pain after waking up bothers patients in the morning and weakens within an hour. Sometimes the pain moves along the intercostal nerve, radiating to the chest during coughing, sneezing, or running.
Typical signs
In stages 2-3, the most characteristic symptom of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is pain that is constantly painful in the interscapular zone. Chest pain is also quite typical: the sensations are similar to an attack of angina pectoris with coronary artery disease or heart failure.
The similarity of symptoms to heart disease is a fairly common cause of misdiagnosis. However, it is fairly straightforward to distinguish pain from cardiac symptoms in degenerative processes in the spine: nitroglycerin and osteochondrosis medications that relieve angina attacks do not alleviate the patient’s condition in any way.
Other characteristic symptoms of chest osteochondrosis:
- Stiffness of the muscles of the torso during deep breathing (dorsalgia) - as if the body had been compressed with a hoop;
- Dorsago - sharp pain in the chest (called "chest lumbago");
- Feeling of goosebumps and numbness of the hands (in the presence of radical syndrome)
- Intercostal pain during walking and physical activity (intercostal neuralgia): with inflammation of the nerve endings, the pain becomes constant;
- Cramps in the back of the chest;
- Pain when raising the arm, turning the trunk and taking a deep breath.
Stages of the disease directly affect the intensity of symptoms. From a therapeutic point of view, it is important for patients not to perform pain relief with medications and non-standard methods (painkillers, antispasmodics, various ointments, compresses and heating pads) but to visit the clinic and see their doctor for the cause of the pain. Self-treatment of osteochondrosis is rarely effective and in some cases even exacerbates the course of the disease.
Rare symptoms
Osteochondrosis of the chest zone is often disguised as another pathology that causes their symptoms. This complicates the diagnosis and is often the cause of inappropriate treatment.
The atypical manifestations of the disease are very diverse:
- ischemia, heart attack, signs of heart attack (ECG or other tests should be performed for differential diagnosis);
- Pains reminiscent of breast disease in women: should be examined by a mammologist to rule out the presence of neoplasms;
- Pain reminiscent of gastritis, colitis, gastric or intestinal ulcer, hepatitis - a gastroenterologist prescribes a diagnosis to rule out these diseases;
- Paroxysmal belt pains consistent with renal colic or other diseases of the urinary system.
Urinary disorders and reproductive disorders are also possible. In women, there is anorgasmia, painful and severe menstruation (menorrhagia), sometimes infertility. Men suffer from erectile dysfunction. Doctors are not always able to find the real cause of these diseases, so treating reproductive diseases does not provide positive dynamics.
Occasionally, osteochondrosis of the chest region may cause pressure inflammation, toothache and headache, sleep disturbances, and tinnitus. Psychoemotional disorders are not excluded - irritability, depression, tearing, anxiety.
Diagnosis, therapy and prevention
External examination, palpation, and movement tests are performed to identify the disease. It is important to know in detail from the patient the duration and nature of the symptoms and the concomitant manifestations of the disease.
The following procedures are prescribed:
- X-ray of the spine;
- MRI, CT and abdominal ultrasound (if necessary);
- Blood and urine tests;
- myelography;
- ECG (to rule out heart pathologies).
After the diagnosis is made, a treatment regimen is developed. There is no single protocol for treating osteochondrosis: wellness procedures depend on the patient’s condition, age, physical condition, and immune system condition.
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. They mostly practice conservative therapy.
Medication
Medications are prescribed only for severe pain syndrome and inflammatory processes. It is more preferable to use the drugs in the form of external ointments, less often tablets, intramuscular or epidural injections are prescribed.
The most common types of drugs are:
- 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, 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, and restore and stimulate blood circulation and metabolic processes.
Popular physiotherapy methods:
- Magnetotherapy;
- Electro- and phonophoresis;
- Laser exposure;
- Amplipulse therapy;
- Ultrasound treatment;
- Paraffin applications;
- Kinesio tape;
- Mud therapy;
- Balneotherapy;
- Hypothermia;
- Hirudotherapy, treatment of uterine venom.
The main benefit of physiotherapy is its safety. The procedures can be prescribed at any age, with almost any concomitant disease. A special field of physiotherapy is reflexology (acupuncture). The method is effective but requires the presence of a professional.
Physiotherapy is a mandatory phase in the treatment of chest osteochondrosis. Exercise strengthens the muscle device, restores the normal anatomical position of the vertebral structures, reduces the pressure on the nerve endings, and prevents the formation of protrusions and herniated intervertebral discs.
Complex exercises should be performed regularly and over a long period of time - only in this case will they produce a noticeable therapeutic effect. Ideally, sessions should be conducted under the guidance of an instructor, as any improper movement can cause injury and pain.
Massage (manual and hardware effects) has the same therapeutic functions as exercise: reducing pain, improving blood flow, strengthening muscles. In addition to colliding with the hands of a specialist, the use of massagers, applicators and orthopedic devices is practiced.
Radical treatment
In modern medical institutions, breast osteochondrosis surgery is performed in exceptional cases - when there is a real risk of spinal cord pinching or there are dangerous protrusions and hernias. Spine surgery is always an additional risk, so interventions are infrequent and only performed by experienced surgeons.
Prevention
Preventing the disease is much easier than long-term (and sometimes lifelong) therapy. Unfortunately, modern medicine cannot reverse degenerative processes, it can only minimize the consequences of pathology and eliminate acute symptoms.
For this reason, the prevention of osteochondrosis should be addressed from an early age. It prevents the development of the disease: proper posture, balanced nutrition, proper alternation of physical activity and rest, sleeping on a comfortable bed. Timely diagnosis of the disease and strict implementation of physician recommendations play a positive role.