Thoracic osteochondrosis: signs, causes, diagnosis

Osteochondrosis– a set of dystrophic disorders of the articular cartilage. Typically, this disease affects men and women over the age of 30. But recently it is also found in adolescents.

Depending on the location of the joint damage, cervical, thoracic and lumbar are distinguished. In most cases, osteochondrosis is manifested by severe back pain, headaches and dizziness.Osteochondrosis of the thoracic regionIt is less frequent than cervical one, but is no less dangerous due to various complications.

Thoracic osteochondrosis: what is it?

With thoracic osteochondrosis, pathological changes occur in the spine in the thoracic region. Intervertebral discs are most often affected. The thoracic region is not as mobile as the cervical region, so 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 muscle, causing complications and giving rise to other serious diseases.

Patients are used to treating osteochondrosis lightly, but without timely treatment, thoracic osteochondrosis can be dangerous to your 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.

1. In the first phasepeople usually do not notice any changes, pain does not appear, but the intervertebral discs begin to lose their elasticity, characteristic bumps appear when the disc protrudes into the spinal canal without rupture of the fibrous ring.
2. In the second phase– the disease progresses, pain, dizziness and other neurological symptoms appear. The intervertebral discs are even less elastic, there is a danger of protruding into the spinal canal with rupture of the fibrous ring - a hernia is formed.
3. To the third phasethe pain causes quite a bit of discomfort and is aggravated by the appearance of a hernia.
4. Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spinefourth phasecharacterized by progressive neurological symptoms, the intervertebral discs completely lose firmness 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 evident on visual examination.

What could be the reasons

The cause of disorders occurring in the spine is insufficient nutrition of the cartilage and vertebrae. It is impossible to say exactly why such a malfunction occurs in the functioning of the body.However, there are many factors that contribute to this:

1. A sedentary lifestyle and, as a result, weak back muscles.
2. Incorrect posture, uncomfortable posture.
3. Various back injuries, improper weight lifting (floor sprints), strenuous physical activity.

4. Other diseases of the spine.
5. Inadequate nutrition, lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the diet, especially calcium, necessary for the formation of healthy bone tissue.
6. Pregnancy. Often women notice signs of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region during pregnancy, when the load on the spine becomes greater; in addition, due to additional resource costs, the body often lacks vitamins and minerals.
7. Inheritance. If you have relatives who suffer from this disease, the likelihood of developing it increases. In this case, you need to worry about prevention.

Often, when making the diagnosis, doctors identify a combination of factors: sedentary work, frequent improper weight lifting and poor posture.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region

At an early stage, the disease does not manifest itself in any way. Often, even before a pronounced pain syndrome, neurological disorders appear (dizziness, spots in the eyes, etc. ), which the patient does not associate with back problems. People begin to suspect spinal problems when pain occurs. Let's consider the main signs of thoracic osteochondrosis:

1. Sharp, oppressive pain in the upper thoracic region, which worsens after exercise, hard work, or being in an uncomfortable position. It may be accompanied by shortness of breath, cough and breathing problems.
2. Cold sensation in hands and feetfor no reason, numbness of the limbs.
3. Headache, dizziness, fog in the eyes, blurred vision, feeling tired, short of breath. When the intervertebral discs are displaced, the nerve endings and blood vessels are compressed, which is why neurological symptoms occur.

Thoracic osteochondrosis causes patients to feel pain in the heart or stomach area, which significantly 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 misdiagnosis. The nature of the pain also varies. For example, some patients experience long-term non-acute pain -dorsalgiaor, on the contrary, an intense 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 an examination of the liver, pancreas, etc. , Without suspecting that the cause of the pain is osteochondrosis of the thoracic region. With a combination of different forms of chondrosis - cervical and thoracic - people complain of the sensation 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, concomitant diseases are added to the main disease. Therefore, it leads to prolonged compression of the blood vessels in the spinal areato failures of the cardiovascular system, which in particularly severe cases can disturb the functioning of the heart.
• Another common complication, especially when combining thoracic and cervical forms of osteochondrosis, isvegetative-vascular dystonia. Compression of blood vessels and nerve endings disrupts proper nutrition of the brain, as a result of which patients experience severe long-term headaches, dizziness, feeling of fog in the eyes and blurred vision. In advanced cases, fainting may occur due to back disease.
• From the nervous system possiblepanic attacks, occurring during excessive mental or physical stress, severe fatigue. At these moments, patients notice a rapid heartbeat and breathing problems: it is difficult to breathe, there is not enough air.
• Another complication that causes difficulties not only for patients, but also for doctors isintercostal neuralgia.Pinching of the nerve roots in the thoracic spine produces a specific pain syndrome, reminiscent of sensations associated with heart disease. Patients turn to doctors with heart disorders, which complicates the diagnosis. This disease accompanies various pathologies of the spine, but, as a rule, its symptoms disappear with the start of treatment.

If you do not pay attention to the development of breast osteochondrosis, after a while it will begin to significantly affect the quality of life, limit activity and freedom of movement.

Diagnostics

Doctors are unable to make a correct diagnosis due to the variety of symptoms, so they often suspect disorders of the gastrointestinal tract or nervous system. To avoid mistakes, orthopedists or neurologists require an x-ray of the thoracic spine, and an MRI or CT scan is often 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 thoracic region

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. Properly selected therapy and a healthy lifestyle can avoid flare-ups.

Treatment involves several factors working together. To relieve symptoms and prevent the situation from worsening, medications and physical therapy are usually used. Surgery is only necessary if a herniated disc develops. There are dozens of home treatments, but each of them should be discussed with your doctor so as not to make the situation worse.

Treatment with drugs

Medications for osteochondrosis are used to relieve pain; for this purpose, anti-inflammatory painkillers are often used. In later stages or in case of severe exacerbation, the patient is given an anesthetic block. To relieve neurological symptoms, take medications to improve cerebral circulation.

Physiotherapy

Effective non-drug ways to relieve pain and tension in the back muscles: magnetotherapy, laser therapy, acupunctureand so on. After just a few full-fledged procedures, a positive result will be noticed. Use only after consulting a doctor!

Massage

The most popular and convenient 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 painful area. It is recommended to carry out the massage in courses.

Physical therapy

The complex of treatment of osteochondrosis includes physical therapy. Moderate exercise strengthens the back muscles, improves flexibility and mobility of the spine. Regular exercise will help avoid exacerbation of the disease or even delay the appearance of the first symptoms for decades. Many doctors recommend the doctor's method, which offers its own program to help fight diseases with the help of specialized sports equipment.

Each treatment method hascontraindications, consultation with a doctor is necessary before use. Also, with a complex effect on the disease, vitamin and mineral complexes are used to restore the correct nutrition of cartilage tissue and joints.

What to do in case of exacerbation of osteochondrosis

An exacerbation of osteochondrosis surprises you: you have to go to work, but your back does not straighten, it is difficult to turn your neck and you feel dizzy. It usually occurs due to excessive physical exertion, staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time (sitting at the computer, working on flowerbeds, etc. ). A flare-up is characterized by severe back pain or headache, limitation of movement, dizziness, or even fainting.

What actions should you take to relieve these symptoms? Gentle physical activity, massage and sleeping in the fresh air will help. Severe pain is treated with medications. Only a doctor prescribes drugs! When using drugs, improvement occurs within two hours.

Folk remedies

Despite their availability, folk remedies should also be used with caution. Everyone aims to get rid of pain. To do this, use various compresses, for example, from grated raw potatoes with honey. The paste is applied to the sore spot and wrapped in cling film. The compress should be left for several hours, preferably overnight, then rinsed.

To alleviate neurological symptoms and manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia, infusions of soothing herbs help: chamomile, lemon balm, sage, mint, cranberry leaves.

There are contraindications, it is necessary to consult a specialist.

In the fight against osteochondrosis, only a set of procedures will help: proper nutrition, physiotherapy, massage, avoiding excessive physical activity and an active lifestyle. If the disease has made itself felt, it will not be possible to completely eliminate it, but it is possible to bring the disease into a state of long-term remission.