Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a disease of the musculoskeletal system, the treatment of which depends on the speed of the diagnosis.It is completely hardened in the first stages, but it can be difficult to determine the source of the disease, because the patient does not first suspect that the pain and the discomfort which appeared are associated with damage to the spine: they do not bother him very, and he is not in a hurry.
Let us try to manage the characteristic symptoms of osteochondrosis, the nature of its occurrence, the possibilities of treatment and prevention of the disease.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
- The disease is characterized by dystrophic and degenerative changes in the chest column, which are associated with cellular metabolism disorders.
- In the intervertebral discs, the projection (thinning and cracking) occurs - the cause of the compression of the spinal cord, the numbness of the limbs, paralysis.It is the stage of the disease where only a surgical operation will help.
- The task of patients and doctors to take action on the diagnosis in a timely manner and the appropriate treatment.
Symptoms of the disease
The first symptoms of osteochondrosis in the chest zone of the spine:
- back pain (dorsalgia);
- acute chest pain (dorsago);
- Disfort during movements, I don't want to move again so as not to feel in pain.
These are projection symptoms - slimming, cracking of intervertebral discs.Pain appears in the kidneys, liver, heart, pancreas, stomach.The pathologies of the thoracic region are manifested by intercostal neuralgia, transversal osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis of the ribs and pectoires.A deep sigh or a cough causes pain or a feeling of compression or presence of a solid heavy coma in the chest.
Often, osteochondrosis of the spine is characterized by syndromes:
- Vasomotor syndrome characteristic of neurological diseases.The patient feels sudden redness, similar to pain, pain from other organs, systems.
- Muscle syndrome-Tone in muscle tissues near the disease.With an increase in physical activity, these areas swell.
- Neurodistrophic syndrome (Zuzhek disease) or metabolism in tissues can also become a symptom of the disease.
The difference in relation to other diseases
The difficulty of diagnosis and early detection of osteochondrosis in the chest area is that its symptoms are easy to confuse with others.
For example, pectalgia is not only a sign of breast osteochondosis, but also myocardial infarction.
With damage to the spine, the symptoms of pectalité occur with the turns of the head, torso and last a long time, for more than two weeks.Nitroglycerin in this case is useless.For comparison: with coronary diseases, the same pain continues a short period."Cardon" drugs will help get rid of or considerably help relieve it.
Pain in the area of the annex, kidneys, stomachs, intestines - symptoms of somatic diseases: appendicitis, nephritis, pyelonephritis, gastritis, stomach ulcers, colitis.During the compression (pinch) of the spinal cord, the symptoms characteristic of these diseases manifest.Pseudo-angiosis syndrome or a feeling of compression, severity in the chest differs from a chest, characteristic of patients with angina.Such pain can be caused by chest pathology, the cervical-thoracic and cervical parts, causing painful processes of the surrounding tissues: muscle and nervous.Pain with pseudo-angiosis syndrome occurs with upper body towers.
Symptoms of compression syndrome are signs of an extramedullary neoplasm of the spinal cord.
Due to the similarity of osteochondrosis in the thoracic zone of the spine with other diseases, the main thing is to diagnose with precision, for which complex measurements are carried out.
Development of the disease
Let's get tos what happens when osteochondrosis occurs:
- First, the disc is modified: it is sophisticated, covered with cracks, distorted.At this stage, the disease does not seem symptomatically and the patient feels nothing.
- Then there are pain associated with irritation of the nerve endings that are in the tissues next to the assigned discs.In people with developed muscle mass, the risk of pathological process is much smaller, because the muscles support the spine, like a corset.Pain can be neurological, such as the numbness of the limbs, the appearance of goosebumps, the changes in the internal organs of the chest.
In the first two stages, the disease is healed.
- Then, inflammatory processes, hernias, osteoarthritis, the subluxation of individual vertebrae can develop.The most frequent hernias in which the nucleus of the pulpose spine, constantly supported by a fibrous ring.When the ring is destroyed, the core ramps, causing acute pain, numbness, paralysis.
- In the fourth stage, a narrowing of the discs occurs, abnormal growth in bone tissue is possible.Thus, the spine protects itself from the dangerous compression of the spinal cord.
In serious cases, compression syndrome of spinal cord due to projection can cause surrounded pain, a decrease in sensitivity (gipalgues).
Disease development factors
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine develops due to the insufficient intake of intervertebral discs with useful substances and humidity.The discs of the spine differ from other body tissue in that they are not provided with nutrients via the vessel network and feed on neighboring fabrics.With a liquid deficiency, nutrients, a phenomenon called protrusion is characterized by the edge, refinement, cracking and destruction of intervertebral discs.
Degenerative changes appear for the following reasons:
- Hereditary, associated with underdevelopment and pathology of blood circulation.
- Congenital, provoked the appearance of a weakness of the musculoskeletal system: Rachitism, Cyphosis, Scoliosis, Prayer.
- Salt deposits next to the discs (osteophytes) publish a crunch when probe the spine.
- Violation of nutritional metabolism, microcirculation in tissues following injuries and infectious diseases
People who are at risk:
- live a strong physical activity;
- With a bad posture, in which over time there are the same pathological consequences as after injuries;
- have a sedentary work;
- Work by profession associated with a long constant organization (drivers).
When to see a doctor?
With column diseases to the doctor, you should go quickly.How to understand that the case is in the spine?With osteochondrosis, it may be difficult to understand or not immediately.In the first stages, the pain is not felt.
Remember!If there are pain in the chest and back, whose exact source is difficult to determine, because it has "floated" through the body: first, it hurts side by side, then alternately - shoulder, ribs, collarbone, in any sequence.It is most often a sign of damage to the thoracic spine.
Is it possible to relieve pain before meeting a doctor?
Until now, there is no precise diagnosis, radical treatment methods are used.The fact is that there are diseases in which, for example, thermal procedures are prohibited (with certain types of tumors).With sharp pain, the pain relievers are drunk and an ambulance call.In other cases, heavy loads are excluded by the sedative, find a practical body position and avoid net shock effects (jumps).On the first occasion, they go to the doctor to confirm the diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
Diagnosis of vertebral osteochondrosis in the chest
Always perform a complete examination to eliminate diseases with similar symptoms.
Diagnostic methods include:
- Anamnesis;
- Inspection and palpation;
- Computer tomography, which determines the exact diagnosis and clarifies the stage of development of the disease;
- X -ray as an alternative method of tomography, capable of revealing cracks on discs and formed growth;
- Ultrasound, ECG, gastroscopy, fluorography, general tests that exclude diseases, similar to symptoms similar to osteochondrosis.
The more complete the diagnosis, the more precise the diagnosis.In addition to osteochondrosis, other spine pathologies can be detected, this takes into account the doctor when diagnosing and prescribing treatment.
How to treat osteochondrosis in the spine?
The medical treatment of osteochondosis will result in complete healing of the patient if the diagnosis is made in a timely manner.
- First of all, it is discussed to relieve pain, for this purpose, the drugs are prescribed - pain reliever, blocking of the source of pain with novocaine injections, for a certain time releasing the patient with unbearable pain;
- Physium with currents, laser, magnetopunctural devices;
- needle-flexotherapy or acupuncture, which is led by professional doctors;
- Therapeutic gymnastics under the supervision of a physiotherapist;
- Objective of chondroprotectors;
- Surgical intervention is exchanged in serious cases, when other methods are useless.
Folk remedies
All popular methods of treatment of osteochondrosis are divided into pathogenetics and symptomatic.Pathogenetics - aimed at fighting disease.These include:
- physiotherapeutic procedures;
- Massage starting with the study of pain points for 8 to 12 minutes, then time is increased;Massage is only shown in the absence of acute pain;
- A diet, in which the patient refuses grapes and legumes, systematically accepts substances containing natural chondroitin, a substance that helps strengthen intervertebral discs: jelly, broth and meat.etc., the use of vegetables and fruits that contribute to cleaning the body is shown;
- During the appearance of acute pain - warming with salt, sand;
- acupuncture.
Symptomatic agents to relieve symptoms of the disease include external and internal phytotherapy.
Disease prevention
To prevent osteochondrosis, in general, and osteochondrosis of the chest zone of the spine, in particular, several conditions must be met:
- Sleep on hard surfaces and pillows with a slope of no more than 15 degrees, compared to the mattress;
- Avoid exorbitant loads on the spine and the professions, associated with a trembling body;
- observe the right lifestyle;
- Drink water regularly, prevent dehydration;
- Pregnant women are recorded in the early stages, use vitamins and elements that contribute to the correct development of the fetus;
- Prevention of actors in a child, which is a prevention of disorders in the musculoskeletal system.
Osteochondosis of the spine is a disease that can be treated, especially in the early stages.In the following, if it was not possible to completely overcome the disease, there is no reason to despair.Existing treatment methods are designed to considerably reduce patient suffering.Early diagnosis, the execution of all the doctor's prescriptions can completely save the patient from the exhausting disease.