Due to the relative inactivity and anatomical features, osteochondrosis rarely affects the thoracic region, but this disease cannot be called rare. Therefore, if you experience stiffness and pain in the area of the shoulder blades, it is worth finding out what osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is, what symptoms and methods of treatment it has.
In fact, the disease is rarely localized in this part of the spine, but it brings with it unpleasant consequences and sensations that cause nothing less than damage to the neck and lower back. Its peculiarity can with certainty be called "nebulousness" of symptoms, with which even an experienced doctor can become confused at the onset of the disease.
What is thoracic osteochondrosis?
Osteochondrosis - degenerative-dystrophic lesions of the intervertebral discs between the vertebrae and the vertebrae themselves.
As already mentioned, due to such features, the disease manifests itself much less often in the chest area than in the lumbar or neck area:
- the chest region is inactive;
- it is well fixed by the ribs and the entire chest;
- Due to kyphosis (i. e. the physiological backward bending of the spine) in the chest area, the vertebrae in the front, more durable part experience a maximum load.
But unfortunately, anyone can develop a disease, especially if the conditions are right.
What does an MRI of the thoracic spine show?
Diagnosing a disease that has developed in the chest area needs to be thorough, and MRI does better than most studies.
How is an MRI done?
Everything is simple and painless - you need to lie down on a bench that enters a special spherical chamber and wait the allotted time for the equipment to "illuminate" the body. It is worth removing all metal objects in advance and warning staff about the presence of pacemakers, prostheses and other foreign objects in the body.
In general, so far, osteochondrosis has only been diagnosed with the help of palpation - they probed the vertebrae, there is pain, which means that there is osteochondrosis. Now doctors supplement their knowledge with special studies, the most informative of which is MRI, which allows to determine degenerative phenomena in cartilage and vertebrae, determine the presence of hernias and the peculiarities of their development.
If you're not afraid of tight spaces, you can even take a nap.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Symptoms of insidious osteochondrosis in the chest area can successfully hide for a long time without manifesting and without causing pain or even discomfort. And later, when the damage is already causing obvious manifestations, it is sometimes difficult to determine the source of painful sensations - they can affect the heart, internal organs and legs. Hence it is necessary to analyze this problem in detail.
So doctors differentiate between several types of symptoms.
Reflexes are directly related to the negative effects the disease has on various receptors.
As a result, the patient feels:
- pain in the area of the shoulder blades or just below, often encircling and squeezing "like a tire";
- The focus of pain can be localized in different parts of the body - in the sternum, simulating myocardial infarction, on the right side, disguised as a liver, and even in the lower back, such as renal colic, so a comprehensive examination of the internal organs is often necessary in order to diagnoseto be able to close a back problem.
Compression symptoms occur from squeezing or stretching the nerve roots,
as a result it can be:
- Weakness in the legs, they seem to refuse;
- Loss of sensitivity in the limbs;
- Numbness in the pinched area, feeling of "goose bumps";
- Feeling of coma in the chest;
- the tension of the surrounding muscles, which can be noted when massaging;
- Fortunately, such neglected cases are rare because of deterioration in organ work.
Given the peculiarities of women's physiology, symptoms of osteochondrosis in the chest area are sometimes confused with other diseases.
Often times, pain radiates into the mammary glands, which automatically makes a woman think of problems with her breasts.
Pulling, regular pain resembles fibrosis, tumors and other problems with the gland, which leads to a consultation with a mammologist. And if the doctor does not find any abnormalities in the structure and function of the mammary glands after the tests, the examination and the mammography, one can safely assume osteochondrosis.
Causes of osteochondrosis of the chest region
The causes of osteochondrosis for the rib cage and other regions are the same, but to localize the problem right here, clear premises are needed:
- Curvature of the spine, especially the chest area;
- the presence of bad habits;
- wearing high-heeled shoes;
- being in an unnatural position for a long time, for example at a computer, sewing machine, weeding a garden;
- great physical activity;
- hereditary predisposition to back diseases;
- Pregnancy, which causes a shift in center of gravity;
- Flat feet and refusal to wear special orthopedic insoles;
- Spinal injury.
Signs of osteochondrosis of the chest region
Signs of osteochondrosis in the chest area are pain, stiffness, and muscle tension in this area. As already stated, a distinction is made between reflex and compression syndromes, whereby the former must be discussed in more detail.
Dorsago and dorsalgia
The most obvious reflex syndromes of the disease are dorsago and dorsalgia. What is it?
Dorsago - cutting, severe, stabbing pain in the spine, as if someone had stabbed a knife in the back. Sometimes painful sensations spread to the heart or sternum.
The sensations are so "rainbow" that the patient is afraid to make any movement and even to breathe deeply. When palpating, you may notice muscle tension near the spine. Most often, an attack occurs after prolonged sitting in an uncomfortable position and a sharp change. Due to the severity of the pain and its location in the chest, dorsago is often mistaken for a heart attack, but the distant cardiogram clears the picture.
Dorsalgia is a painful pain that gradually manifests itself, covering the rib cage and chest, intensifying with movement, especially when tilting and rotating the body, including sneezing or driving over bumps.
It is uncomfortable that it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the most painful area - these are superficial or deep tissues, back or chest, which makes it difficult to make the correct diagnosis.
What is called intercostal neuralgia?
Sometimes pain is noted in the intercostal spaces, then the symptom is called intercostal neuralgia, this symptom is characterized:
- severe pain covering the intercostal space, sometimes radiating to the lower back, arm, or shoulder blade, and lasting hours or even days;
- pain when probing the ribs;
- Reddening or pallor of the skin in the focus of the inflammation, a burning sensation or, conversely, numbness
- the inability to breathe evenly and deeply - every breath brings agony;
- some muscles in the chest or back twitch spontaneously.
How to treat intercostal neuralgia at home
Before treating intercostal neuralgia, you need to correctly determine the diagnosis, since the symptoms are similar to those of heart disease, and fighting the disease at home with a real myocardial problem can cause big problems.
If this is not the first attack, and the doctor confirms the diagnosis, then you can resort to home treatment methods, including the main ones:
- Bed rest for 2-3 days;
- taking a sedative to relieve pain and relieve cramps;
- the use of local analgesics in gels and ointments;
- the use of warming agents - mustard plasters and pepper plasters;
- Restoration of nerve tissue by taking B vitamins;
- Fixation of the spine, for this a corset is used, which holds the body in the correct position and reduces the compression of the vertebrae.
Back pain can really be eliminated in a few days, but to avoid relapse you need to fight the cause yourself for several months.
Atypical signs of breast osteochondrosis
In addition to the clinical manifestations, thoracic osteochondrosis can have completely atypical symptoms that are so easy to confuse with other complaints. Among them:
- Imitation of pain in the heart or chest in women, discomfort can torment for weeks, but additional examinations show no problems with the heart and chest;
- Localization of pain in the pelvic region, as in gastritis or colitis, or on the right side, as in liver dysfunction, the diagnosis is complicated by deterioration in digestion due to a disturbance in the conduction of stimuli along the nerves it is difficult to determine the priority;
- Disorders of urination and erectile function, which also occur due to a disorder in the conduction of nerve endings.
But there is a little hint - the aggravation manifests itself closer at night and grows every hour after waking up due to pinching of the nerves in the back, and after rest it passes, while the work of the heart or other internal organs are disturbednoticeable around the clock.
How to treat osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Treatment of osteochondrosis in the thoracic spine is a long affair, besides, it is impossible to restore tissues, it will only be possible to slow down the process and prevent its deterioration. However, this does not mean that you can calm down, reconcile and do nothing to realize the futility of the effort, because treatment gives you the opportunity to live and work fully, and although neglected forms do not end fatally, they willAffect life significantly.
Medication
At the first symptoms of osteochondrosis, drug treatment involves the use of drugs that eliminate pain. For these purposes, it is best to take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
They are prescribed for 1-2 weeks, during which time the pain usually goes away.
You can combine taking pills, capsules, or suppositories with local analgesics or compresses (although they can cause allergies, so you have to drip on a small area of skin and wait half an hour before using), similar ointments are also suitable.
Sometimes with pain of a particular strength, anti-inflammatory drugs are powerless, and then analgesics in the form of droppers are saved.
In some cases, you need to inject pain medication directly down your spine, the procedure is called a paravertebral block, and it is done by a doctor in a hospital.
Later, muscle relaxants are used to relax the muscles, diuretics are prescribed for edema around the nerve endings, and blood circulation and tissue regeneration restore trophies. To avoid relapse, you need to drink chondroprotectors for several months in the future.
Home treatment
At home, you can resort to many non-drug methods of treating osteochondrosis. These are:
- Massage;
- Exercise therapy;
- Stretching;
- Compresses and infusions to normalize the metabolism in the vertebrae.
As for the last point, here you can recommend such folk remedies:
- rub with marigold tincture, to do this, take 200 grams of vodka, triple alcohol and camphor alcohol per 100 grams of a flower, insist on it for 14 days and before going to bed rub the affected area and wrap it with a warm scarf;
- Mix the same amount of orange peel and lemon balm and pour a glass of boiling water, leave for an hour, strain, add 1 tsp each. Tincture of valerian and honey, drink ½ glass twice a day for a month.
Exercises for the chest area
Perhaps it is the chest osteochondrosis exercises that are most effective at preventing secondary complications.
Gymnastics relieves stiffness, relaxes and strengthens muscles, and increases a person's physical activity. Constant and regular exercise accelerates blood circulation, eliminates inflammation of the nerve roots, reduces stress on the spine and this exercise therapy is suitable not only for damage in the chest area, but for every part of the spine.
However, doctors do not recommend performing such exercises during periods of severe exacerbations, generally poor health, coordination problems, high blood pressure, and irregular heartbeat.
Before exercising, it is better to take a shower, stretch the muscles with massage and warm up.
So the best exercises:
- alternately lift your shoulders 10 times;
- turn your head to the side and freeze in extreme places for a few seconds;
- place your hands behind your back under your shoulder blades, bend over and freeze for 10 seconds;
- While standing, bend to the side, touch the knee with the shoulder, repeat in the other direction;
- Lying on the floor, we put a roller under the chest region, put our hands behind our head and lift our shoulders, then we move the roller a little higher, this movement is intended to stretch this section of the spine;
- Lying on our stomach, we raise our chest over the floor, first with our arms stretched out to the front, then with our arms stretched out to the sides and finally with our arms joined to form a lock.
Such a charge will help forget about back problems for many months.
massage
Massage for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region helps relieve pain, improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, relieve muscle spasms, improve their tone and improve trophism in the intervertebral cartilage.
As a rule, the course does not begin immediately on the first day, but after 3-4 days, when the main unpleasant sensations have already disappeared, in rare cases the masseur can help during the period of exacerbation.
The first sessions must be carried out gently, without excessive pressure on the tissue, both skilled hands and special massage devices are suitable as aids. It is not worth doing a massage without proper experience and training - you can only make the problem worse, so do not skimp on a course from a professional.
Manual therapy
At first glance, manual therapy is similar to massage - the same stroking with the hands, but in reality, unlike a masseur, a chiropractor does not work on the muscles and skin, but on the vertebrae themselves, which requires more strength and skill.
It uses striking techniques, alternating tension and relaxation of the muscles, flexion of the spine to eliminate disturbances in the structure of the spine, and instrumental methods in the treatment of elderly patients.
A skilled manual therapy practitioner will be able to improve the tone of the back muscles, restore mobility to the spine, correct its curvature and prolapse of the vertebrae, and improve blood circulation.
Prevention is the best treatment
To prevent the occurrence of this unpleasant disease, you will have to make an effort, but it is worth it. Recommended:
- Monitor weight, as extra kilograms put additional strain on the spine;
- eat well and varied;
- Avoid hypothermia of the spine;
- Do sports, especially if you are sedentary, swimming is perfect;
- take breaks and warm up at work (some exercises from the above complex will be enough);
- Change poses when you sit long at the computer at a table;
- Avoid placing excessive stress on the spine.
Diet adjustment
The condition of the joints, blood vessels and bones is directly related to diet, and if symptoms of osteochondrosis appear, it is worth correcting them. So it is worth excluding:
- smoked meat, which clogs the body;
- fried, as a result of which extra pounds appear;
- Sweet;
- Soda, especially sweet.
Instead, go to:
- cooked meat and broths made from pork, chicken and rabbit meat;
- Vegetables;
- Greens;
- Milk products, in particular kefir, cheese and cottage cheese;
- fish cooked at least once a week;
- Fruits, apples are better.
Correct postures in a dream
Breast osteochondrosis dictates its own rules even in a dream and requires you to choose the correct posture. You need to give up your favorite rest on your stomach - in this position your head will be thrown back and the blood vessels will be compressed, thereby reducing blood flow to the brain.
The best poses for illness are:
- sideways, when all organs and limbs are at rest and not compressed;
- On the back;
- In the fetal position with knees bent up to the chest, the back muscles relax well.
I note that no less attention needs to be paid to the bed, it should be equipped with a firm base, a hard orthopedic mattress and a small pillow on which only the head without shoulders is supported at body level. We have to say goodbye to our favorite soft mattress and a huge down pillow.
Sitting posture
Sitting with chronic osteochondrosis should also be right! Tips that must be followed:
- avoid upholstered furniture;
- choose a chair so that the legs reach the floor and the depth is 2/3 of the thigh.
- when sitting there should be plenty of space under the table so that you do not have to bend your legs;
- when sitting for a long time, change position, warm up, walk every 10-15 minutes;
- Make sure your back is resting on your back;
- do not bend forward to avoid muscle tension;
- place a roller under your lower back while driving to maintain physiological flexion;
- Even when relaxing on a sofa or bed, change your position every hour, relax your back muscles and stretch.
Osteochondrosis is not a fatal disease, but it is a very unpleasant disease that must be brought under control from the first manifestations. Now that you know what to look for, how to recognize by several symptoms, what exercises to do with osteochondrosis and how to overcome them. Dare yourself and be healthy!