Thoracic osteochondrosis: signs, causes, diagnosis.

osteochondrosis– a set of dystrophic disorders in articular cartilage. Typically, this disease affects men and women over 30 years of age. But lately it has been found even in adolescents.

Depending on the location of joint damage, cervical, thoracic and lumbar are distinguished. In most cases, osteochondrosis manifests itself as severe back pain, headache and dizziness.Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.It is less common than cervical, but 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. The intervertebral discs are the most affected. The thoracic region is not as mobile as the cervical one, so the characteristic symptoms of the disease are not immediately noticeable. The diagnosis is made already in the last stages of the disease.

Dystrophic disorders affect the cartilage and connective tissue of the muscle, causing complications and leading to other serious diseases.

Patients are accustomed to treating osteochondrosis lightly, but without timely treatment, thoracic osteochondrosis can be dangerous to health. The disease often affects both the cervical and thoracic spine, affecting quality of life.

What are the degrees?

Treatment of the disease begins with diagnosis and determination of its stage.

1. In the first stagePeople usually do not notice any changes, pain does not appear, but the intervertebral discs begin to lose their elasticity, characteristic bulges appear when the disc protrudes into the spinal canal without breaking the annulus fibrosus.
2. 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 them bulging into the spinal canal when the annulus fibrosus ruptures and a hernia forms.
3. In the third stageThe pain causes a lot of discomfort and is aggravated by the appearance of a hernia.
4. Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine infourth stageCharacterized by progressive neurological symptoms, the intervertebral discs completely lose their 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 noted by visual examination.

What could be the reasons

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

1. Sedentary lifestyle and, as a consequence, weak back muscles.
2. Bad posture, uncomfortable posture.
3. Various back injuries, improper lifting of weights (pulls from the floor), intense physical activity.

4. Other diseases of the spine.
5. Improper nutrition, lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the diet, in particular calcium, which are necessary for the formation of healthy bone tissue.
6. The pregnancy. Often women notice signs of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region during pregnancy, when the load on the spine increases; Additionally, due to the additional cost of resources, the body often lacks vitamins and minerals.
7. Inheritance. If you have family members who suffer from this disease, the probability of developing it increases. In this case, you should worry about prevention.

Often, when making a 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 problems with the spine when pain appears. 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 difficulty breathing, cough, and respiratory problems.
2. Cold sensation in hands and feet.for no reason, numbness of the extremities.
3. Headache, dizziness, fog in the eyes, blurred vision, feeling tired, shortness of breath. . When the intervertebral discs are displaced, the nerve endings and blood vessels are compressed, resulting in neurological symptoms.

Thoracic osteochondrosis causes patients to feel pain in the heart or stomach area, 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 also varies. For example, some patients experience long-term non-acute pain.back painor, on the contrary, intense pain that stiffens the muscles and makes it difficult to breathe.back.

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 several forms of chondrosis, cervical and thoracic, people complain of a 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, accompanying diseases are added to the main disease. Therefore, prolonged compression of blood vessels in the spinal column area leads toto failures of the cardiovascular system, which in particularly severe cases can alter the functioning of the heart.
• Another common complication, especially when thoracic and cervical forms of osteochondrosis are combined, isvegetative-vascular dystonia. Compression of blood vessels and nerve endings disrupts proper nutrition of the brain, as a result of which patients experience severe prolonged headaches, dizziness, a feeling of fog in the eyes and blurred vision. In advanced cases, fainting may occur due to back disease.
• From the nervous system possible.panic attacks, which occur during excessive physical or mental stress, severe fatigue. At these moments, patients notice tachycardia and respiratory problems: it is difficult for them 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 of the thoracic spine produces a specific pain syndrome, reminiscent of sensations associated with heart diseases. Patients come to doctors with heart problems, which complicates 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, then after a while it will begin to significantly affect the quality of life, limit activity and range of motion.

Diagnosis

Doctors cannot make a correct diagnosis due to the variety of symptoms, so they often suspect disorders in the gastrointestinal tract or nervous system. To avoid errors, orthopedists or neurologists order 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, an ECG is performed on the patient. 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 quality of life. Correctly selected therapy and a healthy lifestyle can prevent exacerbations.

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

Drug treatment

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

Physiotherapy

Effective, non-drug ways to relieve pain and tension in your back muscles: magnetotherapy, laser therapy, acupunctureetc. After a few complete procedures, a positive result will be noticeable. Use it 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 neck area will also bring benefits. The impact on the muscles helps relax the painful area. It is advisable to perform massages in courses.

exercise therapy

The osteochondrosis treatment complex includes physiotherapy. Moderate exercise strengthens the muscles of the back, improves the flexibility and mobility of the spine. Regular physical exercise will help avoid exacerbations 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 exercise equipment.

Each treatment method hascontraindications, before use, consultation with a doctor is required. Also, with a complex effect on the disease, vitamin-mineral complexes are used to restore proper nutrition to cartilaginous tissue and joints.

What to do in case of exacerbation of osteochondrosis.

An exacerbation of osteochondrosis takes you by surprise: you need to go to work, but your back does not straighten, it is difficult for you to turn your neck, and you feel dizzy. It usually occurs as a result of excessive physical effort, being in an uncomfortable position for a long time (sitting in front of the computer, working in garden beds, etc. ). An 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? Gentle exercise, massage, and sleeping outdoors will help. Severe pain is treated with medications. Only a doctor prescribes medicines! When using medications, improvement occurs within two hours.

Home remedies

Despite their availability, home remedies should also be used with caution. All of them are aimed at getting 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 film. The compress should be left for several hours, preferably overnight, and then rinsed.

To relieve neurological symptoms and manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia, infusions of soothing herbs help: chamomile, lemon balm, sage, mint, lingonberry leaf.

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

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