Osteochondrosis of the chest

Osteochondrosis of the chest, unlike cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis, is very rare.

It's all due to the structure of the thoracic region: it has more discs than the cervical and lumbar vertebrae combined, the discs are smaller and thinner.The mobility of this department is generally less and part of the load is taken by the ribs and sternum.

With osteochondrosis of the chest, the symptoms can be confused, for example, with a heart attack.The reason for this is the specificity of the disease.

In this case, there are no painful pains during movement and effort, as in cervical or lumbar osteochondrosis, and complications associated with suspected angina pectoris or myocardial infarction or impaired respiratory function come to the fore.

Reasons

To a greater extent, the development of osteochondrosis is promoted by a lack of physical activity - a deficiency of muscle loads, which leads to a lack of training of the muscle corset, a weakening of its functions and an increased load on the ligaments and intervertebral discs.

The following conditions can provoke the appearance of osteochondrosis:

1. Improper posture and lateral curvature of the spine;
2. Bad habits;
3. Nervous and physical overstrain, stress;
4. Overloading of the back and spine when wearing high-heeled shoes, during pregnancy and flat feet;
5. Back injuries;
6. Physical inactivity;
7. Heredity;
8. Physically hard work.

The intervertebral discs of the thoracic vertebrae are equally adversely affected by a sedentary lifestyle and physical activity, which increases the likelihood of injury.

What are the features of the thoracic spine?

Everyone knows that the chest area is functionally inactive, especially compared to the neck.And the load on it is not so great, compared to, for example, the lumbar region.For this reason, the onset of chest diseases rarely occurs with any symptoms in the early stages of development.

The low mobility of the chest is related to its anatomical features - the connection of the vertebrae with the ribs and sternum allows to create a sufficiently mobile and at the same time durable structure, which is less susceptible to injuries and external influences.

The relatively small load on this department contributes to the fact that the occurrence of any problems in it (for example, displacement of the vertebrae, intervertebral hernia, disc protrusion) is quite rare, this is confirmed by statistics.However, their appearance cannot be called something exceptional;for example, poor posture and scoliosis can be a type of provoking factors leading to the appearance of spinal diseases.

At the same time, the symptoms of such diseases appear quite late and are quite characteristic of osteochondrosis - they usually represent compression of the nerve roots;in rare cases, the spinal cord itself can be compressed or damaged due to impaired blood supply;narrowing due to compression of veins and arteries is also possible.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest

Osteochondrosis of the chest can have completely different symptoms, similar to the manifestations of other diseases of internal organs.Often it is thoracic osteochondrosis that is confused with ischemic heart disease, cholecystitis, peptic ulcer and even myocardial infarction and pneumonia.For this reason, this disease is called "chameleon".

Symptoms related to pain:

1. The pain is localized under the shoulder blades and may radiate to the intercostal nerves.This leads to neuralgia.The pain increases when a person takes a breath or moves actively.
2. Chest pain is most often localized on the left side and may resemble ischemic heart disease.In this situation, it is important to find out the cause of the pain in time.A complete examination of the cardiovascular system is necessary.

Neurological symptoms:

1. Tingling or "creeping" in the legs, upper chest and abdomen (depending on the disc affected);
2. Reflex tension in the muscles of the chest or upper back;
3. In particularly advanced cases, it is possible to disrupt the functioning of the pelvic organs and reduce potency in men.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest, in addition to pain in the spine and back, near the site of osteochondrosis, may include pain in the upper abdomen, heart, liver and gall bladder.

When such pain occurs, a misdiagnosis is sometimes possible.Pain in the right side of the chest under the ribs can be confused with inflammation of the gallbladder, in the left side of the chest it can be confused with a heart attack.It is a mistake to take pain in the corresponding areas of the abdominal cavity as a manifestation of a stomach ulcer or gastritis.

Dorsago

Dorsago is one of the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest, which manifests itself with sharp pain.Usually, this symptom occurs in people who sit for a long time in one position or in an uncomfortable position while doing monotonous work.

Pain may appear in the spine in the chest area, the muscles tense up and often it even becomes difficult to breathe.Intercostal neuralgia may occur.

Dorsalgia

The exacerbation period will last 2-3 weeks.At the same time, the pain gradually increases.A slight pain appears in the affected part of the spine.As a rule, the pain manifests itself especially actively when breathing deeply and bending forward, backward or sideways.

The nature of pain during dorsalgia can be very different.The pain may be pulling, burning, aching, cutting, and may radiate to the leg, arm, buttock, or shoulder blade.The localization of pain is no less diverse.They can appear below, above, in the middle, on the right, on the left, between the shoulder blades.

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest

When drawing up a treatment plan that determines how to treat osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, diagnostic data based on X-ray examination help.Such a study gives a clear idea of how to treat thoracic osteochondrosis, since X-ray readings showing the proliferation of vertebral bodies and the presence of changes in the intervertebral distance (reduction in height) are a characteristic symptom of this disease.

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest depends on the stage of the disease and is mainly reduced to conservative therapy.Surgery is extremely rare in cases of spina bifida.

Drug treatment

Drug therapy is based on the following principles:

1. The use of a special drug that allows you to retain fluid inside the intervertebral disc.
2. vitamins.Most often, complete vitamin complexes or preparations with B-group elements are prescribed.
3. Antispasmodics and muscle relaxants that reduce muscle spasm around the spine.
4. Pain relievers.NSAIDs and analgesics based on drug combinations.
5. Chondroprotectors.Necessary to catalyze the repair process of damaged cartilage.

After removing the acute phenomena, a massage of the muscles of the back and lower limbs is used.Manual therapy is indicated for 1-3 degrees of osteochondrosis in case of development of functional blockages.Includes different options for soft and rough impact on the back muscles.

The duration of treatment for osteochondrosis of the chest depends on the severity of the disease and the degree of age-related changes, as well as on the patient's effort to comply with the prescriptions of the attending physician.

Gymnastics for thoracic osteochondrosis

With osteochondrosis of the chest, patients are prescribed therapeutic exercises, the main purpose of which is to increase the mobility of the costovertebral and intervertebral joints.Exercise therapy (provided that the exercises are performed regularly and correctly) can eliminate even very strong muscle spasms.Moderate physical activity will help relieve the stiffness of the spine that occurs with a weak muscle corset.

Daily exercises conducted under the supervision of an experienced instructor will have a beneficial effect on the whole body as a whole and in particular on the bronchopulmonary system.The ventilation of the patients' lungs improves and they become able to inhale deeply and exhale painlessly.

massage

Massage not only reduces the severity of the symptoms of the disease, but also helps a person to recover, which leads to positive effects of other elements of complex therapy.

It is prescribed individually based on the clinical picture of osteochondrosis of the chest, the presence of chronic diseases and contraindications.

Manual therapy

Manual therapy is used to eliminate muscle hypertonus and spasms, as well as to restore back mobility.Thanks to manual therapy, it is possible to release blood vessels, improve nutrition and oxygen supply to the tissues of the intervertebral discs.

Correct position when resting and sleeping

To prevent osteochondrosis and during the treatment period, it is necessary to organize the correct position during rest and sleep.It is best to sleep on a flat and firm bed, but this should be done without fanaticism;if the bed does not meet the requirements, it is not recommended to sleep on the floor, as you may catch a cold.This measure is very necessary so that the spine can quickly restore its normal shape.

But at the beginning, quite severe pain may appear, which lasts until the vertebrae occupy a physiological position.To relieve pain and discomfort, you can place a roller under a sore spot.

Exercises

The most effective treatment for muscle spasms is physical therapy.Correctly selected exercises relax and at the same time strengthen and train the back muscles.As a result, the thoracic spine is stabilized and compressed spinal nerves are released.

The complex of exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis is performed as follows:

1. Starting position: while inhaling, stand straight, legs together, hands down.Stretch your arms up - exhale, then bend back - take a deep breath.Lower your arms, lean forward, round your back and lower your shoulders and head - exhale.Perform 8-10 repetitions.
2. Starting position: sitting on a chair.Slowly put your hands behind your head - inhale, bend back 5 times, leaning on the back of the chair with your shoulder blades - exhale.
3. Starting position - get on all fours and arch your back as much as possible, hold for 3 seconds, keeping your head straight for three seconds.Perform 5-7 repetitions.
4. Starting position – lie comfortably on your stomach and rest your hands on the floor.At the same time, forcefully lean back and try to lift your body off the floor.Perform 5-8 repetitions.
5. Starting position: lying on the stomach with arms stretched out along the body.Bend at the chest, trying to raise your head and legs as much as possible.Perform 5-8 repetitions.

If you follow all the doctor's instructions, slowly but surely you can achieve a significant improvement in your condition.

Prevention

The health of the chest and other parts of the spine can be damaged by:

• long static loads (sitting in front of the TV, computer);
• weight lifting;
• habit of slouching;
• hypothermia and frequent colds.

Office workers who spend a long time at the workplace due to their duties need to change their body position more often, get up and do physical exercise.Even simple stretching has benefits.