Thoracic osteochondrosis: symptoms, causes and methods of treatment

Osteochondrosis is one of the most commonly diagnosed pathologies of the spine. This pathology has a degenerative-dystrophic nature of origin, affects the intervertebral discs, which leads to their structural and external changes. Doctors define three types of disease: cervical, thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis, depending on the location of the disorders in the spine. If we talk about the statistics of the identified pathologies, it is believed that thoracic osteochondrosis is less common than other types. This is due to the peculiarities of the structure of the human spine in the thoracic region: the intervertebral discs of this part of the back have limited mobility, which significantly reduces the risk of traumatic injury.

What is thoracic osteochondrosis

Identifying the disease is difficult, as its symptoms are often similar to pathological changes in other organs: heart, stomach, etc. Thoracic osteochondrosis is dangerous in its consequences. Therefore, its early detection gives more chance to correct quickly and prevent unwanted consequences. The disease is also often diagnosed in patients of both sexes of different ages, including children. Let us dwell in more detail on the causes of thoracic osteochondrosis, its symptoms, methods of treatment with drugs and at home.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is manifested by degenerative-dystrophic disorders of the structure of bone, cartilage tissue of the vertebrae, which provokes the development of destructive processes. In addition to the vertebrae themselves, the intervertebral discs suffer: they stratify, decrease in size, which pinches the nerve endings of the intercostal space. All of this affects the normal functioning of the spine. Treatment started at the wrong time worsens the situation, which is subsequently resolved exclusively with the help of surgery, which cannot always be resolved by the patient for various reasons.

Osteochondrosis of the chest can provoke the development of quite serious and dangerous diseases and conditions. It often becomes the cause of pneumosclerosis, narrowing of blood vessels, dysfunctions of the genitourinary system, cancerous pathologies, etc. If osteochondrosis progresses rapidly, it usually limits a person's physical abilities: it is difficult for him to walk, work and freely do his usual activities.

With the development of osteochondrosis in patients, the bone component of the vertebrae is initially affected, then cartilage, and finally connective tissue and adjacent muscles.

If signs of osteochondrosis appear in childhood or adolescence, adolescence, this is a dangerous situation, as it indicates that the person's musculoskeletal system has started to age without being fully formed. and developed. Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine in a child is rarely diagnosed. But the detected disease often indicates that there is another dangerous disease.

The pathology is about equally common in men and women. There are also no specific age priorities. But it should be noted that women are more often prone to the disease during the period of hormonal changes in the body - menopause.

If you start treatment for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine at an early stage, there is a much better chance that the treatment will give a positive result.

The degree of the disease and the characteristic symptoms

The development of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is progressive, several stages are different. For the correct organization of the treatment process, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of its development and progression.

• The initial stage of degenerative-dystrophic processes occurring in the spine is characterized by a slight decrease in the size of the intervertebral discs. Minor cracks begin to appear on the surfaces of the fibrous ring of the intervertebral discs. The disc may be slightly outside the spine. At the same time, first-degree thoracic osteochondrosis does not appear in the form of painful sensations, often a person is not aware of an emerging dangerous disease. With the help of computed tomography, the protrusion of the discs (their slight loss) is detected.
• If a person has grade 2 thoracic osteochondrosis, painful manifestations in the back in the chest area begin to appear. This is because the nerve fibers are pinched. The musculo-ligamentous system of the back, i. e. muscle corset, provides optimal support of the spine in the correct anatomical shape. In order to prevent spinal instability, it is extremely important to symmetrically shape the muscle structures of the back. Otherwise, there is not only a violation of posture, the curvature of the spine, but also excessive mobility of its individual elements. It is due to the increased mobility of the vertebrae that the nerve fibers that leave the spine through the intervertebral space are pinched. How does second-stage osteochondrosis manifest itself? Back pain in the second stage of thoracic osteochondrosis necessarily appears. It has different characteristics: it can shoot for a long period of time or in the short term, in the form of convulsions. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the nerve endings are compressed directly in the muscles, which are regularly in an increased tone.
• Morphological signs of third degree thoracic osteochondrosis are very pronounced, they affect all structural anatomical components of the spine. The patient has the following pathological picture: there are hernias and protuberances of the intervertebral discs, the muscles and ligaments become inflamed, tears appear on them, the vertebrae are displaced, signs of osteoarthritis of the vertebral joints develop. The clinical picture of the disease of the spine in the third stage is very diverse. In addition to the fact that a person actually suffers from thoracic osteochondrosis, the patient loses tactile feedback to the part of the body where the damaged nerve passes; he has disorders of the autonomic nervous system, which are accompanied by dysfunctions of the respiratory and circulatory systems. It becomes difficult for him to breathe, there is heart pain, arrhythmia, shortness of breath. In addition, the patient develops arthrosis of several joints at once, and pathological disorders begin in the functioning of organs located in the thoracic region. Similar symptoms appear when the intervertebral fissure decreases by two-thirds of its height. Its size is assessed by a chest x-ray, which is performed in two projections: right and lateral.
• With the development of degenerative processes in the spine up to osteochondrosis of the fourth degree, the intervertebral cleft narrows to a minimum distance, dangerous conditions such as spondylosis, spondylarthrosis (characterized by pathological changes in the intervertebral joints), spondylolisthesis (the vertebrae are twisted or out of place) develop. The body mobilizes its compensatory capacities in order to reduce the static and dynamic load on the spine, to avoid injuries to the anatomical elements, due to which the vertebrae develop, flatten and grow together. The damaged area of the fibrous ring is replaced by a bone structure, osteophytes (bone growths) are formed, due to the prolapse of the vertebral disc, the spinal cord narrows, the nerve endings are strongly compressed, the motor activity of thethorax the spine is severely limited, the person has constant chest pain in the back.
• As a result of the progression of the disease, the patient suffers from lumbago in the lower back (lumbago), the legs are completely or partially paralyzed, the person loses the ability to work, becomes disabled.

Various symptomatic manifestations of the disease depend on various reasons, including a person's genetic predisposition. The same symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine fail in different patients in different ways. There is an objective explanation for this: various causes, conditions of occurrence and the general state of human health lead to osteochondrosis. Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in men appear a little earlier than in women. The main reason for this phenomenon is the physiological structure of the female body: the hormone estrogen protects the intervertebral discs. Therefore, especially favorable conditions for the disease occur during changes in the hormonal background (during pregnancy, menopause).

Many are interested in whether they are taken with osteochondrosis into the military. If the conscript suffers from osteochondrosis of the first degree, he will be drafted into the army. In the event that a young man has a pronounced symptomatology of the disease, it is observed by a neuropathologist, then a delay is likely, in a neglected state (if there is polysegmental osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine), they may not docall at all.

Reasons for the appearance

Thoracic osteochondrosis at the beginning of its onset practically does not manifest itself at all. However, you need to know why it can appear. The following reasons provoke pathology:

• Regular static or dynamic overvoltage of the spine due to active and muscle training in professional athletes or people playing sports without the necessary load control.
• Traumatic damage to the bone, the articular elements of the spine often lead to the fact that they do not merge properly, quickly collapse. Any damage to the spine is aggravated by pathological changes in the functioning of the structures of the nervous and circulatory systems. The necessary supply of nutrients to the bones is often restored over a very long period of time.
• Poor posture, congenital or acquired curvature of the spine, which leads to an imbalanced effect on the intervertebral discs.
• Sudden lifting of weight, when most of the load falls on the chest area of the back. If a person constantly performs such movements, the likelihood of developing chest osteochondrosis is high.
• Endocrine system disorders. In the event that metabolic processes are disturbed in the body, all other organs and tissues do not receive the necessary nutrients, and their regeneration is also incorrect.
• Genetic prerequisites for possible pathological processes in the vertebrae, intervertebral discs. In this case, thoracic osteochondrosis manifests itself in absolutely all age categories.
• Insufficient physical and physical activity of a person, sedentary work. The muscular frame of the back in this situation weakens, tissue nutrition deteriorates, the flexibility of the spine decreases, and the risk of developing chest osteochondrosis increases significantly.
• Underdevelopment of all tissues of the musculoskeletal system, which causes degenerative disorders of the spine. The cause is an excessive and unbalanced load on the spine.
• Various pathological changes in the intervertebral discs. They can become thinner or, on the contrary, grow larger, osteophytes can appear on them, interfering with the functioning of the joints, as well as damaging blood vessels and exerting compression on nerve fibers. The development of intervertebral hernias often causes the progression of osteochondrosis.
• Inflammatory processes in the spine or nearby muscles often cause signs of chest osteochondrosis in women and men.
• Decreased blood supply to the spinal cord, as the veins and arteries are narrowed or compressed.
• The consequences of infectious diseases are the development or exacerbation of osteochondrosis.
• Hypothermia, abuse of bad habits, nutritional imbalance.
• Separately, psychosomatics are distinguished, that is, constant stress, nervous excitement can also cause osteochondrosis.

There are several reasons for the development of thoracic osteochondrosis. Therefore, in order to prevent its development, you need to pay attention to prevention.

Common symptoms

Symptoms of breast osteochondrosis in women and men are similar. Usually, a progressive disease during an exacerbation is manifested by the following symptoms.

• Strong pain in the thoracic spine. They result from a long stay in an awkward position during physical labor.
• Radicular syndrome, resulting from compression of nerve endings.
• Intercostal neuralgia.
• The appearance of spasms in the muscles of the back.
• An impaired condition of the heart muscle, in which pain is not relieved by taking special drugs.

In addition, during an attack of thoracic osteochondrosis, the patient may present with atypical symptoms: tachycardia, dizziness, heartburn, increase or decrease in blood pressure. Body temperature, as a rule, does not change.

Diagnostic techniques

If the doctor assumes that the patient has osteochondrosis, then he will offer to undergo the following studies to diagnose the pathology.

• X-ray examination, during which they determine: the limits and size of the intervertebral discs, existing bone growths, changes in the shape of the vertebrae, etc.
• X-ray with a contrast agent makes it possible to assess the degree of destruction of the discs in the diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.
• CT or MRI scans show a layer-by-layer display of the altered structures. These techniques are used in the most difficult situations.
• With the help of electromyography, the neurological signs associated with a disease of the chest region are differentiated.

The main processing rules

When treating osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, the following key points are observed:

1. With the first manifestations of signs of osteochondrosis, you can prevent its further development by correcting your posture.
2. All symptoms, even minor, of the disease require conservative treatment.
3. To achieve a positive result in the treatment, a long-term and systemic application of techniques additional to drug therapy is necessary.
4. If the disease is neglected, surgery is necessary.

When deciding how to treat osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, the doctor will take into account the stage of development of the disease, the individual characteristics of the patient, as well as possible side reactions of the body.

Medical treatment

Conservative therapy involves the use of the following groups of drugs.

• To reduce the manifestation of pain and inflammation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, pain relievers or glucocorticoids are prescribed. They are available in different pharmacological forms (tablets, solutions for injection, ointments), therefore, the doctor will advise you on what exactly to treat the disease.
• Chondroprotectors are used to stimulate the restoration of cartilage tissue.
• To relieve muscle spasms, antispasmodics and muscle relaxants are used.
• To relieve unbearable back pain, the patient may be offered injections for osteochondrosis - to perform blockage with the help of anesthetics.

As a combination treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis, the possibilities of the following additional treatment methods are widely used.

1. With the help of acupuncture, you can quickly achieve the result - pain relief. The advantages of the technique include: high efficiency in a short time, rare occurrence of side reactions of the body, insignificant list of contraindications, painless technique. Acupuncture is not performed if a person is diagnosed with the presence of malignant neoplasms, there are mental disorders, during exacerbation of inflammation and pregnancy. The duration of treatment is chosen individually.
2. Thanks to the possibilities of manual therapy, the blood supply to damaged areas of the body improves, the intensity of pain decreases, muscle spasms are eliminated, ligaments are restored, the development of osteochondrosis slows down.
3. Treatment of osteochondrosis with the help of physiotherapy is practiced everywhere, because, using them, drugs are injected into the sore spot. Thus, for example, electrophoresis is used with NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, etc. . In addition to electrophoresis, UHF, magnetotherapy, and vacuum are often prescribed. The main objective, achieved by physiotherapy techniques, is to improve blood circulation in the painful area.
4. To relieve spasms of the back muscles, massage is often prescribed. Classic massage is used during remission, and vibration massage - in an acute period. If the patient has an intervertebral hernia, it is not recommended to use massage techniques.
5. Physiotherapy is of great importance in the treatment. The specific set of exercises in each case is selected by the doctor individually.
6. Diet is important during the treatment of osteochondrosis. In the patient's diet it is imperative to include protein in the required amount, chondroitin (for this you need to eat jelly, jelly meat, aspic dishes), vegetables, fruits. You can't overeat; exclude the use of fried and fatty foods.

How to treat chest osteochondrosis at home

Treatment with folk remedies can also be done, but before using any of them, you should consult your doctor. The following recipes are popular.

• To prepare an infusion of celeriac, take 3-4 g of raw materials, grind, pour 1 liter of boiling water. After 8 hours, strain the infusion, drink up to three times a day with a dessert spoon.
• To prepare the broth, take 2-3 sunflower roots, cut them into pieces of about 1 cm, pour three liters of boiling water and boil for another 3 minutes. The remedy is used like tea.
• At home, you can prepare an ointment for rubbing sore spots. 150 g of pork fat are mixed with 2 tbsp. the. wax, heated for 20 minutes in a double boiler, then add 1 tbsp. the. fir oil, continue to heat the same amount, then add 1 tsp. the. ammonia. The product is stored in a glass container in a cool place.

Home treatment for thoracic osteochondrosis is usually used during the mild period or as an adjunct to medication during an exacerbation.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a disease that must be taken seriously in order to avoid negative consequences. For its successful treatment, you need to carefully consider the advice of a doctor and follow it with discipline.