Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a very common disease, although it is inferior to the lumbar and especially cervical osteochondrosis.The disease in the early stages can not be detected in any way, since there is no symptoms.
It is possible to understand that there is an osteochondrosis of the chest only closer to the second stage, when pronounced pains are already noted.The pain syndrome is more pronounced with specific cervical damage.
According to the ICD-10, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region belongs to the M42 group and takes place under the code “M42.1” or “M42.9”.
What is thoracic osteochondrosis: General information
Frequent among all diseases of the back, meanwhile, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is rarely found in comparison with damage to the neck or lower back.There is a reason for this: the thoracic region is the most “durable” and resistant to injuries.
The thoracic spine is merged and almost motionless, so osteochondrosis can flow here for years, but not lead to tangible problems.Another thing is movable cervical and lumbar segments of the back - they are extremely vulnerable to any injuries or pathologies.
The thoracic spinal column has a larger number of intervertebral discs than a lumbar or cervical region.Moreover, most of the load is distributed to the sternum and ribs, while in the case of her neck she has to withstand her own weight on her own, and the lower back completely “holds” the entire body.
It is interesting that thoracic osteochondrosis is manifested specifically.If the main initial symptoms of the lesions of the neck or lower back is pain, then in the case of damage to the thoracic region, the first symptom is shortness of breath, heartburn and interruptions in the heart (arrhythmia, frequent extrasystoles in the form of a feeling of freezing of the heart).
Frequencies statistics: how often does thoracic osteochondrosis occur?
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is very rare in this group of degenerative-dystrophic diseases.Of all types of osteochondrosis, no more than 10% of cases falls on its share (compared: 60% of cases on the cervical region, 25% to the lower back, and the remaining 5% are mixed chondrosis).
The prevalence in men of breast osteochondrosis is higher than in women.The ratio of on average in the CIS is 3: 1, which is usually associated with working conditions in men (hard physical labor, frequent back injuries, and later seeking a doctor).
Than this is dangerous: possible complications
Inadequately or untimely treated osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is fraught with several rather serious complications.However, there can be no fatal complications - the disease even at the last stage cannot lead to death, severe disorders of the internal organs are also impossible.
Possible complications:
- A pronounced pain syndrome, sometimes preventing the patient from engaging in everyday household matters and even just sleep.
- Severe shortness of breath caused by deformation of the spinal column and compression of the lungs.
- Interruptions in the work of the heart are very frequent extrasystoles, constant sinus tachycardia.
- Violations of the functioning of the food evacuation mechanism from the stomach are frequent and strong heartburn (against their background there may be dangerous aspiration pneumonia, but in very rare cases, dyspepsia, flatulence.
- In some cases, there is a dyskinesia of the gallbladder, however, there are no serious facts confirming the connection of discinesia with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.
1.3 is it possible to cure to the end?
You can correct the situation with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region in the initial stages, very quickly and even pleasant (since treatment is associated with walks in the fresh air, physical education, general activation).
It is completely impossible to cure the last stages - the spinal tissues that have been exposed to dystrophic and degenerative processes will no longer recover.Nevertheless, even with neglected osteochondrosis, the clinic is quite successfully treated.That is, you can remove almost all the symptoms of the disease.
However, it will be necessary, however, all your life to adhere to a certain power circuit, engage in physical education, eliminate the factors of spinal injury (sometimes it needs to change work).In this case, the disease can be kept under control even at the fourth stage with existing complications.
The reasons for the development of thoracic osteochondrosis
There is usually no one specific reason for the development of breast osteochondrosis - several factors coincide at once, which lead to the development of the disease.One of the main risk factors is heredity, and if someone in your family suffered from osteochondrosis, then you have a seriously increased chance of the risk of developing the disease (even with a “right” lifestyle).
The main causes of the development of the disease:
- constant insignificant trauma of the spine, or single severe back injuries;
- Hypodynamia and detrusion (small physical activity);
- excessive physical activity, including heavy physical labor in the framework of work;
- the presence of scoliotic disease and pathological posture;
- Congenital abnormalities of the structure of the spinal column.
The main causes of the development of the disease are listed above, but there are also auxiliary risk factors that create favorable soil for the appearance of osteochondrosis.A person who has one or more auxiliary risk factors is entered at risk for breast osteochondrosis.
Risk groups: who often has?
Having auxiliary risk factors, people increase their chances of getting osteochondrosis of the thoracic region to almost 100%during their lives, if there is at least one factor from the list of the main causes of thoracic osteochondrosis.
Under such conditions, there is no question of whether thoracic osteochondrosis is possible.The only question is when exactly he will develop.
At-risk groups:
- People abusing alcoholic beverages and smoking.
- People with severe stress and constant mental overstrain.
- People who already have osteochondrosis of one of the spine.
- People alternating extremely small physical exertion with extremely heavy (simple example: attempts to unload heavy sand bags from the car after a half -year absence of adequate physical activity).
- People with any diseases of the joints or muscles.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
Clinical signs of breast osteochondrosis are straight and indirect.Direct ones imply symptoms associated with the primary damage to the spine.Indirect (secondary) signs imply symptoms associated with the involvement of internal organs in the pathological process.
Direct symptoms:
- painful sensations (usually soft or medium intensity), localized in the thoracic region and often “give” into ribs (intercostal neuralgia resembles heart pain);
- compression, stiffness in the movements of the back, the feeling of discomfort (not pain!), Heaviness and bulky;
- paresthesia (numbness), localized in the shoulder blades, in the shoulders, in the rib region and, relatively rarely, in the upper limbs;
- Difficulties when trying to quickly deploy the case, the appearance of pain when trying to stretch out a hand with its quick uplift;
- discomfort and stupid/aching pains in the interscapular region;
- Frequent sensations of crawling "goosebumps" along the cervical-thoracic segment of the spine.
Indirect/secondary symptoms:
- Frequent bloating, flatulence.
- Constipation or, less often, diarrhea.
- A frequent sense of nausea, the appearance of heartburn (because of which many patients wake up in the middle of the night).
- Violations of the reproductive mechanism, decrease in libido, urination disorders.
- False urge to urinate or, even less often, defecation.
- Shortness of breath at rest, difficulties in trying to take a deep breath.
Diagnostic methods
Usually, the presence of thoracic osteochondrosis can be determined after a survey and examination by the doctor of the patient with the subsequent conduct of radiography.Nevertheless, other diagnostic methods can be used, especially in problematic cases (when it is necessary to differentiate shortness of breath with thoracic chondrosis with shortness of breath against the background of heart/lung diseases).
Diagnostic methods used:
- radiography in two projections;
- computed tomography (if you suspect the involvement of other spine in the pathological process);
- magnetic resonance imaging (if you suspect damage to internal organs, muscles);
- Sometimes a blood and urine test is required to exclude other diseases that cause symptoms of osteochondrosis that are not associated with the spine;
- discography for the visual examination of the pulpoose nucleus of the intervertebral discs;
- Electrocardiography to exclude heart disease in pain in its area or the presence of shortness of breath.
Most often, only radiography and blood/urine tests are enough.Other diagnostic methods, if used, are most often within the framework of hyperdiagnosis (which is a doctor’s mistake).
Methods for the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis
Asking the question of how osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is treated, you must first understand this thing: this disease is treated only comprehensively.And this means that it is impossible to treat the disease with only one method, 3-5 methods are always used at the same time.
Treatment is carried out by the following methods:
- Drug treatment - used to suppress pain, inflammation and muscle spasm.
- Massage procedures - are used to eliminate muscle spasm, pain.
- Medical physical education (exercise therapy) - therapeutic gymnastics in conjunction with morning classical exercises is used.
- Wearing an orthopedic corset is used either with existing spinal deformations, or to maintain the back in the correct position.
- Correction of lifestyle and diet - are used to eliminate factors that provoke the progression of the disease and to accelerate metabolism (and, as a result, regeneration of tissues of the spinal column).
- Physiotherapeutic procedures - do not have a direct effect on the disease, but are very effective in the form of symptomatic treatment.
One way or another, in the treatment of advanced osteochondrosis, all of the listed methods are used.In the initial stages of the disease, exercise therapy, massage and changes in lifestyle are enough(It is not necessary to even change a diet or take medications!).
Drug treatment
The advanced stages of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are not treated without medicines.Drugs are required to provide anti -inflammatory, analgesic and relaxing muscles (muscle relaxation) of the effect.
In addition to oral and, much less commonly, injecting medicines are used ointments, gels and creams.They are not absorbed in such a way as to influence the course of the disease in the spine, but are able to eliminate pain and stiffness in the movements of the back.
Pepper patch patch are sometimes used, which have a local fussing effect and thus “distract” the pain.They are much safer than medicines and ointments, but are also less effective in comparison with them.
Massage
Massage procedures are required only to eliminate pain and relieve spasm of the muscle corset of the back.For the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis, they are not as relevant as for the treatment of lumbar or even more cervical chondrosis.
It is advisable to use therapeutic massages in the development of intercostal neuralgia caused by spasm of the muscles of the sternum muscles.This is a non -hazardous, but very irritating symptom, in some cases imitating an attack of angina pectoris.
It is possible to use manual therapy, but only at the initial stages of the disease.In the later stages, due to increased injury hazard, manual therapy is contraindicated, as well as the methods proposed by osteopaths.
Exercise therapy
The basis and cornerstone of the entire treatment is physical education.Without it, neither medications nor other methods of treatment are ineffective.Physical education helps to align the position of the spinal column, strengthen the muscles and thereby level the effect of their spasm.
The ideal option is the selection of exercises by a doctor for each individual patient.Unfortunately, the patient is most often prescribed by template exercises that are also effective, but in comparison with an individual training scheme, they seriously lose.
In addition to physiotherapy exercises, it is very important to engage in ordinary homemade gymnastics (at least at the level of morning charging).The main thing in exercise therapy is systematic.That is, you need to do it constantly, without making long passes.
Wearing a corset
Orthopedic corset for breast osteochondrosis is required relatively rarely, since the disease is not deforming and does not lead to significant curvature of the spine.Two types of corsets are used: corrective and supportive.
Corrective corsets are needed if there are deformative lesions of the spine, or its curvature (pathological kyphosis, lordoses, scoliosis).Usually deformations and curvature are not the result of osteochondrosis, but simply accompany him and worsen the patient's condition.
The supporting corset is used more often.It is needed to distribute the load from the back and spinal muscles to the device.Thus, it is possible to remove the additional load from the spine, which, with osteochondrosis, leads to an increase in degenerative and dystrophic processes.
Change in lifestyle
Correction of lifestyle along with physical education is the basis for treatment.If you continue to sit for 16 hours a day in front of the computer, then it will be impossible to overcome the disease even against the background of full -fledged therapy.
Moreover, the cured osteochondrosis will quickly return if the lifestyle has not been adjusted.The correction of lifestyle means general activation, regular physical education classes on their own initiative, and not “when necessary”.
You should think about the ergonomics of the workplace.If you are an office worker, take care of the correct location of the keyboard, mouse and monitor, and, if possible, it is recommended to purchase an orthopedic chair.
Changing the diet
Correction of the diet is optional, but extremely desirable for breast osteochondrosis.It is important to eliminate increased consumption of salt and alcoholic beverages.It is not recommended to consume a lot of fatty and rich in carbohydrates.
Useful food for osteochondrosis is any dairy products, meat products (best - bird), vegetables and fruits.It is also recommended to use biological supplements with vitamin complexes, although their effectiveness is still disputed in scientific circles.
Physiotherapeutic procedures
The aim of using physiotherapeutic procedures is to improve the quality of life of the patient by eliminating the symptoms of the disease.Physiotherapy can be contraindicated in severe inflammation in the thoracic back, but pronounced inflammation is usually not characteristic of osteochondrosis.
Most often, laser treatment is used, heating the affected back area, electrophoresis using drugs.Mud baths, acupuncture, hirudotherapy (leech treatment) are very effective.
Material efficiency has magnetotherapy, but it cannot be used in the presence of a pacemaker or metal clip on the vessels.Sun and radon baths help some patients.
Prevention measures
It is much easier to prevent breast osteochondrosis than to subsequently treat it.The only way to achieve this is to eliminate at least most of the factors predisposing to the development of the disease.
Basic preventive measures:
- Activation - often spend time in the fresh air, stay less at the computer, always be a moment for a warm -up;
- physical education (at least within the framework of the morning fifteen -minute charging);
- proper nutrition with the exception of dishes with a lot of salt and with sufficient calcium consumption;
- exclusion of smoking and frequent intake of alcoholic beverages;
- Improving the working conditions - adjusting the conditions so that the back is always in the correct position, the load on it is distributed evenly (this is especially true for office workers).
The listed preventive measures do not guarantee that the disease will not develop.Moreover: there is idiopathic osteochondrosis, when, against the background of complete well -being and lack of direct causes and predisposing factors, the disease still develops.