Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine: symptoms, treatment, degree, gymnastics

The disease "chameleon", which is disguised as dangerous diseases of the heart and lungs, causing panic attacks and a sense of lack of air - this is osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine.Its symptoms can be so diverse that an inexperienced doctor can, trying to find the cause, prescribe a lot of tests, and sometimes put a person in intensive care.

We will talk about how to understand that you have precisely osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, and how to fix it.

Reasons

The disease is quite rare.This is due to the fact that the spine, that is, the joints between the vertebrae, are created almost motionless in the thoracic region.And if a person makes some sharp movement, or often moves against the axis of the intervertebral joints (for example, digs or lifts the severity with only one hand), then all the chest vertebrae are turned on at once.Separately, they do not work from each other.

The causes of thoracic osteochondrosis are:

• scoliosis in the thoracic or lumbosacral region;
• excessive or incorrect physical exertion;
• injuries of the thoracic spine;
• Excess weight - more than 10% of the one “laid” by complexion;
• Violation of metabolism - as a result of endocrine diseases (diabetes mellitus, pathology of the adrenal glands and others) or inadequate nutrition;
• anomalies in the development of the thoracic spine;
• Hypodynamia (intervertebral disk - that which is destroyed with osteochondrosis - is also powered by the muscles of the back).

Degree of thoracic osteochondrosis

Doctors decided to distinguish the degree of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region so that one could understand how far the process of destruction of the disk between the two breast vertebrae has gone.

So, there are 4 degrees of breast osteochondrosis:

• 1 degree.The intervertebral disk loses moisture, becomes more brittle, cracks appear in it.This is accompanied by a slight pain disappearing alone.
• 2 degree.The amount of liquid in the fibrous ring of the intervertebral disc becomes even smaller: the height of the disk decreases, the cracks (especially one of them) deepen.The defect fills the “core” of the disk - a pulpoose core, which further reverses the crack.The pulp nucleus does not penetrate the outside.The muscles of the back in the area of the damaged intervertebral disc are tensed, trying to prevent the vertebral column to turn towards the “leaked” disc.This causes severe back pain, because of which you have to do pauses in work.
• 3 degree.The crack in the fibrous ring of the disk reaches the edge of the vertebra, the pulpoose nucleus rushes into it and begins to protrude out.Thus, 3 degree is an intervertebral hernia.With her, the pain is felt almost all the time - when performing work.We have to change work to easier.Self -service is saved.
• 4 degree.In the area of the affected discs, connective tissue grows.She blocks neighboring vertebrae.In addition, the vertebral bone tries to compensate for a decrease in the layer between the vertebrae, and grows.Bone "spikes" appear - osteophytes.

Symptoms

At the very beginning

While the pulpic nucleus has not completely made the path inside the ring surrounding it, it almost does not manifest.Periodically, with tilting or lifting weights, pain may appear between the shoulder blades, which passes quite quickly after rest.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine in the acute stage can be very diverse, this is:

Pain in the chest

It is more often aching and long -term, but sometimes it can be sharp.Localization:

• back - between the shoulder blades;
• heart area;
• under a spoon;
• In the area of the ribs - so it becomes painful to breathe.

The difference between this pain in osteochondrosis is that:

• It is not so strong that you can lose consciousness.This is characteristic of myocardial infarction;
• does not arise in response to an emotional load - only to physical;
• does not appear when walking against the wind, climbing the stairs or when reaching the cold;
• It intensifies when lifting hands, turns and inclinations;
• intensifies if you take a deep breath;
• Attacks of pain differ from each other in localization and intensity (with angina pectoris, for example, they will be stereotypical);
• does not go away if the load is stopped;
• It can be localized if someone is pressed on the spine in the thoracic region: in one place it will be very painful;
• She gives in her hand, although more often - in 2 hands.But even if she gives to her left hand (as heart pain does), then not to the little finger;
• does not depend on meals, as with gastritis or angina pectoris;
• not removed by nitroglycerin, which, on the contrary, helps with angina pectoris;
• It does not intensify when the chest gland is felt (if it seemed that it hurts).In this case, no nodes or seals are felt in the chest;
• There is no such thing that the pain grew gradually, but after the stress is stopped or the nitroglycerin has disappeared sharply.This is characteristic of angina pectoris;
• The pain is not accompanied by nausea, heartburn, belching.This may talk about gastritis, as well as angina pectoris.

Feeling in the chest

Because of which an “incomplete breath” may occur.Usually this symptom is nevertheless accompanied by back pain, but even if there is no pain, then there is no intoxication, as in pneumonia (weakness, the desire to relax, a decrease in appetite).This can cause panic, but, having calmed down, count your pulse.With thoracic osteochondrosis, it will not be more than 100 strokes per minute, and with diseases of the heart or lungs, it may well be.

Other symptoms

• Violation of sensitivity in the hand or in two hands: they become more “cool”, freeze, “goosebumps are running along them”.
• In some cases, symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region resemble a panic attack (fear, heartbeat, sweating).In combination with pain behind the sternum, this may indicate a myocardial infarction, so in this case it is better to take nitroglycerin (up to 3 tablets) and call an ambulance that will remove the cardiogram.
• Disruption of the digestive system: frequent exacerbations of gastritis, constipation, bloating, periodic abdominal pain, periodic diarrhea - without error in the diet.

With thoracic osteochondrosis, such symptoms last about 10-14 days, provided that you temporarily ceased to bend and make twisting movements.The disease goes into the subacute stage.

Signs in the subacute stage

There is still pain and difficulty breathing, but they are no longer so intense and less worry.So, if in the acute stage you need to find a situation in order to fall asleep and not suffocate, then in the subacute period you do not need to apply such efforts.

The stage lasts 12-14 days.If you observe all the doctor’s recommendations, do not raise weights, do not bend and do not hypothermia, the stage of remission comes - when all the symptoms leave.If the regime is disturbed, the disease can again go to the acute stage.

Remission

During this period, there are no symptoms.Maybe, of course, to “shoot” under the ribs if you decide to physically work, but it passes quickly.

Exacerbation of the disease can be provoked:

• physical activity (especially lifting weights and inclinations);
• stress;
• hypothermia;
• a sharp change in heat to cold (diving into a hole or bathing in the snow after a bath);
• unsuccessful campaign to a masseur or manual therapy;
• prolonged finding in a bent position;
• intake of alcohol (especially in combination with one of the above factors).

Diagnostics

The diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is engaged in a neurologist (neuropathologist).When you come to him, describing your complaints, he conducts an initial inspection: he probes the gaps between the breast vertebrae (with osteochondrosis, you can find a painful point) and determines the reflexes and sensitivity of the hands.

To confirm the diagnosis, he needs:

• ECG, possibly-against the background of the load on the treadmill (thread test).This will exclude angina pectoris;
• radiography or computed tomography of the thoracic spine;
• In women, especially older ones, mammography, since symptoms of breast osteochondrosis often accompany the diseases of the mammary gland, not always malignant.

Treatment

How to treat osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, the doctor will say - after confirming the diagnosis, determining the stage and the nature of the violations (sensitivity of the hands, respiratory disorders).

In the acute stage, bed, or at least semi -flooring, minimal motor activity is recommended.In the future, the regime expands.In general, for the treatment of osteochondrosis, such methods are used (they need their complex):

Drug treatment

Non -steroidal anti -inflammatory They are painkillers. They can be drunk in the form of tablets or glued as a patch (“alfen”) - if the pain is tolerant.In the subacute period, they can be used as ointments for osteochondrosis.And in the acute period with severe pain - only as injections. This is Diclofenac (analogues of Voltaren, Almiral, Olfen, Naklofen, Diklak) - the most “strong” of the NSAID group. This also includes ibuprof ”, praying”, Nise. Such anesthetic drugs as Kever, Ketanov or Ketalong are better not to use - they have a weak anti -inflammatory effect.

Musorelaxants Their task is to relieve muscle spasm that hold the spine from the turn, and transmit the nerve endings and blood vessels.In the acute period, it is better to take them as injections for osteochondrosis, then switch to tablets. This is Midokalm, Tizalud, Sirdalud.

Chondroprotectors These are drugs whose effectiveness is still disputed.Nevertheless, many doctors recommend using them a long course - to give the intervertebral disk the opportunity to recover. This is Arthra, Alflutop, Don, Teraflex, structures and others.

B vitamins B vitamins They are needed in order to improve the transmission of the pulse from the nerve to the muscle.In the acute period, it is better to start with injections, for example, neurorubin, then switch to the tablets of neurorubin, Milgamma, neuroinitan or others.

Please note: to relieve pain in breast osteochondrosis!Then you can breathe in full force, thereby improving the nutrition of oxygen of the whole organism.In addition, the elimination of surface breathing is the prevention of stagnant pneumonia.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

This treatment enhances the effect of medicines.Applied:

1. Electrophoresis with anesthetics and drugs that improve local blood circulation.In this case, the drug is carried out by electric shock directly in the back of the back.
2. Magnetotherapy.Under the influence of the magnetic field, the work of infringed nerve endings improves, tissue edema is removed.
3. The phonophoresis (the introduction of drugs with ultrasound) helps to better anesthetize the back and eliminate inflammation of infringed tissues.It also has the ability to improve metabolism in the effect of exposure.
4. Acupuncture - the introduction of special sterile needles into active points that are responsible for the work of the thoracic spine.
5. Laser therapy according to the external method - enhances blood circulation in tense muscles and the suffering intervertebral disk.

Massage

Massage for osteochondrosis is an effective procedure if a specialist performs it.The massage session is able to enhance blood circulation in the affected area, relax the spasmodic muscles, improve blood outflow and lymphs from this zone.This accelerates healing and reduces pain.

Important: in the acute period of the disease, massage, as well as charging for osteochondrosis, is contraindicated.You can proceed to the procedure 2 weeks after the subsidence of acute pain and difficulty breathing.Massage should not cause unpleasant sensations or pain!

To reduce the amount of exacerbations, massage courses are recommended to take place at least 2 times a year.It can be:

• Therapeutic manual massage: exposure by hands on the tint of muscles that have lost and losing their tone in order to normalize their condition;
• Hardware: muscle study by various types of exciting manipulas.You can also resort to the services that cosmetologists provide: endosphere and LPG massage.They also affect the sore back well;
• point: in this case, biologically active points are manually worked out, as a result, the condition of the internal organs poured due to the turn of the spine;
• Small: effect on muscles that have changed tone is produced using a vacuum.

Exercise therapy

Exercises for osteochondrosis can only begin to be done in the subacute period and in remission, as well as 2 weeks after removing the hernia of the disk.

LFK is contraindicated, if the back muscles are still very tense, one vertebra is tightly pressed to another, which requires surgical intervention, with severe pain.

Gymnastics for osteochondrosis is recommended to begin with self -sketching of the spine.To do this, you need to take a wide and smooth board, and attach at one end to the wall-at an altitude of about 100 cm from the floor (to make an angle of 30-45 °).The lower edge lies on the floor.To the upper edge, on both sides, 2 leather straps about 45 cm long are attached - so that you can go through them yourself, and then - take your hands out yourself.

The method of self -sketching is that you go to this board with your back, head up, hands in straps.Put the soft fabric under your knees by rising it in a roller, and lie for 10-15 minutes.It should not be painful.If pain is present, increase the angle of inclination of the board.If this does not help, you will have to do it differently:

• make a blanket of blankets on the floor;
• lie on the roller so that at the very top there is a blocked area;
• Dilute your legs slightly;
• elbows and knees - bent, touch the floor, the weight of the body lies on them;
  The head should hang slightly or lie on folded brushes;
• If you don’t feel so that the spine is stretched, you can increase the load: move your legs back and your arms forward;
• 5 minutes on inspiration for 10 seconds to strain the muscles of the back, on exhalation - relax
• Relax and breathe in the stomach - another 5 minutes.

Bridge

Instead of such efforts, you can use the simulator called the "bridge for stretching the spine."It stretches the spine and, first of all, stretches the damaged thoracic region - under the weight of his own body (it is a metal arc).

Using it in the period of remission, only 5 minutes 2 times a day allows you to significantly extend the painless period.This simulator has many positive reviews.

Complications of thoracic osteochondrosis

These include:

• pneumosclerosis;
• arrhythmias;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• violation of the digestive organs;
• Deterioration of sexual and reproductive function - both women and men.

Prevention

In order to never feel on yourself what osteochondrosis is (especially if you are moving little or there are already scoliosis), pay attention to such prevention measures:

1. Do not overcool.
2. Do not lift abruptly severity: this should happen after preparation.
3. Follow your posture when you sit and walk.An ergonomic chair can be installed in the car, which will support the back even.
4. Be sure to take breaks during work: get up, go, perform self -massage of the back - so that the spine receives enough power.
5. Do not start your scoliosis: treat it on time.
6. Reduce the amount of salt and sugar in the diet.
7. Exclude dishes containing smoked meats, marinades, sharp seasonings.Fried products will also have to be removed.
8. Sleep on the orthopedic mattress and a low (or also orthopedic) pillow.