Recently, doctors receive more and more complaints about back pain, and young women often suffer from them. If the discomfort is located in the thoracic spine, then it may be caused by a condition such as thoracic osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which are detailed below.
Thoracic osteochondrosis - causes
Vertebral osteochondrosis is a pathology in which negative modifications occur in the tissues of the intervertebral discs - elements of the spine located between the two vertebral bodies. The intervertebral disc is a kind of flat round cushion composed of a gel-like collagen core, fibrous connective tissue and hyaline cartilage. The main functions provided by these structures are:
- Connection and retention of adjacent vertebral bodies.
- protection from shock absorption of the spine, protection from injury due to the gravity of the body and loads.
- ensuring the mobility of adjacent vertebrae between them.
If the intervertebral discs are in a satisfactory functional condition, the spine is provided with elasticity, mobility and the ability to withstand various mechanical loads. When the cartilage structure changes shape, texture, loses strength and elasticity, these functions cannot be fully performed. Basically, this happens in the context of metabolic disorders.
In part, the pathological changes in the intervertebral discs that cause thoracic osteochondrosis are explained by the fact that with age their nutrition through their own blood vessels stops, and the supply of nutrients becomes possible only due to neighboring structures (ligaments, vertebral bodies). The exact causes of poor nutrition of the intervertebral structures and the mechanism of their destruction are unknown, but doctors identify a number of predisposing factors:
- systemic metabolic disorders in the body.
- excess body weight;
- poor nutrition, consumption regime.
- inaction;
- sedentary work;
- bad posture;
- flatfeet;
- back injury, spinal cord injury.
- intense physical work or sports training.
- pregnancy;
- wearing uncomfortable shoes, high heels.
Grades of thoracic osteochondrosis
A disease such as thoracic osteochondrosis does not show symptoms immediately, because it develops gradually and over a long period of time. In addition, due to the low mobility of the spine in this region, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region manifests itself in the later stages, in the presence of significant pathological changes. In total, four degrees of pathology are distinguished, depending on the developed deviations.
Thoracic osteochondrosis of the 1st degree
The preclinical stage is grade 1 osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. At this stage, partial dehydration and compression of the central part of the intervertebral discs occurs, their height decreases, which leads to a decrease in their elasticity and firmness. The ability of the spine to withstand normal loads is still preserved. Disc protrusions begin to form.
Thoracic osteochondrosis of the 2nd degree
When grade 2 thoracic osteochondrosis develops, the disease is characterized by the appearance of cracks in the annulus fibrosus. Disc subsidence (thinning) continues, the amount of intervertebral fluid decreases significantly, and the vertebrae begin to rub against each other as the load on the back increases. This stage is sometimes called discogenic radiculitis.
Thoracic osteochondrosis of the 3rd degree
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine of the 3rd degree is accompanied by destruction and rupture of the fibrous tissues of the disc, release of the core, i. e. the formation of a herniated protrusion of the intervertebral disc occurs. As a result, nerve roots begin to pinch, nearby vessels are compressed, and veins and arteries are squeezed.
Thoracic osteochondrosis grade 4
The last, most serious stage of the disease is characterized by displacement, twisting, deformation of the vertebral bodies, further increase in their area and proliferation. The affected fibrous disc tissue begins to be replaced by bone tissue in the form of specific growths - osteophytes, compressing the spinal cord. As a result, the mobility of the spine is significantly reduced.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine - symptoms
Due to the peculiarities of localization of pathological processes, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region has typical and atypical symptoms, repeating the manifestations of other diseases. This is due to the fact that due to the compression of blood vessels and nerve fibers, structural changes in the spine, the functions of nearby internal organs are disturbed.
Let's mention which symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are characteristic and more common:
- back and chest pain;
- feeling of tightness in the chest.
- tingling in extremities;
- numbness in arms, legs, neck, shoulders.
- stiffness, pains in the back and limbs.
- muscle spasms in the upper and middle back.
- limited mobility of the spine in this area (difficulty in bending the body).
Pain due to osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
When diagnosed with "thoracic osteochondrosis, " pain-related symptoms come to the fore among other complaints. Their intensity and duration depend on the stage of the pathological process. The localization of pain may periodically change rapidly, for example, moving from one area of the chest to another, covering the entire chest. The pain is often felt in the area between the shoulder blades. The nature of pain in thoracic osteochondrosis is dull, compressive, sharp. Increased pain is observed at night and with:
- raising hands up.
- neck turns;
- transporting heavy objects.
- sudden movements;
- increased physical activity;
- strong breathing, coughing, sneezing.
- hypothermia.
Can there be shortness of breath with thoracic osteochondrosis?
Due to displacement of the vertebral bodies, pathological changes in the structure of the chest, pinching of nerve fibers and blood vessels associated with the lungs, shortness of breath often occurs with thoracic osteochondrosis. In addition, because in the thoracic region there are structures responsible for the innervation of the heart, intestines, liver, kidneys and some other organs; the disease is often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- headaches, dizziness;
- pain in the region of the heart;
- pain in the mammary glands.
- pain in the hypochondrium (similar to the appearance of pancreatitis, cholecystitis).
- epigastric pain not related to eating;
- discomfort in the pharynx, esophagus, foreign body sensation.
- sexual dysfunctions.
Pain in the heart with thoracic osteochondrosis, often pressing, compressive, can be misleading during diagnosis, becausesimilar to manifestations of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction. Characteristic of these sensations is their long duration and lack of action when taking drugs to dilate cardiac vessels. There are no changes in the cardiogram.
Thoracic osteochondrosis syndromes
The symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women, related to a single mechanism of occurrence, are present in many cases in a complex manner. There are two syndromes with a set of specific pathological conditions caused by thoracic osteochondrosis:
- dorsally?
- dorsago.
Dorsalgia of the thoracic spine
Prolonged, not very intense pain with thoracic osteochondrosis in women, often characterized as pain, pulling, is inherent in the back. Complaints may be present for 2-3 weeks, with the discomfort either subsiding slightly (especially when walking) or intensifying (often at night, when bending over or taking deep breaths). In the presence of this syndrome, thoracic osteochondrosis may also have symptoms related to difficulty breathing and muscle stiffness.
Dorsago of the thoracic spine
Paroxysmal manifestations of the disease are called "dorsago" or "thoracic lumbar". In this case, the pain appears suddenly, sharp, often resembling signs of a heart attack. An attack of thoracic osteochondrosis has the following symptoms:
- sharp pain like a dagger.
- the pain is felt in the area between the ribs, in the shoulder blade area.
- often an attack occurs after a long stay in one position.
- the pain intensifies during rotation of the trunk.
- there is difficulty in breathing, severe muscle tension.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine - consequences
If the treatment of the pathology is not started in time, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region can have the following consequences:
- vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- migraine;
- dysfunction of internal organs (liver, kidneys, etc. ).
- impaired hearing, vision.
- epicondylitis of the elbow joint;
- paresis and paralysis of the arms.
- Rachiocampsis;
- loss of skin tissue sensitivity.
- disability etc.
How to treat thoracic osteochondrosis?
If symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis appear, it is recommended to consult a neurologist, who, after examining the back and examining the spine in several positions of the patient, will be able to make an initial diagnosis. To determine the extent of the damage, x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography are prescribed. Treatment tactics depend on the results obtained.
Often, the painful symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine are eliminated by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In case of exacerbation, accompanied by severe pain, paraspinal blocks can be performed with an anesthetic solution. In addition, the following drugs may be prescribed as part of conservative treatment:
- Muscle relaxants;
- chondroprotectors;
- corticosteroids etc.
To improve metabolic processes, eliminate muscle hypertonicity and prevent various complications, the following treatment methods are used:
- physiotherapy;
- massage;
- manual therapy;
- spinal traction;
- physical therapy procedures (laser, ultrasound, etc. ).
Surgical treatment is required if there is compression of the spinal cord by a fragment of the intervertebral disc. In this case, either a laminotomy - excision of the vertebral arches, or a discectomy - removal of part of the intervertebral disc or its complete removal with graft placement can be performed. In clinics with modern equipment, surgical operations are performed with low-injury methods through small incisions.