Osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbar spine is a common phenomenon. But thoracic osteochondrosis is much less common. There are many intervertebral discs in the chest area and they are quite thin. Sudden movements and excessive loads can lead to unpleasant consequences. But there are ways to treat the pathology.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine - what it is and how it is treated
Doctors consider degenerative disc disease of the chest as a "chameleon disease" due to the difficulty of diagnosis. In fact, we are talking about damage to the intervertebral discs. The pathology is based on high physical activity and metabolic processes. The following is a list of conditions that cause the disease:
- Scoliosis.
- Bad Habits.
- Sedentary life.
- Genetic factors.
- Spinal cord injury.
- Excessive physical activity.
- Mental stress.
Note that low mobility and excessive exercise are equally harmful. In everyday life, follow the measure. Exercise under the supervision of an experienced coach. This also includes spinal injuries - most often patients get them in the gym or in dangerous industries.
Manifestations of osteochondrosis in the chest
Many are interested in how osteochondrosis manifests itself and how to treat it. First you have to deal with the first point. Here is what happensinside your body:
- the intervertebral discs lose their shock-absorbing properties.
- the fibrous ring cracks;
- the spinal nerves are weakened.
- inflammation begins.
- pain syndrome occurs.
- ligaments and joints are destroyed.
The main features of the disease
Pathology is explained by the very structure of the human body. A large number of thin discs are located in the chest area - most often they are subject to destruction. Due to the excess protection, the vertebrae are inactive, so doctors recommend exercise. Here are some more interesting facts:
- The curvature of the spine can be the cornerstone of osteochondrosis.
- The greatest pressure in the curvature (kyphosis) is in the anterior spine.
- The discs may fall slowly in the development of the disease.
- Osteophyte growth often occurs.
- The spinal cord is not always adversely affected.
Signs of pathology
Osteochondrosis of the chest is accompanied by a specific set of symptoms. The severity of these signs varies widely. The symptoms are:
- pain in the shoulder area (felt when bending and raising the arms).
- chest pain (worse with strain, sharp turns, bends and chills, as well as at night).
- discomfort when walking (occurs on the sides).
- increased pain-on-exhalation pain syndrome.
- feeling of tightness in the chest.
With exacerbations, additional symptoms may occur. These include burning and itching of the feet, numbness in certain areas of the body, brittle nails and flaking of the skin. Gastrointestinal disorders also occur. Some patients complain of pain in the esophagus and pharynx. All of these signs indicate that you need to see your doctor urgently.
Among the complications is dorsago - "back pain in the chest", an acute pain that has occurred in the chest. Most of the time, dorsago is the result of monotonous work. One type of dorsago is dorsalgia, a mildly painful syndrome that lasts for about two to three weeks. The patient feels shortness of breath. Unpleasant sensations are worse at night, when you walk, bend over and breathe deeply.
We approach the treatment competently
What approach to the treatment of pathology can be called competent? You will not be able to get rid of the destructive processes completely, so you must focus on preventing further deformation of the vertebral structures. Therapists set themselves various tasks:
- Prevention of the development of pathology.
- Restoration of affected bone structures.
- Neutralization of negative processes that affect the nervous system.
- Improvement of the biomechanics of the spine.
Conservative therapy
In the early stages, the disease can be treated with medication. The progress of the pathology slows down, the pain stops. Here are the most effective groups of drugs:
- NSAIDs?
- diuretics;
- glucocorticosteroids;
- chondroprotectants;
- metabolic stimulants.
Drug-free treatment
Doctors suggest a holistic approach to solving the problem. Acute pain can be relieved with non-drug treatment. Usually 2-3 sessions are enough for the patient to feel relief. The following techniques are used:
- Acupuncture massage (relaxes muscles, relieves tension).
- Acupuncture (restores muscle strength and mobility, treats numbness).
- Manual therapy (normalizes blood circulation, reduces the load on the disc, reduces the intervertebral gaps).
- Moxtotherapy (normalizes metabolism, activates recovery processes).
- Hirudotherapy (helps get rid of blood clots, prevents inflammation, enhances the nutrition of ligaments and muscles).
Many patients seek help from Tibetan medical centers. Practice shows that proper drug-free treatment saves the spine in 97-99 percent of cases. Conservative treatments quickly put patients on their feet, but this approach is accompanied by unpleasant side effects. Such a treatment should be treated only as a last resort.