In the modern world, it is not only humanity that is progressing.Unfortunately, diseases that affect humans are also in constant motion and development.
Two decades ago, symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine were rare, often in elderly people.Now the age categories of patients have expanded significantly and include women, men and children of different ages.
The rarity of the manifestations of this disease is based on the fact that the thoracic part of the spine region is inactive, which excludes various injuries and damages.
With osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the bone and cartilage tissues of the spine undergo serious changes that lead to a violation of their integrity.
If you do not contact a specialist in time, irreversible changes occur, which can only be stopped by surgical intervention.
In the chain of development of the disease, the skeletal system of the spine comes first, followed by cartilaginous formations, ligaments and muscles of the spine.
When osteochondrosis is diagnosed at a young age, premature aging of the musculoskeletal system begins.
There are 4 degrees of development of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine according to symptoms and treatment, on which the patient's well-being depends:
- Graduate.Symptoms are mild or absent.Extensions occur.
- degree II.Intervertebral discs lose elasticity and height.There is a loss of stability in the spine.The first pains appear.
- degree III.At this stage, hernias are detected with severe pain.
- degree IV.The bone tissue of the spine is destroyed due to the complete deprivation of the intervertebral discs from their basic functions.
Symptoms and signs
Signs of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine depend on the gender, the degree of development of the disease and the mobility of the patient.Most of the symptoms appear with a certain degree of stress and fatigue, as well as with a prolonged stay in the same position.
How is thoracic osteochondrosis manifested:
- Chest pain, which is especially severe during prolonged periods of inactivity.
- There is a feeling of pressure in the middle of the back.Deep inhalations and exhalations are also difficult.
- Pain that is provoked when any movement related to the spine is involved in physical activity.Hand movements, bending, turning.
- Long back pain.
- Neurological disorders of certain parts of the body, which are manifested by numbness.
- Increased sensitivity of some areas of the skin (so-called goose bumps).
- Unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities.
- Due to damage to blood vessels in thoracic osteochondrosis, local symptoms appear on the skin in the form of peeling.The changes also affect the nails.
- Reproductive disorders and decreased libido may occur.
Symptoms can also vary by gender.The signs of thoracic osteochondrosis in women are somewhat different from those in men.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women:
- Local pain syndrome in the area of the affected disc.
- False symptoms of diseases of internal organs that arise along the innervation of the suppressed nerve.
- Symptoms of compression.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in men appear much earlier than in women.The rest of the clinical picture is very similar.
Most of the differences appear only in the severity of symptoms, as men lead a much more active lifestyle.
Also, thoracic osteochondrosis in women is less pronounced and appears later due to the protective effect of female sex hormones.
With thoracic osteochondrosis, the symptoms and sensations can be similar to those during the development of heart diseases, therefore, when making a diagnosis, heart function studies are also performed.
Treatment
The chronic course of the disease is different in that an exacerbation can develop at any time, the symptoms of which are very pronounced.The patient experiences severe back pain and difficulty breathing.
Before curing thoracic osteochondrosis, it is important to understand the nature of the deterioration and the extent of the disease.Typically, the causes of such conditions are specific factors:
- Stressful situation.
- Very hard work.
- Prolonged exposure to low temperature environments.
- Weightlifting or active sports.
Treatment is mainly based on an etiological approach.That is, the factor that caused the acute phase is excluded.In severe cases of the disease, a limited daily regimen is recommended.Here are some principles of the approach:
- Low mobility mode.
- A diet containing large amounts of vitamins, minerals and fiber is prescribed.
- Drug treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis.
- Local therapy, including massages (according to indications), use of external forms of drugs with anti-inflammatory effect.
- Exercise therapy.Only in cases where the doctor allows it.
- Physiotherapy.
medicaments
Drug treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is based on the classical principles of treatment of compressed nerve fibers.The first step is to relieve symptoms that cause significant suffering to the patient.
Selected drugs are prescribed individually, taking into account contraindications and side effects.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory therapy is considered primary and main.Its effects appear from the first day of therapy.
How to treat thoracic osteochondrosis:
- NSAIDs.Medicines are taken orally or administered parenterally.They have a number of positive properties.First of all, they improve the patient's quality of life, restoring his ability to move normally.
Unfortunately, this group of drugs also has a number of negative indications.Contraindications include gastrointestinal diseases.An absolute ban is imposed in the presence of an ulcer or acute gastritis.If kidney and liver function is impaired, drugs require dose adjustment.
NSAIDs are often combined with muscle relaxants.
- Muscle relaxants are a group of drugs that significantly relieve the patient's condition.When an inflammatory process occurs at the vertebral level, a strong muscle spasm of the fibers around the inflamed area occurs.Prolonged spasm also provokes severe pain in the segment area.Muscle relaxants eliminate this spasm, thus relieving pain.
Taking these drugs is not recommended if the patient drives a car or other equipment.
- Vitamin complexes.It is used to relieve inflammation in nerve fibers and stabilize nerve membranes.More often than others, B vitamins and nicotinic acid are used.
- Chondroprotective medications.Combinations of chondroitin with glucosamine in different doses.
This group of drugs normalizes metabolic processes in joint tissues and has a strong anti-inflammatory effect with glucose.The course of treatment with chondroprotectors is long-term and repeated at intervals.
Side effects are mainly observed in the gastrointestinal tract.This is bloating and belching.
For the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis, special medications are used in the form of injections.Management principles vary.The main method is the introduction of electrophoresis in the physiotherapy room.It also comes in the form of creams and ointments.
For thoracic osteochondrosis, drug treatment is based on the principles of relieving the inflammatory process and releasing the compressed nerve.
It is important to note that even long courses of anti-inflammatory treatment in the absence of other corrective courses of treatment will not be able to free the patient from suffering for a long time.
If the attending physician recommends massage procedures, then they must be performed.
Massage
Before treating osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine with massage, a functional diagnosis is made and the first stage of treatment is prescribed, which includes taking anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants.
This group of measures is aimed at relieving spasm and inflammation in the area of the affected segment.Only after achieving certain results in the first stage can we talk about the benefits of massage.
How to cure osteochondrosis of the chest region with massage?
Massage procedures can also relieve muscle spasticity and improve blood supply to the injured area.
- Acupressure.A procedure where the specialist's hands act on specific points, improving their blood supply, thus easing the inflammatory process.It is important to know that pain is not allowed during acupressure.Acute pain syndrome is an absolute contraindication for such a massage.
- Massage the affected segment.It gives excellent effects by improving blood supply to the entire area.At the same time, soft tissues begin to be actively renewed, which has a beneficial effect on therapy.
- Classic massage.Osteochondrosis in the chest region due to the symptoms of the acute phase cannot be treated with classical massage.Any vibration or displacement can cause severe pain.Classic massage can be performed only after the complete removal of restrictions on motor activity and the inflammatory process.
- Plastic massage.It is indicated for all stages of the disease, gives excellent results.After 5 sessions, it is recommended to switch to the next type of massage.
Since the removal of thoracic osteochondrosis is a complex task, the combination of massage with conservative treatment is considered one of the most effective non-surgical therapies.
Physical training
Thoracic osteochondrosis with signs of stages I - II of the disease is treated with physical therapy, which has a beneficial effect on the muscle layers in the area of the affected segment, strengthens the ligaments and eliminates the further development of protrusions.
If the stage of the disease is characterized by severe pain, then conservative treatments, massages are performed first, and only after that - exercise therapy.
What is exercise therapy?This is a complex of therapeutic and preventive procedures that improve the blood supply and stability of the affected segment.
There are a number of exercises that have worked well:
- Raise your arms as you exhale, lean back with a deep breath.This is followed by a slow bow with the back arched up.
- From a seated position, using the back of a chair as support, lean back with your hands behind your head.
- Standing on all fours, bend and arch your back, adjusting the highest and lowest possible positions.
- Position - emphasis lying on the stomach.A diligent bending of the top is performed with an effort to remove the torso from the floor.
- Exercise boat.
Their effectiveness depends on how diligently the patient does each exercise.
All exercises are repeated 5 to 7 times.Before starting the lesson, do a warm-up to avoid sprains and injuries.
Withdrawal
What should you do if the pathology is detected in the initial stage?
In the early stages of the disease, withdrawal is considered an excellent solution.Through this procedure, the muscle spasm is eliminated and the displaced vertebrae return to their place.Spinal deformity is overcome.
What types of withdrawal are there:
- Dry traction.This procedure is easier to perform than the others.If the disease is detected in the first stage, then a horizontal strip is perfect.If strong displacements and prolonged spasms are observed, then special beds and exercise equipment are used.These tools precisely dose the load and its duration.
- Wet traction.It is performed in warm water, which improves blood circulation in the affected segment and also, if done correctly, eliminates sudden movements.
With thoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms during treatment with classical regimens may return several times a year.For prevention, traction and exercise therapy are used, which eliminate the risk of strong extensions and displacements.
Reviews of physiotherapeutic procedures in remission and after long-term treatment are mostly positive.The recommendations and implementation of these procedures are fully justified!
Surgery
What should be done if the chosen methods do not give results?
Due to the wrong approach to therapy, osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine progresses according to symptoms after treatment and makes the patient's life unbearable.This also happens because of visiting the doctor too late.
Unfortunately, if the integrity of the intervertebral disc is compromised and a hernia is diagnosed, surgical intervention is recommended to avoid life-threatening consequences.
After the operation, special elastic products are prescribed and the patient's mobility is limited until complete recovery.
CONCLUSION
Therapy for osteochondrosis in all its stages and with any approach depends on how osteochondrosis appears, how many tissues are affected and most importantly, what is the prognosis for certain procedures.Based on these diagnostic aspects, therapeutic measures are initiated.