When a sharp pain pierces the chest, most sufferers involuntarily think that they suffered a heart attack. However, immediately preparing for the worst is not worth it. Most likely, this is intercostal neuralgia of the thoracic region. It is not as dangerous as a heart attack, but it is very, very painful. If you don’t postpone a visit to a specialist, getting rid of the disease is not so difficult.
Definition
The term "neuralgia" itself is of Greek origin. Neuron means “nerve,” and algos means “pain.” Thoracic spinal neuralgia is a painful reflex syndrome of a traumatic, inflammatory or compression nature that occurs due to compression or irritation of the roots of the spinal nerves.
Causes of pathology
Surely everyone knows that a person has twelve pairs of ribs, and a nerve runs in each intercostal space. So, the effect on him provokes an incredibly severe pain that spreads along the branches and trunk.
The cause of compression or irritation of the nerves is the deformation of the intercostal spaces, which can result in recent or past injuries, diseases of the spine (curvature, osteochondrosis, herniated discs), exposure to bacterial toxins, heavy metals, certain medications, diseases of the nervous system (polyradiculoneuritis, diffuse sclerosis), infections (tuberculosis, flu), allergies, decreased immunity.
Thoracic neuralgia can also occur as a result of cardiovascular pathologies (atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, anemia) due to an insufficient flow of oxygen to the nerves. Inflammation in the ligaments and joints of the spine, changes associated with hormonal disruptions in women during menopause, deposition of salts in the spine can provoke an ailment.
Often, breast neuralgia becomes the result of alcohol abuse, diabetes mellitus, hypothermia, a lack of B-group vitamins in the body, which is often observed with gastritis, colitis, gastric ulcer, hepatitis (it is with these diseases that the metabolism in nerve tissues suffers primarily). The development of the disease is possible after suffering a herpes infection, with diseases of the internal organs, aneurysm of the thoracic aorta.
However, the most common cause of intercostal neuralgia, which all experts agree on, is an acute muscle spasm, provoked, for example, by an unsuccessful turn or an awkward abrupt movement of the body, a long stay in the same position or in a draft, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, unusual physical stress on the spine. It should also be noted that in elderly people, thoracic neuralgia is an order of magnitude more common than in young people.
So, as you probably already understood, there are a lot of reasons for the pathology, and yet we have listed a far from complete list. Under the influence of only one factor, intercostal neuralgia develops extremely rarely, usually several ailments are immediately involved. Therefore, even an experienced doctor can sometimes not determine where one illness ends and another begins.
Thoracic spine neuralgia: symptoms
The main sign of pathology is pain in the ribs. It can be different: acute, burning, aching, dull, as well as episodic or constant. Soreness, as a rule, increases with any activity, for example, as a result of sneezing, coughing, with a sharp movement of the body and even the slightest change in body position. Pain also occurs during palpation of certain areas: areas along the chest and spine, between the ribs.
Very often, unpleasant sensations intensify during exhalation / inhalation, it becomes so difficult to breathe that even a small expansion during the inhalation of the chest responds with sharp pain.
Signs of thoracic neuralgia should be distinguished from manifestations of other diseases, primarily in the area of pain localization. At first, pain is felt in the area of the ribs (in the intercostal spaces), but it can also be observed, for example, in the back, under the shoulder blade, in the lumbar region. Such irradiating sensations do not indicate a valid source of nerve damage. Often the pain in the chest is girdling: it can occur only in the right or only in the left half of this part of the body along the ribs.
Thoracic neuralgia may have other symptoms. So, soreness is often accompanied by a distinct twitching (contraction) of individual muscles, a change in skin color (unhealthy pallor or, conversely, redness), intense sweating. In the area of direct damage to nerve segments, the skin may become numb, that is, lose sensitivity.
Differences from diseases with similar symptoms
Pain in the chest can occur not only with such a pathology as neuralgia of the chest. Symptoms of a similar nature appear in some diseases of the vessels and heart. To make a correct diagnosis, you need to identify the features of unpleasant sensations, because the pain can be different. So, with intercostal neuralgia, it is usually present constantly for a long time, amplifies with any movements of the body and is not removed by any medications. And with cardiac pathologies, pain is characterized by periodicity, short-termness and can be suppressed by various kinds of medications (for example, nitroglycerin). Also, such pain does not increase with body turns.
Thoracic Neuralgia
You probably will not be able to correctly find out the root cause of intense chest pain yourself, therefore it is strictly forbidden to engage in self-diagnosis, and even more so self-medication. Contact a neurologist immediately - only he, based on the examination, will be able to establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment, depending on the cause of the painful manifestations. For example, if neuralgia of the thoracic region arose due to infringement of the roots of the nerves, the main ailment should be treated - a hernia of the intervertebral disc or osteochondrosis. If the cause of the pathology was shingles or colds, you need to eliminate these diseases.
Treatment of thoracic neuralgia should be comprehensive. At the initial stage of therapy, special attention is paid to stopping and reducing pain, painkillers are prescribed for this purpose. With neuralgia, different drugs are used. We will tell you more about them.
Drug therapy
- Analgesics (preparations "Spazgan", "Analgin", "Sedalgin" and others). Used to reduce the main symptom - pain. Depending on the intensity of the sensations, they are taken for five to ten days, three to four times a day. If you use drugs more often, then the desired result will not come, but side effects may develop.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (medicines "Voltaren", "Ibuprofen", "Diclofenac", "Indomethacin", "Piroxicam" and others). They are designed to fight inflammation, but are also able to stop the pain syndrome, although to a lesser extent than analgesics. Such drugs should be used once-twice a day, because frequent use can provoke the development (or exacerbation) of gastrointestinal pathologies. It is permissible to use NSAIDs for no more than five to seven days, unless the doctor has recommended otherwise. When choosing a dosage form, preference should be given to the injectable (injections) or rectal (suppositories) option. NSAIDs can also have such release forms as gel, cream, ointment. At a neuralgia the Nimid gel well helps. With external use, it has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.
- Muscle relaxants (Sirdalud, Baclofen, Clonazepam and others). These drugs most effectively fight the pathology caused by muscle spasm. The doctor should select the duration of the use of such medicines individually.
- B-group vitamins (B1, B6, B12). Their disadvantage is one of the reasons why thoracic neuralgia appears. The lack of these vitamins is most often observed in people suffering from stomach diseases, diabetes, intestinal diseases, as well as those who abuse alcohol. Vitamins should be taken from ten days to one month.
- Local anesthetics (drugs "Novocain", "Lidocaine"). With severe pain, it is recommended to do blockages with solutions of these drugs. In this way, pain can be significantly reduced. The number of blockades varies from two to five to seven. But keep in mind: only a specialist should perform such manipulations, he sets the required number of blockades.
- Sedatives (medications "Relanium", "Elenium"). They are used to reassure the patient, so to speak, to reduce the response of the brain to pain.
- External medicine. An ointment for neuralgia should be selected such that it would have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. With this tool, you can relax the muscles and improve blood circulation, thereby reducing pain. An example of an effective medicine is turpentine ointment. After applying it, the chest must be wrapped. Also make sure that there are no drafts in the room. Preparations based on bee venom give a good result in treatment, for example, Apizartron ointment. The active substance produces relaxing and warming effects.
Other treatments
Medication for neuralgia is not the only method of combating the disease. We have already said that therapy should be comprehensive. The patient is also prescribed physiotherapy using magnetic and electromagnetic fields, infrared and ultraviolet radiation, electrophoresis of drugs, pulsed low-frequency currents of low voltage, ultrasound. Acupuncture, acupressure, manual therapy, acupuncture, moxotherapy, laser therapy can be used. If intercostal neuralgia has arisen as a result of some disease of the spine (herniation of the intervertebral disc or scoliosis), then courses of therapeutic exercises are prescribed, and if necessary, spinal traction is performed.
ethnoscience
If you do not have the opportunity to consult a doctor with the first symptoms of thoracic neuralgia, you can use folk remedies to alleviate the condition at first. But remember that with the help of them you can only temporarily relieve pain, but do not eliminate the main cause of its appearance. Therefore, the main task is to complete the examination as soon as possible and get qualified help.
So, what kind of folk remedies can help you? Perhaps the most popular and effective remedy is pepper patch. Before applying it to a painful area, it must be degreased with alcohol and wiped dry. Wear the patch until you feel the heat spread over the body.
Another good way to eliminate chest pain is to use turpentine. Pour one hundred milliliters of boiling water into the container and add one hundred grams of turpentine there. Stir the mixture thoroughly, and then moisten gauze or a soft cloth in it, squeeze it slightly and attach to a sore spot. Place film or compress paper on top and cover with a bath towel. Such a compress can be kept for no more than three to five minutes, after removing it, tie a warm scarf or scarf to the affected area and lie down in bed for some time.
Self massage
You can reduce pain by rubbing and stroking the intercostal spaces with your fingertips. This should be done in a sitting position. You can also stretch your back muscles with two hands or put your hands in a lock and rub from the lower back to the shoulder blades. In addition, a massage of the reflexogenic zone located on both sides of the thoracic region between the first lumbar and seventh cervical vertebrae can help you . The most effective massaging for two minutes the points between the fourth and fifth thoracic vertebrae using the balm "Golden Star". If there is no balm on hand, just massage with clean fingers, and then stick a pepper patch on the indicated points.
Prevention of intercostal neuralgia
Many patients ask if attacking can be prevented. Sure you may. After all, if you know for what reasons a pathology occurs, then you are able to prevent its appearance. The most important measure for the prevention of thoracic neuralgia is regular exercise. Systematically do exercises that strengthen the spine, increase its mobility, and develop muscles. In addition, avoid hypothermia and drafts, excessive physical exertion, a long stay in uncomfortable poses. This is especially true for untrained people and the elderly.
Watch your posture when sitting at the table, do not lift weights, eat rationally and balanced, do not exhaust yourself with starvation and mono-diets. And, of course, treat those diseases that somehow lead to intercostal neuralgia: atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular pathologies, diabetes, etc. Be healthy!