The spine, if properly formed, has slight natural bends. When viewed from the side in the thoracic and sacral, it bends backward, and in the cervical and lumbar - forward. Thanks to this structure, the spine is able to bend and cushion. However, there are cases when, at birth or after a while, the posture is bent, the vertebral bend deviates from the norm. Moreover, changes can occur in several directions. Such deformation is more severe and more difficult to treat. Most often, among such pathologies, kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine is found.
What is kyphoscoliosis?
Kyphoscoliosis is a pathological disease characterized by a curvature of the spine in two planes simultaneously: in the anteroposterior and lateral, that is, 2 pathologies - kyphosis and scoliosis - are combined together.
Adolescents are most susceptible to kyphoscoliosis. According to statistics, this pathology is 4 times more common in boys than girls. If kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine is noted in an adult, this means that the curvature was not cured in childhood, and gradually, due to the development of scoliosis and kyphosis, the spine underwent deformation.
Causes
The underlying causes of the disease are:
• Weakening of the back muscles. If the child’s physical development is insufficient, the muscles cannot adapt to the enhanced growth of the spine, which may entail a modification of the vertebrae themselves, followed by deformation of the spine.
• A sedentary lifestyle. Curved posture at the table along with the lack of physical activity provokes the beginning of the process of curvature of the spine.
• Problems of a socio-psychological nature. Stoop often develops against the backdrop of a reflexive attempt by the body to defend itself from external factors. Often this problem is associated with high growth, emotional overload, the constant influence of others.
• Large physical activity . Excessive force loads on the pectoral muscles in the absence of a well-developed musculo-ligamentous apparatus can cause stoop in teenagers and make the chest hollow.
• Uneven loads on different parts of the body . Some sports exercises develop only one muscle group, without affecting the rest, which can lead to deformation of the spinal column in one direction or another.
In addition to the above, factors such as psychological stress, injuries and surgical intervention on the spine, diseases of the musculoskeletal system (cerebral palsy, polio, osteochondrosis, and tumors) can also provoke kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine.
The causes of the disease can be associated with improper intrauterine development of the child, as well as be hereditary.
Classification
Depending on the causes of the disease, the types of disease are distinguished.
Congenital kyphoscoliosis. It is associated with the abnormal formation of individual vertebrae, as well as the formation of fused or extra ribs. Such a disease, as a rule, can be detected in a child aged 6 months and in the early stages of development it is not difficult to cure.
Hereditary kyphoscoliosis. It differs in the same nature of development in a number of generations and is inherited by a dominant type.
Acquired kyphoscoliosis. Appears due to improper posture, psychological stress, injuries and surgical manipulations on the spine, certain diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Idiopathic kyphoscoliosis. This diagnosis is established in cases where the cause of the curvature of the spine cannot be determined. Most often, the idiopathic form of scoliosis develops in adolescents at the stage of accelerated growth (11-15 years).
What is the danger of this disease?
Kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine, if untreated, can adversely affect the functioning of internal organs, especially respiratory organs. In case of violation of the mobility of the chest, the lungs contract in volume, the load on the respiratory muscles increases, there is insufficient gas exchange, followed by a decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood. As a result, pulmonary and even heart failure develops.
Pathological changes in the ridge cause a constant overload of its structures, as well as paravertebral muscles. Therefore, kyphoscoliosis often leads to osteochondrosis, the formation of intervertebral protrusions and hernias, which is the trigger for the development of neurological diseases.
In addition, kyphoscoliosis can lead to damage to the genitourinary system.
Symptoms
The main signs of kyphoscoliosis are:
- stoop while sitting and walking;
- drawing pains in the muscles of the neck and back;
- pain in the back, especially after a long stay in one position;
- dizziness, weakness and fatigue;
- pain in the heart, arrhythmia;
- shortness of breath with great physical exertion.
The last stages of the development of the disease are characterized by deformation of the chest and pelvis. The patient has impaired coordination of movements, which can lead to loss of mobility.
Diagnostics
In case of suspicion of a curvature of the ridge, a visit to an orthopedic traumatologist should be made; in some cases, you may need the help of a neurologist. To establish the diagnosis of “kyphoscoliosis”, first of all, the specialist performs an external examination: assesses the degree and nature of the curvature, checks the strength of the muscle apparatus, tendon reflexes and skin sensitivity.
If a deformation is suspected, an x-ray of the spine in different projections is done. For a more accurate diagnosis, sometimes you have to resort to such examination methods as CT and MRI.
Stages of the disease
Kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine of 1 degree. It is accompanied by a small lateral displacement and slight twisting. The skew angle in this case does not exceed 55 °.
Kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine of the 2nd degree. In this case, the back has a more pronounced lateral curvature and twisting.
Kyphoscoliosis 3 degrees. It is characterized by deformation changes in the chest and the formation of a rib hump.
Kyphoscoliosis 4 degrees. There is a curvature not only of the ridge and chest, but also of the pelvic bones.
Based on the nature of the lateral shift of the spine, left-sided and right-sided kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine is distinguished.
Treatment technique
Depending on the stage of development of kyphoscoliosis, resort to conservative and surgical therapy.
As a rule, the initial stages of curvature respond well to conservative treatment. One of the main areas of prevention and conservative treatment of kyphoscoliosis is physical therapy. Exercise therapy for kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine consists in the use of a number of special exercises aimed at the formation and strengthening of the muscle corset, as well as the relaxation and stretching of certain muscle groups. All this is prescribed individually by the attending physician.
Exercises for kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine should be performed under the supervision of an exercise instructor, because the effectiveness of the treatment depends on the correctness of their implementation.
In addition to physical exercises, patients are prescribed wearing corrective orthopedic corsets, physiotherapy, acupuncture, kinesitherapy, therapeutic massage, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs as conservative therapy.
The surgical method is used for extremely severe deformities (kyphoscoliosis of the thoracic spine 3 degrees, as well as 4). In this case, they perform osteoplastic surgery or resort to surgical correction with endocorrectors. The latter option is used most often. Its essence lies in fixing the spine using a metal structure, which is modeled under its physiological bends. After such an operation, patients need a long rehabilitation.
Preventive actions
In order to prevent and prevent the development of pathology of the spine, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules:
• Sleep on a hard mattress. In this case, the best for posture is considered a dream on the back, and not on the side.
• When carrying a bag, do not load the same shoulder. In this case, it is better to prefer a backpack so that the load is distributed evenly.
• Arrange the workplace so that it contributes to maintaining proper posture.
• When prone to kyphoscoliosis, it is contraindicated to lift weights, stand and jump on one leg.
Kyphoscoliosis is a very unpleasant disease that causes significant pain and can be fraught with serious complications. That is why it is so important to prevent the emergence and development of this ailment. If, nevertheless, the symptoms have made themselves felt, do not delay, you need to seek help from a specialist immediately.