Pain in thoracic osteochondrosis is an unpleasant symptom that many patients have recently experienced. The danger of this disease is that it is not easy to diagnose it due to vague and fuzzy symptoms. Osteochondrosis is often confused with various other ailments. Because of this, the patient does not receive the necessary treatment, and in some cases he does not attach importance to such ailment. In this article we will talk about the features of this disease, the nature of pain, existing treatment methods.
What are they confused with?
Pain in breast osteochondrosis is often accompanied by atypical symptoms, which is why they are confused with other diseases. For example, when they are accompanied by heaviness in the hypochondrium and nausea, they can be mistaken for pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Such symptoms are often attributed to exacerbation of gastritis or pyelonephritis, sometimes to cholecystitis. Errors in diagnosis lead to the fact that doctors prescribe ineffective or even dangerous methods of therapy that do not help the patient at all, but only aggravate his condition.
When pain in thoracic osteochondrosis occurs abruptly and suddenly, sweating intensifies and the pulse may increase. They have a "shooting" character, can be given to the heart or chest, which is why doctors often take these symptoms for the manifestation of various heart ailments.
Pain in breast osteochondrosis is considered very insidious, as it is difficult to diagnose. In addition, it is easily confused with gastritis, pneumonia, renal colic, pancreatitis, ischemic conditions.
Difference from heartache
In order not to confuse cardiac problems with pain in osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, you need to know what to look for. For heart pain, localization is of great importance. It appears in the left half of the chest or just behind the sternum. In addition, it can give between the shoulder blades, in the left hand or in the lower jaw. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the characteristic of pain. In the classic version, it should be compressive, pressing, dagger or baking.
Another important point - provoking factors. For angina pectoris, this is an emotional or physical stress, that is, pain cannot occur at rest. Only with a critical condition of the vessel that directly feeds the heart muscle, angina can appear with minimal stress on the heart in a calm state and even at night.
Also, in the study of the origin of pain, attention should be paid to the time factor. Real heart pain can not be too long in time, as a rule, it lasts only a few minutes. Pain in the area of the heart, which lasts several hours or days, indicates a pathology of the musculoskeletal system. Moreover, true heart pain lasting more than 20 minutes indicates a serious complication that threatens the patient's life. This is myocardial infarction.
Features of the disease
Thoracic osteochondrosis is a disease in which degenerative and dystrophic processes develop, which lead to pathological changes in the body, primarily in bone tissues and cartilage. Untimely treatment of this disease can lead to a change in the structure of the intervertebral discs, ligaments, joints and even to their destruction.
Often against the background of breast osteochondrosis, other diseases develop. This is infertility, pneumosclerosis, atherosclerosis, prostatitis, and malignant neoplasms appear.
In the process of developing this ailment for a patient, it all starts with bone damage. Then the disease affects the connective, cartilage and muscle tissue. If the disease is diagnosed in children or adolescents, their musculoskeletal system begins to age even before the full formation and maturation of the body. There are no age restrictions for this disease. With the same frequency, it is detected in both men and women.
Symptoms
It is important to distinguish this disease so as not to miss the time when timely treatment should be started. Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine will help to do this. Consider the main ones:
- pain in the chest area, developing when a person is in one position, it can also occur with any body movement, weight lifting, physical exertion;
- pain syndrome that occurs during active movements, with sharp turns and tilts of the body, raising arms;
- a feeling of tightness in the middle of the back, which makes it difficult to deep breaths and exhalations;
- persistent aching and dull pain in the area of the shoulder blades;
- chills;
- numbness of certain parts of the body;
- chilling feet;
- itching and burning in the legs;
- disruptions in the vascular system of the thoracic region are possible, due to which the nail plate is thinning, the skin is peeling;
- disturbances in the work of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract (discomfort in the abdomen, nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, flatulence, constipation);
- intercostal neuralgia;
- problems with sexual and reproductive function.
There are typical symptoms of breast osteochondrosis in women. They appear when the disease is in an acute stage of development. In this case, the classic symptom of breast osteochondrosis in women is breast tenderness. To deal with this problem, you should visit a mammologist.
Note that breast osteochondrosis in women is particularly dangerous, as it can lead to infertility. This is due to atrophy or damage to the organs of the reproductive system.
Pain characteristic
It is worthwhile to dwell in more detail on how chest osteochondrosis hurts. In this state, the discomfort can be of two types:
- dorsago, that is, acute and intense pains that appear in the form of seizures, interfere with normal breathing and constrain the muscles;
- dorsalgia - prolonged pain in the area of affected intervertebral discs.
Sensation when stabbing in the chest is one of the sure signs of osteochondrosis. The pain can be either constant or periodic, but of such strength that it makes a person put his hand to his chest and bend. The true cause of these manifestations lies in the damage or compression of the nerves. Violation of blood flow provokes general weakness of the body, numbness of the hands and dizziness.
Causes
If you constantly have chest pains, this is an occasion to seek help from a doctor. Only by establishing the exact cause of the disease, it will be possible to proceed to timely treatment.
Osteochondrosis often develops due to thinning of discs or intervertebral hernia. Also, various pathological changes in the intervertebral discs lead to this disease, which include a hereditary predisposition. Such a problem can occur in patients at any age.
Here is a list of other causes that can cause this disease:
- violation of the blood supply to the spinal cord. It occurs due to narrowing or pinching of the arteries and veins;
- destroyed cartilage and osteophytes;
- violation of mineral metabolism in the body due to lack of calcium or other healthy substances;
- dystrophic changes in bone, cartilage and muscle tissues;
- regular weight lifting;
- rachiocampsis;
- passive lifestyle;
- active and power sports;
- suffered injuries.
How to deal with exacerbation
When an exacerbation occurs, patients experience a sudden and sharp pain that they are not able to stop on their own. In such a situation, it is forbidden to engage in self-medication, as this can lead to fatal consequences. How to relieve pain with breast osteochondrosis, only a doctor will tell.
You need to seek advice from a neurologist who will conduct diagnostic tests, prescribing the appropriate treatment. As a rule, stress and nervous shocks, hypothermia, weight lifting, overwork and difficult working conditions, and too active sports become provocative factors during exacerbation.
Often with an exacerbation of osteochondrosis, the patient needs to be immediately sent to the hospital by ambulance, since it is easier to stop the pain syndrome in a hospital. First of all, patients are prescribed drugs that quickly relieve muscle cramps. If a painful situation develops, anti-inflammatory ointments, analgesics, various physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed.
When identifying an intervertebral hernia, a more constructive treatment is required. In this case, often can not do without surgical intervention.
During the period of exacerbation, the patient should limit physical and motor activity, eat a balanced diet, carefully rub the problem areas, take all the medications prescribed by the doctor. When indicated, engage in physical therapy.
Diagnostics
If patients with osteochondrosis have no neurological problems, you can do without complex therapy. It is worth starting treatment with a visit to a doctor who will collect a medical history, conduct a visual examination, palpate the thoracic region, and send him for further examination.
As a rule, the patient will have to do magnetic resonance imaging or radiography. This will help to identify the location of the pathology, to study in detail the condition of the musculoskeletal system, to identify malignant and benign neoplasms at an early stage.
Only after confirming the initial diagnosis can we begin to draw up a treatment plan.
Treatment methods
In most cases, patients are offered to stay on complex therapy. It includes injections, medication, the use of ointments, creams, gels, physical therapy and physiotherapy.
Of the physiotherapeutic methods most often used:
- laser therapy;
- magnetotherapy;
- vacuum therapy;
- acupuncture;
- pharmacopuncture;
- wet and dry traction.
If the disease is not in an advanced stage, 10-15 procedures may be enough to achieve the effect.
Charging
Before performing the exercise, experts strongly advise to warm up. You should warm up the muscles, which will make the workout more effective. You can take a warm shower.
When charging with breast osteochondrosis, remember that all exercises should be performed without haste and as smoothly as possible. If something causes a sharp pain, you should immediately stop and rest for a few minutes.
Massage
Massage therapy for breast osteochondrosis is part of complex therapy. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to take appropriate courses twice a year.
A masseur is able to tone back muscles, relieve pain and general fatigue. Massage courses help eliminate spasms that often occur with osteochondrosis, strengthen muscle corset.
Physiotherapy
The main goal of physiotherapy exercises with this diagnosis is to increase the mobility of the intervertebral and rib-vertebral joints. Provided that all exercises are performed correctly and regularly, exercise therapy can relieve even severe muscle cramps.
With moderate physical exertion, you will be freed from stiffness in the spine, which is typical for patients with weak muscle corset.
Classes should be conducted daily under the supervision of an experienced instructor. In this case, you will achieve a beneficial effect for the whole organism as a whole, improve the condition of the respiratory system. Patients have better lung ventilation, deep exhalations and breaths can be done completely painlessly.