Osteochondrosis is commonly referred to as dystrophic changes in the bone and connective tissue of the spine. The spine is unable to cope with normal loads - and this is mainly manifested in the appearance of pain, at first not clearly expressed, but over time, increasing more and more.
The main symptoms of the disease
Thoracic osteochondrosis is a disease that usually appears in adulthood and does not fully manifest itself for a long time. This is because the thoracic spine naturally supports and fixes the ribs - therefore the intervertebral discs are well protected.
The core of the spinal disc in this disease becomes thinner and dries up, the fibrous tissue around it begins to collapse, the cartilage tissue undergoes negative changes. The spine is unable to cope with normal loads - and this is mainly manifested in the appearance of pain, at first not clearly expressed, but over time, increasing more and more. However, with significant loads - sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work, constant stress, poor posture and back injuries - sooner or later osteochondrosis affects the chest region. The disease is considered very common - every third adult suffers from it.
What are the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis? First of all, in the appearance of pains, which include:
- neuralgic interscapular and intercostal firings;
- pain in the left side of the chest;
- pain in the arms, worse on lifting them and reaching the tips of the fingers;
- pain when bending;
In addition, thoracic osteochondrosis can manifest as numbness - not only in the chest, but also in various parts of the body. Sometimes osteochondrosis leads to speech disorders, and sometimes even scaly skin, brittle nails, itchy skin and digestive disorders.
Pain in osteochondrosis of the chest can manifest itself in different ways. Sometimes these are mild throbbing or dull pains that appear in the late afternoon and disappear after physical activity - for example, a short walk. Usually this is how the initial stage of thoracic osteochondrosis proceeds, when the intervertebral discs are not yet deeply affected.
In the later stages of the development of the disease, painful symptoms often manifest themselves in the form of lumbago. The pain is pronounced, sharp, interferes with normal breathing, and unnecessary movements only exacerbate the situation. Often back pain begins after a long period of inactivity - for example, several hours of work at a computer in a static position.
The special "cunning" of osteochondrosis of the chest region is that the disease can skillfully disguise itself as a dozen other ailments. Osteochondrosis of the chest is very easy to confuse with symptoms of pneumonia, angina, ischemia, heart attack. Sometimes the disease looks more like renal or hepatic colic, and speech disturbances and a feeling of numbness in different parts of the body are even mistaken for signs of a stroke.
Moreover, the error is made not only by the patients themselves, but also by experienced doctors - which greatly complicates the diagnosis of the disease. It is especially difficult to recognize thoracic osteochondrosis in the early stages - therefore it is often diagnosed when the disease has already pronounced itself and passed into the chronic stage.
Meanwhile, timely diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis is of fundamental importance. This allows you to immediately begin treatment and delay the development of the disease, significantly stopping the painful symptoms that accompany the disease.
How dangerous is osteochondrosis of the chest region?
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine does not directly pose a danger to the patient's life. However, in a neglected state, it can lead to significant complications:
- the appearance of chronic intercostal neuralgia;
- hernia of the thoracic region;
- spinal cord compression in the damaged area of the spine.
Launched osteochondrosis of the spine results in scoliosis, sometimes the disease passes to the cervical vertebrae and causes loss of voice.
In addition, a strong weakening of the spine in the chest region can lead to deformation of the internal organs of the peritoneum. In turn, this will probably lead to all kinds of disorders in the digestive tract - stomach, pancreas, liver, kidneys, bile ducts.
Thoracic osteochondrosis requires careful treatment, which will help slow down the development of the disease for a long time, prevent complications - and completely neutralize the symptoms of the disease in the early stages.
How is the disease treated?
What methods are used in the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis? First, a thorough diagnosis is carried out, which includes both examination of the patient by a specialist and examinations using modern equipment. This allows you to accurately diagnose and make sure that we are talking about osteochondrosis, and not about another disease.
After making a diagnosis, the doctor can use the following therapeutic methods:
- drugs intended to relieve the symptoms of pain;
- physiotherapy, laser therapy, acupuncture and reflexology;
- manual therapy and therapeutic massage;
- a special course in medical gymnastics.
Almost all of these methods are not aimed at eliminating osteochondrosis as such, but at relieving inflammation and reducing pain intensity. It is the elimination of pain that is the main goal of the treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest. At the same time, manual therapy and exercise therapy can "straighten" the spine, increasing the distance between the vertebrae and preventing compression. However, the patient is required to regularly perform therapeutic exercises - otherwise it will not bring results.
In some, especially severe cases, surgical treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis can be used. In such a situation, the affected vertebrae are replaced with a prosthesis - practice shows that the operation is effective for about 50% of patients.
With thoracic osteochondrosis, regular trips to health resorts are recommended. In sanatorium conditions, the patient receives a full-fledged complex therapy that combines drug, physiotherapy and gymnastic methods - and for a long time feels a significant improvement in his condition.
Folk remedies
In the acute course of the disease, it is recommended to treat thoracic osteochondrosis in stationary conditions. But if the symptoms are mild, there is no need to go to the hospital. In this case, home care is of fundamental importance. It is not only possible, but also necessary to treat osteochondrosis with folk remedies - sometimes they show no less effectiveness than official medical procedures.
Home treatment is aimed at the same goal - the rapid elimination of pain and inflammation, alleviating the symptoms of the disease. Therefore, in the treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies, decoctions, ointments, compresses and infusions of herbs and plants are used, which have a sedative, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.
What medicinal preparations are recommended to brew instead of tea and drink with osteochondrosis? These are chamomile, calendula, sage, birch leaves, strawberry leaves and ripe viburnum. Also, these fees can be mixed with each other - a fragrant hot drink of two or three different herbs gives a noticeable effect.
Decoctions are brewed in the same way as tea - a tablespoon of a medicinal plant is poured into a glass of hot water, infused and consumed inside two to three times a day. Simultaneously with taking painkillers and anti-inflammatory herbs, it is recommended to drink soothing infusions of motherwort, lavender, valerian - stress, inevitable in the course of the disease, can further aggravatesymptoms.
In addition to medicinal decoctions, baths with medicinal additives are used - for example, extracts of celandine, plantain and pine needles have a calming and warming effect. Such a bath relieves muscle spasms, improves blood flow between the inflamed discs of the spine and eliminates inflammation.
Compresses, ointments and frictions are not recommended for acute pain. However, they can be used during a lull in the disease. For example, rubbing with mustard-camphor ointment is popular - 50 grams of mustard and camphor are diluted with 100 milliliters of alcohol and 100 grams of raw egg white, stirred until smooth. The ointment is applied to the back for two weeks at night - the treated area should be covered with a woolen cloth.
What to do in case of an exacerbation?
What is considered an exacerbation of the disease? This term refers to intense painful sensations. If the patient felt noticeable discomfort, familiar backaches and dull pains in the chest area, radiating to the peritoneum, lower back and arms, then it's time to pay maximum attention to your illness.
During an exacerbation, it is recommended:
- avoid hypothermia and stress;
- to be as little as possible in motionless poses, in which the load on the spine is maintained;
- apply sparing compresses and ointments to the affected area that do not have too harsh an effect;
- gently massage the affected areas on your own - but avoid strong pressure;
- to the best of your ability to continue physiotherapy exercises - but only if this does not lead to increased pain.
In acute complications, bed rest is also recommended. In case of unbearable pain, hospitalization can even be carried out. But in most cases, exacerbations of thoracic osteochondrosis can be stopped at home, especially if you combine a sparing diet with taking drugs prescribed by a specialist.
The main condition for exacerbating osteochondrosis is lack of physical activity. Inflamed intervertebral discs need maximum rest - then it will be possible to quickly cope with the exacerbation.