Characteristics of the disease
According to medical statistics, more than 30% of the world's population suffers from osteochondrosis. And every year the patients are getting younger. But compared to cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis, thoracic osteochondrosis occurs much less often.
- it has a natural curve, due to which part of the load from upright walking is removed from it;
- the second part falls on the ribs and sternum, which play the role of a physiological framework;
- this is the longest part of the spine (12 vertebrae), but the spinal canal is the narrowest;
- thoracic vertebrae are small in size, but equipped with long spinous processes;
- he is inactive.
If the deformation of the intervertebral disc does appear in the thoracic region, it gradually disappears. But it manifests painfully.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
How clearly the disease is manifested depends on its stage, lifestyle and age of the patient.
- Pain. It is felt in the upper part of the back, between the shoulder blades and surrounds the intercostal spaces with neuralgia. It is aggravated by coughing, deep breathing and turning the body. Since there are many nerve fibers in the chest, pain occurs in the chest (dorsago), as if it were a heart attack.
- Radiculitis. In addition to pain, there is a loss of sensitivity. Limbs, upper abdomen, and the area below the collarbone are usually numb.
- Paresthesia. There's a tingling sensation all over your body.
- Cardiac syndrome. Severe pain in the heart persists, which does not disappear after taking the medicine.
- Pulmonary syndrome. It is manifested by suffocation and blockage in the lungs.
- Abdominal syndrome. It is characterized by persistent pain in the digestive organs.
- Muscle tension. It occurs reflexively in the upper back and chest.
In men and women, the clinical picture is approximately the same. But signs of thoracic osteochondrosis in women usually appear at the beginning of menopause. Before that, the spine is protected by estrogens.
In men, disease complications can affect potency.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis are much more disturbing at night than during the day. They increase with hypothermia, movement and stress. It is believed that women suffer from back pain much more severely.
Localization of pain syndrome
The diagnosis of the disease is complicated by the symptomatic similarity with other diseases: myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and gastrointestinal disorders.
- In thoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms with a feeling of pain in the heart appear when the first to sixth thoracic nerves are affected. In women, the mammary glands may become painful.
- If thoracic nerves 6 to 9 are affected, stomach pain occurs. The sensations are the same as in colitis and gastritis. There may be a sensation of a foreign body in the esophagus.
- In the small intestine, kidneys and genitals, if pathological processes affect the 11th and 12th discs.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the orthopedic surgeon prescribes an examination for the patient.
It is necessary to do radiography, computer or magnetic resonance imaging, ECG and mammography for women.
The results will help determine the stage of the disease and treatment options.
Stages of the disease
| Internship | Changes | Symptoms |
| First | Dehydration of the discs, which causes loss of elasticity. Their height decreases, but the width increases - the intervertebral disc gradually flattens. | The pain occurs directly in the damaged ring. It can be a pull or a shoot. |
| A second | The annulus fibrosus begins to disintegrate. The nerve roots are compressed, causing pain. | There is pain when moving. Discomfort occurs when holding the pose for a long time. |
| Third | The annulus fibrosus ruptures, causing a herniated disc to form. Scoliosis or pathological kyphosis develops. | There is pain when moving. Discomfort occurs when holding the pose for a long time. |
| Fourth | The vertebrae rub against each other, causing the intervertebral joints to move. The tissue surrounding the vertebrae becomes inflamed. Cartilage tissue is replaced by bone tissue, which reduces motor functions. Fibrosis appears. | There is pain when moving. Discomfort occurs when holding the pose for a long time. |
Phases of exacerbation and remission can be observed. The latter is often observed in stage 4.
Degrees of disease
This is a more modern classification of symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis, used by experts.
| Degrees | Changes and symptoms |
| First | Rupture of an intervertebral disc caused by sudden movement or overexertion. Sharp pain, similar to the passage of an electric current along the spinal column. Muscle strain. |
| A second | It is characterized by instability of the spinal column. Pain when moving. Protrusion. |
| Third | The pain becomes constant. Loss of sensation. Change on the fly. Severe headaches. Difficulty breathing. tachycardia. |
| Fourth | The spine is unstable: the vertebrae slide and twist. Osteophytes grow, pinching spinal nerves and putting pressure on the spinal cord. |
Thoracic osteochondrosis can cause serious diseases that will be difficult to cure.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Symptoms in women practically do not differ from the clinical picture in men. The main difference in this case is that in the female half of humanity, osteochondrosis develops at an older age. The female body has one peculiarity - estrogens effectively protect the intervertebral discs from destruction, so the signs of osteochondrosis in women most often appear during menopause or with hormonal imbalance. In addition, as already noted, the signs of thoracic osteochondrosis can be similar to the symptoms of dangerous diseases of the mammary glands.
Therefore, women are asked to undergo a test such as a mammogram to clarify the diagnosis.
Thoracic osteochondrosis in women can manifest in different ways. The clinical picture depends on the age, the stage of the pathology, as well as on which vertebra is affected and how much it is affected. One of the signs of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine in women is burning and itching between the shoulder blades.
- Dorsago ("lumbago in the chest", "dagger pain") is a sudden strong sharp pain in the chest (between the shoulder blades), which usually occurs after a long stay in the same uncomfortable position. With lumbago in the chest, the muscles are sharply and strongly strained - the person feels as if it has become difficult to breathe. The pain during dorsag can increase if you rotate your upper body.
- Thoracalgia is a chronic mild pain in the sternum. Thoracalgia can manifest itself not only in osteochondrosis, but also in diseases of internal organs located in this area (lungs, heart, stomach). The main difference between such pain in osteochondrosis is its superficiality and segmental manifestation along the intercostal spaces. Thoracalgia in osteochondrosis increases with movement and deep breathing, and subsides with rest.
- numbness, tingling in some parts of the skin;
- burning, itching between shoulder blades;
- cold feeling in the legs;
- pain in the pharynx and esophagus;
- disturbances in the work of the stomach and intestines.
Treatment of pathology in women
It is almost impossible to completely get rid of an already progressing thoracic osteochondrosis, but it is quite possible to slow down or even stop the creation of a pathological degenerative-dystrophic process in the tissues of the spinal movement segments using the means and methods of modern medicine. . The optimal therapeutic effect can be achieved only with an integrated approach to the treatment of this pathology using drugs, various physiotherapeutic techniques and techniques of targeted exercise therapy (physical therapy).
Symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine in women are not too different from those in men. In the acute period of osteochondrosis of the thoracic segment of the spine, the patient needs intensive treatment of the exacerbation, during which various drugs and physical procedures are used that help to eliminate, first of all, the pain syndrome, and in parallel also other negative manifestations. diseases.
During remission, the patient must be prescribed maintenance treatment, mainly based on taking drugs that restore the osteochondral structure and physical therapy. In particularly severe cases, surgical intervention is sometimes resorted to in order to stabilize the position of the spinal column.
Sensation in women with osteochondrosis
- Painful manifestations in the area of the heart. In this case, the symptoms are more similar to heart diseases, such as a heart attack or angina. The pain is dull or aching and can last for months. However, no vascular drugs bring improvement, and EKG results reveal no abnormalities.
- Discomfort in the mammary glands. It is most often manifested in women, who are characterized by excruciating pain. It can often be confused with diseases of the mammary glands. In this case, a more detailed diagnosis is required.
- Spot cramps and pain in the abdominal cavity. It is characterized by signs typical of various pathological processes in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, which are often mistaken for gastritis, ulcer or cholecystitis. It is enhanced by physical movements.
Experts have also identified two signs of thoracic osteochondrosis, which, if detected, can immediately indicate the development of the disease - the so-called dorsago and dorsalgia.
Complications of the disease
Thoracic osteochondrosis is a painful disease that greatly reduces the patient's quality of life.
Often, osteochondrosis affects gradually or several departments at once.
- to disorders of the cardiovascular system;
- vegetative system;
- digestive;
- respiratory;
- fainting;
- dizziness;
- panic and fear attacks that occur with rapid heart rate and suffocation;
- chronic fatigue;
- Shingles.
Therefore, the treatment of the disease should be comprehensive, aimed at eliminating all symptoms. When diagnosed early and correctly, treatment has a favorable prognosis.