Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is diagnosed quite often. Statistics show that it accounts for about 40% of all diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In the initial stage, a person does not know his pathology for a long time.
Over time, severe painful sensations develop that localize in the chest spine. If you do not start full treatment on time, there is a possibility of serious complications. The biggest danger is respiratory distress.
Classification
Chest spinal osteochondrosis is a disease that is quite common in elderly patients. If you do not start full therapy full time, there is a possibility of serious complications.
Before starting treatment, the doctor must accurately classify the nature of the pathology. This can be:
- Dorsago - painful sensations arise from impulses that appear in the chest from time to time. Usually, this discomfort stays in a position for a long time. A person has difficulty breathing while being able to perform virtually any operation with his head. If you manage to move, the pain will permeate the entire spine.
- Dorsalgia is a pathology in which prolonged pain attacks occur. On average, these can take up to weeks. This condition usually occurs due to severe damage to the intervertebral discs. During exacerbation, you must pursue an inactive lifestyle and reject all activities. At night, the pain increases significantly.
Causes of pathology
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can occur at any age.
However, the following groups of people are at increased risk:
- Leading an inactive lifestyle. If you do not exercise, your metabolic processes will be interrupted. Because of them, the human spine begins to accumulate, which begins to pinch the nerve endings. The degree of degenerative destruction significantly increases the discomfort.
- Overweight - every extra kilogram puts extra strain on the spine. The heavier your weight, the heavier your chest spine will be.
- Smokers - because of cigarettes, the body's blood circulation is disturbed, which means that the tissues of the spine do not receive enough useful elements.
- Lifestyle too active. Particularly often, the chest spine suffers from frequent heavy lifting.
- Various postural disorders. The curved spine is unable to distribute the load properly, causing the chest region to suffer.
Manifestations
The initial stage of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is characterized by an extremely long period. For a long time, a person may not feel painful feelings. This is where the risk of pathology lies, as it can only be actively treated in the first stage.
In most cases, the development of osteochondrosis can be identified by the following manifestations:
- Tightness of the posterior ligament;
- Dull painful pain between the shoulder blades;
- Feeling of increased pressure in the chest area;
- Pain during palpation of spinous processes;
- Pain radiating to other parts of the body.
Patients with thoracic spinal osteochondrosis have limited mobility in the morning. Cracking can also occur in some parts of the sternum.
People often experience numbness in their limbs, and their posture begins to deteriorate rapidly - due to excessive tension in the muscle tissue. In addition, cutting edge pain may occur, which is localized in the intercostal spaces.
To date, official medicine has not been able to find effective means to repair damaged intervertebral discs, so you should definitely contact a chiropractor. Approach the choice of a professional responsibly, as any wrong movement can cause serious complications.
Treatment Methods
An extended diagnosis should be made before starting treatment for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. With its help, the localization of the degenerative process can be precisely determined, thanks to which more efficient and high-quality treatment can be ensured. Please note that only your doctor may prescribe medication. There are a huge number of different drugs that differ in the principle of action.
First, you will be prescribed painkillers - steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They stop the production of excitement mediators, which makes one feel much better.
Please note that the patient should be kept under constant medical supervision during treatment.
Therapy should be performed in combination to achieve the maximum effect of thoracic spinal osteochondrosis. It should not be limited to medicines. Treatment should be completed with physiotherapy and sports activities.
Medication
Drug therapy is the most important in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. With the help of various medications, painful feelings can be stopped as soon as possible.
It is also recommended to stick to the bed during recovery. Be sure to consult a qualified healthcare provider who can prescribe a safe and highly effective treatment regimen for you.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest usually involves the use of the following medications:
- Analgesics - allow you to quickly stop your acute pain syndrome. It also prevents the development of respiratory failures, which often cause complications;
- antispasmodics;
- Vitamin B-based vitamin preparations Normalize metabolic processes, prevent degenerative changes.
Effective exercise
Special physical exercises can cope with the manifestation of osteochondrosis of the chest. They need to be done on a regular basis - this is the only way to get significant results from your approaches.
Remember to consult an experienced professional before starting such treatment. It will tell you which complexes are best for you. Even breathing exercises with osteochondrosis of the chest region have a positive effect on a person’s well-being.
Perform the following exercises:
- Plank - lie on the floor, crawl against the wall. Throw your legs against the wall so that they are parallel to it. Sew in a similar position for 1, 5 minutes to begin. The number of approaches can be increased each time.
- Hang regularly on a horizontal bar. This will help adjust the spaces between the intervertebral discs so you will feel much better.
- Lie on your back, with your feet as close to your chest as possible, and stay in this position for a few seconds. This posture can relieve tension in the muscles of the spine, thereby relieving pain.
Physical education is essential for more successful treatment of chest osteochondrosis. It is best to go to training therapy at the clinic where you will do everything under the supervision of your doctor. Be extremely careful when playing sports. Any improper movement can easily lead to injury.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is a unique way to affect a person’s back, in which the chest region is completely rid of painful feelings. With the right and regular approach, you will be able to completely get rid of painful feelings, tension.
In addition, manual therapy contributes to the complete restoration of blood circulation. The active components start to spread quickly on the tissues, after which a person feels much better.
Massages
Massage is a method of influencing in which the doctor activates the metabolic processes with his hands. It can be done both at home and in a hospital.
Massaging movements achieve the following results:
- Eliminates increased muscle tone;
- Amplify the intervertebral discs;
- Accelerates the start of a full recovery;
- Helps improve metabolic processes.
Physiotherapy procedures
Different physiotherapy procedures help to cope with the manifestation of osteochondrosis of the chest.
Not only do they fight painful feelings, they also contribute to the normalization of internal processes. The following procedures are currently the most popular:
- Plasma injections. Some of the blood is taken from a person and the plasma is separated from it. It is injected in its pure form directly into the tissues of the spine, thanks to which it can get rid of painful feelings.
- Cupping massage is a kind of vacuum effect on the body that can relieve pain and increased muscle tone in a short time.
- Magnetotherapy - exposure of the spine to a magnetic field. The procedure allows the degenerative process to be stopped and the metabolic processes to be improved. It also relieves swelling and inflammation.
- Subtherapy is an innovative treatment that uses bees. The insect should bite the person directly into the affected area. This initiates metabolic processes, speeds up the removal of toxins and toxins.
- Mud Healing. This helps to nourish the spine with beneficial substances that prevent the development of degenerative changes in the human body.
- Spine block - use special injections to relieve pain. Remember that such medications should be used in a course.
What can be confused with chest osteochondrosis?
Chest spinal osteochondrosis is a disease whose manifestations can be easily confused with many other diseases. The symptoms may be similar to
- Angina pectoris and heart attack. However, the patient's cardiogram is normal and the use of drugs to normalize blood pressure is ineffective;
- renal colic, appendicitis or cholecystitis;
- Diseases of the mammary glands;
- ulcers, gastritis and colitis;
- Pneumonia.
Prevention of spinal osteochondrosis
Chest osteochondrosis is a dangerous disease that significantly impairs a person's quality of life. If you start adhering to preventive measures in time, the likelihood of complications is greatly reduced.
Many doctors strongly recommend the following tips:
- If you work at the computer for a long time, get up from the desk every hour and do a warm warm-up. This helps to normalize blood circulation and prevent stagnation.
- Always keep your back warm. Therefore, leave cold showers and short clothes. Always keep warm.
- Drink vitamin complexes regularly that restore the structure of damaged tissues.
- Take a horizontal position for at least 30 minutes in the middle of the day. This helps the spine to align, making it easier to manage stress.
- Exercise regularly. Muscle tone has a beneficial effect on the condition of the back.