Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a condition that is diagnosed quite frequently. Statistics show that it accounts for about 40% of all diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In the initial stages, a person for a long period of time may not be aware of his pathology.
Over time, he develops severe painful sensations that localize to the thoracic spine. If you do not start full treatment in a timely manner, there is the possibility of serious complications. The greatest danger is respiratory disorder.
Classification
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a fairly common disease in elderly patients. If you don't start full therapy in a timely manner, there is a possibility of serious complications.
Before starting treatment, the physician must accurately classify the nature of the pathology. It can be:
- Dorsago: Painful sensations arise from impulses that appear from time to time in the chest. Usually this discomfort begins after a long stay in one position. A person faces shortness of breath, while practically unable to perform any action with his head. If you manage to move, then the pain goes through the entire spine.
- Back pain is a pathology in which prolonged attacks of pain occur. On average, they can last up to those weeks. Usually this condition occurs due to severe damage to the intervertebral discs. During an exacerbation, you need to lead an inactive lifestyle and refuse any activity. Pain increases significantly at night.
Causes of the pathology
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can occur in absolutely anyone at any age.
However, the following groups of people are at higher risk:
- He leads an inactive lifestyle. If you do not play sports, metabolic processes are disrupted. Due to them, the human spine begins to accumulate deposits that begin to squeeze the nerve endings. The discomfort increases significantly with the degree of degenerative destruction.
- Overweight: Each additional kilogram places an additional load on the spine. The greater your weight, the heavier your chest spine becomes.
- Smokers - due to cigarettes, blood circulation in the body is disrupted, due to this, the tissues of the spine do not receive enough useful elements.
- He leads an overly active lifestyle. Especially often the thoracic spine suffers from frequent heavy lifting.
- Various postural disorders. A curved spine is unable to properly distribute load, causing the thoracic region to suffer.
Demonstrations
The initial stage of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is characterized by an extremely long period. For a long time, a person may not notice any painful sensations. This is where the danger of pathology lies, since only in the first stage it can be actively treated.
In most cases, the development of osteochondrosis can be recognized by the following manifestations:
- Corset tension of the back muscles;
- Dull aching pain located between shoulder blades;
- Sensation of increased pressure in the chest area;
- Pain that occurs during palpation of the spinous processes;
- Pain that can radiate to other parts of the body.
A person with osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine often has limited mobility in the morning. A creaking noise can also occur in certain parts of the breastbone.
Often a person is faced with numbness of the limbs, his posture begins to deteriorate rapidly, this is due to excessive tension in the muscle tissue. In addition, a sharp cutting pain can occur, which is localized in the intercostal spaces.
To date, official medicine has not been able to find effective means to restore damaged intervertebral discs, for this reason, it is imperative to contact a chiropractor. Responsibly approach the choice of a specialist, since any wrong movement can cause serious complications.
Treatment methods
Before starting treatment for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, it is necessary to undergo an extended diagnosis. With their help, it is possible to accurately determine the localization of the degenerative process, due to which it is possible to provide a more effective and high-quality treatment. Please note that only your doctor can prescribe medication. There are a large number of different drugs that differ in their principle of action.
First, they will prescribe painkillers: steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. They stop the production of arousal mediators, so a person begins to feel much better.
Please note that the patient must be under the constant supervision of the treating physician during treatment therapy.
To obtain the maximum effect from the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the therapy should be carried out in combination. It shouldn't be limited to just medications. Treatment should be full of physical therapy and sports activities.
Medications
Drug therapy is of the utmost importance in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. With the help of various drugs, it is possible to stop painful sensations as soon as possible.
It is also recommended to adhere to bed rest during recovery. Be sure to consult with a qualified healthcare provider who can prescribe a safe and highly effective treatment regimen.
In general, the treatment of breast osteochondrosis includes the use of the following medications:
- Painkillers - Allow you to quickly stop acute pain syndrome. It also prevents the development of failures in the respiratory system, which often causes complications;
- Anti-spasm medications;
- Vitamin preparations based on vitamin B. They normalize metabolic processes, prevent degenerative changes.
Effective exercise
Special physical exercises can cope with the manifestations of osteochondrosis of the chest. They must be done regularly; this is the only way to get meaningful results from the approaches.
Please note that before starting such treatment, you should definitely consult with an experienced specialist. He will tell you which resorts are the best for you. Even breathing exercises with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region have a positive effect on the well-being of a person.
The following exercises must be performed:
- Plank: lie down on the floor, crawl up to 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 start. Each subsequent time, the number of approaches can be increased.
- Hang from a horizontal bar regularly. This will help you build the spaces between your spinal discs, making you feel much better.
- Lie on your back with your legs as close to your chest as possible and stay in this position for a few seconds. This pose can relieve tension in the spinal muscles, thus relieving pain.
For more successful treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, it is imperative to participate in physical education. It is best to go to the clinic for exercise therapy, where you will do everything under the supervision of your doctor. Be very careful when playing sports. Any wrong movement can easily lead to injury.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is a unique method of influencing a person's back, in which the thoracic region completely eliminates painful sensations. With the correct and regular approach, you will be able to completely get rid of painful sensations and tension.
In addition, manual therapy contributes to the complete restoration of blood circulation. The active components begin to spread rapidly through the tissues, after which the person feels much better.
Massages
Massage is an influencing method in which a physician activates metabolic processes with his hands. It can be done both at home and in a hospital.
Massage movements achieve the following results:
- Eliminates increased muscle tone;
- Strengthens the intervertebral discs;
- Speeds up the start of full recovery;
- Promotes the improvement of metabolic processes.
Physiotherapy procedures
Various physiotherapeutic procedures will help to cope with the manifestations of osteochondrosis of the chest.
They not only combat painful sensations, but also contribute to the normalization of internal processes. The most popular at the moment are the following procedures:
- Plasma injections. Part of the blood is drawn from a person, from which the plasma is separated. It is injected in its pure form directly into the tissues of the spine, making it possible to get rid of painful sensations.
- Cupping massage is a kind of vacuum effect on the body, which can relieve pain and increase muscle tone in a short time.
- Magnetotherapy: exposure of the spine to a magnetic field. The procedure allows you to stop the degenerative process and improve metabolic processes. Also, it relieves swelling and inflammation.
- Alliterapy is an innovative treatment using bees. The insect should bite the person directly in the affected area. This starts the metabolic processes, accelerates the elimination 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.
- Spinal block - the use of special injections that relieve pain. Note that these drugs must be used in a course.
What can be confused with osteochondrosis of the chest?
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a disease, the manifestations of which can easily be confused with other diseases. Your symptoms may look like:
- Angina pectoris and heart attack. However, the patient's cardiogram is normal and the use of drugs to normalize blood pressure does not produce any results;
- Kidney colic, appendicitis or cholecystitis;
- Diseases of the mammary glands;
- Ulcer, gastritis and colitis;
- Inflammation of the lungs.
Prevention of thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine
Thoracic osteochondrosis is a dangerous disease, therefore the quality of life of any person is significantly reduced. If you start to comply with preventive measures in a timely manner, the probability of complications will significantly decrease.
Many doctors strongly recommend following these tips:
- If you work a lot at the computer, get up from the table every hour and do a light warm-up. It will help to normalize blood circulation and prevent stagnation.
- Keep your back warm at all times. For this reason, ditch cold showers and short clothes. Always keep it 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 will help the spine align, making it easier to manage stress.
- Exercise regularly. Muscle tone has a beneficial effect on the condition of the back.