Osteochondrosis is often called dystrophic changes in the bone and connective tissue of the spine.It turns out that the spine cannot cope with normal loads - and this is expressed primarily in the appearance of pain, which is vaguely expressed at first, but becomes increasingly intense over time.
Main symptoms of the disease
Thoracic osteochondrosis is a disease that usually occurs in adulthood and does not fully manifest itself for a long time.This is because the thoracic spine is naturally supported and stabilized by the ribs - thus providing good protection to the intervertebral discs.
In this disease, the core of the spinal cord becomes thinner and dries out, the fibrous tissue around it begins to deteriorate, and the cartilage tissue undergoes negative changes.It turns out that the spine cannot cope with normal loads - and this is expressed primarily in the appearance of pain, which is vaguely expressed at first, but becomes increasingly intense over time.However, with significant stress - a sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work, constant stress, poor posture and back injuries - sooner or later osteochondrosis affects the thoracic region.The disease is thought to be very common - one in three adults suffers from it.
What are the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis?First of all, in the occurrence of pain, which includes:
- interstellar and intercostal neuralgic lumbago;
- pain in the left side of the chest;
- pain in the hands, which intensifies when lifted and extends to the fingertips;
- pain when bending over;
In addition, thoracic osteochondrosis can be expressed by numbness not only in the chest, but also in various parts of the body.Sometimes osteochondrosis causes speech disorders, and sometimes even causes flaking of the skin, brittle nails, itching and digestive disorders.
With osteochondrosis of the breast, pain can manifest itself in different ways.Sometimes these are mild stabbing or dull pains that appear in the afternoon and disappear after physical activity, such as a short walk.This is usually 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, pain symptoms often manifest as lumbago.The pain is pronounced, acute, interferes with normal breathing, and unnecessary movements only aggravate the situation.Most often, lumbago begins after a long period of inactivity - for example, several hours of work at a computer in a static position.
A special "insidiousness" of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is that the disease can skillfully disguise itself as a dozen other ailments.Thoracic osteochondrosis is very easy to confuse with symptoms of pneumonia, angina, ischemia and heart attack.Sometimes the disease is more similar to renal or hepatic colic, and slurred speech and a feeling of numbness in different parts of the body are even confused with signs of stroke.
Moreover, mistakes are made not only by the patients themselves, but also by experienced doctors, which greatly complicates the diagnosis of the disease.Osteochondrosis of the breast is especially difficult to recognize in the early stages - therefore it is often diagnosed when the disease has already become pronounced and has entered the chronic stage.
Meanwhile, timely diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis is fundamentally important.This allows you to immediately start treatment and delay the development of the disease, significantly reducing the pain symptoms accompanying the disease.
Why is thoracic osteochondrosis dangerous?
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine does not pose a direct threat to the patient's life.However, if neglected, it can lead to serious complications:
- the emergence of chronic intercostal neuralgia;
- thoracic hernia;
- Compression of the spinal cord in the damaged area of the spine.
Advanced osteochondrosis of the spine is expressed in scoliosis;Sometimes the disease spreads to the cervical vertebrae and causes voice loss.
Ayrıca torasik bölgedeki omurganın ciddi şekilde zayıflaması peritonun iç organlarının deformasyonuna yol açabilir.In turn, this will most likely lead to all kinds of disorders of the digestive system - stomach, pancreas, liver, kidneys, biliary tract.
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 of all, a comprehensive diagnosis is performed, which includes examination of the patient by a specialist doctor and examinations using modern equipment.This allows you to make an accurate diagnosis and make sure that this is osteochondrosis and not another disease.
Once diagnosed, the doctor may use the following methods for treatment:
- drugs aimed at relieving pain symptoms;
- physiotherapy, laser therapy, acupuncture and reflexology;
- manual therapy and therapeutic massage;
- a special therapeutic exercise course.
Almost all of the listed methods are aimed not at eliminating osteochondrosis as such, but at relieving inflammation and reducing the severity of pain.Elimination of pain is the main goal of treatment of breast osteochondrosis.At the same time, manual therapy and exercise therapy can "straighten" the spine, increase the distance between the vertebrae and prevent compression.But the patient needs to regularly perform therapeutic exercises - otherwise it will not give results.
In some cases, especially severe cases, surgical treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis may be used.In such a case, the affected vertebrae are replaced with a prosthesis;Practice shows that the operation is effective in about 50% of patients.
For thoracic osteochondrosis, regular trips to health centers are recommended.In a sanatorium, the patient receives full-fledged complex therapy combining pharmaceutical, physiotherapeutic and gymnastic methods and for a long time feels a significant improvement in his condition.
folk remedies
In acute cases of the disease, inpatient treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis is recommended.However, if the symptoms are not severe, there is no need to go to the hospital.In this case, home care becomes 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 - rapid relief of pain and inflammation, relief of symptoms of the disease.Therefore, in the treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies, decoctions, ointments, compresses and infusions of herbs and herbs that have a sedative, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect are used.
What medicinal mixtures are recommended to brew and drink instead of tea for osteochondrosis?These are chamomile, calendula, sage, birch leaves, strawberry leaves and ripe viburnum.Also, these mixtures can be mixed with each other - an aromatic hot drink made from two or three different herbs gives a noticeable effect.
Decoctions are brewed in the same way as tea - a tablespoon of the medicinal herb is poured into a glass of hot water, brewed and consumed internally two to three times a day.In addition to taking painkillers and anti-inflammatory herbs, it is recommended to drink relaxing infusions of motherwort, lavender, valerian - stress, which is inevitable during the course of the disease, can worsen the symptoms.
In addition to medicinal decoctions, baths with medicinal additives are also used - for example, extracts of celandine, plantain and pine needles have a calming and warming effect.This bath relieves muscle spasms, improves blood flow between inflamed discs of the spine and relieves inflammation.
It is not recommended to use compresses, ointments and rubbing during periods of acute pain.However, they can be used when the disease is in stagnation.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, mixed until smooth.The ointment is applied to the back at night for two weeks - the upper part of the treated area should be covered with a woolen cloth.
What to do in case of exacerbation?
What is considered an exacerbation of the disease?This term refers to severe pain.If the patient feels noticeable discomfort in the chest area, familiar lumbago and dull pain, spreading to the peritoneum, lower back and arms, it is time to pay maximum attention to your disease.
During exacerbation it is recommended:
- avoid hypothermia and stress;
- staying in fixed positions as little as possible in which the load on the spine remains;
- apply mild compresses and ointments to the affected area that do not have a very harsh effect;
- gently massage the affected areas yourself - but avoid applying strong pressure;
- Continue physical therapy as much as possible – but only if it does not cause increased pain.
In case of acute complications, bed rest is also recommended.If unbearable pain occurs, hospitalization may even be necessary.But in most cases, exacerbations of thoracic osteochondrosis can be stopped at home, especially if you combine a light regimen with taking medications prescribed by a specialist.
The main condition for exacerbation of osteochondrosis is lack of physical activity.Inflamed intervertebral discs need maximum rest - in this case, the exacerbation can be quickly relieved.