The disease chameleon is often called osteochondrosis of the chest. It is quite difficult to diagnose, often confused with other diseases. At the same time, osteochondrosis rarely occurs in the chest region and is a lesion of the intervertebral discs.
How does the disease arise?
Osteochondrosis, affecting the thoracic spine, is often disguised as a pathology of internal organs. It is manifested by pain in the heart, shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air on inspiration, panic attacks. Therefore, the diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis is somewhat difficult.
The intervertebral discs in each section of the spine consist of a stronger nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus. The latter protects the semi-liquid core and prevents it from getting hurt.
However, for certain reasons, there are situations when metabolic processes slow down and, as a result, the pressure on the discs increases. In this case, the disk is deformed, its structure is disturbed.
If treatment is not started at this stage, the symptoms become even more pronounced. The annulus fibrosus may crack and the nucleus may dry out.
The disease leads to damage to the spinal nerves, destruction of the joints.
Causes of disease
Various reasons can provoke the appearance of osteochondrosis in the chest region, the most common of them are:
- chest trauma;
- inactivity, sedentary work (applies to those who work at a computer or are drivers);
- scoliosis.
In addition, problems with the chest region are associated with its structure. In this interval of the spine, there are many more congested discs than in the lower back or in the cervical region. Due to the presence of the ribs and the muscular corset, the thoracic region moves less.
There are cases when the main cause of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region of the spine is osteochondrosis of other departments.
What is the danger of osteochondrosis?
If, despite symptoms, treatment is delayed, osteochondrosis in the chest area can lead to a number of complications and problems, including:
- intercostal neurology - when the intercostal nerves are compressed;
- spinal cord compression;
- shortness of breath, problems with heart work;
- problems with the functioning of the intestines, liver, kidneys;
- stool problems;
- hernia.
What diseases can be confused with osteochondrosis?
As mentioned above, the symptoms of osteochondrosis do not always make it possible to quickly establish a diagnosis. That is why osteochondrosis of the chest can be accidentally confused with:
- pathologies of the mammary glands;
- diseases of the digestive system;
- pneumonia (two diseases can be distinguished by a dry cough, shortness of breath and fever with pneumonia. In the case of osteochondrosis, such symptoms are not observed);
- heart attack (in this case, osteochondrosis can be distinguished by a cardiogram);
- renal colic.
Symptoms
With osteochondrosis of the chest region, symptoms of radiculopathy most often occur, that is, those associated with compression of the nerve trunks and the appearance of a hernia between the vertebrae. In this case, severe pain manifests itself after physical labor, training. Symptoms over the following weeks become more pronounced, depending on the location of the hernia. If in the upper part, the liver, heart and stomach suffer. If it is lower, the problems are related to the kidneys.
The location of the hernia also has a significant impact on symptoms. So, if it is located closer to the middle, the pains become stronger, persist for several weeks continuously and do not decrease after taking medication. Lateral hernia is manifested by periodic mild pain, local loss of sensitivity is possible.
Osteochondrosis of the thorax, which is accompanied by compression of the spinal cord, has the following symptoms:
- strong pain;
- numbness of limbs;
- pain radiates to the stomach, groin, legs;
- dysfunction of the pelvic organs.
In addition to the above, osteochondrosis can manifest additional symptoms, in particular:
- numbness of individual skin areas;
- "goosebumps" sensation in the thoracic spine;
- fragility of the nails;
- dry skin, peeling;
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea or, conversely, constipation);
- give pain in the throat;
- itching or feeling cold in the lower limbs.
Dorsago following osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is characterized by the presence of dorsago. This is one of its main symptoms. In fact, the word "dorsago" should be understood as a very strong and sudden pain in the chest. It is often called "shooting", since the sensations in this case are the same as with a stab wound. A severe dorsago attack makes it difficult to breathe and prevents free movement. This occurs after prolonged physical exertion in people who already suffer from osteochondrosis and joint diseases.
Mild but increasing and prolonged pain in the chest area is called back pain. Symptoms more pronounced when a person bends over. The pain can also intensify at night, especially in women with osteochondrosis who wear shoes with heels.
Diagnostic
With thoracic osteochondrosis, effective treatment should be carried out. Symptoms without it will only intensify and interfere with normal life.
After discovering the symptoms, the doctor directs the patient for further examination. Among the most used diagnostic methods for osteochondrosis of the chest region are:
- MRI. The tomograph makes it possible to obtain a clear three-dimensional image with contrast of the area of the human body under study. Therefore, the doctor can see the condition of the vertebrae of the chest region, assess the health of the joints. The procedure does not take much time (from 20 to 55 minutes) and is painless. The patient should expose the thoracic spine and lie down on a special couch. The scanner, which is placed above the person, takes a picture of the sections at this time.
- Ultrasound procedure. Before proceeding to treatment, it is worth making sure that the osteochondrosis of the chest region is not accompanied by tumors. For this, an ultrasonic method is suitable. The device clearly shows the condition of soft tissues, joints, intervertebral discs. As in the first case, the procedure does not take much time and is painless. With the help of ultrasound, the chest region of pregnant women and even children can be examined.
Of course, no treatment is offered by the doctor until the patient has passed the general clinical blood and urine tests, and also until the results of the electrocardiogram are available. The latter allows the doctor, with similar symptoms, to distinguish thoracic osteochondrosis from a heart attack or other heart problems.
Treatment
Turning to a neuropathologist, a patient with thoracic osteochondrosis will receive recommended treatment. Methods and drugs, as well as the duration of their use, are determined by the doctor in each individual case. As a rule, when osteochondrosis is detected in the chest, doctors recommend:
- drug therapy - its goal is to relieve pain, muscle spasms, reduce the inflammatory process, restore the tissues around the joints and vertebrae;
- physiotherapy - is aimed at using ultrasound waves, electric current or laser in order to relieve acute pain in the chest region and reduce the negative effects of osteochondrosis, provides treatment for the joints;
- manual therapy - thanks to the massage movements of a specialist, it is possible to align the position of the discs of the chest region, relieve spasms;
- Isometric physiotherapy (gymnastics treatment) - helps to improve the mobility of the chest region, relieves pain.
In addition to the methods described above, the treatment of osteochondrosis can be carried out using hirudotherapy, millimeter wave therapy, apitherapy, magnetic therapy and other methods.