The symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis depend on which vertebra has suffered dystrophic lesions, and their intensity depends on the changes that have occurred in it. An experienced specialist, after hearing the patient's complaints, will be able to make the correct diagnosis and suggest which part of the spine has undergone a serious alteration and destruction. The sooner a doctor diagnoses osteochondrosis of the chest and prescribes medication, the sooner relief will come.
Thoracic osteochondrosis is much less common than cervical osteochondrosis, as the thoracic spine is less susceptible to stress and deformity. But, nevertheless, it gives a lot of pain and discomfort and has a variety of different symptoms.
Thoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms and signs
The pain is localized mainly between the shoulder blades or in the intercostal space. Often, chest osteochondrosis manifests as girdle pain in the rib part of the body. Patients describe such pain with a feeling of "a peg in the chest", their mobility is disturbed, as the pain pierces at the slightest careless movement. The pain is aggravated by coughing, sneezing, taking deep breaths and turning the torso. Shortness of breath occurs, breathing becomes shallow and frequent. It is very difficult for the patient to raise his hands up or tilt, as this provokes a sharp and strong pain. Anxiety is also caused by the vibration of the body, ie riding a bicycle, a car on a difficult road, as well as any jump. Cooling of the body can provoke a worsening of pain, and even with proper treatment, the disease can start with renewed energy.
Often the pain is localized in the spaces between the ribs. This is due to compression of the nerve roots, which leads to intercostal neuralgia. The pain sensations become stronger at night, when turning from side to side or when changing posture, the patient wakes up from a sharp stabbing pain, even in spite of the sedative treatment.
Sweating, fatigue and rapid fatigue join the signs of pain, sometimes there is an increase in temperature locally above the inflamed segment of the spine.
Signs of dorsagos and dorsalgia
Strong and very sharp pain is called dorsago. With thoracic osteochondrosis, the symptoms of dorsagos appear in people who stay immobile for a long time in a prone body position forward. With a sharp rise or a change in position, the body is pierced by a sharp sharp pain. It is so strong and sudden that it takes your breath away and it becomes difficult to breathe. The muscles of the chest and back become like stones, sometimes being punctured with cramps. The treatment alleviates the pain and brings relief to the patient.
Dorsalgia, on the contrary, is a pain of a painful nature. It is not very intense, but constantly reminds you of yourself. With sudden and rapid movements, coughing, sneezing or deep breathing, the body is also pierced with acute lightning pain. Curves and body tilt are also given with difficulty and pain. The muscles of the back and chest are tense and the feeling prevails, as if the upper part of the body is pulled by a belt.
To get rid of or temporarily relieve the condition from these pains, sometimes it is enough to walk or do a light exercise.
Signs of a neurological nature in osteochondrosis
Most often, osteochondrosis of the chest segment appears, symptoms of a neurological nature. This is manifested by the feeling of "hitting" or loss of sensation in the abdomen or upper chest. Sometimes patients notice tension or stiffness in the muscles of the back, mainly the upper back, as well as the chest. In the most severe and advanced cases, a violation in the work of the pelvic organs is observed.
In men and women, thoracic osteochondrosis proceeds almost in the same way and the symptoms are similar. The only difference is that women have a later manifestation of the disease. Women are prone to this disease during menopause. This is due to the decrease in the hormone progesterone, which protects the spine, or more precisely the vertebral discs, from consumption.
With osteochondrosis, a woman may have strange symptoms, such as peeling skin and brittle nails. Women are more difficult to tolerate thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis, this is due to the low pain defect of the weaker sex.
On the other hand, men turn to specialists with osteochondrosis of the chest region many times more often than women and the average age is about 30-40 years. Men can complain of a drop in power. The most important thing here is to tell the doctor about the intimate problem and not treat it yourself.
Signs of osteochondrosis that can be confused with other diseases
Since there are many fibers and nerve endings in the chest region, therefore, the pain behind the sternum can radiate in any direction. The symptoms of osteochondrosis are very similar to those of other diseases, which worsens the situation with the diagnosis. Early diagnosis of osteochondrosis and initiation of treatment is very important for a more favorable outcome of the disease.
Many people confuse osteochondrosis with heart disease. But here it is worth remembering some differences. First, with thoracic osteochondrosis, the pain is longer in time and cannot be treated with cardiac medication. And the second sign is that there is no increase in blood pressure, as often happens with a disease of the cardiovascular system. And most importantly, the ECG results do not show any abnormalities in the work of the heart.
In women, the pain can spread to the mammary glands and this sign of thoracic osteochondrosis is very common. In this situation, it is necessary to consult a mammologist and rule out a disease of the mammary glands.
Sometimes the patient complains of pain in the epigastric region, which can be confused with gastritis or stomach ulcer. The pain may also be localized to the right hypochondrium and unqualified medical personnel may suspect cholecystitis or pancreatitis. With pain in the lower abdomen, appendicitis may be suspected. In such cases, it is advisable to perform an additional examination of the abdominal organs ultrasound, X-ray and EGD of the stomach and, of course, a clinical blood test.
If the lower part of the thorax is affected, the patient will have signs of intestinal diseases. But this condition does not depend on the food taken and the pain is aggravated by physical exertion.
If osteochondrosis has affected the upper part of the spine, then the pain will spread to the pharynx and esophagus. The patient will feel signs of a foreign body in the throat and may have difficulty swallowing food, especially poorly chewed.
Only a doctor should deal with the diagnosis and treatment, self-medication in this case is unacceptable.
The influence of the profession on the development of osteochondrosis
Specifics of some professions may develop osteochondrosis. This is due to a sedentary lifestyle, especially in professions such as truckers, pilots, drivers. And also in the risk group are professions related to weightlifting, for example, loaders. With prolonged lifting and holding of large loads, friction and flattening of a part of the vertebrae occurs, which also leads to osteochondrosis and not only of the thoracic segments, but also of the cervix and the middle of the spine. In more advanced cases, the arms or back begin to tighten closer to the shoulder blade area. This is a wake-up call to contact a specialist for examination and treatment.
Most office workers are prone to cervicothoracic osteochondrosis. That is, not only the vertebrae of the thoracic region but also the vertebrae of the cervix are involved in the process of change and destruction. Due to prolonged stay at the computer, even in the wrong position, this leads to weakening and weakening of the muscles that support the spine. The vertebrae begin to shift, thus compressing the nerves.
Also, being immobile in one position disrupts the blood circulation of the intervertebral discs, which leads to the starvation of the disc tissues and their destruction. They experience pain in the head, shoulders and chest. They have hearing loss and tinnitus. With a sharp raise or movement of the head, the employee may lose consciousness, as the work of the vestibular apparatus is interrupted. Vision is often impaired and flies appear before the eyes. The muscles of the shoulder girdle and chest begin to ache, as after a long workout.
It happens that after the treatment it is worth changing the profession, as frequent returns to the old place of work are possible.