Over time, he develops serious painful sensations that are localized in the thoracic spine. If you do not start full treatment on time, there is a possibility of serious complications. The greatest risk is respiratory disorder.
Classification
Chest osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a disease that is quite common in elderly patients. If you do not start full therapy on time, there is a possibility of serious complications.
Before starting treatment, the doctor must correctly classify the nature of the pathology. It could be:
- Dorsago - painful sensations arise from impulses that occasionally appear in the chest. Usually, this anxiety starts after a long stay in one position. A person faces difficulty in breathing while he is practically unable to perform any action with his head. If he manages to move, then the pain pierces the entire spine.
- Dorsalgia is a pathology in which prolonged periods 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 a deterioration, you should lead an inactive lifestyle and refuse any activity. The pain increases significantly at night.
Causes of pathology
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can occur in absolutely any person at any age.
However, the following groups of people are at increased risk:
- To lead an inactive lifestyle. If you do not do sports, metabolic processes break down. Because of them, the human spine begins to accumulate deposits that begin to squeeze the nerve endings. Discomfort increases significantly with the degree of degenerative destruction.
- Overweight - every extra pound carries an extra load on the spine. The higher your weight, the heavier the back of your chest becomes.
- Smokers - due to cigarettes, blood circulation in the body is disturbed, because of this, the back tissue does not get enough useful elements.
- To lead a very active lifestyle. Especially often the spine of the chest suffers from frequent heavy lifting.
- Various behavioral disorders. A spinal column is not able to properly distribute the load, which causes the thoracic region to suffer.
Manifestations
The initial stage of thoracic spine osteochondrosis is characterized by an extremely long period. For a long time, a person may not notice any painful sensations. Herein lies the risk of pathology, as only in the first stage is it actively curable.
In most cases, the development of osteochondrosis can be recognized by the following manifestations:
- Tightness of the back muscle corset;
- Pain of dull pain located between the shoulder blades;
- Feeling of increased pressure in the chest area;
- Pain that occurs during palpation of 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 seizure can also occur in certain parts of the sternum.
Often a person experiences numbness of the limbs, his behavior begins to deteriorate rapidly - this is due to excessive tension in the muscle tissue. Furthermore, there may be a sharp cutting pain that is localized in the intercostal spaces.
To date, official medicine has not been able to find effective remedies to repair damaged intervertebral discs, therefore, it is imperative to consult a surgeon. Approach the choice of a specialist responsibly, as any wrong move can cause serious complications.
Treatment methods
Before starting treatment for osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, it is necessary to undergo a prolonged diagnosis. With its 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 of all, you will be prescribed painkillers - steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. They stop the production of arousal mediators, due to which a person begins to feel much better.
Please note that the patient must be under the constant supervision of the attending physician during treatment therapy.
To get the maximum effect from the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the therapy should be performed in combination. You should not limit yourself to just medicines. Treatment should be supplemented with physical therapy and sports activities.
Medications
Drug therapy is of paramount importance in the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. With the help of various medications, it is possible to stop the painful sensations as soon as possible.
It is also recommended to stay in the rest of the bed during healing. Be sure to consult a qualified health care provider who can prescribe a safe and highly effective treatment regimen for you.
In general, the treatment of osteochondrosis in the chest involves the use of the following medications:
- Analgesics - allow you to quickly stop acute pain syndrome. It also prevents the development of failures in the respiratory system, which often causes complications;
- Antispasmodic drugs;
- Vitamin preparations based on B vitamins. They normalize metabolic processes, prevent degenerative changes.
Effective exercise
Specific physical exercises can cope with the manifestations of osteochondrosis of the chest. They need to be performed regularly - this is the only way you can get significant results from the approaches.
Keep in mind that before starting such treatment, you should definitely consult an experienced specialist. He will tell you which complexes are best for you. Breathing exercises with osteochondrosis of the chest region also have a positive effect on a person's well-being.
The following exercises should be done:
- Plank - I lie on the floor, crawl on the wall. Throw the 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 accesses can be increased.
- Hangs regularly on a horizontal bar. This will help you build space between your intervertebral 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 behavior can reduce tension in the spinal muscles, thus relieving pain.
For more successful treatment of osteochondrosis in the chest region, it is essential to engage in physical education. It is best to go to an exercise therapy clinic, where you will do everything under the supervision of your doctor. Be extremely careful when doing sports. Any wrong move can easily lead to injury.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is a unique method of affecting a person's back, in which the chest region is completely saved from painful sensations. With the correct and regular approach, you will be able to completely get rid of painful feelings, tension.
Furthermore, 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 influential method in which the doctor activates metabolic processes with his hands. It can be performed both at home and in the hospital.
Massage movements achieve the following results:
- Eliminate increased muscle tone;
- Strengthen intervertebral discs;
- Accelerates the start of a 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 fight painful sensations, but also contribute to the normalization of internal processes. The following procedures are the most popular at the moment:
- Plasma injections. A portion of the blood is taken from a person, from whom the plasma is separated. It is injected in its pure form directly into the tissues of the back, due to which it is possible to get rid of painful sensations.
- Cup massage is a kind of vacuum effect on the body, which is able to 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. In addition, it relieves swelling and inflammation.
- Aliterapia is an innovative treatment used by bees. The insect should bite the person directly into the affected area. It starts metabolic processes, accelerates the removal of toxins and toxins.
- Mud healing. This helps nourish the spine with beneficial substances that prevent the development of degenerative changes in the human body.
- Spinal block - use of special injections that relieve pain. Keep in mind that such medications should be used during a course.
What can be confused with osteochondrosis of the chest?
Chest osteochondrosis is a disease whose manifestations can be easily confused with a number of other diseases. Her symptoms may look like:
- Angina pectoris and heart attack. However, the patient's cardiogram is normal and the use of medication to normalize blood pressure does not bring any results;
- abdominal pain of the kidneys, appendix or cholecystitis;
- Diseases of the mammary glands;
- Ulcers, gastritis and colitis;
- Inflammation of the lungs.
Prevention of thoracic spine osteochondrosis
Chest osteochondrosis is a dangerous disease due to which the quality of life of any person is significantly reduced. If you start adhering to preventative measures in a timely manner, then the likelihood of complications will be significantly reduced.
Many doctors strongly recommend that you follow these tips:
- If you work at the computer for a long time, get up from your desk every hour and do a light warm-up. This will help normalize blood circulation and prevent stagnation.
- Keep your back warm at all times. For this reason, get rid of cold showers and short clothes. Always keep warm.
- Regularly drink vitamin complexes 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 to align, making it easier to handle stress.
- Exercise regularly. Muscle tone has a beneficial effect on the condition of the back.