Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis depend on which vertebra suffered dystrophic lesions, and their intensity depends on what changes have occurred in it. An experienced specialist, after listening to the patient's complaints, can make the correct diagnosis and suggest which part of the spine has been seriously changed and destroyed. The sooner the doctor diagnoses thoracic osteochondrosis and prescribes medication, the sooner relief occurs.
Thoracic osteochondrosis is much less common than cervical osteochondrosis, since the thoracic spine is less susceptible to stress and deformation. But nonetheless, it causes a lot of pain and discomfort and has a variety of symptoms.
Thoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms and signs
The pain is localized mainly between the shoulder blades or in the intercostal space. Often, thoracic osteochondrosis manifests itself as a girdle pain in the rib area of the body. Patients describe such pain with a feeling of "a stake in the chest", their mobility is disturbed, since the pain penetrates at the slightest careless movement. The pain is aggravated by coughing, sneezing, deep breathing, and twisting of the torso. Shortness of breath appears, breathing becomes shallow and frequent. It is very difficult for the patient to raise or tilt his hands, as this provokes a sharp and intense pain. Also, the inconveniences are caused by the vibration of the body, that is, riding a bicycle, driving a car on a rough road, as well as jumps. Cooling the body can provoke an exacerbation of pain, even with proper treatment, the disease can begin with renewed vigor.
Often the pain is localized in the spaces between the ribs. This is due to compression of the nerve roots, leading to intercostal neuralgia. At night, the pain sensations become stronger, when turning from side to side or changing posture, the patient wakes up with a sharp, stabbing pain, despite treatment with painkillers.
Sweating, tiredness and rapid fatigue accompany the signs of pain, sometimes there is a local increase in temperature over the inflamed section of the spine.
Signs of dorsago and dorsalgia
Strong and very sharp pain is called dorsago. In thoracic osteochondrosis, the symptoms of dorsago appear in people who sit motionless in a forward-leaning posture for a long time. With a sharp rise or a change in position, the body is pierced with a sharp, sharp pain. It is so strong and unexpected that it takes your breath away and makes it difficult to breathe. The muscles of the chest and back become like stones, sometimes penetrating with spasms. The treatment relieves the pain and brings relief to the patient.
Dorsalgia, on the other hand, is a pain of a painful nature. It is not very intense, but it constantly reminds itself. With sudden and rapid movements, coughing, sneezing or deep breathing, the body also pierces with acute lightning-fast pain. Torsion and inclination of the body are also associated with difficulty and pain. The back and chest muscles are tense and there is a predominant feeling as if the upper body were being pulled together by a belt.
Sometimes, to get rid of or temporarily relieve these pains, just walking or doing a light workout is enough.
Signs of a neurological nature in osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic segment is most often issued, symptoms of a neurological nature. This is manifested by a feeling of "goosebumps" or loss of feeling in the abdomen or upper chest. Sometimes patients notice tension or stiffness in the muscles of the back, mainly the upper part, as well as the chest. In more severe and advanced cases, there is a violation of the work of the pelvic organs.
In men and women, thoracic osteochondrosis proceeds almost the same 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 a decrease in the hormone progesterone, which protects the spine and intervertebral discs from wear and tear.
With osteochondrosis, a woman may have strange symptoms, such as: B. Skin peeling and brittle nails. Women are more difficult to endure with both thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis, which is due to the low pain defect of the weaker sex.
Men, on the other hand, with osteochondrosis of the chest region turn to specialists several times more often than women, and the average age is about 30-40 years. Men may complain of a decrease in potency. The most important thing here is to confess the intimate problem to the doctor and not to treat it yourself.
Signs of osteochondrosis that can be confused with other diseases
Since there are many nerve fibers and endings in the chest area, pain behind the breastbone can radiate in all directions. Symptoms of osteochondrosis are very similar to other diseases, which aggravates the situation with the diagnosis. Early diagnosis of osteochondrosis and the start of treatment are 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 occurs longer and cannot be treated with cardiac drugs. And the second sign is that blood pressure does not rise, as often happens with a disease of the cardiovascular system. And most importantly, the results of the ECG do not show any abnormalities in the work of the heart.
In women, 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 exclude a disease of the mammary glands.
Sometimes the patient complains of pain in the upper abdomen, which can be confused with gastritis or peptic ulcer. Pain can also be localized in the right hypochondrium, and unqualified medical personnel may suspect cholecystitis or pancreatitis. If you have pain in the lower abdomen, appendicitis can be suspected. In such cases, it is advisable to conduct an additional examination with ultrasound of the abdominal organs, X-ray and EGD of the stomach and, of course, a clinical blood test.
If the lower part of the thoracic spine is affected, the patient will show signs of intestinal disease. However, this condition does not depend on the food ingested, and the pain is aggravated by physical exertion.
If osteochondrosis has affected the upper part of the spine, then the pain spreads to the throat and esophagus. The patient feels signs of a foreign body in the throat and there may be difficulty swallowing food, especially poorly chewed food.
Only a doctor should deal with the diagnosis and treatment, self-medication in this case is unacceptable.
The influence of occupation on the development of osteochondrosis
The peculiarities of some professions can develop osteochondrosis. This is due to a sedentary lifestyle, especially in jobs like truckers, pilots, and machinists. And also in the risk group are professions associated with lifting weights, for example, loaders. With prolonged lifting and carrying large loads, rubbing and flattening of part of the vertebrae occurs, which also leads to osteochondrosis, and not only the thoracic, but also the cervical and lumbar spine. In more advanced cases, the arms or back closer to the shoulder blades begin to numb. This is a wake-up call to contacting a specialist doctor for evaluation and treatment.
Most office workers are prone to cervicothoracic osteochondrosis. That is, not only the vertebrae of the thoracic region, but also the cervical vertebrae are involved in the process of change and destruction. Sitting in front of a computer for a long time and even in the wrong position leads to weakening and laxity of the muscles that support the spine. The vertebrae begin to shift, pinching the nerves.
In addition, immobility in one position disrupts the blood flow to the intervertebral discs, which leads to starvation of the intervertebral disc tissue and its destruction. You have pain in your head, shoulders and chest. You have hearing loss and tinnitus. With a sharp rise or movement of the head, the employee may lose consciousness, due to the disruption in the work of the vestibular apparatus. Vision is often impaired and flies appear in front of the eyes. The muscles of the shoulder girdle and chest begin to ache, as if after a long exercise.
It happens that after treatment it is worth changing jobs, since frequent relapses in the old place of work are possible.