The symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis depend on which vertebra has suffered from dystrophic lesions, and their intensity depends on what changes have occurred in it. An experienced specialist, after listening to the patient's complaints, will be able to make the correct diagnosis and suggest which part of the spine has undergone major changes and destruction. The earlier a doctor diagnoses thoracic osteochondrosis and prescribes medication, the sooner relief will come.
Thoracic osteochondrosis is much less common than cervical osteochondrosis because the thoracic spine is less prone to stress and deformity. However, it causes a lot of pain and discomfort and has a diverse set 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 as pain in the girdle in the coastal part of the body. Patients describe such pain with the sensation of a "thorn in the chest", their mobility is impaired, as the pain breaks at the slightest careless movement. The pain is exacerbated by coughing, sneezing, deep breathing and torso rotation. Shortness of breath occurs, breathing becomes shallow and frequent. It is very difficult for the patient to raise his arms or tilt, as this provokes sharp and severe pain. The inconvenience is also caused by the vibration of the body, ie riding a bike, a car on an uneven road, as well as all kinds of 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, which leads to intercostal neuralgia. The pain sensations become stronger at night, when turning from one side to the other or when changing posture, the patient wakes up with sharp piercing pain, even despite treatment with painkillers.
Painful signs are accompanied by sweating, fatigue and rapid fatigue, sometimes there is a rise in temperature locally above the inflamed segment of the spine.
Signs of dorsago and dorsalgia
Severe and very sharp pain is called dorsago. In osteochondrosis of the chest, the symptoms of dorsago appear in people who sit still for a long time in an inclined position forward. At sharp rise or change of position the body is pierced by 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 a stone, sometimes pierced by cramps. The treatment dulls the pain and brings relief to the patient.
Dorsalgia, on the other hand, is a painful pain. It is not very intense, but constantly reminds of itself. With sudden and rapid movements, coughing, sneezing or deep inspiration, the body also pierces with sharp lightning pain. The bends and inclines of the body are also given with difficulty and pain. The muscles of the back and chest are tense and the feeling prevails, as if the upper body is pulled together with a belt.
To get rid of or temporarily relieve the condition of these pains, sometimes it is enough to take a walk or do a light workout.
Signs of a neurological nature in osteochondrosis
The most common is osteochondrosis of the thoracic segment, symptoms of a neurological nature. This is manifested by a feeling of "goosebumps" or loss of sensitivity in the abdomen or upper chest. Sometimes patients notice tension or stiffness in the muscles of the back, mainly in the upper part, as well as in the chest. In more severe and advanced cases, there is a violation of the pelvic organs.
In men and women, thoracic osteochondrosis is almost the same and the symptoms are similar. The only difference is that women have a later onset of the disease. Women are prone to this disease during menopause. This is due to the reduction of the hormone progesterone, which protects the spine, or rather the spinal discs, from wear and tear.
With osteochondrosis, a woman may have strange symptoms, such as flaking of the skin and brittle nails. Women find it harder to tolerate both thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis, due to the weak pain defect of the weaker sex.
Men, on the other hand, turn to specialists with osteochondrosis of the chest many times more often than women and the average age is about 30-40 years. Men may complain of reduced potency. The most important thing here is to admit to the doctor about the intimate problem, not to treat it yourself.
Signs of osteochondrosis that can be confused with other diseases
Because there are many nerve fibers and endings in the chest area, 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, in thoracic osteochondrosis, the pain is longer in time and cannot be treated with heart medications. And the second sign is that there is no increase in blood pressure, as often happens with cardiovascular disease. And most importantly, the ECG results do not show any abnormalities in 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 breast disease.
Sometimes the patient complains of pain in the epigastric region, which can be confused with gastritis or gastric ulcer. The pain may also be localized in the right hypochondrium and unqualified medical staff may suspect cholecystitis or pancreatitis. Appendicitis may be suspected with lower abdominal pain. In such cases, it is recommended to conduct an additional ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, X-ray and EGD of the stomach and, of course, a clinical blood test.
If the lower part of the chest is affected, the patient will have signs of intestinal disease. But this condition does not depend on food intake and the pain worsens with exercise.
If osteochondrosis has affected the upper 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
The specifics of some professions can develop osteochondrosis. This is due to a sedentary lifestyle, especially in professions such as drivers, pilots, drivers. Also in the risk group are professions related to weightlifting, such as loaders. Prolonged lifting and carrying of heavy loads results in friction and flattening of part of the vertebrae, which also leads to osteochondrosis and not only of the thoracic but also of the cervical and lumbar segments of the spine. In more advanced cases, the arms or back begin to tingle closer to the shoulder 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, in the process of change and destruction involved not only the vertebrae of the chest, but also the cervical vertebrae. Due to prolonged sitting in front of computers, even in the wrong position, this leads to weakening and relaxation 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 starvation of the disc tissues and their destruction. They experience pain in the head, shoulders and chest. They have hearing loss and tinnitus. If the head is raised or moved abruptly, the employee may lose consciousness because the work of the vestibular apparatus is impaired. Vision is often impaired and flies appear in front of the eyes. The muscles of the shoulder girdle and chest begin to ache, as after prolonged exercise.
It happens that after the treatment it is worth changing your profession, as frequent recurrences in the old workplace are possible.