Characteristics of the disease
According to medical statistics, more than 30% of the world's population suffers from osteochondrosis. And every year the patients are getting younger. But compared to cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis, thoracic osteochondrosis occurs less frequently.
- there is a natural bend, thanks to which part of the load from a steep walk is removed from it;
- the other part falls on the ribs and sternum, which act as a physiological framework;
- this is the longest part of the spine (12 vertebrae), but the spinal canal is the narrowest;
- thoracic vertebrae are small in size, but equipped with long spinous processes;
- it is motionless.
If an intervertebral disc deformation appears in the chest area, it gradually disappears. But it manifests painfully.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
How clearly the disease manifests itself depends on its stage, lifestyle and the age of the patient.
- Pain. It is felt in the upper back, between the shoulder blades and covers the intercostal spaces with neuralgia. Worsened by coughing, deep breathing, and turning the body. Because there are many nerve fibers in the chest, chest pain (dorsago) appears like a heart attack.
- Radiculitis. In addition to pain, there is a loss of sensitivity. Typically, the limbs, upper abdomen, and the area below the collarbone are numb.
- Paresthesia. It feels like goosebumps are crawling all over your body.
- Heart syndrome. Severe heart pain that does not go away after taking the medicine continues.
- Pulmonary syndrome. It is manifested by suffocation and congestion in the lungs.
- Abdominal syndrome. It is characterized by constant pain in the digestive organs.
- Muscle tension. It occurs reflexively in the upper back and chest.
The clinical picture in men and women is almost the same. However, symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women usually appear at the beginning of menopause. Before that, the spine is protected by estrogens.
In men, complications of the disease can affect potency.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis are more disturbing at night than during the day. They are aggravated by hypothermia, movement and stress. It is believed that women suffer more from spinal pain.
Localization of pain syndrome
Diagnosis of the disease is complicated by symptomatic similarity with other diseases: myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
- With thoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms with pain in the heart appear when the first-sixth thoracic nerves are affected. In women, mammary glands may hurt.
- If the 6th to 9th thoracic nerves are affected, pain occurs in the stomach. The sensations are the same as in colitis and gastritis. There may be a sensation of a foreign body in the esophagus.
- In the small intestine, kidneys and genitals, if pathological processes affect the 11th and 12th discs.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the orthopedic surgeon prescribes an examination for the patient.
For women, it is necessary to undergo radiography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, ECG, mammography.
The results will help determine the stage of the disease and treatment options.
Stages of the disease
| Stage | Changes | Symptoms |
| First | Dehydration of discs causing loss of elasticity. Their height decreases, but their width increases - the intervertebral disc is gradually flattened. | The pain appears directly in the damaged ring. It can be a pull or a fire. |
| Second | The annulus fibrosus begins to disintegrate. Nerve roots are compressed, causing pain. | There is pain when moving. There is discomfort when holding the pose for a long time. |
| the third | The fibrous ring tears and causes a herniated disc to form. Scoliosis or pathological kyphosis develops. | There is pain when moving. There is discomfort when holding the pose for a long time. |
| Fourth | Vertebrae appear to rub against each other, which causes displacement of the intervertebral joints. The tissue surrounding the vertebrae becomes inflamed. Cartilage tissue is replaced by bone tissue, which reduces motor functions. Fibrosis appears. | There is pain when moving. There is discomfort when holding the pose for a long time. |
Phases of exacerbation and remission can be observed. The latter is often observed in the 4th stage.
Degrees of disease
This is a more modern classification of thoracic osteochondrosis symptoms used by specialists.
| Degrees | Changes and symptoms |
| First | Intervertebral disc herniation caused by sudden movement or excessive strain. Sharp pain like an electric current passing through the spine. Muscle tension. |
| Second | It is characterized by instability of the spine. Pain when moving. Protrusion. |
| the third | The pain is constant. Loss of sensation. Change in mileage. Severe headaches. Difficulty breathing. Tachycardia. |
| Fourth | The spine is unstable: the vertebrae slip and twist. Osteophytes grow, compressing spinal nerves and putting pressure on the spinal cord. |
Thoracic osteochondrosis can cause serious diseases that will be difficult to treat.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Symptoms in women practically do not differ from the clinical picture in men. The main difference in this case is that osteochondrosis develops at an older age in the female half of humanity. There is a feature of the female body - estrogens effectively protect the intervertebral discs from destruction, so the symptoms of osteochondrosis in women most often begin to appear during menopause or hormonal imbalance. In addition, as already mentioned, the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis can be similar to the symptoms of dangerous diseases of the mammary glands.
Therefore, to clarify the diagnosis, women are required to undergo an examination such as mammography.
Thoracic osteochondrosis in women can manifest itself in different ways. The clinical picture will depend on the age, the stage of the pathology, as well as which vertebra is affected and how much it is affected. One of the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest in women is burning and itching between the shoulder blades.
- Dorsago ("chest lumbago", "dagger pain") is a sudden severe sharp pain in the chest (between the shoulder blades), most often after a long stay in the same uncomfortable position. With a lumbago in the chest, the muscles tense up sharply and strongly - a person feels that it is difficult to breathe. During dorsago, the pain may worsen if you turn your upper body.
- Thoracalgia is a chronic mild pain in the sternum. Thoracalgia can manifest itself not only with osteochondrosis, but also with diseases of internal organs located in this region (lungs, heart, stomach). The main difference between such pains in osteochondrosis is its superficiality and segmental manifestation along the intercostal spaces. Thoracalgia with osteochondrosis is aggravated by movements and deep breathing and decreases with rest.
- numbness, goosebumps in some areas of the skin;
- burning, itching between the shoulder blades;
- feeling of coldness in the legs;
- pain in the pharynx and esophagus;
- dysfunctions of the stomach and intestines.
Treatment of pathology in women
It is practically impossible to completely get rid of already advanced thoracic osteochondrosis, but it is quite possible to slow down or even stop the formation of the pathological degenerative-dystrophic process in the tissues of the moving segments of the spine using the means and methods of modern medicine. . The optimal therapeutic effect can be achieved only with a complex approach to the treatment of this pathology using drugs, various physiotherapeutic methods and targeted exercise therapy methods (physical therapy).
Symptoms and treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine in women are not much different from men. In the acute period of osteochondrosis of the thoracic segment of the spine, the patient needs intensive treatment of exacerbation, during which various drugs and physical procedures are used, which help to eliminate the pain syndrome and other negative manifestations in parallel. of the disease.
During remission, the patient should be prescribed maintenance treatment based on taking drugs that restore the osteochondral structure and physical therapy. In especially severe cases, sometimes they resort to surgical intervention to stabilize the position of the spine.
Sensation in women with osteochondrosis
- Painful manifestations in the heart region. In this case, the symptoms are more similar to heart disease such as heart attack or angina. The pain feels dull or aching and can last for months. However, none of the intravenous drugs produced improvement, and the EKG results revealed no abnormalities.
- Discomfort in the mammary glands. It often manifests itself in women, it is characterized by painful sensations. It can often be confused with diseases of the mammary glands. In this case, a more detailed diagnosis is needed.
- Point spasms and pain in the abdomen. It is distinguished by symptoms characteristic of various pathological processes in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, which are often mistaken for gastritis, ulcer or cholecystitis. It is intensified by physical movements.
Experts also identified two signs of thoracic osteochondrosis, which, if detected, can immediately indicate the development of the disease - the so-called dorsago and dorsalgia.
Complications of the disease
Thoracic osteochondrosis is a painful disease that significantly reduces the patient's quality of life.
Often, osteochondrosis affects several departments gradually or at once.
- disorders of the cardiovascular system;
- vegetative system;
- digestion;
- respiration;
- fainting;
- dizziness;
- panic and fear attacks with rapid heartbeat and suffocation;
- chronic fatigue;
- Stripes.
Therefore, the treatment of the disease should be comprehensive, aimed at eliminating all symptoms. With early and correct diagnosis, treatment has a favorable prognosis.