Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease manifested by the degradation of the tissue structure of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. Depending on which part of the spine the disease affects, there are three types of osteochondrosis: lumbar, thoracic and cervical.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine
Thoracic osteochondrosis does not manifest itself immediately and can be almost invisible in the initial stages. Therefore, in order not to trigger the disease, you should not ignore its first symptoms and manifestations.
The main symptom is pain in the chest during movement, during physical activity, as well as when maintaining a body position for a long time. It can manifest as sharp, sudden and severe pain (dorsago) or moderate, gradually increasing pain (dorsalgia) that makes movement and breathing difficult.
Dorsalgia-like symptoms do not always indicate the presence of problems with the spine, so it is advisable to undergo a thorough examination for an accurate diagnosis.
Symptoms may also include tightness in the chest muscles, a feeling of tightness, weakness in the limbs, and partial or complete loss of sensation in the limbs.
Symptoms may also appear at the level of the autonomic system, especially the following:
- Headache;
- sleep disorders;
- pain in internal organs that can be confused with the manifestations of other diseases (for example, pain in the stomach, heart and kidneys);
- local peeling of the skin, thinning of the nails;
- feeling of coldness in arms and legs, shivering;
- violation of sweating where the nerve fibers are compressed by the affected vertebra.
If you have detected any of the listed symptoms and you need to consult a doctor or any other specialist who treats osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, contact a professional medical center. Doctors will choose a convenient time for your appointment and answer your questions.
Since some symptoms are characteristic of both osteochondrosis and a number of other diseases (such as gastric ulcer, gastritis, kidney and heart failure, hypertension, migraine), it is recommended to undergo ultrasound examination and ECG to rule out these pathologies.
Causes of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
There are several reasons for the occurrence of the disease. Rather, there are a number of factors that have a negative impact on health and can provoke osteochondrosis. The set of such factors may be different for each patient, so we recommend consulting a neurologist to identify and rule them out.
List of the most common conditions that adversely affect the spine:
- excessive physical activity;
- passive lifestyle;
- while sleeping, sitting at the table, etc. , wrong posture and wrong body position;
- hereditary diseases;
- disturbance of metabolic processes;
- injuries;
- and several other factors.
The consequences of the development of thoracic osteochondrosis
Thoracic osteochondrosis is dangerous because, in addition to the similarity of symptoms with other diseases, it can cause many different diseases due to compression of blood vessels and nerve endings by the damaged vertebra.
Thus, osteochondrosis of the chest can cause diseases of internal organs (heart, kidneys, stomach, lungs, intestines), as well as pathologies of the respiratory system.
Diagnosis and treatment of thoracic spine
A complete examination, diagnosis and diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is possible only when an integrated approach is used. The doctor usually uses the following diagnostic methods:
- verbal questioning of the patient to identify symptoms and negative factors affecting the body;
- examination and palpation of the spine;
- examination of reflexes, skin and muscle sensitivity;
- radiography to determine the localization of the disease;
- computed tomography (CT) to determine the presence of spinal cord lesions;
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can evaluate all the tissues and vessels around the spine.
If you are not sure which doctor to contact with your symptoms, go to a specialized clinic for an appointment, where they will tell you which specialist will help you solve the problem.
It is also possible to use a comprehensive approach to treating spine problems at the medical center. The combination of various treatment methods and modern rehabilitation procedures allows to eliminate the manifestations of the disease and reduce the risk of relapse due to the general health of the body.
Some methods that have proven themselves in the treatment of spinal problems:
- physiotherapy;
- osteopathy;
- manual therapy;
- psychotherapy;
- drug treatment.
Please note that only a doctor can prescribe competent and effective treatment. If you have any doubts about what tests or procedures you need, contact the experts for advice.