Osteochondrosis rarely develops in the thoracic spine - the intervertebral discs in it are smaller and thinner in size than in the cervical or lumbar spine.The thoracic region is less mobile, the main load falls on the ribs and sternum.
Unlike cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis, the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis differ only in the location of pain.The nature of pain and its duration are similar.With prolapse in the thoracic region, the spinal cord is not affected.Read more about it below.
Stages of pathology
Osteochondrosis usually progresses over time.According to the severity of manifestation, pathology is divided into 4 stages.
preclinical
Minimal spinal disturbance is seen.Mild pain syndrome may be observed, the back muscles become tense.Thoracalgia – It is possible to develop chest pain, but this is a rare occurrence.
discogenic radiculitis
There is a change in the structure of the intervertebral disc.Moderate pain may appear in the affected part of the spinal cord.The patient is able to work.But his muscular endurance levels are decreasing.
vascular-radicular
At this stage, the fibrous ring is completely destroyed.A disc herniation is formed and the process of deformation of the fibrous ring continues, leading to its rupture.The nucleus pulposus then protrudes into the space beneath the ligament.A disc herniation is formed.This process affects the tissues located near the disc, the functioning of blood vessels, muscles, nerves and ligaments is disrupted.The disease becomes chronic.
changing the shape of bone structure
The vertebra hardens, its surface becomes ribbed and uneven.The muscles begin to contract spontaneously, limiting the mobility of the entire spine or a specific vertebra.The nerves coming out of the spinal cord get suppressed.This leads to a deterioration in impulses from the brain to the body's tissues and organs.
Mobility of the spine as a whole is preserved, but individual vertebrae become fragile and can easily collapse.If the disease is not treated, it goes into the fourth stage.
Regeneration of intervertebral disc tissue and replacement with scar tissue
A damaged intervertebral disc is unable to perform its functions well, leading to convergence of adjacent vertebral bodies.This causes disorder in the intervertebral joints, which is called spondyloarthrosis.In this case, twisting or slipping of the vertebrae relative to neighboring vertebrae may occur.
The body activates its compensation mechanisms.To reduce the load on the damaged disc, the vertebrae become flattened and increase in width.So its area increases.And the tissue of the fibrous ring, which has collapsed, can be replaced with bone.
Sometimes this reduces pain, however, as the vertebrae grow, they make the spinal canal even narrower – the nerve becomes compressed.
symptoms of disease
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are often caused by the following factors:
- Patient's age;
- spinal cord damage;
- Stage of disease development;
- The condition of the patient depends on whether the disease is decreasing or increasing.
Symptoms may also include:
- Radiculopathy – traumatic damage to the nerve endings of the spinal cord;
- abdominal syndrome;
- Cardiac syndrome, changes in the heart muscle - characterized by severe pain and not sensitive to the effects of nitroglycerin;
- Pulmonary syndrome: congestion and hypoxia occur in the lungs;
- Paresthesia – a feeling of "goosebumps" all over the body;
- Pain in the area of the compressed nerve;
- Temperature fluctuations and decreased sensitivity to touch;
- Disorders of motor function of the spinal cord.
The patient's body temperature does not increase.It serves as a sign that allows one to differentiate the pathology.
degree of disease
lumbago
It is a sharp pain that spreads throughout the body.This occurs during lifting heavy objects and other physical activities – the pain is similar to an electric shock.
From a morphological point of view, unexpected rupture of the intervertebral disc capsule occurs when the load is too high.Such a traumatic injury causes irritation of the nerves – causing pain.
The muscles are tense and this is clearly expressed.Lumbar lordosis is smoothed.In this way, the load is redistributed, and the intervertebral discs become even more compressed, causing inflammation, which increases the pain.
When the pathology is concentrated in the neck area, cervical pain appears - it manifests itself as pain when turning the head and touching the neck muscles.During arousal, cervical pain is often observed, which manifests itself in the fact that a person has a severe headache in the back of the head.You may experience tinnitus, dizziness, spots in your eyes, and pain in your teeth.
Dizziness
Appears as a result of narrowing of the cavity of the spinal canal.The intervertebral disc bulges and compresses the blood vessels.The brain fails to receive the required amount of blood.You may experience severe headaches, numbness in the arms, and pain in the shoulders.
Breathing becomes difficult, due to which sufficient oxygen does not reach the brain.This causes severe pain in the heart area.
intervertebral hernia
At this stage of development, the picture looks quite serious - the spinal canal and intervertebral cavities become significantly narrowed.As a result, a hernia may form – a dangerous defect.Often at this stage of the disease it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention.
Treatment of third-degree osteochondrosis depends on root compression.It is possible to use the same techniques for the second degree.However, when the pain does not go away within fifteen days and symptoms of prolapse (protrusion of the vertebrae) are present, surgery is required.
growth on vertebrae
As a rule, at this stage of the disease, the manifestations of hernia disappear, the symptoms of the disease are less pronounced, however, it is worth noting that the spine is unstable, the vertebrae can slip or twist in relation to each other.
At this time, growth of the vertebral bodies may occur – this is called osteophytes.The growth can compress the spinal nerves, causing blockage of the spinal canal, called secondary spinal stenosis.As a result, compression of the spinal cord is possible, leading to ischemia.
This degree of the disease also includes the consequences of a previous operation to remove a hernia.They can manifest themselves as impaired innervation, paresis, and inflammation.
Dorsago and dorsalgia
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis directly depend on the area of spine damage.The most common vertebral syndromes are dorsago and dorsalgia.
Dorsago manifests as sudden, sharp pain occurring in the chest area.This often happens when a person remains sitting for a long time without changing his posture.Pain may occur when a person's position is physically uncomfortable.Moreover, this is possible during prolonged monotonous work.
Dorsago is also called "chest lumbago".When this happens, the muscles in your back and chest become so tense that breathing becomes difficult.
Sometimes the pain travels through the ribs to the sternum area and spreads to the scapula area.Sometimes the patient may feel as if it is a myocardial infarction.However, when performing an electrocardiogram, deviations from the norm are not detected.If you take nitroglycerin or any other heart treatment, there will be no results.
Avoid staying in one position for a long time.Sedentary work is one of the main causes of osteochondrosis.
Dorsalgia is a mild pain that persists for a long time, sometimes for weeks.The inflamed area of the spinal cord causes "mild" pain.This is uncomfortable, so the person usually comes to the doctor.
Dorsal pain can be expressed in the following:
- The pain becomes worse when a person takes a deep breath or coughs;
- The muscles become excessively tense;
- Decreased motor activity in the neck or lower back;
- Muscle cramps occur;
- The pain intensifies at night and when a person exercises.
Dorsal pain can be upper or lower.With the first, the main painful manifestations are concentrated in the upper chest area, neck.In the second case, the pain occurs mainly in the sacrum and lumbar region.
Symptoms of dorsalgia are similar to the first manifestations of pneumonia.It is important to remember this in order to diagnose the disease in time.If the diagnosis is made incorrectly and treatment is prescribed, the patient's condition will worsen.
When a woman breastfeeds a child, she may experience such manifestations of osteochondrosis.In this situation, it is important to treat the disease only after consulting a doctor, keeping in mind all the nuances.
It is important to assess all the risks of using certain medications so as not to harm the baby and your health.
abnormal symptoms
In some cases, the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine are completely atypical.A person may not even be aware of the disease, as the symptoms are often similar to other pathologies.It is worth considering them in more detail and analyzing the situation as a whole:
- Pain may appear that mimics the heart pain that develops during angina and heart attacks;Coronary dilation drugs, for example, nitroglycerin, have no effect;And ECG shows no abnormalities;
- The pain may be similar to that experienced by women when they develop breast diseases;Such pain may persist for a long time;Examination does not reveal any problems with the mammary glands;
- There may be pain in the iliac region and stomach, the symptoms are not similar to those that occur with gastritis and colitis;Pain under the right rib may be observed, similar to that characteristic of hepatitis or cholecystitis;Digestion is usually disturbed - this is also a typical symptom of osteochondrosis, which arises due to disturbances in the innervation of internal organs;It is necessary to find out what caused the disturbance in the process of digestion of food, whether the cause is really thoracic osteochondrosis;
- The process of urination and sexual intercourse may be disrupted, as the infection distorts the genitourinary system;
- When thoracic osteochondrosis worsens, prolonged pain in the sternum, lasting for weeks, can be observed, which is similar to the pain present in diseases of the mammary gland;By visiting a mammologist you can identify the cause of pain.
These symptoms are associated with manifestations of pain in the back, as well as intercostal neuralgia.The onset of abnormal symptoms is usually seen in the evening.In the morning, as a rule, there is no whitening.If appropriate conditions are created that provoke pain, the pain continues to increase throughout the day.