Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is much less common than cervical or lumbar osteochondrosis. This is because the vertebrae in the thoracic region are much more firmly connected to each other and movement in the joints is minimal. In addition, this part of the spine has muscle protection and is more rigidly fixed by the ribs.
However, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is one of those diseases, the treatment of which should not be postponed until later, as it can have very undesirable consequences.
Causes of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
The main reason is the dystrophic-degenerative changes that occur in the intervertebral discs. This could be due to the presence of scoliosis or the following factors:
- Heredity
- Eating and metabolic disorders
- Overweight
- Increased physical activity
- Physical inactivity, prolonged stay in one position
- spinal injury
- nervous tension
- Advanced age
- Smoke
- Hypothermia
All these factors affect the nutrition of the intervertebral discs, which leads to metabolic disturbances and the beginning of degenerative changes in them.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
A similar pathology is felt by painful sensations.
They are of two types:
- Dorsago or thoracic lumbago. It is a sudden, sharp, severe pain that occurs in the spine when trying to stand up after being in the same position for a long time, usually during long work on a table with the body bent over. Pain is felt even while breathing, muscles are tense, movement in the thoracic and adjacent spine is limited.
- Back pain (back pain). In this case, the pain is not as pronounced, at rest it only causes slight discomfort. But when you try to bend over or take a deep breath, it gets stronger. In this state, the mobility of the spine decreases, the back muscles are tense.
- With the defeat of the first root, there is a decrease in sensitivity and pain in the upper thoracic vertebra, extending to the suprascapular region to the elbow joint.
- If there is compression of 2 to 6 roots, the pain is concentrated in the ribs and spreads from the spine to the interscapular and axillary regions.
- Compression of the 7th and 8th of the root causes tension in the muscles of this area and the occurrence of painful sensations of a belted nature, from the costal-vertebral joints to the epigastric region.
- Defeat of roots 9 and 10 causes pain in the lower thoracic vertebrae, spreading to the navel, 11 and 12 - below the navel.
Signs of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine may be manifested by pain between the ribs. This is due to compression of the nerve roots, which results in decreased sensitivity and limited mobility.
Visceral manifestations of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Root syndromes are often accompanied by complaints about internal organs:
- The defeat of the upper thoracic roots may be accompanied by pain in the esophagus and pharynx, there is a sensation of appearance of a foreign body there. These symptoms may occur periodically or may be constant, and when you put pressure on the area of your spine affected by osteochondrosis, it becomes stronger.
- If the middle thoracic roots are affected, there is discomfort and a feeling of pain in the stomach, which is aggravated by lying for a long time on a hard surface with the face up and by movement in the corresponding part of the spine.
- If the pathological changes occurred below, there is discomfort in the duodenum, which is intensified by coughing or sneezing, turning the trunk or sitting for a long time.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region can cause the stomach to rupture. In this case, there is:
- Nausea
- Heartburn
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- left hypochondrium pain
- Flatulence
- possible vomiting
In connection with the interruption of the normal functioning of the duodenum, the following may occur:
- Pain in the epigastric region and back
- belch
- Nausea
- Weight in the right hypochondrium
- Sometimes bloating and vomiting
Oftentimes, osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can cause the onset of symptoms characteristic of heart disease:
- Burning chest left
- Cutting, burning, pressing on the heartache
- Feeling of constriction in the throat
Osteochondrosis can cause laryngeal spasm (laryngospasm), during attacks where breathing becomes difficult and becomes wheezing, coughing may occur. In this case, it is very important to establish whether these symptoms are not a pulmonary pathology.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Because a variety of pathologies can be masked under this disease, you will need to be examined by a neurologist, who, after the examination, will give instructions for the following studies:
- X-ray
- CT (computed tomography)
- magnetic resonance
As a rule, it is enough to identify the pathology and make the diagnosis.
In the treatment of osteochondrosis, the main objectives are:
- Relieve pain
- Restore spinal root functions
- Decrease dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs
For this, the following procedures are quite effective:
- Vacuum and laser therapy
- Acupuncture
- Whirlpool Baths
- Electrophoresis
- inductometry
- Massage
- traction (traction)
- Magnet and pharmacopuncture
- exercise therapy
Drug therapy for osteochondrosis:
- Ines
- Chondroprotectors
- Ointments
- Muscle relaxants, whose action is aimed at relieving muscle spasms
If the methods listed do not lead to a positive result, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is performed surgically.
The operation consists of two steps:
- Removal of the cause of pain (decompression).
- Discectomy - removal of an intervertebral disc or just part of it.
- Foraminotomy - enlargement of the root canal to avoid nerve compression by a bone disc or spur.
- Facetectomy - removal of faceted joints located between the processes of the joint vertebrae to eliminate entrapment of nerve fibers.
- Laminectomy - The back of the vertebra is removed, which compresses the spinal cord during the deformation.
- Laminotomy - the difference from the anterior operation is the removal of a fragment from the posterior part of the vertebra.
- Corpectomy - removal of a vertebra and adjacent discs with insertion of a bone implant.
- Column stabilization. When a vertebra or disc is removed, the supporting structure of the human body is disturbed, which can lead to serious neurological problems. To avoid negative consequences, the vertebrae must be corrected. Most often, the method of spinal fusion (spinal fusion) is used, in which conditions are created for the fusion of the bones of the spine. The resulting voids are filled with bone grafts from the patient or donor, in addition to special biological substances that stimulate bone tissue restoration.
Treatment of osteochondrosis with alternative methods
In that case, it should be pain relief, which can only be used in conjunction with a full treatment. For this, several herbs are used that have anti-inflammatory, local anesthetic and sedative properties.
To consolidate the positive result of the treatment, it is necessary to eat well, try to avoid stressful situations and practice reasonable physical activities. In that case, osteochondrosis will bother you much less often.