Osteochondrosis rarely develops in the thoracic spine - the intervertebral discs in it are smaller and thinner 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 the pain.The nature of the pain and its duration are similar.With prolapse in the thoracic region, the spinal cord is not affected.Read about this and more below.
Stages of pathology
Osteochondrosis usually progresses over time.According to the severity of the manifestation, the pathology is divided into 4 stages.
Preclinical
Minimal disturbances appear in the column.A slight pain syndrome may be observed, the back muscles tense.It is possible to develop thoracalgia – chest pain, but it is a rare occurrence.
Discogenic radiculitis
There is a change in the structure of the intervertebral discs.Moderate pain may appear in the affected part of the spine.The patient is able to work.But your muscular endurance levels are decreasing.
Vascular-radicular
At this stage, the fibrous ring is completely destroyed.A herniated disc forms and the process of deformation of the fibrous ring continues, which leads to its rupture.Then the nucleus pulposus prolapses into the space beneath the ligaments.A herniated disc forms.The process affects tissues located near the disc, the functioning of blood vessels, muscles, nerves and ligaments is disrupted.The disease becomes chronic.
Changing the shape of the bone structure
The vertebra hardens, its surface becomes ribbed and uneven.The muscles begin to contract spontaneously, which leads to limited mobility of the entire spine or a specific vertebra.Nerves extending from the spinal cord become compressed.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 progresses to the fourth stage.
Regeneration of intervertebral disc tissue and replacement with scar tissue
A damaged intervertebral disc cannot perform its functions well, which leads to the convergence of adjacent vertebral bodies.This leads to disorders of the intervertebral joints, called spondyloarthrosis.In this case, torsion or displacement of the vertebrae in relation to their neighbors may occur.
The body activates its compensation mechanisms.To relieve the load of a damaged disc, the vertebra flattens and increases in width.Then its area increases.And the fibrous ring tissue, which has collapsed, can be replaced by bone.
Sometimes this reduces pain, however, as the vertebrae grow, they make the spinal openings even narrower - the nerve is compressed.
Symptoms of the disease
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are often caused by the following factors:
- patient age;
- damage to the spine;
- stage of disease development;
- The patient's condition is remission or exacerbation of the disease.
Symptoms may also include:
- radiculopathy – painful damage to the nerve endings in the spinal cord;
- abdominal syndrome;
- cardiac syndrome, changes in the heart muscle - characterized by intense pain and not susceptible to the effects of nitroglycerin;
- pulmonary syndrome: congestion and hypoxia occur in the lungs;
- paresthesia - sensation of “goosebumps” throughout the body;
- pain in the area of the pinched nerve;
- decreased sensitivity to temperature fluctuations and touch;
- disorders of the motor function of the spine.
The patient's body temperature does not increase.This serves as a sign that allows you to differentiate the pathology.
Degrees of the disease
Lumbago
This is a sharp pain that runs throughout the body.It occurs when 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 very high.This traumatic injury leads to irritation of the nerves - pain occurs.
The muscles are tense and this is clearly expressed.Lumbar lordosis is softened.In this way, the load is redistributed and the intervertebral disc becomes even more compressed, which leads to swelling, which increases pain.
When the pathology is concentrated in the neck region, neck pain appears - it manifests as pain when turning the head and palpating the neck muscles.During an exacerbation, cervicocranialgia 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, a blurry sensation in your eyes, and your teeth may hurt.
Dizziness
They appear as a result of narrowing of the spinal canal cavity.The intervertebral disc swells and compresses the blood vessels.The brain cannot obtain the required volume of blood.You may experience severe headache, numbness in your arms, and pain in your shoulders.
Breathing becomes difficult, causing insufficient oxygen to reach the brain.This leads to sharp pain in the heart region.
Intervertebral hernia
At this stage of development, the picture looks quite serious - the spinal canal and intervertebral cavities are significantly narrowed.As a result, a hernia can 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 as in second degree.However, when the pain does not disappear within a fortnight and symptoms of prolapse (prolapse of a vertebra) are present, surgery is necessary.
Growths on the 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 noticeable that the spine becomes unstable, the vertebrae can slip or twist relative to each other.
At this time, growth of the vertebral bodies may occur - this is called osteophytes.The growths lead to compression of the spinal nerves, causing blockage of the spinal canal, called secondary spinal stenosis.As a result, compression of the spinal cord is possible, which leads to ischemia.
This degree of illness also includes the consequences of previous operations to remove a hernia.They can manifest as impaired innervation, paresis and inflammation.
Back and back pain
The symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis directly depend on the affected area of the spine.The most common vertebral syndromes are dorsago and dorsalgia.
Dorsago manifests itself in the form of a sharp and sudden pain that occurs in the chest area.This usually happens if a person sits for a long time without changing posture.Pain can occur when a person's position is physiologically uncomfortable.In addition, it is possible during long-term monotonous work.
Dorsago is also called “chest lumbago”.When this happens, the muscles in your back and chest become so tense that it becomes difficult to breathe.
Sometimes the pain travels from the ribs to the sternum region and radiates to the scapula region.Sometimes the patient may feel that it is a myocardial infarction.However, when performing an electrocardiogram, deviations from the norm are not detected.If you take nitroglycerin or other heart medicine, there will be no result.
Avoid staying in the same position for a long time.Sedentary work is one of the main causes of osteochondrosis.
Dorsalgia is a mild pain that lasts for a long time, sometimes even weeks.The inflamed area of the spine causes “mild” pain.This is uncomfortable, so the person usually goes to the doctor.
Back pain can be expressed as follows:
- the pain worsens when the person takes a deep breath or coughs;
- muscles become overloaded;
- motor activity in the neck or lower back decreases;
- muscle spasms occur;
- the pain intensifies at night and when the person exercises.
Back pain can be upper or lower.In the first, the main painful manifestations are concentrated in the upper chest region, in the neck.In the second case, the pain is mainly in the sacrum and lower back.
The symptoms of Dorsalgia are very 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 only worsen.
When a woman breastfeeds a child, she may experience these manifestations of osteochondrosis.It is necessary to treat the disease in this situation only by consulting a doctor, taking into account all the nuances.
It is important to weigh all the risks of using certain medications so as not to harm the baby's health and yours.
Atypical 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 those of 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 attack;medicines for coronary dilation, for example nitroglycerin, have no effect;and the ECG shows no abnormalities;
- pain similar to that felt by women with breast disease may occur;this pain can continue for a long time;the examination does not reveal problems with the mammary glands;
- the iliac region and abdomen may be painful, the symptoms are not similar to those that occur in gastritis and colitis;pain may be observed under the right rib, similar to that which characterizes hepatitis or cholecystitis;Digestion is often disturbed - this is also a characteristic symptom of osteochondrosis, which arises due to disturbances in the innervation of internal organs;it is necessary to know what caused the disturbances in the food digestion process, whether the cause is indeed thoracic osteochondrosis;
- The urination process and sexual function may be disturbed because the innervation of the genitourinary system is distorted;
- when thoracic osteochondrosis worsens, long-lasting pain in the sternum may be observed, lasting for weeks, very similar to those present in diseases of the mammary gland;A visit to the mammologist allows you to identify the cause of the pain.
These symptoms are associated with manifestations of back pain, as well as intercostal neuralgia.The onset of atypical symptoms is usually observed at night.In the morning, as a rule, there is no more white.Pain increases throughout the day if suitable conditions are created that provoke pain.