Osteochondrosis is one of the most common, well-studied but difficult to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system. This is not just back pain and a lot of worries: over time and if left untreated, osteochondrosis can lead to the development of serious deformities and significantly lower the patient’s standard of living. Therefore, it is very serious to get this seemingly fearless disease even at the first signs.
Symptoms
Osteochondrosis very often remains undiagnosed for a long time. Osteochondrosis syndromes may not show directly in the spine, disguising themselves as other diseases. And the patient "suppresses" the pain syndrome with painkillers, blaming everything on the migraine - at best and at worst - he is being treated for a completely different disease, without seeing any improvement for years.
In the initial stage of disease development, osteochondrosis manifests itself only with slight pain and discomfort after strenuous physical activity or sitting for a long time in an uncomfortable position at the table. The disease develops over the years, gradually all the symptoms intensify. Characteristic features of osteochondrosis in the chest region include:
- numbness and tingling sensation in the limbs. Especially after a long stay in one position or sleeping. This is one of the first signs of spinal problems. After rubbing, numbness and discomfort pass quickly and do not cause strong discomfort;
- cold bumps, I had on the skin in the area of the hands, often - individual hands or fingers, less often - in the affected area of the back;
- painful sensations often have the "wrong" localization. Pain can occur both in the affected area of the spine, and radiation (giving) to the chest area, similar to pain in heart disease, can occur when you breathe. Therefore, when diagnosing osteochondrosis in the presence of pain in the heart region, an ECG will be a mandatory study - to rule out ischemic disease. Also, the pain is often given to the shoulder area (intercostal neuralgia) or the left hand;
- painful sensations often intensify at night;
- also the patient is often tortured by migraine-like headaches. They can occur both on one side of the head and cover the entire head;
- a general decline in well-being, humor;
- osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is rarely associated with spinal cord compression. But if this happens, the symptoms will be more pronounced: the sensations of pain become strong, accompanied by serious disturbances in the work of internal organs.
All symptoms of osteochondrosis are due to compression of nerve roots that run along the spine. Depending on the area and the degree of compression, the symptoms can vary greatly, therefore, at the first suspicion of osteochondrosis, it is very important to do instrumental studies and make the correct diagnosis.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region rarely occurs on its own - the thoracic region is inactive and less stressed, more often this disease is combined with osteochondrosis of the cervix.
Methods of treating osteochondrosis
Like all degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system, osteochondrosis is very difficult to treat and for a long time - there is no simple and fast cure. You need to be prepared for this. It is impossible to reverse degenerative changes in intervertebral discs. The ideal option is to stop the development of the disease in the initial stage, when osteochondrosis does not place any restrictions on the patient's lifestyle. In the earliest stages, it is enough just to slightly adjust the patient's lifestyle: to increase physical activity, to make the diet complete. But it is extremely rare to establish a diagnosis early in the development of pathological changes.
The traditional complex of therapy for osteochondrosis includes:
- Drug therapy. . . It consists of several components:
- with severe pain syndrome, the patient is prescribed pain relievers. Most often these are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Less commonly used are steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, opiates and opioids. They are stronger, but have many limitations in their use;
- a mandatory part of treatment is taking supplements and vitamins that strengthen the bone system;
- muscle relaxants help relieve muscle tension. But it must be said that without constant exercise in medical gymnastics, taking muscle relaxants is strictly contraindicated;
- taking chondroprotectors helps speed up the recovery processes in the affected area, although the attitude of specialists towards such drugs is very unclear.
- Medication-free treatmentis much more important for the successful treatment of osteochondrosis.
- first of all, one should focus on the systematic and correct implementation of the improvement gymnastics complex. Exercise therapy aims to strengthen the muscular corset around the spine, accelerates local blood circulation and, with regular exercise, can significantly improve the patient's condition;
- Physiotherapy treatments help relieve muscle pain and tension. They act in the same way as anti-inflammatory pain relievers, but have far fewer contraindications;
- masotherapy. Both traditional therapeutic massage and many alternative methods are practiced, the main selection criterion is the professionalism of a specialist and consultation with the attending physician;
- manual therapy;
- traction (traction therapy) in a special simulator. Gentle pulling of the spine allows you to relieve muscle tension and reduce the symptoms caused by compression of the nerve roots;
- you also need to change the approach to your diet, make it more balanced.
Therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
You can do medical aerobics both in a separate room in the hospital and at home. The more frequent and regular the sessions, the higher the effectiveness. It is advisable to conduct classes several times a day, a mandatory part of the complex are morning exercises. Each exercise should last from 5 (in the first stage) to 40 minutes, the number of repetitions of each exercise should be from 5 to 20. Here is an approximate set of exercises:
- Lie on your back, the surface should be flat and firm, for convenience, you can place a fitness mattress. Bend your knees, then extend your knees toward your nose and your head toward your knees at the same time. Hold at the upper point for a few seconds, return to the starting point, change leg;
- A universal exercise - known to all from childhood "cat". Take all four with your head down. As you inhale, lean on your back as much as possible and raise your head. Then, as you exhale, arch your back and lower your head;
- In the middle of the work day, you can take a break for a simple exercise: alternately raise each shoulder as high as possible, while while one shoulder is raised, the other is lowered;
- Sit in a chair with the back reaching the shoulder blade (a regular office chair will do), press your back firmly behind the back of the chair. Then raise your arms and bend your upper back as much as possible;
- Make some circular motions as wide as possible with your arms outstretched. Performed while sitting in a upright chair or standing;
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squeeze the arms at the back below the shoulder blades. Bend as much as possible in the chest region, resisting with your hands;
- Also, from a standing position, bent as much as possible, the chin tends to the chest, shoulders to each other. Hold in the lowest position for a few seconds. Then do the back movement: straighten the shoulders as much as possible, joining the shoulder blades and throwing the head back. The exercise is performed at a slow and smooth pace.
Osteochondrosis of the chest region can develop very slowly, without causing much discomfort for a long time, but as a result, the patient faces many limitations in his normal lifestyle and the fact that the standard of living is constantly falling. Therefore, if you experience the first sensations of discomfort and slight pain, you should consult a doctor.