One of the most common causes of back pain is osteochondrosis. This is the name of a disease of the spine, in which the intervertebral discs are affected. With such a lesion, the discs delaminate, deform, change in height. Hence the pain.
According to statistics, almost 80% of the world's inhabitants suffer from this pathology to one degree or another. An impressive number! Its "terrifying size" is quite simple to explain.
Answer a few questions. Do you lead a more passive way of life than an active one? Prefer to travel by car rather than on foot? Do you spend a lot of time at the computer, sitting in one position? If you said more "yes" than "no", unfortunately, you have every chance of getting osteochondrosis sooner or later.
The danger of pathology lies in the fact that people who are afraid of osteochondrosis, as a rule, are not even aware of it. In the early stages, it is difficult to recognize, and in the later stages, it is difficult to cure.
In most cases, pathology is diagnosed when, after osteochondrosis, damage to internal organs occurs. This often happens, because the spine is the support of the whole body and the violation of its functions negatively affects the entire body.
Specialists in the treatment of osteochondrosis urge you to be more attentive to yourself and your health. Notice the slightest symptoms of feeling unwell and contact us immediately. We will help to recognize the disease at an early stage and cure it before it becomes invincible.
Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
And to make it easier for you to understand that it's time to see a specialist, pay special attention to the most "bright" signs of osteochondrosis.
Thoracic osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which depend on which part of the spine is affected by the deformity, is most often manifested by discomfort and pain in the back. It can also be a sharp pain between the shoulder blades, intercostal spaces. Pain can be localized along the thoracic spine, aggravated by movement.
Not only back pain can signal a problem. If your heart, nerves, liver, other internal organs are "playing tricks", this can also be a warning "bell".
The main symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis:
- decreased mobility in the thoracic spine. However, this is not always a symptom of osteochondrosis. Such signs are also manifested in Bechterew's disease, in scoliosis and other spinal deformities, in Forestier's disease, etc. An x-ray is needed to accurately determine the causes of pain. Turning to professional specialists, you can undergo an X-ray examination right at our center and immediately receive an expert opinion;
- pain in the chest, behind the sternum, more often on the left. Similar symptoms appear in ischemic heart disease. Therefore, to clarify the details, you will need an ECG, ECG. You can also go through them in a specialized clinic;
- pain in the interscapular space. It can be a pain of a aching or shooting nature, aggravated by walking, bending over, inhaling and exhaling.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the treatment of which is primarily aimed at relieving pain, perfectly disguises itself as other diseases and is very easy to confuse. To prevent this from happening, you need to go through a series of simple examinations. Based on their results, our specialist will determine the exact cause of your problem and find a way to solve it.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the diagnosis of which should be carried out by an experienced doctor, is a serious disease. Do not try to self-medicate.
But you can independently find out how high the risk of osteochondrosis is if you pay attention to your lifestyle, posture and the condition of different parts of the body.
Posture. Stand with your back to the wall, without shoes. Your body should be in contact with the wall at five points: the back of your head, shoulders, buttocks, calves, and heels. Stay in this position for 3-4 minutes. If you are comfortable in this position, congratulations - there is no reason to worry. If you feel tension in different parts of the body, we will continue the diagnosis further.
cervical
The seventh cervical process is considered to be the beginning, which is visually visible and should be well felt during palpation, the remaining processes should be of the same size and be at the same distance from each other. If the vertebrae are poorly palpable, merge into a single "column" or their displacement is clearly visible - there is cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which are indicated above.
Headaches, nervousness and depression, problems with the thyroid gland, hearing and vision impairment, numbness of the hands and fingers, hypertension can be a consequence of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis.
Thoracic
The vertebrae of the thoracic region should normally be in a recess and have the correct arrangement "in a row". They should not stick out when tilted and stand out on the skin. But osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the diagnosis of which should also be carried out by a doctor, most often occurs in people employed in the office. This is sedentary work during the day, sitting at the computer, studying. Athletes who lift weights also often suffer from osteochondrosis. People who have problems with the thoracic spine often suffer from colds: bronchitis, pleurisy, cough, pneumonia.
Diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis consists, first of all, in a thorough medical examination. If the symptoms of the disease are clearly expressed, then the diagnosis can be made on the basis of the patient's complaints, examination, medical history, as well as the results of MRI and radiography. The pictures allow you to clearly see how badly the intervertebral discs are deformed.
Lumbar
A clear evidence of osteochondrosis of the lumbar region is deposits on the sides, visually "pushing" the waist up. The posture of the person is clearly changed. The results of MRI in such cases diagnose the presence of disc herniation and Schmorl's hernia. Infringement of a hernia of the lumbar can lead to paralysis of the legs, and neoplasms can degenerate into cancerous tumors.
sacral department
How often do babies fall on the coccyx? Often. In this case, parents rarely take the baby to the doctor. After all, such a bruise is taken for granted. And this is wrong. In fact, bruises are dangerous. They can lead to a curvature of the bones, in which salt deposits then accumulate. Osteochondrosis of the sacral region leads to hemorrhoids, constipation, varicose veins of the lower extremities, arthrosis.
So, when you independently examine your spine, you can draw conclusions about the presence of deviations in the body. But remember that the final diagnosis is still made by the doctor.
In medical centers you are waiting for real professionals, specialists of the highest category. You will be offered truly high-quality medical services that will solve any of your problems.
The center is equipped with advanced equipment that recognizes any pathology at the initial stage. Also in our center you can undergo any kind of laboratory tests: from the presence of sugar in the blood to taking tests for the detection of STDs.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
The treatment of any disease consists, first of all, in the elimination of the causes that caused it. And, of course, in parallel with this, specialists conduct treatment that eliminates the symptoms of pathology. Only such complex therapy will help to achieve recovery.
If the doctor diagnosed osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, treatment can be medication and reflex.
Drug treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, as a rule, is used at the stage of exacerbation. To stop the attack, analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, sedatives and corticosteroids are used.
In addition to drugs prescribed orally, the doctor may prescribe local blockades with lidocaine or novocaine. Drugs with a strong anti-inflammatory effect affect the main links of pain pathogenesis, so relief comes almost immediately.
In the complex treatment of osteochondrosis, muscle relaxants, herbal preparations, antidepressants are added.
Reflex therapy is carried out in the stage of remission and the main role in the treatment is occupied by reflexology, acupuncture, magnetopuncture, manual massage. These procedures reduce the dosage of drugs and permanently fix the effect of the treatment.
Specialists will help you at any stage of the disease: from early diagnosis to treatment of complex cases. Neuropathologists and therapists, massage therapists and reflexologists are at your service. Also, if necessary, doctors of other specializations who work in our center will join the process of your treatment.
Your health is in your hands. The sooner you ask for help, the sooner we can help you.