The spine is made up of joints and vertebrae. Depreciation, mobility, nutrition is provided by intervertebral discs and joint capsules - cartilage structures with fluid inside. Ligaments maintain a complex structure of bone and cartilage tissue, limit hypermobility and reduce the risk of dislocation. Muscle tissue protects against damage and provides nutrients. For various reasons (age, injury, exhaustion, changes in metabolism), cartilage structures are erased and thinned. The joints are fused, the pressure on the spine changes.
Intervertebral discs are dense and durable formations that are damaged due to incorrect joint position. When damaged, they move out of their usual position, protrusions appear, hernias, which press on nerve endings. The process of autoimmune reactions begins - the body perceives a hernia as a strange formation that needs to be fought. Muscle spasms, blood circulation is disturbed, the person feels pain. Often the pain radiates to the internal organs. Against the background of neuralgia, tachycardia, pain in the heart, lungs and an unpleasant feeling in the stomach appear. In women, there is difficulty in raising the arm, tilting the head.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic and cervicothoracic regions develops imperceptibly. Often, the patient becomes aware of the presence of a problem during the examination when dealing with complaints about the heart's work. After the examination, the neurologist makes the diagnosis of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis.
Cervicothoracic osteochondrosis
The first symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis can be detected independently at home. A change in posture is difficulty keeping the back straight for a long time, discomfort in the shoulder blades, increased kyphosis - the deflection of the spine. There are 2 tests to detect problems in yourself.
How to detect signs of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis:
Press your back against the wall as firmly as possible. Pay attention to the distance between your lower back and the wall. Normally, the back should be completely pressed against the wall. A large distance indicates the development of compensatory deflections - lordosis and kyphosis. Vertebrae and joints are mobile structures. Changes in one segment are compensated for by flattening or deflecting the other. Changes in women occur during pregnancy, when the spine adjusts to the load when carrying a child. In women over the age of 40, flattening of the lower back, kyphosis developed in the chest are often noticeable.
Stand up. As you inhale, stretch the top of your head and arms up, as you exhale, bend over and reach the floor with your hands. Normally, the hands should freely touch the floor. If you're doing the exercise in front of a mirror, notice how straight your back is when you bend over.
Scoliosis, a problem of being overweight, frequent colds worsen the situation, causing a new exacerbation. Degenerative-dystrophic processes occur more rapidly in weakened areas. Over time, the symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis become clearer:
- stooping, inability to control correct posture;
- the appearance of a widow's hump at the level of the 7th cervical vertebra;
- discomfort under the shoulder blade (usually on the right);
- chest pain when taking a deep breath;
- difficulty lifting the arm, bringing the shoulder blades together;
- increased blood pressure, tachycardia.
Unfortunately, people do not always associate chest pain and symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. After reading the available prescriptions, self-medication begins. Instead of massage and physical education, they take medication to lower their blood pressure. Instead of chondroprotectors, mustard plasters are placed on the chest area.
widow's hump
Widow's hump, back of neck, withers is an accumulation of fat in the cervicothoracic spine. The withers appear where the muscles are least developed. This is not just an aesthetic problem. Stagnation of the cervicothoracic region prevents free rotation of the head. In women with a widow's hump, the head often hurts, blood pressure changes, and there is a feeling of a lump in the throat. It is difficult to reduce and separate the shoulder blades, the hands become numb, it darkens in the eyes, the hearing diminishes, and when the head is turned, there is a popping sound.
The disease got its name because in women over 45, doctors noticed the formation of a seal in the cervicothoracic region. Previously, at this age, women were widowed. Today, signs of withers can be seen in overweight young people. In men, the withers are not formed due to atomic features: developed trapezius, deltoid and biceps muscles.
Metabolic disorders, excess weight, physical inactivity, weak upper limb muscles form a wen. It is very difficult to get rid of the formed withers, it is necessary to carry out exercises, massage and follow a diet.
Bechterew's disease
A dangerous disease that occurs mainly in men, in which muscles atrophy, joints fuse. The biggest problem is that the disease is diagnosed in the final stages. It is very difficult to capture the moment of development, because patients arrive at a medical institution when the spine is already compressed.
The first symptoms of pain appear in the sacrum and eventually reach the neck. Deflection in the cervicothoracic region increases, the body leans forward, acquiring the supplicant's position. Due to the change in the position of the chest, it becomes difficult to breathe. Irradiation of pain in the hands, increased blood pressure, muscle cramps torment the patient. Internal organs are affected - the heart, lungs, kidneys. Due to the wrong position, circulatory disorders harm the eyes.
Timely diagnosis allows you to start treatment at an early stage. Taking medication (painkillers, muscle relaxants), exercise therapy, physical therapy give good results. The patient needs to make a lot of effort to recover. In difficult situations, surgery is possible to eliminate immobility.
hearing loss
With cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, blood circulation in the brain is disturbed. The blood in the vessels stagnates, noise and ringing in the ears begins. There is an audio problem. The brain compensates for this by creating phantom sounds. Experiments performed have shown that patients with circulatory disorders hear sound, regardless of its presence. This is a protective system - if the ear can't pick up some sounds from the outside world, the brain creates those sounds on its own.
Exacerbation of the disease is accompanied by congestion in the ears. In the presence of inflammatory processes - hissing, buzzing, buzzing. In addition to hearing, vision deteriorates, memory is impaired.
Heart problems
During a spasm, the muscles compress the vertebral artery, which carries blood to the brain. With a lack of nutrient fluid, the central nervous system gives a signal to increase heart rate to increase pressure. The heart beats faster, stronger, the pressure increases, nutrition is restored.
Medicine is taken to lower blood pressure - blood flow is reduced, the heart starts beating faster again. Patients with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region rapidly develop cardiovascular disease. They can be disturbed by a feeling of discomfort in the chest area, which is aggravated by moving the arms, taking a deep breath, turning, bending over.
Dorsalgia - back pain, appears due to pinching of nerve roots. Reflex muscle contraction aggravates the situation - blood flow is disturbed, edema appears. It is important to provide timely medical care and see a doctor for help with regular pain.
Osteochondrosis treatment
First aid for osteochondrosis is provided at home if you feel sharp pain in your back, an unpleasant sensation in the chest area, it is difficult to lift your hand and move.
You need to take NSAIDs. Remember that with osteochondrosis, drugs with an anti-inflammatory effect help better. Pain relievers are less effective, although they have fewer side effects. Rub the NSAID ointment or condoprotective ointment into the inflammation site. Massage strokes will disperse the blood, relieve swelling, and the medication will help you survive the flare-up. You need to move through the pain - make circular motions with your hands, head, hips, bring your shoulder blades together. Stretch your back by leaning on a table or chair.
Warm compresses are not recommended. After all, the blood will flow faster to the edema site, it will not be able to pass through the vessels due to muscle spasm. As a result, swelling will increase, inflammation will spread. For chest pain, stretch the spine on the horizontal bar or with a Glisson strap. Active traction correction is only used with well-developed muscles, and it is also not necessary to seek a state of complete rest.
If the exacerbation occurs within a month, it is best to see a doctor for examination, diagnosis and treatment. It is impossible to completely recover from osteochondrosis - there is no technique that allows you to go back in time and stop the degenerative processes.
But there are techniques that will help you deal with the pain and adapt to ongoing changes. These are drug treatment, massage, physical therapy, manual therapy, vertebrorevitology, acupuncture, and kinesiology.
After making the diagnosis, the doctor will choose a recovery option: prescribing the necessary drugs that will help you survive the exacerbation, recommending procedures and manipulations for recovery.