Osteochondrosis is a chronic pathological process in which the vertebrae and intervertebral discs located between them undergo degenerative-dystrophic changes. Most often, this disease affects the cervical and lumbar spine. The thoracic spine is affected much less frequently, however this pathology presents some difficulties in terms of differential diagnosis, as it can be confused with heart, lung or any other pathologies. In this article, we will look at thoracic osteochondrosis in terms of symptoms and treatment.
Clinical picture in osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
The main clinical sign of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the thoracic spine is pain syndrome localized between the shoulder blades, in the chest, along the ribs, and so on.
Some patients report moderate pain, others report extremely severe pain. The pain syndrome is aggravated by taking a deep breath, turning or tilting the torso, raising the arms, and other types of physical activity. Due to the localization of pain, osteochondrosis can be confused with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, pancreatitis and some other diseases. It is extremely important to conduct a thorough differential diagnosis.
Due to severe pain, the patient cannot take a deep breath, which makes him feel short of breath. In parallel, sensitive disorders of the upper extremities are often observed in the form of numbness, tingling and much more, muscle tension in the back. In some cases, the clinical picture is supplemented by disorders of the digestive system, for example, bloating, epigastric pain, heartburn, and so on.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
First of all, during the period of exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, it is recommended to stick to the bed or at least in the middle of the bed.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used for pain relief.
In 2014, scientists from the Kazakh National Medical University published a paper, the results of which established the effectiveness of complex treatment of osteochondrosis with the use of muscle relaxants.
As for muscle relaxants, they are meant to stop muscle spasm.
The treatment plan is necessarily supplemented with B vitamins, physiotherapy procedures. Among the physiotherapeutic methods, electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis and so on can be used.
After stopping the acute process, the patient can be prescribed massage courses, therapeutic exercises.
In some cases the question of surgery can be decided, for example, in the presence of an intervertebral hernia that compresses the spinal cord.