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 an injury, 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! His "scary size" is pretty simple to explain.
Answer a few questions. Do you lead a more passive than active lifestyle? Do you prefer to travel by car than on foot? Do you spend a lot of time in front of the computer, sitting in one position? If you said "yes" more than "no", unfortunately, you have every chance to get osteochondrosis sooner or later.
The danger of pathology lies in the fact that people who are afraid of osteochondrosis, as a rule, do not even know about it. In the early stages, it is difficult to recognize, and in the later stages, it is difficult to cure.
In most cases, the pathology is diagnosed when, after osteochondrosis, damage to the 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 whole body.
Specialists in the treatment of osteochondrosis urge you to be more attentive to yourself and your health. Notice the slightest symptoms of discomfort 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 go to a specialist, pay special attention to the most "bright" signs of osteochondrosis.
Thoracic osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which depend on the part of the spine 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. The pain may be localized along the thoracic spine, aggravated by movement.
Not only back pain can indicate 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. As for specialist professionals, you can undergo an X-ray examination at our center and receive an expert opinion immediately;
- chest pain, 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 an aching or stabbing nature, which is aggravated by walking, bending over, inhaling and exhaling.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the treatment of which is aimed primarily 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 tests. Based on your results, our specialist will determine the exact cause of your problem and find a way to fix it.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the diagnosis of which must 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 state of different parts of the body.
Position. 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 with the diagnosis.
cervical
The seventh cervical process is considered to be the beginning, which is visually visible and should be felt well during palpation, the remaining processes should be the same size and 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 visual impairment, numbness of the hands and fingers, and 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 "in a row" arrangement. They should not protrude when tilted and protrude into the skin. But osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the diagnosis of which must also be made by a doctor, most often occurs in people who work in the office. This is a sedentary job during the day, sitting in front of 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.
The diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis consists, first of all, in a complete medical examination. If the symptoms of the disease are clearly expressed, then the diagnosis can be made on the basis of complaints, examination, the patient's medical history, as well as the results of MRI and radiography. The images 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, which visually "push" the waist up. The person's posture clearly changes. The results of MRI in such cases diagnose the presence of disc herniation and Schmorl's hernia. Infringement of a lumbar hernia can lead to paralysis of the legs, and neoplasms can degenerate into cancerous tumors.
sacral department
How often do babies fall on their tailbone? Frequently. In this case, parents rarely take the baby to the doctor. After all, such a hematoma 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.
Authentic professionals await you in the medical centers, specialists of the highest category. You will be offered true quality medical services that will solve any of your problems.
The center is equipped with advanced equipment that recognizes any pathology in its initial phase. In addition, in our center you can carry out any type of laboratory test: from the presence of blood sugar to 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 provoked it. And, of course, in parallel with this, specialists carry out treatment that eliminates the symptoms of pathology. Only such complex therapy will help to achieve recovery.
If the doctor has diagnosed osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, the 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-inflammatories, sedatives and corticosteroids are used.
In addition to oral prescription medications, your doctor may prescribe local blockades with lidocaine or novocaine. Drugs with a strong anti-inflammatory effect affect the main links in the pathogenesis of pain, so relief occurs almost immediately.
In the complex treatment of osteochondrosis, muscle relaxants, herbal preparations, antidepressants are added.
Reflex therapy is carried out at the stage of remission, and the main role in treatment is occupied by reflexology, acupuncture, magnetopuncture, manual massage. These procedures reduce the dose of drugs and permanently fix the effect of treatment.
The specialists will help you at any stage of the disease: from early diagnosis to the treatment of complex cases. Neuropathologists and therapists, massage therapists and reflexologists are at your service. Also, if necessary, doctors from other specialties who work in our center will be incorporated into your treatment process.
Your health is in your hands. The sooner you ask for help, the sooner we can help you.