The spine consists of joints and vertebrae. Wear, mobility, nutrition are provided by intervertebral discs and joint capsules - cartilaginous structures with fluid inside. Ligaments hold a complex structure of bone and cartilage tissue, limiting hypermobility and reducing the risk of dislocation. Muscle tissue protects against damage and provides nutrients. Cartilage structures are removed and thinned out for various reasons (age, injury, exhaustion, metabolic changes). The joints grow together, the pressure in the spine changes.
Intervertebral discs are dense, durable structures that are damaged by misaligned joints. When damaged, they leave their usual position, protrusions, hernias appear, which put pressure on the nerve endings. The process of autoimmune reactions begins - the body perceives a hernia as a foreign body that needs to be fought. The muscle spasms, blood circulation is disturbed, the person is in pain. The pain often radiates to the internal organs. Against the background of neuralgia, tachycardia, heart pain, lungs, and an uncomfortable feeling in the stomach appear. In women, it is difficult to raise your arm and tilt your head.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic and cervicothoracic regions develops imperceptibly. Often during the examination the patient learns that there is a problem when it comes to complaints about the work of the heart. After the examination, the neurologist makes a diagnosis of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis.
Cervical-thoracic osteochondrosis
The first symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis can be determined independently at home. A change in posture is the difficulty in keeping the back straight for a long time, discomfort in the shoulder blades, an increase in kyphosis - the sagging of the spine. There are 2 tests to identify problems in yourself.
How to recognize signs of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis:
Press your back against the wall as hard as you can. Pay attention to the distance between the lower back and the wall. Normally the back should be fully pressed against the wall. A large distance indicates the development of compensatory deflections - lordosis and kyphosis. Vertebrae and joints are movable structures. Changes in one segment are compensated for by flattening or deflecting the other. Changes in women occur during pregnancy as the spine adjusts to the stress of carrying a child. Flattening of the lumbar region and developed kyphosis in the chest are often noticeable in women after 40 years.
stand up straightOn the inhale stretch your head and arms up, on the exhale bend forward and reach the floor with your hands. Normally hands should touch the ground freely. If you do the exercise in front of a mirror, notice how straight your back is when you tilt it.
Scoliosis, a problem with being overweight, frequent colds aggravate the situation and provoke a new aggravation. Degenerative-dystrophic processes occur faster in weakened areas. Over time, the symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis become more obvious:
- stooping, inability to control proper 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 on deep breathing;
- Difficulty raising the arm, bringing the shoulder blades together;
- increased blood pressure, tachycardia.
Unfortunately, people do not always associate chest pain with 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 reduce the pressure. Instead of chondroprotectors, mustard plasters are placed on the chest area.
Widow's hump
The widow's hump, nape, 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 issue. Stagnation of the cervicothoracic region prevents free rotation of the head. In women with a dowager's hump, the head hurts very often, blood pressure changes, and there is a feeling of a lump in the throat. It is difficult to reduce and separate the shoulder blades, hands become numb, eyes darken, hearing decreases, and when the head is turned, a crunch is emitted.
The disease got its name because doctors noticed the formation of a seal in the cervicothoracic region in women over 45 years old. Women of this age used to be widows. Today, signs of withers can be seen in overweight young ladies. In men, the withers are not formed due to atomic features: developed trapezius, deltoid and biceps.
Metabolic disorders, obesity, lack of exercise, weak muscles of the upper limbs form a wen. It is very difficult to get rid of the formed withers, it is necessary to do exercises, do massage and follow a diet.
ankylosing spondylitis
A dangerous disease that occurs mainly in men, in which muscles atrophy and joints fuse. The biggest problem is that the disease is diagnosed in the late stages. It is very difficult to catch the moment of development, since patients come to a medical institution when the spine is already constrained.
The first pain symptoms appear in the sacrum and eventually reach the neck. The deflection in the neck-chest area increases, the body leans forward and takes the position of the supplicant. The changed breast position makes breathing more difficult. Irradiation of pain in the hands, increased blood pressure, muscle spasms torment the patient. Internal organs are affected - heart, lungs, kidneys. The wrong position causes circulatory problems in the eyes.
Timely diagnosis allows you to start treatment early. Taking medication (painkillers, muscle relaxants), exercise therapy, physical therapy give good results. The patient has to make a lot of effort to recover. In difficult situations, surgery is possible to eliminate immobility.
deafness
With cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, blood flow to the brain is disturbed. The blood in the vessels stagnates, noise and ringing in the ears begin. There is an audio problem. The brain compensates by creating phantom sounds. Conducted experiments showed that patients with circulatory disorders hear the sound regardless of its presence. This is a protection system - when the ear can't hear some sounds from the outside world, the brain creates those sounds itself.
The exacerbation of the disease is accompanied by congestion in the ears. In inflammatory processes - whistling, ringing, buzzing. Along with hearing, vision deteriorates, memory is impaired.
heart problems
During a spasm, muscles compress the vertebral artery, which supplies 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.
Drugs are taken to lower blood pressure - blood flow is reduced, the heart starts beating faster again. Patients with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region quickly develop cardiovascular diseases. They can be bothered by an uncomfortable feeling in the chest area, which is aggravated by moving the arms, taking deep breaths, twisting and tilting.
Dorsalgia - back pain, occurs when the nerve roots are pinched. Reflex muscle contraction aggravates the situation - blood flow is disturbed, edema appears. It is important to seek medical attention in a timely manner and to seek medical help if you experience regular pain.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
First aid for osteochondrosis is provided at home if you experience severe back pain, an uncomfortable feeling in the chest area, it is difficult to raise your hand and move.
You must take NSAIDs. Remember that with osteochondrosis, drugs with an anti-inflammatory effect help better. Analgesics are less effective, although they have fewer side effects. Rub the NSAID ointment or Chondoprotector ointment on the site of inflammation. Massage movements disperse the blood, relieve swelling, and the drug will help you survive the exacerbation. You need to move through the pain - make circular movements with your hands, head and hips, bringing your shoulder blades together. Straighten your back by leaning on a table or chair.
Warm compresses are not recommended. After all, blood flows faster to the site of edema, it cannot flow through the vessels due to muscle spasms. As a result, swelling increases, inflammation spreads. If you have pain in the chest area, stretch your spine on the horizontal bar or with a Glisson loop. Correction with active traction is applied only to well-developed muscles, nor is it necessary to strive for a state of complete rest.
If the exacerbation recurs within a month, it is better to see a doctor for examination, diagnosis and treatment. It is impossible to fully recover from osteochondrosis - there is no technique that allows you to turn back the clock and stop degenerative processes.
But there are techniques that help to deal with pain and adapt to the ongoing changes. These are drug treatment, massage, physiotherapy, manual therapy, vertebrorevitology, acupuncture and kinesiology.
After the diagnosis, the doctor chooses an option for recovery: prescribes the necessary drugs that will help you survive the exacerbation, recommends procedures and manipulations for recovery.