Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a severe degenerative-dystrophic pathology that cannot yet be completely cured.It occurs against the background of destruction of intervertebral discs, displacement and protrusion of vertebrae.When diagnosing the disease, doctors take into account that the signs of thoracic osteochondrosis are different in women and men.This is explained by hormonal fluctuations in the female body.Women often go on diets, wear narrow high-heeled shoes, and have difficulty dealing with domestic conflicts.This affects the development, course and progression of musculoskeletal system pathology.
Differences between female and male clinical manifestations
Diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis in women is more difficult due to hormonal characteristics.In young patients it is subject to frequent monthly fluctuations.In women, hormone production in the body decreases during natural menopause.This can lead to the development of pathologies;they must be differentiated.For men, the typical course of the disease is characteristic, which allows timely detection and immediate start of treatment.
The clinical picture of thoracic osteochondrosis in women includes numerous signs that are so specific that it is sometimes difficult to classify them as symptoms of musculoskeletal system pathologies.Doctors note the following characteristic differences between the male and female clinical picture and the further progression of thoracic osteochondrosis:
- Clinical manifestations occur slightly earlier in women.This is because the spine is more sensitive and susceptible to negative factors, and sensitivity to painful sensations is increased.
- The intensity of chest pain and stiffness varies depending on the menstrual cycle.This is explained by the production in the body of estrogens – steroid sex hormones.They reduce the severity of pain caused by thinning of the intervertebral discs and spasms of the neck muscles.Therefore, at the initial diagnosis, due to patient complaints, women are not always able to meaningfully describe the sensations that bother them;
- In men, thoracic osteochondrosis rarely leads to the development of concomitant diseases.And in women, several pathologies can occur at the same time.In this case, osteochondrosis can provoke the development of a disease that is not related to the musculoskeletal system.Conversely, an endocrine or metabolic disorder leads to the destruction of cartilage tissue;
- To treat thoracic osteochondrosis, women are prescribed medications that are rarely used in the treatment of men.These are antipsychotics, sedatives, sedatives.The psycho-emotional state of women is more unstable, so symptoms include anxiety, increased restlessness and insomnia.When one learns that the disease is incurable, depression sometimes occurs, which can only be eliminated by treatment with antidepressants.
Women suffer from headaches more often.But unlike men, they do not experience an increase in the intensity of clinical manifestations throughout the day due to the action of estrogen.
An interesting fact is that as the pathology progresses, the woman's libido may increase.This is the action of steroid hormones, which are intensively produced in the body to suppress painful sensations.And men's sexual desire is significantly reduced due to a disruption in the innervation of the prostate.
Typical signs of illness
Patients usually complain to doctors about pain in the shoulder blades, which increases when the body bends or turns.It radiates to the sides, lower back and even forearms.The pain is felt along the intercostal nerve and increases when coughing, laughing and sneezing.Referred pain complicates the diagnosis and requires additional examinations and consultations with an endocrinologist, cardiologist, mammologist and gynecologist.
Characteristic signs are stiffness, a feeling of tightness.When moving or changing the position of the body, specific clicking sounds are heard, usually associated with the displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other.In addition, the typical symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women include the following clinical manifestations:
- Feeling of “crawling goosebumps,” decreased tactility in the chest or abdomen, numbness in some areas of the skin;
- the appearance of signs of intercostal neuralgia.When lifting weights, increasing physical activity or hypothermia, a sharp, stabbing pain occurs in the rib area, spreading to the chest and sides;
- Development of persistent dorsalgia – a series of pain sensations of varying intensity in the back.They can also occur when inhaling, increase when climbing stairs and doing housework;
- Muscle spasms that limit freedom of movement.Muscle spasms occur in response to compression by an osteophyte (bone growth) or inflammatory swelling of sensitive nerve endings in soft tissues.
Thoracic osteochondrosis is characterized by constant tension in the muscles near the spine.This is determined during the initial examination by palpation, as is pain in the area of the nerve endings.There is a change in the woman's posture and gait.She tries to keep her back straight to prevent pain.However, with pathology of the 3rd degree, a curvature of the spine is already noticeable against the background of developing scoliosis and a decrease in the distance between the vertebrae.
Specific symptoms of pathology
Thoracic osteochondrosis is rarely diagnosed.This part of the spine is equipped with a powerful muscular corset and, due to its strong adhesion to the ribs, can withstand strong static and dynamic loads.Doctors often refer to thoracic osteochondrosis as “chameleon disease.”To detect it, a differential diagnosis is required not only of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, spondyloarthrosis), but also of diseases of internal organs.
Patients often turn to a cardiologist, nephrologist, gastroenterologist or gynecologist rather than a vertebral or neurologist with complaints.The fact is that the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are disguised as clinical manifestations of angina, cholecystitis and renal colic.And an attack of intercostal neuralgia is very similar to a myocardial infarction or appendicitis.What atypical signs of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine in women can appear during remission or during relapse:
- Pain in the region of the heart.Confused with an angina attack or myocardial infarction.Cardiologists rule out heart disease after examining the results of ECGs and other instrumental tests;
- Pain in the mammary glands.Unpleasant sensations do not go away for a long time and their intensity does not subside.After the patient contacts a gynecologist or mammologist, an ultrasound examination of the mammary glands is performed to exclude benign and malignant neoplasms;
- Pain in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).A woman turns to a gastroenterologist if she experiences persistent or recurrent pain in the right hypochondrium or epigastrium.When diagnosing gastritis, cholecystitis and ulcerative lesions, various laboratory and instrumental studies are carried out;
- Pain in the lower abdomen.They often arise from compression of the nerve endings of the spinal cord.Painful sensations and urinary tract discomfort resemble signs of diseases of the genitourinary system.Urologists or gynecologists distinguish osteochondrosis from pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis and uterine fibroids.
Despite the increased libido caused by estrogen production, dysfunction of the reproductive system is noted in patients.Anorgasmia (lack of orgasm) develops against the background of compression of the nerves innervating the lower part of the thoracic region of the back.
The close localization of the pathologies on internal organs and the common innervation lead to very specific clinical manifestations.Sometimes they are disguised as cerebrovascular accidents, kidney failure, hepatic colic and even dental disease.The medical literature describes cases when treated teeth were removed due to severe constant pain at their base.Subsequently, the cause of the pain syndrome was determined - neurological symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis.
Vertebrological signs are more typical of cervical pathology, but are sometimes noted in severe cases of thoracic pathology.Destructive and degenerative processes in the vertebrae and intervertebral discs lead to sharp jumps in blood pressure, dizziness, impaired coordination of movements, headaches and tinnitus.There have been cases of reduced visual acuity.
Many patients are diagnosed with psychoemotional disorders (tears, anxiety, mood swings).Health problems, news of an upcoming surgical procedure, and reduced physical activity can sometimes lead to depression.
How to eliminate the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
The treatment methods for degenerative-dystrophic pathology in women and men are the same.Destroyed cartilage tissue cannot be restored.Therefore, the main goal of therapy is to reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent further spread of the pathology.
When choosing a method, the doctor takes into account the degree of destructive changes, the presence of an inflammatory process in the soft tissues and the stage of thoracic osteochondrosis.Women are prescribed antidepressants, sedatives and sedatives much more often than men.Hormone replacement therapy may be prescribed during natural menopause, which is also necessary to prevent osteoporosis (low bone mass).
To eliminate pain due to thoracic osteochondrosis in women, drugs of various clinical and pharmacological groups are used:
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)in tablet form.After a week of use and improvement, women are prescribed topical forms of NSAIDs;
- hormonal medications.Glucocorticosteroids are commonly used for drug blockade;
- Muscle relaxants.Relaxes skeletal muscles, relieves painful muscle spasms;
- Chondroprotectors.They partially regenerate damaged hyaline cartilage and have a pain-relieving effect after a few weeks of natural use.
In the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis, physiotherapeutic procedures are actively used: UHF therapy, laser therapy, magnetic therapy, applications with ozokerite, paraffin, bischofite.Patients are shown massage, physiotherapy, swimming and yoga.
If a woman does not seek medical help, diseases of the internal organs may soon occur.They are caused by the encroachment of the intervertebral disc into the narrowed spinal canal and the formation of hernias.Deterioration of the spine leads to compression of the spinal cord and then the appearance of kidney, liver, gastrointestinal or cardiovascular diseases.