One of the most common causes of back pain is osteochondrosis. This is the name of a spinal disease, in which the intervertebral disc is affected. With such lesions, the discs delaminate, change shape, change height. Hence the pain.
According to statistics, almost 80% of the world’s population suffers from this pathology to one degree or another. An impressive number! "Its scary size" is pretty easy to explain.
Answer some questions. Do you live a more passive lifestyle than an active one? Prefer to travel by car than on foot? Do you spend a lot of time in front of a computer, sitting in one position? If you say more "yes" than "no", unfortunately, you have a chance of getting osteochondrosis sooner or later.
The pathological danger lies in the fact that people who are afraid of osteochondrosis, as a rule, do not realize it. In the early stages, it is difficult to recognize, and in the late stages, difficult to cure.
In most cases, pathology is diagnosed when, after osteochondrosis, damage to internal organs occurs. This often happens, because the spine is the support of the whole body and the violation of its function has a negative impact on the whole body.
Experts in the treatment of osteochondrosis urge you to be more concerned about yourself and your health. Notice a few symptoms of feeling unwell 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 see a specialist, pay special attention to the most "bright" signs of osteochondrosis.
Thoracic osteochondrosis, a symptom that depends on the part of the spine affected by the deformity, is most often indicated by discomfort and pain in the back. It can also be a sharp pain between the shoulder blades, the intercostal space. Pain can be localized along the thoracic spine, exacerbated by movement.
Not only back pain can signal a problem. If the heart, nerves, liver, other internal organs "play 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 shown in Bechterew's disease, in scoliosis and other spinal deformities, in Forestier's disease, and others. X-rays are needed to accurately determine the cause of the pain. Turning to a professional specialist, you can undergo an X-ray examination directly at our center and immediately receive an expert opinion;
- pain in the chest, behind the sternum, more often on the left. Similar symptoms appear in ischemic heart disease. So to clarify the details, you need an ECG, an ECG. You can also go through it at a specialized clinic;
- pain in the interscapular space. It can be a excruciating pain or a shooting nature, aggravated by walking, bending, inhaling and exhaling.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, a treatment primarily aimed at relieving pain, perfectly disguises itself as another disease and is very easily confused. To prevent this from happening, you will need to go through a series of simple exams. Based on their results, our experts will determine the real cause of your problem and find a way to solve it.
Diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the diagnosis of which should be carried out by an experienced physician, is a serious disease. Do not try the medicine yourself.
But you can independently find out how high the risk of osteochondrosis is if you pay attention to your lifestyle, posture and condition of different body parts.
Body posture. Stand with your back to the wall, without shoes. Your body should be in contact with the wall at five points: the back of the head, shoulders, back, calves and heels. Remain 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 proceed with the diagnosis further.
cervix
The seventh cervical process is considered the beginning, which can be seen visually and should be well felt during palpation, the remaining processes should be the same size and be at the same distance from each other. If the vertebrae are less palpable, merge into one "column" or their displacement is clearly visible - there is cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, the symptoms of which are shown above.
Headaches, nervousness and depression, problems with the thyroid gland, hearing and vision impairment, numbness of the hands and fingers, and hypertension can be the result of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis.
Thorax
The vertebrae of the thoracic region are usually in a niche and have the correct arrangement "in a row". They should not stand out when tilted and stand out on the skin. But osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, a diagnosis that should also be carried out by a doctor, most often occurs in people working in offices. This is sedentary work during the day, sitting in front of a computer, studying. Athletes who lift weights also often develop 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 thorough medical examination. If the symptoms of the disease are clearly stated, then a diagnosis can be made based on patient complaints, examination, medical history, as well as MRI and radiographic results. The pictures allow you to clearly see how badly the intervertebral disc is deformed.
Lumbar
Clear evidence of osteochondrosis of the lumbar region is a deposit on the side, visually "pushing" the waist upwards. The man's posture clearly changed. MRI results in such cases diagnose the presence of disc herniation and Schmorl’s hernia. Violation of the lumbar hernia can cause paralysis of the legs, and the neoplasm can degenerate into a cancerous tumor.
sacred office
How often do babies fall on the tailbone? Often. In this case, parents rarely bring the baby to the doctor. After all, such bruises are taken lightly. And this is wrong. Actually, this bruise is dangerous. They can cause bone curvature, where salt deposits then accumulate. Osteochondrosis of the sacral area leads to hemorrhoids, constipation, varicose veins of the lower legs, arthrosis.
Therefore, when you independently examine your spine, you can conclude about the presence of abnormalities in the body. But remember that the final diagnosis is still made by the doctor.
At the medical center you are waiting for real professionals, specialists of the highest category. You will be offered truly high quality medical services that will solve any of your problems.
The center is equipped with state -of -the -art equipment that recognizes any pathology at an early stage. Also at our center you can undergo any type of laboratory test: from the presence of sugar in the blood to taking 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 cause it. And, of course, in parallel with this, specialists carry out treatments that eliminate pathological symptoms. Only such complex therapy will help to achieve recovery.
If a doctor has diagnosed osteochondrosis of the thoracic area, 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-inflammatory drugs, sedatives and corticosteroids are used.
In addition to orally prescribed medications, the doctor may prescribe local blockade with lidocaine or novocaine. Drugs with strong anti-inflammatory effects affect the main links of the pathogenesis of pain, so help comes almost immediately.
In the complex treatment of osteochondrosis, muscle relaxants, herbal preparations, antidepressants are added.
Reflex therapy is carried out in the remission stage and the main role in treatment is occupied by reflexology, acupuncture, magnetopuncture, manual massage. This procedure reduces the dose of the drug and improves the effect of the treatment permanently.
Specialists will help you at any stage of the disease: from initial diagnosis to treatment of complex cases. Neuropathologists and therapists, massage therapists and reflexologists are ready for you. Also, if necessary, doctors of other specializations working in our center will join your treatment process.
Your health is in your hands. The sooner you ask for help, the sooner we can help you.