One of the most common causes of back pain is osteochondrosis.This is the name of a spinal disease that affects the intervertebral discs.With such a lesion, the discs become stratified, deformed, and change in height.Hence the pain.
According to statistics, almost 80% of the planet’s inhabitants suffer from this pathology to one degree or another.An impressive number!Its “frightening size” is quite simple to explain.
Answer a few questions.Do you lead a more passive active lifestyle than an active one?Do you prefer to travel by car rather than on foot?Do you spend a lot of time at the computer, sitting in one position?If you said more “yes” than “no,” unfortunately, you have every chance of developing osteochondrosis sooner or later.
The danger of the pathology lies in the fact that people who suffer from osteochondrosis, as a rule, do not even suspect it.In the early stages it is difficult to recognize, and in the later stages it is difficult to cure.
In most cases, pathology is diagnosed when, following osteochondrosis, damage to internal organs occurs.This often happens, because the spine is the support of the whole body and disruption of its functions negatively affects the entire body.
Specialists in the treatment of osteochondrosis urge you to be more attentive to yourself and your health.Notice the slightest symptoms of poor health and contact us immediately.We will help you recognize the disease at an early stage and treat 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, the symptoms of which depend on which part of the spine the deformity affects, most often manifests itself as unpleasant sensations and pain in the back.It can also be acute pain between the shoulder blades and intercostal spaces.The pain can be localized along the thoracic spine, increasing with movement.
Not only back pain can signal a problem.If your heart, nerves, liver, or other internal organs are acting up, 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 also appear in ankylosing spondylitis, scoliosis and other spinal deformities, Forestier's disease, etc. X-rays are needed to accurately determine the causes of pain.By contacting professional specialists, you can undergo an X-ray examination right in our center and immediately receive an expert’s opinion;
- pain in the chest, behind the sternum, usually on the left.Similar symptoms appear in coronary heart disease.Therefore, to clarify the details, you will need an ECG, ECG.You can also undergo them in a specialized clinic;
- pain in the interscapular space.This may be an aching or shooting pain that intensifies when walking, bending, or inhaling and exhaling.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the treatment of which is primarily aimed at relieving pain, is perfectly disguised as other diseases and is very easy to confuse.To prevent this from happening, you need to undergo a series of simple examinations.Based on their results, our specialist will determine the exact 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 must be carried out by an experienced doctor, is a serious disease.You should not try to self-medicate.
But you can find out for yourself how great the risk of osteochondrosis is if you pay attention to your lifestyle, posture and the condition of different parts of the 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 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 the diagnosis further.
Cervical region
The beginning is considered to be the seventh cervical process, which is visually visible and should be clearly palpable during palpation; the remaining processes should be the same size and located at the same distance from each other.If the vertebrae are difficult to palpate, merge into a single “column,” or their displacement is clearly visible, then cervicothoracic osteochondrosis is evident, the symptoms of which are indicated above.
The consequences of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis can be headaches, nervousness and depression, problems with the thyroid gland, impaired hearing and vision, numbness of the hands and fingers, and hypertension.
Thoracic region
The thoracic vertebrae should normally be in a depression and have the correct arrangement “in a row”.They should not stick out when tilted and stand out on the skin.But osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, the diagnosis of which should also be carried out by a doctor, most often occurs in people working in the office.This is sedentary work during the day, sitting at 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.
Diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis consists, first of all, of a thorough medical examination.If the symptoms of the disease are clearly expressed, then the diagnosis can be made based on the patient’s complaints, examination, medical history, as well as the results of MRI and radiography.The images allow you to clearly see how severely deformed the intervertebral discs are.
Lumbar
Clear evidence of osteochondrosis of the lumbar region is deposits on the sides, visually “pushing” the waist upward.The person's posture has clearly changed.MRI results in such cases diagnose the presence of disc herniation and Schmorl hernia.Strangulation of a lumbar hernia can lead to paralysis of the legs, and neoplasms can develop into cancerous tumors.
Sacral section
How often do babies fall on their tailbone?Very often.In this case, parents rarely take the baby to the doctor.After all, such a bruise is taken for granted.And that's wrong.In reality, bruises are dangerous.They can lead to 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, and arthrosis.
This is how, by independently examining your spine, you can draw conclusions about the presence of abnormalities in the body.But remember that the final diagnosis is still made by the doctor.
In the medical centers, real professionals and specialists of the highest category are waiting for you.You will be offered truly high-quality medical services that will solve any of your problems.
The center is equipped with advanced equipment that recognizes any pathology at the initial stage.Also in our center you can undergo any type of laboratory tests: from the presence of sugar in the blood to taking tests to detect STDs.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Treatment of any disease consists, first of all, in eliminating the causes that caused it.And, of course, in parallel with this, specialists carry out treatment that eliminates the symptoms of the pathology.Only such complex therapy will help achieve recovery.
If the doctor has diagnosed osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, treatment can be medicinal and reflexive.
Drug treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis is usually used at the acute stage.To stop an attack, analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, sedatives and corticosteroids are used.
In addition to drugs prescribed orally, the doctor may prescribe a local blockade with lidocaine or novocaine.Drugs with a strong anti-inflammatory effect affect the main links in pain pathogenesis, so relief occurs almost immediately.
In the complex treatment of osteochondrosis, muscle relaxants, herbal preparations, and antidepressants are added.
Reflexology therapy is carried out in the remission stage and the main role in treatment is played by reflexology, acupuncture, magnetic puncture, and manual massage.These procedures reduce the dosage of medications and permanently consolidate the effect of treatment.
Specialists will help you at any stage of the disease: from early diagnosis to treatment of complex cases.At your service are neurologists and therapists, massage therapists and reflexology specialists.Also, if necessary, doctors of other specializations who work in our center will join the process of your treatment.
Your health is in your hands.The sooner you ask for help, the faster we can help you.