Osteochondrosis is a chronically occurring pathological process in which the vertebrae and intervertebral discs located between them undergo degenerative-dystrophic changes. Often, the disease affects the cervical and lumbar spine. The thoracic spine is affected more rarely, however, this pathology presents certain difficulties in terms of differential diagnosis, as it can be confused with heart disease, lung or any other disease. In this article, we will look at thoracic osteochondrosis in terms of symptoms and treatment.
Clinical picture in osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
The main clinical sign of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the thoracic spine is a pain syndrome localized between the shoulder blades, in the chest, along the ribs, and so on.
Some patients report moderate pain, others report very severe pain. The pain syndrome is exacerbated by taking deep breaths, turning or tilting the body, lifting the arms, as well as other types of physical activity. Due to the localization of pain, osteochondrosis can be confused with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, pancreatitis, and several other diseases. It is very important to carry out a thorough differential diagnosis.
Due to the severe pain, the patient could not take a deep breath, which caused him to feel short of breath. In parallel, sensitive disorders in the upper part are often observed in the form of numbness, tingling and more, muscle tension in the back. In some cases, the clinical picture is augmented by disorders in the digestive system, for example, bloating, epigastric pain, heartburn, and so on.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
First of all, during the period of exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, it is recommended to adhere to bed or at least half sleep.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to relieve pain.
In 2014, scientists from the Kazakh National Medical University published a paper, the results of which proved the effectiveness of complex treatment of osteochondrosis with the use of muscle relaxants.
As for muscle relaxants, it aims to stop muscle spasms.
The treatment plan must be supplemented with B vitamins, physiotherapy procedures. Of the physiotherapeutic methods, electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis, etc. can be used.
After stopping the acute process, the patient can be prescribed a course of massage, therapeutic exercises.
In some cases, the issue of surgical intervention can be decided, for example, by the presence of an intervertebral hernia that compresses the spinal cord.