Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis: how to treat the spine?

Sedentary lifestyle, frequent activities on the computer, lack of physical exercise are becoming more and more common now. Of course, all these factors and many other factors affect the human body, leading to many changes or diseases.

One of these diseases is osteochondrosis. Let us try to figure out what is mammary chondrosis, what types it has and how to deal with it.

What is osteochondrosis?

What is osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosisis ​​a disease that affects the intervertebral disc and other tissues of the spine. Simply put, the vertebrae are compressed, thereby compressing the disc.

Important! If left untreated, the elasticity of the vertebrae will decrease and begin to clamp the nerve endings of the spinal cord. At this stage, swelling and severe pain occur.

There are four types of osteochondrosis, and each type is named after the problematic part of the spine:

  • Cervix;
  • waist;
  • boobs;
  • Cooperation.

Patients usually don't know which specialist to call for treatment of osteochondrosis. It should be said thatthe therapist will definitely refer the patient to a neurologist to confirm the diagnosis. If the situation is difficult, you may need the help of a spine specialist (an expert in stenosis).

Osteochondrosis of thoracic spine or rickets

Osteochondrosis of the spine (or simply rickets) is a degenerative dystrophic disease caused by changes in the intervertebral discs of the thoracic spine.

What does chest osteochondrosis look like

If you look closely, sternal osteochondrosis first affects the bone tissue (vertebrae), and as development begins to affect the cartilage tissue. Subsequently, osteochondrosis not only causes severe pain, but also other diseases and sometimes even disability.

Let us see how to diagnose sternal osteochondrosis in patients. Most patients have obvious signs of disease. At the advanced stage, experts can determine the exact disease through a simple examination. In other cases, X-ray or MRI is required to obtain a complete image.

Degree of chest osteochondrosis

It is important to say that there is no exact transition period from degree to degree, everything depends entirely on the personality of the human body.

Sternal osteochondrosis is divided into four stages, and these stages gradually pass:

  1. 1 degree. At the beginning of sternal osteochondrosis, the patient hardly feels anything. There is no severe or persistent pain, and sometimes even no discomfort. This feeling only appears after overwork or overwork, but in most cases the disease may not show up at all.
  2. 2 degrees.The second degree is accompanied by the destruction of cartilage tissue. The result is the reduction of intervertebral fissure and the compression of nerve endings, lymphatic vessels and even arteries.
  3. 3 degrees.At this stage, fixed changes to the spine will begin. Fixed means irreversible. For example, scoliosis, kyphosis, humps, etc. will develop.
  4. 4 degrees.This is the last and most serious degree of the disease, and it may bring very serious consequences. At this stage, the consequences are almost irreversible, because the changes in the spine become very serious.

Causes of sternal osteochondrosis

Consider the list of causes (precipitating factors) of the disease:

  • Pathological changes of the intervertebral disc;
  • Intervertebral hernia;
  • The blood supply to the spinal cord is impaired;
  • Lack of nutrients in the body (such as calcium);
  • Severe spinal cord injury;
  • Weightlifting or regular weights on the spine;
  • Being in an uncomfortable and unnatural position without exercise or without any physical activity (fixed lifestyle);
  • Curved spine.

Symptoms and signs of sternal osteochondrosis

Any disease has its own symptoms and pathological characteristics. Osteochondrosis is no exception, although when it comes to thoracic disease, symptoms are often confused with heart disease or lung disease.

Let us consider a list of the main symptoms of sternal osteochondrosis:

  • Chest pain or burning pain.The main distinguishing features of this specific type of disease are severe physical exertion, bending to the sides, severe hypothermia, or chest pain after the patient has been in a certain position for a long time (for example, in a dream).
  • Pain between the shoulder blades.The increased pain is related to the elevation of the arm and the strong bending of the side.
  • dull pain, which occurs during deep breathing and exhalation.
  • Coughing.Coughing does not appear immediately, and when this symptom often appears, patients start to use viral drugs for treatment, which is a big mistake.
  • I feel uncomfortable between the ribs when walking. The symptoms may even appear in the early stages of the disease.
  • Shortness of breath.It is difficult for a person to breathe during exercise.
  • Night sweats.At night, a person in a position for a long time not only causes pain, but also sweats.
  • My hands are numb at night.When the vertebrae clamp nerve endings and certain blood vessels, the limbs may become numb, and symptoms appear in the second stage of the disease.
  • Temperature.It does not always appear and is often accompanied by severe pain.
  • Intercostal neuralgia. The patient felt stiff and squeezed, as if an invisible corset was squeezing the chest.
  • Increased blood pressure.
  • Panic attack.Panic attacks usually apply to advanced cases (stages 3 and 4).
  • Pain in the esophagus.
  • Rupture of the gastrointestinal tract.Osteochondrosis of the sternum area and heart.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region and heart

The cause of heart pain or pre-systole is usually osteochondrosis in the thoracic cavity. The pain is either long-lasting (1-2 weeks) or strong and wavy. Usually, a fast heartbeat occurs with the latter.

Patients often turn to cardiologists by mistake. However, the examination found that this was only a side effect of another disease, so the "heart" pill could not bring the expected effect.

Osteochondrosis during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Osteochondrosis during pregnancy

Usually, rickets in the chest area appear during pregnancy or breastfeeding. The most common situation is that it all begins during pregnancy, when women are experiencing intense physical exertion. All of this and pregnancy can cause bending of the chest or waist.

During breastfeeding, this condition usually worsens because mothers are often in the wrong position for a long period of time while feeding their babies, their hands are too long or "shaking". However, during the entire period, almost no one succeeded in developing the disease to more than two degrees.

VSD in osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is the cause of the development of vegetative vascular dystonia. Experts say that VSD is not an independent disease, but this disease is always another problem, which may lead to serious consequences in general.

In this case, VSD may appear in incorrect posture during sleep, lack of physical exercise and sedentary lifestyle, overweight, etc. Due to the two diseases, the patient began to increase blood pressure, insomnia, hand numbness, memory impairment, etc.

Osteochondrosis and scoliosis

Scoliosisis ​​congenital or acquired scoliosis. If we are talking about congenital scoliosis, then everything is clear. In this case, the acquired thing is interesting because it appears most often for a reason.

Thoracic osteochondrosis can usually be the cause of scoliosis, although the cause may vary. Scoliosis can develop in the third stage of the disease.

Spiked Cartilage

"Spine" is the osteophytes of the spine, the bone tissue that grows along the articular processes or vertebrae. They are called thorns because they usually look like X-ray thorns growing from the spine.

This disease may be the cause of advanced osteochondrosis. This is the body's natural response to try to increase the area of ​​the vertebrae so that the displacement does not produce too much pressure. The most common cause of hardening of cartilage is "thorns. "

Typical manifestations of female sternal osteochondrosis

Women's bodies are different from men in many ways, so this disease has many characteristics. In women, many autonomic nerve fibers pass through the thoracic cavity and reach the limbs and internal organs.

Female sternal osteochondrosis

In women, there are many symptoms of rickets that are usually confused.

Including:

  • Heart pain;
  • Stomach pain;
  • Pain in the liver area;
  • Breast pain;
  • Numbness or chills in the hands and feet.

Sternal osteochondrosis worsens

Aggravated diseases most often occur in spring and autumn. When weather conditions change drastically, the human body lacks essential vitamins and human activities increase.

The deterioration of chest osteochondrosis is divided into two types:

  • Dorsago.After staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time, sudden severe pain may occur. The patient felt a dagger thrust between the shoulder blades, which is very similar to the symptoms of myocardial infarction. It is recommended to seek help from an expert in the hospital.
  • Back pain.Appear gradually and last for 2-3 weeks. The pain becomes very severe and continuous, increasing with bending, deep breathing, or staying in one position for a long time. It gradually disappeared through exercise and medication.

Aggravation is a strong sense of pain, not only when you are in a position or bearing a heavy load for a long time, but also for no reason. The pain spreads to different parts of the breastbone.

What should I do with acute pain?

In most cases, such attacks occur in people who have consulted a doctor, have orthopedic mattresses, corsets, and know physical therapy activities. Those who don’t know their condition usually call an ambulance, which is also a good choice.

There are still some useful tips:

  • Lie down and rest your body as much as possible. When a person is lying down, there is little pressure on the vertebrae. It is best to lie on your back or in the fetal position.
  • If the pain is unbearable, take pain medicine.Please also consult your doctor.
  • Try to lie down as much as possible for the first few days,until the pain subsides.
  • Once the pain subsides, you should start getting up more often and doing exercise therapy.

How to reduce the pressure of thoracic chondropathy at home?

It has been said that high blood pressure is a symptom of the disease and at the same time a side effect of the disease.

If the cause of high blood pressure is osteochondrosis, blood pressure can be lowered in the following ways:

  • The blood supply to the brain is normalized.For this reason, medications should be taken regularly on the advice of a doctor.
  • Relieve muscle cramps.Regular exercise therapy and massage and physical therapy can solve this problem.
  • Remove tissue edema.Physiotherapy, massage and acupuncture are also very effective here.

How and how to treat sternal osteochondrosis?

The treatment of this disease usually takes a long time and includes many procedures. Some can be done at home, and some can only be done with expert advice. Consider various treatments.

Treatment of breast osteochondrosis at home

Basic home care:

  • Physical therapy exercise or at least simple exercise in the morning;
  • Special mattress;
  • Simple self-massage technique;
  • Herbal bath and rubbing can relieve pain and restore blood circulation.

Medicines

It is important to remember that pain relief and healing are two different things. You should not suffer and use painkillers often, you must take them.

Warning! It is very important to understand that osteochondrosis is a serious disease. Therefore, after a complete diagnosis, it is necessary to take pills strictly according to the expert's advice!

Consider the list of most popular medicines:

  • Pain medicine.Must be taken when worsening.
  • Hodroprotectors(to restore cartilage tissue).
  • Injections and injections.The prescription is most often based on the doctor’s recommendation, depending on the severity of the disease and the patient’s susceptibility to certain drugs.
  • Ointments and gels.
  • Vitamin complex.Any vitamin complex is suitable, the important thing is that they must contain B vitamins.

Massage and manual therapy

Manual therapy and massage

It is recommended to massage all types of osteochondrosis, as they help relieve tension, pain, and restore nerves and circulatory system. But it is important to understand that massage should have a therapeutic effect.

Manual therapyis ​​a process very similar to massage, but the technique used is slightly different. Manual therapy affects the anatomy of the human body on the expert's hands to remove restrictions and relax muscles.

The uniqueness of manual massage is that it can be operated in different positions (lie on your back instead of lying on your side, standing or sitting). Usually, patients may feel pain during pressing, bending, stretching or other techniques, but after the operation, they always feel light and "free".

Acupuncture

Not everyone can use acupuncture, but acupuncture is still very effective. This process helps to eliminate discomfort and start the recovery process.

In the early stages, acupuncture can become a major treatment tool, eliminating the need for drugs or other treatments for breast rickets.

Physical Therapy

Electrotherapy, magnetic therapy, laser therapy, shock wave therapy, physical therapy and vibration methods are often used.

It is important to note that these procedures have many contraindications, so you should consult an expert.

Physiotherapy and exercise

The main task of physical therapy exercises for sternal osteochondrosis is to strengthen the muscles of the back, the muscles of the shoulder complex and the respiratory muscles. Exercise therapy is recommended in special groups, but you can exercise at home. It is very important to choose exercises for specific diseases rather than aggravating exercises.

Let’s look at some basic exercises:

Osteochondrosis exercises
  • Sit in a chair, lean your upper back against the back of the chair, and bend your hands back as much as possible(importantly, the thoracic spine area works). After that, make the largest forward bend. Repeat 4-5 times.
  • Also, sit in a chair, place your hands behind your head, take a deep breath, and then bend back 3-5 times to tilt your upper back back.Then repeat bending forward and exhale slowly 4-6 times.
  • Lie on your stomach, bend as far as possible to your chest(but not violently), try to raise your head and legs as high as possible. Repeat 5-8 times.
  • Stand with your arms down and your legs together.Raise your arm at the entrance and bend it back. After you lower your arms and lean forward when you exhale, you must try to bend backward.

There are many simple back exercises that can help cure diseases, which are very suitable for prevention or morning exercises.

Most of the exercises are simple and are performed through exercise therapy or yoga:

  • Use a stick to practice a set of effective exercises. A simple set of exercises can help you strengthen your back muscles and straighten your spine. The complex includes 5 basic exercises that must be done every day.
  • Exercise for osteochondrosis with prominent chest. In this case, it is recommended to perform the simplest exercise therapy exercises, including standing, lying and sitting back bends.
  • Isometric exercises.

Isothermal exercises are rarely used, so let’s look at some examples:

  • Practice "Karate".In a sitting or standing position, the arm is bent 90 degrees at the elbow, the fist is clenched with the fingers, the back is straight, and you look forward. Or, each hand beats in front of yourself.
  • Practice "ballerina". Sit on a chair with hands locked in front of your shoulders. Alternate left and left to perform the maximum amplitude (not sharp). If pain occurs during exercise, stop.
  • Japanese greeting practice. Fold your hands in front of you at chest level. Apply pressure with both hands for 30 seconds. After that, you need a doorway. Place your hands on the edges of the openings and grasp them. You don't need to press hard in any position, you just need to bend hard (as if through an opening) and then bend again.

The author’s method of performing gymnastics will help reduce the performance of severe symptoms:

  • Alexandra Bonina (Alexandra Bonina)'s 7 basic exercisesfor sternal osteochondrosis.
  • The author's Bubnovsky method.This is a comprehensive treatment of osteochondrosis using special gymnasts and special unique simulators. According to the creator, this method can be used to cure the disease even without the use of drugs.
  • Doctor Popov’s gymnastics for cervical thoracic chondrosis.The main difference of this kind of gymnastics is that, unlike other exercises, it can exercise large muscles, on the contrary, it exercises smaller muscles. This kind of gymnastics is also called micro gymnastics.
  • Exercise according to Dr. Shishonin's method.This method contains 7 simple but unique exercise methods that can strengthen the spine and chest muscles.

Folk remedies

Consider the most popular and effective folk remedies: herbal baths, rubbing based on marigolds and dandelions, chamomile tinctures, and tinctures based on lemon balm leaves and orange peel. Usually in folk medicine, various frictions are used.

Ficus cus butter:

  1. Chop a few banyan leaves and mix them with butter in a ratio of 1: 1.
  2. Then put the mixture in a warm oven for 1. 5 hours, then remove and filter.
  3. A substance that should be rubbed and cooled along the spine every day.
Folk remedies for osteochondrosis

Potato dressing is also effective for treating sternal osteochondrosis:

  1. Take 4-5 potatoes and boil, then crush them to make a thick soup.
  2. This puree is wrapped in several layers of stamps and applied to the affected area of ​​the spine.
  3. After that, cover the compress with a woolen scarf or thick towel until it cools.
  4. After the potatoes have cooled, remove the compress, wipe the sores with alcohol, and lie down under the covers. Repeat every other day before going to bed until the pain disappears.

Prevent chest rickets

Preventing sternal osteochondrosis is an active lifestyle without excessive stress. Proper nutrition, vitamin and mineral intake and regular physical examinations.

However, if we deviate from the general rules, we can distinguish the following functions:

  • Sleep on an orthopedic mattress in a natural position.
  • When sitting still for a long time, keep your back straight, get up regularly and warm up.
  • Morning gymnastics, gym, yoga, etc.

These activities have a positive effect on the spine and the entire body, so regular moderate physical exercise will help prevent spinal diseases.

In summary, we can say that osteochondrosis is a serious disease and must be treated thoroughly. It is not recommended to take the medicine by yourself, especially when the pain is persistent and accompanied by pain. However, it is worth mentioning that the best treatment is prevention. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle is the key to success and health!