Osteochondrosis is one of the most common, best-studied, but difficult to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It's not just back pain and a lot of discomfort: over time and if left untreated, osteochondrosis can lead to the development of serious deformities and significantly reduce the patient's standard of living. Therefore, it is very serious to take this seemingly fearless disease even at the first signs.
Symptoms
Osteochondrosis very often goes undiagnosed for a long time. Osteochondrosis syndromes may not even point directly to the spine, masquerading as other diseases. And the patient "gets rid of" the pain syndrome with pain relievers, blaming it all on a migraine - at best, and at worst - he's being treated for a completely different disease, without seeing any improvement in years.
At the initial stage of the development of the disease, osteochondrosis manifests itself only with minor pain and discomfort after strenuous physical activity or long sitting in an uncomfortable position at the table. The disease develops over the years, gradually all the symptoms intensify. Characteristic features of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region include:
- numbness and tingling in the limbs. Especially after a long stay in one position or sleeping. This is one of the first signs of spinal problems. After rubbing, numbness and discomfort pass quickly and do not cause serious discomfort;
- sensations of cold, goosebumps on the skin in the area of the hands, often - of the individual hands or fingers, less often - in the affected area of the back;
- painful sensations are often "wrong" localized. Pain can occur both in the area of the affected area of the spine and radiate (give) to the chest area, resembling pain caused by heart disease, may occur when breathing. Therefore, when diagnosing osteochondrosis in the presence of pain in the region of the heart, an ECG will be a mandatory study - to exclude ischemic disease. In addition, pain is often given in the scapula (intercostal neuralgia) or the left hand;
- painful sensations often intensify at night;
- also the patient is often tormented by headaches resembling migraines. They can occur both on one side of the head and cover the entire head;
- a general decrease in well-being, mood;
- osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is rarely accompanied by compression of the spinal cord. But if this happens, the symptoms will be more pronounced: the pain sensations become strong, accompanied by serious disturbances in the work of internal organs.
All the symptoms of osteochondrosis are a consequence of compression of the nerve roots running along the spine. Depending on the area and the degree of compression, the symptoms can vary a lot. Therefore, at the first suspicion of osteochondrosis, it is very important to make instrumental studies and make the correct diagnosis.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region rarely occurs on its own - the thoracic region is inactive and less stressed, most often this disease is associated with cervical osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis treatment methods
Like all degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system, osteochondrosis is treated very difficult and for a long time - there is no simple and timely treatment. You have to be prepared for this. It is impossible to reverse degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs. The ideal option is to stop the development of the disease at the initial stage, when osteochondrosis does not impose any restrictions on the patient's lifestyle. In the early stages, it is enough to slightly adjust the patient's lifestyle: increase physical activity, supplement the diet. But it is extremely rare to make a diagnosis at the very beginning of the development of pathological changes.
The traditional complex of therapy for osteochondrosis includes:
- Drug therapy. . . It consists of several components:
- with severe pain syndrome, pain relievers are prescribed to the patient. Most often, these are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opiates and opioids are less commonly used. They are stronger, but have many restrictions on their use;
- an obligatory part of treatment is taking supplements and vitamins that strengthen the bone system;
- muscle relaxants help relieve muscle tension. But it must be said that without constant exercise of medical gymnastics, taking muscle relaxants is strictly contraindicated;
- taking chondoprotectors helps to speed up the recovery processes in the affected area, although the attitude of specialists to these drugs is very ambiguous.
- Drug-free treatmentis much more important for the success of the treatment of osteochondrosis.
- first of all, it is necessary to focus on the systematic and correct implementation of the remedial gymnastics complex. Exercise therapy is aimed at strengthening the muscle corset around the spine, accelerates local blood circulation, and with regular exercise can significantly improve the patient's condition;
- Physiotherapy treatments help relieve muscle pain and tension. They work the same as anti-inflammatory pain relievers, but have far fewer contraindications;
- massage therapy. Traditional therapeutic massage and many alternative methods are practiced, the main selection criterion is the professionalism of a specialist and the consultation of the attending physician;
- manual therapy;
- traction (traction therapy) on a special simulator. Gentle traction of the spine allows you to relieve muscle tension and reduce symptoms caused by compression of nerve roots;
- you must also change the approach to your diet, make it more balanced.
Therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
You can do medical gymnastics both in a special room in the hospital and at home. The more frequent and regular the sessions, the higher the efficiency. It is advisable to hold classes several times a day, an obligatory part of the complex being the morning exercises. Each workout should last from 5 (in the first step) to 40 minutes, the number of repetitions of each exercise should be 5 to 20. Here is an approximate set of exercises:
- Lie on your back, the surface should be flat and firm, for convenience, you can put a gym mat. Bend your knees, then simultaneously stretch your knee towards your nose and your head towards your knee. Hold at the highest point for a few seconds, return to the starting point, change legs;
- A universal exercise - familiar to everyone since childhood "cat". Get on all fours with your head down. As you inhale, bend your back as much as possible and lift your head. Then, while exhaling, arch your back and lower your head;
- In the middle of the working day, you can take a break for a simple exercise: alternately lift each shoulder as high as possible, while one shoulder rises, the other goes down;
- Sit in a chair with your back reaching your shoulder blades (a regular office chair will do), lean your back firmly against the back of the chair. Then raise your arms and bend your upper back as much as possible;
- Make several circular movements as wide as possible with the arms outstretched. Performed seated on a hard straight chair or standing;
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squeeze your arms behind your back under the shoulder blades. Lean as much as possible in the thoracic region, resisting with your hands;
- Also, from a standing position, bent over as much as possible, the chin tends towards the chest, the shoulders towards each other. Hold the lowest position for a few seconds. Then do the back movement: straighten your shoulders as much as possible, bring your shoulder blades together and throw your head back. The exercise is performed at a slow and steady pace.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region can develop very slowly, without too much worry for a long time, but as a result, the patient faces many restrictions on his usual way of life and the fact that the standard of living is constantly decreasing. Therefore, if you experience the first sensations of discomfort and mild pain, you should consult a doctor.