The spine consists of joints and vertebrae. Damping, mobility, nutrition are provided by intervertebral discs and articular capsules - cartilage structures with fluid inside. Ligaments hold the complex structure of bone and cartilage tissue, limit hypermobility and reduce the risk of dislocation. It protects muscle tissue from damage and delivers nutrients. For several reasons (age, injuries, exhaustion, changes in metabolism) cartilage structures are erased and thinned. The joints are connected, the pressure in the spinal column changes.
Intervertebral discs are dense, durable formations that are damaged due to the incorrect position of the joints. When they are damaged, they leave their usual position, bulges appear, hernias that put pressure on the nerve endings. The process of autoimmune reactions begins - the body perceives the hernia as a foreign formation that needs to be fought. Muscle cramps, impaired blood circulation, the person feels pain. Often the pain radiates to the internal organs. On the background of neuralgia appear tachycardia, pain in the heart, lungs and stomach discomfort. It is difficult for women to raise their arms and tilt their heads.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic and cervicothoracic regions develops imperceptibly. Often the patient learns about the existence of problems during the examination when dealing with complaints about the work of the heart. After the examination, the neurologist diagnoses cervicothoracic osteochondrosis.
Cervical-thoracic osteochondrosis
The first symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis can be detected on their own at home. Changing posture is the difficulty of long holding the straightened back, discomfort in the shoulder blades, increased kyphosis - turning the spine. There are 2 tests to detect problems in yourself.
How to detect signs of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis:
Press your back against the wall as firmly as possible. Pay attention to the distance between the lower back and the wall. Normally, the back should be fully pressed against the wall. The great distance indicates the development of compensatory deviations - lordosis and kyphosis. Vertebrae and joints are mobile structures. Changes in one segment are compensated by flattening or deflecting the other. Changes in women occur during pregnancy, when the spine adapts to the load when carrying a child. In women after the age of 40, flattening of the lumbar region and developed kyphosis in the chest are often noticeable.
Stand up straight. As you inhale, stretch the top of your head and arms up, while exhaling, bend over, reach for the floor with your hands. Usually the hands should touch the floor freely. If you’re doing an exercise in front of a mirror, look at how straight your back is when you’re bent over.
Scoliosis, the problem of being overweight, frequent colds worsen the situation, causing a new worsening. Degenerative-dystrophic processes occur faster in weakened areas. Over time, the symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis become clearer:
- stooping, inability to control proper posture;
- appearance of a widow at the level of the 7th cervical vertebra;
- discomfort under the shoulder blade (usually right);
- chest pain on deep breathing;
- difficulty raising the arm, joining the shoulder blades;
- high blood pressure, tachycardia.
Unfortunately, people do not always associate chest pain and symptoms of thoracic spine osteochondrosis. After reading the available recipes, self-medication begins. Instead of massage and physical education, they take medications to reduce blood pressure. Instead of chondroprotectors, mustard patches are placed on the chest area.
Widow's coat of arms
The widow's hump, hump, ridge is the accumulation of fat in the cervical-thoracic spine. The ridge appears where the muscles are least developed. This is not just an aesthetic problem. Stagnation of the cervicothoracic region prevents free rotation of the head. In women with a widow's coat of arms, the head often hurts, blood pressure changes, there is a lump in the throat. It is difficult to reduce and separate the shoulder blades, the hands become numb, the eyes darken, the hearing decreases, and when the head is turned, a crunch is emitted.
The disease got its name because in women older than 45, doctors noticed the formation of seals in the cervicothoracic region. Earlier, in this age, women became widows. Today, signs of ridges can be seen in young overweight ladies. In men, the ridge is not formed due to atomic characteristics: developed trapezius, deltoid muscles and biceps.
Metabolic disorders, overweight, physical inactivity, weak upper limb muscles form wen. It is very difficult to get rid of the formed ridge, it is necessary to perform exercises, do massages, follow a diet.
Bechterew's disease
A dangerous disease that occurs mainly in men, in which muscles atrophy and joints join. The biggest problem is that the disease is diagnosed in the late stages. It is very difficult to capture the moment of development, because patients come to the health institution when the spine is already tightened.
The first symptoms of pain appear in the sacrum, and eventually reach the neck. The deviation in the cervical-thoracic part increases, the body leans forward, taking the position of the supplicant. Due to the change in the position of the chest, it becomes difficult to breathe. The patient suffers from radiation pain in the hands, high blood pressure, muscle cramps. Internal organs are affected - heart, lungs, kidneys. Due to the wrong position, circulatory disorders hurt the eyes.
Timely diagnosis allows you to start treatment at an early stage. Taking medication (painkillers, muscle relaxants), exercise therapy, physiotherapy give good results. The patient must make a lot of effort to recover. In difficult situations, real estate removal surgery is possible.
Hearing loss
In cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, blood circulation in the brain is disturbed. Blood in the veins stagnates, noise and tinnitus begin. There is a problem with the sound. The brain compensates for this by making phantom sounds. Experiments have shown that patients with circulatory disorders hear sound, regardless of its presence. This is a system of protection - if the ear cannot catch some sounds from the outside world, the brain creates them itself.
Worsening of the disease is accompanied by congestion in the ears. In the presence of inflammatory processes - whistling, ringing, buzzing. In addition to hearing, vision deteriorates, memory is impaired.
Heart problems
During a spasm, the muscles constrict the vertebral artery, which delivers blood to the brain. With a lack of nutritious fluid, the central nervous system signals an increase in heart rate to raise blood pressure. The heart beats faster, stronger, the pressure rises, the diet is renewed.
Medications are taken to lower blood pressure - blood flow is reduced, the heart starts beating faster again. Patients with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region rapidly develop cardiovascular disease. They may be disturbed by a feeling of discomfort in the chest area, which is aggravated by moving the arms, taking a deep breath, turning, leaning.
Dorsalgia - back pain, caused by pinching the nerve roots. Reflex muscle contraction worsens the situation - blood flow is disturbed, edema appears. It is important to give yourself medical help on time and to see a doctor for help with regular pain.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
First aid for osteochondrosis is provided at home if you feel a sharp pain in the back, an uncomfortable feeling in the chest area, it is difficult to raise your arm and move.
You must take NSAIDs. Remember that with osteochondrosis, anti-inflammatory drugs help better. Analgesics are less effective, although they have fewer side effects. Rub NSAID ointment or chondroprotective ointment into the site of inflammation. Massage movements will disperse the blood, alleviate swelling, and the medicine will help you survive the exacerbation. You have to move through the pain - make circular movements with your hands, head, hips, connect your shoulders. Stretch your back, leaning on a table or chair.
Warm compresses are not recommended. After all, the blood will flow faster to the site of edema, it will not be able to pass through the veins due to muscle spasm. As a result, the swelling will increase, the inflammation will spread. For thoracic pain, stretch the spine on a horizontal bar or Glisson's loop. Correction by active traction is used only with well-developed muscles, and it is also not necessary to strive for a state of complete rest.
If the deterioration recurs within a month, it is better to consult a doctor for examination, diagnosis and treatment. It is impossible to fully recover from osteochondrosis - there is no technique that would allow you to restore the clock and stop the degenerative processes.
But there are techniques to help you deal with pain and adapt to ongoing changes. These are drug treatment, massage, physiotherapy, manual therapy, vertebrorevitology, acupuncture and kinesiology.
After making the diagnosis, the doctor will choose the recovery option: prescribe the necessary medications to help you survive the exacerbation, recommend procedures and manipulations for recovery.