Spondylosis is characterized by deformation of the intervertebral discs, which affects the condition of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Similar degenerative changes appear in the thoracic spine and are manifested by certain symptoms.
Characteristics of the disease
According to medical statistics, more than 30% of the world's population suffers from osteoarthritis. And every year patients get younger and younger. But compared to cervical and lumbar osteoarthritis, thoracic osteoarthritis occurs less often.This fact is explained by the structure of this part:
- it has a natural bend, due to which part of the load when going straight is removed from it;
- the rest falls on the ribs and sternum, which serve as a physiological framework;
- This is the longest segment of the spine (12 vertebrae) but the spinal canal is the narrowest;
- Thoracic vertebrae are small in size but equipped with long spinous processes;
- he is inactive.
If disc deformity occurs in the chest area, it will gradually disappear. But it manifests painfully.
Symptoms of breast osteonecrosis
How clearly the disease manifests depends on the stage, lifestyle and age of the patient.It is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Pain. It is felt in the upper back, between the shoulder blades and surrounding the intercostal spaces with neuralgia. It gets worse with coughing, deep breathing, and turning. Because there are many nerve fibers in the chest, chest pain (dorsago) appears like a heart attack.
- Inflammation of the nerve root. In addition to pain, there is also a loss of sensitivity. Typically the limbs, upper abdomen and area below the collarbone are numb.
- Paresthesias. There is a feeling of goosebumps all over the body.
- Heart syndrome. Severe heart attack that lasts for a long time and does not go away after taking medicine.
- Lung syndrome. Manifested by suffocation and congestion in the lungs.
- Abdominal syndrome. Characterized by persistent pain in the digestive organs.
- Muscle tension. It occurs reflexively in the upper back and chest.
In men and women, the clinical picture is almost the same. But signs of breast cartilage degeneration in women often appear at the beginning of menopause. Before that, the spine is protected by estrogen.
In men, complications of the disease can affect potency.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis are much more worrying at night than during the day. They are enhanced by hypothermia, movement, and stress. It is believed that women have much more severe spinal pain.
Locating pain syndrome
Diagnosis of the disease is complicated because the symptoms are similar to other diseases: myocardial infarction, angina and digestive disorders.This phenomenon occurs because the distribution of nerves is interrupted and pain radiates to different parts of the body:
- With degeneration of chest cartilage, symptoms with pain in the heart appear when the first to sixth thoracic nerves are affected. In women, the mammary glands may be painful.
- If the 6th to 9th thoracic nerves are affected, pain will appear in the abdomen. The feeling is similar to colitis and gastritis. There may be a feeling of a foreign object in the esophagus.
- In the small intestine, kidneys and genitals, if the pathological process affects the 11th and 12th intervertebral discs.
For an accurate diagnosis, the orthopedic surgeon orders an examination for the patient.
For women, X-rays, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, ECG, and mammography are required.
The results will help determine the stage of the disease and treatment options.
Stages of the disease
Depending on the ongoing pathological processes, there are 4 stages of development of thoracic osteoarthritis:
| Stage | Change | Symptom |
| Firstly | The intervertebral disc becomes dehydrated, causing loss of elasticity. Their height decreases, but their width increases - the disc gradually collapses. | The pain appears directly in the damaged ring. It can be pulled or shot. |
| Monday | The annulus fibrosus begins to disintegrate. Nerve roots are compressed, causing pain. | There is pain when moving. When maintaining the position for a long time, discomfort will appear. |
| The third day | The annulus fibrosus ruptures, forming a herniated disc. Pathological scoliosis or kyphosis develops. | There is pain when moving. When maintaining the position for a long time, discomfort will appear. |
| Wednesday | Friction of the vertebrae against each other occurs, causing displacement of the vertebral joints. The tissues surrounding the vertebrae become inflamed. Cartilage tissue is replaced by bone tissue, reducing motor function. Fibrosis appears. | There is pain when moving. When maintaining the position for a long time, discomfort will appear. |
Periods of exacerbation and remission may be observed. The latter is often observed in stage 4.
Degree of disease
This is a more modern classification of symptoms of thoracic osteoarthritis, used by experts.
| Degree | Changes and symptoms |
| Firstly | Disc rupture due to sudden movement or overexertion. Sharp pain, similar to an electric current running down the spine. Muscle tension. |
| Monday | Characterized by instability of the spine. Pain when moving. Protrusion. |
| The third day | The pain becomes constant. Loss of sensation. Change your gait. Severe headache. Shortness of breath. Fast heart beat. |
| Wednesday | Spine instability: vertebrae slip and twist. Bone spurs develop, compressing spinal nerves and putting pressure on the spinal cord. |
Osteoarthritis of the chest can cause serious diseases that are difficult to treat.
Osteoarthritis of the thoracic spine
Symptoms in women are practically no different from the clinical picture in men. The main difference in this case is that in the female half of humanity, osteochondrosis develops at an older age. The female body has one feature - estrogen effectively protects intervertebral discs from destruction, therefore, signs of osteoarthritis in women often begin to appear during menopause or internal imbalance. hormones. In addition, as noted, signs of thoracic osteoarthritis can be similar to symptoms of dangerous diseases of the mammary gland.
Therefore, women are required to undergo a test such as mammography to clarify the diagnosis.
Breast osteonecrosis in women can manifest in many different ways. The clinical picture will depend on age, stage of pathology, as well as which vertebrae are affected and the degree of impact. One of the signs of thoracic spondylosis in women is burning and itching between the shoulder blades.The main symptoms of breast osteonecrosis in women are as follows:
- Dorsago ("chest pain", "dagger pain") is a sudden, severe sharp pain in the chest (between the shoulder blades), most often occurring after a long period of time in the same position. comfortable. When there is lumbago in the chest, the muscles are tense and strong - the patient feels like it is difficult to breathe. The pain during dorsago may increase if you rotate your upper body.
- Chest pain is chronic, mild pain in the sternum. Chest pain can manifest not only with osteonecrosis, but also with diseases of internal organs located in this area (lungs, heart, stomach). The main difference between such pain in osteonecrosis is its superficial nature and segmental manifestation along the intercostal spaces. Chest pain with osteonecrosis is enhanced by movement and deep breathing, and is relieved by rest.
The following manifestations may indicate that osteonecrosis is progressing:
- numbness, goosebumps in some skin areas;
- burning, itching between the shoulder blades;
- cold feeling in the legs;
- sore throat and esophagus;
- functional disorders of the stomach and intestines.
Treatment of pathologies in women
It is almost impossible to completely eliminate progressive thoracic osteoarthritis, but it is quite possible to slow down or even prevent the formation of pathological degenerative-dystrophic processes in the tissues of the moving segmentsspine using the means and methods of modern medicine. . Optimal therapeutic effects can be achieved only by an integrated approach to the treatment of this pathology using medications, various physiotherapy techniques and targeted exercise therapy techniques (physical therapy).
Symptoms and treatments for lumbar spondylosis in women are not too different from those in men. In the acute phase of osteonecrosis of the thoracic segment of the spine, the patient requires aggressive treatment of the exacerbation, in which various drugs and physical procedures are used to help eliminate, first of all, , pain syndrome, and in parallel with other negative manifestations. of this disease.
During the period of remission, patients must be prescribed maintenance treatment, mainly based on the use of drugs to restore bone and cartilage structure and physical therapy. In especially severe cases, they sometimes have to resort to surgical intervention to stabilize the position of the spine.
Sensation in women with osteoarthritis
Symptoms of osteonecrosis of the chest, in addition to typical symptoms indicating the presence of pathology in the chest area, in medical practice there are also atypical signs of the disease:
- Symptoms of pain in the heart area. In this case, the symptoms are more similar to heart disease, such as a heart attack or angina. The pain feels dull or aching and can last for months. However, no vascular medications resulted in improvement, and ECG results revealed no abnormalities.
- Discomfort in the mammary glands. Most often it manifests itself in women, is characterized by persistent painful sensations. It can often be confused with diseases of the mammary glands. In this case, a more detailed diagnosis is necessary.
- Point spasms and pain in the abdominal cavity. It is distinguished by typical signs of various pathological processes in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, often mistaken for gastritis, ulcers or cholecystitis. Enhanced with physical movements.
Experts have also identified two signs of osteochondrosis of the chest, which, if detected, can immediately indicate the development of the disease - the so-called back pain and lumbago.
Complications of the disease
Thoracic osteoarthritis is a painful disease that significantly reduces the patient's quality of life.
Usually, osteochondrosis affects many organs gradually or at the same time.
If not handled promptly, vessel compression can lead to:
- disorders of the cardiovascular system;
- plant system;
- Digest;
- Respiratory;
- faint;
- dizzy;
- Panic and fear attacks occur with rapid heartbeat and choking;
- chronic fatigue;
- Shingles.
Therefore, the treatment of the disease must be comprehensive, aimed at eliminating all symptoms. When diagnosed early and accurately, treatment has a favorable prognosis.