The spine consists of joints and vertebrae. Depreciation, mobility, nutrition are provided by the intervertebral discs and joint capsules - the fluid cartilaginous structure inside. Ligaments maintain a complex structure of bone and cartilage tissue, limit hypermobility, and reduce the risk of dislocation. Muscle tissue protects against damage and provides nutrients. For a variety of reasons (age, injury, exhaustion, changes in metabolism), cartilage structures are erased and thinned. The ligaments are fused together, the pressure in the spine changes.
Intervertebral discs are dense, stable formations that are damaged due to incorrect position of the joints. When damaged, they leave their usual position, extensions appear, hernias, which put pressure on the nerve endings. The process of autoimmune reactions begins - the body perceives a hernia as a foreign formation that must be fought. Muscle spasms, blood circulation is disturbed, the person experiences pain. Often the pain radiates to the internal organs. Against the background of neuralgia, tachycardia, heart pain, lungs and an unpleasant sensation in the stomach appear. In women there are difficulties in raising the arm, tilting the head.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic and cervicothoracic regions develops invisibly. Often, the patient learns about the presence of a problem during the examination when dealing with complaints about heart function. After examination, the neurologist makes a diagnosis of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis.
Cervical-thoracic osteochondrosis
The first symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis can be detected independently at home. A change in posture is the difficulty of keeping the back straight for a long time, discomfort in the shoulder blades, an increase in kyphosis - spinal deviation. There are 2 tests to detect problems in yourself.
How to detect signs of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis:
Press your back against the wall as tightly as possible. Pay attention to the distance between the lower back and the wall. Normally, the back should be fully pressed against the wall. A large distance indicates the development of compensatory deviations - lordosis and kyphosis. Beads and joints are mobile structures. Changes in one segment are offset by the flattening or deflection of the other. Changes in women occur during pregnancy, when the spine adapts to the load when carrying a child. In women after 40 years, flattening of the lumbar region, kyphosis developed in the chest is often observed.
Stand up straight. As you inhale, extend the top of your head and arms up, as you exhale, bend over, reach the floor with your hands. Normally, the hands should touch the floor freely. If you are doing the exercise in front of a mirror, then look at how straight your back is when leaning.
Scoliosis, a problem with overweight, frequent colds worsen the situation, provoking a new irritation. Degenerative-dystrophic processes occur more rapidly in weakened areas. Over time, the symptoms of cervicothoracic osteochondrosis become clearer:
- flexion, inability to control proper posture;
- the appearance of a widow's lump at the level of the 7th cervical vertebra;
- discomfort under the shoulder blade (usually right);
- chest pain when taking deep breaths;
- difficulty in raising the arm, joining the edges of the shoulders;
- increased 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 medication to lower their blood pressure. Instead of chondroprotectors, mustard plaster is placed on the chest area.
widow's lump
Widow's lump, weaving, drying is a buildup of fat in the cervicothoracic spine. They are said to appear where the muscles are less developed. This is not just an aesthetic problem. Stagnation of the cervicothoracic region prevents free rotation of the head. In widowed women, the head aches very often, the blood pressure changes and there is a sensation of 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 turns, a crack is released.
The disease got its name because in women over 45, doctors noticed the formation of a seal in the cervicotoracic region. Previously, at this age, women became widows. Today, signs of dehydration can be seen in overweight young ladies. In men, dryness is not formed due to atomic features: developed trapezius, deltoid muscles and biceps.
Metabolic disorders, overweight, physical inactivity, weak upper limb muscles form a wen. It is very difficult to get rid of the formed dryness, it is necessary to perform exercises, do massages and follow a diet.
Bechterew's disease
A dangerous disease that occurs mainly in men, in which the muscles atrophy, the 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 a medical institution when the spine is already limited.
The first symptoms of pain appear in the sacrum and eventually reach the neck. The deviation in the cervical-thoracic region increases, the body bends forward, taking the position of the supplicant. Due to the change in chest position, it becomes difficult to breathe. Radiation pain in the hands, increased blood pressure, muscle cramps torment the patient. Internal organs are affected - heart, lungs, kidneys. Due to the wrong position, circulatory disorders damage the eyes.
Timely diagnosis allows you to start treatment at an early stage. Taking medications (painkillers, muscle relaxants), exercise therapy, physiotherapy give good results. The patient has to make a lot of effort to recover. In difficult situations, surgery is possible to eliminate immobility.
Hearing loss
With cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, blood circulation to the brain is disturbed. Blood in the vessels stagnates, starts ringing and ringing in the ears. There is an audio problem. The brain compensates for it by creating ghost sounds. Experiments performed showed that patients with circulatory disorders hear the sound, despite its presence. This is a defense system - if the ear can not pick up some sounds from the outside world, the brain creates those sounds itself.
Worsening of the disease is accompanied by congestion in the ear. 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 compress the vertebral artery, which sends blood to the brain. With a lack of nutrient fluids, the central nervous system gives a signal to increase heart rate to increase pressure. The heart beats faster, stronger, the pressure rises, food returns.
Medications are taken to lower blood pressure - blood flow decreases, the heart starts beating faster again. Patients with osteochondrosis of the chest 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 deep breaths, turning, leaning.
Dorsalgia - back pain, occurs due to tightening of nerve roots. Reflex muscle contraction worsens the situation - blood flow is disturbed, edema appears. It is important to provide yourself with timely medical care and consult a doctor for help with regular pain.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
First aid for osteochondrosis is offered at home if you feel a sharp pain in the back, an uncomfortable sensation in the chest area, it is difficult to raise your hand and move.
You must take NSAIDs. Remember that with osteochondrosis, medicines with an anti-inflammatory effect help better. Analgesics are less effective, though they have fewer side effects. Rub NSAID ointment or chondroprotective oil on the site of inflammation. Massage movements will disperse the blood, relieve swelling, and the medicine will help you survive the irritation. You need to move through the pain - make circular movements with the hands, head, hips, join the edges of the shoulders. Extend your back by leaning on a table or chair.
Warm compresses are not recommended. After all, blood will flow faster to the site of edema, will not be able to pass through the vessels due to muscle spasm. As a result, the swelling will increase, the inflammation will spread. For pain in the chest region, extend the spine to the horizontal bar or with a Glisson loop. Active traction correction is used only with well-developed muscles, and also it is not necessary to strive for a complete resting state.
If the irritation recurs within a month, it is best to consult a doctor for examination, diagnosis and treatment. It is impossible to completely cure osteochondrosis - there is no technique that will allow you to go back in time and stop the degenerative processes.
But there are techniques that will help to cope with the pain and adapt to the constant changes. These are medication, massage, physiotherapy, manual therapy, vertebroevitology, acupuncture and kinesiology.
After making a diagnosis, the doctor will choose a recovery option: prescribe the necessary medications that will help you survive the deterioration, recommend procedures and manipulations for healing.