Chest spine osteochondrosis refers to degenerative-dystrophic pathology. Spinal problems rank 5th in the structure of all diseases of the musculoskeletal system. They are more common in people over 45 years of age. Timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment will allow the progression of the disease to be slowed.
Development mechanism
Degenerative-dystrophic pathology, which includes osteochondrosis, is characterized by the presence of several major relationships in the pathological process, including:
- The malnutrition (trophism) of cartilage tissue that occurs under the influence of overload or other provocative factors is called dystrophy.
- Gradual destruction of cartilage tissue cells and intercellular material due to malnutrition.
- The development of an inflammatory reaction, the severity of which depends on the degree of damage to cartilage tissue structures.
- Impairment of the functional state of the joint or the structure of the spine (intervertebral discs) that contains cartilage tissue.
Osteochondrosis involves overcoming the joints of the intervertebral discs and spinal processes in different parts. The discs between the vertebrae flatten, leading to compression of the motor and sensory nerve fibers in the roots of the spine. The mechanism of disease development is always accompanied by the addition of neurological symptoms.
Causes of the disease
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a polyetiological disease. This means that the process of cartilage dystrophy and degeneration is triggered by a number of provocative factors:
- An inherited predisposition that determines the nutritional characteristics of cartilage tissue with subsequent abnormalities in the background of normal loads. In this case, osteochondrosis can develop in young people.
- Congenital disorders and anomalies in the development of the structure of the musculoskeletal system, leading to changes in blood flow to the tissues and deterioration in the nutrition of the cartilage components.
- Delayed lesions of different parts of the spine (fractures, bruises, dislocations and sublocations of joints) that lead to changes in the proportion of different structures with the subsequent development of degenerative-dystrophic processes within them.
- Insufficient physical activity (sedentary lifestyle) leading to tissue congestion.
- Systematically increased load on the chest spine (hard physical work, prolonged static loads).
- Disruption of the metabolism of mineral salts in the body, which causes a decrease in the strength of bone processes, intervertebral discs, and subsequent malnutrition of cartilage structures.
- Deterioration of the blood supply to the tissues of the spine, against the background of compression of the main arteries or veins.
- Bad habits - nicotine and alcohol are vascular toxins that cause deterioration of blood flow to tissues and violation of their nutrition.
Finding out the causes of the pathological process is an essential element of the diagnostic process. This is necessary for the subsequent appointment of effective treatment and to prevent the recurrence of osteochondrosis.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
The development of the degenerative-dystrophic process is accompanied by the appearance and increase in the intensity of the following symptoms of osteochondrosis:
- Pain in the spine at chest level - first pain appears after the effort, the human body’s long stay in one position. Then the feeling of discomfort increases and becomes permanent. Often the pathological process is accompanied by a dull aching back pain between the shoulder blades.
- It is an unpleasant feeling to be "compressed" in the back, which does not allow full inhalation.
- Violation of the sensitivity of the skin in the form of numbness of different parts of the body (changes covering the skin of the upper or lower limbs on one side of the body) due to compression of sensitive nerve fibers in the roots of the spinal cord.
- Muscle weakness in the arm or leg is usually located on one side of the body.
- Violation of the functional state of the digestive system, accompanied by belching, heartburn, abdominal pain, bloating (bloating), unstable stool.
- Changes in the back and arm, which include dry skin, increased brittleness of the nails (the result of a violation of the condition of the vegetative nerve fibers when the spinal root is squeezed).
- Changes in the functional state of the pelvic organs, manifested by urinary disorders, constipation, impotence in men, in the unstable menstrual cycle of women.
Manifestations appear gradually, a person is unable to pinpoint the time of their development. For a long time the intensity of the symptoms increases, new signs of the pathological process appear. Depending on the nature and duration of the feeling of back discomfort, there are two types of pain in osteochondrosis of the chest spine:
- Dorsago - pain occurs in the form of seizures that restrict back movement and interfere with full breathing.
- Dorsalgia is a constant painful pain that is localized in the area of the vertebrae affected by the pathological process.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is caused by constant discomfort and deterioration in the quality of human life. Depending on the extent of the changes, we distinguish 4 stages of pathology development:
- Stage 1 - minimal changes, increased mobility of joints between vertebrae, no symptoms.
- Stage 2 - protrusion (flattening) of the intervertebral disc, appearance of mild pain, especially after exertion.
- Stage 3 - formation of a herniated disc, damage to the spinal cord root, constant painful pain, neurological symptoms.
- Stage 4 - pronounced changes that lead to severe permanent pain, numbness of the skin in different parts of the body, with a decrease in muscle strength, especially in the upper extremities.
The stage of the pathological process is determined on the basis of the clinical manifestations of the disease. To clarify the nature and severity of the changes, additional objective diagnostics are prescribed using spinal imaging techniques.
Diagnostics
Based on the clinical picture, the doctor draws an initial conclusion. To determine the localization and nature of the change and the stage of the pathological process, further examination is required by imaging the chest spine:
- Spinal X-ray is the most common method of instrumental diagnosis, allowing the identification of rough changes in the structure of the spine.
- Computed tomography is an X-ray technique of layer-by-layer tissue scanning that has high resolution and allows visualization of minimal changes in the thoracic spine.
- Magnetic resonance imaging - the phenomenon of the resonance of the nuclei of compounds in a magnetic field is used for visualization. The technique involves examining the body while the human body is not experiencing radiation exposure.
Laboratory tests (clinical, biochemical blood tests, urine tests) are prescribed to determine the functional status of various organs and systems. After the diagnosis, the doctor has the opportunity to select the optimal treatment.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine
Treating osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is always complex. Its purpose is to restore the nutrition of cartilage components, normalize their properties, and the functional state of the roots of the vertebrae and spinal cord. For this, 2 main areas of therapeutic measures are applied:
- Conservative treatment.
- Surgical invasive procedure.
Often, both directions of therapeutic interventions are combined.
Conservative treatment
Conservative treatment is based on the use of several groups of drugs:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - reduce the severity of the inflammatory response and pain.
- Adrenal Hormones - Reduce inflammation and neurological pain.
- Muscle relaxants - medications reduce the tone of the striped muscles in the spine, thereby reducing the compression of the roots in the spinal cord.
- Diuretics - reduce tissue swelling and compression of the roots of the spinal cord due to increased urinary excretion.
- Chondroprotectors - reduce the severity of degenerative processes, the destruction of cartilage tissue, contribute to its partial recovery.
- B vitamins - improve the metabolic processes in the nerve tissue, contribute to the early restoration of the functional state of the roots of the spinal cord.
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) - strengthens blood vessels, has an antioxidant effect (binds and inactivates free radicals, which are "fragments" of organic molecules with unpaired electrons and damages the membrane structure of cells).
During the period of remission (improvement of the condition and reduction of acute inflammatory phenomena) exercise (physiotherapy exercises with special exercises), back massage, physiotherapy procedures (magnetotherapy, mud baths, electrophoresis) are prescribed. When implementing therapeutic measures, it is important to follow dietary (fatty fried foods, refusal to drink alcohol) and general (proper sleep, rational work, and rest) recommendations. Conservative therapy allows for a significant improvement in the condition.
Surgical procedures
In the background of the use of drugs, in the absence of the required therapeutic result, invasive surgery is prescribed in order to radically eliminate the problems if the pathological process progresses. It includes several techniques:
- Microdiscectomy - Removal of a herniated disc with subsequent hernia plastic surgery.
- Foraminectomy - the removal of bone outgrowth that narrows the canal in the area of the exit of the roots of the spinal cord.
- Laminectomy is an enlargement of the canal in the exit area of the roots of the spine.
In modern hospitals, surgery is performed using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. Special meshes of durable material are usually used for the plastic opening of the hernia, which do not cause inflammatory reactions.
Prevention
To prevent the development of the pathological process, you should follow a number of simple preventive recommendations, which include:
- Adequate eight hours of sleep.
- Limiting the effect of stressors (chronic stress can provoke the development of pathological processes).
- Normalization of the system of work and rest.
- Restriction of hard physical work.
- Rejection of bad habits.
- A rational diet with adequate vitamin and plant fiber intake.
- Sufficient motor regime with dynamic exercises (charging), walking in fresh air.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is characterized by a chronic progressive course. The disease requires long-term therapy, making it easier and more accessible to prevent it from developing.