Chest osteochondrosis is characterized by a dystrophic degenerative lesion on the intervertebral discs. This pathology affects the plates of the thoracic spine, which contains 12 vertebrae. This area has a strong muscular corset and is considered the least mobile, so osteochondrosis is very rare on it.
The development of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region is accompanied by compression of the spinal cord. This complication is due to narrowing of the spinal canal in this area of the spine. Compression of the spinal cord is a very dangerous condition that can cause kidney, heart, pancreatic and liver diseases. To avoid such complications, treatment for the disease should be started in a timely manner.
Cause
The causes of osteochondrosis of the chest and neck are as follows:
- dystrophic changes in tissues;
- violation of metabolic processes;
- scoliosis;
- irrational loads on the plates;
- malnutrition;
- in a long-lasting awkward position (working at a table while driving).
Pain characteristic of a pathological condition
The pathology has similar symptoms to other diseases. For this reason, it is often referred to as "chameleon disease. " The pain of osteochondrosis of the spine is almost the same as in the following diseases:
- renal colic;
- peptic ulcer;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- appendicitis;
- colitis;
- gastritis.
Therefore, a thorough diagnosis is required to differentiate chest osteochondrosis.
The main symptoms are pain, the presence of discomfort. Areas such as:
- back;
- heart;
- side;
- breast;
- upper abdomen.
Pain in chest osteochondrosis increases with inhalation, exhalation, and exercise. The patient may feel numbness in the left arm in the area between the shoulder blades.
There are also pains that radiate toward the shoulder blade. These painful feelings are similar to intercostal neuralgia. The pain caused by osteochondrosis of the chest worsens at night.
Because of this, patients often confuse such conditions with the symptoms of a heart attack, angina pectoris. Chest osteochondrosis pain resulting from an attack of angina pectoris is characterized by an inability to stop with nitroglycerin and a lack of pathological signs on the ECG suggestive of cardiovascular disease.
The pathology causes symptoms similar to cardiovascular disease. Therefore, patients often begin self-medication with heart medications that do not bring relief.
The symptoms of the pathology on the intervertebral discs depend on the mechanism caused by the pathological process, the localization of the disease. Compression of the spinal roots has a significant effect. Sometimes spinal cord compression with its characteristic pain sensation acts as a complication of this pathology.
Symptoms of pathology in the neck and chest
The cervical region consists of 7 vertebrae and the chest region consists of 12 vertebrae. With the development of osteochondrosis in the cervicothoracal region, the patient exhibits various symptoms. Due to the manifestations of this disease, it can be confused with the following pathologies:
- myocardial infarction;
- violation of cerebral circulation;
- tooth damage;
- vegetovascular dystonia;
- angina.
Osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracal region presents with pain:
- back
- neck
- teeth;
- head;
- upper limbs;
- stomach
- shoulder belt;
- chest;
- areas of the heart.
In addition to pain, osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracal region is manifested by:
- numbness of the neck, abdomen, chest;
- tinnitus;
- loss of ability to work;
- "Goosebumps" before the eyes;
- sleep disorders;
- potency disorder (in men);
- dizziness;
- irritability;
- blood pressure jumps.
Symptoms that occur when radical structures are compressed
Osteochondrosis of the neck with radical syndrome is manifested by severe pain that varies in the segment involved.
It often manifests as radiculopathy, which mainly occurs in disc herniation. The patient experiences symptoms of radiculopathy after physical exertion. Their slow growth can be observed for several weeks.
If there is a link between chest osteochondrosis and a herniated protrusion of the disc, the patient will have marked pain in the following areas:
- shoulder joint;
- has;
- shoulder;
- chest;
- shoulder blades.
The symptoms of the disease also depend on the direction of the hernia (lateral, moderate). If you have a complication of a lateral hernia, unilateral pain in the area of the hernia, local loss of sensation occurs. Coughing increases pain as well as spinal movement.
If osteochondrosis is accompanied by a median hernia, the patient is disturbed by prolonged pain that can last for weeks. The main danger of this condition is compression of the spinal cord.
If chest osteochondrosis is associated with spinal cord compression, the patient will experience:
- disorders of the pelvic organs;
- local, belt pain;
- weakness in the legs;
- pain in the intercostal space, abdomen, groin;
- numbness.
Radicular syndrome with localization of pathology in the chest area
With osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, patients suffer from radical syndrome. It manifests itself in painful feelings that intensify with movement, appear sharply, and are reflected in other organs.
Radical syndrome has various manifestations in this area:
- numbness of the armpits, scapulae, epithelium of the hands, dryness of the pharynx (with the defeat of segment 1);
- pain in the armpits, shoulder blades, sternum, dry throat, slight lowering of the shoulder blade, pain in the stomach, esophagus (segments 2-6);
- paraesthesia, muscle tension in the area of the shoulder blades, ribs, epigastric region. There are also pains in the heart and stomach (segments 7-8);
- belt pain, paraesthesia from ribs to navel. Muscle tone also increases, colic occurs in the stomach and intestines (segments 9-10);
- paraesthesia from the navel to the groin. Feeling of difficulty may occur in the intestines, stomach (segments 11-12).
Radicular syndrome with localization of pathology in the neck
With radical cervical syndrome, the following symptoms occur:
- paresthesia on the crown, nape of the neck (with loss of segment 1);
- paraesthesia on the crown, back of the head + decreased muscle tone of the chin, manifested by sagging (segment 2);
- linguistic paraesthesia, speech defects (segment 3);
- pain in the heart, liver (segment 4);
- weakness, pain in the shoulder joint, arm (segment 5);
- the pain reaches the thumb of the hand. Weakness is experienced when raising the arm. This is due to a decrease in biceps tone (segment 6);
- weakness of the neck, shoulders, scapula, forearm, arm, second and third fingers (segment 7);
- pain hits the little finger (segment 8).
Characteristics of symptoms in women
The symptoms of the disease depend to a large extent on the sensitivity and individual characteristics of the patient. Symptoms of chest osteochondrosis are more pronounced in women than in men.
This is because a woman’s body is an order of magnitude more sensitive than a man’s.
Parts of the female spine are much thinner, smaller, which contributes to the rapid onset of symptoms of degenerative-dystrophic processes. Let's look at how chest osteochondrosis manifests itself in women.
The vertebrate symptoms of the disease are:
- pain when raising the arms;
- chest pain;
- tightness in the chest;
- pain localized between the shoulder blades;
- deep breathing is accompanied by severe pain;
- Accompanying twists and turns with a painful feeling.
Each of these symptoms is associated with an inflammatory process within the spine. If the disease is accompanied by the development of an intervertebral hernia, other signs of the disease characteristic of neurological and vascular disorders are also associated with the above signs of the disease:
- itching, cold, burning sensation in the lower extremities;
- numbness of the skin, feeling of "goosebumps";
- the fragility of the nails;
- heart complaints;
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- exfoliation of the epithelium.
The symptoms in women are similar to diseases of the mammary glands. Therefore, the disease in question requires additional diagnostic methods.
Chest osteochondrosis is less common in men than in women. This is due to the anatomical features that make up the strength of the elements of the spine. In men, the symptoms are only supplemented by a potency disorder.