Hondrogel Official site
Share this

Thoracic osteochondrosis

Thoracic osteochondrosis is a disease in which the intervertebral discs of the thoracic spine are destroyed. Since this department is the most sedentary, it is less susceptible to disease.

Thoracic osteochondrosis is characterized by spasms and pain in the chest, under the ribs, shortness of breath, stabbing, cutting, sharp pain behind the breastbone. The symptoms and manifestations of the disease can be similar to those of other diseases.

Symptoms

Spinal pain is the most common and superficial symptom. Of course, they do not always talk about the development of osteochondrosis in humans. Therefore, you should pay attention to other sensations in the body:

  1. Unpleasant sensations and chest pains. Often times, if you are sedentary, you may not notice it. But as soon as you begin to do some physical activity in which your breathing accelerates, you will notice that the pain intensifies. The nature of this pain can be called shingles.
  2. Also, you may experience pain in completely unexpected places: the region of the heart, abdomen, liver. This is due to the fact that thoracic osteochondrosis tends to "disguise itself" as a particular disease. For example, many may mistake it for gastritis, ulcers, or angina pectoris.
  3. If you notice that from time to time in the chest area you have "goose bumps", along with other manifestations, this may indicate thoracic osteochondrosis.
  4. In some cases, there may be a loss of sexual function, for example impotence in men.

Pain in thoracic osteochondrosis.

One of the main characteristics of this type of pain is shingles. But it is not always possible to recognize this pain. Here's how else it can feel and characterize:

  • most of the time it manifests itself in the dark, behind the breastbone;
  • a feeling that can be described as a "stake in the chest";
  • unpleasant sensations in the region of the hypochondrium, both on the right and on the left;
  • sensation as if there is some foreign body behind the breastbone;
  • If the injury touches only the upper part of the thoracic region, then a person may experience pain in the region of the esophagus and pharynx.

Since these symptoms are still very vague and can refer to a number of other diseases, the doctor recommends undergoing an additional EKG analysis.

Influence on the organs

In the process of development, this disease can have a negative effect on the internal organs, that is, the lungs and the heart. Here's what thoracic osteochondrosis may involve:

  • effect on the heart. Mainly, it is caused by pinching of the nerve roots in the chest area. After all, it is from there that the cardiac nerve plexuses go. It is these plexuses that participate in the regulation of the heart. The main warning signs here are regular heart palpitations (extrasystoles), arrhythmia, tachycardia. The effect on the cardiovascular system, therefore, can manifest itself in one of these symptoms or in all of them at the same time;
  • effect on the lungs. It manifests itself most often in shortness of breath and painful sensations at the same time.

Why does thoracic osteochondrosis appear?

Despite the fact that osteochondrosis as a whole is quite common, thoracic osteochondrosis is less common. The prerequisites for the appearance of this disease can already be found among schoolchildren who, grimacing, sit at their desks. Because of this, children can develop scoliosis and, in a more mature age, osteochondrosis. Most of the other developmental causes are closely related to scoliosis:

  • violation of posture;
  • metabolic disorders affecting the integrity of the intervertebral discs;
  • sedentary lifestyle;
  • hereditary reasons;
  • spinal injury;
  • static work and prolonged stay in an awkward and twisted position.
curvature of the spine as a cause of thoracic osteochondrosis

How to deal with?

After an accurate diagnosis has been established during testing, the doctor prescribes a special drug treatment. In the case of thoracic osteochondrosis, it may include the following drugs, depending on the severity of the disease and the characteristics of its manifestation:

  1. First, medications are prescribed that "eliminate" pain and relieve discomfort. They are called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticosteroid drugs.
  2. To avoid a lack of fluid in the intervertebral disc, papain is used.
  3. Medications called "chondroprotectors" are prescribed. With its help, there is a general strengthening of cartilage tissue.
  4. Medications can be added to the list to relieve spasms of the muscles around the spine.
  5. If the development of an inflammatory process is detected, a special anti-inflammatory therapy is prescribed.

But, of course, it is impossible to cure yourself with medication alone. Make sure you follow a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. These actions will be useful not only for the treatment, but also for the prevention of this and many other diseases.

Exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis.

Since the lack of physical activity is one of the fundamental causes of the development of the disease, the role of exercise in this case is great. Also, if you supplement the drug treatment with exercises, your body will return to normal and stabilize much faster.

There are a number of special exercises for the thoracic region. When performing them, follow the basic rules: without jerks, act slowly, gently, without trying to overload the body. An increase in amplitude is allowed, but only if you are not experiencing pain. So what are the most effective exercises provided by physical therapy?

  1. Lie on the floor face down. Hands - along the body. We bend in the thoracic region, gently, gently. Raise your arms and head as high as you feel, but try to avoid pain. It is recommended to complete at least 5 approaches.
  2. For the next exercise, we need a chair with a small, sturdy backrest. Sit exactly on one chair. We exhale, leaning back onto our back, while pulling our arms back. Then we return to the starting position. We repeat 10-12 times.
  3. We stand up. Hands at the seams, feet together. We breathe deeply and raise our hands. As we exhale, we slowly lean back and lower our arms. We return to the starting position. It is recommended to do 7 to 9 approaches at a time.
  4. Get on all fours on the floor. Slowly arch your back as you inhale, as you exhale, return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 7 to 10 times.
  5. We lie face down on the floor. Hands at the seams. Your task is to tear the body off the ground, stretching the head towards the heels. We pull the whole body, we work the chest. The required number of focuses is 7-8.
  6. We work with the upper part of the thoracic region. Starting position: hands at the seams, feet shoulder-width apart. We work with our shoulders. We raise them first together, then each one separately. We roll our shoulders forward, backward, forward, backward. We carry out 10 to 15 approximations for each task.
  7. Also, for the upper part of the thoracic region, you can perform circular movements with your hands. Starting position, as in the previous task. We stretch our arms to the sides, clench the palms of the hands into fists. We rotate the fists back and forth, then we rotate the hand from the elbow forward and backward, then with the whole hand forward and backward. We perform each part of the exercise 4-6 times, in general we repeat the exercise 2-4 times.

Exercise in the morning and at night for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Dilute it with a series of exercises for other muscle groups inserting several of the above options.

Massage

Massage is also a very good remedy in the fight against osteochondrosis. Here, a therapeutic massage is carried out, which is prescribed by a specialist after a thorough examination of the patient. You can also do it at home; here are several options on how it can be done.

Honey for the treatment of breast osteochondrosis.

Honey massage. We need 2-3 tablespoons of honey, preferably not candied, warm. Dip the palms in honey so that they are covered with a thin layer. We apply in the area behind the sternum and tear it off abruptly, repeat several times, moving the palms from one place to another.

This massage should not be done for a long time as it is painful. Enough 10-15 minutes for one session. After that, the skin will redden, "burn".

massage for thoracic osteochondrosis

Classic massage. It consists of several steps, including: stroking, kneading, vibrating, rubbing. It is recommended to massage with a cream or ointment against osteochondrosis; it can be recommended by the specialist who treats you.

The duration of this massage should not exceed 20 minutes, and the general course of treatment with this method should not include more than 11-13 sessions. As a preventive measure, kneading on the neck, arms, shoulders, buttocks and even legs is also recommended.

Home treatments

Also, there are alternative methods for the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis. For example, rubbing is very good, the base of which can also be used for massage. Lilac flowers, horseradish root, garlic, onions, potatoes, ficus are usually taken as the basis. Honey, vegetable oil, and sometimes cologne or alcohol are added. Everything is thoroughly mixed into a homogeneous mass and rubbed into the damaged area. For example, according to the following recipe, you can prepare ficus leaf rubs:

  • Ficus leaves in an amount of 6-8 are passed through a grater or cut into small pieces. It is placed in a container, where it is poured with 2 bottles of triple cologne. Mixture. Grinding should be in a dark place for 2 weeks. Then it is necessary to use it at least 2 times a day until heat appears on the skin.
sedentary work as a cause of breast osteochondrosis

Working on a computer is one of the most important causes of osteochondrosis. If you spend a lot of time in front of the computer, it is recommended to exercise at least every two hours.

Computer work and osteochondrosis

Performing computer activities every day without physical activity can lead to poor posture. This happens because the person performs static work for a prolonged period, without giving rest to the muscles and spine and without doing any warm-up or breathing. In the future, without correcting this problem, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region may develop.

To prevent this from happening, experts advise to carry out the so-called office load, designed specifically for those who work at a computer most of the time.

For example, the following exercises are very good:

  1. Bend your back, raise your arms and throw your head back. Feel a nice weight on your back. Perform after every hour of computer work at least 3-4 times.
  2. Perform circular rotations with your head. Look left and right, tilt your head back and forth.
  3. Raise your arms, to the sides, forward, to the sides. Repeat several times.
  4. Stand next to your work area, if you can, and switch from one foot to the other.

Do not forget to change your position while working on the computer, then you will maintain your health, spine and posture for a long time!

Strengthening of the back muscles with osteochondrosis.

Strengthening the back muscles is a very important part of the treatment and prevention of osteochondrosis. To do this, it is enough to do physical activity: exercise, go to fitness classes or the gym. Choose the option that best suits your needs. For example, swimming strengthens muscles well, so you can not only enjoy it, but also improve your body.