Chameleon disease is often referred to as osteochondrosis of the breast. It is quite difficult to diagnose and is often confused with other diseases. At the same time, osteochondrosis in the chest area occurs rarely and is a lesion of the intervertebral discs.
How does the disease arise?
Osteochondrosis affecting the thoracic spine is often disguised as a pathology of internal organs. It is manifested by heart pain, shortness of breath, lack of air when inhaling, panic attacks. Therefore, the diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis is somewhat difficult.
The discs of each segment of the spine consist of a nucleus pulposus and a larger annulus fibrosus. The latter protects the semi-liquid core and prevents it from being injured.
However, for certain reasons there are situations when metabolic processes slow down and as a result there is increased pressure on the intervertebral discs. In this case, the disc is deformed, its structure is disturbed.
If treatment is not started at this stage, the symptoms will become even more pronounced. The annulus fibrosus can rupture and the nucleus can dry out.
The disease leads to injury to the spinal nerves and destruction of the joints.
causes of the disease
Various reasons can provoke the appearance of osteochondrosis in the chest area, the most common among them are:
- chest trauma;
- inactivity, sedentary work (applies to those who work at the computer or are drivers);
- scoliosis.
In addition, problems with the chest region are associated with its structure. Many more discs are crowded in this interval of the spine than in the lower back or cervical spine. Due to the presence of ribs and muscular corset, the chest region moves less.
There are cases when the main cause of osteochondrosis in the thoracic region of the spine is osteochondrosis of other departments.
What is the danger of osteochondrosis?
If treatment is delayed despite the symptoms, osteochondrosis of the chest can lead to a number of complications and problems, including:
- Intercostal neurology - when the intercostal nerves are compressed;
- spinal cord compression;
- shortness of breath, problems with the work of the heart;
- problems with the functioning of the intestines, liver, kidneys;
- stool problems;
- Hernia.
What diseases can be confused with osteochondrosis?
As mentioned above, the symptoms of osteochondrosis do not always allow for a quick diagnosis. That is why osteochondrosis of the chest can be accidentally confused with:
- pathologies of the mammary glands;
- diseases of the digestive system;
- Pneumonia (two diseases can be distinguished by dry cough, shortness of breath and fever with pneumonia. With osteochondrosis, such symptoms are not observed);
- myocardial infarction (in this case, osteochondrosis can be distinguished by a cardiogram);
- Renal colic.
symptoms
With osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, most often there are symptoms of radiculopathy, that is, those associated with compression of the nerve trunks and the appearance of a hernia between the vertebrae. In this case, severe pain is manifested after physical work, training. Depending on the location of the hernia, the symptoms become more pronounced in the following weeks. If in the upper part, then the liver, heart, stomach suffer. If lower, then the problems are related to the kidneys.
The location of the hernia also has a significant impact on the symptoms. Therefore, if it is closer to the center, the pain will increase, last for several weeks continuously and will not subside after taking medication. Lateral hernia is manifested by periodic and mild pain, local loss of sensitivity is possible.
Osteochondrosis of the chest, which is accompanied by compression of the spinal cord, has the following symptoms:
- severe pain;
- numbness of the limbs;
- pain radiates to the stomach, groin, legs;
- Functional disorders of the pelvic organs.
In addition to the above, osteochondrosis may have additional symptoms, in particular:
- numbness of individual skin areas;
- feeling of "goosebumps" in the thoracic spine;
- fragility of nails;
- dry skin, peeling;
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea or, conversely, constipation);
- give pain in the throat;
- Itching or feeling cold in the lower extremities.
Dorsago as a result of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region
Osteochondrosis in the thoracic spine is characterized by the presence of dorsago. This is one of its main symptoms. In fact, the word "dorsago" should be understood as a very strong and sudden pain in the chest. It is often called "shooting", since the sensations in this case are the same as with a stab wound. A severe dorsago attack makes breathing difficult and impossible to move freely. This happens after prolonged physical exertion in people who already suffer from osteochondrosis and diseases of the joints.
Mild but growing and persistent pain in the chest area is called dorsalgia. More pronounced symptoms when a person bends down. The pain can also increase at night, especially often this happens in women suffering from osteochondrosis and wearing shoes with heels.
diagnosis
With thoracic osteochondrosis, effective treatment must be carried out. Symptoms without it will only intensify and interfere with normal life.
Having found out the symptoms, the doctor directs the patient for additional examination. Among the diagnostic methods that are most often used in osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are:
- MRI. The tomograph makes it possible to obtain a clear three-dimensional image with contrast of the examined area of the human body. Therefore, the doctor can see the condition of the vertebrae of the thoracic region and assess the health of the joints. The procedure does not take much time (from 20 to 55 minutes) and is painless. The patient must expose the thoracic spine and lie on a special couch. The scanner, placed on top of the person, takes a photo of the cuts at this point.
- ultrasonic procedure. Before treatment, it should be ensured that the osteochondrosis of the chest region is not accompanied by tumors. An ultrasonic method is suitable for this. The device clearly shows the condition of soft tissues, joints, intervertebral discs. As in the first case, the procedure does not take much time and is painless. With the help of an ultrasound examination, the chest area of pregnant women and even children can be examined.
Of course, no treatment is offered by the doctor until the patient has passed the general clinical blood and urine tests and also until the results of the electrocardiogram are available. The latter allows the doctor to distinguish chest osteochondrosis from a heart attack or other heart problems if symptoms are similar.
treatment
Turning to a neuropathologist, a patient with thoracic osteochondrosis will receive a recommended course of treatment. Methods and drugs, as well as the duration of their use, are determined by the doctor on a case-by-case basis. When osteochondrosis is detected in the chest, doctors usually recommend:
- drug treatment - their goal is to relieve pain, muscle spasms, reduce the inflammatory process, restore tissues around the joints and vertebrae;
- Physiotherapy - aims to use ultrasonic waves, electric current or a laser to relieve severe pain in the chest area and reduce the negative effects of osteochondrosis, provides treatment for the joints;
- manual therapy - thanks to the massage movements of a specialist, it is possible to align the position of the intervertebral discs of the thoracic region and relieve spasms;
- Isometric kinesitherapy (gymnastic treatment) - helps to improve mobility of the chest region, relieves pain.
In addition to the methods described above, the treatment of osteochondrosis can be carried out using hirudotherapy, millimeter wave therapy, apitherapy, magnetotherapy and other methods.