Thoracic spinal tumors, in contrast to cervical and lumbar tumors, are very rare.
It is all about the structure of the thorax: it has more discs than the neck and lumbar region combined, the discs are smaller and thinner. Mobility of this section is generally lower, and part of the load is assumed by the ribs and sternum.
With necrosis of the thoracic spine, symptoms can be confused, for example, with a heart attack. The reason for this is the specificity of the disease.
Movement and exertion pain, such as in osteomyelitis or lumbar degeneration, do not occur in this case, and complications associated with suspected angina or muscle infarctionheart or respiratory function impairment preceded.
Reason
To a greater extent, the development of osteonecrosis is facilitated by hypotension - a lack of muscle load, forming a lack of exercise of a muscular bra, weakeningfunctions and increases the load on the ligaments and disc.
The following conditions may also trigger the onset of osteonecrosis:
- Incorrect posture and lateral curvature of the spine;
- Bad habits;
- Nervous and physical stress, stress;
- Overload on back and spine when wearing high heels, pregnant and flat feet;
- Back injury;
- Lower dynamics;
- Heredity;
- Work hard physically.
The disc of the thoracic vertebrae is equally severely affected by sedentary lifestyles and physical activity, increasing the likelihood of injury.
What is the specificity of the thoracic spine?
Everyone knows that the chest area is not functionally active, especially when compared to the neck. And the load for him is not too large, relative, for example, for the lumbar spine. For this reason, the onset of a disease in the chest area is quite rare with any symptoms in the early stage of development.
Low mobility of the thoracic spine is related to its anatomical feature - the connection of the vertebrae to the ribs and sternum makes it possible to create a structure that is sufficiently mobile. and, at the same time, surely, less susceptible to injuries and external impacts.
The relatively small load on this part contributes to the fact that any problem occurs in which (e. g. spinal deflection, disc herniation, disc bulging) is quiteRare, this has been statistically confirmed. However, at the same time, their appearance cannot be called something extraordinary, for example, bad posture and scoliosis can be some kind of provoking factors leading to the appearance of the disease. on the spine.
At the same time, symptoms of these diseases appear quite late and are quite typical for osteonecrosis - they often exhibit compression of the nerve root, in rare cases compressionof the spinal cord itself or its damage due to a violation of blood supply, can also narrow due to compression of veins and arteries.
Symptoms of necrosis of the thoracic spine
Chest spine tumors, symptoms can be completely different, similar to manifestations of other diseases of the internal organs. Often thoracic necrosis is mistaken for myocardial ischemia, cholecystitis, peptic ulcer, even myocardial infarction and pneumonia. For this disease is called "chameleon".
Pain related symptoms:
- The pain is localized below the shoulder blades, can spread to the intercostal nerves. This leads to nerve pain. Pain increases when the patient breathes and moves actively.
- Chest pain is usually localized to the left and may resemble myocardial ischemia. In this situation, it is important to find out the cause of the pain promptly. It is necessary to fully examine the cardiovascular system.
Neurological Symptoms:
- Numbness or "goosebumps" in the legs, upper chest and abdomen (depending on the affected disc);
- A muscle tension reflex in the upper back or chest;
- In particularly severe cases, it is possible to disturb the functioning of the pelvic organs, reducing potency in men.
Symptoms of necrosis of the thoracic spine, in addition to pain in the spine and back, near the localized site of bone necrosis, pain in the upper abdomen, heart, liver, gallbladder may also occur.
With the manifestation of such pain, sometimes misdiagnosis is possible. Pain in the right side of the chest below the ribs can be confused with cholecystitis, on the left side of the chest - it can be mistaken for a heart attack. It is wrong to mistake the pain in the respective areas of the abdominal cavity for peptic ulcer disease or gastritis.
Dorsago
Back pain is one of the symptoms of necrosis of the thoracic spine, manifested by acute pain. Usually, this symptom occurs in people who sit for a long time in an uncomfortable, or performing monotonous position or position.
You may experience spinal pain in the chest area, stretch muscles and often have difficulty breathing. Intercostal nerve pain may occur.
Back pain
A flare-up will last 2-3 weeks. In this case, painful sensations increase gradually. Mild pain appears in the affected spine. As a rule, pain manifests especially when taking deep breaths and leaning forward, backward, to the sides.
The nature of back pain can be very different. Pain can be tugging, burning, aching, cutting, possibly stinging under the legs, arms, buttocks, shoulder blades. Physically, the pain is no less diverse. They may appear below, above, in the middle, right, left, between the scapula.
Treatment of necrosis of the thoracic spine
When developing a treatment plan that defines how to treat necrosis of the thoracic region, the diagnostic data is based on x-ray examination assistance. Such an examination clearly shows how to treat thoracic tumor, as X-ray results show the growth of the vertebral body and the presence of changes in the disc spacing. (decrease in height) is a characteristic symptom of this disease.
Treatment of necrosis of the thoracic spine depends on the stage of the disease and is primarily reduced to conservative treatment. Surgery is extremely rare in cases of a spinal hernia.
Medicines
Drug therapy is based on the following principles:
- Use a special medicine that allows you to keep the liquid inside the disc.
- Vitamins. Usually, full vitamin preparations or complexes with element B group are prescribed
- Antispasmodics and muscle relaxants that help reduce the spasm of the muscles around the spine.
- Pain reliever. NSAIDs and pain relievers are based on a combination of drugs.
- Chondroprotectors. Essential for catalyzing the repair of damaged cartilage.
After eliminating the acute events, back and lower limb muscle massage is applied. Manual therapy is indicated in the 1-3 degree of bone necrosis in the case of the development of functional obstruction. It includes different options for soft and rough effects on the back muscles.
The duration of treatment for thoracic degeneration depends on the severity of the disease and the degree of age-related changes, as well as the diligence of the patient in implementing the doctor's prescriptions. take care of.
Exercise for breast necrosis disease
With osteoporosis of the thoracic spine, the patient is assigned therapeutic exercises, the main goal is to increase the mobility of the vertebrae and disc. Exercise therapy (exercising regularly and properly) allows you to get rid of even very strong muscle contractions. Moderate physical activity will help reduce spinal stiffness, which occurs with weak muscle corsets.
Daily lessons, supervised by an experienced instructor, will have a beneficial effect on the entire body in general and especially the bronchopulmonary system. The patient has improved lung ventilation, and they can breathe deeply and exhale painlessly.
Massage
Massage not only weakens the severity of the symptoms of the disease, but also helps a person recover, efforts are the positive effects of other factors of complex therapy.
The drug is prescribed individually based on the clinical picture of thoracic spinal necrosis, the presence of chronic diseases and contraindications.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is used to eliminate hypertonia and muscle spasm, as well as restore back mobility. Manual therapy helps to release blood vessels, improve nutrition and supply oxygen to the disc tissues.
Correct posture when resting and sleeping
To prevent bone necrosis and during treatment, it is necessary to properly organize your posture during rest and sleep. It is best to sleep on a regular and firm bed, but do not place it high, if the bed does not meet the requirements, you should not sleep on the floor that is prone to colds. This is essential for the spine to quickly regain its normal shape.
However, quite severe pain may appear at first, lasting until the vertebrae returns to a physiological position. To relieve pain and discomfort, you can place a roller under the affected area.
Exercises
The most effective treatment for muscle spasms is physical therapy. Properly selected exercises help relax, while strengthening and training your back muscles. As a result, the thoracic spine is stabilized and the strangled spinal nerves are released.
The exercises for necrosis of the breast bone are as follows:
- Starting position - during inhalation, stand upright, feet together, hands down. Stretch your arms up - exhale, then bend backwards - take a deep breath. Lower arms down, bend forward, loop back and lower shoulders and head - exhale. Do 8 to 10 repetitions.
- Starting position - sitting on a chair. Slowly bring your hands behind your head - inhale, bend back 5 times, lean against the back of your chair with your shoulder blades - exhale.
- The starting position is to stand on all fours and bend your back as much as possible, lingering for 3 seconds, keeping your head straight for three seconds. Perform 5 - 7 repetitions.
- Starting position - lying on your stomach and placing your hands on the floor will be very comfortable. At the same time, use the force to bend backwards and try to tear the body off the floor. Perform 5 - 8 repetitions.
- Starting position - lying on his stomach with arms extended along the body. Leaning in your chest, try to raise your head and legs as much as possible. Perform 5 - 8 repetitions.
If you follow all your doctor's prescriptions, slowly but surely you can achieve a significant improvement.
Precautions
The health of the chest and other parts of the spine can be compromised by:
- long static load (sitting in front of TV, computer);
- lift weights; lazy habit
- ;
- hypothermia and frequent colds.
Office workers sit at work because their jobs need to change body position more often, get up and exercise. Even simple stretching is beneficial.