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Osteochondrosis of the chest

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

Thoracic osteochondrosis is characterized by cramps and pain in the chest, below the ribs, shortness of breath, stabbing, cutting, sharp pain in the back of the sternum. The symptoms and manifestations of the disease can be similar to other diseases.

symptoms

Spinal pain is the most common and superficial symptom. Of course, they don’t 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 pain. Often, if you are inactive, you may not be aware of this. But once you start doing any physical activity where breathing is accelerated, you will notice that the pain is increasing. The nature of this pain can be called shingles.
  2. In addition, you may experience pain in a completely unexpected place - the heart area, stomach, liver. This is due to the fact that thoracic osteochondrosis tends to "disguise" as a specific disease. For example, many may be confused with gastritis, ulcers or angina pectoris.
  3. If you notice that from time to time in the chest area you have "goosebumps", then 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 chest osteochondrosis

One of the main features of this type of pain is shingles. But it is not always possible to recognize this pain from him. Here's how it can be felt and characterized:

  • most often showing itself in the dark, behind the sternum;
  • a feeling that can be described as a "stock in the chest";
  • unpleasant sensations in the hypochondrial region, both on the right and on the left;
  • sensation as if there was a foreign body behind the sternum;
  • if the lesion only touches the upper part of the thoracic area, then pain can be experienced by a person in the esophagus and pharynx area.

Since these symptoms are still very vague and can speak of several other diseases, doctors recommend to undergo additional ECG analysis.

Effects on organs

In the process of development of this disease can have a negative impact on internal organs namely the lungs and heart. Here are the things that can cause thoracic osteochondrosis:

  • effects on the heart. Primarily, it is caused by pinching of nerve roots in the chest area. After all, that’s where the heart plexus nerves go. It is this plexus that is involved in the regulation of the heart. The main alarm bells here are normal heart palpitations (extrasystoles), arrhythmias, tachycardia. The effects on the cardiovascular system, therefore, can manifest either in one of these symptoms, or in all at once;
  • effects on the lungs. It manifests itself most often in shortness of breath and painful sensations at the same time.

Why does chest osteochondrosis appear?

Despite the fact that osteochondrosis as a whole is a relatively common disease, thoracic osteochondrosis is less common. Prerequisites for the onset of the disease are already available among schoolchildren who, frowning, sit at their desks. Because of this, children may develop scoliosis, and at a more mature age - osteochondrosis. Most other developmental causes are closely related to scoliosis:

  • posture violations;
  • metabolic disorders that affect the integrity of the intervertebral disc;
  • sedentary lifestyle;
  • hereditary reasons;
  • spinal cord injuries;
  • static work and prolonged stay in uncomfortable and twisted positions.
curvature of the spine as a cause of thoracic osteochondrosis

How to treat?

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

  1. First of all, medications are prescribed that "remove" pain and relieve discomfort. They are called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticosteroid drugs.
  2. To prevent fluid deficiency in the intervertebral disc, papain is used.
  3. Drugs called "chondroprotectors" are prescribed. With their help, there is a general strengthening of cartilage tissue.
  4. Drugs can be added to the list to relieve muscle spasms around the spine.
  5. If the development of inflammatory processes is detected, then special anti-inflammatory therapy is prescribed.

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

Exercises for chest osteochondrosis

Since lack of physical activity is one of the fundamental causes of disease progression, the role of exercise in this case is great. In addition, adding drug treatment with exercise, your body will return to normal and stable faster.

There are some special exercises for the thoracic area. When performing it, follow the basic rules: no jerks, act slowly, smoothly, without trying to burden the body. An increase in amplitude is allowed, but only if you are not in pain. So, what are the most effective exercises provided by physical therapy?

  1. Lie on the floor on your stomach. Hands - along the body. We bend in the thoracic area - smoothly, slowly. 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 workout, we need a chair with a small, sturdy back. Sit right on the chair. We exhaled, leaning back, pulling our hands back. Then we return to the starting position. We repeat 10-12 times.
  3. We stood up straight. Hands at the seams, feet together. We took a deep breath and raised our hands. While exhaling, we slowly bent back and lowered our hands. We returned to the starting position. It is recommended to do 7-9 approaches at a time.
  4. Crawling on the floor. Slowly curve your back while inhaling, while exhaling - return to starting position. Repeat the exercise 7-10 times.
  5. We lay on the floor with our stomachs. Hands on stitches. Your job is to tear the body off the floor, reaching with your head towards your heels. We pull the whole body, train the chest. The number of approaches required is 7-8.
  6. We work with the upper part of the thoracic area. Starting position - hands at the hem, legs open shoulder -width apart. We work with our shoulders. We raised them first together, then each separately. We rotate our shoulders forward - backward, forward - backward. We run 10-15 approaches for each task.
  7. Also, for the upper part of the thoracic area, you can do circular movements with your hands. Starting position, as in the previous task. We stretched our hands to the sides, squeezing our palms into fists. We rotate our fists back and forth, then turn the hands from the elbows back and forth, then with the rest of the hands back and forth. We do each part of the exercise 4-6 times, in general we repeat the exercise 2-4 times.

Exercise in the morning and evening for at least 15-20 minutes. Dilute with a set of exercises for other muscle groups by including some of the options above.

massage

Massage is also an excellent remedy in combating osteochondrosis. Here, a therapeutic massage takes place, which is prescribed by a specialist after a thorough examination of the patient. You can also do it at home - here are some options for how this can be done.

honey for the treatment of breast osteochondrosis

honey massage. We need 2-3 tablespoons of honey, preferably not sweet, warm. Dip the palms into the honey so that it is covered with a thin layer. We apply on the area behind the sternum and suddenly tear it, repeat several times, moving the palms from place to place.

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

massage for chest osteochondrosis

Classic order. It consists of several steps, which include: rubbing, kneading, vibration, rubbing. It is recommended to do a massage using a cream or ointment against osteochondrosis - it can be recommended by the attending specialist.

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 preventative measure, kneading, therefore, is also recommended for the neck, arms, shoulders, buttocks and even legs.

Treatment at home

In addition, there are alternative methods for the treatment of chest osteochondrosis. For example, scrubbing is very good, the foundation can also be used while doing a massage. Lilac flowers, radish root, garlic, onions, potatoes, ficus are usually taken as a base. Honey, vegetable oil, and sometimes cologne or alcohol are added. Everything is thoroughly mixed into a homogeneous mass and the damaged area is rubbed. For example, according to the following recipe, you can prepare a swab from ficus leaves:

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

Working at a computer is one of the leading causes of osteochondrosis. If you spend a long time in front of a computer, it is recommended to do exercise at least every two hours.

Computer work and osteochondrosis

Doing activities on the computer every day without physical activity can cause poor posture. This happens because the person is doing static work for a long period of time, not giving the muscles and spine a rest and not doing any warm -up or rest. In the future, without correcting this problem, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region may develop.

To prevent this from happening, experts advise doing so -called office charging, designed specifically for those who work at computers most of the time.

For example, the following exercises are excellent:

  1. Bend at your back, pull your hands up, throw your head back. Feel a pleasant weight on your back. Do it after every hour of work at the computer at least 3-4 times.
  2. Do a circular rotation with your head. Look left and right, tilt your head back and forth.
  3. Raise your hands up - to the side - forward - to the side. Repeat several times.
  4. Stand next to your work area, if possible, and move from foot to foot.

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

Strengthens 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 gym. Choose the option that works best for you. For example, swimming strengthens muscles well, so you can not only enjoy it, but also improve your body.