Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women and men

Spinal osteochondrosis is characterized by deformation of the intervertebral discs and is a condition affecting the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Similar degenerative changes occur in the thoracic spine and present with certain symptoms.

Disease characteristics

According to medical statistics, more than 30% of the world's population suffers from osteochondrosis. And the age of patients is getting younger year by year. However, compared with cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis, the frequency of thoracic osteochondrosis is much lower.This fact can be explained by the structure of the sector:

• It has a natural curve that removes some of the load from walking upright;
• Another part falls on the ribs and sternum, functioning as a physiological framework;
• This is the longest part of the spine (12 vertebrae), but the spinal canal is the narrowest;
• The thoracic vertebrae are smaller in size but have longer spinous processes;
• He is inactive.

If disc deformation does occur in the thoracic spine, it will gradually disappear. But it shows up painfully.

Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis

The severity of symptoms depends on the stage of the disease, lifestyle and age of the patient.It is characterized by the following symptoms:

1. pain. Nerve pain occurs in the upper back, between the shoulder blades, and around the intercostals. It gets worse when you cough, take deep breaths, and turn your body. Because there are many nerve fibers in the chest, chest pain (dorsago) can occur, much like a heart attack.
2. Radiculitis. In addition to pain, there is also a loss of sensitivity. Usually the extremities, upper abdomen, and area below the collarbone become numb.
3. feeling abnormal. There is a feeling of goosebumps all over the body.

4. cardiac syndrome. Severe heart pain persists and does not go away even after taking medication.
5. pulmonary syndrome. It manifests as suffocation and congestion in the lungs.
6. abdominal syndrome. It is characterized by persistent pain in the digestive organs.
7. muscle tension. It occurs reflexively in the upper back and chest.

The clinical presentation is approximately the same in men and women. But symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest in women usually appear at the beginning of menopause. Until then, the spine is protected by estrogen.

In men, complications of the disease can affect potency.

The symptoms of osteochondrosis are more disturbing at night than during the day. They can be aggravated by hypothermia, exercise, and stress. It is believed that women suffer from much more severe spinal pain.

Location of pain syndromes

Diagnosis of the disease is complicated by the similarity of symptoms to other diseases: myocardial infarction, angina, and gastrointestinal disorders.The reason for this phenomenon is that the innervation is disturbed and the pain radiates to different parts of the body:

1. In thoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms of heart pain occur when the first to sixth thoracic nerves are affected. Women may have pain in their breasts.
2. If thoracic nerves 6 to 9 are affected, stomach pain may occur. It feels the same as colitis and gastritis. There may be a sensation of a foreign body in the esophagus.
3. In the small intestine, kidneys and genitals, if pathological processes affect the 11th and 12th intervertebral discs.

To make an accurate diagnosis, an orthopedic surgeon examines the patient.

It is necessary for women to undergo radiography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, electrocardiography and mammography.

The results will help determine the stage of the disease and treatment options.

stage of disease

The development of thoracic osteochondrosis can be divided into 4 stages depending on the ongoing pathological process:

stage	Variety	symptom
first	The disc becomes dehydrated, causing a loss of elasticity. Their height decreases, but their width increases—the discs gradually flatten.	The pain occurs directly over the damaged ring. It can be pulled or shot.
second	The annulus fibrosus begins to disintegrate. The nerve roots are compressed, causing pain.	Pain when moving. Discomfort occurs when you remain in one position for an extended period of time.
third	The annulus fibrosus ruptures, causing a herniated disc. Scoliosis or pathological kyphosis occurs.	Pain when moving. Discomfort occurs when you remain in one position for an extended period of time.
fourth	Friction occurs between the vertebrae, causing the intervertebral joints to shift. Inflammation of the tissue surrounding the vertebrae. Cartilage tissue is replaced by bone tissue, thereby reducing motor function. Fibrosis occurs.	Pain when moving. Discomfort occurs when you remain in one position for an extended period of time.

Stages of exacerbation and remission can be observed. The latter is usually observed in stage 4.

disease extent

This is a more modern classification of thoracic osteochondrosis symptoms used by experts.

degree	changes and symptoms
first	Disc rupture caused by sudden movement or excessive force. Severe pain, similar to an electric current running down the spine. Muscle strain.
second	It is characterized by spinal instability. Pain when moving. protrude.
third	The pain becomes constant. Loss of feeling. Gait changes. Severe headache. Difficulty breathing. Tachycardia.
fourth	Spinal instability: The vertebrae slip and twist. Osteophytes grow, squeezing spinal nerves and putting pressure on the spinal cord.

Osteochondrosis of the chest can cause serious disease that is difficult to treat.

Thoracic osteochondrosis

Symptoms in women are virtually no different from the clinical picture in men. The main difference in this case is that in women, osteochondrosis occurs at an older age. Signs of osteochondrosis in women most often begin to appear during menopause or hormonal imbalances due to a peculiarity of the female body - estrogen effectively protects the spinal discs from destruction. In addition, as already noted, the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest may be similar to those of dangerous diseases of the breast.

Therefore, women need to undergo tests such as mammograms to confirm the diagnosis.

Osteochondrosis of the female chest can manifest in different ways. Clinical manifestations depend on age, pathological stage, and which vertebrae are affected and to what extent. One of the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women is a burning and itching sensation between the shoulder blades.The main symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women are as follows:

• Dorsago ("thoracic pain", "dagger pain") is a sudden, severe, severe pain in the chest (between the shoulder blades), most commonly after being in the same uncomfortable position for a long time. When you have chest and lower back pain, your muscles become tense and it becomes difficult to breathe. Back pain may worsen if you rotate your upper body.
• Chest pain is chronic mild pain in the breastbone. Chest pain can manifest not only as osteochondrosis, but also as diseases of the internal organs (lungs, heart, stomach) located in this area. The main difference in this type of pain in osteochondrosis is that the pain is superficial and segmental along the intercostal spaces. Chest pain caused by osteochondrosis can be worsened by movement and deep breathing and relieved by rest.

The following findings may indicate that osteochondrosis is progressing:

• Numbness and goosebumps in certain parts of the skin;
• Burning and itching sensation between shoulder blades;
• a cold feeling in the legs;
• Pain in the pharynx and esophagus;
• Stomach and intestinal dysfunction.

Treatment of female pathologies

It is almost impossible to completely eliminate thoracic osteochondrosis that has progressed, but using the means and methods of modern medicine, it is very possible to slow down or even prevent the formation of pathological degenerative dystrophy processes in the spinal motion segment tissues. Optimum treatment results can only be achieved through a comprehensive treatment approach of medications, various physical therapy techniques and targeted exercise therapy techniques (physiotherapy). The symptoms and treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis in women are not much different from those in men. In the acute phase of osteochondrosis of the spinal thoracic segment, patients require intensive treatment of the acute exacerbation phase, during which various drugs and physical procedures are used to help eliminate the first pain syndrome, as well as other negative manifestations of the disease.During remission, patients must receive maintenance treatment, mainly taking drugs to restore the bone and cartilage structure and physical therapy. In particularly severe cases, they sometimes resort to surgery to stabilize the spine's position.

What women with osteochondrosis feel like

Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis In addition to the typical symptoms indicating the presence of lesions in the chest area, there are also atypical symptoms of the disease in medical practice:

• Pain in the heart area. In this case, the symptoms are more similar to heart disease, such as a heart attack or angina. The pain feels dull or aching and can last for months. However, vascular medications did not lead to improvement, and electrocardiogram results did not reveal any abnormalities.
• Breast discomfort. Most common in women, it is characterized by a constant feeling of pain. It is often confused with breast disease. In this case, a more detailed diagnosis is required.
• abdominal cramps and pain. It is characterized by typical symptoms of various pathological processes in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, which are often mistaken for gastritis, ulcers or cholecystitis. With the strengthening of body movements.

Experts have also discovered two symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest that, if detected, can immediately indicate the development of the disease - so-called back pain and back pain.

complications of disease

Thoracic osteochondrosis is a painful disease that significantly reduces the patient's quality of life.

Osteochondrosis often affects multiple sectors gradually or simultaneously.

If left untreated, vascular compression may cause:

• cardiovascular system diseases;
• nutritional system;
• Digestion;
• respiratory system;

• faint;
• Dizziness;
• Panic and fear with rapid heartbeat and suffocation;
• chronic fatigue;
• Shingles.

Therefore, treatment of the disease should be comprehensive and aimed at eliminating all symptoms. If diagnosed correctly early, treatment has a good prognosis.