Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a severe degenerative-dystrophic pathology that remains incurable. It continues against the background of destruction of the intervertebral disc, displacement and protrusion of the vertebrae. When diagnosing the disease, doctors take into account that the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women and men are different. This is due to hormonal fluctuations in the female body. Women often adhere to a diet, wear narrow high -heeled shoes, and find it difficult to experience domestic conflict. This affects the development, course and pathology of the musculoskeletal system.
Differences between female and male clinical manifestations
The diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis in women causes more difficulties due to the peculiarities of the hormonal background. In young patients, it is subject to frequent monthly fluctuations. In women during natural menopause, the production of hormones in the body is reduced. This can lead to the development of pathology, they must be differentiated. Men are characterized by a typical course of the disease, which allows it to be detected in a timely manner and immediately begin treatment.
The clinical picture of thoracic osteochondrosis in women includes many very specific signs so that it is sometimes difficult to classify them as pathological symptoms of the musculoskeletal system. Doctors distinguish such characteristic differences between the clinical picture of men and women, the further development of thoracic osteochondrosis:
- clinical manifestations in women occur a little earlier. This is due to the spine, which is more fragile and prone to the action of negative factors, increased sensitivity to painful sensations;
- the intensity of pain in the thoracic area, stiffness varies depending on the menstrual cycle. This is due to the production of estrogen in the body - the steroid sex hormone. They reduce the severity of pain that occurs against the background of thinning of the intervertebral disc and spasm of the neck muscles. Thus, during the initial diagnosis, based on patient complaints, women are not always able to informatively describe the sensations that bother them;
- in men, thoracic osteochondrosis rarely causes the development of concomitant disease. And in women, several pathologies can occur at once. At the same time, osteochondrosis can trigger the development of diseases not associated with the musculoskeletal system. On the other hand, endocrine or metabolic disorders lead to the destruction of cartilage tissue;
- for the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis, women are prescribed drugs used in the treatment of men in rare cases. It is an antipsychotic, sedative, sedative. Women’s psycho-emotional state is more unstable, so among the symptoms are anxiety, increased anxiety, and insomnia. Sometimes, with news of the disability of the disease, depression occurs, which is eliminated only with a course of antidepressants.
Women are more likely to experience headaches. But unlike men, they do not experience an increase in the intensity of clinical manifestations during the day due to the action of estrogen.
An interesting fact is that with the development of pathology in women, libido can increase. This is how steroid hormones work, which are intensively produced in the body to suppress pain. And male sexual desire is significantly reduced as a result of prostate conservation disorders.
Common signs of the disease
Patients usually complain to the doctor about pain in the shoulder blade area, aggravated by tilting or turning the body. It radiates to the sides, lower back and even the forearms. Pain is felt along the intercostal nerves, their intensity increases with coughing, laughing, sneezing. Reflected pain complicates the diagnosis, requires additional studies, consultation with endocrinologists, cardiologists, mammologists, gynecologists.
The characteristic signs are stiffness, a sense of stiffness.When moving, changing body position, certain clicks are heard, usually associated with displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other. Typical symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women also include the following clinical manifestations:
- feeling of "creeping creep", decreased touch in the chest or abdomen, numbness of some areas of skin;
- occurrence of signs of intercostal neuralgia. When lifting weights, increased physical activity, hypothermia, there is acute pain, stabbing in the rib area, spreading to the chest and sides;
- stable development of dorsalgia - a combination of pain sensations of varying intensity in the back. It can occur even while inhaling, intensifying when climbing stairs, doing any housework;
- muscle spasms that limit range of motion. Muscle spasm occurs in response to compression by osteophytes (bone growth) or inflammatory edema at sensitive nerve endings in soft tissues.
Thoracic osteochondrosis is characterized by constant tension of the muscles located near the spine. This is detected by palpation during the initial examination, as well as pain in the area of the nerve endings. There is a change in posture, gait of a woman. She tried to keep her back straight to avoid pain. But with stage 3 pathology, curvature of the spine is already observed against the background of the development of scoliosis and a decrease in the distance between the vertebrae.
Pathological specific symptoms
Thoracic osteochondrosis is rarely diagnosed. This part of the spine is equipped with a strong muscular corset, and its strong adhesion to the ribs allows it to withstand intense static and dynamic loads. Doctors often call thoracic osteochondrosis a "chameleon disease. " To detect it, a differential diagnosis is needed not only for pathology of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, spondyloarthrosis), but also for diseases of internal organs.
Patients often turn with complaints not to vertebrologists or neuropathologists, but to cardiologists, nephrologists, gastroenterologists, gynecologists. The fact is that the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis masquerade as clinical manifestations of angina pectoris, cholecystitis, and renal colic. And an attack of intercostal neuralgia is very similar to a myocardial infarction or appendicitis. What are the atypical signs of thoracic spine osteochondrosis in women can occur in remission or relapse:
- pain in the heart area. They are mistaken for angina attacks or myocardial infarction. Cardiologists exclude cardiac pathology after reviewing ECG results and other instrumental tests;
- pain in the mammary glands. The discomfort does not disappear for a long time, and their intensity does not decrease. After the patient contacts a gynecologist or mammologist, mammary gland ultrasound is performed to exclude benign and malignant neoplasms;
- pain in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). A woman turns to a gastroenterologist after the onset of persistent pain in the right hypochondrium or epigastrium or periodically. When diagnosing gastritis, cholecystitis, ulcerative lesions, various laboratory and instrumental studies are performed;
- pain in the lower abdomen. Often occurs due to compression of the nerve endings of the spinal cord. Painful sensations and urinary disturbances are similar to the symptoms of diseases of the genitourinary system. A urologist or gynecologist distinguishes osteochondrosis from pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, uterine fibroids.
Despite the increase in libido caused by estrogen production, the patient showed dysfunction of the reproductive system. Anorgasmia (lack of orgasm) develops against the background of nerve compression that invades the lower part of the posterior thoracic zone.
The close localization of the pathology to the internal organs and the similarity of conservation lead to very specific clinical manifestations. Sometimes they masquerade as cerebrovascular accidents, kidney failure, hepatic colic, and even dental disease. The medical literature describes cases of tooth extraction treated as a result of persistent severe pain at its base. After that, the cause of the pain syndrome is established - the neurological symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis.
Vertebrological signs are more characteristic of cervical pathology, but sometimes they are also detected in severe thoracic pathology. The destruction-degenerative process in the vertebrae and discs causes sharp jumps in blood pressure, dizziness, impaired coordination of movements, headaches, and tinnitus. There have been cases of decreased visual acuity.
Psycho-emotional disorders (crying, anxiety, mood swings) are diagnosed in many patients. Health problems, news of upcoming surgical operations, a decrease in physical activity are sometimes the cause of depressive states.
How to eliminate the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
Methods of treatment of degenerative-dystrophic pathology in women and men are similar. Destroyed cartilage tissue cannot be restored, so the main objective of therapy is to reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent further pathological spread.
When choosing a method, the doctor takes into account the degree of destructive changes, the presence of inflammatory processes in soft tissues, the stage of course of thoracic osteochondrosis. Women are more likely than men to be given antidepressants, sedatives and tranquilizers. During the natural menopausal period, hormone replacement therapy may be prescribed, which is also needed for the prevention of osteoporosis (decreased bone mass).
To eliminate pain in thoracic osteochondrosis in women, drugs of various clinical and pharmacological groups are used:
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)in a tablet. After a week of taking and improving well -being, women were prescribed external forms of NSAIDs;
- hormone supplies. Glucocorticosteroids are commonly used for drug restriction;
- muscle relaxants. Relax skeletal muscles, relieve painful muscle spasms;
- chondroprotector. Regenerating part of the damaged hyaline cartilage, after a few weeks of course administration, they have an analgesic effect.
In the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis, physiotherapeutic procedures are actively used: UHF therapy, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, application with ozocerite, paraffin, bischofite. Patients are shown massage, physiotherapy exercises, swimming, yoga.
If a woman does not seek medical help, then the disease of internal organs may soon. They are provoked by the protrusion of the intervertebral disc into the narrow spinal canal and the formation of hernias. Deterioration of the spinal column leads to compression of the spinal cord, and then to the occurrence of renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal or cardiovascular pathology.