Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a severe degenerative-dystrophic pathology that has not yet been treated. The destruction of the intervertebral discs continues against the background of displacement and dislocation of the vertebrae. When diagnosing the disease, doctors take into account that the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are different in women and men. This is due to hormonal fluctuations in the female body. Women often follow diets, wear narrow high-heeled shoes, and have difficulty coping with domestic conflicts. It affects the development, course and progression of pathology of the musculoskeletal system.
Differences between clinical manifestations in women and men
Diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis in women is more difficult due to the characteristics of the hormonal background. Young patients often experience monthly fluctuations. In women, the production of hormones in the body decreases during natural menopause. This can lead to the development of pathologies, it is necessary to distinguish them. Men are characterized by a typical course of the disease, which allows it to be detected in time and begin treatment immediately.
The clinical picture of thoracic osteochondrosis in women includes so many specific symptoms that it is sometimes difficult to classify them as symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders. Doctors distinguish the following 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 increased sensitivity of the spine, which is more fragile and sensitive to the effects of adverse factors, to painful sensations;
- The severity of pain in the thoracic region, the severity varies according to the menstrual cycle. This is due to the production of estrogen - steroid sex hormones in the body. They reduce the severity of pain that occurs against the background of thinning of the intervertebral discs and spasms of the neck muscles. Therefore, based on patients' complaints at the time of initial diagnosis, women are not always able to informatively describe the feelings that bother them;
- In men, thoracic osteochondrosis rarely leads to the development of the disease. In women, several pathologies can occur at once. At the same time, osteochondrosis can lead to the development of a disease that is not related to the musculoskeletal system. Conversely, endocrine or metabolic disorders lead to the destruction of cartilage tissue;
- For the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis, women are rarely prescribed drugs used in the treatment of men. These are antipsychotics, tranquilizers, sedatives. The psycho-emotional state of women is more labile, so symptoms include anxiety, increased anxiety, and insomnia. Sometimes depression, which is relieved only by a course of antidepressants, occurs with the news of the incurability of the disease.
Headaches are more common in women. However, unlike men, they do not suffer from an increase in the intensity of clinical manifestations during the day under the influence of estrogen.
An interesting fact is that libido may increase in women with the development of pathology. This is how steroid hormones, which are intensively produced in the body, work to relieve pain. In men, sexual desire is significantly reduced as a result of impaired prostate innervation.
Typical symptoms of the disease
Patients often complain to doctors of pain in the area of the shoulder blades, aggravated by bending or turning the body. Spreads to the sides, lower back and even forearms. The pain is felt along the intercostal nerves, their intensity increases during coughing, laughing, sneezing. Reflected pain complicates the diagnosis, requires additional research, consultation with an endocrinologist, cardiologist, mammologist, gynecologist.
Characteristic symptoms are stiffness, a feeling of stiffness.When moving, changing the position of the body, special clicks are usually heard, which are associated with the displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other. Typical symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women include the following clinical manifestations:
- feeling of "creeping goosebumps", decreased ability to touch the chest or abdomen, numbness of some parts of the skin;
- occurrence of symptoms of intercostal neuralgia. When lifting weights, there is increased physical activity, hypothermia, sharp, piercing pain that spreads to the chest and sides in the rib area;
- development of stable dorsalgia - a combination of pain sensations of varying intensity in the back. They can even occur while breathing, climbing stairs, or doing any household chores;
- muscle spasm that limits range of motion. Muscle spasm occurs in response to compression in soft tissues by osteophytes (bone growth) or inflammatory edema of sensitive nerve endings.
Thoracic osteochondrosis is characterized by constant tension of the muscles located near the spine. This is determined by palpation during the initial examination, as well as pain in the area of the nerve endings. There is a change in a woman's posture and gait. He tries to keep his back straight to prevent pain. However, with grade 3 pathology, curvature of the spine is already noted against the background of the development of scoliosis and a decrease in the distance between the vertebrae.
Specific symptoms of pathology
Thoracic osteochondrosis is rarely diagnosed. This section 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 "chameleon disease". To detect it, differential diagnosis is required not only for pathologies of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, spondyloarthritis), but also for diseases of internal organs.
Patients often go to a cardiologist, nephrologist, gastroenterologist, gynecologist, not to a vertebrologist or neurologist. The fact is that the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are disguised as clinical manifestations of angina pectoris, cholecystitis and renal colic. And an intercostal neuralgia attack is very similar to a myocardial infarction or appendicitis. What atypical symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women may occur in remission or relapse?
- pain in the heart area. They are mistaken for an angina attack or myocardial infarction. Cardiologists rule out cardiac pathology after studying the results of ECG and other instrumental tests;
- pain in the mammary glands. Anxiety does not disappear for a long time and their intensity does not decrease. After the patient has contacted a gynecologist or mammologist, an ultrasound of the mammary glands is performed to rule out benign and malignant neoplasms;
- pain in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). A woman consults a gastroenterologist after experiencing constant pain in the right hypochondrium or epigastrium or periodically. When gastritis, cholecystitis, ulcerative lesions are diagnosed, various laboratory and instrumental studies are performed;
- pain in the lower abdomen. It often occurs due to compression of the nerve endings of the spinal cord. Painful sensations and urinary disorders are similar to the symptoms of diseases of the genitourinary system. Urologists or gynecologists distinguish osteochondrosis from pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, uterine fibroids.
Despite the increase in libido caused by estrogen production, patients show dysfunction of the reproductive system. Anorgasmia (absence of orgasm) develops against the background of compression of nerves that innervate the lower part of the posterior thoracic region.
The close localization of pathologies to the internal organs and the generality of innervation lead to very specific clinical manifestations. Sometimes they are disguised as cerebrovascular accidents, kidney failure, hepatic colic and even dental disease. The medical literature describes cases of extraction of treated teeth due to severe persistent pain at the base. The cause of the pain syndrome was later identified - neurological symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis.
Vertebrological symptoms are more characteristic of cervical pathology, but are sometimes found in severe thoracic pathologies. Destructive-degenerative processes in the spine and discs cause sharp jumps in blood pressure, dizziness, loss of coordination, headaches and tinnitus. There are cases of decreased visual acuity.
Many patients are diagnosed with psycho-emotional disorders (tears, anxiety, mood swings). Health problems, news of impending surgery, and decreased physical activity are sometimes causes of depression.
How to eliminate the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
The treatment of degenerative-dystrophic pathology is the same in women and men. Destroyed cartilage tissue cannot be repaired, so the main goals of therapy are to reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent further spread of the pathology.
When choosing a method, the doctor takes into account the degree of destructive changes, the presence of an inflammatory process in the soft tissues, the stage of thoracic osteochondrosis. Women prescribe more antidepressants, tranquilizers and sedatives than men. During natural menopause, hormone replacement therapy may be prescribed to prevent osteoporosis (loss of bone mass).
Drugs of different clinical and pharmacological groups are used to relieve pain in women with thoracic osteochondrosis:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)in tablets. After a week of receiving and improving well-being, women are prescribed external forms of NSAIDs;
- hormonal preparations. Glucocorticosteroids are commonly used for drug blockades;
- muscle relaxants. Relax skeletal muscles, relieve painful muscle spasms;
- chondroprotectors. It partially repairs damaged hyaline cartilage and has an analgesic effect after a course of several weeks.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are actively used in the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis: UHF therapy, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, ozokerite, paraffin, bischofite. Patients are shown massage, physiotherapy exercises, swimming, yoga.
If a woman does not consult a doctor, she may soon develop diseases of the internal organs. They are stimulated by the protrusion of the intervertebral disc into the narrowed spinal canal and the formation of hernias. Deterioration of the spine leads to compression of the spinal cord, followed by kidney, liver, gastrointestinal or cardiovascular pathology.