Thoracic osteochondrosis is a severe degenerative dystrophic pathology for which there is currently no complete cure.It occurs against the background of destruction of intervertebral discs, displacement and herniation of vertebrae.When diagnosing this disease, doctors take into account that the symptoms of osteochondrosis of the chest differ in women and men.This is explained by hormonal fluctuations in the female body.Women often insist on dieting, wear narrow high heels, and find it difficult to deal with family conflicts.This affects the development, course and progression of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.
Differences in clinical manifestations between women and men
Diagnosing osteochondrosis of the chest in women is more difficult due to hormonal characteristics.In younger patients, it fluctuates frequently every month.During natural menopause, the production of hormones in a woman's body decreases.This may lead to the development of lesions; they need to be differentiated.In men, the typical course of this disease is characteristic, which allows timely detection and immediate initiation of treatment.
The clinical manifestations of thoracic osteochondrosis in women include many very specific signs that are sometimes difficult to classify as symptoms of musculoskeletal system pathology.Doctors have found the following characteristic differences between the clinical presentation and further progression of thoracic osteochondrosis in men and women:
- Clinical manifestations appear slightly earlier in women.This is because the spine is more fragile, easily affected by negative factors, and more sensitive to the sensation of pain;
- The intensity and stiffness of chest pain vary according to the menstrual cycle.This is explained by the production of estrogen (steroid sex hormone) in the body.They can reduce the severity of pain caused by thinning of the spinal discs and spasm of the neck muscles.Therefore, during the initial diagnosis, based on patient complaints, women are not always able to describe in detail the feelings that bother them;
- In men, thoracic osteochondrosis rarely results in concomitant disease.Women may experience multiple conditions at the same time.In this case, osteochondrosis may lead to disorders unrelated to the musculoskeletal system.Conversely, endocrine or metabolic disorders can lead to the destruction of cartilage tissue;
- To treat osteochondrosis of the chest, in rare cases, women are given medications that are used to treat osteochondrosis in men.These are antipsychotics, sedatives, sedatives.Women have a more unstable mental and emotional state, so symptoms include anxiety, restlessness and insomnia.Sometimes depression develops when it is learned that the disease is incurable and can only be eliminated by taking antidepressants.
Women are more likely to experience headaches.But unlike men, their clinical manifestations during the day are not exacerbated by the effects of estrogen.
An interesting fact is that as the pathology progresses, the sexual desire in women may increase.This is the effect of steroid hormones, which are produced in large amounts in the body to suppress pain sensations.Men's sexual desire is significantly reduced due to prostate innervation disorders.
Typical symptoms of the disease
Patients often complain to their doctors of shoulder blade pain that worsens when they bend or turn their body.It radiates to the sides, lower back and even the forearms.Pain is felt along the intercostal nerves and increases in intensity with coughing, laughing, and sneezing.Referred pain complicates diagnosis and requires additional research and consultation with endocrinologists, cardiologists, breast doctors, and gynecologists.
A typical sign is stiffness, a feeling of constriction.A specific clicking sound is heard when moving or changing the body's position, usually related to the displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other.Typical symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women also include the following clinical manifestations:
- A "goosebump" feeling, decreased sensation in the chest or abdomen, and numbness in certain areas of skin;
- The appearance of signs of intercostal neuralgia.During heavy lifting, increased physical activity, or hypothermia, sharp, stabbing pain may occur in the rib area and spread to the chest and sides;
- Persistent back pain - a series of pain sensations of varying intensity in the back.They occur even when breathing in, are aggravated when climbing stairs, doing any household chores;
- Muscle spasms, limiting range of motion.Muscle spasms occur due to compression by osteophytes (bone growth) or inflammatory swelling of sensitive nerve endings in soft tissue.
Osteochondrosis of the chest is characterized by persistent tension in the muscles near the spine.This is discovered by palpation on initial examination, as is pain in the area of the nerve endings.The woman's posture and gait change.She tried to keep her back straight to prevent the pain.But with grade 3 pathology, curvature of the spine is already noted against the background of the development of scoliosis and the reduction of the distance between the vertebrae.
Pathological specific symptoms
Chest osteochondrosis is rarely diagnosed.This part of the spine is equipped with a powerful muscular corset, whose strong adhesion to the ribs allows it to withstand strong static and dynamic loads.Doctors often refer to osteochondrosis of the chest as "chameleon disease."To detect it, a differential diagnosis is required not only of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, spondyloarthropathy), but also of diseases of the internal organs.
Rather than seeking help from a chiropractor or neurologist, patients often seek help from a cardiologist, nephrologist, gastroenterologist or gynecologist.In fact, symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are disguised as clinical manifestations of angina, cholecystitis, and renal angina.Episodes of intercostal neuralgia are very similar to myocardial infarction or appendicitis.What atypical signs may occur during remission or relapse of thoracic osteochondrosis in women:
- pain in heart area.Mistaken for an angina attack or myocardial infarction.A cardiologist rules out heart disease after studying the results of an electrocardiogram and other instrumental tests;
- breast pain.The discomfort does not disappear for a long time and does not diminish in intensity.After the patient contacts a gynecologist or breast specialist, a breast ultrasound is performed to rule out benign and malignant tumors;
- Gastrointestinal pain (GIT).A woman comes to a gastroenterologist for help after experiencing persistent or recurring pain in her right rib cage or upper abdomen.Various laboratory and instrumental studies are required in the diagnosis of gastritis, cholecystitis, and ulcerative lesions;
- lower abdominal pain.They usually occur due to compression of nerve endings in the spinal cord.The pain and symptoms of urinary tract disorders are similar to those of genitourinary tract disorders.A urologist or gynecologist distinguishes osteochondrosis from pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, and uterine fibroids.
Despite increased libido due to estrogen production, reproductive system dysfunction was detected in the patient.Anorgasmia (lack of orgasm) occurs against the background of compression of the nerves that supply the lower part of the chest in the back.
The close localization of the pathology to visceral organs and common innervation results in a very specific clinical picture.Sometimes they are disguised as cerebrovascular accidents, kidney failure, liver colic or even dental disease.The medical literature describes cases in which teeth were treated by extraction due to persistent severe pain in the root.Subsequently, the cause of the pain syndrome - neurological symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis - was identified.
Vertebral symptoms are more typical of cervical spine pathology, but are sometimes detected in severe cases of thoracic pathology.Destructive and degenerative processes in the vertebrae and discs can lead to dramatic increases in blood pressure, dizziness, impaired movement coordination, headaches, and tinnitus.There have been cases of vision loss.
Many patients are diagnosed with psychoemotional disorders (teariness, anxiety, mood swings).Health problems, news of upcoming surgery, and reduced physical activity can sometimes be causes of depression.
How to Get Rid of Symptoms of Thoracic Osteochondrosis
The treatment of degenerative dystrophic pathologies is the same in women and men.Damaged cartilage tissue cannot be restored, so the main goal of treatment is to reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent further spread of pathology.
When choosing a method, the doctor takes into account the degree of destructive changes, the presence of inflammatory processes in the soft tissues, and the stage of osteochondrosis of the chest.Women take antidepressants, sedatives, and sedatives more often than men.During natural menopause, hormone replacement therapy can be performed and is also necessary to prevent osteoporosis (low bone mass).
To eliminate pain caused by osteochondrosis of the chest in women, drugs from different clinical and pharmacological groups are used:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)in tablets.After taking it for a week and feeling better, women take a topical NSAID;
- Hormone drugs.Glucocorticoids are often used for pharmacological blockade;
- muscle relaxants.Relax skeletal muscles and relieve muscle spasm pain;
- chondroprotectant.Damaged hyaline cartilage is partially regenerated and after a course of several weeks, they have an analgesic effect.
Physiotherapy methods are actively used in the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis: ultrahigh frequency therapy, laser therapy, magnetic therapy, application of ozokerite, paraffin, hydrocite.Patients receive massage, physical therapy, swimming and yoga.
If a woman does not seek medical help, diseases of the internal organs may soon appear.They are caused by a disc herniating into the narrow spinal canal and the formation of a hernia.Deterioration of the spine can lead to compression of the spinal cord, which can lead to the development of kidney, liver, gastrointestinal, or cardiovascular disease.