Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a serious degenerative-dystrophic pathology that is not yet amenable to a definitive cure. It proceeds against the background of the destruction of the intervertebral discs, displacement and protrusion of the vertebrae. When diagnosing the disease, doctors take into account that the signs of thoracic osteochondrosis in women and men are different. This is due to hormonal fluctuations in the female body. Women often go on diets, wear tight shoes with high heels, and have a hard time experiencing domestic conflicts. This affects the development, course and progression of the pathology of the musculoskeletal system.
Differences between female and male clinical manifestations
Diagnosis of thoracic osteochondrosis in women causes greater 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 decreases. This can cause the development of pathologies, they need to 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 a number of such specific signs that it is sometimes difficult to classify them as symptoms of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Doctors distinguish such characteristic differences between the male and female clinical picture, the further progression of thoracic osteochondrosis:
- clinical manifestations in women occur somewhat earlier. This is due to the spine, which is more fragile and vulnerable to the action of negative factors, the increased sensitivity to painful sensations;
- the intensity of pain in the thoracic region, stiffness varies depending on the menstrual cycle. This is due to the production of estrogen in the body - steroid sex hormones. They reduce the severity of pain that occurs against the background of thinning of the intervertebral discs and spasm of the neck muscles. Therefore, during the initial diagnosis, based on patient complaints, women are not always able to informally describe the sensations that disturb them;
- in men, thoracic osteochondrosis rarely causes the development of a concomitant disease. And in women, several pathologies can occur at the same time. At the same time, osteochondrosis can provoke the development of a disease that is not associated with the musculoskeletal system. Conversely, an endocrine or metabolic disorder leads to the destruction of cartilage tissue;
- for the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis, women are prescribed drugs that are used in the treatment of men in rare cases. These are antipsychotics, tranquilizers, sedatives. The psycho-emotional state of women is more labile, so among the symptoms there are anxiety, increased anxiety and insomnia. Sometimes, with the news of the incurability of the disease, depression occurs, which is eliminated only by a course of antidepressants.
Women are more likely to suffer from headaches. But unlike men, they do not suffer from an increase in the intensity of clinical manifestations during the day due to the action of estrogen.
An interesting fact is that as the pathology progresses in women, libido can increase. This is how steroid hormones work, which are intensely produced in the body to suppress pain. And men's sexual desire is significantly reduced due to a prostate innervation disorder.
Typical signs of the disease
Patients usually complain to doctors of pain in the shoulder blade area, aggravated by tilting or rotating the body. It radiates to the sides, lower back and even forearms. Pain is felt along the intercostal nerve, their intensity increases with coughing, laughing, sneezing. Reflex pain complicates the diagnosis, requires additional studies, consultations with an endocrinologist, cardiologist, mammologist, gynecologist.
Characteristic signs are stiffness, a feeling of stiffness.When moving, changing the position of the body, specific clicks are heard, usually associated with the displacement of the vertebrae relative to each other. Typical symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women also include the following clinical manifestations:
- sensation of "crawling goosebumps", decreased tactility of the chest or abdomen, numbness of certain areas of the skin;
- appearance of signs of intercostal neuralgia. When lifting weights, physical activity is increased, hypothermia, there is a sharp, piercing pain in the region of the ribs, spreading to the chest and sides;
- the development of stable back pain - a combination of pain sensations of varying degrees of intensity in the back. They can also occur during inhalation, intensify when climbing stairs, doing housework;
- muscle spasm that restricts range of motion. Muscle spasm occurs in response to compression by an osteophyte (bone growth) or an inflammatory edema of sensitive nerve endings in soft tissue.
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 by pain in the area of the nerve endings. There is a change in a woman's posture, in the gait. She tries to keep her back straight to prevent pain. But with the pathology of the 3rd degree, a 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 powerful muscular corset and its strong adhesion to the ribs allows it to withstand intense static and dynamic loads. Doctors often refer to thoracic osteochondrosis as a "chameleon disease". To detect it, differential diagnosis is necessary not only for pathologies of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, spondyloarthrosis), but also for diseases of the internal organs.
Patients often turn with complaints not to a vertebrologist or neuropathologist, but to a cardiologist, nephrologist, gastroenterologist, gynecologist. The fact is that the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are masked by clinical manifestations of angina pectoris, cholecystitis and renal colic. And an attack of intercostal neuralgia is very similar to myocardial infarction or appendicitis. What atypical signs of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine in women can occur in the phase of remission or relapse:
- pain in the heart region. They are mistaken for an angina attack or myocardial infarction. Cardiologists rule out heart pathologies after studying the results of an ECG and other instrumental tests;
- pain in the mammary glands. Discomfort does not go away 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 turns to a gastroenterologist after the occurrence of constant pain in the right or periodic hypochondrium or epigastrium. When diagnosing gastritis, cholecystitis, ulcerative lesions, various laboratory and instrumental studies are performed;
- pain in the lower abdomen. They often occur due to compression of the nerve endings in the spinal cord. Painful sensations and urination disorders are similar to signs of diseases of the genitourinary system. Urologists or gynecologists differentiate osteochondrosis from pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, uterine fibroids.
Despite the increased libido caused by estrogen production, patients exhibit reproductive system dysfunction. Anorgasmia (lack of orgasm) develops against the background of compression of the nerves that innervate the lower thoracic area of the back.
The close localization of the pathologies to the internal organs and the commonality of the innervation causes very specific clinical manifestations. Sometimes they disguise themselves as cerebrovascular accidents, kidney failure, hepatic colic, and even dental disease. The medical literature describes cases of tooth extraction treated due to persistent severe pain at their base. Subsequently, the cause of the pain syndrome was established - neurological symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis.
Vertebrological signs are more characteristic of cervical pathology, but are sometimes also detected in severe thoracic pathology. The destructive-degenerative processes in the vertebrae and discs cause sudden 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 an upcoming surgery, a decrease in physical activity sometimes become the causes of a depressive state.
How to eliminate the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
The methods of treatment of degenerative-dystrophic pathology in women and men are the same. Destroyed cartilage tissue cannot be restored, 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 soft tissues, the stage of the course of thoracic osteochondrosis. Women are much more likely to be prescribed antidepressants, tranquilizers, and sedatives. During the period of natural menopause, hormone replacement therapy can be prescribed, which is also necessary 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:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)in tablets. After a week of taking and improving well-being, women are prescribed external forms of NSAIDs;
- hormonal preparations. Glucocorticosteroids are usually used for drug blockages;
- muscle relaxants. Relax skeletal muscles, relieve painful muscle spasms;
- chondroprotectors. They partially regenerate damaged hyaline cartilage, after a couple of weeks of the course of administration, have an analgesic effect.
In the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis, physiotherapeutic procedures are actively used: UHF therapy, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, applications with ozokerite, paraffin, bischofite. Patients are shown massage, physiotherapy exercises, swimming, yoga.
If a woman does not seek medical help, diseases of the internal organs may soon develop. They are caused by the protrusion of the intervertebral disc into the narrowed spinal canal and the formation of hernias. Deterioration of the spinal column leads to compression of the spinal cord and therefore to the onset of renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal or cardiovascular diseases.