Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a severe degenerative-dystrophic pathology that is not yet amenable to definitive cure. It occurs against the background of destruction of 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 follow a diet, wear tight shoes with high heels and find it difficult to endure family conflicts. This affects the development, course and progression of 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 prone to frequent monthly fluctuations. In women, during natural menopause, there is a decrease in the production of hormones in the body. This can cause the development of pathologies, which must be distinguished. Men are characterized by a typical course of the disease, which allows them to be detected in time and start treatment immediately.
The clinical picture of thoracic osteochondrosis in women includes a number of signs that are so specific that they are sometimes difficult to classify as symptoms of musculoskeletal pathologies. Doctors distinguish such characteristic differences between male and female clinical picture, further progression of thoracic osteochondrosis:
- clinical manifestations in women occur somewhat earlier. This is due to the spine, which is more fragile and sensitive to the action of negative factors, increased sensitivity to painful sensations;
- 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 intensity of pain that occurs in the background of thinning of the intervertebral discs and spasms of the neck muscles. Therefore, during the initial diagnosis, based on patient complaints, women are not always able to informatively describe the feelings that disturb them;
- in men, thoracic osteochondrosis rarely causes the development of concomitant disease. And in women, several pathologies can appear at once. At the same time, osteochondrosis can cause the development of diseases that are not related to the musculoskeletal system. Conversely, endocrine or metabolic disorders lead to destruction of cartilage tissue;
- To treat thoracic osteochondrosis, women are prescribed medications that are rarely used to treat men. These are antipsychotics, sedatives, sedatives. The psycho-emotional state of women is more labile, so the symptoms include 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 experience 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.
It is interesting to note that with the progression of pathology in women, libido may increase. This is how steroid hormones work, which are intensively produced in the body to suppress pain. Men's sexual desire is also significantly reduced as a result of prostate innervation disorders.
Typical signs of disease
Patients usually complain to physicians of pain in the scapular region, which is intensified by tilting or turning the body. It radiates to the sides, lower back, and even the forearms. Pain is felt along the intercostal nerve, their intensity increases with coughing, laughing, sneezing. Reflected pain complicates the diagnosis, requires additional studies, consultations with endocrinologists, cardiologists, mammologists, gynecologists.
Characteristic signs are stiffness, a feeling of stiffness.When moving, changing body position, specific clicks are heard, usually associated with the movement of the vertebrae relative to each other. Typical symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women also include the following clinical manifestations:
- feeling of "creeping goosebumps", decreased tactility in the chest or abdomen, numbness of some parts of the skin;
- the appearance of signs of intercostal neuralgia. When lifting weights, increased physical activity, hypothermia, there is acute, penetrating pain in the ribs, which spreads to the chest and sides;
- development of stable dorsalgia - a combination of sensations of pain of varying intensity in the back. They can occur even when inhaling, they intensify when climbing stairs, doing any household chores;
- muscle spasm that limits range of motion. Muscle spasm occurs in response to osteophyte compression (bone growth) or inflammatory edema of 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 nerve endings. There is a change in the posture, the gait of the woman. She tries to keep her back straight to prevent pain. But in grade 3 pathology, curvature of the spine has already been 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 part of the spine is equipped with a strong muscular corset, and its strong grip on the ribs allows it to withstand intense static and dynamic loads. Doctors often call thoracic osteochondrosis "chameleon disease". In order to discover that, a differential diagnosis is needed not only for pathologies of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, spondyloarthritis), but also for diseases of internal organs.
Patients often complain not to a vertebrologist or neuropathologist, but to a cardiologist, nephrologist, gastroenterologist, gynecologist. The fact is that the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis are disguised 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 atypical signs of thoracic spine osteochondrosis in women may appear in remission or relapse:
- pain in the heart area. They are mistaken for an attack of angina or a myocardial infarction. Cardiologists rule out cardiac pathology after studying the results of ECG and other instrumental tests;
- pain in the mammary glands. The discomfort does not go away for a long time, and their intensity does not decrease. After the patient consults a gynecologist or mammologist, an ultrasound of the mammary glands is performed to rule out benign and malignant neoplasms;
- gastrointestinal pain (GIT). The woman consults a gastroenterologist after the appearance of constant pain in the right hypochondrium or epigastrium or periodic. 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 of the spinal cord. Painful sensations and urination disorders are similar to the signs of diseases of the genitourinary system. Urologists or gynecologists distinguish osteochondrosis from pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, uterine fibroids.
Despite the increased libido caused by estrogen production, patients show dysfunction of the reproductive system. Anorgasmia (lack of orgasm) develops against the background of compression of the nerves that innervate the lower thoracic zone of the back.
The close localization of pathologies on internal organs and joint innervation cause very specific clinical manifestations. They are sometimes disguised as cerebrovascular accidents, kidney failure, liver colic, and even dental disease. The medical literature describes cases of extraction of treated teeth due to severe persistent pain at their base. After that, the cause of the pain syndrome was determined - neurological symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis.
Vertebrological signs are more characteristic of cervical pathology, but are sometimes detected in severe thoracic pathology. Destructive-degenerative processes in the vertebrae and discs cause sudden jumps in blood pressure, dizziness, impaired coordination of movements, headaches and tinnitus. Cases of decreased visual acuity have been reported.
Psychoemotional disorders (crying, anxiety, mood swings) are diagnosed in many patients. Health problems, news of upcoming surgery, decreased physical activity sometimes become causes of depression.
How to eliminate the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis
The methods of treating degenerative-dystrophic pathology in women and men are the same. Destroyed cartilage tissue cannot be regenerated, so the main goals of therapy are 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 an inflammatory process in the soft tissues, the stage of thoracic osteochondrosis. It is much more common for women to be prescribed antidepressants, tranquilizers and sedatives than men. During natural menopause, hormone replacement therapy can be prescribed, which is also necessary for the prevention of osteoporosis (reduction of bone mass).
Drugs of different clinical and pharmacological groups are used to eliminate pain in thoracic osteochondrosis in women:
- 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 commonly used to block drugs;
- muscle relaxants. Relax skeletal muscles, relieve painful muscle cramps;
- chondroprotectors. They partially regenerate damaged hyaline cartilage, after a couple of weeks of application they have an analgesic effect.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are actively used in the treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis: UHF therapy, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, ozocerite, paraffin, bischofite applications. Patients are shown massage, physiotherapy exercises, swimming, yoga.
If a woman does not seek medical help, diseases of internal organs can soon develop. They are caused by the protrusion of the intervertebral disc into the narrowed spinal canal and the formation of a hernia. Deterioration of the spinal column leads to compression of the spinal cord, and then to the appearance of renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal or cardiovascular pathologies.