Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine is a severe degenerative-dystrophic pathology that is not yet subject to a definitive cure. It proceeds against the background of the 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 adhere to diets, wear narrow, high-heeled shoes, and have difficulty coping with domestic 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 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 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 start treatment.
The clinical picture of thoracic osteochondrosis in women includes numerous signs so specific that it is sometimes difficult to classify them as symptoms of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Doctors distinguish these characteristic differences between the male and female clinical picture, the further progression of thoracic osteochondrosis:
- Clinical manifestations in women occur a little earlier. This is due to the spine, which becomes more fragile and vulnerable to the action of negative factors, increased sensitivity to painful sensations;
- the intensity of pain in the thoracic region, the stiffness varies according to 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 the patients' complaints, women are not always able to describe in an informative way the sensations that bother 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. On the other hand, 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, therefore, among the symptoms 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 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 estrogens.
An interesting fact is that with the progression of the pathology in women, libido may increase. This is how steroid hormones work, which are intensively produced in the body to suppress pain. And men's sexual desire is significantly reduced as a result of a disorder of the innervation of the prostate.
Typical signs of the disease
Patients often complain to doctors of pain in the shoulder blade area, made worse by bending or rotating the body. It radiates to the sides, lower back and even forearms. Pain is felt along the intercostal nerve, its intensity increases with coughing, laughing, sneezing. Reflected pain complicates the diagnosis, requires additional studies, consultations with an endocrinologist, cardiologist, mammologist, gynecologist.
The 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 in relation to each other. Typical symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis in women also include the following clinical manifestations:
- sensation of "chills", decreased feeling in the chest or abdomen, numbness of some areas of the skin;
- occurrence of signs of intercostal neuralgia. When lifting weights, increasing physical activity, hypothermia, there is a sharp, stabbing pain in the rib area, 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 occur even when inhaling, intensify when climbing stairs, doing any housework;
- muscle spasm that limits range of motion. Muscle spasm occurs in response to compression by an osteophyte (bone growth) or inflammatory swelling of sensitive nerve endings in soft tissues.
Thoracic osteochondrosis is characterized by constant tension in the muscles located close to 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, in a woman's gait. She tries to keep her back straight to avoid pain. But with 3rd degree pathology, a curvature of the spine is already observed against the background of the development of scoliosis and a decrease in the distance between the vertebrae.
Specific symptoms of the 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 call thoracic osteochondrosis "chameleon disease". To detect it, differential diagnosis is necessary not only for pathologies of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, spondyloarthrosis), but also for diseases of internal organs.
Patients often refer complaints 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 osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine in women can occur in the remission or relapse stage:
- pain in the heart region. They are mistaken for an angina attack or myocardial infarction. Cardiologists exclude cardiac pathologies after studying the results of an ECG and other instrumental tests;
- pain in the mammary glands. The discomfort does not go away for a long time and its intensity does not decrease. After the patient contacts a gynecologist or mammologist, an ultrasound of the mammary glands is performed to exclude benign and malignant neoplasms;
- gastrointestinal tract (GI) pain. A woman goes to a gastroenterologist after the occurrence 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 in the spinal cord. Painful sensations and urination disturbances are similar to signs of diseases of the genitourinary system. Urologists or gynecologists differentiate osteochondrosis from pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, uterine fibroids.
Despite the increase in libido caused by estrogen production, patients have 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 location of the pathologies close to the internal organs and the commonality of the innervation cause very specific clinical manifestations. Sometimes they disguise themselves as strokes, kidney failure, liver colic and even dental disease. The medical literature describes cases of extraction of treated teeth due to persistent strong pain in their base. Subsequently, the cause of the pain syndrome was established - neurological symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis.
Vertebrologic signs are more characteristic of cervical pathology, but are sometimes also 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. There were cases of decreased visual acuity.
Psycho-emotional disorders (crying, anxiety, mood swings) are diagnosed in many patients. Health problems, the news of an upcoming surgical operation, the 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 cartilaginous tissue cannot be restored, so the main goals of therapy are to reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent the 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 the course of thoracic osteochondrosis. Women are much more likely than men to be given antidepressants, tranquilizers and sedatives. During the period of natural menopause, hormone replacement therapy may 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 pills. After a week of taking and improving wellness, women are given external forms of NSAIDs;
- hormonal preparations. Glucocorticosteroids are commonly used for drug blocks;
- muscle relaxants. Relax skeletal muscles, relieve painful muscle spasms;
- chondroprotectors. Partially regenerates 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, applications with ozokerite, paraffin, bischofite. Patients are shown massage, physical therapy exercises, swimming, yoga.
If a woman does not seek medical help, diseases of Organs internal organs can 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 spine leads to compression of the spinal cord and then to the occurrence of renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal or cardiovascular pathologies.