Tumors of the thoracic spine are much less common than of the cervical or lumbar spine. This is due to the fact that the vertebrae in the thoracic region are more closely connected with each other and movement in the joints is minimal. In addition, this part of the spine also has protective muscles and is fixed more firmly by the ribs.
However, thoracic osteonecrosis is such a disease, the treatment of which should not be postponed until later, as this can lead to undesirable consequences.
Causes of osteonecrosis of the thoracic spine
The main cause is degenerative-dystrophic changes occurring in the intervertebral discs. This may be due to the presence of scoliosis or the following factors:
- Genetic
- Eating and metabolic disorders
- Overweight
- Increase physical activity
- Physically inactive, in a stretched position
- Spinal cord injury
- Nervous tension
- Old age
- Smoke
- Hypothermia
All of these factors affect the nutrition of the intervertebral discs, which in turn leads to metabolic disturbances and the onset of degenerative changes in them.
Symptoms of thoracic osteonecrosis
A similar pathology makes oneself feel with painful sensations.
They are of two types:
- Low back pain or chest pain. This is a sudden, sharp, and severe pain in the spine that occurs when trying to stand up after being in the same position for a long time, often working long hours at a table in a tilted position. Pain is felt even when breathing, muscles are tense, movement in the chest and adjacent spine is limited.
- Back pain (back pain). In this case, the pain is not so pronounced, at rest it causes only mild discomfort. But when you try to bend over or take a deep breath, it gets stronger. In this state, the mobility of the spine is reduced, the muscles of the back are tense.
- When the first root is lost, there is decreased sensitivity and pain occurs in the upper thoracic vertebrae, extending to the supraclavicular region to the elbow joint.
- If 2-6 roots are compressed, the pain is concentrated in the ribs and spreads from the spine down to the intertrochanteric and axillary areas.
- Compression of the 7th and 8th roots leads to muscle tension in this area and the appearance of painful sensations of a elastic nature from the paravertebral joints to the epigastrium.
- The defeat of the 9th and 10th roots causes pain in the lower thoracic vertebrae, spreading to the navel, 11 and 12 - below the navel.
Signs of osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine may be manifested by pain between the ribs. The reason is that the nerve root is compressed, leading to reduced sensitivity and limited movement.
Visceral manifestations of osteonecrosis of the thoracic spine
Lens syndromes are often accompanied by complaints of internal organs:
- Failure of the upper thoracic root may be accompanied by pain in the esophagus and pharynx, with a foreign body sensation there. These symptoms can be cyclical or continuous, and when you press on the area of the spine affected by osteonecrosis, it becomes stronger.
- If the medial thoracic root is affected, discomfort and pain occur in the stomach, which is aggravated by prolonged lying on a hard surface and supine when moving in the respective part of the spine.
- If the following pathological changes have occurred, there will be duodenal discomfort, which is intensified when coughing or sneezing, turning or sitting for a long time.
Tumors in the thoracic region can cause disturbances in the functioning of the stomach. In this case, there are:
- Nausea
- Heartburn
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- pain in left lower abdomen
- Flatulence
- Possibly vomiting
With regard to disruption of the normal functioning of the duodenum, the following may occur:
- Epigastric and back pain
- Belching
- Nausea
- Heaviness in the right hypochondrium
- Sometimes bloating and vomiting
Often, osteonecrosis of the thoracic spine can cause the onset of symptoms characteristic of heart disease:
- Burning left chest
- Pain like cutting, burning, pressing heart
- A feeling of constriction in the throat
Osteochondrosis can cause laryngospasm (spasm of the larynx), during attacks that make breathing difficult and wheezing, coughing may occur. In this case, it is very important to determine whether such symptoms are pulmonary pathology.
Treatment of osteonecrosis of the thoracic spine
Because there are many different types of medical conditions that can mask this, you should see a neurologist, a neurologist who will advise you on the following studies:
- X ray
- CT (computed tomography)
- MRI
As a rule, this is enough to determine the pathology and make a diagnosis.
In the treatment of osteonecrosis, the main goals are:
- Pain relief
- Restore the functions of the spinal roots
- Slows down dystrophic changes in the intervertebral disc
For this, the following procedures are quite effective:
- Vacuum and laser therapy
- Acupuncture
- Jacuzzi
- Electrophoresis
- Measure inductance
- Massage
- Traction (traction)
- Magneto and medicinal acupuncture
- Exercise therapy
Drug treatment for osteonecrosis:
- NSAIDs
- Chondroprotectors
- Ointment
- Muscle relaxants, which work to reduce muscle spasms
If the methods listed do not lead to satisfactory results, then the treatment of osteonecrosis of the thoracic spine is performed surgically.
The operation consists of two phases:
- Remove the cause of the pain (decompression).
- Discectomy - removal of the disc or only part of the disc.
- Diverticular resection - widens the canal to prevent compression of the nerve by discs or bone spurs.
- Facetectomy - removal of facet joints located between the processes of the vertebrae of the joint to remove the attachment of nerve fibers.
- Spondylolisthesis - the posterior part of the vertebrae is removed, which has the effect of compressing the spinal cord during deformity.
- Spondylectomy - the difference from the previous surgery is the removal of a piece of the back part of the vertebrae.
- Keratectomy - removal of the vertebrae and adjacent discs with a bone implant.
- Stabilize the spine. When a vertebra or disc is removed, the supporting structure of the human body is disturbed, which can lead to the appearance of serious neurological pathologies. To avoid negative consequences, the vertebrae must be immobilized. Usually, vertebral fusion (spine fusion) is used, where conditions are created to fuse the bones of the spine. The resulting gaps are filled with grafts from the patient's or donor's bones, as well as special biologics that help stimulate the recovery of bone tissue.
Treatment of osteonecrosis with alternative methods
In this case, it should be for pain relief, which can only be used in conjunction with formal treatment. For this, various herbs are used that have anti-inflammatory, local anesthetic and sedative properties.
To reinforce a positive treatment outcome, it is necessary to eat in moderation, to try to avoid stressful situations and to be physically active. In this case, osteonecrosis will be much less of a bother to you.