Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine

Thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine is the “safest” of all types of osteochondrosis, because the thoracic spine is the least mobile. This form of the disease occurs rarely; more often people develop cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis. It is difficult to diagnose and its symptoms can be mistaken for other diseases.

Symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis

According to the manifested signs, osteochondrosis of this form is similar to diseases of the heart, respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract:

dorsalgia – constant aching chest pain that occurs with little physical activity and may not stop at night;
dorsago (chest lumbago) with a deep breath, sudden movements, bending or turning;
when raising your arm, pain appears between the shoulder blades;
intercostal pain.

In addition, various areas of the skin become numb, and there may be a feeling of coldness in the legs.

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Treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis

At the early stage of osteochondrosis, for a complete cure, it is enough to follow the doctor’s recommendations - do gymnastics and swimming. But if the disease has developed more strongly, then it will have to be treated with stronger means.

The treatment course for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is designed to stop the destruction of intervertebral discs and restore their structure. Diclofenac, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal drugs are used as anti-inflammatory drugs. Muscle tension is relieved with muscle relaxants (sirdalud or mydocalm). To stabilize the condition, chondroprotectors (glucosamine, chondroitin and others) are prescribed.

In addition to drug treatment, a rehabilitation course will be prescribed, including visits to physiotherapy rooms. Hardware physiotherapy using electromagnetic, ultrasound, and laser effects helps to successfully fight osteochondrosis. Therapeutic massage, mud therapy, taping and exercises in the pool are also recommended.

But conservative treatment does not always help. If the result is not achieved, surgical intervention may be required.

Can osteochondrosis make breathing difficult?

Breathing problems with osteochondrosis are quite possible, since the spinal column is the receptacle for the spinal cord, the most important organ of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for controlling the functions of the entire body.

To understand how osteochondrosis and breathing disorders are interconnected, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic anatomy and physiology of the spinal column. In short, here are the main points:

the spinal column consists of individual vertebral bodies, which together with the arcuate processes form the spinal canal;
between the vertebral bodies there are intervertebral cartilaginous discs;
each disc consists of a dense shell (annulus fibrosus) and an internal pulposus (nucleus pulposus);
between the cartilaginous disc and the vertebral body there is an endplate - it provides more than half the volume of diffuse nutrition of bone tissue and the fibrous ring;
also, nutrition and fluid into the cartilage tissue of the fibrous ring comes from the paravertebral muscles located next to the spinal column (but for this they must be subjected to regular and sufficient physical activity);
Intervertebral discs do not have their own vascular network - this is the reason for the development of osteochondrosis.

Inside the spinal canal is the spinal cord, covered with dural membranes. Paired radicular nerves depart from it through the foraminal openings in the lateral surfaces of the vertebral bodies. They branch and are directed to individual parts of the body, internal organs, and muscles in order to ensure their performance. Each paired root nerve consists of motor (motor) and sensory (sensory) axons.

Some of the branches of the radicular nerves extending from the thoracic spinal cord are responsible for the innervation of the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm. This is a respiratory muscle that, when expanded, allows for inhalation, and when contracted, allows for exhalation.

The process of regulating breathing is as follows:

the respiratory center is located in the brain, which sends signals to the respiratory muscles;
control occurs on the basis of analysis of the amount of oxygen entering the brain and carbon dioxide contained in the blood;
all tissues, when functioning, consume oxygen as an oxidizing agent and emit carbon dioxide;
when you inhale, the alveoli of the lung tissue absorb oxygen and supply it to the arterial blood;
there, oxygen molecules combine with hemoglobin contained in red blood cells and are transported to the tissues of internal organs and the brain;
the respiratory center determines how much oxygen is contained; if there is a large amount of carbon dioxide, then a command is given to relax the respiratory muscles and increase the volume of the chest so that the person takes a breath;
after saturating the respiratory center with oxygen, a command is given to contract the muscles and exhale.

The more actively a person works, for example, physically, the faster his breathing becomes. This is necessary for complete tissue gas exchange. And nerve impulses to the respiratory muscles are transmitted using the radicular nerves and the spinal cord.

Now let’s answer the question of whether osteochondrosis can make breathing difficult and, if so, how exactly. Yes, osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine can really create difficulties with the breathing process. Here's how this physiological process is disrupted:

osteochondrosis is degenerative dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs, due to which their height decreases and the occupied area increases;
when the intervertebral discs extend beyond the vertebral bodies they separate, they begin to exert compressive pressure on the surrounding soft tissues, including the radicular nerves;
the nerve fiber becomes inflamed;
it makes it difficult for a nerve impulse to pass through it;
intercostal myopathy or neuralgia may develop;
if there is a serious violation of innervation, the patient cannot take a full breath;
this provokes hypercapnia, accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood, methemoglobinemia and oxygen deficiency in the brain.

All this leads to various negative consequences. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to any breathing problems and promptly consult a doctor.

Complications of thoracic osteochondrosis

With inadequate treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine, complications may develop in the form of the following diseases:

protrusion;
spinal hernia;
kyphosis;
stenosis;
radiculitis;
spinal cord compression.

Often these diseases can only be cured by surgery. To avoid this, you need to go swimming, do gymnastics regularly and strengthen your back muscles.

By visiting our clinic, you can undergo a full course of treatment for thoracic osteochondrosis under the supervision of experienced neurologists.

Difficulty breathing with cervical osteochondrosis

Now let's look at more special cases. Why, for example, is breathing difficult with cervical osteochondrosis and what pathological processes provoke this problem.

Breathing with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine may be impaired due to the negative effects of the following factors:

pressure of the intervertebral discs on the radicular nerves and cervicothoracic nerve plexus;
excessive static tension in the muscles of the neck and collar area, due to which blood flow through the posterior vertebral arteries is disrupted and the brain structure suffers from a lack of blood supply;
the nerve fibers responsible for the innervation of the intercostal muscles are compressed;
the breathing process is disrupted during the development of various autonomic reactions;
hemodynamics in the coronary blood vessels are disrupted;
with deterioration of hemodynamics in the pulmonary circulation, serous effusion may appear in the pleural membranes, which compresses the lung tissue and does not allow the person to breathe fully.

Cervical osteochondrosis can also cause difficulty breathing in more severe cases. These are intervertebral hernia and spinal canal stenosis. In the first case, many functions of vital organs are disrupted. In cases of spinal cord stenosis, sudden cessation of breathing may occur. People with pathologies in the cervical spine often experience sleep apnea (stopping breathing). This has an extremely negative impact on the quality of rest and the condition of internal organs.

Breathing problems should not be ignored during the development of cervical osteochondrosis. Make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. The sooner you get tested, the higher the chances of a full recovery.

How to get rid of shortness of breath

Shortness of breath is only a symptom, therefore it can be eliminated during the treatment of osteochondrosis. Only after the underlying pathology is cured, all its clinical manifestations disappear. Osteochondrosis is one of the diseases that cannot yet be completely cured. But with the help of a course of pharmacological drugs, it is possible to stop the spread of the destructive process and reduce the severity of symptoms.

Drugs that eliminate shortness of breath in osteochondrosis	Therapeutic effect
Pentoxifylline, Trental, Nicotinic acid, Eufillin	They improve microcirculation and have angioprotective and antiaggregation effects. Dilate blood vessels, have a stimulating effect on the respiratory center, increase the frequency and strength of heart contractions
Mydocalm, Tolperizone, Sirdalud, Baklosan, Baclofen	Relaxes skeletal muscles, eliminates muscle spasms, prevents pinching of nerve roots and blood vessels
Milgamma, Combilipen, Neurobion, Pentovit, Neuromultivit	They supply the body's nerve cells with glucose, normalize the conduction of nerve impulses, and increase the ability of nerve tissue to regenerate.

To improve breathing during therapy, doctors recommend regularly doing therapeutic exercises and physical education, yoga, and swimming. Sleeping on an orthopedic mattress and pillow can often help you get rid of shortness of breath.

Orthopedic mattress.