What causes pain in the thoracic spine

When a person feels discomfort and pain symptoms in the thoracic spinal area, most often the first thought is that he is tired, has a cold, has a cold, or has “something wrong with his heart.” The spine is the last thing people think about, sometimes only after the doctor diagnoses a pathology of the musculoskeletal system. The second cause of pain, rivaling this one in frequency, is a disruption in the functioning of internal organs. There are a lot of other reasons, and it is important to recognize on your own and in time, at least at the initial stage, why your back hurts at chest level. This is necessary for timely consultation with a doctor, because in some cases pain in this area can be dangerous.

Pain in the thoracic spine

Why does the thoracic area of ​​the back hurt?

The spine in this part consists of 12 vertebrae, which are coded with the letter T. This is the most massive and extended part of the entire spinal column. Its task is to withstand heavy mechanical loads. The difference between the upper back and the cervical area is that it is static. The vertebrae of the neck are mobile, while the thoracic vertebrae are not mobile. They are rigidly fixed to each other to avoid unauthorized shifting of the intercostal arches.

Cervical region

By the way. Not the entire section is equally immobile; the T1-T4 segment is characterized by some mobility. Further, starting from the fifth link, freedom of movement is limited to the maximum. It is for this reason that pain occurs most often at the location of the T4 vertebra, the transition from the moving part to the fixed part. This is the area between the shoulder blades, located in a direct projection to the chest.

What can cause pain in the named area, and how to classify sensations in order to understand its source.

Table. Causes of pain in the thoracic spinal area.

Features of treatment

Treatment of diseases of the spine and joints should be comprehensive. If you eliminate the symptoms, but do not treat the underlying disease, it may worsen and soon lead to a new exacerbation.

First, if the back pain in the thoracic region is very severe, intensive therapy methods are used to quickly relieve acute symptoms. In this case, the patient can undergo therapeutic blockades - injections of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs into the center of the localization of the pathological process. They provide almost immediate pain relief.

During the first examination of the patient, the doctor also learns his complaints and studies the medical history. In some cases, the data obtained in this way is sufficient to make a diagnosis.

The subsequent therapy program is drawn up by the doctor individually, taking into account the main diagnosis, concomitant pathologies and other factors.

Treatment of protrusions, herniated intervertebral discs and scoliosis of 1-2 degrees in most cases is carried out using conservative methods and does not require surgical intervention.

Treatment of radiculitis should include therapy not only for this syndrome, but also for the underlying disease. Radiculopathy does not develop independently, but in the presence of other spinal pathology.

Thoracic osteochondrosis also needs to be treated non-symptomatically. Thanks to the right approach, you can reduce the severity of pain and ensure restoration of the structure and functionality of the spine.

For the treatment of diseases of the spine and joints the following is used:

• medications;
• massotherapy;
• spinal correction;
• physiotherapeutic procedures;
• therapeutic exercises.

Each technique has its own mechanism of action and ensures the achievement of a specific result. The best effect is achieved with complex treatment, when all parts of the pathological process are affected.

Sometimes, after completing the main treatment, the patient may need to undergo a rehabilitation course. Its purpose may be to eliminate residual neurological symptoms and restore normal mobility of the spine and joints.

You can find out about the cost of treatment in the “Prices” section.

Intercostal neuralgia

With this diagnosis, a person experiences severe pain when being in an uncomfortable position, making sudden movements, sneezing, coughing, or simply inhaling and exhaling. The pain, once it begins, persists for a long time and practically does not go away completely, only subsiding slightly. An attack can occur both during the day and at night, even during sleep.

Intercostal neuralgia

Important. This pathology mainly affects older and elderly people; children do not suffer from intercostal neuralgia.

The pathology is related cause-and-effect to thoraco-dorsal osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernia.

Spine or heart

This disease is quite difficult to differentiate from angina pectoris. In any case, most patients mistake discomfort in the intercostal space for heart pain.

There are a number of differences between it and angina that you need to know.

1. In case of cardiac pathologies, pain begins and continues during the load while it is being carried out. If you take a calm position, it hurts less. Neuralgia maintains pain even at rest.
2. There are several pain points for neuralgic pain, and they can be easily felt from the back. Angina pectoris causes girdling pain in the dorso-thoracic area, which is diffuse in nature.
3. Relief of angina pain occurs at rest and only neuralgic pain can be weakened by changing position.

Symptoms of an angina attack

If you want to learn in more detail how to treat osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic region, as well as consider the symptoms and manifestations, you can read an article about this on our portal.

Treatment

The following methods are used to relieve neuralgic pain: therapy, blockade, surgery.

How to relieve pain in the thoracic spine?

If the unpleasant sensations were caused by emotional stress, then to get rid of mild discomfort it will be enough to normalize the psychological situation and rest regime. In more complex cases, physiotherapy, massage, acupuncture and exercise therapy will help. These measures can reduce stress levels and eliminate pain. If the examination reveals diseases of the musculoskeletal system, complex treatment will be required, which may include:

• taking medications;
• physiotherapy;
• diet;
• reflexology (acupuncture);
• manual therapy;
• exercise therapy;
• massage;
• in some cases - the use of orthopedic devices (corsets, etc.).

To normalize blood flow and local metabolic processes, eliminate pain and inflammation, stop the growth of osteophytes and regenerate cartilage tissue, a combination of gentle physical activity, medication (anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors and others) and various types of physiotherapy are necessary. Massage, acupuncture and other auxiliary techniques increase the effectiveness of the main treatment and help normalize sleep, relieve excessive muscle tension and pain. In the network of clinics “Hello!” Each patient receives a set of treatment procedures that are most effective for their condition. To quickly determine the causes of pain, modern diagnostic equipment is used to identify spinal pathologies and their complications in the early stages. Patients are treated by highly qualified doctors who constantly study the latest treatment methods and successfully apply them in practice.

Pleurisy

This disease is the second common cause of pain occurring in the thoracic-vertebral region. It is into it that the pain emanating from the internal organ – the lungs – radiates. The affected petals of the pulmonary pleura become inflamed and cause pain during inhalation and exhalation, almost constant, of varying degrees of intensity.

Pleurisy

By the way. This disease can begin and develop as an independent pathology, or it can be a consequence of dysfunction of the pulmonary system due to other diseases.

The causes of effusion pleurisy include:

• tuberculosis infection;
• purulent lesion;
• injury;
• tumor formation of any quality;
• liver failure;
• hypoalbumenemia;
• heart failure;
• malabsorption;
• nephrotic syndrome.

With the pathology of this name, fluid accumulates in the lower part of the lung. Inflammation begins.

The mechanism of development of pleurisy of various etiologies

Symptoms.

1. At the onset of the disease, a person, as already noted, experiences back pain in the interscapular area.
2. In addition, breathing becomes difficult and quickens.
3. To reduce the pain a little, the patient takes a forced position.
4. A febrile state and a rise in temperature occur.
5. Sweating increases.
6. Shortness of breath appears.
7. A dry cough begins, with virtually no sputum production.

Any of the listed signs in combination with pain should be a reason for examination. Diagnostics can, depending on the condition, be carried out on an outpatient or inpatient basis.

Symptoms of pleurisy

Important! Pleurisy cannot be caused. Untreated treatment can cause fibrous scars or fusion of the pleural area, the occurrence of pleurosclerosis and other pathologies that can only be removed surgically.

Treatment

Pain relief to help patients with pleurisy occurs through puncture. The fluid that forms at the bottom of the lung is pumped out after the puncture. As a result, the respiratory process is restored, pain goes away, and the patient feels relief.

But it is not possible to definitively cure the disease with puncture alone. After the attack is relieved, pharmacological and physiotherapeutic treatment begins, as well as breathing exercises.

Folk remedies for the treatment of pleurisy are not used due to their low effectiveness.

Coronary pathology

This reason is not the most common, but the most dangerous is when the thoracic aorta or coronary artery is dissected, torn, or otherwise damaged.

Coronary insufficiency

The patient feels sudden, very severe pain. It burns in the chest all the way to the back. Pain in the peritoneum pulsates. Hemorrhage may occur in the pleural area or chest space.

Important! If pain of a similar nature occurs, it is necessary to immediately hospitalize the patient and provide him with emergency care.

As first aid, pain relief with alkaloids is used. Then the operation is performed.

Also, chest pain projected to the back can cause a heart attack, called a posterior one. It occurs as one of the consequences of coronary artery dissection. In this case, the pain is unbearably strong, and specifically in the thoracic spinal region.

Important! Here the minutes count, and if the patient is not helped immediately, death may occur.

Video - Acute coronary insufficiency. Angina pectoris

Vertebral thoracic osteochondrosis or hernia

As you can see, pain in this area is not always associated with degenerative changes in the spine. But two problems with the spine directly lead to pain in the back area opposite the chest.

One of them is thoracic osteochondrosis. The second is a hernia. With these diseases of the intervertebral discs, pain in the area of ​​the thoracic vertebrae is the main symptom. The occurrence of pain is explained by complex processes of a biological and chemical nature, as a result of which the fibrous ring is subjected to some type of destruction.

With osteochondrosis, the intervertebral foramina narrow, squeezing blood vessels and nerves, and growths of bone tissue—osteophytes—appear along the edges of the vertebrae.

This is the most common pathology among other disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Intervertebral hernia

Three types of herniated disc

Despite their static location, the thoracic vertebrae are subject to serious stress. Due to their accumulation and age-related changes, metabolic transformations begin in articular cartilage. They weaken their strength, become thinner and lose their elasticity. The more changes the segments undergo, the more intense the pain the patient experiences.

Which doctor should I contact?

If severe pain appears in the thoracic spine, when it is difficult to breathe, you should immediately seek qualified medical help. To begin with, you can make an appointment with a therapist, who, after studying the symptoms, will give a referral to a specialist: a neurologist

,
surgeon
,
orthopedist-traumatologist
, oncologist,
gastroenterologist
, etc. To reduce the time spent searching for the right specialist, quickly find out your diagnosis and begin treatment, contact the Energo clinic. Highly qualified doctors of all major specialties work here, who will certainly help you cope with the disease.

Injuries

Varying degrees of spinal injury can cause varying degrees of pain in the thoracic vertebral area.

Spinal injury

This category includes all mechanical impacts - dislocations, bruises, concussions, fractures, impacts, displacements. They can cause damage to the spinal canal, which will ultimately lead to complete paralysis. The most serious injury is a fracture.

Compression type fractures

In case of injury, the symptoms depend on the nature of the damage, but in any case, coughing and sneezing will be painful, breathing may be difficult due to pain, and sudden movements will become impossible.

While palpating the pain points, the reaction will intensify. If injured, a bruise or swelling will be visible. Partial limitation of mobility may occur.

By the way. If the fracture occurs without damage to the spinal canal, the patient will experience pain when bending sideways, as well as the inability to raise straight legs. There will be bruising and swelling at the fracture site.

In old age, when osteoporosis occurs, the vertebral body may break due to its fragility. In this situation, inhaling and exhaling, any sideways movement, lifting even a slight weight and coughing will cause pain in the sternum, under the shoulder blade or between the shoulder blades.

Scoliotic deformities

All diseases that result in poor posture cause pain in the thoracic spinal area. This can be observed in young people, with osteoarthritis or Scheuermann-Mau disease, as well as with kyphosis, kyphoscoliosis and any form of scoliosis.

Scheuermann-Mau disease: general information

Scheuermann-Mau, kyphosis

Prices for orthopedic corsets and posture correctors

The pathology begins in the joints connecting the ribs. Their tissues become coarser, lose elasticity, and weaken their connective functions. Potassium salts are deposited on the vertebral bone, forming an osteophyte. This growth begins to pinch the nerve, compressing the intervertebral canal. A pain syndrome develops - from mild to unbearable, localized in the interscapular area.

Causes of pain in the thoracic spine

Unpleasant sensations can be caused by stress and overwork, as well as pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

The most common causes of pain are:

• influenza and acute respiratory viral infections;
• bronchitis;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• osteochondrosis;
• spondylosis;
• arthrosis;
• various types of spinal deformities;
• myositis.

Other reasons

These mainly include pathologies of internal organs, such as:

• herpes;
• shingles;
• polio;
• liver diseases;
• gallbladder problems;
• pancreatitis;
• diabetes;
• pancreatic problems;
• gastrointestinal pathologies;
• drops in the kidneys;
• appendicitis;
• vasculitis;
• oncology.

What to do for pain in the thoracic spinal area

You should consult a doctor if the pain is intense and does not go away. When contacting, carefully describe your symptoms. Manual diagnostics and a series of examinations will be prescribed, including MRI, cardiogram, and tests.

The primary diagnosis is carried out by a therapist. He then refers the patient to other specialists.

Primary diagnosis is carried out by a therapist

If we talk about preventive measures to prevent pain in the thoracic spinal area, they are as follows.

1. Hardening.
2. Cold and hot shower.
3. Charge every day for at least a third of an hour.
4. Lack of excess weight.
5. Balance in nutrition.
6. Orthopedic furniture for sleeping (mattress) and work.
7. Align your back and maintain good posture.
8. Lifting weights competently.
9. No injuries.
10. Playing sports with a trainer.

Orthopedic chair

Is it possible to help yourself with back pain opposite the sternum? There are warming compresses and ointments, exercises and decoctions. But it is best to use them after the doctor has authorized the appointment, so you will have to find a way to show up to him.

Diagnostics

There are three main types of diagnostics that allow you to accurately determine the disease:

• Detailed examination of the anamnesis. In other words, at the first appointment, the doctor finds out from the patient what symptoms are bothering him, conducts a visual examination, palpates the desired area, and prescribes initial tests.
• Manual diagnostics, that is, a targeted examination of the patient’s body to localize the pathology.
• X-ray
  ,
  MRI
  , ultrasound,
  ECG
  and other hardware techniques that allow you to assess the condition, structure, location of internal organs and human bone tissue.