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A pinched nerve in the thoracic

Scientists have proven that everyone who has reached 30-year milestone, may be subject to pinched nerve in the thoracic spine. Why is this happening? The fact that the person is thinning and wearing out of the bone. And in the spine where the intervertebral discs designed to play the role of shock absorbers are the intercostal nerve roots can occur, due to the clamping contact of the disks or vertebral bodies between themselves. Another precipitating cause may be spazmirovannah muscles, which is quite a lot. More than just the entrapment of nerve endings exposed to people with poor vascular status.

Accurate statistics on the number of people at least once subjected to pinching of nerve processes in the thoracic region, no. This state of Affairs has come about because not everyone is sick seek medical help. A self-medicating, and this can lead to worsening of the disease until the need for surgery.

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Symptoms of pinched nerve in the thoracic

The spine is "shrouded" nerve endings and therefore the symptoms will depend on which nerve is pinched:

  • If it is a sensitive nerve, the person feels a sharp pain at the site of compression and then of course, sometimes it "gives" in the stomach and resembles a pain in gastritis and ulcer;

  • Compression of the autonomic nerve gives a picture simulating cardiac pain, possible dyspnea, arrhythmia.

In any of these cases, the pain is worse with deep inhalation or exhalation, and with every movement. It should be noted that the pain persists when taking heart medications and can sometimes occur even in a state of complete rest, for example during sleep. The pain may be different: sharp and aching, paroxysmal and permanent. May cause feelings of tightness in the chest.


Causes of pinched nerve in the thoracic

The main causes of pinched nerve in the thoracic spine are:

  • Intercostal neuralgia, as the main reason. And to provoke her attack, in turn, may:

    1. Sudden movement;

    2. A bad turn of the case body;

    3. Heavy lifting.

  • Aggravation of degenerative disc disease. Due to degenerative changes in the bones the vertebrae in place and pressed the nerve. As a special case it is possible to allocate a ruptured disk in the thoracic spine and a protrusion of disks.

  • Hypertonicity of spinal muscles. Spasm of the muscles pinch the nerve ending. More often than not this cause of the pinching is found in athletes and in people exposed to high physical loads.

  • The following, less common, factors of the disease can become a mental and moral overload. People with weak resistance to stresses often arise intercostal and headaches.

  • Spinal injuries and congenital abnormalities, in particular the violation of posture and scoliosis.

  • Tumors of different origin on the spinal column.

Diagnosis of pinched nerve in the thoracic

Like any serious disease, the diagnosis and treatment of pinched nerve is left to professionals. But the primary diagnosis each person can hold their own.

Thus, the presence of the following signs should be cause for seeking medical attention:

  • Pain between ribs, worse the closer to the spine;

  • Stiffness in the chest, resembling coronary heart disease, but not removable nitroglycerin;

  • Increased pain when you inhale and exhale when you cough, movements;

  • Destabilization of blood pressure;

  • Headache - type migraines;

  • Possible fainting;
  • Numbness of the hands;
  • Lethargy andapathy;
  • With pressure on the nerve may become painful in the stomach type ulcer that cannot be removed by antispasmodics, for example, with no-Spa.

The presence of at least half of the above symptoms should be a motivating reason for the visit to the specialist.

Medical diagnosis, in addition to verbal questioning of the patient, is as follows:

  • The purpose of a complex analysis;
  • Conducting x-ray examination;
  • At difficulty of diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe additionally a magnetic resonance or computer tomography;
  • To Refine a specific area of entrapment may prescription myelography (x-rays using contrast substance that is injected into the spinal canal);
  • Additional research methods: ultrasound and ECG (to verify the presence of lesions of any organ due to prolonged compression of the nerve endings).

Treatment for pinched nerve in the thoracic

The main task on the road to recovery should be to eliminate the cause of a pinched – nerve release, and then treatment of the effects of clamping.

Medical treatment is the appointment of painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain spasm, a course of vitamin B complex, which restores the metabolic processes in nerve cells, and electrophoresis for a speedy recovery.

To release the nerve ending by using manual therapy, sometimes even a one-time process is able to bring relief to the patient. After the removal of pain shows therapeutic massage, special exercises, acupuncture. These activities are designed to restore the correct physiological position of the thoracic, improve blood circulation, to prevent possible subsequent jamming.

Surgery is prescribed only when serious lesions of the nervous tissues.


Prevention of the disease

  • Maintaining optimal weight, if indicated, weight loss;
  • Periodic recovery in seaside resorts;
  • Avoiding a long static postures, one-sided load any weight on one shoulder (even a purse!);
  • Don't forget the danger of hypothermia is thoracic.

But the main method of prevention is constant motoractivity!

The observance of these simple rules can prevent such an unpleasant and dangerous condition as a pinched nerve in the thoracic spine.