The concept of "pinching the nerve" is familiar to many people and is associated with unpleasant sensations. The neuralgia of the thoracic spine leads to compression of nerves with displaced intervertebral discs, muscles, ribs, which causes nerve damage. Most often it is localized in a place where the intercostal nerves come out of the spinal column.
Causes of neuralgia of the chest
Neuralgia usually accompany diseases of the spine - such as osteochondrosis, hernia.
Nerve damage is caused by inflammatory processes in the surrounding tissues, tumors, hypertension of muscles, circulatory disorders, trauma, reduced immunity, and herpes virus causing shingles.
The provoking factors include:
- supercooling;
- stress;
- alcohol abuse;
- diabetes mellitus ;
- lack of vitamins B;
- any diseases associated with impaired blood circulation of nerve endings and damage to blood vessels.
Symptoms of thoracic neuralgia
The main sign of a pinched or inflamed nerve is pain in the area of its innervation (connections with organs and tissues).
Localized pain in the intercostal space, giving in the back, under the scapula, waist. Often neuralgia is confused with myocardial infarction or angina pectoris, however, its main difference is in the constancy and static pain. Attacks are almost absent, and the strength and intensity of pain is compared with renal colic.
Neuralgia of the thoracic region may be accompanied by symptoms such as lacrimation, sweating, redness or vice versa pallor of the skin, muscle cramps.
Characteristic features of neuralgia of the thoracic region include increased pain when coughing, moving and palpating zones around a restrained or inflamed nerve. Directly in the place of its defeat sensitivity, as a rule, is completely absent (numbness).
Diagnosis of the disease
Independently diagnose with neuralgia of the chest is impossible, and treatment without a doctor's control can and does lead to disability.
The doctor will have to differentiate the nerve damage from heart disease, based on differences in the nature of pain and the reaction to nitroglycerin. Also, acute pancreatitis and cholecystitis, pericarditis and pleurisy should be excluded.
How to treat neuralgia of the chest?
The primary task is to remove the pain syndrome, for which non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (voltaren, diclofenac, movalis) are prescribed, including ointments / gels based on them. In some cases, intramuscular injections of analgin, ketonal or ketorol are prescribed.
To stop a very severe pain, a novocaine blockade is used, which gives an almost instantaneous effect, but is not suitable for everyone and is appointed exclusively by a neuropathologist.
For the removal of muscle spasms are used drugs of the muscle relaxants - sirdalud, baclofen, clonazepam.
After the pain syndrome is stopped, they start treatment of the underlying disease that caused a pinch or inflammation of the nerve.
Supplementary Therapy
It is effective to supplement the medication treatment of thoracic neuralgia with the intake of vitamins B1, B6, B12, which is especially important for patients with diabetes and gastritis.
Sometimes Elenium, Relanium and other sedatives are prescribed to improve sleep, which are taken exclusively under the supervision of a doctor.
The external use of ointments based on bee and snake venom is useful - it improves blood circulation in places of nerve damage.
A good result is treatment of thoracic neuralgia with physiotherapy, acupuncture, laser therapy, massage.