It happens that a person comes to the doctor with a complaint about the heart. The specialist sends him for examination, but does not reveal pathologies. It's good when a cardiologist recommends consulting a neurologist. In this case, he can report that it is not heart disease that is to blame, but osteochondrosis.
It turns out that one of the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis is a feeling of pain in the mammary gland or in the heart. It can be pulling, pain and pressure. In some cases, there is a feeling of warmth in the thoracic region and rhythm disturbance. Over time, the pain can get worse and worse. In this case, heart medications do not help.
Characteristics of cardiac pain in osteochondrosis.
Many people have a question: can the heart hurt with osteochondrosis? Yes. Patients often complain of the following:
- Prolonged persistence of pain in the heartbeat and chest.
- Gradually, there are pains in the heart with osteochondrosis.
- Pain sensations are dull and pressing.
- The intensity of pain in the sternum is low.
- Reception of nitrates does not eliminate chest pain.
- Patients try to make fewer movements with the upper limbs, as a result of which pain sensations are intensified.
Sometimes cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis appear simultaneously, in this case, additional pain occurs in the neck. The patient may complain of the following:
- Soreness of the shoulder girdle, face and neck.
- Discomfort extends to almost the entire upper chest area, affects the muscle tissue of the spine.
- An attack can last several hours or even days.
Sometimes the cause of reflected pain lies in compression of the vertebral artery. In this case, the following symptoms appear:
- dizziness;
- impaired hearing and vision;
- oppressive pain in the back of the head;
- antihypertensive drugs do not give the desired effect;
- feeling of weakness;
- dyspnoea;
- loss of consciousness;
- rush of blood to the face.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the spine and how the heart hurts in women and men do not differ.
What is the effect of osteochondrosis on the heart? The disease is accompanied by changes in the spine, especially in the area of the spinous processes of the lower cervical vertebrae. Weakness of the little finger and decreased strength of the muscles of the left hand may be felt.
How to distinguish heart pain from osteochondrosis.
How to recognize: is it pain due to pathologies of the heart or osteochondrosis? Solving the problem is not easy: in both cases, the cells can emit severe, aching pain, and during physical exertion, the discomfort intensifies.
Although it is quite difficult to distinguish angina pectoris from thoracic osteochondrosis, there are signs that will help determine the true cause of the pain.
Differences in heart pain in osteochondrosis:
- Long duration of pain: last weeks and months.
- Seizures occur with sudden raising of the arms and head, tilting and twisting, as well as coughing.
- The pain can wax and wane and subside when the body is in a comfortable position.
- With multiple ECG violations are not detected.
- When the chin is tilted towards the chest, the pain intensifies - this is a sign of an intervertebral hernia.
- With pain, there are no attacks of anxiety and fear.
- Prolonged stay in one position (for example, during sleep) can cause a feeling of pain in the heart.
- Glycerol trinitrate does not help to get rid of pain, for this you just need to use painkillers.
- Heart pain in osteochondrosis with a sharp change in body position instantly intensifies, they occur when sneezing, coughing, deep breathing and sudden movements of the head.
- When exposed to the spine, the intensity of pain increases.
- Cardiac pain of the thoracic region with osteochondrosis is not life-threatening.
Now let's look at how to determine what hurts the heart with angina. In this case, there will be such pains:
- Short duration;
- not related to physical activity;
- heart medications help stop or reduce pain;
- pain sensations do not change if the load on the spine is constant;
- the pains have the same intensity;
- pain sensations spread to the arm, jaw and under the shoulder blade on the left side;
- pain can be caused by neuropsychic overexertion;
- cardiogram reflects the presence of pathologies;
- the patient is afraid of death;
- can cause the death of the patient.
The nature of pain in osteochondrosis.
Many are interested in how the heart hurts with osteochondrosis. Discomfort is felt not only in the chest, but also in the upper abdomen, in the ribs and near the spine. Movements are restricted with a prolonged stay in the same position, while the pain intensifies. A short walk helps get rid of discomfort.
In addition, there may be pain in the back and in the area of the shoulder blades. It can get worse when you take a deep breath. The degree of discomfort is influenced by temperature (decrease) and changes in atmospheric pressure.
Osteochondrosis and pain in the heart are aggravated by turning the torso. This is due to the increased load on the anterior spinal disc. There is often a syndrome in this area. When inhaling, pain can occur in the intercostal space. Tension of the back muscles, accompanied by one-sided spasms, is possible.
Sometimes the heart hurts with osteochondrosis, because of which it may seem that there are problems in the organs of the chest cavity. The disease can masquerade as intestinal and stomach pain, and in some cases can even resemble appendicitis. If no measures are taken, osteochondrosis will not only radiate to the heart, but also pathology of the respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems will occur.
The nature of the pain can change. Exacerbations can be replaced by remission, it happens in waves.
Causes of pain in the heart with osteochondrosis
Distinguishing a heart attack from osteochondrosis is not always easy. In the human body, there is a complex transmission of impulses from various systems and organs to the brain and vice versa. This allows you to collect information about all systems and manage their work. As a result, a connection is formed between the nerve endings and the spinal cord, which are located in the spinal column. When they are infringed, the transmission of impulses occurs with a violation, the brain reacts incorrectly, pain appears, radiating to the chest region and the heart.
Pain in the heart with osteochondrosis appears in the following sequence:
- Changes occur in the spine due to injuries.
- The intervertebral disc protrudes, this does not affect the annulus fibrosis, which is prone to protrusion.
- In case of rupture of the fibrous ring, the center of the cartilaginous disc enters the brain canal, which leads to herniation.
- osteophytes form.
- The vessels and nerves surrounding the disc begin to flatten.
- The appearance of pain syndrome.
With osteochondrosis, the heartbeat may become more frequent, and tachycardia may appear. Spinal cord injuries in different areas can give different symptoms of pain. Neuralgia is affected by the degree of damage:
- only the body of the vertebra;
- intervertebral discs;
- ligament apparatus;
- paravertebral muscles.
How does osteochondrosis affect the functioning of the heart? After deformation, the discs compress the nerves of the spinal column. This leads to pain. Osteochondrosis can give not only the heart, but also cause pathologies of the entire spine. The disease can spread to adjacent departments, which leads to the appearance of new symptoms.
Symptoms of pain in the heart with osteochondrosis.
Signs and symptoms of osteochondrosis with pain in the heart often occur against the background of a completely healthy cardiac system. They are often stable, but may appear and increase paroxysmally. In case of problems with the spine, the pains are dull, deep and pressing, their characteristic is insharp severity. With pain in the chest region with osteochondrosis, glycerol trinitrate does not help, since the cause is not in the heart.
To distinguish pain in the heart with thoracic osteochondrosis, it is important to know that sensations of a different nature can occur. For example, they can spread from the affected area to the muscles of the anterior chest, to which the fifth to seventh cervical roots connect. In this case, the pain can be felt in the upper left part of the body, sometimes even affecting part of the face. At the same time, vascular disorders are not diagnosed, the ECG does not detect abnormalities. This happens even at the peak of pain.
How does thoracic osteochondrosis affect the heart and the human body?
One of the manifestations of osteochondrosis is squeezing or pinching of blood vessels. This leads to a narrowing of the "channels" through which the blood passes. In order for the organs to continue to receive it in the right amount, the heart has to work more actively. This means that the number of contractions increases per minute. As a result, blood pressure rises. This is the effect of osteochondrosis on the heart.
Violations in the work of the circulatory system lead to the appearance of pain in the heart with thoracic osteochondrosis and lack of oxygen in the brain. As a result, the above symptoms occur. The work of the heart depends on the reaction, the speed of thought, the emotional state, the orientation in space and memory, as well as vision or hearing problems.
Due to all these consequences, it is difficult to determine if the heart hurts or if it is a thoracic osteochondrosis.
Diagnosis
How to determine that the heart hurts from osteochondrosis? There are special procedures that will help determine the form and extent of the disease. When the disease worsens, it is better to consult a doctor. Doctors may recommend that you undergo a differential diagnosis that will allow you to determine which is the cause of the disease: the heart or the spine. It may include the following procedures:
- Electrocardiogram. By recording an ECG, it will be possible to immediately identify cardiac pathology. If the results are normal, it will be clear that the cause of the pain is neuralgia or osteochondrosis.
An ECG is a mandatory diagnostic procedure for the formation of chest pain.
- ultrasound. It is carried out for patients with suspected infectious lesions of the heart. It is used as an additional method.
- Bone scan. Radiography is prescribed for patients with suspected osteochondrosis. The images will make it possible to determine the destructive destruction of the joints. With heart problems, they will not suffer.
- CT and MRI. They can help if x-rays are inconclusive. These methods will more accurately determine the injury. MRI will help diagnose osteochondrosis and heart pathology.
Treatment
Rest and bed rest will help relieve pain in osteochondrosis. The surface should not be too soft or hard. The pillow is selected in such a way that the neck does not bend. You can ease the pain by placing a cool heating pad under it.
Treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis is carried out as follows:
- Medicines:
- vasodilators;
- neurotropic drugs;
- diuretic drugs;
- analgesics;
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- chondroprotectors;
- sedatives
- Physiotherapy. The patient undergoes procedures in which the affected area is affected by an electric field and currents of varying frequency. This will help start the natural tissue regeneration mechanism.
- The use of turpentine, ointments containing snake or bee venom, as well as painkillers. They activate the release of heat in the muscles, improve the condition of the nerve roots, dilate blood vessels.
- Acupuncture. With the help of needles, energy meridians and active points are affected.
- Manual therapy. Thanks to them, degenerative processes in the spine are corrected and effects are produced in the intervertebral joints.
- Back massage will not allow you to get the desired effect. The muscles are located around the vertebral discs, it is almost impossible to reach them. The effect gives an exceptionally deep and acupressure massage. Before this procedure, it is recommended to take painkillers.
- At home, you can use heating pads and hot packs to reduce muscle tone.
Manual therapy and acupressure should only be performed by a qualified orthopedist, neuropathologist, or traumatologist who has undergone special training and has received the appropriate certificate.
Taking heart medication is often the first and most powerful treatment for an illness. When used with other methods, the results can be greatly improved. Armed with the knowledge, it's time to start the treatment!
self-treatment errors
Often, patients who complain of a disease of the thoracic spine make a serious mistake during self-treatment - they take drugs if they have contraindications. For example, the older generation likes to use NSAIDs from the group of phenylacetic acid derivatives. However, it cannot be used for problems with the gastric mucosa. They are typical for people over 50 years of age.
So, we look at the difference and what are the differences between the symptoms of angina and osteochondrosis, and also get acquainted with the methods of diagnosis and treatment. Cooperate with qualified doctors and follow their instructions. Be persistent and constant, and you will be able to overcome this painful and dangerous disease! Remember, it can be very dangerous. So much so that the patient can be discharged from military service.