It happens that a person goes 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 seeing a neurologist. In that case, he may report that it's not heart disease that's 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, aching and pressing. In some cases, there is a feeling of heat in the chest region and rhythm disturbance. Over time, the pain can get worse and worse. In this case, heart medications do not help.
Features of heart pain in osteochondrosis
Many people have a question: can the heart hurt with osteochondrosis? Yup. Patients often complain of the following:
- Prolonged persistence of heart beat and chest pain.
- Gradually, there are heart pains with osteochondrosis.
- Pain sensations are boring and pressing.
- The intensity of pain in the sternum is low.
- Receiving nitrates does not remove chest pain.
- Patients try to make less movement with their upper limbs, which increases the sensation of pain.
Sometimes cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis appear simultaneously; in this case, additional neck pain occurs. The patient may complain of the following:
- Pain in shoulder girdle, face and neck.
- The 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 is compression of the vertebral artery. In this case, the following symptoms appear:
- dizziness;
- deterioration of hearing and vision;
- pressing pain in the back of the head;
- antihypertensive drugs do not give the desired effect;
- feeling of weakness;
- dyspnea;
- loss of consciousness;
- blood flow to the face.
The 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 heart pathologies or osteochondrosis? Solving the problem is not easy: in both cases, the cells can emit intense and painful pain and, during physical exertion, the discomfort intensifies.
While 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 cardiac pain in osteochondrosis:
- Long-lasting pain: lasts for weeks and months.
- Seizures occur with sudden lifting of the arms and head, tilting and turning, as well as coughing.
- The pain can wax and wane and decrease 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 intervertebral hernia.
- With pain, there are no anxiety and fear attacks.
- Prolonged stay in one position (for example, while sleeping) can lead to a feeling of pain in the heart.
- Glycerol trinitrate does not help to get rid of pain, for this you only need to use painkillers.
- Heart pain in osteochondrosis with a sudden change in the position of the body intensifies instantly, it occurs when sneezing, coughing, taking a deep breath and sudden movements of the head.
- When exposed to the spine, the intensity of pain increases.
- Cardiac pain in the chest region with osteochondrosis is not fatal.
Now let's see how to determine what hurts in the heart with angina. In this case, there will be such pains:
- short term;
- 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 may be caused by neuropsychic overload;
- cardiogram reflects the presence of pathologies;
- the patient is afraid of death;
- can cause patient death.
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, ribs, and near the spine. Movements are limited with a long stay in the same position, while the pain intensifies. A short walk helps to get rid of discomfort.
In addition, there may be pain in the back and in the shoulder blade area. 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 heart pain are aggravated by trunk rotation. This is due to the increased load on the anterior vertebral disc. There is often a syndrome in this area. When inhaling, pain may occur in the intercostal space. Tension of the back muscles is possible, accompanied by unilateral spasms.
Sometimes the heart hurts with osteochondrosis so it can feel like there are problems with the organs in the chest cavity. The disease can disguise itself as intestinal and stomach pain and, in some cases, can even resemble appendicitis. If no action is taken, osteochondrosis will not only radiate to the heart, but pathology of the respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems will also occur.
The nature of pain can change. Exacerbations can be replaced by remission, it happens in waves.
Causes of heart pain with osteochondrosis
Distinguishing a heart attack from osteochondrosis is not always easy. In the human body, there is a complex complex of transmission of impulses from various systems and organs to the brain and vice versa. This allows him to collect information about all systems and manage his work. As a result, a connection is formed between the nerve endings and the spinal cord, located in the spinal column. When they are infringed, the transmission of impulses occurs with a violation, the brain reacts incorrectly, pain appears that radiates to the chest and heart region.
Heart pain 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 fibrosus, which is prone to protrusion.
- In the case of an annulus fibrosus rupture, the center of the cartilaginous disc enters the cerebral canal, resulting in a hernia.
- osteophytes are formed.
- The vessels and nerves surrounding the disc begin to flatten.
- The appearance of the pain syndrome.
With osteochondrosis, the heartbeat may become more frequent and tachycardia may appear. Spinal injuries in different areas can cause different pain symptoms. Neuralgia is affected by the degree of damage:
- just 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 spinal nerves. It leads to pain. Osteochondrosis can give not only to 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 heart pain with osteochondrosis
Signs and symptoms of osteochondrosis with heart pain often occur against the background of a completely healthy cardiac system. They are often stable, but paroxysmal may appear and increase. In case of problems with the spine, the pains are boring, deep and pressing, their characteristic is the non-acute severity. With pain in the chest area with osteochondrosis, glycerol trinitrate does not help, as the cause is not in the heart.
To distinguish heart pain from thoracic osteochondrosis, it is important to know that sensations of a different nature may occur. For example, they can spread from the affected area to the muscles in the anterior part of the chest, to which the fifth to seventh cervical roots are connected. In this case, the pain can be felt in the upper left area 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 human heart and body?
One of the manifestations of osteochondrosis is compression or compression of blood vessels. This leads to a narrowing of the "channels" through which the blood passes. In order for the organs to continue receiving the right amount, the heart needs 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 heart pain with thoracic osteochondrosis and lack of oxygen in the brain. As a result, the above symptoms occur. Reaction, speed of thought, emotional state, orientation in space and memory depend on the work of the heart, as do vision or hearing problems.
Because of all these consequences, it becomes difficult to determine whether the heart hurts or it is 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 gets worse, it is best to see a doctor. Doctors can advise you to make a differential diagnosis, which allows 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 obvious that the cause of the pain is neuralgia or osteochondrosis.
An ECG is a mandatory diagnostic procedure for chest pain formation.
- ultrasound. It is performed for patients with suspected infectious lesions of the heart. It is used as an additional method.
- X-ray. X-ray is prescribed to 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 lesion. MRI will help diagnose osteochondrosis and cardiac pathology.
Treatment
Rest and bed rest will help relieve pain in osteochondrosis. The surface must not be too soft or hard. The pillow is selected so that the neck does not bend. You can relieve the pain if you place a non-hot heating pad under it.
Treatment of thoracic osteochondrosis is carried out by these means:
- Medicines:
- vasodilators;
- neurotropic drugs;
- diuretic drugs;
- analgesics;
- non-steroidal 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 tissue's natural regeneration mechanism.
- The use of turpentine, ointments containing snake or bee venom, as well as pain relievers. They activate the release of heat in the muscles, improve the condition of nerve roots, dilate blood vessels.
- Acupuncture. With the help of needles, energy meridians and active points are affected.
- Manual therapy. Thanks to them, the degenerative processes in the spine are corrected, and the effects are made on 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 provides an exceptionally deep and acupressure massage. Before this procedure, it is recommended to take painkillers.
- At home, you can use hot pads and hot compresses to reduce muscle tone.
Manual therapy and acupressure should only be performed by a qualified orthopedist, neuropathologist or traumatologist who has received 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, results can be greatly improved. Armed with the knowledge, it's time to start treatment!
self-treatment errors
Often, patients with complaints of a disease of the thoracic spine make a serious mistake during self-treatment - they take medication if there are 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.
So, we analyze the difference and what are the differences between the symptoms of angina pectoris and osteochondrosis, and also familiarize ourselves with the methods of diagnosis and treatment. Collaborate with qualified physicians and follow their guidelines. Be persistent and consistent, 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 released from military service.