Painful sensations in the heart area force patients to consult a cardiologist. Anxiety, irritability and fear for one's life arise. But not all unpleasant signs are directly related to heart problems. Thoracic osteochondrosis - symptoms, sensations - also causes pain in the heart as often as diseases of this organ.
Pain can often occur behind the sternum, closer to the back or even the diaphragm, when the vertebrae are affected, regardless of the stage of the pathology. And the mechanism of the unpleasant symptom has several characteristics.
Mechanism of development of symptoms
Disruptions in the heart during osteochondrosis cannot occur on their own; they develop only as an echo of the underlying disease:
- Thinning of the intervertebral structures. The distance between the bone elements and the cartilage is reduced, which leads to restriction of the nerve roots. As a result, painful sensations are formed, which, in the presence of destructive processes in the thoracic or cervical spine, often radiate to the heart.
- Changes in the heart muscle. Due to the disease, sensations spread throughout the heart muscle, the so-called "echoes" of pain.
- Involvement of the upper limbs in the process. The effect of osteochondrosis on the heart may be due to excessive muscle tension in the arms. As a result, pain is transmitted to the heart muscle, but the ECG shows no abnormalities.
- Changes in the structure of the lumbar region. The position of the abdominal organs changes, causing increased stress and changes in heart rate.
- Muscle spasms and changes in blood circulation. Heart pain with osteochondrosis occurs in response to changes in blood flow in the large arteries of the back. The heart rate increases as blood must be pumped through a narrower passage.
- Severe destruction of the intervertebral discs. The nerves are pinched, which leads to pain in the heart area. Hypoxia develops gradually. It also covers the functioning of the brain, as a result of which the normal functioning of internal organs changes.
- Due to compression of the arteriesand nerve fibers, high blood pressure may appear. Because of this, painful sensations appear in the heart.
You can distinguish heart pain from manifestations of osteochondrosis by some symptoms.
Signs of osteochondrosis with painful sensations
Cardiac syndrome - pain in the heart due to osteochondrosis of the thoracic region - develops in many patients.The symptoms will have the following characteristics:
- pressing and dull pain in the heart;
- gradually increasing, attenuated, not too pronounced discomfort;
- the pain persists for a long time, covers the chest, causes palpitations;
- there is no strong intensity of pain due to the destruction of the cartilage between the vertebrae;
- Almost always, a symptom such as a feeling of heat behind the sternum helps to distinguish heart pain from osteochondrosis;
- heart medications (nitrates) do not help relieve pain;
- if a person begins to move the upper limbs, the pain intensifies.
If the process involves the cervical spine, pain is felt in the vertebral area.
Some patients note that the pain is of a different nature: the discomfort covers the left side of the sternum, affects the muscles, sometimes spreads to the shoulder, neck and face, and the attack can last several days.
If compression of the vertebral artery occurs, additional symptoms appear: weakness, dizziness, spotting, and in severe cases, the patient loses consciousness. Also, with pain in the heart, a decrease in hearing and vision is observed, and blood rushes to the face. If a person takes drugs for hypertension, they do not help him.
Differences in pain
There are several ways to distinguish heart pain from osteochondrosis; the main method is to undergo an MRI and ECG examination.Also, you should know what happens with damage to the thoracic cartilage between the vertebrae and what does not happen with heart disease:
- the pain is moderate, increases and persists for a long time. With heart attacks, the symptoms are more severe;
- if you press your chin to your chest, the pain of osteochondrosis will intensify;
- if the pain intensifies with movement and exercise, it is osteochondrosis;
- With heart pain always arises panic, fear and anxiety.
Neuralgia itself is safe, but it can intensify when the body is tilted in different directions or when making sharp turns. You can relieve the pain with analgesics.
Severe heart disease and osteochondrosis
It is necessary to know how the heart hurts with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, especially to distinguish neuralgia from life-threatening conditions. In chronic ischemic heart disease, pain occurs very acutely, within 3-5 minutes. Sensations of a pressing nature do not allow breathing, and after nitrates the symptoms disappear immediately.
If the risk of myocardial infarction is high, it should be remembered that in this condition a person may lose consciousness, experience nausea and sharp chest pain. The pain of osteochondrosis never manifests itself so acutely.
But with VSD (dystonia), the symptoms can be similar. But, unlike heart pain in osteochondrosis, with this pathology a person experiences tachycardia, bradycardia, a feeling of fear, quickly gets tired and feels constant weakness. The pain is usually aching and dull, and with osteochondrosis it is compressive.
Palpitations
With osteochondrosis, the heart can not only hurt, but also be disturbed by angina pectoris, arrhythmia and tachycardia. This occurs due to spasms and compression of the artery.With osteochondrosis the following features appear:
- increased heart rate at rest, increased pace during exercise;
- regular rhythm without interruptions;
- wavy heat attacks;
- tachycardia may be accompanied by presyncope.
Symptoms disappear if quality treatment of the disease is carried out.
Extrasystole
Extrasystole is a condition in which the sensation of a second cardiac arrest is felt. With osteochondrosis, this complication causes real panic. However, this unusual condition is the norm for the human body. True, most people do not notice such a process.
Extrasystole is a kind of "respite" in the work of the heart muscle. Surprisingly, such short pauses are vital for the organ.
Such "breaks" occur to people, regardless of age, weight and daily physical activity.
Pressure in osteochondrosis
Among the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis there is often high blood pressure. But this pathology may have other reasons. With osteochondrosis, arteries, veins and blood vessels are compressed, and the nutrition of the brain and other organs deteriorates.
Patients begin to take medications to solve this problem, as a result of which blood stops flowing to the brain again. An oxygen deficiency and a lack of nutrients develops. A person is tormented by symptoms such as: weakness, drowsiness, pain and dizziness, pale skin, nausea.
Deal with painful sensations
After it was possible to distinguish heart pain from osteochondrosis, the treatment of diseases should be differentiated. If all symptoms are associated with damage to the thoracic spine, it is not possible to take medications to relieve the sensation of pain in the heart.
Therapy should remove the causes of osteochondrosis or minimize them. Regular and systematic treatment has been shown to help relieve tension, spasms and tension in the nerve fibers.Since the heart and osteochondrosis are strongly connected, treatment should begin with the spine during a flare-up:
- The person does not have to move much; bed rest is recommended.
- To relieve acute pain, NSAIDs or glucocorticosteroids are prescribed.
- Local drugs are also used, which are useful for relieving pain due to osteochondrosis.
- Physiotherapy helps in the early stages of the disease, but is rarely used to relieve pain. Only during the recovery period after a flare-up.
- Manual therapy is a very effective method of restoring the vertebrae, relieving spasms, tension and swelling of the surrounding tissues.
- Exercise therapy and sports exercises useful for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are also prescribed.
- In addition, you can use folk recipes - baths and compresses - they are very relaxing and have a positive effect on the emotional state of patients.
- An equally important diet in the treatment of osteochondrosis. Adequate amounts of plant foods, healthy fats and proteins are essential for repairing damaged tissue. A balanced diet also helps you lose excess weight.
The best way to determine whether the problem is osteochondrosis or the heart is to undergo a medical examination. With the help of x-rays and a simple ECG, you can understand what sensations relate to a particular disease.