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How does chondrosis affect the work of the heart. Why do heart pains appear in osteochondrosis and how to eliminate them? Bright signs of extrasystole are

Pain in the heart does not always indicate violations of the work of the organ itself. As a rule, with such symptoms, typical heart diseases are misdiagnosed, and the electrocardiogram does not record any pathological changes. Many do not even assume that osteochondrosis may well become the real culprit of the pain. Degenerative changes in the spine lead to thinning of the intervertebral discs and the formation of protrusions and hernias, which often cause compression of the spinal nerves. The resulting pain at the level of the thoracic region can be perceived by the nervous system as cardiac.

With osteochondrosis, the pain syndrome progresses not in the heart itself, but in the area of ​​​​its projection (in the front of the chest) in the form of a double mechanism:

  • Local. Pain impulses disrupt the innervation of the heart, coming from the intervertebral discs through the stellate ganglion.
  • Reflex. Receptors of the cervical and thoracic regions, due to the insufficient number of impulses and tissue edema, affect the autonomic fibers of the nervous system that are directly connected to the heart.

In the first case, the pain is felt directly in the heart, in the second it spreads to the upper limbs and the left quadrant of the body.

Characteristic features of heart pain in osteochondrosis

Pain in the region of the heart with vertebral cardialgia is safe for life and is not diagnosed by ECG. They have a peculiar specificity of sensations, different from the symptoms of cardiac pathologies. Pain in the heart caused by osteochondrosis is characterized by the following features:

Specificity of pain in cardiac diseases

Prolonged intense pain of real heart disease is usually accompanied by a pronounced neuropsychic tension and a sense of fear. Violation of the heart is recorded using a cardiogram. A short aching and arching pain spreads throughout the chest, its intensity does not change depending on the activity of movements and the degree of load on the spinal column. Symptoms such as fever, difficulty breathing, excessive sweating, and fainting may be present. The pain syndrome is usually stopped after taking validol or nitroglycerin.

Pathological changes in the spine and heart disease

The cause of pain in the heart, in some cases, can be, while progression of tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) is observed. An increase in contractions of the heart muscle is necessary in order to transfer the right amount of blood through the system of now narrowed vessels. Tachycardia in osteochondrosis is sometimes noticeable even during sleep, and with a long stay in an uncomfortable position, it tends to intensify. When tachycardia appears, the preservation of a stable sinus heart rate is observed, but in the case of effective treatment of osteochondrosis, its symptoms disappear after a while.

Permanent disorders of the heart muscle often progress into arrhythmia - pathological deviations in the sequence, frequency and rhythm of the heartbeat. The most common form of arrhythmia is extrasystole - an untimely contraction of the heart or a sudden impulse in its individual chambers. As a rule, at the initial stage, the patient does not experience pain, they appear in the later stages. In the absence of proper treatment, the disease develops into chronic myocardial hypoxia.

Arrhythmia is often observed in thoracic osteochondrosis, and these two diseases may be interrelated. The progression of osteochondrosis leads to the appearance of protrusions and hernias of intervertebral discs in the thoracic segments of the spine, which can cause compression of nerve endings that have a connection with the heart. In this case, the appearance of arrhythmia becomes very likely.

Hypertension and osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine

Since the compression of the vertebral artery leads to a deterioration in blood circulation, the body tries to eliminate the problem in a natural way and increase the speed of blood flow by increasing blood pressure. With the erroneous use of antihypertensive drugs, a sharp decrease in pressure can lead to undesirable consequences, such as:

  • Violation of vision and hearing, "spots" before the eyes.
  • General weakness, fainting, loss of consciousness is possible as a protective reaction of the body.

Cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis can worsen the course of hypertension. The actions of the doctor in the presence of these diseases should primarily be aimed at:

  • Expansion of blood vessels, activation of the blood supply system.
  • Improving the general condition of the spine and cartilage in particular.

Methods for diagnosing true and false pains in the heart

To diagnose the disease, the doctor conducts phased studies to identify the causes of impaired functioning of the cardiovascular system:

  • General examination. Questioning the patient, measuring pressure, examining the skin, etc.
  • Delivery of laboratory tests, as prescribed by the attending specialist.
  • Passage of electrocardiography (regular ECG), Holter monitoring (24-hour ECG) and echocardiography.
  • When symptoms of osteochondrosis are detected, X-ray, MRI, CT are traditionally prescribed.

Treatment of pain in the heart caused by osteochondrosis

The main treatment is aimed primarily at eliminating the cause of the causing pain in the heart, so it is worth concentrating on the fight against osteochondrosis. The following methods of treatment of osteochondrosis are most effective:

Often in the treatment of osteochondrosis resort to medication. Of course, in some cases they are necessary, but it is worth remembering that some drugs only block the pain syndrome, but do not affect the root cause of the disease and can have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract. During the treatment of osteochondrosis and recurrent heart pain, you should refuse to visit baths and saunas. Good results in improving health can only be achieved with the complex use of various methods of treatment, and this often requires a considerable amount of time.

Osteochondrosis is a pathological condition accompanied by the development of dystrophic disorders affecting the joints and intervertebral discs. Often with thoracic osteochondrosis, there is a symptom of pain in the heart. There are no cardiac disorders in the patient's history. The doctor carries out differential diagnostics with such cardiological diseases as angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, however, the results of the study do not reveal any violations. Patients can turn to a large number of doctors of different profiles until the correct diagnosis is made - osteochondrosis.

Causes

It is important to understand how osteochondrosis affects the heart. The feeling of soreness occurs due to pinching of the nerve roots in the chest region, where there is a divergence of the nerve cardiac plexuses that regulate the functioning of the heart. A pain impulse directed to the heart region stimulates the nerve endings that transmit impulses to the central nervous system. It is there that the impulse is deciphered as a pain sensation. The effect of osteochondrosis on the heart is manifested in the form of the first alarming signs, which are the development of extrasystole, arrhythmia, tachycardia.

Often patients have a question: can the heart hurt with osteochondrosis? The answer is yes. The disease provokes the development of cardialgia: paroxysmal, or prolonged and persistent pain in the region of the heart.

Symptoms

Often there are complaints of heart pain in osteochondrosis, which patients characterize as follows:

  • the symptom manifests itself mainly in the evening and affects the retrosternal region.
  • There is a sensation of a foreign body in the retrosternal space.
  • In the right and left hypochondrium there is discomfort, complaints of discomfort.
  • Sometimes the victim describes such a manifestation as a feeling of "a stake in the chest."

In other cases, the feeling of soreness can spread to the muscular region of the anterior chest and the patient complains of pain on the entire left side of the upper body: not only the sternum, but also the neck, arms, face. The duration of such a symptom ranges from several hours to 2-3 days. Additionally, heart failure may occur with osteochondrosis. Diagnostic studies do not confirm cardiac dysfunction, and the use of cardiac drugs (Nitro-Mik, Corvalol, Validol) does not bring relief.

Having studied the information about the main signs of how the heart hurts with osteochondrosis, it is recommended to consult a doctor at the first manifestations of violations.

How does the heart hurt with osteochondrosis?

Sometimes there are complaints that the heart hurts with osteochondrosis.

As the diagnosis is carried out, certain difficulties may arise to make an accurate diagnosis, so it is important to know how the heart hurts with osteochondrosis:

  • symptoms appear after prolonged sitting or after waking up.
  • The pain is not accompanied by fear or increased anxiety. There is no threat to life under such a combination of circumstances.
  • The feeling of soreness may increase when taking a deep breath, as well as when sneezing and coughing.
  • Pain in the heart with osteochondrosis increases if the patient tilts his chin to the chest.
  • The intensity of pain sensations is enhanced by the impact on the spinal column.
  • The use of Nitroglycerin does not improve the patient's well-being, and taking an analgesic medication copes with the symptom of pain.
  • The pain is characterized by a long course: up to several months, it can pass on its own for several days and then resume again.
  • The electrocardiogram does not fix violations.

An external manifestation indicating an increase in stress on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe heart muscles is a rapid heartbeat.

Differences between heart pain and osteochondrosis

It is important to understand how to distinguish heart pain from osteochondrosis. For example, for angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, the following manifestations are characteristic:

  • patients may complain of fear of death.
  • The intensity of pain remains unchanged, regardless of the position of the spinal column.
  • The pain impulse can increase significantly with loads on the vertebral discs.
  • Unlike osteochondrosis, the feeling of soreness in the chest area is short-lived.
  • The pain in the heart is intense.
  • There is a development of neuropsychic overstrain.
  • Preparations based on nitroglycerin are able to stop pain.

Conducting electrocardiography captures the development of characteristic abnormalities.

Video

Is it thoracic osteochondrosis or does the heart hurt?

Diagnostics

In order to recognize what worries the patient: pain in the heart with osteochondrosis or cardiac disorders, it is necessary to consult a doctor and undergo an examination.

  • To determine the pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, magnetic resonance imaging is recommended.
  • With such a symptom as pain in the heart with osteochondrosis, electrocardiography is also required.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine can be confused with other pathologies, so a comprehensive diagnosis is mandatory when symptoms such as heart pain occur.

Treatment

To eliminate the symptom of "pain in the heart with osteochondrosis" requires an impact on the cause of the disease, which provokes a deterioration in the patient's well-being, as well as the selection of funds for symptomatic treatment.

Therapy is carried out in a complex with the involvement of:

  • medical treatment.
  • Physiotherapy, manual treatment, acupressure.
  • Therapeutic physical education.

As a supplement, use means of plant and animal origin for external application: essential oils, snake and bee venoms, resin. Such funds help to provide a vasodilating effect, eliminate muscle spasms and reduce the degree of compression of nerve endings. This leads to a significant reduction or complete elimination of pain.

Medical treatment

After a comprehensive examination to eliminate pain in the region of the heart with osteochondrosis, patients are prescribed the following drugs:

  • analgesics - in case of heart disease caused by osteochondrosis, they quickly eliminate pain.
  • Medications with a vasodilating effect.
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
  • Reception of muscle relaxants helps to eliminate excessive muscle tension.
  • Preparations with chondroprotective action for external application and internal use.
  • Diuretic drugs.
  • With an increase in blood pressure, the use of antihypertensive drugs is required.

The scheme of drug therapy is selected individually for each patient, self-treatment is unacceptable here.

Physiotherapy

In order to cope with pain in the heart with osteochondrosis, additional involvement of elements of physiotherapy exercises is required.

The selection of exercises is carried out by a specialist, during classes it is necessary to remember the basic rules for performing exercises:

  • should refrain from sudden movements.
  • Classes should not provoke muscle tension, spasms, increased pain.
  • If the pain does not increase, and the patient feels well, the amplitude can be increased.

Exercise therapy demonstrates the greatest effectiveness when combined with drugs, as well as massage.

Possible Complications

There is a relationship between osteochondrosis and the heart, as well as the respiratory organs (lungs). The lack of timely, high-quality care is fraught with the development of complications such as the development of intercostal neuralgia, accompanied by shooting pains, vertebrogenic radiculopathy and thoracalgia, the formation of an intervertebral hernia and protrusion of the intervertebral discs in the thoracic spine.

Osteochondrosis is a combination of dystrophic disorders in the cartilaginous tissue of the joints. The risk of developing this disease increases due to the wrong position of the back, inadequate diet, injuries and many other reasons, so its prevalence can be considered as wide as that of cardiovascular diseases.

Dystrophic lesions of the spine in most cases are manifested by pain in the myocardium, scapula and back. Therefore, the question "how to recognize pain in the heart and osteochondrosis" is often on the agenda of cardiologists, neurologists and therapists.

Experts describe several ways of developing pain in the sternum during dystrophic processes in the spine. Most of them do not directly affect the activity and condition of the heart, capturing only the nerves. Pain in the sternum with degeneration of the intervertebral discs has the following mechanisms of occurrence:

  • When the power supply of the disks is reduced, their volume (thickness) decreases. The risk of squeezing the surrounding nerve endings that innervate the organs of the chest increases. This phenomenon, called intercostal neuralgia, is not easy to distinguish from pain in the myocardium. Making a final diagnosis requires examination of the spine and heart function for coronary and non-coronary pathologies.
  • The development of osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic region disrupts the normal transmission of impulses in the upper limbs and shoulder girdle. Sensitive receptors do not receive signals, which affects the autonomic parts of the nervous system, which are responsible, among other things, for the innervation of the heart. This phenomenon is called reflex cardialgia and is responsible for the manifestation of discomfort in the sternum when moving the arm or shoulder.
  • Spasm of the muscular corset of the back and squeezing of the vessels by edematous tissues and displaced vertebrae disrupts blood flow.

In the latter case, peripheral vascular resistance increases and, accordingly, blood pressure and the load on the heart, which pushes the nourishing fluid into the narrowed lumen. This leads to hypertension and tachycardia, and increases the risk of myocardial infarction.

Pain in the sternum with damage to the vertebrae

There are close nerve connections between the heart and the spinal column. They pass through sections of the spinal cord at the level of the lower edge of the cervical region. Accordingly, cardialgic syndrome and discomfort, resembling an attack of angina pectoris, can occur with osteochondrosis of precisely these sections of the spine. A more common lesion of the lumbar region is not manifested by unpleasant sensations in the sternum.

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are:

  • Migraines aggravated by sudden movements and not relieved by commonly available analgesics.
  • Deterioration of vision and hearing, “flies” and blurry colored spots in the field of vision, “ringing” in the ears.
  • Vertigo when changing the position of the head.
  • Referred pain in the arms, shoulder girdle and chest.
  • Rarely - loss of sensitivity of the tongue and a change in the timbre of the voice.

Signs of osteochondrosis of the thoracic region include:

  • Sensation of a "hoop" around the ribs.
  • Strong, sharp pain (“stall” in the chest), radiating to the side, the area between the shoulder blades, to the sternum. Discomfort is aggravated by movements of the arms and body, deep measured breathing, and physical exertion on the whole body.
  • The syndrome is exacerbated by hypothermia of the body or a long stay in one position - for example, in a dream. This is due to stagnation of blood in a horizontal position. With the formation of edema, damaged nerve fibers are compressed more strongly.
  • Attacks can be observed even while walking. Usually these are point flashes of burning pain between the ribs, caused by a complication of osteochondrosis - thoracalgia.
  • Numbness, tingling and burning of the skin above the affected area and opposite the pinched nerves.
  • Feeling of coldness in the legs.

Thoracic osteochondrosis is often mistaken for manifestations of angina pectoris. Frequent attacks at night, a possible similar character and localization of sensations on superficial examination resemble a consequence of ischemia. Exacerbation of dystrophy in both described sections of the spine is often accompanied by cardiopathy - an inflammatory process in the heart muscle.

Osteochondrosis as one of the reasons

The human spine consists of more than 3 dozen parts. Between them are elastic discs that make it mobile, resistant to variable loads and elastic. The intervertebral space consists of the nucleus pulposus, which is enclosed in a solid fibrous ring and is clamped on both sides by hyaline cartilage. In case of violation of blood circulation in the spinal column and, accordingly, the nutrition of the disk, it loses its elasticity and dries out, decreasing in volume. This leads to protrusion, cracks and ruptures of the fibrous ring.

Osteochondrosis leads to loss of mobility of the spine and its curvature from the flattened disc. In response to a decrease in the height of the discs, bone outgrowths (osteophytes) begin to form at the edges of the vertebrae, which increase not only the stability of the column, but also the risk of pinching the nerve roots leading outward (to the heart and upper limbs) and inward (to the spinal cord). Other complications of osteochondrosis - curvature (scoliosis, kyphosis) and intervertebral hernia - can also disrupt the innervation of the sternum and make the heart hurt.

Differences in the syndrome in neuralgia and heart pathologies

One of the complications of dystrophic processes of the spine is intercostal neuralgia. The list of complaints rarely allows you to accurately determine the disease without additional research, but it must be taken into account in the differential diagnosis.

How to distinguish pain in the heart from complications of osteochondrosis (neuralgia)

Comparison Category Cardialgia Thoracalgia
The nature of painPressing paroxysmal with angina pectoris or aching with non-vascular pathology. With pericarditis, the pain worsens after prolonged immobility in the supine position.
Cardiopathia is aggravated with a rapid displacement of the sternum and in an uncomfortable position.
Shooting, burning, aching pain (when the process is running).
LocalizationBehind the chest Referred pain is observed in the arm, shoulder, neck and even the peritoneum.Point between the ribs, girdle at the level of the affected nerves. Reflected pain can be distinguished in the shoulder blades, collarbones, back. Discomfort in the sternum is more common in women.
DurationIt comes on suddenly, gets worse quickly, and lasts up to 20 minutes. With a heart attack and non-coronary diseases, it can last longer.From momentary burning pains to a long aching sensation.
Aggravation conditionStress, physical cardio.
Prolonged stay in a horizontal position.
Deep breaths and other sharp movements of the sternum, arms and body. Feeling the ribs. Walking. Uncomfortable position.
The impact of drugsAngina pectoris and heart attack are removed by "Nitroglycerin". With a heart attack, the remedy is useless.
Non-coronary pathologies are amenable to the action of analgesics.
It is removed by taking analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Nimid).

How to recognize heart pain and disc disease?

As a rule, heart disease and osteochondrosis manifest at the same age - over 40 years. The first manifestations of dystrophic processes in the joints occur even earlier - at 25-30 years. According to statistics, osteochondrosis is the main cause of back pain. The defeat of the thoracic region is characterized by blurred symptoms, so doctors take into account all the nuances of the anamnesis, complaints and the results of a comprehensive diagnosis of the heart and spine.

How to distinguish heart pain from osteochondrosis

Disease Description of symptoms
Inflammatory processes in the heartAching or paroxysmal pain, subfebrile temperature. Accompanied by a change in heart rate and - most often - a decrease in pressure.
angina pectorisThe attack occurs during stress / physical exertion (angina pectoris) or at rest, mainly in sleep or in the early morning. Pulse and pressure usually increase.
Removed by nitrates.
Mitral valve prolapseCompressive or stabbing pain, accompanied by shortness of breath, fainting and tachycardia, not relieved by Nitroglycerin.
Dissection of a vessel aneurysmSharp pain between the shoulder blades or in the front of the chest. Pathology can be recognized by the migration of the site of discomfort.
cardiopathyPain occurs in response to sudden movements and an uncomfortable/horizontal position. Often accompanies osteochondrosis of the neck. Subsides with analgesics.
Osteochondrosis (excluding pathology in the lumbar region)Pain syndrome can capture the sternum, shoulders, shoulder blades, side and limb from the flattening of the intervertebral disc or curvature. Effective NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, analgesics, blockade of the affected area.

Warning symptoms

In some cases, it is not easy to distinguish cardialgia from intervertebral disc degeneration.

The patient should know in advance the list of signs that indicate even more serious pathologies than an exacerbation of osteochondrosis.

Warning symptoms include:

  • "Dagger", burning pain, lasting longer than 20 minutes and not stopped by nitrates (talks about a heart attack).
  • Chronic manifestations of discomfort in the sternum (may indicate oncology, tuberculosis, intervertebral hernia in this section, and even diseases of the peritoneal organs).
  • Sharp pain between the shoulder blades (in the presence of shortness of breath or discomfort in the abdomen, it may indicate perforation of the esophagus or dissection of the aneurysm).
  • Dizziness, sudden jumps in blood pressure, migraines, numbness of the extremities.

Therefore, distinguishing heart pain from osteochondrosis is not as easy as it seems at first glance. The problem is that in both cases, the localization remains in the area behind the sternum. And with cardialgia, and with osteochondrosis, unpleasant sensations can have a paroxysmal character, innervate in different parts of the back. In order to track the etiology of pain for sure, first of all, you need to undergo an ECG diagnosis - this will eliminate the likelihood of developing heart pathologies dangerous to health.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic and cervical spine is widespread. It creeps up unnoticed and progresses with age. The highest frequency and severity of clinical manifestations are observed in people of the most working age - 30-50 years.

According to the classification of diseases of the nervous system in cervical osteochondrosis, reflex, radicular and vascular syndromes should be distinguished. Reflex syndromes are manifested by muscular-tonic, vegetative-vascular and neurodystrophic disorders.

One of the reflex manifestations of osteochondrosis is pain in the heart, and quite frequent diagnostic errors are associated with this.

There are nerve connections between the cervical spine and the heart through segments of the spinal cord at the level from the seventh cervical to the fifth thoracic vertebrae. In addition, the vertebral nerve departs from the stellate ganglion, which takes part in the innervation of the heart, which forms the basis of the plexus of the vertebral artery. The branches of this plexus innervate the fibrous rings of the intervertebral discs. The plexus of the vertebral artery affects the reticular formation of the brain stem, as well as the cerebral cortex. In pathology, these nerve connections can cause various heart pain syndromes, disorders of tissue metabolism and contractility of the heart muscle, as well as arrhythmia. It should also be taken into account that cervical osteochondrosis usually occurs at the same age as coronary heart disease and hypertension. All this explains the frequency of diagnostic errors in the recognition of these diseases.

There are two widely held misconceptions, each contradicting the other. First: osteochondrosis does not have any significant effect on the cardiovascular system. Second: it is believed that a direct connection between ischemic disease, on the one hand, and osteochondrosis, on the other, is present in all cases without exception. Therefore, it is extremely important, in order to avoid errors, that the diagnosis of osteochondrosis must be confirmed by an x-ray examination (although the data obtained on the x-ray are not always clinically manifested).

After all, there are well-defined criteria for the relationship between osteochondrosis and cardiovascular pain syndromes and other cardiovascular disorders. This is:

  • their dependence on certain postures and movements of the spine or arm;
  • their confinement to periods of exacerbation of neurological manifestations of osteochondrosis;
  • the ability to provoke pain in the heart and other cardiovascular disorders by active physical impact on the spinal column;
  • the ability to influence pain in the heart and other cardiovascular disorders with therapeutic measures used in cervical osteochondrosis.

As you can see, an insufficiently thorough clarification of the circumstances of the occurrence of pain in the region of the heart and behind the sternum leads to an incorrect diagnosis of coronary heart disease with pain; poor awareness of therapists and cardiologists regarding osteochondrosis; re-evaluation of the data of a single electrocardiographic study without taking into account their dynamics.

It should be noted that projection pains often imitate prolonged angina pectoris by the nature of sensation and localization, but are not strictly defined. For example, a patient for no apparent reason developed pain behind the sternum with irradiation to the left arm. Naturally, this was interpreted by doctors as a sign of ischemia. The cardiogram showed certain negative changes, a diagnosis of prolonged angina pectoris was made, and the patient was hospitalized. During the examination in the clinic, the diagnosis was made: osteochondrosis with vertebral artery syndrome on the left. One of its manifestations was heart pain, which mimicked coronary heart disease and angina pectoris. Rational therapy of the underlying disease had a beneficial effect on cardiac manifestations (pain disappeared). Moreover, the ECG also changed completely, the manifestations were now shown not by ischemia, as originally, but by reflex phenomena associated with the vertebral nerves.

Serious diagnostic difficulties cause pain of a complex nature, in which the cardiac and projection components are linked. They should be considered in cases where, after intense prolonged pain characteristic of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction does not develop (when observed for up to a week). Meanwhile, there are signs of coronary insufficiency on the ECG - but the degree of their severity clearly does not correspond to a formidable pain syndrome.

Thus, in the differential diagnosis of heart pain is important:

  1. prolonged nature of pain, their combination with pain in the neck, back and shoulder girdle;
  2. their dependence on the position of the head, body or hand;
  3. the ineffectiveness of the use of potent drugs for the relief of a painful attack;
  4. no changes in the ECG with multiple studies.

I. Brusnikin

"Cervical-thoracic osteochondrosis of the spine and heart" and other articles from the section

Let us recall the specifics of osteochondrosis and think about how chronic malnutrition of tissues can affect the functioning of internal organs. The occurrence of pain in the heart with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is the most common symptom. The second thoracic vertebra is connected precisely with the heart muscle, and its deformation causes disturbances in the work of the heart.

Destructive processes in the spine go in two directions. Functional disorders of the cardiac system occur when blood vessels are squeezed by warped vertebrae or discs. Increased stress on the heart leads to hypertension (high blood pressure), tachycardia. Pain in the heart with osteochondrosis is also caused by inflammation of the nerve roots that innervate the thoracic region, and last for several days.

Heart pain in thoracic osteochondrosis is not relieved with nitroglycerin and valocardine.

From thoracic osteochondrosis, it can burn in the chest, there may be pain in the ribs, but pain in the heart area causes the greatest concern.

It is important to recognize an attack of coronary heart disease in time and distinguish pain in the heart from osteochondrosis, in which urgent medical measures are not required. It is difficult to confuse an acute attack of myocardial infarction with something else: a fainting state is intertwined with the fear of death. Externally, IHD is characterized by intermittent breathing, pallor of the face and weakness, cold sweat, very severe pain in the chest. For osteochondrosis, all these symptoms are not typical, except for the last one. The main point of how chest pains manifest themselves in osteochondrosis and their difference from coronary artery disease:

With thoracic osteochondrosis, the pain subsides a little when a person finds a more or less comfortable position for his body, and with a heart attack, a person does not find a place for himself, the pain only grows and does not let go for a minute.

Sometimes these two diseases occur at the same time, and urgent medical attention is required. The best way to tell them apart is to do an ECG.

How does thoracic osteochondrosis affect the work of the heart

The connection of the vertebrae with the internal organs is well studied. Deformation of the thoracic vertebrae leads to a lack of nutrition of the internal organs associated with them: this is the heart in the first place, as well as the lungs and digestive organs. Therefore, thoracic osteochondrosis directly affects the work of the heart: by disrupting the blood supply to the heart muscle, thoracic osteochondrosis causes its gradual degeneration, and hence the disease. Pain in the heart with osteochondrosis can be caused by diseases directly of the heart, or can only be disguised as them.

It is known that the innervation of the internal organs comes from the spinal cord. With osteochondrosis, compression of the spinal cord or nerve endings coming out of it occurs. This "pinching" of the nerve roots and causes pain in the heart with thoracic osteochondrosis.

Let's remember and make sure of what was said above. There is a pathological chain. Malnutrition of the discs triggers degenerative processes in the vertebral bodies, and they, in turn, lead to pain in the heart with osteochondrosis and other symptoms. And it is necessary not only to restore the spine, but also to treat heart disease.

Why there are pains in the heart with osteochondrosis

The spine is the seat of the spinal cord, from which, through the holes in the bodies of the vertebrae, bundles of nerve fibers depart and stretch to all internal organs. Naturally, with the displacement of the vertebrae, the appearance of bone growths on them, the appearance of compression of the nerves and the appearance of pain occur. If such degenerative processes have occurred in the thoracic spine, then there are pains in the heart.

What will we treat?

In the acute period, you need to take medication as prescribed by the doctor. These are painkillers, first of all. Pain in the heart with osteochondrosis should be treated comprehensively. After examining the heart, pressure, the doctor draws conclusions about the need to visit a cardiologist if there have already been changes in the work of the heart. If the matter concerns only the spine, then procedures are prescribed that improve the metabolism of vertebral structures.

Physiotherapy and therapeutic baths improve blood circulation and restore the nutrition of the discs. Special exercises help stretch the spine and release the strangulated roots, strengthen the muscular corset, which is an important point to prevent the occurrence of pain in the future.