Intercostal neuralgia

Description:

Intercostal neuralgia (or the thoracalgia is a squeezing or irritation of intercostal nerves.

Symptoms of Intercostal neuralgia:

The acute, aching, burning or dull ache in edges which is shown by attacks or periodically. Attacks sometimes are followed by twitching of muscles, sweating, skin gets a red or pale shade. At the sharp movement, sneezing, change of position of a body, cough pain amplifies.

Painful feelings can be when pressing on the certain points located on spin along a thorax, a backbone, in a zone of intercostal spaces.

Bol at neuralgia responds not only in heart, pain under a shovel, in a waist is possible.

Directly in the place of damage of nerve fibrils numbness is observed.

Differential diagnosis on clinical manifestations - an important stage in treatment of patients. First of all, it is necessary to exclude heart pathology as treatment of intercostal neuralgia and heart diseases demand different methods of therapy, and the wrong diagnosis and the missed time at cardiac pathology can have crucial importance for a condition of the patient. Differences consist, first of all, that: At neuralgia the stethalgia remains a long time, and day and night. Pain amplifies at change of position of a body in space, cough and sneezing, a deep breath and an exhalation, the sharp movements, at palpation or squeezing of a thorax.

At heart diseases, in particular stenocardia, the arising pains quickly pass, in 5-10 minutes or are removed nitroglycerine reception. The movements and change of position of a body, cough and deep breath do not cause strengthening of cardiac pain, but can be followed by disturbance of a rhythm of cordial reductions and change of arterial pressure. For an exception of cardiac pathology in the presence of thorax pains or under a left shoulder-blade it is necessary to make the electrocardiogram, sometimes a X-ray analysis urgently.

Reasons of Intercostal neuralgia:

The reason of this state — squeezing of nervous roots of intercostal nerves in the field of their exit from a rachis that is observed, for example, at osteochondrosis. Can be the main reasons for developing of neuralgia: osteochondrosis, unsuccessfully made sharp movement, work in an uncomfortable position, a draft, big exercise stresses, overcooling, a stress, catarrhal diseases, a thorax injury, disbolism etc. Developing of neuralgia is preceded, in most cases, by a muscular spasm which promotes irritation of nerve terminations and, respectively, developing of the expressed pains.

The reason of a girdle pain at the level other diseases of chest department of a backbone can be of a thorax: a spondylitis, a hormonal spondylopathy, Bekhterev's disease, primary or metastatic tumors, tumors of chest department of a spinal cord, a problem with a stomach and other abdominal organs (gastritis can cause pain in this area). The numerous reasons work against the background of age changes in vessels.

Sometimes thorax pain can be caused not only by squeezing / irritation of intercostal nerves, but also an excess tone of one or several muscles. Usually it is extensor muscles of a back or a muscle of a shoulder and a shovel. Muscular pain increase of pain at stretching of an affected muscle is characteristic (an inclination forward, the movement by a shoulder or a shovel).

People of advanced age when all numerous reasons work against the background of age changes in vessels have intercostal neuralgia generally. This illness practically does not occur at children.

Treatment of Intercostal neuralgia:

Range of methods of treatment of neuralgia is very extensive, beginning from physical therapy and finishing with surgical measures (when drugs and physiotherapy are powerless). Manual therapy is applied.
    The complex analginum + pyramidon, novocainic blockade is used (only the doctor!), carbamazepine (it is Finlepsinum; carefully! drug is dangerous at prolonged use, is contraindicated at a number of diseases). The strong irritation of the same kurkovy zones during an attack, can stop it (according to a number of doctors).
    The good effect can give use of acupuncture, a lazeropunktura, impulse currents of low voltage and low frequency, magnetic and electromagnetic fields, infrared and ultraviolet radiation, ultrasound, electrophoresis of medicinal substances.