Herniated disc in thoracic spine

One speaks of a herniated disc when disc material moves into the spinal canal of the spine.If necessary, the disc material then presses on a nerve root, resulting in nerve root compression. This can happen without any particular external influence, but usually a disc protrusion is preceded by an overload of the disc. In the thoracic spine, very few herniated discs occur in comparison to the cervical and lumbar spine.

However, when the thoracic spine is affected, the herniated disc is usually located between the eleventh and twelfth thoracic vertebrae. Those affected suffer from severe pain, which usually radiates into the arm on one side. Those affected also report a loss of strength and sensory disturbances in the arms and hands.

Affected persons may also suffer from a feeling of breathlessness and pain in the chest area. Nevertheless, in 90% of the cases a conservative therapy consisting of the administration of pain and muscle-relaxing medication and targeted physiotherapy is sufficient. In physiotherapy, tension is relieved through massages, manual techniques and heat applications, and the affected muscles are strengthened in a targeted manner. Surgical treatment of a herniated disc is only indispensable in cases of very severe damage and spinal cord contusion. Without this, a cross-sectional symptomatology could otherwise develop.

What is nerve root compression of thoracic spine?

Nerve root compression or radiculopathy is an acute or chronic irritation of the initial area of one or more spinal cord nerves. Since the spinal cord nerves convey information between the spinal cord and the body, nerve root compression is not only associated with pain, but with a variety of other symptoms. The causes are manifold.

In most cases, however, nerve root compression is caused by a herniated disc. Approximately 0.1 to 1.1% of disc patients suffer from nerve root compression. Other, rarer causes of nerve root compression can be tumors, spondylolisthesis (spondylolisthesis), spondylophytes (bone attachments in the context of wear and tear), spinal stenosis (bony constriction in the spinal canal) or trauma.

In principle, any nerve fiber can be affected. However, depending on the section of the spine in which the nerve root(s) is (are) compressed, a distinction is made between nerve root compression in the cervical spine, thoracic spine or lumbar spine. Due to the anatomical vibrations of the spinal column, nerve root compression in the thoracic spine is rare compared to the other two sections. In addition, the disease is difficult to diagnose due to a variety of differential diagnoses, such as angina pectoris (chest tightness) or intercostal neuralgia (nerve pain in the ribs). These exercises may be of interest to you: Exercises slipped disc in thoracic spine