Symptoms of a slipped disc in the thoracic spine
A herniated disc occurs only in rare cases in the thoracic spine. The symptoms are unspecific and depend on the height of the herniated disc. It often takes a long time until a herniated disc in the thoracic spine is recognized as such.
This is because, in addition to back pain in the affected area, those affected also express nausea, dizziness, palpitations, heart palpitations or a feeling of tightness in the chest. There is therefore always the suspicion of lung, heart or stomach diseases. In addition, the affected area is sensitive to pressure, with pain radiating along the ribs to the rib cage and the front wall of the abdomen.
The pain also radiates into the arms and fingers. If the spinal cord is irritated by the herniated disc, serious gait and sensory disturbances in the legs can also occur. In serious cases, bladder and rectal voiding disorders or even a cross-sectional symptomatology can also develop.
Classical symptoms Often accompanying symptoms
- Chest pain/rib pain
- Severe back pain
- Nausea
- Swindle
- Emotional disorders
- If the results already obtained indicate a herniated disc in the thoracic spine, the doctor will test the Ott sign, among other things. To do this, the doctor stands behind the patient and places a skin mark on the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra. He does the same about 30 cm further down.
Now the patient is asked to bend forward. The doctor now measures the distance between the points. If the result differs more than 3-4 cm from the previous distance, the result is positive.
- Another test is the slump test.
The patient sits upright on the treatment bench. The lower legs hang freely. The patient is asked to bend the thoracic and lumbar spine and then the cervical spine.
In this position the doctor fixes the patient and then asks him to perform an active extension in the knees and ankle joints. This results in a stretching of the sciatic nerve and the spinal meninges. If pain occurs, the slump test is positive.
However, it must then be differentiated whether a herniated disc is present in the thoracic spine or the lumbar spine.
>If the herniated disc is in the area of the thoracic spine, the following exercise can provide relief, for example: More exercises can be found in the article Exercises in case of a herniated disc in BWS
- The affected person sits on a chair with his spine upright (= riding seat). The feet must have firm ground contact. Now the affected person grasps a stick, e.g. a broom handle, with one hand in a U-position.
These stand on the floor approximately at the level of the tips of the toes. Now it is the task of the practitioner to inhale through the nose and to gently press the sticks into the ground while slowly exhaling through the mouth. This pressure automatically straightens and stretches the thoracic spine. It is important that during the exhalation phase the affected person tenses the abdomen and presses the shoulder blades down while the sternum is pushed forward and upwards. Perform 5 x 5 breathing cycles.
