Chest neuralgia. Symptoms in adults, treatment

In most cases, chest neuralgia in adults, it occurs for a short time and disappears on its own after a while. Chronic discomfort requires a specialist consultation and medical examination to make an accurate diagnosis. The doctor will take into account the symptoms and complaints of the patient, and will prescribe the most effective treatment. In the absence of therapy, the likelihood of complications is high.

What is it, how is it manifested

Chest neuralgia in medicine is called intercostal neuralgia. The pathological condition is characterized by compression of the intercostal nerve. The disease is accompanied by many symptoms, among which the main one is severe pain.

In most cases, osteochondrosis is a provoking factor, which many people simply do not pay attention to. They go to the hospital when the condition worsens, when the disease progresses to advanced stages and is accompanied by serious complications.

Typical symptoms, signs

In the early stages of development, neuralgia of the chest is rarely accompanied by a pronounced clinical picture.

Progressive pathological processes cause the following symptoms in a person:

Name	Description
Painful sensations	They often cover the entire chest. Pain is the main symptom of neuralgia. Its area of ​​localization depends on which vertebra is affected and where the nerve was pinched.
Posture changes	The human body takes an unnatural position, mainly tilts in a certain direction. This happens at the level of reflexes. The patient takes a comfortable position for him, in which it becomes easier for him. On a subconscious level, the patient tries to alleviate his condition.
Body temperature rises	The symptom indicates the development of an acute inflammatory process.
Jerk, jerk	Signs of neuralgia that occur when muscle fibers are damaged by pathological processes.
Cough	Bronchospasm worries a person if pathological changes have affected smooth muscles, which is located on the border with the pleural cavity.

The patient also has increased lacrimation, a characteristic rash appears on the body in the place where the intercostal nerve is compressed. Sweating increases, some parts of the body lose some or all of their sensitivity.

As the nerve fiber is tightly clamped, the person feels sharp or mild pain. During physical activity or stress, the discomfort is more likely to increase. In some situations, the pain is so severe that it is difficult for the patient to inhale or exhale air.

Causes

In most cases, neuralgia of the chest in adults is provoked by diseases of the spine (hernia, osteochondrosis).

But there are also other factors against which the pathological mechanism is triggered, as evidenced by the characteristic symptoms:

• infectious processes that provoke inflammation of the muscle layer;
• traumatic injuries (bruises, sprains, fractured ribs);
• the ingress of toxic substances into the human body;
• parasitic infection;
• hereditary predisposition;
• high muscle tone in the chest area;
• hormonal disorders;
• stress, emotional outbursts, overexcitement;
• long-term presence of the body in an uncomfortable position;
• spasms against a background of great physical exertion in the absence of a warm-up;
• rachiocampsis;
  
• inadequate or improper nutrition;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• hypothermia of the body;
• sudden movements, lifting weights;
• damage to the central nervous system;
• disturbed material exchange;
• age-related changes associated with blood vessels;
• severe intoxication of the body;
• long-term treatment with potent drugs;
• bad habits, in particular alcoholism;
• weak immunity;
• stressful condition, depressed mental stress.

Various diseases, salt deposits in the spine, vitamin deficiency are also provoking factors. The same applies to damage to the circulatory system, benign or malignant processes in the human body. An accurate diagnosis will be made by a specialized doctor, taking into account the person's condition.

How to distinguish heart pain from neuralgia?

Chest neuralgia (symptoms in adults are important to consider when prescribing a comprehensive examination) is often mistaken for pathologies of the cardiovascular system. A comprehensive examination and a neuropathologist will help to establish an accurate diagnosis. However, there are certain distinguishing features that are worth paying attention to.

Chest neuralgia

Heart pathology

· The person is worried about severe shortness of breath, which increases during movement; • heart rhythm is disturbed; • the patient gets tired quickly; · The general condition of the person is unsatisfactory; · Sweating intensifies; · A person is worried about severe pain with lumbago; · Blood pressure rises or falls sharply; · Skin integuments turn red or pale; Painful sensations increase with mobility or against the background of physical activity; · Pain manifests itself along the intercostal nerve; · When taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a person becomes easier, the pain subsides.

· Disturbed by severe pain of a pressing nature; • there is a feeling of cold; · Lack of air leads to dizziness; · The skin turns pale; · Discomfort occurs on the left side in the chest area; • there is a strong physical and nervous overexcitement; · Pain syndrome after taking nitroglycerin decreases.

At home, you can preliminarily determine a person's cardiac pathology or neuralgia. To do this, it is recommended to breathe deeply for a while. If there is a heart problem, the pain will diminish. With neuralgia of the chest, they increase.

Diagnostics

A comprehensive examination will help to establish an accurate diagnosis and select the most effective treatment.

Diagnostic measures are prescribed by the doctor to the patient after the examination, guided by human complaints:

Name	Description
Blood analysis	Pathological processes and inflammation in the human body affect blood parameters.
Computed tomography (CT)	The most informative examination methods that help specialists establish the exact cause of the pathological condition. Muscles, bone structures, and nerve tissues are seen.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Ultrasound examination (ultrasound)	The examination allows you to identify concomitant pathologies.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)	Diagnostics are assigned to patients to confirm or exclude the development of heart disease.
X-ray	The lungs and vertebral sections are examined for the detection of pathological processes.
Myelography	During the examination, a special contrast agent is used, which is injected into the area of ​​the spinal canal. The results will show the condition of the spinal cord and nerve endings.
Electrospondylography	The spinal column is examined, pathological changes and the area of ​​their distribution are revealed. Testing also allows doctors to monitor the effectiveness of therapy.
Discography	Intervertebral discs are examined by specialists. During the examination, a contrast agent is used.

Differentiating chest neuralgia is important, as many heart conditions have similar symptoms. The neuropathologist selects the course of treatment in each case individually for the patient. The therapy will not only eliminate pain, but also restore damaged nerve endings and reduce inflammation.

First aid

The main symptom of chest neuralgia is severe pain syndrome, which causes significant discomfort to a person.

To cope with pain, it is enough to remember the simple rules of first aid:

1. Apply dry heat (heating pad or salt) to the affected area.
2. You can rub the damaged area with a warming ointment.
3. Take pain relievers if necessary.
4. Anxiety medications can help relieve stress.

During the first days after the injury, it is recommended to strictly observe bed rest and rest. Any physical activity or stress is unacceptable. Sleep on a flat hard surface, an orthopedic mattress is also suitable.

Drug therapy in adults

Chest neuralgia (symptoms in adults are taken into account by the neuropathologist when prescribing a medical examination) is treated with complex methods. First of all, the doctor prescribes drug therapy. Additionally, patients are advised to attend physiotherapy procedures, massage.

It is also necessary to engage in physiotherapy exercises. If there are no serious contraindications, recipes of healers and healers are used, but after consultation with a specialized doctor.

Drug therapy involves the use of the following drugs:

Drug group	Name	Application
Pain relievers	Midocalm, Ibuprofen	Medicines reduce pain and inflammation. The daily adult dosage is 150-450 mg. It should be divided into 3 steps. If necessary, the drug is administered intramuscularly or intravenously. The tablets are taken with meals, washed down with a little water.
Anti-inflammatory drugs	Voltaren, Diclofenac	The drugs are injected intramuscularly or taken orally, they help to quickly eliminate pain and inflammation. The tablets are swallowed whole, not chewed and washed down with a sufficient amount of liquid. The standard dosage for adults is 3 tablets per day.
Anxiety medications	Elenium, Relanium	Medicines calm the person down and stabilize their emotional state. Adult patients are usually prescribed 30 mg per day. The indicated dosage must be divided into 2-3 doses with a time interval of 6-8 hours.
Ointments	Apizartron, Vipratox	The gel is applied to the diseased area of ​​the skin, 3-5 cm. The product is distributed in a thin layer. When there is a slight redness and a feeling of warmth, the ointment should be rubbed slowly and thoroughly with light massage movements. Wrap the treated area of ​​the body with warm material. The ointment must be used 2-3 times a day until the symptoms of neuralgia go away.

Additionally, patients with neuralgia are prescribed vitamin-mineral complexes (Neurorubin), which not only increase the body's defenses, but also enhance the process of regeneration of damaged fabrics.

Massage

Chest neuralgia (symptoms in adults require medical examination and consultations of a neuropathologist) in complex therapy involves patients visiting massage procedures. After a session, which should only be carried out by a specialist, metabolic processes are restored, muscles relax, painful sensations decrease.

In the area of ​​the pathological focus, blood circulation increases. Massage procedures are especially important for those patients who, for certain reasons, are contraindicated to take medications. Point treatment is not indicated for all patients.

There are situations when patients cannot attend massage:

• inflammatory process at the stage of exacerbation;
• epileptic seizures;
• high body temperature;
  
• high probability of bleeding of various origins;
• mental disorders;
• oncological processes;
• purulent lesions of the skin, wounds on the body at the site of the massage;
• infectious diseases;
• active tuberculosis;
• hypertensive crisis.

Before starting a therapeutic course, patients must undergo a comprehensive examination in order to exclude contraindications and concomitant diseases.

The duration of each session lasts no more than 20 minutes. Blood pressure is measured immediately before the procedure. In the first sessions, strong influences are excluded. The specialist increases the load and duration of each procedure gradually. During the session, the person feels pleasantly tired and relaxed. If pain appears, it is necessary to refuse treatment and consult a neurologist.

Physiotherapy and exercise therapy

Additionally, chest neuralgia is treated with special exercises. Physiotherapy treatments eliminate the symptoms present. Therapeutic gymnastics allows you to restore the anatomical position of the spine.

Chest neuralgia (symptoms in adults will help a neuropathologist to establish a preliminary diagnosis and prescribe an informative examination) is treated with the following physiotherapeutic procedures:

Name	Description
Physiotherapy	Classes must be carried out regularly in order to restore the normal state of the spinal column and reduce the manifestations of pulmonary pathologies.
Medicinal electrophoresis	Under the influence of an electric current, the active medicinal components penetrate into the focus of the pathological process. They reduce inflammation and soreness.
Acupuncture	The therapeutic technique has a positive effect on blood flow and reduces the painful sensations that accompany neuralgia of the chest.
Laser treatment	During the session, laser beams are used that affect the nerve endings. After therapy, inflammation decreases, the protective reaction of damaged tissues increases, the regeneration process and blood circulation improve.
UHF therapy	Ultra-high frequency electric current is applied. Heat improves blood and lymph flow, dilates capillaries and small arteries. Decreases inflammation and toxic effects of pathogenic flora on nerve tissues.

Physiotherapy exercises in the complex therapy of chest neuralgia helps to influence the underlying cause of the pathological condition.

In most cases, patients are offered a standard set of classes:

1. Lying on your back, take turns pulling your legs towards you, bending them in the knee area. It is desirable to reach to the forehead.
2. Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms forward. In this position, bending your back, rise with the upper part of the body.
3. Standing with a straight back, spread your arms to the sides, straighten them. In this position, it is necessary to make rotational movements with the shoulders. First forward, then backward.
4. Lie on your back. Bend your arms at the elbow. In this position, it is necessary to raise your arms up and down, while straining your pectoral muscles.
5. Clasp your hands behind your head. In this position, sitting on a chair, bend forward.

All exercises must be performed slowly, without unnecessary stress. Classes are allowed when the exacerbation period subsides. It is important to avoid the appearance of painful sensations that may indicate a deteriorating health condition.

ethnoscience

Chest neuralgia (symptoms in adults require a full medical examination to making an accurate diagnosis) is treated with folk remedies, but strictly after consulting a doctor neuropathologist. It is necessary to take into account the fact that the components used may cause an allergic reaction or individual sensitivity.

Effective folk remedies:

Name	Recipe	Application
Sagebrush	Dry grass, pre-crushed (1 tbsp. l.) pour hot water and leave for 2-3 hours. Strain and take orally according to the scheme.	Wormwood decoction copes well with painful sensations. It is recommended to use it internally, 50 ml 3 times a day.
Healing mixture	Mix 500 g lemons and 3 tbsp. apricot kernels. Grind all components well and mix with natural honey.	It is recommended to take the finished medicine in 1-2 tbsp. l. on an empty stomach in the morning and evening before bedtime.
Ginger, Turmeric and Pepper	Mix 0.5 tsp. l. hot chili peppers, 2 tsp. l. dry ginger root and 1 tsp. l. turmeric powder. Pour all components with warm water and mix well until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.	The resulting gruel must be laid out on a small piece of cloth and applied to the sore spot, rewound with a bandage from above. It is recommended to keep the compress until a burning sensation appears.

Black radish juice has an analgesic effect. The product is used in its pure form. It is recommended to rub the sore areas of the chest with juice. Additionally, it is necessary to make compresses with steamed flax seeds. You can also take baths with sea salt and sage.

Chest neuralgia is a serious condition in which intercostal nerves are compressed. The main symptom in adults is severe pain syndrome. In most cases, neuralgia is a secondary disease and requires a comprehensive diagnosis. Correctly selected therapy will help eliminate painful sensations and prevent serious complications.

Video about chest neuralgia

Intercostal neuralgia. What makes your chest hurt: