Fusion surgery is not usually needed if only a small amount of bone and disc material was removed during surgery to fix a herniated thoracic disc. oh i'm only . A possible complication of both of these syndromes is urinary retention, in which the bladder becomes paralyzed and cannot empty normally. 5. yu R, Chang H, Tang L, et al. The following exercises are commonly prescribed to patients with this condition. Thus you need to follow a complete regime of Yoga Asanas to what our experts will teach to you. The herniated disc compresses the spinal cord, leading to sensory and/or motor problems in the corresponding compressed area and below. The similarity of symptoms to lumbar disc herniation makes the diagnosis of a thoracic disc injury difficult, but the process tends to be self-limiting and rarely requires surgical intervention. Join the Thoracic Spine Discussion Group! An epidural steroid injection can hasten improvement. When it comes to T5-T6 disc herniations, the symptoms are not aggressive. This referred pain is able to be felt all around the body and sometimes affect one or both legs. Once the disc is in, the patient should be pain free and have full movement. After about 3 weeks, the levels between T5-T8 were sensitive to the touch so I sought consultation from an orthopod where he ordered an MRI. Then the doctor examines you to see which back movements cause pain or other symptoms. . A herniated disc in T6-T7 level can cause several conditions . Stage 1 ruptures may improve on their own after a few days. 6. The T5-T6 slip disc condition appears due to the injury/trauma or due to regular practice of wrong posture. Severe lower abdominal or pelvic discomfort and difficulty initiating urination are potential symptoms of urinary retention. Incredibly helpful info. I have a herniation at T5-T6, A newer symptom that has been coming on for about 4 months now and getting stronger. Have something you want to discuss, tips to share or a question to ask? The average time to diagnose a thoracic herniated disc is usually 4 to 6 months. !he read all of my issue and details and his replies really helped me in decidingi am now confident about my decision and i now totally understand the procedure thanks to the in-depth information providedthank you ever so much ! Try our Symptom Checker Got any other symptoms? I found this out about 2 weeks ago, and I get pretty bad anxiety as it is so I'm wondering if these side effects are similiar to anyone else's or if anyone can relate to how I'm feeling? If the disc starts to put pressure on the spinal cord or on the blood vessels going to the spinal cord, severe neurological symptoms can develop rapidly. Using a backpack. We are all different so wether we have the same health issues as others or not . The third is local spine pain from the degenerative disc disease. This almost never happens with the size of disc herniation you have. The spinal canal of the thoracic spine is narrow, so the spinal cord is immediately in danger from anything that takes up space inside the canal. Until unless the compression is not severe in this region. Anatomy and Function of the Spine. His first published research occurred in 2009 at the American Thoracic Society National Conference where a poster presentation was accepted and at the Bridgeport Symposium 2009. Between each vertebra in our spine are discs that keep it supple. Use of the forums is subject to our Terms of Use
Symptoms of thoracic disc herniation vary widely. Begin sitting or standing tall with your back straight. Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total). knowing your not the only one with these conditions is a help however i have bad days and good days but everyday is a battle and will probally continue to be . in my situation the methadone was masking many of the symptoms which made my doctors job harder ( you dont feel as much pain when your taking a powerful opioid ), but dont worry see if your doctor can try you with gabapentin which is for nerve pain .. or even better pregablin which is also for nerve pain but is also used for anxiety ( which gabapentin does not ) if you can treat the anxiety then in turn this will help physical symptoms, the symptoms you have are common with thorasic disc herniations .. and to be honest if there were more sinister causes i would imagine they would be causing more severe symptoms now. The center, called the nucleus, is spongy. Find a Physiotherapist in your local area who can treat a bulging thoracic disc. Unlike a standard herniated or bulging disc that expands frontward or to either side, a central disc protrusion or herniation expands backward (posterior . Patients with Scheuermann's disease, for example, are more likely to suffer thoracic disc herniations. im attaching a image which will show you how each disc can affect certain parts of the body anxiety is normal with disc problems .. however i came off methadone ( after taking it for 8 years ) while having undiagnosed thorasic disc herniations,so as you can imagine i was pretty anxious and also had to put up with having to come off one of the strongest painkillers around and then the associated anxiety that comes with it, i am now on 600mg of gapapentin daily and 750mg of naproxen daily which seem to be doing the job i also take 30mg to 40mg of buscopan which relaxes the stomach ( you can buy these over the counter however your gp should be able to prescribe these if you ask ), does the pain move when you have a meal or snack this would be interesting to know, anyway i wish you well sara and have a wonderful xmas, Thank you so much for this!!!!! Computed tomography (CT scan) may be ordered. Disc protrusions (often called 'herniated', 'bulging' or 'prolapsed' discs) are often found in people without back pain. Instruments are placed through the opening, and the herniated part of the disc is taken out. Pain is one of the primary symptoms of degenerative thoracic spine disease. The diagnosis of thoracic disc syndrome requires a high index . In the thoracic spine, this condition mostly affects people between 40 and 60 years old. For instance, I will feel it in my back but then also around my chest area and even under my arm sometimes as well. The pain may be centered over the injured disc but may spread to one or both sides of the mid-back. Even if you don't need surgery, your doctor may recommend that you work with a physical therapist. The top and bottom layers of pastry represent the vertebra (bones), the custard represents the jelly-like substance of the disc and the sandwich wrap represents the connective tissue around the disc. Advocates also believe that this type of surgery is easier to perform, prevents scarring around the nerves and joints, and helps patients recover more quickly. In the middle of the disc lies a soft jelly-like substance which is capable of changing shape. Available for Android and iOS devices. Tingling or numbness is felt in the hands, arms, feet or legs. (Ectomy means to remove.) Unfortunately. I tend to think I have some muscular issues but my physician does not want to discuss those and says it is all due to the disc bulge. Left untreated, this section of the spinal cord dies, which can lead to severe problems of weakness or paralysis below the waist. This can cause pain, numbness, and muscle weakness. You're so right. Where you feel a lump sensation in your throat, mucus as well & it affects your throat mainly) more so than stomach pains as of now but I do have pain that travels randomly. The images provide more information about calcified discs. Chiropractic, massage, physical therapy, medications and epidural injections (rarely facet injections) are the treatment options. They typically get affected when the disc is directly impinging on the spinal cord itself, and are usually indications for more serious treatment, such as surgery. In these instances, the disc has normally been subject to repetitive or prolonged bending, slouching or lifting forces leading up to the incident. Statistics say this is what should be happening and this is how we should feel . There was a significant reduction in the ODI at T4, T5, and T6 compared to T2 (p < 0.05). i was steady for 4 years after until I had a mild car accident causing a bit of whiplash. As the rehabilitation program evolves, patients do more challenging exercises. Low back pain. Posted
Disc gives symptoms, when there is some compression on the nearby neural tissues because of the change in the disc. Obtain Long Term Pain Relief. This takes pressure off the spinal cord (decompression). My question is, is this something that needs to be diligently monitored? & if it affects our brain like that, it makes COMPLETE sense why we would be getting anxiety like this! Each thoracic spinal nerve is named for the vertebra above it. For example, the T3 nerve root runs between the T3 vertebra and T4 vertebra. Have you been getting stabbing pains in the chest area? Keep your eyes and nose facing forwards. Tingling or pain in the fingers, hands, arms, neck or shoulders. Mid-back pain can radiate to the ribs due to a herniated thoracic disc. I have tons of exercises to do at home which is helpful, but I'm wondering if I should do other things now to help more. Your physiotherapist can advise when it is appropriate to begin the Initial Exercises and eventually progress to the Intermediate, Advanced and Other exercises. Sections T9 through T12 of the thoracic vertebrae are known as "transition vertebrae" because of their closeness and similarity to the lumbar vertebrae. Each thoracic nerve root exits the spinal canal through a bony hole, called an intervertebral foramen. Aerobic exercises, such as walking or swimming, can ease pain and improve endurance. This is particularly more severe in the thoracic spinal cord since the spinal canal in this region is smaller compared to the cervical and lumbar region. Repeat 4 5 times daily. T6, T7 and T8 - These lead into your chest and abdomen. Not liking the word normal is what alotof medical professionals use. As soon as he touched the bulge it exploded like a 'pimple'. See Radiculopathy, Radiculitis and Radicular Pain. The discs lose their elasticity and thickness, and while the thoracic spine is the least likely segment of the spine to suffer such changes, it does occur. Great advice..I herniated a disc T8..T9..17 years agoFlares up once a while with tightness around right side of ribsWhen those muscles tighten..my right leg feels tightno pain..no weakness..what becomes of that disc . Paraesthesia in whole arm or the fore-arm. In patients with the perfect balance of activities, the thoracic disc may be pushed into position in as little as three days. Its on again/off again. During recovery from surgery, patients should follow their surgeon's instructions about wearing a back brace or support belt. Rehabilitation after surgery is more complex. Re: T5-T6 Herniated Disc Extrusion. You may also need any of the following: Copyright Merative 2022 Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. Since I've never dealt with this before, I obviously don't know. Seeing a herniated thoracic disc on MRI is often incidental, meaning it shows up when the person has MRI testing for another problem. Location: West Michigan. There are two major categories of disc disease, Type I and Type II. This is a detailed X-ray that lets doctors see the body's tissue in images that also look like slices. Motor deficits like weakness, especially in the lower extremities, are also reported in thoracic spine degeneration. It is our goal to provide the highest level of care and service to our patients. The disc comprises of many layers of strong connective tissue wrapping around the disc. Disc material that presses against the spinal cord can also cause changes in bowel and bladder function. the bulge at T5-6 creates a tightness around the chest ( just under the nipple ) and in some cases can feel like indigestion or even a heart attack,but the difficulty breathing is due to the intercostal muscles being pulled due to the disc herniation, another cause is the nerves in the intercostal muscle which can radiate the discomfort/pain more widespread than the actual problem.. its a bit like a toothache which hurts all one side of your face allthough the actual problem nerve is less than 1mm, i was prescribed "pregablin" which has worked wonders granted i still feel some discomfort but its 80% less than i was and i can now have a better quality of life, pregablin are nerve painkillers than simply shutdown the part of the brain that deals with nerve signals they also have a marked "anti-anxiety" property thats helpful when dealing with any anxiety thats associated with these conditions and as your anxious then pregablin may be ideal to A) cure the anxiety and b) stop any nerve pain, physio is also helpful but not ideal for everyone and surgery is also a option but after everything else has failed.