The symptoms and treatment of intercostal neuralgia on the left

What is an intercostal neuralgia on the left, the symptoms of which is pronounced? Neuralgia is a pinched nerve, most often it is intercostal. The disease manifests itself in acute pain in the area of the ribs and heart. The kind of pain it is hard to say, because it can be both acute and aching. For this reason, it is hard to recognize this disease.

Symptoms of intercostal neuralgia

the Pain is not necessarily localized in the area of the ribs, it may be given in other departments, for example, to the shoulder blade or lower back. Doctors sometimes find it difficult to make a diagnosis based on such characteristics. Intercostal neuralgia is either to the left or to the right. The symptoms differ because of different localization.

The fact that such a characteristic pain can cause and other diseases. Therefore, to avoid such confusion, it is necessary to know exactly the symptoms that accompany the disease.

Cause of disease

Some argue that intercostal neuralgia is manifested on the background of osteochondrosis. But this disease is not always the root cause. There are other ailments that can cause the jamming. The reason for the occurrence of the disease are:

  • reflex reactions that occur during the displacement of the intervertebral discs
  • dysfunction of the joints – violation in the operation of a muscle, are affected vertebral-motor segment;
  • scoliosis – curvature of the spine, that is the body malfunctions, is therefore not excluded further problems with it;
  • displacement of the vertebrae – when the vertebra moves forward or backward, this process is characterized by severe pain in the back;
  • tumors of the internal organs and bones can shift as the intervertebral discs and the spine itself.

Lifting weights is the cause of intercostal neuralgiaCause spasm or restriction can be excessive exercise, lifting weights or sudden movement. To avoid this, you should always start a sport with a warm-up, then the probability of injury is reduced.

One should Not lift a lot of weight, because you can get not only the infringement, but also a hernia. Keep track of your movements, not sharply turn around, better do an average pace. To avoid problems with locomotor apparatus, it is necessary to moderately exercise and lead sedentary lives. Mental overtraining can cause spasms, as the disease is in the nervous level. Simple stress can be the root cause, because experiences anyone health not brought. Therefore, a positive attitude will always help to have a good mood and you will never lose nerve cells.

Injuries in the thoracic region can cause adverse reactions. After a strong blow or drop in the back can shift the disks that RUB against each other and provoke denial. Neuralgia may occur after exposure, as well as leaking along with lung disease. Neuralgia often goes into pneumonia. Often neuralgia is a symptom, rather than a separate disease. Occurs on the background of already existing. Therefore, in order to apply the correct treatment, it is necessary to find the cause and start to fight it. For such a pain sometimes hides a serious disease, spinal disc herniation.

General symptoms

For neuralgia there are common symptoms of the disease. The difference between the right-hand and left-hand drive form only in the center of pain. A person experiences the following feelings:

degenerative disc disease - is the cause of intercostal neuralgia

  1. Piercing pain in your chest. Sometimes the symptom resembles an electric shock or a seizure of a heart attack. People can't move, with any movement the pain becomes stronger. It hurts not only move, but breathe.
  2. Attack lasts a few minutes, then goes away. The pain is not permanent in nature, and tends to increase at any movement. Pain suddenly appear, decrease and resume.
  3. Attacks in the heart area, if not treated, become increasingly, sometimes confuse such symptoms of the patient. Sharp pain in the heart cannot be tolerated, because the reason may be not only neuralgia, and heart attack. But if time does not help, may be fatal.
  4. Neuralgia causes the disease of the spine. Degenerative disc disease occurs due to the displacement of the intervertebral discs. As a result friction is pinched.

left-sided neuralgia is characterized by pain on the left side. Usually the patient feels unwell and mistakenly thinks that this pain in my heart. But this symptom occurs for no apparent exertion. How to distinguish cardiac pain from neuralgia? The characteristics are the nature of pain and its duration.

When angina pain is on the same level, i.e. It is not reduced and not enhanced. When breathing or the movement changes in the condition not be traced. If to speak about infringement, the pain is on an upward trajectory, sharplyincreases with any movement or when the person inhales or exhales.

In the first case, to relieve symptom of a possible drug treatment, but the neuralgia is not so easy to make – require a comprehensive therapy. Spasm can't take pills, but if it's heart trouble, the nitroglycerin will eliminate the pain.

Methods of treatment of left-sided intercostal neuralgia

Before treatment should undergo a complete examination of the thorax, to ascertain the cause. If there is left-sided neuralgia, with additional study would be an echocardiogram. Using this procedure excluded all possible heart disease. Any diagnosis of the disease is mandatory blood test. As a result, the observed presence of inflammation. In this case, even doing x-ray examination of the spine to determine the appearance, looking at for distortion.

To rule out other pathologies ultrasound investigation and computed tomography of the chest and spine Department. Needs an accurate diagnosis otherwise the treatment has no effect.

For initial therapy use techniques to eliminate pain, because such pain people can not tolerate. To prevent such a state, as a painful shock, immediately relieve symptoms and inhibit pain. This can be done with medication, pills and injections. If the infringement is observed for the first time, the treatment may be taking anti-inflammatory and pain medication. What to do if pain persists?

Computed tomography of the spineneed more thorough examination. After all, if in the first case the neuralgia may occur on a background of stress or overexertion, the relapse is a sign of disease of internal organs.

When you are dealing with aggravating disease, symptomatic treatment is necessary. Allowed therapeutic exercise and dry heat. In case of infringement of some medications will not help – you need complex treatment. It happens that the patient was treated one, and the reason is quite different. Therefore it is impossible to self-medicate. What provoked such a condition can learn only by a specialist. It is important to use not only medication but also traditional methods. Treatments using ultraviolet rays is also used, but in the complex.

Among traditional methods, there is good effect of decoction of chamomile and lemon balm. Use tincture of Valerian. RUB the affected area with geranium and then the heat taken away. Baths with sea salt also remove the pain.

If you are not able to cope with the disease alone and the pain is not curable, immediately consult your doctor.

Experienced professional will conduct the necessary tests, make a diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. You cannot run the disease, the earlier diagnosed, the better the therapy.