In the article, consider the signs of neuralgia in women. This is a disease that is accompanied by damage to the nerves located on the periphery. The pain syndrome is localized in the area where there was a violation of innervation. Against the background of pathology, motor activity is not limited, and the sensitivity of tissues is not disturbed. The main symptom of neuralgia in women is acute pain, which can be localized along the entire affected nerve or only in a certain place. As a rule, the disease develops in women over the age of 30 years. The most common are its forms such as intercostal and pelvic, which we will discuss in detail below.
Causes of intercostal neuralgia
Let's figure out why this pathology occurs. The main reason for the development of constant or paroxysmal pain in the intercostal zone is squeezing or pinching a thin nerve in this area between the muscle fibers. The intercostal nerve is compressed by muscles at a reflex level, which causessevere pain syndrome, most often manifested in an acute form.
What are the signs of intercostal neuralgia in women? Sharp pain, which is usually accompanied by numbness, burning or tingling, spreads throughout the chest area. This occurs at the moment when the impulse passes through the nerves in the region of the spinal column.
Consider the causes of intercostal neuralgia in women on the left or right.
Risk factors contributing to the development of the disease
The main risk factors for the development of pathology are:
- A state of constant stress.
- Hypocooling of the body.
- Intoxication. What else causes intercostal neuralgia in women?
- Injury to the ribs as a result of intense physical activity.
- Inflammatory process in the body, including proceeding in a malignant form.
- Pathological disorders in the structure of the spinal column, including osteochondrosis.
To identify the disease, it is important to know how intercostal neuralgia manifests itself in women.
Differentiation of pathology with neuritis
An important point in the diagnosis is the differentiation of neuralgia from neuritis. Although the symptoms of both pathologies are similar, inflammation does not occur against the background of intercostal neuralgia, and the sensitivity of the skin is not disturbed and muscle activity is maintained. In some cases, an increase in the intensity of pain in the sternum may indicate hypertonicity of certain muscle groups,for example, scapula, shoulder, or extensor back.
Sharp pain with neuralgia - is this normal?
The main symptom of neuralgia in women is pain of a sharp nature, localized in the space between the ribs. It is easy to detect during palpation. As a rule, the pain occurs on one side.
Signs of intercostal neuralgia in women are of interest to many. Let's dwell on them in more detail.
Feeling of heaviness in chest
Irritability and soreness when sneezing and coughing is a symptom of neuralgia. When the disease passes into the atrophic stage, the pain subsides due to changes in the nerve root. Gradually, a sharp pain is replaced by a feeling of heaviness in the chest, which indicates the neglect of the case.
Shallow respiratory activity
Another important sign of intercostal neuralgia in women on the left or right is a decrease in lung volume, as well as superficial respiratory activity. As a rule, an exacerbation of neuralgia is preceded by a short-term muscle spasm, which rapidly irritates the nerve endings and causes severe pain.
Treatment for signs of neuralgia in women should be immediate.
Diagnosis of intercostal neuralgia
The first thing a specialist does when dealing with the complaints described above is to conduct a physical examination of the patient. Based on the collected history, the doctor examines the patient's chest to exclude pathological processes in the organs of the respiratory system.
Ifthe pain is localized on both sides at once, the patient is prescribed a heart examination by conducting an electrocardiogram. This allows you to exclude diseases such as ischemia and angina pectoris.
Next, the patient is recommended to have an X-ray examination of the thoracic spine. This allows you to differentiate neuralgia from lung diseases, as well as to exclude damage to the ribs and chest as a result of trauma.
Additional research methods for symptoms of neuralgia in women on the right or left are magnetic resonance imaging, electroneurography, computed tomography, etc. After receiving the results of the examination and confirming the diagnosis, the doctor selects a treatment regimen for neuralgia.
Therapy
Therapy for intercostal neuralgia is selected taking into account the nature of the nerve lesion and the neglect of the pathology. The longer the patient did not see a doctor, and the disease progressed, the longer the treatment will be. In some cases, therapy for intercostal neuralgia may last several months.
Treatment of the intercostal variety of neuralgia involves an integrated approach. Sometimes neuralgia can be a secondary disease. In this case, treatment should begin with the elimination of the factor that caused it. When the underlying disease enters the stage of remission, the treatment of neuralgia becomes more effective.
Medicines
The main groups of drugs prescribed for the treatment of neuralgia are as follows:
- Painkillerstopical preparations in the form of gels and ointments.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They can be prescribed both in tablet form and as a solution for injection.
- Vitamin complexes. With intercostal neuralgia, the emphasis is on B vitamins.
- Relaxants and antidepressants. Responsible for relaxing the tense area, which will prevent further squeezing of the nerve.
If after the treatment there is no positive dynamics in the patient's condition, the neurologist may prescribe a surgical intervention that involves resection of tissues that compress the nerve or narrow the channel that conducts impulses.
Female symptoms of pelvic neuralgia are shown below.
Pelvic neuralgia: causes
Regardless of the localization of neuralgia, the cause of its occurrence is damage to the sheath of the nerve fiber when it is squeezed or compressed. The causes of pelvic neuralgia can be:
- Infectious damage to the body. Sometimes the work of the nervous system is disturbed under the influence of infections of a viral or bacterial origin. Most often, pelvic neuralgia occurs in patients with herpes zoster, which is a complication of chickenpox, HIV, lyme disease, or syphilis.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Natural aging of the body.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Mechanical effect of tissues and organs on nerve fibers. It could be linksmuscles, blood vessels, and in some cases neoplasms.
- Hip injuries.
- Hypothermia due to significant physical exertion.
- Intoxication of the body.
In addition, the cause of pelvic neuralgia in a woman can be a pathological disorder in the formation of the musculoskeletal system of the congenital type, as well as some diseases of the blood vessel system, etc. There are cases when it is not possible to identify the cause of neuralgia. In such a situation, treatment is carried out to eliminate the existing symptoms.
Pelvic neuralgia symptoms
The main symptoms of neuralgia in women are:
- Pain in the pelvic bones.
- Violation of sensitivity in organs affected by neuralgia, accompanied by burning and numbness of tissues.
- Muscle weakness.
- Disorders of the autonomic system.
The most pronounced symptom of neuralgia is pain. Since damage to the nerve sheath prevents the brain from localizing the signal from the receptors, the pain may be wandering or affect the entire pelvic region, along with the lower back.
It is possible to determine the location of the affected nerve by means of secondary signs, such as limited mobility, numbness of the skin in a certain area, etc. To do this, you should visit a doctor, since without knowledge of the anatomical features, it will not be possible to identify the source of pain.
Additional features
Pelvic neuralgiadivided into types, depending on which nerve was damaged. It is easiest to diagnose pudendal nerve compression, since its damage is accompanied by additional specific signs:
- Pain in the perineum, in the organs of the reproductive system and rectum.
- Feeling of a foreign body in the anus or urethra.
- Urinary incontinence.
- Disorder of sexual life, pain during intercourse.
Pain syndrome in pelvic neuralgia can be different in nature, including shooting, burning, resembling electric shocks. In addition, the pain can be constant or paroxysmal, wandering or have a clear localization zone. If conventional painkillers do not help, you need to seek help from a specialist. The doctor will determine the true cause of the appearance of pelvic neuralgia and prescribe the appropriate treatment to eliminate it.
Pelvic neuralgia: diagnosis
When contacting a doctor, you must provide a correct and detailed history. It is important to indicate the nature of the pain and its localization, duration and possible cause of the development of the pathology. Next, the therapist decides to refer to a specialist to clarify the diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
The purpose of diagnostic measures is to identify the affected nerve, as well as the causes of neuralgia in the pelvic region.
The doctor can determine the affected nerve by examining the patient. On palpation of the areaof the hip bones reveal a spasmodic area. Based on the history obtained and the examination performed, a diagnosis is made and the patient is prescribed an additional examination to confirm it:
- X-ray that shows a pinched nerve.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
- Doppler ultrasound. Prescribed for suspected infringement of the pudendal nerve.
- Biopsy of the injured nerve.
- Electroneuromyography. Allows you to assess the patency of the nerve channels and muscle activity.
When carrying out diagnostic measures, the general condition of the patient is monitored. Until the diagnosis is confirmed, the pain is relieved with novocaine.
How is neuralgia treated in women?
Pelvic neuralgia treatment
If it was possible to identify the cause of neuralgia, a treatment is prescribed to eliminate it. If it was not possible to determine the origin of the pain syndrome in the pelvis, the therapy will be aimed at relieving the symptoms. Treatment for pelvic neuralgia includes:
- Anesthesia of the affected area with anesthetics. Rubbing, warming up, light massage helps well.
- Physiotherapy including phonophoresis, electrophoresis, acupuncture, UV therapy, etc.
- Performing special therapeutic exercises.
- Complete nerve block with hormonal and narcotic painkillers.
Any variant of neuralgia greatly affectsthe quality of life of a woman, therefore, requires timely access to a specialist for help. You should not try to eliminate the pain yourself, as this can lead to unpredictable consequences and complications.
We examined the signs of neuralgia in women (intercostal and pelvic).
