Stair Muscles (Syndrome): Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

What is the stair muscle syndrome? The answer to this question you will learn from the materials of the article in question.

basic information

The syndrome of the anterior staircase is a combination of a number of pathological features, including a feeling of thickening or thickening in the muscle tissues and their spasm. Also, this state is characterized by a secondary compression of neural bundles and vessels in the space between the rib and the above muscle.

Causes of development

Most often the stair muscles are subjected to various pathologies due to the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic spine. Sometimes the syndrome under consideration is formed due to any trauma or abnormal arrangement of the neck or ribs (for example, congenital). Such a violation often develops in adolescents actively involved in sports, as their muscles are constantly traumatized.

It should also be noted that the stair muscles are often subjected to anomalies due to irritation of the roots of C7-C6 or sympathetic nerve fibers. A characteristic sign of such a syndrome are pain sensations in the neck, which later spread along the ulnar part of the upper limb.

The development of such a disorder can lead to the hypotrophy of the carpal muscles. At the same time the patient's hand loses sensitivity and is constantly numb.

The main symptoms of the disease

When compacted, the stair muscles cause pain that extends from the shoulder to the fingertips. There is also a disappearance of the sensitivity of the upper limb. Sometimes such unpleasant sensations can spread to the nape (including when turning the head) and go to the sternum.

With the development of the disease, the patient's blood flow decreases, and blood pressure also decreases. It should also be noted that such syndrome is characterized by cyanosis of the hand and numbness of the hand, especially in the place of squeezing.

When examining the patient by means of palpation, the front stair muscles can be excessively strained.

Other signs of the disease

How else is the pathology being treated? With constant and prolonged disturbance of blood flow in the muscles, connective tissue transformations begin, which are an irreversible process.

In the presence of the syndrome under consideration, the anterior staircase muscle can cause a reflex painful spasm. As a rule, such a symptom appears as a result of the influence of cervical osteochondrosis on the spine roots.

How is it diagnosed?

To identify the syndrome of the staircase muscle at the first examination of the patient is quite difficult. This is due to the fact that the signs of such pathology depend very much on the characteristics of the human body. In addition, many of the symptoms of this disease are similar to those of other diseases.

Stair muscles of the neck, or more precisely, their disturbances are quite easily confused with cervical osteochondrosis and trauma to the rotator cuff. But thanks to a physical examination, experienced specialists can still find out when the development of this disease began, at what stage it is and so on.

It should also be noted that some doctors diagnose the syndrome under consideration by some external signs (for example, on the swelling of the hand, its insensitivity, cyanosis, etc.). Also in the shoulders of the patient there is a restriction in the volume of movements.

When diagnosing this syndrome, the following procedures are often performed: angiogram and electromyogram. Such methods allow you to examine the clamped part of blood vessels.

What tests should I take to identify the presence of the disease in question? Syndrome of staircase muscle is often diagnosed on the basis of laboratory data. To this end, the patient can be assigned completely different analyzes, including a general analysis of urine and blood. In the latter case, specialists determine the level of glucose and hormones.

Treatment of the syndrome

The stair muscle syndrome can be treated in many ways:

• Physiotherapy. In the treatment of the disease in question, physical loads are of great importance. According to experts, there are exercises that significantly improve the patient's posture, and also correctly distribute the load on his muscles. In addition, exercise therapy helps to increase the motor volume of the shoulder, strengthen muscles and reduce pressure on the nerves and vessels that are between the clavicles and ribs.
• Manual therapy allows you to mobilize the vertebral column and ribs, greatly increasing the motor volume of the shoulder joint.
• In the treatment of stethal muscle pathology, blockades are very often used, which, incidentally, are of great help in the differential diagnosis of this disease. The injections in this case should be done only by a doctor who has extensive experience in conducting similar procedures.
• Acupuncture. In the process of such a treatment procedure, the needles are injected into certain active points, which helps to restore the patency of impulses along the nerves and reduce pain.

It should also be noted that an excellent method of treating the disease in question is massage. Such procedures can relax the tension in the muscles, as well as relieve stress. In addition, thanks to massage, blood circulation in the muscle tissues, which get rid of toxic metabolic products, is greatly improved.