Walking upright freed a person's hands to perform labor operations - this is an undoubted plus. Along with this, the load on the spine has increased, which leads to the development of serious diseases, and this is a colossal minus. Osteochondrosis is one of the most common pathologies of the spine. It affects 60% of the world's inhabitants aged 35 and over. Surgical intervention is one of the methods of treatment, but an alternative is possible in the early stages of the development of the disease. You can treat osteochondrosis at home. The range of effective therapeutic measures is wide and affordable.
What is osteochondrosis
Dysfunction and destruction of intervertebral discs, vertebral tissues is a disease of the musculoskeletal system, which is called osteochondrosis. Osteocytes are bone cells, and chondrocytes are cartilage cells. Based on these names, the origin of the term "osteochondrosis" is clear. Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine negatively affect the general condition of the body.
As the disease progresses, muscles atrophy, nerve impulse conduction is disrupted, physiological systems and individual internal organs are disrupted. The appearance of pain in the back and neck is the first sign of the disease. Depending on the location of the lesion focus, osteochondrosis is:
- Main symptoms: pain in shoulders, arms, neck; dizziness, tinnitus, spots before the eyes.
- Characterized by dull pain or lumbago in the chest.
- There are pains in the hip joints, lower back, sacrum. The functionality of the lower limbs is limited.
- It develops in several parts of the spine at once. It is accompanied by severe pain.
Effective treatment of osteochondrosis at home is possible with timely diagnosis of the disease. It goes through 4 degrees (or stages):
- The pathological process begins with dehydration of the central part of the intervertebral disc (nucleus pulposus). As a result, the structure subsides, cracks appear in the outer part of the disc (annulus fibrosus). This stage is almost invisible to the patient. Slight discomfort manifests itself in an uncomfortable posture or during active physical activity.
- The distance between adjacent vertebrae decreases due to the subsidence of the intervertebral disc. Ligaments and muscles sag. The vertebrae acquire additional mobility. For this reason, they are displaced. This condition is called spondylolisthesis. With a strong load, the patient feels discomfort, sometimes pain in the localization of the pathology.
- The formation of prolapses (hernias), protrusions (uneven protrusions) of discs, subluxations and arthrosis of the intervertebral joints are the main pathological changes in the third stage of the disease. The patient's movements are constrained, numbness, tingling in the limbs occurs. Pains are present, their localization depends on the location of the focus of the disease.
- To eliminate excessive mobility of the vertebrae, the body forms neoplasms of bone tissue (osteophytes) in the spine. Their formation occurs chaotically, depending on the location, they can injure the nerve endings of the spinal cord, adjacent vertebrae. Processes of pronounced structural changes (fibrous ankylosis) begin in the intervertebral joints. The vertebral-motor segment looks like "walled up". Signs of osteochondrosis at this stage are practically not felt.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home. How to provide first aid at home?
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home includes:
- medicines;
- physiotherapy;
- massage;
- medical gymnastics;
- diet correction.
It is in combination that the methods of therapy make it possible to achieve good results in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. Symptoms can be very uncomfortable, so you need to know how to give first aid.
Medicines
Various medications are used to combat the symptoms of the disease. They should be prescribed by a doctor who specializes in the treatment of osteochondrosis - a neuropathologist or a vertebrologist.
Medicines
- For severe pain, you can take pain relievers such as metamizole sodium. If they do not work, NSAIDs can be taken.
- Sometimes "distractions" are used, such as a pepper patch. By itself, it does not heal, but heats up the inflamed area and relieves pain.
- Herbal infusions and diuretics are useful for edema in the area of inflammation.
The following groups of drugs are prescribed for the treatment of SHS:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nimesulide, Ketoprofen, Meloxicam, Diclofenac and others). Helps relieve pain, swelling and inflammation of the affected nerve root.
- Vitamins of group B. They help to improve metabolic processes in nervous tissues.
- Chondroprotectors. Promotes the restoration of cartilage tissue.
- Muscle relaxants (tizanidine, tolperisone hydrochloride). Helps reduce muscle spasms.
- Medicines aimed at improving the rheological properties of blood flow and blood. They help to improve the process of blood flow to the brain and nutrition of the affected nerve endings.
Intramuscular injections may also be indicated.
How to treat at home osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine. Overview of home treatments
Osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine, if neglected, leads to disability. Signs of pathology:
- pain in the affected area (neck, chest) with slight exertion, sudden movements;
- headaches;
- dizziness;
- shortness of breath and shortness of breath;
- tiredness.
If alarming symptoms appear, you need to visit a doctor for further diagnosis. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor will determine the stage and prescribe treatment.
Treatment of thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis includes a conservative technique and surgery. At home, you can deal with treatment at the first and second stages of development. With the deterioration of the condition, even greater displacement of the vertebrae, their fusion, the defect is eliminated during the operation.
Treatment of thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis at home is carried out with the help of pharmaceutical preparations, a complex of light physical exercises, folk recipe for rubbing, compresses. Doctors recommend visiting the pool, massage therapist, physiotherapy rooms. Actions are aimed at relieving symptoms:
- muscle relaxation;
- stimulation of cartilaginous layers for regeneration;
- return of the displaced vertebrae to their original position;
- release of pinched nerve fibers.
Home treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine will be effective if all the doctor's recommendations are followed.
Pharmacy preparations
Cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis can be treated at home with the help of medications - commonly available drugs that are easy to purchase at pharmacies. Do not carry out treatment without a doctor's prescription, the wrong remedy will delay the healing process. It is impossible to predict the body's response to drugs. They block pain in the affected area, relieve muscle tone, increase blood circulation, improve metabolic processes, and improve well-being.
Drugs slow down progression.
Medications are prescribed at home for the treatment of thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis in the chest and neck area:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs help to eliminate inflammation and edema at home. After the completed course in the spinal column, there is a decrease in pressure on the spinal artery and blood vessels.
- Pain-relieving tablets quickly eliminate the sensation of pain and nervous tension.
- Relaxants - drugs that relax muscle tissue, relieve pain.
- Preparations based on chondroprotectors for osteochondrosis in the thoracic and cervical spine normalize metabolic processes in the cartilaginous and bone tissues of the spine. As a result, it is possible to stimulate the regenerative properties of tissues, increase the gap between the vertebrae, and enable the deformed parts to take the desired position. Under the influence of chondroprotectors, pain is less often manifested.
- Vasodilator drugs that improve blood flow to the site of injury. As a result of increased nutrition, the manifestation of symptoms decreases, the process of correction is accelerated.
- Vitamins are useful helpers in the treatment of osteochondrosis at home. Reception of group B, C, E provides the body with the substances necessary for the fight. They stimulate the healing of cartilage tissue, strengthen the spine, and improve the permeability of nerve fibers.
How to treat osteochondrosis and myositis at home. The main goals of home treatment
A doctor decides to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home if the patient does not have serious disorders, the symptoms are moderate and there are no indications for hospitalization. The chosen therapy tactics are aimed at eliminating unpleasant manifestations of the pathological process and solving the following tasks:
- Normalization of blood circulation in the affected area.
- Elimination of brain hypoxia.
- Sleep normalization.
- Prevention of the rapid development of the disease.
- Improved blood circulation.
- Launching regeneration processes to restore cartilage tissue.
- Saturation of the body with vitamins and minerals.
- Eliminate anxiety, panic attacks, irritability.
- Improve the condition of the cervical ridge.
It is completely impossible to cure chondrosis, but the right approach can significantly slow down the process, restore normal health and maintain a high quality of life for many years. For this, an integrated approach is used, which implies a change in diet, an increase in physical activity, taking medications, and visiting a massage therapist.
Cervical osteochondrosis can be cured at home only with strict observance of all the doctor's recommendations, constant monitoring of nutrition and taking medications, and performing prescribed therapeutic exercises.
It is worth starting to treat cervical chondrosis with the elimination of pain. For this, the specialist selects the appropriate pain relievers. The pharmaceutical industry offers a wide variety of products that differ in the principle of action, form and price. With acute unbearable pain, novocaine blockade is possible. After the main symptomatology subsides, alternative techniques can be used. It can be:
- Massage procedures - eliminate spasms, pain and tension.
- Exercise therapy - strengthen muscle tissue, restore normal spine support, and restore its flexibility.
- Mud baths - warm up the affected area and relieve pain syndrome for a long time.
- Manual therapy - restores metabolic processes and improves blood flow, eliminates oxygen starvation of the brain.
- Reflexology - reduces pain in the area, starts regeneration processes in the cartilage tissue.
- Acupuncture - activates metabolism, improves the condition of cartilage tissue, reduces the manifestation of painful sensations in the affected area.
The most accessible methods of treatment at home are ointments, rubbing, baths, decoctions, compresses. Such traditional medicines have been known for a long time and are famous for their safety, ease of use and the minimum number of contraindications.
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home. Symptoms of the disease
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at the initial stage may not manifest itself in any way. Accompanying signs appear only in the case of an advanced form of pathology, when there is a violation of blood circulation in the brain. This process is usually accompanied by:
- dizziness;
- numbness of the limbs;
- with cold hands and feet;
- "goosebumps" in the eyes, dimness;
- headaches;
- noise in the head, ringing in the ears;
- increased fatigue;
- irritability;
- lack of coordination;
- unsteadiness in gait;
- tingling, tingling in the neck muscles.
If the disease takes a chronic form, then discomfort and pain accompany the patient constantly. Main manifestations:
- painful sensations in the back of the head, neck, shoulder, arm, difficulty moving the head, crunching when turning the head or bending;
- pulling pain in the chest area on the left, radiating to the left arm, a burning sensation between the shoulder blades;
- frequent headaches, increased fatigue, weakness, difficulty turning the head;
- soreness in the neck extends to the shoulder and arm, numbness in the fingers;
- hearing and vision impairment, numbness of the tongue and face, dizziness, impaired lung and heart function may appear.
Symptoms are divided into three groups:
- neurological manifestations (incessant pain in the neck, pain in the muscles, chest, joints);
- pathological effects on the spinal cord (weakness in the arms and legs, involuntary twitching, myelopathy);
- associated with processes occurring in the brain (cerebral manifestations due to insufficient blood supply: visual disturbances, a feeling of a foreign body in the throat, noise and ringing in the ears, hearing loss, dizziness, unsteadiness when walking, fainting, fatigue, irritability, sleep disturbance, decreased ability to remember).