Osteochondrosis can develop in any part of the spine, but most commonly affects the neck and lower back. The disease is essentially inflammatory malnutrition, usually in a chronic form. Women are more likely to be diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis, while men are more likely to develop lumbar osteochondrosis.
General description
Most people spend the day sitting in their seats: at school, university, office, driving a car or using a computer at home. Over time, many people begin to feel discomfort and then feel sore after sitting for a long time. Deteriorating posture, bending over, difficulty in straightening or turning.
This is how osteoporosis first appears1, and it is easiest to deal with this disease in this state. If you don’t take measures, it may become a chronic disease in the future and it will get worse on a regular basis. In some cases, cases ended in disability.
Reference: Cervical osteochondrosis accounts for half of all pathological types.
The clinical manifestations of cervical chondropathy include:
- Pain syndrome caused by nerve root compression. The pain may spread to the shoulder, forearm or entire arm, depending on the damaged vertebrae and intervertebral discs. Characterized by headaches and pressure surges;
- Sensory disturbances, mainly in the hands and fingers. There may be numbness, burning or peristaltic movements;
- The muscle strength and tone of the affected side decrease, sometimes the muscles twitch and cramp;
- Increased sweating, skin discoloration-pale, red;
- Vertebral artery syndrome occurs when one of the two arteries is clamped, accompanied by severe headache, tinnitus, nausea, dizziness, and less frequent occurrence of dysphagia.
No medicine can completely eliminate the cause of osteochondrosis. But you can use the simplest method to get rid of its symptoms and prevent possible recurrence.
How to treat rickets?
In the acute phase, few people do not use painkillers. The most popular and effective are cheap sodium isophthalate-based drugs, and NSAID drugs-non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
For severe pain, the attending physician can prescribe analgesics injections, but it is more common to prescribe them into tablets and ointments. Comprehensive therapy also includes physical therapy, massage and exercise therapy. After the acute symptoms are relieved, massage and therapeutic exercises should usually be started.
What can you do at home
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home is a prerequisite that most doctors insist. Medications and physical therapy alone cannot cope with this disease, they can only temporarily eliminate the symptoms. The remission period can be prolonged by regular physical exercise with a certain dose, self-massage techniques, compression therapy and enhanced infusion.
By strictly following instructions and following medical advice, impressive results can be achieved. Self-massage can greatly save money, and the use of decoctions and herbal infusions instead of certain drugs can reduce the negative effects of drugs on the human body.
Like traditional remedies, home remedies help quickly relieve pain syndrome, normalize cerebral circulation and improve sleep. With existing products, you can eliminate nervousness and restlessness, stabilize blood pressure, and restore normal sensitivity in the neck and collar area.
Exercise therapy
The treatment exercise is included in the main treatment standard of cervical chondropathy, and is selected by the exercise therapy instructor. The first 1-2 sessions are held in polyclinics or health centers, and then patients can conduct self-training at home.
Exercise 1. PI (starting position)-stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Tilt your head to the right, left, forward and back. All movements should be slow and steady, and you should be especially careful to move your head back instead of throwing it back suddenly.
Exercise 2. In the same PI, turn your head to the side. At the extreme, turn your eyes back to the back. Sometimes you cannot turn your head at first, and you should not force the incident. As time goes by, the "obstacles" that restrict movement will disappear.
Exercise 3. Step back your shoulders and join the shoulder blades together as much as possible. Hold this position for a few seconds, then turn your shoulders forward and backward. The movement is similar to the famous "cat", but completed in a standing position.
Another set of effective exercises includes the following exercises:
- Standing or sitting, place your palms on your forehead, then press your head on them, overcoming the resistance of your hands. Maintain this position for 15-20 seconds.
- Place your hands on the back of your head, while pressing the back of your head, then place your hands on the back of your head.
- Place your palm on your right ear and apply pressure to each other, trying to tilt your head to your right shoulder. Then switch to the side, tilt your head to your left shoulder, and place your left hand on your left ear.
- Turn your head to the side and place your palm on the left or right cheek. First, place your hand on the right bone, and then rotate your head to the right to overcome the resistance of the hand. Then, place the palm on the left cheek and rotate the head to the left. The pressing time is 15-20 seconds.
- Grasp the bottom of the head so that the thumb is on the chin and the rest is on the back of the head. Carefully raise your head and swing it from side to side like "pulling the cork out of the bottle". You cannot turn your head, you must straighten the cervical spine. The exercise time is 15-20 seconds.
- Stretch your arms to the sides, then rotate to the left, then to the right, and then to the shoulders. This exercise is especially useful for those who feel tension in the neck and shoulder areas.
- When standing or sitting upright, "roll" your head from left to right and in the opposite direction, tilt it down as far as possible at the midpoint, and try to reach your chest with your chin. The number of repetitions is 10-12.
If certain exercises cause pain and severe discomfort, you do not need to complete the above exercises. According to the doctor’s consent, you can also hang on the horizontal bar or crossbar to participate in swimming, water aerobics and other permitted sports.
Self massage
Self-massage helps to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home. Thanks to the gentle pressure on the neck, it can prevent salt deposition, improve blood supply and tissue nutrition, and reduce pain. During the operation, muscles relax, metabolism accelerates, and blood pressure stabilizes.
If you want, you can see a massage therapist in the clinic or perform surgery at home. However, by studying the basic techniques and determining the points that need to be addressed, you can massage the neck yourself. It is important to know which areas are best avoided or best acted on.
The massage technique is very simple and it is very possible to master it. The basic rules are:
- The direction of movement is from the center to the periphery, that is, from the spine to the shoulders and the back of the head.
- Allows to massage the neck with fingers only, without using any equipment.
- Eliminates a lot of pressure: you need to move gently;
- Stroking, rubbing and stretching the back and side muscles of the neck;
- Massage in a sitting position;
- The meeting started with touching, continued kneading, and ended with touching;
- The duration of the process is -5-10 minutes.
You can use the Kuznetsov applicator without contraindications and approval from the attending physician. This reasonably priced and effective device is a round or square pegboard made of cloth or oilcloth with raised elements.
The applicator is easy to use-just place it under your head and lie on it. The soft needle penetrates the skin, increases blood flow and acts on the biologically active points in the neck. The duration of the process starts from a few minutes and then gradually increases.
Intensify first aid
If there is a sudden neck and back pain, the ideal solution is to see a doctor or perform a professional on-site service. If help is delayed, various measures must be taken to relieve pain and protect the vertebral structure from possible damage.
Convenient location
First of all, you need to provide a cervical spine and limit (preferably exclude) physical activity as much as possible. You should lie on a flat, medium firm bed or on a thick blanket. Floors that are too hard (for example, bare wood floors or ventilated feather beds) will not work.
If acute neck pain is caused by osteochondrosis, it is recommended to wear a Shants collar to prevent the neck from moving or turning freely. This will reduce the burden on the cervical muscles and improve local blood circulation.
If you don’t have a Shants collar, you can use cardboard and cotton wool to make a homemade tire and use it to fix your neck.
Reference: You should not use heated rubber and ointment to massage your neck before going to the doctor. In some cases, such actions can cause very unpleasant complications.
Local funds
In the first few hours of the attack, you can apply ice or cold compresses, but there must be a layer of cloth or gauze between it and the body. This will prevent hypothermia and increased pain.
The use of anti-inflammatory analgesic ointments and gels based on diclofenac, ibuprofen, nimesulide and indomethacin is permitted. It is forbidden to use products such as Finalgon, Viprosal, Capsicam and other products with burning ingredients in the composition.
Mild ointment and friction will cause local irritation, increase blood flow to the neck, and may increase the swelling and pressure of nerve endings. In the cervical spine, special attention is required, because improper movements can cause a sharp rise in blood pressure.
If osteochondrosis worsens, it may increase the risk of pain and reflex muscle spasms, so massage is not performed. In addition, the cervical spine is overactive and any careless exercise will aggravate the condition.
Drugs
Pain can be treated with medication, but remember that pain is a defense mechanism. With forced elimination, nothing can stop your head from violently moving, which can make the situation worse. Therefore, after taking analgesics, you should stay calm, preferably rest in bed for at least 2-3 days.
Novicaine blockers can relieve severe soreness, which will not cause people to stop taking tablets and intramuscular injections. Perform this procedure strictly in a hospital environment: inject a local anesthetic next to the damaged vertebrae and block the pain. Blockade is based on indications only, and may cause side effects in the form of allergic reactions and infection complications.
Prohibited behavior
Severe neck pain is a good reason for doctor consultation and comprehensive examination. Only after an accurate diagnosis is established can the treatment strategy and the most effective method for a particular case be determined.
It is absolutely impossible to eliminate the pain in any way-for example, try to correct a displaced vertebra yourself or seek similar help from a non-specialist. Do not take large doses of pain medicine uncontrollably. If the diagnosis is unclear, even folk remedies may be harmful.
The correct way of exercise is very important: If you should limit your exercise as much as possible during the acute attack, you should increase your physical activity after a few days. Exercising in the exercise therapy complex helps to improve blood circulation, reduce pain intensity and reduce inflammatory processes. In addition, proper selection of exercises will help strengthen the corset supporting the spine muscles.
How to cure osteochondrosis forever
Complex drug treatment includes several groups of drugs:
NSAID and analgesics during exacerbations; muscle relaxants to relax muscles;Various ointments, gels and plasters-such as Nanoplast plaster-effectively assist the treatment. Nowadays, pharmacies have a variety of local treatments that can be used during exacerbations and during the recovery phase:
- Anti-inflammatory;
- Cartilage protection;
- Homeopathy.
When the acute symptoms are relieved, a warming agent can be used.
Traditional method
Honey potato skins are made from grated potatoes and honey. Take the same amount of both ingredients and put them on the cloth or gauze after mixing. Leave it on the neck for about 45 minutes. This procedure is executed twice a week.
The wax or paraffin must be melted and applied to the sore spot to avoid contact with the spine itself. It is recommended to make such an application every two days.
Knead the water and rye flour dough to a medium density, push out the cake and attach it to the neck. Before applying, lubricate the skin with turpentine oil. Cover the compress with polyethylene and a warm cloth until a burning sensation occurs, but do not exceed 15 minutes. You can perform this procedure every other day.
Oral herbal preparations are made from the following ingredients and taken in equal proportions:
- chamomile;
- European arrow grass;
- St. John's Wort;
- Calendula;
- Thyme;
- The leaves of dandelion.
2 st. l. Brew the mixture in a thermos and pour one liter of boiling water. Take ¼ cup 3 times a day before meals.
Therefore, many things can be done at home to get rid of unpleasant diseases such as osteochondrosis. When performing all medical appointments, including taking medications, performing physical and massage procedures, and performing therapeutic exercises, there are opportunities to avoid its progression and prevent recurrence.
What to do now
Statistics show that more than 45% of people over the age of 35 suffer from arthropathy! It all started from childhood: where they were overworked, where they lifted heavy weights, where they had just blown their necks. When designing joints, the main problem starts with inflammation of the joint fluid and then softening of the cartilage, leading to disability.
One thing to remember: joint disease will put you in a wheelchair in less than three years! If you are overweight, the disease will progress many times faster, because in this case, the burden on the joints will double.