How to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis at home yourself

28 November 2020

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can ruin a person's life. The result of its progression is sharp and painful pain in the neck, shoulder blade, cervical bone. Often, spinal canal compression and venous numbness lead to headaches, migraines, and neck movement disorders. Treating the disease at home requires an integrated approach, as it is not so easy to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis.

Why the disease occurs: basic preconditions

Osteochondrosis is associated with degenerative changes in the vertebral joints of the cervix. Due to osteochondrosis, the joints are consumed faster, they lose their movement, in the body of the cervical vertebrae are formed bone results composed of salts - osteophytes. As a result, pinching of nerves and blood vessels develops, narrowing of the spinal canal, destruction of joints, protrusion of vertebrae with the appearance of intervertebral hernias.

Hospital and home treatment of osteochondrosis begins with determining the cause of the disease and eliminating it. These could be:

Lack of physical activity.
Sedentary lifestyle.
Abuse of harmful foods (salty, fatty, fried, smoked).
Metabolic disorders due to chronic diseases.
Deformation of the scoliotic spine.

A specialist will be able to accurately determine the cause of osteochondrosis after collecting a medical history.

How osteochondrosis of the cervix manifests itself: the first signs

A list of early symptoms of the disease will help to recognize the development of cervical osteochondrosis at home:

Performance reduction.
Neck discomfort when turning your head.
Restricting the movement of the neck to one side.
Characteristic chewing when turning the neck.
Frequent headaches.
Pain and spasmodic pain in the neck muscles.

As the disease progresses, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis increase:

Pain occurs at rest.
Sprouts are felt in the shoulder and clavicle area.
Bringing the neck back or forward becomes difficult.
Dizziness occurs due to cerebral hypoxia.

In the absence of proper treatment, progression of osteochondrosis symptoms is observed:

Tongue numbness occurs.
Sensitivity of the upper limbs is impaired.
Arm paraesthesias occur.
The mobility of the neck is completely lost.

The appearance of the first signs of cervical osteochondrosis requires immediate medical attention to establish an accurate diagnosis and choose treatment tactics. The patient can observe it at home.

Diagnostic Basics: Who to Contact

If the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is suspected at home, it is necessary to contact a neurologist, orthopedist or vertebrologist. Examination and confirmation of the diagnosis "osteochondrosis" occurs after:

Obtaining anamnesis. The doctor will learn all the details of the patient's lifestyle.
Internal examination and palpation. The degree of pain and disorders of vertebral movement, the presence of tissue edema and the preservation of their sensitivity are established.
Carrying out diagnostic studies. These include x-rays of the spine. If necessary, an MRI or computed tomography scan is performed to assess the condition of the cervical spine, to confirm or rule out hernia formation.

During the examination, the doctor will make a diagnosis and offer the patient a series of measures to treat the disease at home.

How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home

With early diagnosis, correct treatment choices, and a responsive patient attitude to therapy, cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis can be successfully treated at home.

The main measures of home treatment are aimed at eliminating the cause of osteochondrosis of the cervix:

With physical inactivity, a gradual increase in physical activity at home is indicated. When you sit at a desk or computer for a long time, frequent breaks are prescribed, implying physical activity.
In case of behavioral disorders and uneven loads on the cervical muscles, special fixatives, correctors and corsets are used to ensure a symmetrical body position.
In case of overweight and inadequate nutrition, appropriate adjustments are made to the patient's lifestyle and a diet is prescribed.
Osteochondrosis of the cervix caused by metabolic disorders in the background of chronic diseases is eliminated by the therapy of the underlying disease.

The main treatment at home is strict adherence to medical prescriptions for taking medicines - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, chondroprotectors. The patient should follow the recommended admission regimen, clearly maintaining the duration of the course of treatment until the desired result is achieved.

Home treatment of cervical spine osteochondrosis involves adjusting the patient's diet and drinking regimen. A prerequisite is the use of two liters of clean water per day, excluding beverages and liquid food. Food at home for the patient should be nutritious and balanced. The diet should contain:

Sources of fiber for the normalization of metabolic processes: vegetables and fruits in large quantities.
Sources of unsaturated fatty acids to improve metabolism: nuts, vegetable oils, fatty fish.
Low fat protein sources: poultry, legumes, eggs.
Sources of calcium and potassium in an easily digestible form: cottage cheese, leafy greens, dairy products.

Of course, home treatment will have to exclude fatty, fried, smoked, salty foods from the diet.

Home treatment may require visits to specialized hospital rooms for physiotherapy. You should not neglect them. An electrophoresis session ensures the delivery of medicinal substances directly to the tissues affected by osteochondrosis, which cannot be achieved at home. Physiotherapy recommended by a doctor should be followed regularly, it is necessary to undergo full treatment recommended by a doctor.

In the early stages of home treatment, the patient may be advised to rest in bed until the pain syndrome is eliminated. Importers It is important to note that bed rest with cervical osteochondrosis can not last more than 2-3 days. After the expiration of this period, the patient should gradually become more active and increase physical activity, even if the entire treatment will take place at home.

For more effective home treatment of osteochondrosis, it is indicated to purchase a special orthopedic pillow. It is able to effectively relieve tension from the cervical muscles when the patient is sleeping.

Prescriptions of traditional medicine

Doctors do not forbid combining home remedies with the use of proven folk remedies. Moderation, compliance with safety rules and elimination of the risk of neck skin damage are important conditions.

Natural compresses for osteochondrosis of the cervix allow you to get rid of painful sensations and swallowing infusions helps to normalize metabolic processes, remove excess salt deposits from the body. Below are proven folk recipes for home treatment of cervical spine osteochondrosis.

Pour a teaspoon of dandelion root with a glass of boiling water. The drug is insisted for 15 minutes, after which it is filtered and taken orally. The tool removes salt deposits.

5 tablespoons dried nettle leaves are poured with a liter of boiling water. They insist for an hour. After straining, add to the bath. The course of treatment is 2 weeks daily baths. Some healers recommend overcoming the pain localization with fresh nettle branches.

Garlic and ginger are mixed in equal proportions. Dilute with vegetable oil to get particle. Rub the composition on the neck muscles for 20 minutes. The remaining funds are removed with a napkin.

Horseradish leaves are evaporated with boiling water for one minute, after which they are applied to the back of the cervix. Leave the compress overnight, warming it with a handkerchief.

Treating osteochondrosis at home using folk methods alone is ineffective. Most likely, you will be able to reduce the symptoms but not cure the disease. Treatment with folk remedies is best agreed with a doctor.

Massage for cervical osteochondrosis

Comprehensive home treatment for cervical osteochondrosis, recommended by doctors, includes massage. It is better to entrust its implementation to a qualified specialist. In the absence of such an opportunity, self-massage will help cure osteochondrosis of the neck, which the patient can perform at home at any time convenient for him. Its main rules:

Impact on cervical muscles is performed with the pads of the fingers, not the palm.
Movements should be directed strictly to the periphery and also from top to bottom.
Pressure and rubbing of the cervical vertebrae is prohibited very quickly.
For a gentle sliding of the fingers, the massage is performed using oil.

Honey massage at home helps well against osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. About a teaspoon of honey is rubbed on the surface of the cervical vertebrae and muscles, kneading gently with your fingers until the honey becomes thick, after which it is washed with warm water.

Medicines: we eat and paint at home

Medical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis should be chosen by a physician. Often, a whole complex is used, consisting of injectable, oral and topical medications.

Injection forms. They are prescribed to eliminate acute inflammation in the early stages of home treatment. These are chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants, B vitamins. Home use lasts up to 10 days.
Preparations for internal use. They are the most convenient way to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers, muscle relaxants, chondroprotectors have been prescribed. Treatment with the latter group of drugs is long-term. The minimum course of treatment is 3 months.
External objects. These are oils and gels based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain or chondroitin sulfate to accelerate cartilage recovery.

At home, complex treatment helps remove cervical osteochondrosis much faster than using single group medications. Almost it is almost impossible to cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine only with external agents.

Physiotherapy exercises: principles of application and result

Home therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is based on specific exercises for the cervical muscles. Exercises are performed according to the following rules:

The list of exercises and their amplitude are determined by the doctor.
All exercises are done smoothly and slowly to eliminate the risk of injury.
Do not start gymnastics treatment for acute back pain.
The load increases gradually.
The patient does gymnastics regularly, several times a day, at the same time.

Exercises for treating cervical osteochondrosis are very simple. Performing them correctly at home will speed up healing and help relieve pain. Treatment of the cervical spine with exercise therapy includes:

Turn your head sideways to the extreme point.
Bend your head to the sides, front and back.
Circular movements of the neck and shoulders.

Gymnastics course lasts until the end of treatment and complete elimination of symptoms. If the patient continues to do gymnastics, he will be able to prevent recurrence of the disease. Results of home treatment of osteochondrosis from gymnastics:

Removal of cervical muscle hypertonicity.
Ligament extension.
Improving vertebral mobility.
Pain relief.
Increased neck movement.
Normalize blood circulation in the cervical spine.

Home treatment for cervical osteochondrosis includes a large list of therapeutic and preventive measures. The most important condition is that an experienced specialist should supervise them so that home treatment brings positive results as soon as possible, and the patient can forget about the unpleasant symptoms forever.