Cervical osteochondrosis is the so-called disease of civilization.Modern people spend most of the day sitting in front of computer monitors.Such a sedentary lifestyle leads to severe stress on the muscles and vertebrae of the neck.Because of this, the structure of the intervertebral discs changes pathologically and the spinal nerve roots are compressed.Nowadays it is difficult to find a person who has never been bothered by the manifestations of this disease in his life.That is why the question remains important for many people: how and how you can cure cervical osteochondrosis yourself at home.
Causes of the development of pathology
Osteochondrosis is a disease in which degenerative processes are activated in the intervertebral cartilage.They become atrophic, inelastic and lose their functionality.Depending on which part of the spine the damage occurred, cervical, thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis are distinguished.This pathology is not unusual at all.Medical statistics claim that symptoms of various degrees are detected in 90% of the population, with the average age of onset of the disease being 30-35 years.When exposed to adverse factors and after severe injuries, the manifestation of osteochondrosis can begin at an earlier age.Pregnant women carrying a large child or several fetuses at the same time are also susceptible to this.
The main cause of osteochondrosis is malnutrition of cartilage tissue.This can be caused by such negative factors as:
- poor nutrition with insufficient supply of micro- and macroelements;
- insufficient fluid intake;
- congenital and acquired metabolic disorders;
- excess body weight;
- bad habits, especially drinking alcohol and smoking;
- stressful situations that repeat over and over again;
- difficult inheritance;
- low level of physical development, weakness of the muscular frame;
- excessive static loads;
- wrong posture;
- foot deformities, flat feet;
- chronic intoxication;
- spinal cord injuries.
All these provocative factors are in one way or another the consequence of an unhealthy lifestyle and physical inactivity.
Signs and symptoms
When exposed to the above reasons, pathological symptoms may appear gradually, indicating the manifestation of the disease.The first signs that appear are:
- painful pain in the neck;
- dizziness;
- sudden changes in blood pressure during the day;
- strong feeling of weakness, loss of strength;
- the feeling of interruptions in the rhythm of the heart;
- numbness of the tongue;
- blurred vision;
- numbness of the hands, especially pronounced at night;
- limitation of limb movements;
- a tingling sensation in the hands.
Pay attention!The symptom of head drop is pathognomonic for osteochondrosis.In this case, to relieve the pain, the patient should hold his head with his hands.
Treatment at home
It is possible to qualitatively treat osteochondrosis only if all efforts are aimed at eliminating the causes that led to the appearance of the pathology.Complex therapy includes a traditional regimen, which is prescribed by a vertebrologist, and additional methods of traditional medicine.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home is not carried out in isolation.It only complements the main therapy and helps eliminate the following manifestations of the disease:
- neck pain;
- muscle spasm;
- muscle weakness;
- destruction of intervertebral disc cartilage;
- interruption of blood supply to the brain;
- numbness of the upper extremities.
Treatment with folk remedies allows you to stop the progress of destructive processes in the tissues and prevent the appearance of irritations.
Many homemade remedies, self-massage, compresses, ointments and herbal decoctions are suitable for home use.Most experts confirm their effectiveness.Correct use of such tools significantly accelerates healing.In addition, they do not require special skills and are suitable for use at home.And this is extremely valuable, since osteochondrosis is a chronic disease, and every patient should know how to quickly cope with painful symptoms.Home treatment has many advantages, as it is available to everyone and the cost of treatment is relatively low.The patient can use several different methods simultaneously and choose the most suitable and effective methods for himself.
Against the background of intensive treatment, it is necessary to review the diet, enrich it with seafood, vegetables, fruits, green plants and dishes made from animal cartilage, such as, for example, the well-known meat with jelly.
It is very important that during sleep the head is in the right position and the neck muscles are completely relaxed.To do this, it is better to choose special orthopedic pillows made of latex or memory foam.
Exercise therapy complex
Without regular and methodical implementation of therapeutic exercises, it will be very difficult to get rid of osteochondrosis;even the best and most expensive medications will not help.If you devote at least a minimal amount of time to simple exercises, you can immediately notice an increase in neck mobility and a decrease in pain.Exercise therapy improves blood circulation and helps strengthen muscles.To achieve a more pronounced and lasting effect, it is recommended to train several times a day.A suitable set of exercises will be selected by a gymnastics specialist, after which you can freely perform them at home.It is necessary to do 8-10 repetitions with a short rest after each approach.The most common exercise therapy exercises:
- He turns his head to the right and to the left.They should be done slowly, gradually reaching maximum stretching and relaxation of the muscles.
- Turn your head forward, backward and sideways and it is recommended to stay in each position for a short time.When you bend over, you should touch your chin to your chest and then tilt your head back.
- Static exercises can be done by overcoming the resistance of the hand with the head, and you can press the palm on the forehead, on the temple or on the back of the head.
- Good exercises for relaxing the muscles of the shoulder girdle.Raising and lowering the arms, circular movements of the shoulders, raising them as high as possible to the ears, help to activate blood flow and ensure adequate nutrition of the spine in the cervical region.
It is very important to remember that such heating can only be done during periods of remission, when there is no active inflammatory process.You should not make sudden vigorous movements and if pain occurs, you should quickly end the activity and consult a doctor.
Tips!In case of worsening pain, wearing a Shants collar is indicated.It regulates the head and neck, providing peace and preventing pinching of the nerve roots.
Self-massage
Massage is a quick and effective tool to relieve pain attacks due to osteochondrosis and to get rid of the accumulation of salt deposits.You should follow some self-massage rules:
- massage movements should be done with fingers, without using your palm;
- all techniques should be calm and slow;
- direction of movement - from the spine to the periphery and from top to bottom;
- The neck should remain straight during the massage.
You should sit on a flat and firm surface and cross your legs.Place your elbow on your knee and with the opposite hand begin to stroke, rub and cook the muscles of the neck and the back of the head.
Back massage should be done during a period when there is no inflammation, otherwise the increase in blood circulation, on the contrary, will lead to activation of inflammation and worsening of the disease.
Drug therapy
The use of medications on an outpatient basis is justified in case of severe pain.In addition, doctors prescribe drugs that stop degenerative processes in the cartilage and can eliminate inflammation.
The main thing when taking medications at home is to strictly follow the specialist's recommendations regarding the regimen and frequency of drug use.For example, the duration of treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is on average 5-7 days, and hormonal ointments based on glucocorticosteroids can be applied strictly in a certain amount no more than 3 times a day.
Pay attention!Along with the most powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, NSAIDs and glucocorticoids can cause negative reactions and have many contraindications.Therefore, most doctors prescribe safer drugs of new generations.
For external use, warming ointments with bee or snake venom are used.Patch has similar effects.Quickly reduces pain and tissue swelling.
Cartilage tissue restoration is carried out using drugs that include chondroitin and glucosamine.These drugs must be taken for a long time, as they act very slowly.But in mild cases they are able to completely restore the damaged cartilage.
The treatment regimen also includes vitamin-mineral complexes and drugs that help to "nourish" cartilage, improve vertebral circulation and metabolic processes in tissues.
applicator
The applicator is a cloth or rubber mat with needles.The tips of these needles are coated with a special compound containing small doses of zinc, copper and iron.Acting on skin receptors, the needles have an irritating effect and cause blood to flow in the area of inflammation.Through the injection of many needles, a warming effect is achieved, which causes the muscles to relax.This is how the applicator helps relieve pain.
Folk remedies and recipes
How can osteochondrosis be treated using traditional medicine methods?There are a large number of different recipes based on herbal ingredients.They effectively cope with the symptoms of the disease against the background of basic treatment.Healing compositions for oral administration, compresses, ointments and rubs are prepared.
For osteochondrosis, the following mixtures are taken orally:
- Wash young pine buds no more than 2 centimeters long and crush thoroughly in a blender for a few minutes.Add sugar at the rate of 100 grams per 200 grams of kidney.Transfer the sugar mixture to a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for 12-14 days.When the tincture is ready, it will take on a brown hue.Take 2-3 times a day, 1 teaspoon for three weeks.
- Pour warm water over the celery and leave for 8 hours.Take the solution three times a day, 1 teaspoon.
Household rubs are also widely used.The most effective recipe is called grandmother's rub.You need to take 10 tablets of analgin and grind them well into powder, add camphor, medical alcohol and iodine solution to them in equal proportions.Shake the resulting mixture vigorously until the tablets dissolve.Apply to the areas where the pain is localized.Immediately after use, you may experience a slight burning sensation and warmth, but the pain goes away very quickly.A contraindication to the use of this product is the presence of skin defects such as scratches, cuts and scrapes.
Osteochondrosis cannot be completely cured, especially if you do not consult a doctor.However, the use of folk remedies will prevent the occurrence of pain and stop the degenerative processes in the cervical spine.Regular use of these methods will improve your quality of life and overall performance.