Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can ruin a person's life. The result of its progression is a sharp and aching pain in the neck, shoulder blades, collarbone. Often, squeezing the spinal canal and pinching the veins lead to headaches, migraines, and neck mobility disorders. Treatment of the disease at home requires an integrated approach, since it is not so easy to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis.
Why the disease occurs: basic prerequisites
Osteochondrosis is accompanied by degenerative changes in the joints of the vertebrae of the cervical spine. Due to osteochondrosis, the joints wear out faster, lose their mobility, bone growths consisting of salts - osteophytes - are formed on the body of the cervical vertebrae. As a result, pinching of the nerves and blood vessels, narrowing of the spinal canal, destruction of the joints, protrusion of the vertebrae with the onset of intervertebral hernias develops.
Inpatient and home treatment of osteochondrosis begins with establishing the cause of the disease and eliminating it. These can be:
- Lack of physical activity.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Uneven distribution of the load on the muscles of the cervical spine.
- Abuse of harmful foods (salty, fatty, fried, smoked).
- Metabolic disorders due to chronic diseases.
- Deformity of the scoliotic back.
A specialist will be able to accurately determine the cause of osteochondrosis after collecting a medical history of the disease.
How cervical osteochondrosis manifests itself: the first signs
A list of the first symptoms of the disease will help to recognize the development of cervical osteochondrosis at home:
- Reduced performance.
- Discomfort in the neck when turning the head.
- Restriction of neck movement to one side.
- The characteristic crunch when turning the neck.
- Frequent headaches.
- Aching, spasmodic pain in the neck muscles.
As the disease progresses, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis increase:
- Pain occurs at rest.
- Shots are heard in the area of the shoulder blade and collarbone.
- Bringing the neck forward or back becomes difficult.
- Dizziness occurs due to cerebral hypoxia.
In the absence of adequate treatment, progression of osteochondrosis symptoms is observed:
- Numbness of the tongue.
- The sensitivity of the upper limbs is reduced.
- Paresthesias occur in the arms.
- 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 select treatment tactics. The patient can observe it at home.
Basics of diagnostics: who to contact
If you suspect the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home, you should contact a neurologist, orthopedist or vertebrologist. The examination and confirmation of the diagnosis "osteochondrosis" takes place after:
- Taking the anamnesis. The doctor will learn all the details of the patient's lifestyle.
- Internal examination and palpation. The degree of pain and disorders of mobility of the vertebrae, the presence of tissue edema and the preservation of their sensitivity are established.
- Performing diagnostic studies. These include x-rays of the spine. If necessary, an MRI or computed tomography is performed to assess the condition of the joints of the cervical spine, to confirm or refute the formation of hernias.
During the examination, the doctor will establish a diagnosis and offer the patient a number of measures to treat the disease at home.
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home
With early diagnosis, correct treatment selection and a responsible attitude of the patient 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 cervical osteochondrosis:
- With physical inactivity, a gradual increase in physical activity at home is shown. When sitting at a table or computer for a long time, frequent breaks are prescribed, which involve physical activity.
- In case of posture disorders and uneven loads on the cervical muscles, special fixators, correctors and corsets are used to ensure a symmetrical body position.
- In case of overweight and improper nutrition, appropriate adjustments are made to the patient's lifestyle and a diet is prescribed.
- Cervical osteochondrosis caused by metabolic disorders against the background of chronic diseases is eliminated by therapy of the underlying disease.
The main treatment at home is in strict compliance with medical prescriptions for taking medications: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, chondroprotectors. The patient should follow the recommended hospitalization regimen, clearly maintain the duration of the treatment course until the desired result is achieved.
Home treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine involves adjusting the patient's diet and diet. A prerequisite is the use of two liters of clean water per day, excluding drinks and food liquids. Homemade food for the patient should be nutritious and balanced. The diet should include:
- Sources of fiber for the normalization of metabolic processes: vegetables and fruit in large quantities.
- Sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids to improve metabolism: nuts, vegetable oils, fatty fish.
- Sources of low-fat proteins: poultry, legumes, eggs.
- Sources of calcium and potassium in an easily digestible form: cottage cheese, green leafy vegetables, dairy products.
Of course, home treatment will have to exclude fatty, fried, smoked and salty foods from the diet.
Home treatment may require visits to specialized physiotherapy wards. You shouldn't neglect them. The electrophoresis session involves the administration of medicinal substances directly to the tissues affected by osteochondrosis, which is impossible to obtain at home. Physiotherapy recommended by the doctor should be followed regularly, it is imperative to undergo the full treatment recommended by the doctor.
In the early stages of home treatment, the patient may be advised to rest in bed until the pain syndrome is eliminated. It is important to keep in mind that bed rest with cervical osteochondrosis can last no more than 2-3 days. After this period, the patient should gradually become more active and increase physical activity, although all treatment will take place at home.
For a more effective home treatment of osteochondrosis, the purchase of a special orthopedic pillow is indicated. It is able to effectively relieve tension from the cervical muscles when the patient is sleeping.
Traditional medicine recipes
Doctors do not prohibit combining drugs at home with the use of means proven by popular experience. Moderation, compliance with safety regulations and eliminating the risk of damage to the skin of the neck are important conditions.
Natural compresses for cervical osteochondrosis allow you to get rid of painful sensations, and the ingestion of infusions helps to normalize metabolic processes, remove excess salt deposits from the body. Below are proven folk recipes for home treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Pour a teaspoon of dandelion roots with a glass of boiling water. The remedy is insisted for 15 minutes, after which it is filtered and taken orally. The tool removes salt deposits.
5 tablespoons of dried nettle leaves are poured with a liter of boiling water. They insist for an hour. After filtering, add to the bath. The course of treatment is 2 weeks of daily baths. Some healers advise to beat the localization of pain with fresh branches of nettles.
Garlic and ginger are mixed in equal proportions. Dilute with vegetable oil to obtain gruel. Rub the composition on the neck muscles for 20 minutes. The remaining funds are removed with a napkin.
Horseradish leaves are steamed with boiling water for one minute, after which they are applied to the cervical spine. Leave the compress overnight, warming it with a handkerchief.
Treating osteochondrosis at home using only folk methods is ineffective. Most likely, it will be possible only to reduce the symptoms, but not to cure the disease. Treatment with folk remedies is better to agree 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 to cure osteochondrosis of the neck, which the patient can perform at home at any time convenient for him. Its main rules:
- The impact on the cervical muscles is performed with the fingertips, not the palm.
- Movements should be strictly peripheral and also from top to bottom.
- It is forbidden to press and rub the cervical vertebrae too quickly.
- For a slight sliding of the fingers, the massage is performed using oil.
Home massage with honey helps well against osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. About a teaspoon of honey is rubbed into the surface of the cervical vertebrae and muscles, gently kneading with your fingers until the honey becomes viscous, after which it is washed off with warm water.
Medicines: we eat and spread at home
Medical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis should be selected by a physician. Often a whole complex is used, consisting of injectable, oral and local medicines.
- Injection modules. They are prescribed to eliminate acute inflammation in the early stages of home treatment. These are chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants, vitamins of group B. Home use lasts up to 10 days.
- Preparations for internal use. They are the most affordable way to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home. Anesthetic anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, chondroprotectors are prescribed. Treatment with drugs of the latter group is long-term. The minimum course of treatment is 3 months.
- External structures. These are ointments and gels based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain or chondroitin sulfate to speed up cartilage recovery.
At home, complex treatment helps to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis much faster than using drugs from only one group. It is almost impossible to cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with external agents alone.
Physiotherapy exercises: principles of implementation and result
Home therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is based on special exercises for the cervical muscles. The exercises are performed according to the following rules:
- The list of exercises and their amplitude are determined by the doctor.
- All exercises are performed smoothly and slowly to eliminate the risk of injury.
- Do not start gymnastics treatment for acute pain in the cervical spine.
- The load gradually increases.
- The patient exercises regularly, several times a day, at the same time.
The exercises for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are very simple. Doing them properly at home will speed recovery and help relieve pain. Treatment of the cervical spine with physical therapy includes:
- Turning the head sideways to the extreme point.
- By tilting the head to the side, back and forth.
- Circular movements of the neck and shoulders.
The gymnastics course lasts until the end of the treatment and the complete elimination of symptoms. If the patient continues to exercise, he will be able to prevent relapse of the disease. Results of home treatment of osteochondrosis using gymnastics:
- Removal of hypertonicity of the cervical muscles.
- Stretching the ligaments.
- Improve the mobility of the vertebrae.
- Pain relief.
- Greater freedom of movement of the neck.
- Normalization of 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 the home treatment brings positive results as quickly as possible and the patient can forget about the unpleasant symptoms forever.