Folk remedies for the treatment of osteochondrosis

Such a disease of the musculoskeletal system as osteochondrosis today practically does not lend itself to comprehensive treatment.

However, the set of doctors has enough tools that help effectively stop the symptoms of the disease and are able to stop its further development.

Many of these methods require inpatient treatment, for which, given the modern rhythm of life, a person does not always have time. How to get rid of osteochondrosis in this case?

There is only one answer - the treatment of osteochondrosis at home. Consider the methods of treating osteochondrosis at home with folk remedies.

Pathogenesis of the disease

According to statistics, one in three people under the age of 45 complains of back pain. In most cases, this is caused by osteochondrosis of the spine.

Pathology is mainly characterized by damage to cartilage and bone tissue, and in the process of progression it begins to affect the patient's nervous system.

The disease is rapidly "aging" due to a decrease in physical activity of the population due to the development of information technologies and the development of transport infrastructures.

But in addition to a sedentary lifestyle, experts also name other reasons for the development of pathology:

• Ecology;
• diet disorder;
• Inadequate distribution of physical load on the back;
• Trauma;
• Weakness of the skeletal muscles;
• Decreased immunity against the background of the development of chronic diseases;
• Viral and bacterial diseases, etc.

With the modern dynamics of a person's life, he simply does not have enough time to take care of his health. There are always ten other reasons not to: work, family, children, etc.

Then the person wonders for a long time: where did he get osteochondrosis at the age of 25-30? - a disease that usually occurs in older people.

Many consider it a waste of time to go to the clinic, and a logical question is brewing: how to treat osteochondrosis at home?

To answer this question, it is necessary to consider what are the most common therapeutic methods used by specialists in the treatment of this pathology.

Only after this can we consider the treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies to understand how effective alternative methods of treatment are in general.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

Therapy for this pathology has no standard and depends on the patient's individual diagnosis.

This suggests that before starting osteochondrosis treatment at home, it is still necessary to visit the doctor for a diagnosis.

This must be done in order not to cause even more damage to your body. Complications of this pathology lead to protrusion and herniation of the intervertebral discs, which can contribute to headaches, loss of sensation in the limbs, even paralysis.

In inpatient treatment after diagnosis, specialists first of all solve three main tasks:

• Removal of pain syndrome;
• Relief of the inflammatory process and edema. These symptoms are almost always present during the development of this pathology;
• Physiotherapeutic procedures aimed at restoring damaged tissues, the main goal is to achieve a long and lasting remission.

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine with alternative methods cannot replace comprehensive therapy.

However, alternative osteochondrosis treatment can help reduce pain symptoms and improve the patient's overall health.

What drugs can be used at home

Many drugs used in the treatment of osteochondrosis have a number of serious side effects and therefore are taken only with the permission of the attending physician.

But what if back pain haunts you and there is no way to go to the clinic? How to cure osteochondrosis at home using the drugs available in the home first aid kit?

The first thing recommended for acute pain is drugs from the group of painkillers.

Aspirin, in addition to its mild analgesic effect, has the ability to thin the blood, which promotes better blood circulation and has an antipyretic effect.

This helps relieve inflammation and swelling of the tissues that pinch the nerve endings and thus cause pain.

The use of pain relief patches is recommended. In their composition, they most often contain lidocaine, which quickly has an analgesic effect.

In addition, excellent reviews have analgesic ointments with a cooling effect, which, as a rule, contain menthol and camphor.

If you are sure that the acute stage of the disease has passed and you have no symptoms of inflammation, it is recommended to use gels with a warming effect - turpentine ointment.

The ointment should be applied directly to the pain site, gently rubbing into the skin. There is no point in touching unaffected areas.

The cold effect gels can be applied at any time. It is recommended to apply ointments with a warming effect at night and additionally wrap the affected area with a woolen cloth.

Gymnastics at home

Physical therapy for osteochondrosis is one of the main and effective methods in the treatment of this pathology. A common reason for the development of osteochondrosis is a weak muscle structure that cannot cope with physical activity.

Thus, the entire load falls on the intervertebral discs, as a result of which their degenerative changes occur.

The discs between the vertebrae thin out or, as they say, dry out and lose their functional capacity. Gymnastics allows you to increase muscle tone, improve their elasticity and blood circulation within them.

Depending on the localization of tissue damage and pain syndrome, osteochondrosis can be cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral.

There are also exercises for different departments, but it is not recommended to train only the most affected area, which brings discomfort to a person, but to train all parts of the spine.

Attention!If pain occurs when performing remedial gymnastics, training should be stopped immediately and performed only under the supervision of a specialist.

1. The first two exercises perfectly stimulate the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine, promote better fluid circulation and thicken them. To perform them, you should take a sitting or standing position. Let's tilt the head back and forth with a small range of motion. The movements should remind you that you are having a conversation with the person and in what agreement with him, saying yes.
2. The next exercise is similar to the first one, only now you need to turn your head left and right, as if to say no. The movements should not be performed with a large amplitude, it should be about 30% of the maximum tilt or rotation of the head possible. They are performed several times a day at a convenient time for 2-3 minutes each.

3. The following spinal home treatment exercise strengthens the neck and shoulder muscles well. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms lowered along the body. We make circular movements with the shoulders back and forth. It is also performed several times a day in different approaches, 15-20 times in each direction.
4. To train the lumbar spine, it is recommended to perform an exercise that looks more like a belly dance. Starting position, feet standing shoulder-width apart. We make circular movements with the pelvis, first in one direction, then in the other. At the same time, we make sure that the chest and shoulder girdle remain as still as possible. Just do it two or three times in different directions for 20-25 rotations.

5. The next exercise is aimed at strengthening the latissimus and trapezius muscles. The position of the body, lying on the stomach, arms extended forward. We raise our arms, shoulders and head, pause for a second and lower ourselves to the starting position. Exercise is performed 10-15 times.

In addition to strengthening the back muscles, one should not forget about the abdominal muscles, which are involved not only in deep breathing, but also in maintaining correct posture. Weak abdominal muscles contribute to the development of lumbar lordosis.

Attention!Exercise benefits the body only with regular exercise.

Gymnastics is a good remedy for osteochondrosis. The therapeutic effect is achieved by strengthening the muscles and improving blood circulation in them, which prevents the development of the inflammatory process and edema around the cartilage tissue.

Physiotherapy at home

Folk remedies used for osteochondrosis are often taken from the life experience of entire generations and are successfully used in traditional medicine as physiotherapy procedures.

Some of them can be easily done at home.

Cold and hot shower

The first folk remedy with which you can cure osteochondrosis at home is a contrast shower.

For many, this procedure is associated only with hardening, and not everyone understands how this procedure will help in the fight against this pathology.

The explanation here is quite simple: a sharp redirection of blood flow in the muscles, around the cartilage tissues and skin.

This promotes the outflow of excess fluid from the areas of inflammation and edema and the influx of essential trace elements into damaged tissues.

At the moment when a person is under jets of hot water, protective mechanisms are activated in the body, which should save him from overheating.

This is achieved by the outflow of blood from the internal organs to the muscles and skin. The vessels dilate, the amount of blood increases and excess heat is removed to the outside.

When you suddenly find yourself on the cold streams, the opposite reaction occurs - the outflow of blood from the muscles and skin to the internal organs.

This is the process of thermoregulation of the body and, at the same time, blood circulation in damaged tissues is normalized, which contributes to the improvement of the condition as a whole.

The procedure is quite simple. It is necessary to stand under tolerant, non-boiling warm water for 20-30 seconds.

Then switch the water to cold for 10-20 seconds. The procedure should be done 3-5 times, ending with a cool but comfortable water temperature.

Despite the obvious benefits of this procedure, it still has contraindications:

• It is forbidden to carry out this procedure when the patient has symptoms of a cold or acute respiratory disease;
• Cardiovascular disease;
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other internal organs, etc.

The volume of blood from the internal organs to the muscles and back is large enough and can cause: heart attack, stroke or internal bleeding. Therefore, this complex should be carried out with a gradual increase in the time interval under cold or hot water.

First, do not spend more than 5-7 seconds under running water and gradually bring these values to 30 seconds over several weeks.

Salt baths

Another folk remedy for the treatment of osteochondrosis is salt baths. They help a lot if back pain is caused by muscle overload.

To prepare a bath, you will need coarse sea or normal salt. Fine and purified by evaporation will be less effective in this case.

The volume of a standard bath varies from 170 to 195 liters, this amount of water will require about 5 kg of salt.

Water temperature from 36 to 38 °. Any essential oil can be used to get the best effect. After the procedure, it is recommended to rest for a few minutes under slightly warm running water.

Osteochondrosis is practically not curable, but using treatment with alternative methods as an adjunct to the main treatment, it is still possible to stop and thus win.