Cervical osteochondrosis is a so-called disease of civilization.Modern people spend most of their 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 roots of the spinal nerves are pinched.Nowadays it is difficult to find a person who has never been bothered by the manifestations of this disease.That is why the question remains relevant for many: how and how to cure cervical osteochondrosis at home on their own.
Reasons for 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 the part of the spine where the damage occurred, cervical, thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis are distinguished.This pathology is not at all rare.Medical statistics state that symptoms of varying intensity are detected in 90% of the population, with an average age of onset of the disease of 30-35 years.When exposed to unfavorable factors and after serious injuries, the manifestation of osteochondrosis can begin at an early age.Pregnant women carrying a large baby or multiple fetuses at the same time are also at risk.
The main cause of osteochondrosis is malnutrition of the cartilaginous tissue.Negative factors such as:
- poor diet with insufficient intake of micro and macro elements;
- insufficient fluid intake;
- congenital and acquired metabolic disorders;
- excess body weight;
- bad habits, especially drinking alcohol and smoking;
- constantly recurring stressful situations;
- burdened inheritance;
- low level of physical development, weakness of the muscular structure;
- excessive static loads;
- incorrect posture;
- foot deformities, flat feet;
- chronic intoxication;
- spinal injuries.
All these provoking factors are in one way or another a consequence of an unhealthy lifestyle and physical inactivity.
Signs and symptoms
When exposed to the above reasons, pathological symptoms may gradually appear, indicating the manifestation of the disease.The first signs that appear are:
- aching neck pain;
- dizziness;
- sudden changes in blood pressure during the day;
- strong feeling of weakness, loss of strength;
- feeling of interruptions in heart rhythm;
- numbness of the tongue;
- blurred vision;
- numbness of the hands, especially pronounced at night;
- limitation of limb movements;
- a tingling sensation in the hands.
Be careful!The symptom of head falling is pathognomonic of osteochondrosis.In this case, to relieve the pain, the patient must support 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, 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 to eliminate the following manifestations of the disease:
- neck pain;
- muscle spasm;
- muscle weakness;
- destruction of the cartilage of the intervertebral disc;
- interruption of blood supply to the brain;
- numbness of the upper limbs.
Treatment with folk remedies allows you to stop the progression of destructive processes in tissues and prevent the occurrence of exacerbations.
Many homemade medications, self-massage, compresses, ointments and herbal decoctions are suitable for home use.Most experts confirm their effectiveness.The correct use of such remedies significantly speeds up recovery.In addition, they do not require special skills and are convenient to 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 anyone and the cost of treatment is relatively low.The patient can use several methods at the same time and choose the most suitable and effective one for himself.
Against the background of intensive treatment, it is necessary to reconsider the diet, enrich it with seafood, vegetables, fruits, green plants and dishes based on animal cartilage, such as, for example, the famous jellied meat.
It is very important that during sleep your head is in the correct position and that your neck muscles are completely relaxed.To do this, it is better to choose special orthopedic pillows made of latex or memory foam.
Physical 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 drugs do not help.If you spend at least a minimal amount of time doing simple exercises, you will immediately notice an increase in neck mobility and a decrease in pain.Physical therapy improves blood circulation and helps strengthen muscles.To achieve a more pronounced and long-lasting effect, it is recommended to train several times a day.A gymnastics specialist will select a suitable set of exercises, after which you can freely perform them at home.It is necessary to perform 8-10 repetitions with a short break after each approach.The most common physical therapy exercises:
- Turn your head left and right.They must be performed slowly, gradually reaching maximum stretching and relaxation of the muscles.
- Tilt your head forward, backward and sideways and it is recommended to stay in each position for a short time.When you bend over, you need to touch your chest with your chin, then tilt your head back.
- Static exercises can be performed by overcoming the resistance of the hand with the head, and you can press the palm of the hand to the forehead, temple or back of the head.
- Good exercises to relax the shoulder girdle muscles.Raising and lowering your arms, circular movements of the shoulders, bringing 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 warm-ups can be performed only during periods of remission, when there is no active inflammatory process.You should not make sudden jerky movements, and if pain occurs, you should quickly end the activity and consult a doctor.
Advise!In case of exacerbation of pain, it is advisable to wear a Shants collar.Secures the head and neck, providing peace and preventing pinching of the nerve roots.
Self-massage
Massage is a quick and effective means to relieve pain attacks due to osteochondrosis and to eliminate accumulations of salt deposits.It is necessary to follow some rules of self-massage:
- massage movements should be performed with the fingers, without using the palm;
- all techniques must be smooth 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 need to sit on a flat, hard surface and cross your legs.Place your elbow on your knee and with your opposite hand begin to caress, rub and massage the muscles of your neck and back of your head.
Back massage should be carried out in a period when there is no inflammation, otherwise increased blood flow, on the contrary, will lead to the activation of inflammation and aggravation of the disease.
Drug therapy
The use of drugs on an outpatient basis is justified in case of intense 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 recommendations of the specialist regarding the regimen and frequency of using the drugs.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.
Be careful!Along with the more powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, NSAIDs and glucocorticoids can cause adverse reactions and present many contraindications.Therefore, most doctors prescribe the safest drugs of new generations.
For external use, warming ointments with bee or snake venom are used.The patch has similar effects.Quickly reduces pain and tissue swelling.
Restoration of cartilage tissue 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 damaged cartilage.
The treatment regimen also includes vitamin-mineral complexes and drugs that help "nourish" the cartilage, improve spinal circulation and metabolic processes in the tissues.
Applicator
The applicator is a cloth or rubber mat with needles.The tips of these needles are coated with a special compound that contains small doses of zinc, copper and iron.Acting on the receptors in the skin, the needles have an irritating effect and cause blood flow to the area of inflammation.Through the injection of numerous needles, a heating effect is obtained which makes the muscles relax.This is how the applicator helps relieve pain.
Folk remedies and recipes
How can osteochondrosis be treated with the methods of traditional medicine?There are numerous different recipes based on plant-based ingredients.They effectively cope with the symptoms of the disease against the background of basic treatment.Healing compositions for oral administration, compresses, ointments and rubbings are prepared.
For osteochondrosis, the following mixtures are taken orally:
- Wash young pine shoots no more than 2 centimeters long and carefully break them in a blender for several minutes.Add sugar at the rate of 100 grams per 200 grams of kidneys.Transfer the sugar mixture to a glass container with an airtight lid and leave in the refrigerator for 12-14 days.When the dye is ready, it will take on a brownish tint.Take 2-3 times a day, 1 teaspoon for three weeks.
- Pour warm water over the celery and let sit for 8 hours.Take the tincture three times a day, 1 teaspoon.
Homemade 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 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 feel a slight burning and warming sensation, but the pain disappears very quickly.A contraindication to the use of this product is the presence of skin defects such as abrasions, cuts and scratches.
Osteochondrosis cannot be completely cured, especially if you do not consult a doctor.However, the use of folk remedies will prevent the appearance of pain and stop degenerative processes in the cervical spine.Regular use of these methods will improve your quality of life and overall performance.