How to treat osteochondrosis at home

11 January 2021

Straight walking has freed one's hands to perform labor operations - no doubt a plus. At the same time, the load on the spine has increased, leading to the development of serious diseases, and this is a huge minus. Osteochondrosis is one of the most common pathologies of the spine. It affects 60% of the world's population aged 35 and over. Surgery is one method of treatment, but an alternative is possible in the early stages of the disease. You can treat osteochondrosis at home. The range of effective therapeutic measures is wide and affordable.

What is osteochondrosis

Dysfunction and destruction of intervertebral discs, vertebral tissues, is a locomotor disease called osteochondrosis. Osteocytes are bone cells and chondrocytes are cartilage cells. From these names, the origin of the term "osteochondrosis" is clear. Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine negatively affect the general condition of the body.

As the disease progresses, the muscles atrophy, the nerve impulse is disrupted, and the physiological systems and individual internal organs fail. The appearance of back and neck pain is the first sign of the disease. Depending on the location of the lesion, osteochondrosis:

Main symptoms: shoulder, arm, neck pain; dizziness, tinnitus, blemishes in the eyes.
dull pain or chest lumbago.
There are pains in the hip joints, lower back, sacrum. The functionality of the lower limbs is limited.
It develops in several parts of the spine at the same time. It is accompanied by severe pain.

Effective treatment of osteochondrosis at home is possible by early diagnosis of the disease. Goes through 4 degrees (or sections):

The pathological process begins with the dehydration of the central part of the intervertebral disc (nucleus pulposus). As a result, the structure subsides and cracks appear on the outside of the disc (annulus fibrosus). This stage is almost invisible to the patient. Mild discomfort is manifested by an unpleasant posture or active physical activity.
The distance between adjacent vertebrae decreases due to the subsidence of the intervertebral disc. The ligaments and muscles sag. The vertebrae gain additional mobility. That's why they're pushed out. This condition is called spondylolisthesis. Under heavy load, the patient feels discomfort, sometimes pain in the localization of the pathology.
The development of prolapses (hernias), plate protrusions (uneven protrusions), subluxations and arthrosis of the intervertebral joints are the main pathological changes in the third stage of the disease. The patient has limited movement, numbness and tingling in the limbs. There are pains, their localization depends on the location of the disease focus.
To eliminate excessive mobility of the vertebrae, the body forms neoplasms of bone tissue (osteophytes) in the spine. Their formation is chaotic, depending on the location they can damage the nerve endings of the spinal cord, the adjacent vertebrae. The processes of pronounced structural changes (fibrous ankylosis) begin in the intervertebral joints. The vertebral motor segment looks as if it has been "walled in". Signs of osteochondrosis are virtually imperceptible at this stage.

How to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home. How to provide first aid at home?

Home treatment for osteochondrosis of the neck includes:

drugs;
physiotherapy;
massage;
medical gymnastics;
diet correction.

Together, the therapeutic methods allow good results to be achieved in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. The symptoms can be very uncomfortable, so you need to know how to give first aid.

Medications

Different medications are used to combat the symptoms of the disease. They must be prescribed by a doctor who specializes in treating osteochondrosis - a neuropathologist or a vertebrologist.

Medications

In case of severe pain, you can take painkillers such as metamizole sodium. If they do not work, NSAIDs can also be taken.
Sometimes "distractions" are used, such as pepper patch. It does not heal on its own, but it warms the inflamed area and relieves pain.
Herbal infusions and diuretics are helpful for inflammatory edema.

The following classes of drugs are prescribed for the treatment of SHS:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nimesulide, Ketoprofen, Meloxicam, Diclofenac and others). They help relieve pain, swelling and inflammation in the affected nerve root.
Group B vitamins. They help improve the metabolism of nerve tissues.
Chondroprotectors. Helping cartilage tissue recovery.
Muscle relaxants (tizanidine, tolperisone hydrochloride). It helps reduce muscle cramps.
Medicines to improve blood flow and blood rheological properties. They help to improve the process of blood flow to the brain and the nutrition of the affected nerve endings.

Intramuscular injections may also be indicated.

How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine at home. Overview of home treatments

Neglecting osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine leads to disability. Signs of pathology:

pain in the affected area (neck, chest) with slight exertion, sudden movements;
headache;
dizziness;
shortness of breath and shortness of breath;
fatigue.

If alarm symptoms occur, you should consult a physician for further diagnosis. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor will determine the stage and prescribe treatment.

Treatment of thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis involves conservative techniques and surgery. At home, you can deal with the first and second stages of treatment. As the condition worsens, the vertebrae move even more, and the fusion disappears during the operation.

Treatment of chest and neck osteochondrosis at home is performed with the help of medicines, a complex of light physical exercises, a folk rubbing recipe, compresses. Doctors recommend visiting the pool, massage therapist, physiotherapy rooms. Activities are aimed at relieving symptoms:

muscle relaxation;
stimulation of cartilage layers for regeneration;
return of displaced vertebrae to their original position;
.

Treating osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine at home will be effective if all of your doctor’s recommendations are followed.

Pharmaceutical preparations

Cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis can be cured at home with drugs - commonly available drugs that are easy to buy at pharmacies. Do not perform treatment without a prescription, the wrong medication will delay the healing process. It is impossible to predict the body’s reaction to drugs. They block pain in the affected area, relieve muscle tone, increase blood circulation, improve metabolic processes and improve well-being.

Medications slow down progression.

Home medications prescribed for the treatment of chest and neck osteochondrosis in the chest and neck:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs help eliminate inflammation and edema at home. After completion of the course, a decrease in spinal artery and vascular pressure is observed in the spinal column.
Painkillers quickly relieve feelings of pain and nervous tension.
Relaxants - drugs that relax muscle tissue, relieve pain.
Preparations based on chondroprotectors for osteochondrosis of the thoracic and cervical spines normalize metabolic processes in the cartilage and bone tissues of the spine. As a result, it can stimulate the regenerative properties of the tissues, increase the gap between the vertebrae, and allow the deformed portions to accept the desired position. Under the influence of chondroprotectors, pain occurs less frequently.
Vasodilator drugs that improve blood flow at the site of injury. As a result of increased nutrition, the manifestation of symptoms decreases and the process of correction is accelerated.
Vitamins are helpful in treating osteochondrosis at home. Receiving groups B, C, E provides the body with the materials it needs to fight. They stimulate cartilage tissue healing, strengthen the spine and improve nerve fiber permeability.

How to treat osteochondrosis and myositis at home. The main goals of home treatment

The physician decides to treat osteochondrosis of the cervix at home if the patient has no severe abnormalities, symptoms are moderate, and there is no indication for hospitalization. The chosen therapeutic tactic is aimed at eliminating the unpleasant manifestations of the pathological process and solving the following tasks:

Normalization of blood circulation in the affected area.
Eliminate cerebral hypoxia.
Normalize sleep.
Prevent the rapid development of the disease.
Improved blood circulation.
Initiate regeneration processes to restore cartilage tissue.
Saturation of the body with vitamins and minerals.
Eliminate anxiety, panic attacks, irritability.
Improve the condition of the cervical spine.

Curing chondrosis is completely impossible, but the right approach can significantly slow down the process, restore normal health, and maintain a high quality of life for many years to come. An integrated approach is used to do this, which includes changing the diet, increasing physical activity, taking medications, and visiting a massage therapist.

Cervical osteochondrosis can only be cured at home by strictly following all of your doctor’s recommendations, constant monitoring of your diet and taking medications, and performing the prescribed therapeutic exercises.

You may want to start treating cervical chondrosis by relieving the pain. To do this, the specialist selects the appropriate analgesics. The pharmaceutical industry offers a wide variety of products that differ in the principle of effect, form and price. Novocaine blockade is possible in acute unbearable pain. After alleviation of the main symptoms, alternative techniques can be used. May:

Massage Procedures - Eliminate cramps, pain and tension.
Exercise Therapy - strengthens muscle tissue, restores normal spinal support and restores its elasticity.
Mud baths - heat the affected area and relieve pain syndrome for a long time.
Manual therapy - restores metabolic processes and improves blood flow, eliminates brain oxygen starvation.
Reflexotherapy - reduces pain in the area, initiates regeneration processes in cartilage tissue.
Acupuncture - activates metabolism, improves the condition of cartilage tissue, reduces the manifestation of painful feelings in the affected area.

The cheapest home treatment methods are ointments, rubs, baths, decoctions, compresses. Such conventional drugs have long been known and are known for their safety, ease of use, and minimal number of contraindications.

How to treat cervical spine osteochondrosis at home. Symptoms of the disease

Cervical spine osteochondrosis should not manifest in any way in the initial stage. Accompanying signs appear only in advanced forms of pathology, when the blood circulation in the brain is disturbed. This process is usually:

accompanied by

dizziness;
limb numbness;
with cold hands and feet;
"goosebumps" in the eyes, haze;
headache;
noise in the head, ringing in the ear;
increased fatigue;
lack of coordination;
uncertainty in the district;
tingling, tingling in the neck muscles.

When the disease is in chronic form, discomfort and pain are constantly accompanying the patient. Main manifestations:

painful sensations in the back of the head, neck, shoulders, arms, difficulty moving the head, crackling when turning or bending the head;
pain in the left chest radiates to the left arm, burning sensation between the shoulder blades;
frequent headache, increased tiredness, weakness, difficulty turning the head;
neck pain extending to shoulder and arm, numbness of fingers;
Hearing and vision problems, numbness of the tongue and face, dizziness, impaired lung and heart function may occur.

Symptoms can be divided into three groups:

neurological manifestations (persistent pain in the neck, pain in the muscles, chest, joints);
abnormal effects on the spinal cord (weakness of arms and legs, involuntary twitching, myelopathy);
is associated with processes in the brain (brain manifestations due to insufficient blood supply: blurred vision, foreign body sensation in the throat, noise and tinnitus, hearing loss, dizziness, instability while walking, fainting, tiredness, irritability, sleep disturbance, decreased memory,