First of all, immediately and honestly: Treating cervical osteochondrosis at home is not possible quickly. But this disease cannot be cured in a short time and in a hospital - it is still a long process.
Home methods can really help to quickly relieve the most uncomfortable symptoms and are very important in the fight against the disease in general.
The main methods of treating osteochondrosis
Regardless of which parts of the spine are affected, there are general therapy methods:
- Medicines with external means, tablets or injections.
- Physiotherapy (electrophoresis, magnetic field therapy, ultrasound, laser . . . ).
- Reflex treatment (acupuncture, acupressure).
- Massage, manual therapy.
- Remedial gymnastics, climatological and spa treatment.
Different folk methods (compresses, rubs, teas) should rather be assigned to the first group. Medicines prepared according to folk recipes are not official medicines, but they have a similar principle of action. In official medicine, plant extracts and other biologically active substances are often used.
However, not all treatment methods can deliver quick results. Many are designed to take a long process. They are more reliable in helping, but cannot relieve pain, dizziness, or other uncomfortable symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis. Some are completely prohibited for use during an exacerbation of the disease.
Which methods can lead to a quick result?
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home is the easiest way to get to work quickly with the help of medication. Their action is aimed at relieving inflammation, hypertonicity of the neck muscles, relieving blood flow and accelerating the recovery processes in cartilage tissue. Many drugs indicated for osteochondrosis are available in the convenient form of tablets or external agents. Well-known pain reliever gels can help relieve pain quickly.
Injections as well as acupuncture and manual therapy are very effective. However, there are a number of serious limitations to using these methods. Only in a hospital or clinic can you undergo physical therapy.
Massage can also provide quick results. Doctors recommend self-massage techniques to quickly get rid of dizziness, tinnitus, and muscle pain in the neck.
From folk methods, external means - compresses, plasters, rubbing - act quickly. However, they only give temporary relief, after which even longer courses of treatment are required.
Exercise therapy rarely works quickly. It takes weeks before you can see any noticeable improvement. In addition, most doctors advise against exercising during a worsening of the disease and recommend it during recovery and remission. Sanatorium and climate treatment also do not work immediately, and it is difficult to get them at home. On the other hand, these methods deliver a stable long-term result.
Is it possible to treat with injections at home?
In theory yes, but only if the household includes a qualified nurse or paramedic who is familiar with the job. It is very difficult to give injections into the throat. You must be able to accurately choose the location, direction, and depth of needle insertion, otherwise you could cause serious damage. Damage to nerve roots or important blood vessels can be a more serious problem than osteochondrosis.
But injections are very effective, and with their help, quick home treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is possible. An injection block can also relieve very severe pain in minutes. Relaxing, anti-inflammatory, and restorative drugs that get directly into the blood and muscles are more effective.
However, in advanced cases where the symptoms of osteochondrosis are severe, injections are usually recommended. If the disease is in its early stages, then it is quite possible to do without it. In a difficult situation, it is better to undergo treatment with injections in a medical institution and use additional methods at home that will improve and consolidate the result.
Massage for osteochondrosis at home
A full massage should also be carried out by a specialist. Some of the patient's relatives can be trained in this particular area, but a professional is still better.
But simple self-massage techniques can help reduce the painful manifestations of osteochondrosis in those moments when it is impractical to go to the master. This massage consists in gently kneading the muscles of the neck with the help of the fingertips. It helps relieve muscle tension, improve blood circulation, improve tinnitus and headaches.
When doing a self-massage there are a few basic rules to follow to make it safe and effective:
- Only use your fingertips for work.
- movements should be done from top to bottom and from the spine to the sides.
- It is necessary to alternate kneading movements with stroking (in the same direction).
- You shouldn't put too much effort into massaging, even if the strength of your hands allows it.
This method works very quickly, but not too hard and not for long. The massage should be combined with other treatments.
Traditional methods for the rapid treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
In order to get a quick result from the number of folk recipes, it is better to choose products for external use. Different teas and infusions give good results, but the wait is long.
However, compressing and rubbing can eliminate some symptoms of the disease within hours or even minutes:
- Ordinary pepper vodka is suitable for grinding. Alcohol can be made at the factory, but it is better to emphasize the pepper yourself.
- Another meal recipe: mustard, camphor alcohol, vodka (50 g each), 3 whipped egg whites, leave to work for half a day.
- Vodka, honey, aloe juice (2: 2: 1), mix, let steep overnight. A good anti-inflammatory agent.
- Ideal for compresses - horseradish and burdock leaves, pre-brewed with boiling water.
- A mixture of honey and grated potatoes (evenly distributed) is also suitable. You can keep it for several hours.
- Grated radish as an ointment. It must be washed off if there is a noticeable burning sensation in the skin. Is a good distraction. Stimulates blood circulation.
Quick home treatment for cervical osteochondrosis with folk remedies also includes the use of bee venom, as well as comfrey and delphinium roots. It is not easy to collect them yourself, but you can buy dried roots from the pharmacy or use ointments based on them.
How exercises for neck muscles can help
Physical education is not one of the quick-acting methods, but it is the most reliable. After diagnosing osteochondrosis, it is better to do therapeutic exercises regularly for the rest of your life. They are quite simple and can even be performed on a chair during a break:
- The head tilts to the side and back and forth.
- head turns, neck turns.
- Pull the neck forward.
- Raising and lowering the shoulders.
- Stretching exercises (mentally stretch the crown of the head upwards).
- Self-resistance: pressure with the hands on the forehead or the back of the head with resistance from the neck.
- "Draw" air: write imaginary words or numbers in the air with your nose.
How can this type of exercise help? They strengthen the muscles and additionally support the spine. Exercise also improves blood circulation and oxygen supply to the brain. There is a better chance of releasing trapped roots. Muscle overload will go away.
You don't have to wait for immediate results, however. Therefore, you should first relieve the exacerbation with drugs, and then exercise.
Although spinal disorders are very persistent, symptomatic treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home is quick and easy. However, the patient must remember that the temporary disappearance of symptoms does not mean getting rid of the disease and continuing treatment with other, less rapid, methods.