Walking upright frees a person's hands to perform work operations - this is undoubtedly a plus. At the same time, the load on the spine has increased, which leads to the development of serious diseases, and this is a colossal minus. Osteochondrosis is one of the most common diseases of the spine. It affects 60% of the world's population aged 35 and over. Surgical intervention is one of the methods of treatment, but an alternative is possible in the early stages of the development of the disease. You can treat osteochondrosis at home. The range of effective treatment measures is wide and affordable.
What is osteochondrosis?
Dysfunction and destruction of intervertebral discs and vertebral tissues is a disease of the musculoskeletal system called osteochondrosis. Osteocytes are bone cells and chondrocytes are cartilage cells. Based on these names, the origin of the term "osteochondrosis" is clear. Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine have a negative effect on the general condition of the body.
As the disease progresses, the muscles atrophy, the nerve impulse conduction is disturbed, physiological systems and individual internal organs fail. The appearance of pain in the back and neck is the first sign of the disease. Depending on the location of the lesion, osteochondrosis is:
- Cervical. The main symptoms are: pain in shoulders, arms, neck; Dizziness, tinnitus, spots in front of the eyes.
- chest. It is characterized by dull pain or lumbago in the chest area.
- Lumbosacral. There is pain in the hip joints, lower back, sacrum. The functionality of the lower extremities is limited.
- It develops in several parts of the spine at the same time. It is accompanied by severe pain.
Effective home treatment for osteochondrosis is possible with a timely diagnosis of the disease. It goes through 4 degrees (or steps):
- The pathological process begins with the dehydration of the central part of the intervertebral disc (nucleus pulposus). As a result, the structure deteriorates, cracks appear in the outer part of the disc (annulus fibrosus). This stage is almost invisible to the patient. Mild discomfort manifests itself in an uncomfortable position or during active physical activity.
- The distance between adjacent vertebrae decreases due to the subsidence of the intervertebral disc. Ligaments and muscles sag. The vertebrae get additional mobility. Because of this, they are evicted. This condition is known as spondylolisthesis. With a heavy load, the patient feels uncomfortable, sometimes pain in the localization of the pathology.
- The formation of prolapse (hernias), protrusions (uneven protrusions) of the intervertebral discs, subluxations and osteoarthritis of the intervertebral joints are the main pathological changes in the third stage of the disease. The patient's movements are restricted, numbness and tingling in the limbs occur. Pain is present, its localization depends on the location of the focus of the disease.
- In order to avoid excessive mobility of the vertebrae, the body forms neoplasms of the bone tissue (osteophytes) in the spine. Their formation is chaotic, depending on the location, they can injure the nerve endings of the spinal cord, neighboring vertebrae. Processes of pronounced structural changes (fibrous ankylosis) begin in the intervertebral joints. The vortex motor segment looks like "walled in". Signs of osteochondrosis are practically not felt at this stage.
The risk of contracting the disease increases with age. After 40 years, irreversible changes begin in the body. Osteochondrosis affects 80% of people over the age of 60. This is due to a decrease in metabolic processes, physical activity, chronic diseases and other reasons. The risk group consists of young people between the ages of 20 and 30 who lead a sedentary lifestyle, are overweight and have weak muscles. There is a direct relationship between pathological changes in the spine and the functionality of the body.
reasons
Medicine has not determined the exact cause of the disease. Walking upright, incorrectly distributing the load during work operations, physical exercises and static body positions (standing, sitting) increase the risk of developing osteochondrosis. According to most doctors, the appearance of pathological processes in the spine is provoked by a number of factors:
- violation of metabolic processes;
- dehydration of the body;
- genetic predisposition;
- hormonal failure;
- insufficient physical development;
- degenerative processes of the muscles;
- problems with posture;
- flat feet;
- toxic damage to the body;
- infectious diseases;
- trauma, bruising of the spine and musculoskeletal system in general;
- pregnancy;
- age-related changes;
- harmful working conditions;
- overweight;
- inappropriate nutrition;
- wrongly organized sleeping place;
- bad habits;
- frequent stress.
Treatment methods
Osteochondrosis therapy is a long process. It includes a series of activities that last 1-3 months. At this point, you need to add a rehabilitation period, the duration of which is about 1 year. The success of the treatment largely depends on the patient himself. He must strictly follow the doctor's recommendations. With partial observation, the prognosis for recovery is minimal.
Self-medication complicates the treatment of osteochondrosis. The clinical picture of the disease is unclear, the patient independently begins to choose drugs to alleviate the condition. He blocks painful sensations and continues to lead a normal life. The disease progresses at this point. When the first symptoms of the disease appear, it is necessary to consult a doctor, conduct an examination, clarify the diagnosis and initiate therapeutic measures.
Treatment of osteochondrosis is carried out by two methods: conservative treatment and surgical. General recommendations in both cases are diet and rehabilitation. Conservative treatment aims to eliminate pain, restore the functionality of the spine, and prevent structural changes in the intervertebral joints. The activities include:
- drug therapy;
- physiotherapy;
- physiotherapy exercises;
- massage (paravertebral);
- manual therapy;
- with a needle applicator;
- spinal traction.
The decision on surgical treatment of the disease is made by the advice of doctors, if there is no result of conservative treatment or if there are severe lesions of the articular structures of the spine. It is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner and not to provoke the disease. Effective treatment is possible at home. This is confirmed by the long-term practice of treating the disease.
Treatment of osteochondrosis at home
Given the peculiarities of the disease and the length of time it takes to recover, the question of how to treat osteochondrosis effectively at home is relevant to most patients. It is important to take into account that this is an unusual disease and it is impossible to get a positive result only with the help of drugs. It is necessary to regularly take a number of actions that can be taken at home as directed by a doctor.
Medicines
Medicines are prescribed in the acute form of the disease. Osteochondrosis is a systemic disease. The negative consequences affect the state of the entire body. Therefore, drug treatment solves a number of tasks:
- pain relief;
- relieves inflammation;
- restores metabolic reactions;
- improves blood circulation in the affected areas;
- restore cartilage tissue;
- to restore joint mobility;
- eliminates depression caused by severe pain.
Drug therapy encompasses several groups of drugs.
Group |
Action |
Pharmacological forms |
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory |
Relief of inflammation and pain (inhibition of prostaglandins) |
Capsules, tablets, gels, ointments, plasters, injections |
Analgesics, anesthetics |
Pain relief |
pills, injection |
Vasodilators |
Improvement of the nutrition of damaged tissues, acceleration of their regeneration |
Injections, tablets (dragees), gels, creams, ointments |
Glucocorticosteroid |
Heavy artillery, highly anti-inflammatory |
Pills, injections, ointments |
Muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants) |
Relaxing, calming effect on the muscles |
pills, injection |
Chondroprotectors (glucosamine, chondroitin) |
Stabilize the process, prevent further destruction |
Capsules, tablets, gels, ointments, injections |
Sedatives |
Eliminate depression, increase stress resistance, improve sleep quality, stabilize emotional state |
Tinctures, tablets |
Vitamins (antioxidants) |
Restoring the sensitivity of the affected nerve endings, reducing the pain |
pills, injection |
Vitamin and mineral complexes |
General strengthening of the body |
pills |
Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle has a detrimental effect on the state of the body. Effective treatment of the spine at home requires special exercises. There are author complexes of physical therapy exercises, you can use the recommendations and create an individual training program.
Sport is the main remedy for osteochondrosis. Bending, twisting, twisting, swinging on your back are recommended exercises. It is useful to hang on the bar and use yoga exercises to stretch the spine. Sufficient attention should be paid to strengthening the back muscles - pulling them up, doing pushups. There are a number of rules that you must follow in order not to harm your health:
- Remedial gymnastics should be started with a warm-up;
- Twisting should not be done when there is acute pain in the lumbar spine.
- Jumping and running are undesirable. It is better to replace them with walking, swimming, cycling or skiing.
- In cervical osteochondrosis, circular rotation of the head is not always recommended.
When choosing gymnastics, age, difficulty of the exercises and physical fitness should be considered. It is necessary to do physical therapy exercises at least three times a week. The proposed complex will help you cure cervical osteochondrosis at home (all exercises are done ten times):
- Sit on a chair, straighten your back and turn your head alternately to the right and left.
- The start position is the same. Place your right palm on your right cheek and gently tilt your head to the left. Repeat the exercise in the opposite direction.
- Sit up straight, fold your hands at the back of your head and gently bend forward. Press the back of your head with your hands, gently lower your head, touch your chest with your chin, feel the muscle tension.
- Sit down, grab the edge of the chair with your hands from behind, slowly lower your head back, spread your shoulder blades and return to the starting position.
- Raise your shoulders, try to reach your ears with it, lower your shoulders.
Lower back pain is prevalent. Uncomplicated regular gymnastics with lumbar osteochondrosis brings more benefits than constant use of painkillers (repeat the exercises 5-10 times):
- Stretching the back muscles- Lie on your back, lift your arms and stretch your toes down.
- Raise the pelvis- Lie on your back, bend your legs, arms to the side, lift the pelvis up (inhale), lower it (exhale).
- Embryo Pose- Lie on your back, pull your knees to your chest, grasp them with your arms (inhale) and pull your head to your knees (exhale).
- Cat Pose- As you exhale, get on all fours, around your back, while inhaling, bend forward and lift your head.
Treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies
Folk remedies for osteochondrosis have proven themselves. They are effective and safe. There are a lot of recipes for making medicinal tinctures, ointments, grating, decoction. You can cook them yourself if you want. Herbal medicine eliminates the causes of the disease, herbs contain a large amount of nutrients and have a general tonic effect. Herbal remedies are affordable. Methods for treating diseases with bee stings and beekeeping products are known.
Compressed
Compresses relieve pain, reduce swelling and inflammation. Home treatment of the back and spine is effective when using warming procedures for two weeks. They improve blood circulation, relieve pain, relieve muscle spasms. Easy to compress horseradish and apple:
- Horseradish contains mustard oil (warming effect), apples have many organic acids (anti-inflammatory, analgesic effects);
- grate a small horseradish root and an apple on a fine grater;
- lightly squeeze the juice;
- make a cake; put
- on the inflamed area;
- cover with polyethylene, towel; Wrap
- with a warm cloth;
- is applied every day at night until severe pain disappears.
Infusions and decoctions
Effective home treatment for osteochondrosis involves not only the use of external means, but also an effect on the body from within. For this purpose, medicinal infusions and decoctions are used. They relieve pain, inflammation, and calm the nervous system. In folk medicine, infusions of parsley leaves and seeds, a brew made from pine cones, are used to treat the spine. Cinquefoil is effective, acting as an analgesic and restoring damaged tissue. 
Tincture recipe:
- Mix 200 g of chopped cinquefoil root and 100 g of potentilla upright;
- Pour the vegetable mixture into 1 liter of vodka.
- insist for 3 weeks;
- trunk;
- take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals;
- The treatment lasts 1 month.
Applications
Heating methods include applications. Such treatment of the spine with folk remedies will help restore the functionality of neuromuscular elements in the affected joints of the spine. For application, a gauze napkin is moistened with a medicinal solution and applied to the affected area for 30-40 minutes. The procedure can be performed several times a day. Technique for applying honey with aloe:
- natural honey has a unique medicinal composition, aloe is a natural antibiotic, a biological stimulant;
- prepare a tincture of 100 g of honey, 50 g of aloe leaves (they need to be passed through a meat grinder) and 100 ml of vodka;
- exist for 1 week;
- moisten a piece of natural substance with tincture;
- applies to the inflamed area;
- put polyethylene and a towel on top; Wrap
- with a woolen scarf;
- Perform the process twice a day.
Rubbing
For an effective treatment of osteochondrosis at home, you can prepare rubs and ointments. The rubbing process is similar to massage, which is done 2-3 times a day. It stimulates blood circulation, relieves inflammation and pain. Turpentine, kerosene, badger fat, lard inside, medicinal plants (plantain, sage, juniper) are used to make medicinal rubbers.
Recipe for laurel juniper ointment:
- 1 teaspoon of juniper needles, 6 teaspoons of chopped bay leaves, 12 teaspoons of melted butter, mix thoroughly;
- apply the mixture to the site of inflammation;
- rub the ointment in with light movements;
- wrap your back with a warm woolen cloth; Rub
- in the afternoon and before bed.
Spas
Baths with herbal boilings are effective during rehabilitation. This procedure is not recommended in acute conditions. Therapeutic baths expand the blood vessels, relax the muscles and have a beneficial effect on the joint structures of the spine. To make decoctions, chamomile, lemon balm, string, thyme, horsetail, thyme and other plants are used. Medicinal raw materials can be made independently or purchased from a pharmacy.
The decoction of the medicinal bath is prepared as follows:
- Take 250-300 g of dry plant material or prepare a mixture of medicinal herbs. Boil
- in 5 liters of water for 20 minutes; Strain
- and add to prepared warm water;
- Take a bath 10-15 minutes before bed.