Back and neck pain is one of the most common unpleasant symptoms that almost every modern person experiences at least once.
In the past, osteochondrosis was considered an age-related disease, but today it is increasingly diagnosed in young people. This is due to a sedentary lifestyle and the habit of going out while doing sedentary work.
It is important to diagnose the disease in time, because the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis in the early stages of development is easier than in advanced cases.
Manifestations and causes of the disease
Manifestations of the disease develop gradually. As the condition of the spine worsens, their intensity increases. At first it may bother a person only occasionally, but over time they become permanent.
The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis:
- the pain is aggravated when turning and tilting the head;
- neck crisis;
- headaches;
- decreased visual acuity;
- Stiffness and muscle tension in the affected area.
A man complains of exacerbation of osteochondrosis:
- shooting pain;
- dizziness;
- combustion;
- Increased neck muscle tone.
Depending on which vertebra is involved in the pathological process, pain and emotional disorders can affect different parts of the body. It can spread to the shoulder girdle, is felt in the chest, and can be seen in the arm muscles and even the fingers. Many patients want to know that cervical osteochondrosis can be cured forever. There can be no definitive answer, because everything depends on the stage of the disease and the degree of degenerative changes. However, during an outbreak, it is possible to reduce the condition and prevent deterioration of health. And folk remedies will help here.
Causes of osteochondrosis:
- habit of wandering while walking;
- wrong body position while reading a book, working on a computer;
- spinal injuries and injuries;
- quite active lifestyle;
- tiring physical activity;
- use very soft mattresses and pillows at rest;
- long-term transportation of weights;
- straight legs;
- metabolic diseases in the body;
- vitamin and mineral deficiency;
- scoliosis;
- obesity;
- genetic predisposition;
- pregnancy.
When choosing how to treat cervical osteochondrosis, you should consider the severity of the symptoms. Before starting therapy, you must contact a neurologist to make an accurate diagnosis and agree on a treatment plan. In some cases, only folk remedies can be abandoned, and sometimes they should be used in combination with classical therapy.
Treatment with ointments and balms
When applied topically, traditional medicine should reduce pain and inflammation and help normalize muscle movement. Ointments and balms should be used in conjunction with other treatments, as cervical spine osteochondrosis is difficult to treat with their help alone. Rather, they are ambulances and express therapy.
Here are some easy home recipes:
- Garlic ginger ointment.Mix equal amounts of garlic and chopped fresh ginger root. For plasticity, add a little olive or sesame oil to this mass. Apply the composition to the neck before going to bed. It is recommended to repeat the procedure every day until the unpleasant symptoms disappear. Leave the ointment on for 30 minutes, after which it should be washed off with warm water.
- bay leaf ointment.Add 5 g of crushed juniper leaves and 6 teaspoons to 60 ml of melted butter. dry beaten bay leaf. This ointment should be used in the morning and evening to rub the painful neck area.
- Sage Ointment.Melt 3 tablespoons in a water bath. l. Add Vaseline and 2 tbsp. l. chopped sage herb, 2 tbsp. l. plantain leaves, any vegetable oil ¼ cup. It is recommended to rub the neck with ointment three times a day, after which the treated area should be insulated with a woolen scarf for several hours.
Using compresses
For many back problems, external treatments bring significant relief to the patient. Since it is desirable to treat osteochondrosis of the neck as soon as possible to prevent complications, they must act quickly. Self-made compresses reduce pain and restore normal mobility of hard muscles. They can also have a warming effect due to the fact that the active substances can enter the bloodstream faster.
You can use the following recipes at home:
- burdock compress.2 tablespoons. l. dry crushed leaves of a plant, pour 400 ml boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. After filtering, a bandage soaked in a warm solution should be applied to the painful area covered with cellophane, cotton wool and woolen cloth. The procedure takes 15 minutes. The bandage should then be removed and a warm scarf wrapped around the neck to keep warm.
- Squeeze with eucalyptus and honey.30 g of eucalyptus leaves should be finely chopped and filled with 400 ml of boiling water. Cook them on low heat for 5 minutes. After cooling, add honey to the filtered solution (5: 1). This solution should be used daily for compresses before bedtime. Leave on for 30 minutes for therapeutic effects.
- Horseradish compress.Fresh leaves of the plant should be immersed in boiling water for a few minutes to soften. When hot, apply to the neck and cover with a plastic wrap and a warm cloth. The procedure is best done before bed, keeping the leaves on the skin overnight. It should be removed in the morning, washed with warm water and lubricated with baby cream to prevent drying.
- Squeeze with mustard and aloe.Take equal parts of aloe juice, dry mustard and vodka and mix. You need to moisten the resulting solution, stick it around your neck and insulate this area with cling film and a woolen scarf. Leave the compress to warm overnight.
For maximum effect, compresses for cervical osteochondrosis should be combined with other treatments - decoctions, ointments and baths. With an integrated approach, unpleasant symptoms will go away very quickly and then not remind themselves for a long time.
Domestic products
In case of exacerbation of the disease, decoctions, alcoholic tinctures and infusions should be used to reduce swelling and have anti-inflammatory effect. Since the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis with folk remedies should be complex, it should be used in parallel with external rubs and compresses. It is also important to minimize stress in the cervical region during violence, and to sleep on your back or next to an orthopedic pillow and a firm mattress.
You can prepare the following traditional medicine for internal use:
- Cedar tincture.A half-liter jar should be filled with crushed, unpeeled pine nuts. Pour vodka on top to cover the nuts with a layer of 5 cm. The product should be brewed in a dark and cool place for 7 days. After that, the tincture should be filtered and taken 15 ml three times a day.
- St. John is a source made of brown and fragrant steel.These ingredients should be mixed in equal amounts, with 2 tbsp. l. Pour 400 ml of boiling water into the resulting collection. The mixture should be cooked on low heat for 15 minutes, then infuse in a warm place for 1 hour. It is recommended to take 200 ml of broth three times a day before meals.
- Herbal collection.Goat willow bark, poplar and maple leaves should be mixed in a ratio of 5: 1: 4. Pour 30 g of this mixture into 500 ml of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. After cooling completely, the broth should be filtered and drunk in a glass before breakfast and dinner.
Alternative Help
Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease that lasts a long time. It is important to understand this, because sometimes cervical spine treatment takes too long. During an exacerbation, the main task is to reduce the patient's condition. In many cases, this can be done without medication, using folk remedies.
Needle baths help reduce pain. Put 1 kg of needles and branches of coniferous trees (pine, spruce, juniper) in an enamel pot, fill to the top with water and boil over low heat until the volume of water is halved. After that, the broth should be brewed in a warm place for 12 hours. 1. 5 liters of the filtered needle infusion should be added to the general bath. Since osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can be treated only with moderately warm solutions, the temperature should not be hot (approximately 37 ° C). Too hot water can make the pain worse.
After consulting a neurologist, you can do light gymnastics to relieve neck discomfort, unless otherwise indicated. The head should be gently bent down and forward, then left and right. You can put your hands behind your head and try to move your head in this direction by resisting. The same thing should be done on the forehead. Such a simple treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home normalizes muscle tone and eliminates spasms. Over time, this gymnastics should take about 15 minutes a day. The movements should be gentle, not forceful, or cause severe pain.