Effective treatment of osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is called degenerative changes in the articular cartilage. To put it in a few words, the soft "gap" between the bones is narrowed and refuses to fully perform the functions of the shock absorber assigned to it. Compression of nerve endings causes pain and impaired mobility. The process extends to the surrounding muscles, affecting the internal organs.

Therapeutic treatment of osteochondrosis at home aims to alleviate the patient's condition and return him to active life. Let's take a look at the popular and available methods that will help you get rid of the attack and not repeat it.

Causes of the disease

Doctors joke that spinal deformity is a payment for the ability to walk upright. There is, of course, some truth in this sarcastic statement, but in most cases the real culprit is the patient himself. The most common causes of osteochondrosis: sedentary lifestyle, overweight, stress.

Alcohol and smoking hobbies also contribute. Nicotine makes bones brittle, inhibits the synthesis of collagen, which is responsible for the elasticity of cartilage tissue. Alcohol causes tissue dehydration and helps flush calcium out. Passion for a strict diet that restricts mineral and vitamin intake is less harmful.

Heredity and age-related changes play an important role in the development of osteochondrosis. In addition, wearing flat feet and high heels contributes to the development of pathology.

People who are stressed at work are at risk of getting sick. These are builders, waiters, carriers. However, sedentary occupations suffer less from osteochondrosis.

Medication

Osteochondrosis of the spine often worsens after housework or in the garden, increased physical strength, hypothermia. In such cases, the first priority is to get rid of the intense pain that interferes with normal movement.

One way to stop an attack quickly is to take medication (analgesics) or painkillers. Other methods can be used to treat osteochondrosis of the spine after acute pain has subsided. Home therapy includes:

• taking drugs of different groups;
• warm up and rub;
• sport;
• massage and self-massage.

Home treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine is carried out using various gels and ointments. The procedure improves blood circulation, relaxes tense muscles and eliminates inflammation. There are a number of specific medications on the pharmaceutical market that can be used to relieve the symptoms of pain in osteochondrosis.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs relieve the initial symptoms. Chondroprotectors should be used to repair worn intervertebral discs.

Chondroprotectors aim to stimulate the formation of interstitial fluid and restore cartilage structure.

Alternative medicine

Home treatment of osteochondrosis alone can be quite effective.

However, you should not use the advice without consulting a specialist. An examination is also needed to confirm the correct diagnosis.

As a rule, folk remedies for osteochondrosis are based on the use of plant or animal raw materials, bee products and chemicals. The latter include ethyl alcohol, kerosene, turpentine. These liquids are used to prepare medicinal compresses, tinctures or ointments.

Grinding ink

An easy-to-prepare solution at home, it helps to stop the pain during the exacerbation of osteochondrosis. To prepare you need:

• 1, 5 glasses of alcohol or vodka.
• 2 teaspoons of iodine solution.
• 2 tablespoons of camphor. spoon.

Mix and shake the liquid components. Use as needed, but no more than twice a day. It is important to keep the back warm after rubbing.

Healing Baths

Folk remedies for osteochondrosis include water treatments. Needle baths will help relieve muscle tension and calm the nervous system. Medicinal raw materials can be prepared independently or a ready-made extract can be obtained. For the first method, you will need cones and twigs of spruce, pine or fir, which are first boiled for half an hour and then insist for a day. To prepare the bath, you need to add a glass of infusion or 50 grams of ready-made dry extract to water at a temperature of 37-39 degrees.

Turpentine emulsion is often used in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system at home. The composition consists of the following ingredients:

• white emulsion 550 grams;
• purified water 0, 5 liters;
• 75 grams of salicylic acid;
• 30 grams of soap shavings.

Heat the water to a boil, dissolve the soap in it, add salicylic acid and mix with turpentine. Pour the prepared mixture into the bath at a temperature of about 40 ° C.

The procedure takes about half an hour. The temperature should be constant, for this you need to periodically add hot water to the bath. The duration of treatment is 5-7 days. Doctors do not recommend taking a bath, which is accompanied by severe pain during exacerbation of osteochondrosis.

You can treat osteochondrosis with dry heat at home. For such a procedure, buckwheat or salt is used, the products are preheated in a bowl. After placing the hot mass on a clean cloth, the application is applied to the underside, insulated with a blanket and left to cool. Warming up is done in two or three steps for about 45 minutes.

Although all folk remedies are based on natural ingredients, they cannot be called completely safe. Don't forget individual intolerance. Obviously, turpentine or kerosene is not suitable for people with sensitive skin.

Herbal preparations

Non-traditional treatment of osteochondrosis at home is not complete without prescriptions for herbal medicines. And these are:

1. For compresses, you can use a herbal mixture of St. John's wort, dandelion roots and burdock leaves. The dried, crushed raw material (20 g each) is poured into boiling water, insisted in a closed bowl, and a piece folded several times is soaked in a cold solution. Apply the compress to the painful area for 20-30 minutes.
2. Pour mint and sage in equal proportions over water and boil for 10 minutes. The broth is taken orally for half a glass twice a day or applied to the site of osteochondrosis localization in the form of a compress. To prepare, take 3 tablespoons of crushed raw materials per liter of water.
3. The flowers of the mother and stepmother are poured with 4% ammonia, insisting for 30 days in the dark. It is used to rub to relieve pain and swelling during exacerbation of osteochondrosis.

Massage and self-massage

Traditional treatment - massage will help to get rid of osteochondrosis. Thanks to this procedure, the neck muscles and the entire shoulder girdle are completely relaxed. It is also important that a proper massage helps to relieve pain and improve metabolic processes. At the same time, the patient's blood pressure normalizes.

Treating osteochondrosis at home in this way is possible only if you have a good masseur who knows all the intricacies of this procedure. But self-massage can be a good substitute. The application methodology is studied and mastered in a very simple way. Here are a few simple rules to avoid hurting yourself:

1. Proper self-massage for osteochondrosis should be performed only with the fingers. In this case, the movement of the fingers should begin from the spine to the periphery.
2. The movements should be smooth and light, without force. It is very important not to act suddenly and not to hurry.

A classic example of a self-massage might look like this:

1. Warm the skin by rubbing and rubbing.
2. After that, you need to smooth the area affected by osteochondrosis with your hands while sitting.
3. Slight finger movements and stroking should be done within 3 minutes.

These procedures should be performed daily throughout the treatment of osteochondrosis. If possible, a family member can also massage, but it is very important to apply a minimum of movement.

Physiotherapy exercises

Another way to fight osteochondrosis is therapeutic gymnastics. This procedure is necessary for treatment at home, because it helps to strengthen the muscles of problem areas. During the exercise, the patient's muscles are stretched and relaxed, creating the necessary load on the problem areas.

Important!All exercises should be done slowly, otherwise exercise therapy can be harmful.

Slow turning of the head is the most effective treatment for cervical osteochondrosis. Depending on the affected area, exercises can be used to strengthen the muscles of the upper and lower extremities. And with the help of hand movements in the shoulder joint, the tension of the cervical muscles is significantly reduced.

For the treatment of osteochondrosis, you should consult a specialist to properly design a series of exercises. He will choose a complex to tell and show which of the exercises will be most effective for each individual case, because certain muscle groups must be involved, depending on the affected area. It is very important to follow your doctor's instructions so that the treatment is beneficial and does not harm your health. If you experience painful sensations during gymnastics, you should stop training and inform a specialist to correct the set of exercises. To get the maximum effect, regardless of the complexity of the work, in addition to gymnastics, you should use an applicator, self-massage and use drugs for the treatment of osteochondrosis.

Helpful Hints

When osteochondrosis is diagnosed, the neurologist prescribes complex therapy. Home treatment is an alternative to physiotherapy, massage, injections and medications. Sports therapy experts strongly recommend that you do not limit yourself to bed rest, even during periods of osteochondrosis. In addition, some exercises claim that medications can help reduce pain.

It should be noted that the modern approach to the treatment of osteochondrosis differs from the methods used several decades ago. Patients practice relaxation and meditation to reduce stress. Not only a neurologist, but also a psychotherapist treats the disease.

Here are some tips to help reduce osteochondrosis:

1. It is worth strengthening the back and abs muscles, they will create a kind of supporting frame. To do this, you need to do daily stretching and relaxation exercises. It is also important to monitor your posture while working or walking.
2. Everyone should choose the right sleeping position where the spine will be as comfortable as possible. If a person is lying on his back, it is useful to put an extra pillow under his feet in the knee area. Lie down next to you, squeeze between your thighs.
3. Therapy alone is not enough to get rid of osteochondrosis. Doctors recommend giving up smoking and alcohol, which destroy joint tissue. It is also worth maintaining a healthy weight.