An effective method for treating cervical osteochondrosis at home

Many negative factors cause negative changes in the intervertebral disc - chondrosis develops. If left untreated, the disease persists, degenerative and dystrophic processes affect bone tissue, osteophytes grow, osteochondrosis develops, and pain appears in the neck.

Home treatment is a variety of different steps. It is important to stop the destruction of the disc, eliminate the syndrome of inflammation and pain, and begin the process of regeneration of the elastic pads between the vertebrae. Good effect is given by a combination of chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants, NSAIDs with exercise therapy, massage, and other methods to affect weak structures.

Causes and symptoms of osteochondrosis

The disease gets younger every year. Decades ago, with signs of spinal osteochondrosis, patients after the age of 40-50 years turned to vertebrologists for help, now many young people have a diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis in their medical records. Why?

Physical inactivity, prolonged computer use with little or no movement, combined with endocrine pathology, smoking, poor nutrition, and poor ecology increase the risk of damage to the intervertebral disc and bone structure. Destruction of cartilage begins earlier than nature has intended.

If previously the main cause of cervical osteochondrosis was the natural aging process (the protective pads between the vertebrae get less nutrition with age, become less elastic, become thinner), now there are many other negative factors.

Increases the risk of degenerative and dystrophic processes in the intervertebral disc and vertebral body:

• high loads on support poles while working hard, on professional athletes, when carrying heavy bags, improper lifting techniques;
• overweight;
• previous back and cervical injuries;
• endocrine diseases, hormonal disorders during menopause, pregnancy;
• improper mineral metabolism, chronic pathology associated with salt deposition, e. g. , gout;
• descent;
• calcium, magnesium, phosphorus deficiency;
• excessive consumption of coffee for long periods of time, alcohol addiction, narcotic drugs, smoking;
• improper diet, vitamin deficiency: nutrient deficiency reduces the rate and quality of cartilage nutrition during spread;
• refusal to exercise: the worse the flexibility of the spine, the weaker the muscle corset, the higher the risk of affecting all support column structures.

Important facts about cervical osteochondrosis:

• the disease persists with a period of remission and deterioration. The more carefully the patient meets the doctor's recommendations, the lower the rate of degenerative processes, which slows the transition of mild and moderate pathological stages to more severe;
• at an early stage, one does not suspect that the process of degeneration has begun in the cushion pad. The more negative factors act, the more active the intervertebral disc is destroyed;
• Doctors warn:Overweight often appears against the background of endocrine diseases and low physical activity, which increases the risk of cartilage damage. If a person who is obese smokes a lot, drinks coffee often, works hard, or sits at a computer / TV for a long time, then with almost 100% certainty we can say: quickly, chondrosis will turn into osteochondrosis, protrusions and intervertebral hernias willappears.

Signs and symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis:

• first stage - with nutrient deficiency, elasticity of the cartilage layer decreases, disc height decreases slightly, weak pain in the back and neck appears during exercise;
• the more active the intervertebral structure deformation, the more frequent discomfort concerns, the higher the risk of disc damage. When the fibrous ring breaks, friction of the bone structure increases, nerve roots are pinched, and pain appears. Pinch blood vessels adversely affect the nutrition of important parts of the brain. When sensitive structures and channels are compressed, brain nutrition deteriorates, headaches are impaired, vision decreases, dizziness, nausea appears;

• in the third stage of osteochondrosis, the integrity of the fibrosus annulus is violated, friction of the bone elements increases, pain is frequently disrupted, hernias develop (disc protrusion occurs). Without the use of NSAIDs and analgesics, the pain syndrome complicates the patient’s life;
• if you do not see a doctor, then osteochondrosis will go into the rectangle, the worst stage. Protective pads are practically destroyed, spinal movement is reduced. The body seeks to compensate for the almost complete absence of elastic discs, osteophytes grow - growths that reduce the force of pressure on the roots of the vertebrae and nerves. Stabilization of the support column occurs, the pain worsens, but at the same time the mobility of the spine in the cervical zone decreases, it is difficult for a person to move, bend, rotate, lower his head. Patients often receive disability groups. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to repair the weak vertebral structure using a special plate.

Watch out!In the first stage of cervical osteochondrosis, therapy can be carried out without hospitalization. In further cases, acute pain syndrome in patients with the fourth stage of the disease, requires observation at the vertebrological center or surgery in the neurosurgery department.

Home Treatment

How to treat cervical osteochondrosis? Therapy will be successful if the following rules are followed:

• start therapy only after visiting an orthopedic vertebrologist or traumatologist;
• take the medication prescribed by your doctor;
• perform complex therapy therapy;
• do a massage and self-massage the problem area;
• use doctor-approved folk remedies;
• equip work and bedding properly: orthopedic pads or protectors under regular mattresses, low pillows.

The key to enhancing the therapeutic effect:

• do not burden the spine;
• do not perform sudden movements in the cervical spine;
• change jobs, if at work you should always deal with lifting and moving heavy objects or prolonged static loads;
• patients with a diagnosis of osteochondrosis should not work long in their summer huts, widening the lower back. With cervical osteochondrosis, the suture profession, working in the assembly line, at the construction site is not suitable. It is necessary to choose the type of activity in which possible loads and breaks alternate;
• walks more in the air, moves, does not spend much time in one position: dangerous long-term dynamic and static loads;
• combines oral medications with topical agents. To relieve active pain, use a transdermal patch, which must be affixed to the painful area: neck, shoulder belt. Thin strips infused with analgesics or NSAID group compositions reduce discomfort and show anti-inflammatory effects. Transdermal patches are not visible under clothing, the validity period is from 8 to 24 hours (depending on the type);
• with cervical osteochondrosis and for the prevention of disease, you need to do moderate exercise every day to prevent blood stasis, increase cartilage elasticity and spinal flexibility. Dizziness, head tilted, round rotation with medium amplitude, doctors advise doing two to three times a day. The movement is smooth, without jerking, otherwise you can damage the relatively thin cervical vertebrae;
• be sure to take chondroprotectors for four to six months or longer to restore the height and quality of the intervertebral disc. At 1-3 degrees osteochondrosis, tablets and ointments with chondroprotective properties give good results, at 4 degrees the composition is ineffective;
• take NSAIDs as directed by your doctor, preferably with selective action. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds that suppress only one type of cyclooxygenase enzyme have no significant negative effects on the body. The drug is more expensive than traditional NSAIDs, but the negative effects on the central nervous system, heart, and gastrointestinal tract are several times lower;
• Diet for cervical osteochondrosis reduces the rate of destruction of shock-absorbing pads, in combination with medication, accelerates the regrowth process. Make sure you eat dishes with gelatin, green vegetables, red fish, vegetable oil, bran, turkey, dairy products, hard cheese. You need to limit strong coffee, animal fats, sweets, carbonated drinks, smoked meats, foods with purines, sour fruits and berries sharply. It is important to stop drinking alcohol and smoking.

Medicine

In the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, a drug complex is required. Chondroprotectors are taken in the first or third stage of pathology. With the destruction of the intervertebral disc, the rupture of the fibrous ring, you should not spend a lot of money on long-term therapy to buy this type of drug: chondroprotectors are effective only if the amount of hyaline pads is preserved.

Effective Drug Group:

• analgesics;
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds;
• neurotropic vitamin B;
• chondroprotectors;
• transdermal patch;
• heating ointment with hot pepper, camphor, snake venom and bees;
• medicine to activate blood circulation.

Other treatments:

• turpentine bathin the treatment of osteochondrosis. After the procedure, nutrition of hyaline cartilage and intervertebral joints improves, pain syndrome decreases, and mobility of problem areas improves. Bathing with white and yellow turpentine emulsions or a mixture of two types of natural products made from processed pine resin is more commonly used in the treatment of thoracic and lumbar osteochondrosis. But with damage to the cervical spine, this technique is also beneficial. This procedure has a beneficial effect on the whole body and support columns, allowing us to suggest useful and affordable techniques for physiotherapy at home;
• gymnasticsfor cervical osteochondrosis. Exercises should be done slowly, with a minimum amplitude in the first lesson. Gradually, tilt, head rotation, rotation can be done more actively, but jerks and pain should not be allowed during exercise. Exercises for osteochondrosis for the cervical zone, the doctor selects individually, based on the severity of osteochondrosis. Alternatively, you can massage the neck and shoulder area: the effect is moderate, without strong pressure.

The best option is to combine home treatment with a visit to the physiotherapy room. Magnetic fields, amplipulse, ozokerite application, mud therapy, turpentine baths increase the effectiveness of home treatment for cervical osteochondrosis. For the prevention of degenerative changes and dystrophy, it is necessary to avoid exposure to negative factors, monitor the load on the neck and shoulder girdle.