Osteochondrosis is called a degenerative change in the articular cartilage. If we describe this process in a few words, the soft "spacer" between the bones becomes thinner and no longer fulfills the functions of a shock absorber assigned to it. As a result of the pinching of nerve endings, pain occurs, mobility is impaired. The process extends to the surrounding muscles, affects the internal organs.
Therapeutic treatment for osteochondrosis at home is aimed at relieving the patient's condition and bringing him back to an active life. Let's take a look at the popular and available methods that can help you get rid of the attack and avoid repetition.
Causes of the disease
Doctors joke that the deformity of the spine is the price humankind has to pay for the ability to walk upright. There is some truth in this ironic statement, of course, but most of the time the patient is the real culprit. The most common causes of osteochondrosis: sedentary lifestyle, obesity, stress.
The hobby for alcoholic beverages and smoking also contributes to this. Nicotine makes bones fragile and inhibits collagen synthesis, which is responsible for the elasticity of cartilage tissue. Alcohol causes tissue dehydration and helps wash out calcium. No less harmful is the passion for strict diets that limit the intake of minerals and vitamins.
The hereditary factor and age-related changes play an important role in the development of osteochondrosis. In addition, flat feet with high-heeled shoes contribute to the development of pathology.
Those whose work is stressful run the risk of contracting the disease. These are builders, waiters, moving companies. However, sedentary professionals are at least as likely to suffer from osteochondrosis.
Medicines
The osteochondrosis of the spine often worsens after housework or gardening, increased physical exertion and hypothermia. In such cases, the first priority is to eliminate severe pain sensations that interfere with normal movement.
One way to quickly stop an attack is to take medication (analgesics) or injections to relieve the pain. After the acute pain subsides, other methods of treating osteochondrosis of the spine can be used. Home therapy includes:
- taking drugs of different groups;
- warming up and rubbing;
- exercise;
- Massage and self-massage.
Medical treatment for osteochondrosis of the spine at home is carried out using various gels and ointments. The procedure improves blood circulation, relaxes tense muscles and relieves inflammation. There are a number of specialty drugs in the pharmaceutical market that can be used to relieve pain symptoms associated with osteochondrosis.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs relieve primary symptoms. Chondroprotectors must be used to restore the worn discs.
Chondroprotectors are designed to stimulate the formation of interarticular fluid and restore the structure of the cartilage.
Alternative medicine
Treating osteochondrosis alone at home can be very effective.
However, you should not seek advice without consulting a specialized specialist. It is also necessary to conduct an examination to confirm the correct diagnosis.
Folk methods of treating osteochondrosis, as a rule, are based on the use of vegetable or animal raw materials, bee products and chemicals. The latter include ethyl alcohol, kerosene, turpentine. These liquids are used to make medical compresses, tinctures, or ointments.
grinding mass
Easy to prepare at home solution helps stop pain attacks during osteochondrosis worsening. To prepare it you will need:
- Alcohol or vodka 1, 5 cups.
- iodine solution 2 tsp.
- Camphor 2 tbsp. Spoon.
Mix the liquid components, shake. Use as needed, but no more than twice a day. It is important to keep your lower back warm after rubbing.
Spas
Treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies also includes water procedures. Coniferous baths help release muscle tension and calm the nervous system. Medicinal raw materials can be made independently or a ready-made extract can be purchased. For the first method, you need cones and twigs made of spruce, pine or fir, boiled first for half an hour, and then insisted for a day. To prepare a 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.
An emulsion of turpentine is often used in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders at home. The composition contains the following ingredients:
- white emulsion 550 g;
- purified water 0. 5 liters;
- salicylic acid 75 g;
- soap shavings 30 grams.
Bring water to the boil, dissolve soap in it, add salicylic acid and mix with turpentine. Pour the prepared mixture into a bath at a temperature of about 40 ° C.
The duration of the procedure is approximately half an hour. The temperature should be constant, for this you need to regularly add hot water to the bath. The duration of treatment is 5-7 days. Doctors recommend not to take a bath during an exacerbation of osteochondrosis, accompanied by severe pain.
You can also treat osteochondrosis at home with dry heat. For such a procedure, buckwheat or salt is used, the products are preheated in a pan. After the hot mass is placed on a clean piece of cloth, the application is applied to the lower back, insulated with a blanket and allowed to cool. The warm-up takes place in two or three steps, about 45 minutes.
Although all folk remedies are based on natural ingredients, they cannot be called completely safe. Do not forget about individual intolerance. Turpentine or kerosene is obviously not suitable for people with sensitive skin.
Herbal preparations
Non-traditional home treatment for osteochondrosis is incomplete without herbal medicine prescriptions. And they are as follows:
- For compresses you can use a herbal mixture of St. John's wort, dandelion roots and burdock leaves. Dried, crushed raw materials (20 grams each) are poured with boiling water, stored in a closed vessel, and a piece of cloth folded into several layers is impregnated with a cold solution. Apply the compress to the sore area for 20-30 minutes.
- Mint and sage in equal proportions, pour over water and cook for 10 minutes. The broth is taken orally twice a day for half a glass or applied in the form of a compress to the site of osteochondrosis localization. For preparation, take 3 tablespoons of crushed raw materials per liter of water.
- The flowers of the mother and the stepmother are poured with 4% ammonia, 30 days in the dark. It is used as an abrasive to relieve pain and swelling during the exacerbation of osteochondrosis.
Massage and self-massage
The traditional type of treatment - massage - helps get rid of osteochondrosis. Thanks to this procedure, the neck muscles and the entire shoulder girdle are completely relaxed. It is also important that properly performed massage will help eliminate pain and improve metabolic processes. At the same time, the patient's blood pressure returns to normal.
Osteochondrosis can only be treated this way at home if there is a good masseur who knows all the intricacies of this procedure. But self-massage can be a good substitute. The methodology for their implementation is simply studied and mastered. In order not to get injured, you need to know some simple rules:
- Proper self-massage for osteochondrosis should only be performed with the fingers of the hands. In this case, it is necessary to start the movement of the fingers from the spine to the periphery.
- Movements should be smooth and easy, without any effort. It is very important not to make sudden movements and not to rush.
An example of a classic self-massage could look like this:
- Warm up the skin with rubbing and stroking movements.
- After that, in a sitting position, you need to gently stroke the area with your hands in the area affected by osteochondrosis.
- Light finger movements and stroking should be performed for 3 minutes.
These procedures must be performed daily throughout the course of osteochondrosis treatment. A family member can do the massage if possible, but it is very important that the minimum amount of movement force is used.
physical therapy exercises
Another method of treating osteochondrosis is physiotherapy. This procedure is mandatory for home treatment, as it strengthens the muscles of the problem areas. Exercising tenses and relaxes the patient's muscles, relieving the problem areas.
Important!All exercises should be done slowly, otherwise exercise therapy can be harmful.
Slow turns of the head to the sides are most effective in treating cervical osteochondrosis. Depending on the area affected, 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 in the neck muscles is noticeably reduced.
For the correct composition of a series of exercises for the treatment of osteochondrosis, you need to consult a specialist. He chooses a complex to say and show which of the exercises will be most effective for each individual case, since certain muscle groups should be involved depending on the area affected. It is very important to follow your doctor's instructions for treatment to be beneficial and not harmful to your health. If there are painful sensations during gymnastics, the exercises should be canceled and the specialist should be instructed to correct the exercises. To get the maximum effect, regardless of the complexity of the case, in addition to gymnastics, you need to use an applicator, self-massage and use drugs for the treatment of osteochondrosis.
Useful tips
When osteochondrosis is diagnosed, a neurologist prescribes complex therapy. Treatment at home alternates with physiotherapy, massage, injection and medication. Exercise therapists strongly recommend not restricting yourself to bed rest, even during periods of exacerbation of osteochondrosis. In addition, they claim that some exercises can relieve pain as well as medication.
It should be noted that the modern approach to the treatment of osteochondrosis is different from the methods used a few decades ago. Patients practice relaxation and meditation practices to reduce stress. The disease is treated not only by a neurologist, but also by a psychotherapist.
Here are some tips for alleviating osteochondrosis:
- It is worthwhile to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles, they form a kind of support frame. To do this, you need to do stretching and flexibility exercises every day. It is also important to monitor your posture while working or walking.
- Everyone should choose the right sleeping position to relax the spine as much as possible. If a person sleeps on their back, it is useful to put an extra pillow under the feet in the knee area. Lie on your side and press it between your thighs.
- To get rid of osteochondrosis, therapy alone is not enough. Doctors recommend giving up smoking and alcohol, which destroy joint tissue. It is also worth maintaining a healthy weight.