Vertebral osteochondrosis is the most common disease of the human musculoskeletal system. In the cervical spine, degenerative processes develop with particular frequency: in about 30-40% of all cases of osteochondrosis, the disease affects this particular area of the back.
Even with an inactive lifestyle, daily stress falls on the cervical area, leading to gradual destruction of the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs. The cervical vertebrae support the head, provide lateral movement, and tilt back and forth. Both a sedentary lifestyle and excessive stress on the spine are equally damaging to cartilage tissue.
Osteochondrosis develops slowly, but almost always leads to painful manifestations and serious consequences. This article will discuss in detail how to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home, in which cases it is reasonable and advisable, what procedures should be practiced in order to reduce painful symptoms and eliminate the primary causes of the disease.
When can osteochondrosis be treated at home?
Osteochondrosis rarely occurs suddenly; the disease is usually preceded by an initial stage, characterized by back fatigue, rapid fatigue, and decreased performance. It is important to take therapeutic measures at the first signs of the disease, while the degenerative and dystrophic processes have not spread from the cartilaginous tissues to the nearby structures.
The task of treatment in the initial stage of the disease is to stop the pathological transformations in the intervertebral discs. No amount of therapy can reverse destructive processes, but there is the possibility of preventing dangerous and painful consequences.
You can practice home treatment in the following cases:
- When the diagnosis is precisely known and clinically confirmed;
- When the manifestations of the disease are mild or moderate;
- When a doctor approves or sanctions self-treatment and home;
- In the form of relapse prevention during the recovery phase after full clinical therapy.
Diagnosis in the clinic and consultation with a specialist (orthopedist, vertebrologist or traumatologist) is a mandatory stage in the treatment of osteochondrosis. Starting treatment without an accurate diagnosis can cause irreparable damage to the spine. Even if you are absolutely sure that you have osteochondrosis, you need to find out its stage, determine the degree of tissue destruction, and identify concomitant diseases.
The danger of cervical osteochondrosis lies in the variety of manifestations of this disease. Since the most important nerve pathways and blood vessels pass in this section, any displacement of the cartilaginous and bone structures from their anatomical position, as well as the transformation of the discs and vertebral bodies, are fraught with compression of the nerve endings andThe arteries.
Compression causes headaches, impaired blood supply to the brain, and decreased brainpower. The most dangerous complication of compression is stroke - a sharp deterioration in the supply of oxygen to the brain, leading to the death of its parts.
It is irresponsible and dangerous to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home in the presence of compression. Massage procedures, manual therapy, and exercise therapy must be carried out under strict medical supervision. Only professional masseurs and therapists should perform manual and hardware impact on the vertebrae in case of progressive degenerative changes.
General rules for self-therapy
Some people believe that cervical osteochondrosis is a temporary ailment that occurs after sleeping in an uncomfortable position or working at a computer for a long time. People often ignore the symptoms of neck pain, believing that they are caused by overwork, "salt deposits", colds.
The listed factors can really provoke the development of an attack of osteochondrosis, but they are not the causes, but rather the predisposing factors of the pathology. Removing them may relieve symptoms, but it will not cure the disease itself.
The treatment of osteochondrosis must be approached in a scientific and pragmatic way. The sooner therapy begins, the better chance you have of restoring the functionality of the cervical spine. If you want to regain mobility in your neck, get rid of crunches and back fatigue, start treatment immediately when the first signs of degenerative changes appear.
Home treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck area is a necessary and useful measure of influence if it is carried out correctly and is authorized by specialists.
At home you can do:
- Drug therapy;
- Self-massage;
- Hardware massage using mechanical and electrical devices;
- Physiotherapy procedures;
- Physiotherapy.
Basically, any kind of conservative treatment can be practiced at home. Traditional methods of influence are popular with the population: a variety of lotions, compresses and applications in the affected department. These treatment options are sometimes quite effective and really help with pain symptoms and other unpleasant manifestations of osteochondrosis.
The basic rules for self-treatment are as follows:
- Pain relievers and other medications should be taken only after they have been prescribed by a physician;
- You should not practice massage and physical therapy exercises during acute pain and disc displacement;
- Doubtful and unapproved traditional medicine should not be used;
- At the slightest sign of deterioration in health, you should stop therapy at home and go to the clinic.
In general, experts even recommend self-treatment, since only those procedures that require the presence of a specialist or the presence of complex equipment are performed in the clinic. It is only necessary to strictly follow medical recommendations regarding home therapeutic techniques.
A good doctor, before recommending or prescribing any remedy, will always tell you how it is applied, what results to expect, when and for what time you need to perform the treatment procedures. The ultimate goal of any practice is not just to stop the symptoms, but to completely block or eliminate the causes of the disease.
Home Treatment Methods
There are many home treatments for cervical osteochondrosis. We will consider the most basic of them - the most effective and affordable. We remind you once again: only the implementation of the medical recommendations in full provides a chance for recovery.
Qualified physicians take into account all influencing factors, from the position you take during sleep to the nature of the diet. The diet for osteochondrosis is based on the exclusion of fatty, refined and overly seasoned foods and on the mandatory inclusion of mucopolysaccharides in the diet, compounds that feed the cartilage tissue.
Almost all aspects of life must conform to the principles of competent and correct treatment.
Physiotherapy exercises
A complete regimen of physical activity is the foundation of effective therapy. The set of exercises is selected individually, taking into account the stage of the disease, the age and physical condition of the patient. Physical education is not an auxiliary, but the most important therapeutic method for osteochondrosis of the neck region.
Gymnastic exercises solve several problems at once:
- Develop and strengthen the muscular corset in the neck and shoulder girdle;
- Stimulates local blood flow, improving the nutrition of the intervertebral discs and other tissues in the affected area;
- Accelerate metabolic processes, contributing to the restoration of physical activity;
- Eliminates muscle blockages and spasmodic phenomena.
In the initial stage of therapy, it is best to conduct several sessions of exercise therapy under the guidance of an experienced instructor. Then you can practice physical education at home. Be sure to wear comfortable clothing when exercising and make sure the area is regularly ventilated.
Indicative criteria for usefulness of exercise therapy are absence of pain, improved well-being, increased range of motion. If there are symptoms of acute and regular pain, exercise should be stopped until the causes of this phenomenon are clarified. Pain usually occurs when the disc is displaced and the nerve is compressed. To prevent this from happening, you must perform the movements smoothly, avoid jumping and twisting your spine.
Manual and hardware massage
Self-massage reduces pain and stimulates local circulation. Self-massage techniques (rubbing, stroking, kneading) will be taught by your doctor or professional masseur. Strong pressure, bumps and pinching must be avoided.
Proper self-massage often outperforms even drugs in efficacy. A gentle manual effect not only relieves pain, but also relaxes muscles, speeds up blood flow and metabolism. It is recommended to perform the massage in a sitting position, using only the fingers and directing the movements from the spine towards the peripheral parts of the back.
A separate method is hardware massage using modern mechanical and electronic devices. It is recommended to use massage products in the absence of severe pain and displacement of the discs. Inexpensive handheld massagers and expensive computer controlled devices are available in medical supply stores.
Another effective tool is static shock applicators on affected areas. Devices such as the Lyapko applicator or the Kuznetsov applicator are proven and effective means of treating pain symptoms and eliminating the causes of the disease. The main rule in the use of such devices is regularity. It is necessary to practice exposure sessions constantly; Only then is it possible to achieve a stable and pronounced result that improves health.
The applicators are based on the principles of reflexology: the impact on the active parts of the body and the launch of the body's self-healing mechanism. Home acupuncture with Lyapko devices and exposure of the devices with Kuznetsov devices literally lifted some patients.
Other orthopedic devices are also useful: special pillows for sleeping, which guarantee the correct position of the body at night, mattresses, pillows for car and office chairs.
Physiotherapy at home
Exposure to a magnetic field, ultrasound, light of a certain spectrum - these are all very effective methods for treating moderate and mild osteochondrosis. Physical therapy is usually practiced on an outpatient basis in clinics, but it is quite possible to use these methods at home.
Devices for magnetotherapy, ultrasonic and electrical neurostimulation, and other devices for the treatment of spinal structures are sold in pharmacies and specialized stores. These devices eliminate pain, stimulate metabolism and blood flow, and eliminate muscle spasms. These devices can only be used after they have been prescribed by a physical therapist.
Compress, rub, other traditional medicine procedures
The following alternative treatments are acceptable:
- Applications with healing clay;
- Compresses of honey, vodka, agave;
- Honey mustard compresses;
- Propolis, aloe juice and vodka lotions;
- Bee venom treatment;
- Rub with herbal preparations (the most popular option is a mixture of 2 pods of hot pepper with vegetable oil).
Phytopreparations can be used in the absence of allergies and after approval of the method by a physician.
Modern medicine offers many quite effective and safe remedies in a natural way to eliminate the signs of cervical osteochondrosis. Creams, ointments and plasters of herbal and combined composition are applied externally at the first manifestations of pain and at the stage of rehabilitation therapy.