The ability of a person to walk upright has not only a distinct advantage, but also disadvantages. Increased stress on the spine leads to the development of various diseases. Osteochondrosis is considered a common disease, affecting more than 60% of the population. This diagnosis is seen in people over 35 years of age, but adolescent symptoms are common. One of the methods is surgery, but in the early stages treatment with alternative methods is possible.
Causes of the disease
The defeat of the discs between the vertebrae, the tissues of the spine in medicine is called osteochondrosis. Doctors cannot name the only exact cause of the appearance of the disease, and sometimes this is impossible, since the disease develops under the influence of a combination of factors. These include:
- Hereditary predisposition to the disease.
- The presence of diseases of the endocrine system - metabolic disorders.
- Development of orthopedic diseases, for example, flat feet, posture curvature, diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Various injuries, contusions on the spine.
- Lifestyle: lack of activity, unhealthy diet with a predominance of fast food and unhealthy foods.
- Being overweight.
- Bad habits: smoking, alcoholism.
- Stress, overwork.
- The pregnancy.
Methods for the treatment of osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis is a disease that is accompanied by pain, discomfort, and with prolonged neglect can lead to complications. The disease is subject to treatment, and for this, a variety of methods can be used, the choice of which depends on the location of the disease, the degree of neglect and the general state of health. There are several treatment options:
- Surgery.
- Physiotherapy.
- Rehabilitation methods.
- Well-being at home.
Before choosing a method of treatment, you need to determine the type of disease, the location and the presence of complications. There are such types, with their characteristic symptoms:
- Cervical osteochondrosis. Symptoms of the disease: pain in shoulders, arms, neck; dizziness - tinnitus, colored spots in front of the eyes; headaches, numbness of the upper extremities.
- Cartilage disease of the thoracic spine. The symptom is a dull or throbbing pain in the chest area.
- Disease that develops in the lumbosacral region. Signs include: pain in the hip joints, lower back, sacral region; lower extremity dysfunction.
- Common: osteochondrosis develops simultaneously in various parts of the spine, accompanied by severe pain.
Rehabilitation treatment
It is possible to restore health after osteochondrosis, the main thing is to follow all the recommendations of the doctor and undergo rehabilitation treatment. This option is used only in remission of the disease, when there is no severe pain in the back. Not recommended for exacerbations. Osteochondrosis is treated with several methods:
- Physiotherapy.
- Sauna, underwater whirlpool, classes in the pool.
- Working with a psychologist.
- Compliance with diet, nutritional correction.
- Laser treatment.
- Manual therapy.
- The use of healing mud.
- Magnetotherapy, electrophoresis.
- Massage.
Surgical intervention
Sometimes patients delay treatment and it is not possible to solve the problem of osteochondrosis without surgery. This is an exceptional method and is used when other treatment options fail or when exacerbations are observed, such as a hernia between the vertebrae or sciatica. The main goal of treatment is to stabilize the structure of the spine to reduce pressure on the spinal cord. This method of treatment is used in emergency cases, since there is a significant risk of damage to the spinal nerve, which is fraught with irreversible consequences.
How and how to treat osteochondrosis at home
Treatment of osteochondrosis is possible not only in the hospital, but also at home, but with clear and unquestionable compliance with all the doctor's recommendations and prescriptions. And if you want to try other methods, this should be done only after consulting a specialist. At home, it is possible to use the following methods to treat osteochondrosis: exercise, yoga; homeopathy, medicines; adherence to a diet; traditional medicine.
Drug treatment
The comprehensive treatment of osteochondrosis includes rehabilitation procedures, diet and medication. The dosage, the choice of a particular drug, should be prescribed and changed exclusively by the attending physician, focusing on the results of the test and the general condition. All the drugs used are divided into two types: to eliminate pain of varying degrees, to prevent disease.
The first type includes:
- For mild pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used.
- If the pains plague the patient for two or more weeks, pain relievers should be added to the above medications.
- If the pain persists for more than three months, antidepressants should be added to painkillers and NSAIDs, which will help regulate the psychological state of the patient.
Drugs aimed at preventing the disease of osteochondrosis by regenerating cartilage and restoring metabolic processes in the human body.
It is important to know how to treat cervical osteochondrosis with medication, as this is the most common type of disease. As drugs, it is worth using:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Warming ointments.
- Preparations for the restoration of cartilaginous tissue.
Therapeutic diet
Proper nutrition and adherence to a diet for osteochondrosis is the key to rapid and accurate elimination of the disease or prevention. Basic nutritional principles:
- The diet should be as varied as possible.
- The menu of a patient with osteochondrosis should be low in calories.
- Dishes containing mucopolysaccharides (eg fish in jelly, jelly, meat in jelly) will be useful.
- Compliance with the drinking regime - the body must receive the required amount of liquid.
- The menu of a person suffering from pain in the spine should include food: eggs, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish.
- Limit the use of smoked, pickled, sour and spicy meats.
- The rice diet is useful: put 30 grams of rice in 6 half-liter jars and pour water on top. In the morning, rinse the contents of the first container, bring it to a boil and eat it for breakfast (no salt or no display). Pour the rice into the empty jar and add water, placing it at the end of the row, and change the water in other containers. It costs about a month and a half to eat like this. This method of treating osteochondrosis will help eliminate toxins and salts.
Physiotherapy exercises
Many are looking for options on how to get rid of osteochondrosis with minimal use of drugs and without surgery. A simple but effective treatment method is physical therapy exercises in simulators or at home. Carrying out simple exercises, subject to regular exercise, works very well for the prevention of the disease and for the elimination of symptoms (pain, inflammation, concomitant diseases that have developed against the background of osteochondrosis).
Exercise therapy for cervical osteochondrosis:
- Lying face down, legs and back straight. Raise the chest and head, leaning on the stomach, repeat the exercise for 3 minutes, 5-6 approaches.
- Lying on your back, with your legs bent at the knee joints. Turn right, then left. We make 8 approaches per day, dedicating 5 minutes to the lesson.
Exercise therapy for lumbar osteochondrosis:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Within a few minutes, circular movements are made with the pelvis. By complication, it is possible to make a "figure eight". The lesson lasts 3 to 5 minutes, but it is worth repeating it several times a day.
- Standing on all fours, bend your lower back as much as possible. Repeat at least 5 times a day for 2 minutes.
Exercise for chest osteochondrosis:
- Lying on the floor, raise your upper body, leaning on your hands, arching your back, hold the position for 10 seconds.
Home remedies
For the treatment of osteochondrosis, traditional medicine is used, which includes: compresses, tinctures, rubs, special exercises to eliminate pain. Alternative medicine can be used only in combination with classical medical treatment methods; otherwise, it will not deliver the desired results and, in the worst case, will cause complications. Consider how to treat osteochondrosis with folk remedies:
- In a one-to-one ratio, combine the peeled, grated potatoes, and honey. In the form of a compress, put the focus of the pain in place and around it, hold it until a burning sensation occurs.
- Apply the heated wax to the place where osteochondrosis develops, pains disturb, cover with a warm scarf.
- Mix vodka, aloe and honey in a ratio of 3: 1: 2, leave it for several hours. From the resulting mixture, make medical compresses, preferably at night, they remove pain well.
- Nettle oil helps in the treatment of osteochondrosis, pain relief. For its preparation, 2 tablespoons of nettle seeds are poured with vegetable oil (0. 5 cups) and infused for 2 weeks, filtered and poured into a dark glass container. When pain is felt, the oil is rubbed into the skin.
It is always easier to prevent the development of a disease than to cure it. Preventive measures include: proper and balanced nutrition; Active lifestyle; regular exercise for osteochondrosis. This last method does not take long, but it is as effective as treatment with drugs, procedures, and classes at home are possible. The main thing is to choose the right complex, calculated for a specific type of disease.
Which doctor should you contact to diagnose the disease?
Identifying the main symptoms of the disease, you should not postpone a visit to a medical institution and start treatment. It is worth finding out which doctor treats osteochondrosis, how to get to him, and whether additional tests and examinations are needed before the visit. You will need to visit the local therapist's office, who will write a referral for the necessary tests and send it to a neurologist for consultation. You can turn to a limited specialist - a vertebrologist who specializes in osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis, a disease that affects one in two people due to improper lifestyle, low activity, and other illnesses. You need to monitor your health and participate in disease prevention. By eating right, doing even primitive physical exercises every day, you will never feel the symptoms of osteochondrosis on yourself.