A person’s ability to walk upright has not only a clear advantage, but also disadvantages. Increased stress on the spine leads to the development of various diseases. Osteochondrosis is considered a common disease that affects more than 60% of the population. This diagnosis is observed in people over the age of 35, but there are frequent cases of adolescent symptoms. One of the methods is surgery, but in the early stages it is possible to treat with alternative methods.
Causes of disease
The defeat of the discs between the vertebrae, the tissues of the spine in medicine is called osteochondrosis. Doctors cannot state the only exact cause of the disease, and sometimes that is impossible, because the disease develops under the influence of a combination of factors. This includes:
- Hereditary predisposition to disease.
- Presence of diseases of the endocrine system - metabolic disorders.
- Development of orthopedic diseases, for example, flat feet, curvature of posture, diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Various injuries, bruises on the spine.
- Lifestyle: lack of activity, unhealthy diet with predominance of fast food and unhealthy food.
- Overweight.
- Bad habits - smoking, alcoholism.
- Stress, overload.
- Pregnancy.
Methods of treating osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a disease accompanied by pain, discomfort, and with long-term neglect can lead to complications. The disease is treatable and various methods can be used for this, the choice of which depends on the localization of the disease, the degree of neglect and the general state of health. There are several treatment options:
- Surgery.
- Physiotherapy.
- Rehabilitation methods.
- Wellness at home.
Before choosing a method of treatment you need to determine the type of disease, localization and the presence of complications. There are such species with characteristic symptoms:
- Cervical osteochondrosis. Symptoms of the disease: pain in the shoulders, arms, neck; dizziness: tinnitus, colored spots in front of the eyes; headaches, numbness of the upper limbs.
- Thoracic spine cartilage disease. The symptom is dull or shooting pain in the chest area.
- A disease that develops in the lumbosacral region. Signs include: pain in the hip joints, lower back, sacral region; lower extremity dysfunction.
- Usually - osteochondrosis develops simultaneously in several 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 doctor's recommendations and undergo rehabilitation treatment. This option is used only in remission of the disease, when there is no severe back pain. Not recommended for aggravation. Osteochondrosis is treated in several ways:
- Physiotherapy.
- Sauna, underwater hydromassage, pool lessons.
- Work with a psychologist.
- Dietary compliance, dietary correction.
- Laser treatment.
- Manual therapy.
- Use of medicinal mud.
- Magnetotherapy, electrophoresis.
- Massage.
Surgical intervention
Sometimes patients delay treatment and solve the problem of osteochondrosis without surgery is not possible. This is an exceptional method and is used when other treatment options fail or exacerbations are noticed, such as a hernia between the vertebrae or sciatica. The main goal of treatment is to stabilize the structure of the spine, reduce the pressure on the spinal cord. This method of treatment is used in emergencies, because 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 unconditional adherence to all recommendations and prescriptions of doctors. And if there is a desire to try other methods, it should be done only after consulting an expert. At home, it is possible to use the following methods of treating osteochondrosis: exercise, yoga; homeopathy, medicines; adherence to a diet; traditional medicine.
Drug treatment
Comprehensive treatment of osteochondrosis includes rehabilitation procedures, diet and medication. Dosage, the choice of a particular drug, should be prescribed and changed exclusively by a physician, focusing on test results and general condition. All drugs used are divided into two types: to eliminate pain of varying degrees, to prevent disease.
The first type includes:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used for mild pain.
- If the pain bothers the patient for two or more weeks, analgesics should be added to the above medications.
- If the pain persists for more than three months, antidepressants should be added to analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to help regulate the patient's psychological state.
Drugs to prevent 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 it is the most common type of disease. As medicines it is worth using:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Warming fats.
- Preparations for cartilage tissue regeneration.
Therapeutic diet
Proper nutrition and adherence to a diet for osteochondrosis are the key to quick and accurate disease removal or prevention. Basic principles of nutrition:
- The diet should be as varied as possible.
- The menu of patients with osteochondrosis should be low in calories.
- Meals that contain mucopolysaccharides (e. g. , royal jelly, royal jelly, royal jelly) will be helpful.
- Compliance with the drinking regime - the body must receive the required amount of fluid.
- The menu of a person suffering from back pain must contain food: eggs, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish.
- Limit the use of smoked meat, sour, sour, spicy foods.
- A diet with rice is useful: put 30 grams of rice in 6 half-liter jars and pour water over them. In the morning, rinse the contents of the first bowl, bring to a boil and eat as breakfast (salt or show nothing). Pour the rice into an empty jar and add water, placing it at the end of the row, and change the water in other bowls. This dish costs about a month and a half. This method of treating osteochondrosis will help remove toxins and salts.
Physiotherapy exercises
Many are looking for ways to get rid of osteochondrosis with minimal use of medication and without surgery. A simple but effective method of treatment is physiotherapy exercises on simulators or at home. Performing simple exercises, subject to regular exercise, works great to prevent disease and to eliminate symptoms (pain, inflammation, concomitant diseases that have developed in the background of osteochondrosis).
Exercise therapy for cervical osteochondrosis:
- Lie on your stomach, legs and back straight. Lift your chest and head, leaning on your stomach, repeat the exercise for 3 minutes, 5-6 approaches.
- Lying on his back, legs bent at the knee joints. Turn right, then left. We do 8 approaches a day, devoting 5 minutes to the lesson.
Exercise therapy for lumbar osteochondrosis:
- Standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Within a few minutes, make a bowl in a circular motion. Due to complications, it is possible to make an "eight". The class lasts 3-5 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.
Exercises for osteochondrosis of the chest:
- Lying on the floor, lift your upper body, lean on your arms, bend your back, hold the position for 10 seconds.
Folk remedies
For the treatment of osteochondrosis, traditional medicine is used, which includes: compresses, tinctures, rubbing, special exercises to remove pain. Alternative medicine can be used only in combination with classical, medical methods of treatment, otherwise it will not bring the desired results, and in the worst case cause complications. Consider how to treat osteochondrosis folk remedies:
- In a one-to-one ratio, combine peeled potatoes, grated and honey. In the form of a compress, placed in place, the focus of pain and around it, hold until stinging.
- Apply heated wax to the place where osteochondrosis develops, disturbing pain, cover with a warm scarf.
- Mix vodka, aloe and honey in a ratio of 3: 1: 2, leave for several hours. From the resulting mixture make medical compresses, preferably at night, they remove pain well.
- Nettle oil helps treat osteochondrosis, relieve pain. To prepare it, 2 tablespoons of nettle seeds are poured over 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, balanced diet; active lifestyle; regular exercise for osteochondrosis. This last method does not take much time, but it is just as effective as medication, procedures, and it is possible to teach at home. The main thing is to choose the right complex, calculated for a particular type of disease.
Which doctor should you consult to diagnose the disease
When identifying the main symptoms of the disease, you should not delay a visit to a health facility and start treatment. It is worth finding out which doctor treats osteochondrosis, how to get it and whether additional tests and examinations are needed before the visit. You will need to visit the office of a local therapist, who will write a referral for the necessary tests and send it to a neurologist for a consultation. You can consult a narrow specialist - a vertebrologist who specializes in osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis, a disease that affects every other person due to improper lifestyle, low activity and other diseases. It is necessary to monitor your health and deal with disease prevention. With proper diet, even primitive exercise every day, you will never feel the symptoms of osteochondrosis on yourself.