Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can ruin a person's life.The result of its progression is a sharp and painful pain in the neck, shoulder blades and collarbone.Often, compression of the spinal canal and pinched veins lead to headaches, migraines and impaired mobility of the neck.Treatment of the disease at home requires an integrated approach, since it is not so easy to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis.
Why the disease occurs: basic prerequisites
Osteochondrosis is accompanied by dystrophic changes in the joints of the vertebrae of the cervical vertebrae.Due to osteochondrosis, the joints wear out faster, lose mobility and bone growths consisting of salts - osteophytes - form on the body of the cervical vertebrae.As a result, pinching of nerves and blood vessels develops, narrowing of the spinal canal, destruction of joints, bulging of the vertebrae with the appearance of intervertebral hernias.
Inpatient and home treatment of osteochondrosis begins with establishing the cause of the disease and its elimination.They can be:
- Lack of physical activity.
- A sedentary lifestyle.
- Uneven distribution of the load on the muscles of the cervical vertebrae.
- Abuse of unhealthy (salty, fatty, fried, smoked) foods.
- Metabolic disorders due to chronic diseases.
- Scoliotic deformity of the back.
A specialist will be able to accurately determine the cause of osteochondrosis after taking an anamnesis.
How does cervical osteochondrosis manifest itself: the first signs
A list of early symptoms of the disease will help you recognize the development of cervical osteochondrosis at home:
- Reduced performance.
- Discomfort in the neck when turning the head.
- Limitation of neck mobility in one direction.
- Characteristic crunch when turning the neck.
- Frequent headaches.
- Pain and spasms in the neck muscles.
As the disease progresses, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis increase:
- The pain occurs at rest.
- Pointing sensations are felt in the region of the scapula and collarbone.
- Bringing the neck back or forward becomes difficult.
- Dizziness occurs due to hypoxia of the brain.
In the absence of appropriate treatment, progression of the symptoms of osteochondrosis is observed:
- Numbness of the tongue occurs.
- The sensitivity of the upper limbs is impaired.
- Paresthesia of the hands appears.
- Neck mobility is completely lost.
The appearance of the first signs of cervical osteochondrosis requires an immediate consultation with a doctor to establish an accurate diagnosis and choose treatment tactics.The patient can follow it at home.
Diagnostic Basics: Who to Contact
If the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is suspected at home, you should contact a neurologist, orthopedist or vertebrologist.The examination and confirmation of the diagnosis of "osteochondrosis" is carried out after:
- History taking.The doctor finds out all the details about the patient's lifestyle.
- Internal and palpation examination.The degree of pain and impaired mobility of the vertebrae, the presence of swelling of the tissues and the preservation of their sensitivity are determined.
- Conducting diagnostic tests.These include X-rays of the spine.If necessary, MRI or computed tomography is performed to assess the condition of the joints of the cervical vertebrae, to confirm or refute the formation of a hernia.
During the examination, the doctor will make a diagnosis and offer the patient a set of measures to treat the disease at home.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home
With early diagnosis, correct choice of treatment and responsible attitude of the patient to therapy, cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis can be successfully treated at home.
The main measures for home treatment are aimed at eliminating the cause of cervical osteochondrosis:
- In the absence of physical activity, a gradual increase in physical activity at home is indicated.When sitting for a long time at a table or computer, frequent breaks are prescribed, which include physical activity.
- In case of incorrect posture and uneven loading of the neck muscles, special fixators, correctors and corsets are used to ensure a symmetrical position of the body.
- In the case of overweight and improper nutrition, appropriate adjustments are made to the patient's lifestyle and a diet is prescribed.
- Cervical osteochondrosis caused by metabolic disorders due to chronic diseases is eliminated by treating the underlying disease.
The main treatment at home consists in strict compliance with medical instructions regarding the use of drugs - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, chondroprotectors.The patient must adhere to the recommended dosage regimen and clearly maintain the duration of the course of treatment until the desired result is achieved.
Home treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine includes correction of the patient's diet and drinking regime.A mandatory condition is to drink two liters of clean water a day, without drinks and liquid food.Homemade food for the patient should be nutritious and balanced.The diet should include:
- Sources of fiber to normalize metabolic processes: vegetables and fruits in large quantities.
- Sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids to improve metabolism: nuts, vegetable oils, fatty fish.
- Low-fat protein sources: poultry, legumes, eggs.
- Sources of calcium and potassium in an easily digestible form: cottage cheese, leafy vegetables, fermented milk products.
Naturally, during home treatment, you will have to exclude fatty, fried, smoked, salty foods from the diet.
Treatment at home may require a visit to specialized physiotherapy clinics.You should not ignore them.The electrophoresis session ensures the delivery of medicinal substances directly to the tissues affected by osteochondrosis, which is impossible to achieve at home.You should regularly attend physicals recommended by your doctor and be sure to complete the full course of treatment recommended by your doctor.
In the first stages of home treatment, the patient may be advised to rest in bed until the pain disappears.It is important to keep in mind that bed rest for cervical osteochondrosis cannot last more than 2-3 days.After this period, the patient should gradually become more active and increase physical activity, even if all treatment is carried out at home.
For more effective home treatment of osteochondrosis, the purchase of a special orthopedic pillow is indicated.It can effectively relieve the tension from the neck muscles when the patient sleeps.
Recipes from traditional medicine
Doctors do not forbid combining drug treatment at home with the use of remedies proven by folk experience.Important conditions are moderation, compliance with safety rules and elimination of the risk of damage to the skin of the neck.
Natural compresses for cervical osteochondrosis allow you to get rid of painful sensations, and taking infusions internally helps to normalize metabolic processes and remove excess salt deposits from the body.Below are proven folk recipes for home treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae.
A teaspoon of dandelion roots is poured with a glass of boiling water.The product is infused for 15 minutes, then filtered and taken orally.The product removes salt deposits.
5 tablespoons of dried nettle leaves are poured with a liter of boiling water.They insist on an hour.After filtering it is added to the bath.The course of treatment is 2 weeks of daily baths.Some healers recommend hitting the pain with fresh nettle sprigs.
Garlic and ginger are mixed in equal proportions.Dilute with vegetable oil to obtain a paste.Rub the composition into the neck muscles for 20 minutes.The remaining product is removed with a napkin.
Horseradish leaves are steamed with boiling water for a minute, then applied to the cervical vertebrae.Leave the compress overnight, warming it with a scarf.
Treatment of osteochondrosis at home using only traditional methods is ineffective.Most likely, it will only be possible to reduce the symptoms, but not to cure the disease.It is better to coordinate treatment with folk remedies with your doctor.
Massage for cervical osteochondrosis
The comprehensive home treatment of cervical osteochondrosis recommended by doctors includes massage.It is best to entrust its implementation to a qualified specialist.In the absence of such an opportunity, self-massage will help to cure osteochondrosis of the neck, which the patient can perform at home at any time convenient for him.Its main rules:
- The impact on the neck muscles is done with the pads of the fingers, not the palm.
- Movements should be strictly directed to the periphery, as well as from top to bottom.
- Pressure and too fast rubbing of the cervical vertebrae are prohibited.
- For a soft gliding of the fingers, the massage is done with oil.
Home massage with honey is a good treatment for osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae.Approximately one teaspoon of honey is rubbed on the surface of the cervical vertebrae and muscles, gently rubbed with fingers until the honey becomes viscous, then washed with warm water.
Medicines: eat and apply at home
Drug treatment for cervical osteochondrosis should be selected by a doctor.A whole complex consisting of injectable, oral and topical drugs is often used.
- Injectable forms.It is prescribed to eliminate acute inflammation in the initial stages of home treatment.These are chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants, vitamins of group B. Use at home lasts up to 10 days.
- Preparations for internal use.They are the most convenient way to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home.Pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants and chondroprotectors are prescribed.Treatment with drugs from the last group is long-term.The minimum course of treatment is 3 months.
- External means.These are ointments and gels based on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain or chondroitin sulfate to accelerate cartilage recovery.
Complex treatment at home helps to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis much faster than using only one group of drugs.It is almost impossible to treat cervical osteochondrosis with external means only.
Physical therapy: principles of implementation and results
Home therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is based on special exercises for the neck muscles.Exercises are performed according to the following rules:
- The list of exercises and their amplitude are determined by the doctor.
- All exercises are done smoothly and slowly to eliminate the risk of injury.
- You should not start treatment with gymnastics if you have acute pain in the cervical spine.
- The load increases gradually.
- The patient does gymnastics regularly, several times a day, at the same time.
Exercises for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are very simple.Performing them correctly at home will speed up recovery and help eliminate pain.Cervical spine treatment with exercise therapy includes:
- Turns the head sideways to the end point.
- Tilt your head to the side, back and forward.
- Circular movements of the neck and shoulders.
The course of gymnastics continues until the end of treatment and the complete elimination of symptoms.If the patient continues to do gymnastics, he will be able to prevent relapses of the disease.Results of home treatment of osteochondrosis with gymnastics:
- Alleviation of hypertonicity of the neck muscles.
- Stretching ligaments.
- Improved mobility of the vertebrae.
- Pain reduction.
- Increased neck range of motion.
- Normalization of blood circulation in the cervical vertebrae.
Home treatment aimed at cervical osteochondrosis includes a large list of therapeutic and preventive measures.The most important condition is that they are monitored by an experienced specialist, so that the home treatment leads to positive results as quickly as possible and the patient forgets about the unpleasant symptoms forever.