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 seen 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 the disease
The damage to the discs between the vertebrae, the tissues of the spine in medicine is called osteochondrosis. Doctors cannot pinpoint the only exact cause of the disease, and sometimes this is impossible because the disease develops under the influence of a combination of factors. They include:
- Hereditary predisposition to the disease.
- The presence of diseases of the endocrine system - metabolic disorders.
- Development of orthopedic diseases, such as flat feet, posture distortion, diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Various injuries, bruises 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, fatigue.
- Pregnancy.
Methods of treatment of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a disease accompanied by pain, discomfort and if neglected for a long time can lead to complications. The disease is treatable and different methods can be used, the choice of which depends on the location of the disease, the degree of neglect and general 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, its location and the presence of complications. There are such species with characteristic symptoms:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervix. Symptoms of the disease: pain in the shoulders, arms, neck; dizziness: tinnitus, colored spots in front of the eyes; headache, tingling in the upper extremities.
- Disease of the cartilage of the thoracic spine. The symptom is dull or shooting pain in the chest area.
- A disease that develops in the lumbosacral region. Signs include: pain in the hips, lower back, sacral area; lower limb dysfunction.
- Common - 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 recommendations of the doctor and undergo rehabilitation treatment. This option is used only in remission of the disease when there is no severe back pain. Not recommended for exacerbations. Osteochondrosis is treated by several methods:
- Physiotherapy.
- Sauna, underwater hydromassage, classes in the pool.
- Working with a psychologist.
- Adherence to the diet, adjustment of nutrition.
- Laser treatment.
- Manual therapy.
- The use of healing mud.
- Magnetotherapy, electrophoresis.
- Massage.
Surgical intervention
Sometimes patients delay treatment and solving the problem of osteochondrosis without surgery is not possible. This is an exceptional method and is used when other treatment options fail or when exacerbations such as vertebral hernias or sciatica occur. The main goal of treatment is to stabilize the structure of the spine, to reduce the pressure on the spinal cord. This method of treatment is used in emergencies, as 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 indisputable compliance with all recommendations and prescriptions of the doctor. And if there is a desire to try other methods, this should be done only after consultation with a specialist. At home it is possible to use the following methods for the treatment of osteochondrosis: exercise, yoga; homeopathy, medicines; adherence to diet; Traditional Medicine.
Medication treatment
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 test results and general condition. All drugs used are divided into two types: to eliminate pain to varying degrees, to prevent the disease.
The first type includes:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used for mild pain.
- If the pain torments the patient for two or more weeks, analgesics should be added to the above drugs.
- If the pain persists for more than three months, antidepressants should be added to analgesics and NSAIDs to help regulate the patient's psychological state.
Drugs aimed at preventing 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 drugs it is worth using:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Warming ointments.
- Preparations for cartilage repair.
Therapeutic diet
Proper nutrition and adherence to a diet for osteochondrosis is the key to quick and accurate disposal 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.
- Meals containing mucopolysaccharides (eg fish jelly, jelly, jelly meat) will be helpful.
- Adherence to the drinking regime - the body must receive the required amount of fluid.
- The menu of a person suffering from back pain should include foods: eggs, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish.
- Limit the use of smoked meats, sour, sour, spicy foods.
- The rice diet is useful: put 30 grams of rice in 6 half-liter jars and fill it with water. In the morning, rinse the contents of the first container, boil and eat it as a snack (salt or show nothing). Pour the rice into the emptied jar and add water, placing it at the end of the row, and change the water into other containers. This meal costs about a month and a half. This method of treating osteochondrosis will help remove toxins and salts.
Physiotherapeutic exercises
Many are looking for options to get rid of osteochondrosis with minimal use of drugs 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 the disease and to eliminate the symptoms (pain, inflammation, concomitant diseases that have developed against the background of osteochondrosis).
Exercise therapy for cervical osteochondrosis:
- Lie on your stomach, legs and back straight. Lift the chest and head, leaning on the abdomen, repeat the exercise for 3 minutes, 5-6 approaches.
- Lie on your back, legs bent at the knees. 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 circular movements with the pelvis. For a complication it is possible to make an "eight". The lesson 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, leaning on your arms, bend your back, hold the position for 10 seconds.
Folk remedies
For the treatment of osteochondrosis is used traditional medicine, which includes: compresses, tinctures, rubbing, special exercises to relieve 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 it will cause complications. Consider how to treat osteochondrosis with 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 a burning sensation.
- Apply the heated wax to the place where osteochondrosis develops, the pain is disturbed, 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 eliminate pain well.
- Nettle oil helps in the treatment of osteochondrosis, relieving pain. To prepare it, 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 the disease than to cure it. Preventive measures include: proper, balanced nutrition; active lifestyle; regular exercise for osteochondrosis. The latter method does not take much time, but is as effective as treatment with medications, procedures and it is possible to conduct lessons at home. The main thing is to choose the right complex, calculated for a specific type of disease.
Which doctor should you consult to diagnose the disease?
When you identify the main symptoms of the disease, you should not delay a visit to a medical 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 your local therapist, who will prescribe a referral for the necessary tests and send you to a neurologist for a consultation. You can turn to a narrow specialist - a vertebrologist specializing in osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis, a disease that affects every second person due to improper lifestyle, low activity and other diseases. You need to monitor your health and deal with disease prevention. If you eat right, do even primitive exercise every day, you will never feel the symptoms of osteochondrosis on yourself.