Today, such a disease of the musculoskeletal system as osteochondrosis is practically impossible to completely treat.
However, doctors have enough tools in their kit that can help effectively alleviate the symptoms of the disease and stop its further development.
Many of these methods require hospital treatment, for which, given the modern pace of life, a person does not always have time.How to get rid of osteochondrosis in this case?
There is only one answer: treatment of osteochondrosis at home.Let's consider methods of treating osteochondrosis at home using folk remedies.
Pathogenesis of the disease.
According to statistics, one in three people under the age of 45 complains of back pain.In most cases, the cause is spinal osteochondrosis.
The pathology is mainly characterized by damage to cartilage and bone tissue and, as it progresses, it begins to affect the patient's nervous system.
The disease is rapidly becoming "younger" due to a decrease in the physical activity of the population due to the development of computer technologies and developing transport infrastructure.
But in addition to a sedentary lifestyle, experts mention other reasons for the development of pathology:
- Ecology;
- Diet violation;
- Irrational distribution of physical load on the back;
- Injuries;
- Weakness of skeletal muscles;
- Decreased immunity due to the development of chronic diseases;
- Viral, bacterial pathologies, etc.
In the modern dynamics of a person's life, he simply does not have enough time to take care of his health.There will always be a dozen other reasons not to do this: work, family, children, etc.
Then the person wonders for a long time: why did he get osteochondrosis between the ages of 25 and 30?- a disease that is usually characteristic of older people.
Many people consider going to the clinic a waste of time and a logical question arises: how to treat osteochondrosis at home?
To answer this question, it is necessary to consider what are the most common therapeutic methods used by specialists in the treatment of this pathology.
Only after this can we consider the treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies and understand how effective traditional treatment methods are in general.
Osteochondrosis treatment
The therapy for this pathology does not have any standard and depends on the individual diagnosis of the patient.
This suggests that before starting the treatment of osteochondrosis at home, you should still visit your doctor to make a diagnosis.
This must be done so as not to cause even more damage to your body.Complications of this pathology lead to protrusion and herniation of the intervertebral discs, which can cause headaches, loss of sensitivity in the extremities and even paralysis.
During inpatient treatment after diagnosis, specialists mainly solve three main problems:
- Pain relief;
- Relief of inflammation and swelling.These symptoms are almost always present during the development of this pathology;
- Physiotherapeutic procedures aimed at restoring damaged tissues, the main goal is to achieve a long and lasting remission.
Treatment of spinal osteochondrosis with traditional methods cannot replace full therapy.
However, an alternative osteochondrosis treatment can help reduce pain symptoms and improve the patient's overall health.
What medications can be used at home?
Many medications used in the treatment of osteochondrosis have a number of serious side effects and should therefore only be taken with the permission of the treating doctor.
But what to do if back pain haunts you and there is no way to go to the clinic?How to cure osteochondrosis at home using the drugs found in your home medicine cabinet?
The first thing that is recommended to be taken in case of acute pain is medications from the group of analgesics.
Aspirin, in addition to its mild analgesic effect, has the ability to thin the blood, which promotes better blood circulation and has an antipyretic effect.
This helps relieve inflammation and swelling of the tissues that compress the nerve endings and therefore cause pain.
It is advisable to use analgesic patches.Most often they contain lidocaine, which quickly has an analgesic effect.
Analgesic ointments with a cooling effect, which usually contain menthol and camphor, also have excellent reviews.
If you are sure that the acute phase of the disease has passed and there are no symptoms of inflammation, it is recommended to use gels with a warming effect - turpentine ointment.
Ointments should be applied directly to the source of pain, gently rubbing into the skin.There is no point in touching unaffected areas.
Cold effect gels can be applied at any time.It is recommended to apply ointments with a warming effect at night and also wrap the affected area with a woolen cloth.
gymnastics at home
Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis is one of the main and effective methods in the treatment of this pathology.A common cause of the development of osteochondrosis is a weak muscle structure that cannot cope with physical activity.
Therefore, the entire load falls on the intervertebral discs, as a result of which degenerative changes occur.
The discs between the vertebrae become thinner or, as they say, dry out and lose their functionality.Gymnastics allows you to increase muscle tone, improve its elasticity and blood circulation in them.
Depending on the location of tissue damage and pain syndrome, osteochondrosis can be cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral.
There are also exercises for different departments, but it is not recommended to train only the most affected area, which causes discomfort to the person, but rather to work on all parts of the spine.
Attention!If pain occurs during therapeutic exercises, training should be stopped immediately and performed only under the supervision of a specialist.
- The first two exercises perfectly stimulate the intervertebral discs in the cervical region, promoting better circulation of fluids and their thickening.To do them, it is advisable to sit or stand.We bend our head back and forth with a small range of motion.The movements should remind you that you are having a conversation with the person and that you agree with them by saying yes.
- The next exercise is similar to the first, only now you need to turn your head left and right, as if saying no.The movements should not be performed with great amplitude;It should be approximately 30% of the maximum possible tilt or turn of the head.Performed several times a day at a convenient time for 2-3 minutes each.
- The following exercise to treat the spine at home strengthens the muscles of the neck and shoulders.Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms down along your body.We perform circular movements with our shoulders forward and backward.It is also done several times a day in several approaches of 15 to 20 times in each direction.
- To exercise the lumbar region, it is recommended to perform an exercise that is more similar to belly dancing.Starting position, standing with feet shoulder width apart.We make circular movements with the pelvis, first in one direction, then in the other.At the same time, we make sure that the chest and shoulder girdle remain as motionless as possible.It is enough to do it two or three times in different directions for 20-25 rotations.
- The following exercise aims to strengthen the dorsal and trapezius muscles.Body position: lying face down, arms extended forward.We raise arms, shoulders and head, hold for a second and go down to the starting position.The exercise is performed 10 to 15 times.
In addition to strengthening the back muscles, we must not forget about the abdominal muscles, which are involved not only in deep breathing, but also in maintaining correct posture.Weak abdominal muscles contribute to the development of lumbar lordosis.
Attention!Physical exercise only benefits the body if it is done regularly.
Gymnastics is a good remedy for osteochondrosis.The therapeutic effect is achieved by strengthening the muscles and improving blood circulation in them, which prevents the development of the inflammatory process and swelling around the cartilaginous tissue.
Physiotherapy at home
Folk remedies used for osteochondrosis are often drawn from the life experience of entire generations and are successfully used in traditional medicine as physiotherapeutic procedures.
Some of them can be done at home.
Contrast shower
The first folk remedy with which you can treat osteochondrosis at home is a contrast shower.
Many people associate this procedure only with hardening and not everyone understands how this procedure will help in the fight against this pathology.
The explanation here is quite simple: a strong redirection of blood flow in the muscles, near the cartilage tissue and skin.
This promotes the outflow of excess fluid from areas of inflammation and swelling and the entry of necessary microelements into damaged tissues.
The moment a person is under currents of hot water, protective mechanisms are activated in the body that should prevent overheating.
This is achieved by the outflow of blood from the internal organs to the muscles and skin.The vessels dilate, the amount of blood increases and excess heat is removed to the outside.
When you suddenly find yourself in cold water streams, a reverse reaction occurs: the outflow of blood from the muscles and skin to the internal organs.
This is how the process of thermoregulation of the body occurs and at the same time blood circulation in damaged tissues is normalized, which helps to improve the condition as a whole.
The procedure is quite simple.It is necessary to stay under tolerable hot, non-boiling water for 20 to 30 seconds.
Then change the water to cold for 10 to 20 seconds.The procedure should be performed 3 to 5 times, ending the procedure with a cool but comfortable water temperature.
Despite the obvious benefits of this procedure, it still has contraindications:
- It is prohibited to perform this procedure when the patient has symptoms of a cold or acute respiratory infection;
- Cardiovascular diseases;
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other internal organs, etc.
The volume of blood from the internal organs to the muscles and back is quite large and can cause: heart attack, stroke or internal bleeding.Therefore, this complex should be performed with a gradual increase in the period of time under cold or warm water.
First, spend no more than 5-7 seconds under running water and gradually, over several weeks, increase these values to 30 seconds.
salt baths
Another popular remedy for the treatment of osteochondrosis is salt baths.They are of great help if your back pain is caused by a muscle strain.
To prepare a bath, you will need sea or ordinary table salt.In this case, the fines and purified by evaporation will be less effective.
The volume of a standard bath varies from 170 to 195 liters;For this amount of water you will need about 5 kg of salt.
The water temperature is 36 to 38°C.For the best effect, you can use any essential oil.After the procedure, it is recommended to stand for several minutes under slightly warm running water.
Osteochondrosis is practically incurable, but using treatment with traditional methods as an additional therapy to the main treatment, it is still possible to stop it and therefore defeat it.