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, affecting 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, 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 can not name the only exact cause of the disease and sometimes this is impossible, as 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, bruises on the spine.
- Lifestyle: lack of activity, unhealthy diet with a predominance of fast food and unhealthy foods.
- To be overweight.
- Bad habits - smoking, alcoholism.
- Stress, overwork.
- 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 treatable 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.
- Recovery methods.
- Wellness at home.
Before choosing a treatment method, you should determine the type of disease, the location and the presence of complications. There are such types, with their 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. headaches, numbness of the upper extremities.
- Disease of the cartilage of the thoracic spine. The symptom is dull or feverish pain in the chest area.
- A disease that develops in the lumbar region. Signs include: pain in the hip joints, in the lower back, in the sacrum. lower limb dysfunction.
- Common - osteochondrosis develops simultaneously in many 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 flare-ups. Osteochondrosis is treated with various methods:
- Physiotherapy.
- Sauna, underwater hot tub, pool lessons.
- Collaboration with a psychologist.
- Dietary compliance, dietary correction.
- Laser treatment.
- Manual therapy.
- The use of therapeutic mud.
- Magnetotherapy, electrophoresis.
- Massage.
Surgery
Sometimes patients delay treatment and resolving the problem of osteochondrosis without surgery is not possible. This is an excellent 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, 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
The treatment of osteochondrosis is possible not only in the hospital, but also at home, but with clear and unquestionable observance of all the recommendations and prescriptions of the doctor. And if there is a desire to try other methods, this should be done only after consulting a specialist. At home, you can use the following methods of treating osteochondrosis: exercise, yoga. homeopathy, medicines. adherence to a diet; traditional medicine.
Medication
Complete 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 treating physician, focusing on the test results and the general condition. All 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 pain has been bothering 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 NSAIDs, which will 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 osteochondrosis of the cervix with medication, as this is the most common type of disease. As medicines it is worth using:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Heating ointments.
- Preparations for the restoration of cartilage tissue.
Therapeutic diet
Getting proper nutrition through your diet does not have to be complicated. 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 (for example, fish jelly, jelly, meat jelly) will be useful.
- Adherence to the alcohol consumption 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, pickles, sour, spicy foods.
- The rice diet is useful: put 30 grams of rice in 6 half-liter jars and pour over with water. In the morning, rinse the contents of the first container, boil and eat it for breakfast (salt or show nothing). Pour rice into the empty jar and add water, placing it at the end of the row and change the water to other containers. It costs about a month and a half to eat that way. This method of treating osteochondrosis will help remove toxins and salts.
Physiotherapy exercises
Many are looking for options on how to get rid of osteochondrosis with minimal drug use and without surgery. A simple but effective method of treatment is physiotherapy exercises in simulators or at home. Performing simple exercises, provided regular exercise, works extremely well to prevent the disease and eliminate the symptoms (pain, inflammation, concomitant diseases that have developed in the context of osteochondrosis).
Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis of the cervix:
- Lying on 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 your back, legs bent at the knee joints. Turn right and 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, circular movements are made with the pelvis. For complications, it is possible to make a "figure eight". The course lasts 3-5 minutes, but it is worth repeating 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 osteochondrosis of the chest:
- Lying on the floor, lift your upper body, resting on your hands, arching 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 get rid of pain. Alternative medicine can only be used in combination with classic, 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 ratio of one to one, combine peeled potatoes, grated and honey. In the form of a compress, placed in its place, the focus of pain and around it, hold until you feel burning.
- Apply the heated wax to the place where osteochondrosis develops, the pains are bothered, cover with a warm handkerchief.
- 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, eliminate pain well.
- Nettle oil helps treat osteochondrosis, relieves 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 you feel pain, the oil rubs against 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. The latter method does not require much time, but it is just as effective as drug therapy, procedures and it is possible to conduct classes at home. The main thing is to choose the right complex, calculated for a particular type of disease.
Which doctor should you contact to diagnose the disease?
When diagnosing the main symptoms of the disease, you should not postpone a visit to a medical institution and start treatment. It is worth knowing which doctor treats osteochondrosis, how to get it and if additional tests and examinations are needed before the visit. You should 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 consult a specialist - a vertebrate who specializes in osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis, a disease that affects every second person due to improper lifestyle, low activity and other diseases. It is essential to monitor your health and be involved in disease prevention. Eating right, even doing primitive physical exercises every day, you will never feel the symptoms of osteochondrosis in yourself.