The ability of a person to walk upright has not only an obvious advantage, but also disadvantages. Increased stress on the spine leads to the development of various diseases. Osteochondrosis is considered a common disease, affecting over 60% of the population. This diagnosis is seen in people over 35, but there are frequent cases of symptoms in adolescents. 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 cannot name the exact only cause of the onset of the disease, which is sometimes impossible, since 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, curvature of posture, diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Various injuries, vertebral contusions.
- Lifestyle: lack of activity, unhealthy diet with a predominance of fast food and unhealthy foods.<1_img_centerxx>
- To be overweight.
- Bad habits - smoking, alcoholism.
- Stress, overwork.
- Pregnancy.
Osteochondrosis treatment methods
Osteochondrosis is a disease accompanied by pain, discomfort, and with prolonged neglect it can lead to complications. The disease is treated and for this various 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:
- Operation.
- Physiotherapy.
- Rehabilitation methods.
- Well-being 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 types, with their characteristic symptoms:
- Cervical osteochondrosis. Symptoms of the disease: pain in the shoulders, arms, neck; dizziness: tinnitus, colored spots in front of the eyes; headache, numbness of the upper limbs.
- Cartilage disease of the thoracic spine. The symptom is a dull or throbbing pain in the chest area.
- A disease that develops in the lumbosacral region. The signs include: pain in the hip joints, lower back, sacral region; lower limb dysfunction.
- Common - osteochondrosis develops simultaneously in several parts of the spine, accompanied by severe pain.
Rehabilitation treatment
It is possible to regain 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 pain in the back. Not recommended in case of exacerbation. Osteochondrosis is treated with several methods:
- Physiotherapy.
- Sauna, underwater hydromassage, swimming pool lessons.
- Work with a psychologist.
- Compliance with the diet, nutritional correction.
- Laser treatment.
- Manual therapy.
- The use of curative 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 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 pressure on the spinal cord. This method of treatment is used in emergency cases, since there is a significant risk of damage to the spinal nerve, which has 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 absolute 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, the following methods can be used to treat osteochondrosis: exercise, yoga; homeopathy, medicines; membership in a plan; traditional medicine.
Medical treatment
Comprehensive treatment for 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 test results and general condition. All drugs used are divided into two types: to eliminate pain to varying degrees, to prevent disease.
The first type includes:
- For mild pain, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used.
- If the pains torment the patient for two or more weeks, pain relievers should be added to the above drugs.
- If the pain persists for more than three months, antidepressants should be added to analgesics and NSAIDs, which will help to regulate the psychological state of the patient.
Drugs aimed at preventing the disease of osteochondrosis by regenerating cartilage and restoring metabolic processes in the human body.
Knowing how to treat cervical osteochondrosis with medication is important because it is the most common type of disease. As drugs it is worth using:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Warming ointments.
- Preparations for the restoration of cartilage tissue.
Therapeutic diet
Good nutrition and adherence to a diet for osteochondrosis is the key to rapid and accurate disease elimination or prevention. Basic nutritional principles:
- Food should be as varied as possible.
- The menu of a patient with osteochondrosis should be low-calorie.
- Dishes containing mucopolysaccharides (eg, fish jelly, jelly, jelly meat) will be useful.
- Compliance with the drinking regime - the body should receive the required amount of fluid.
- The menu of a person with pain in the spine should include foods: eggs, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish.
- Limit the use of smoked meats, marinated, sour and spicy foods.
- The rice diet 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 container, boil and eat it for breakfast (salt or show nothing). Pour the 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 like this. This method of treating osteochondrosis will help remove toxins and salts.
Physiotherapy exercises
Many are looking for options to get rid of osteochondrosis with minimal use of drugs and without surgery. Physiotherapy exercises on a simulator or at home are a simple but effective method of treatment. Performing simple exercises, subject to regular exercise, works very well for the prevention of disease and for the elimination of 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. Raise your chest and head, leaning on your stomach, repeat the exercise for 3 minutes, 5-6 approaches.
- Lie on your back with your legs bent at the knee joints. Turn right, then left. We do 8 approaches per day, dedicating 5 minutes to the lesson.
Exercise therapy for lumbar osteochondrosis:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. In a few minutes, circular movements are performed with the pelvis. As a complication, it is possible to make a "number 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.
Exercise for thoracic osteochondrosis:
- Lying on the floor, lift your upper body, leaning on your hands, arching your back, hold the position for 10 seconds.
Folk remedies
For the treatment of osteochondrosis, folk medicine is used, which includes: compresses, tinctures, rubbing, special exercises to get rid of pain. Alternative medicine can only be used in combination with conventional medical treatment methods, otherwise it will not bring the desired results, and in the worst case it will lead to complications. Consider how to treat osteochondrosis with folk remedies:
- In a one-to-one ratio, combine the peeled, grated potatoes and honey. In the form of a compress, put in place, the center of the pain and around it, hold until a burning sensation.
- Apply the heated wax to the place where osteochondrosis develops, the pain bothers, cover with a warm scarf.
- Mix vodka, aloe and honey in a ratio of 3: 1: 2, let stand for several hours. From the resulting mixture make medical compresses, preferably at night, they remove pain well.
- Nettle oil helps in the treatment of osteochondrosis, the relief of pain. For its preparation, 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 the 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: a proper and balanced diet; active lifestyle; regular exercise for osteochondrosis. The latter method does not take much time, but it is as effective as treatment with drugs, procedures, and it is possible to teach at home. The main thing is to choose the right complex, calculated for a specific type of disease.
Which doctor should you contact to diagnose the disease
When identifying 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 whether additional tests and examinations are needed before the visit. You will need to go to the local therapist's office, who will write a referral for the necessary tests and send it to a neurologist for consultation. You can turn to a narrow specialist - a vertebrologist who specializes in osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis, a disease that affects one in two people due to improper lifestyle, low activity, and other illnesses. It is necessary to monitor your health and engage in disease prevention. By eating well, even doing basic physical exercises every day, you will never feel the symptoms of osteochondrosis on yourself.