Osteochondrosis is called a degenerative change of articular cartilage. If we introduce this process in a few words, the soft "shims" between the bones will become thinner and will no longer fully perform the function of the shock absorber assigned to it. Pain occurs due to pinching of nerve endings and impaired mobility. This process extends to surrounding muscles and affects internal organs.
The purpose of treating osteochondrosis at home is to relieve the patient's condition and restore him to an active life. Let's take a look at the popular methods available to help you get rid of the attack and avoid recurrence.
Causes of diseases
The doctor joked that the deformity of the spine is the price that humans pay for the ability to walk upright. Of course, this ironic statement has some truth, but in most cases, the patient is the real culprit. The most common causes of osteochondrosis: sedentary lifestyle, overweight, stress.
Hobby of alcoholic beverages and smoking also contributed. Nicotine makes bones weak and inhibits the synthesis of collagen, which is responsible for the elasticity of cartilage tissue. Alcohol causes tissue dehydration and promotes the leaching of calcium. Strictly control your diet and limit the intake of minerals and vitamins, which are equally harmful.
Genetic factors and age-related changes play an important role in the development of osteochondrosis. In addition, flat feet wearing high heels also contribute to the development of pathology.
Those who are stressed at work are at risk of this disease. These are builders, waiters, and movers. However, representatives of the sedentary industry at least often suffer from osteochondrosis.
Drugs
Usually, after doing housework or in the garden, osteochondrosis of the spine worsens, physical exertion increases, and body temperature is low. In this case, the first task is to get rid of the strong pain and interfere with normal exercise.
A quick way to stop an attack is to take medication (analgesics) or injections to relieve pain. After the acute pain is relieved, other treatments for spinal osteochondrosis can be used. Family remedies include:
- taking various drugs;
- Warm up and rub;
- Exercise;
- Massage and self-massage.
Various gels and ointments are used for medical treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine at home. This procedure improves blood circulation, relaxes tense muscles, and reduces inflammation. There are many special drugs on the pharmaceutical market that can be used to relieve the painful symptoms of osteochondrosis.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can relieve the main symptoms. To restore worn-out discs, cartilage protectors must be used.
Cartilage protectors are designed to stimulate the formation of inter-articular fluid and restore the structure of cartilage.
Alternative medicine
Treating osteochondrosis at home alone may be very effective.
However, if you do not consult a professional expert, you should not use the recommendations. It must also be checked to confirm the correct diagnosis.
Generally, folk methods for treating osteochondrosis are based on the use of animal and plant raw materials, bee products and chemicals. The latter includes ethanol, kerosene, and turpentine. These liquids are used to prepare ointments, potions or ointments.
Grinding compound
The solution is easy to prepare at home and helps prevent the onset of pain during the deterioration of osteochondrosis. To prepare it, you need:
- 1. 5 cups of alcohol or vodka.
- 2 teaspoons of iodine solution.
- 2 tablespoons of camphor.
Mix the liquid ingredients and shake well. Use as needed, but not more than twice a day. It is important to keep your lower back warm after rubbing.
Nursing Home
The treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies also includes water procedures. Acupuncture bath will help relieve muscle tension and calm the nervous system. The medicinal raw materials can be prepared separately, or you can buy ready-made extracts. For the first method, you need cones and branches of spruce, pine or fir, which are cooked for half an hour, and then persisted for a day. To prepare for a bath, you need to pour a cup of infusion or 50 grams of ready-made dry extract into the water at a temperature of 37-39 degrees.
In the treatment of family musculoskeletal diseases, turpentine lotion is usually used. This ingredient includes the following ingredients:
- 550 grams of white emulsion;
- Pure water 0. 5 liters; 75 grams of salicylic acid;
- 30 grams of soap crumbs.
Heat water to boiling, dissolve soap in it, add salicylic acid and mix with turpentine. Pour the prepared mixture into a bath at a temperature of approximately 40°C.
The duration of this process is about half an hour. The temperature must be constant; for this, hot water must be added to the bath regularly. The treatment time is 5-7 days. Doctors do not recommend taking a bath when osteochondrosis is aggravated and accompanied by severe pain.
You can also use dry heat to treat osteochondrosis at home. For such a process, use buckwheat or salt to preheat the product in the pot. After placing the heat block on a clean cloth, apply it to the lower back, insulate it with a blanket, and then cool it down. The preheating is performed in two to three steps and takes about 45 minutes.
Although all folk remedies are based on natural ingredients, they cannot be said to be absolutely safe. Don't forget personal intolerance. Obviously, turpentine or kerosene is not suitable for people with sensitive skin.
Herbal preparations
Without a herbal prescription, non-traditional osteochondrosis treatment at home is incomplete. They are as follows:
- For compresses, you can use a herbal mixture consisting of St. John's wort, dandelion root and cow d leaf. Pour the dried and crushed raw materials (20 grams each) into boiling water, fix them in a closed container, and impregnate a piece of fabric folded into several layers with cold solution. Put the compress on the sore for 20-30 minutes.
- Peppermint and sage in equal proportions, add water and boil for 10 minutes. Take half a cup of broth by mouth twice a day, or apply a compress to the area of osteochondrosis. When preparing, take 3 tablespoons of crushed ingredients per liter of water.
Massage and self-massage
The traditional treatment method-massage-will help get rid of osteochondrosis. Due to this procedure, the muscles of the neck and the entire shoulder strap are completely relaxed. It is also important that proper massage can help eliminate pain and improve metabolic processes. At the same time, the patient's blood pressure returned to normal.
You can treat osteochondrosis at home only if there is a good masseur who knows all the nuances of the procedure. But self-massage can be a good substitute. Its realization method is very simple to study and master. In order not to hurt yourself, you need to understand some simple rules:
- The correct self-massage for osteochondrosis should be done with fingers only. In this case, the movement of the fingers must start from the spine and move around.
- The movement should be stable, light, and weak. Don't make sudden movements, don't worry, this is very important.
A classic example of self-massage might look like this:
- The skin is heated by rubbing and stroking.
- After sitting in a sitting position, you need to smoothly stroke the diseased area with osteochondrosis.
- Slight finger movement and stroking should be carried out for 3 minutes.
These procedures must be performed every day during the entire course of osteochondrosis treatment. If possible, family members can perform massage, but it is very important to exert minimal exercise force.
Physiotherapy practice
Another way to deal with osteochondrosis is remedial gymnastics. This process is essential for home treatment because it helps strengthen the muscles in the problem area. During the exercise, the patient’s muscles become tense and relax, creating the necessary burden on the problem area.
Important!All exercises should be done slowly, otherwise exercise therapy may be harmful.
Slowly turning the head to the sides is the most effective treatment for cervical osteochondrosis. Depending on the affected area, exercises can be used to strengthen the muscles of the upper and lower limbs. With the help of hand movement in the shoulder joint, the tension of the cervical muscles is significantly reduced.
In order to correctly compile a set of exercises for treating osteochondrosis, you must consult an expert. He will choose a complex to tell and explain which exercise is most effective in each situation, because depending on the affected area, certain muscle groups must be involved. It is very important to follow the doctor's instructions so that the treatment is good for your health but not harmful. If you feel pain during gymnastics, you should stop exercising and inform the expert so that he can correct this group of exercises. In order to get the maximum effect, no matter how complicated the situation is, in addition to doing gymnastics, you also need to use an applicator, perform self-massage and use drugs to treat osteochondrosis.
Useful tips
When osteochondrosis is diagnosed, neurologists will prescribe complex treatments. Home therapy alternates with physical therapy, massage, injections and medication. Exercise therapy experts strongly advise not to limit yourself to bed rest, even during periods of worsening osteochondrosis. More importantly, they claim that doing some exercise can help relieve pain and medication.
It should be pointed out that modern treatments for osteochondrosis are different from those used decades ago. Patients practice relaxation and meditation exercises to relieve stress. The disease can be treated not only by a neurologist, but also by a psychotherapist.
Here are some tips to help reduce the course of osteochondrosis:
- It is worth strengthening the muscles of the back and abdomen, they will create a kind of support frame. This requires daily stretching and flexibility exercises. It is also important to monitor your posture while working or walking.
- Everyone should choose the correct sleeping position to relax the spine as much as possible. If a person is sleeping on their back, it is useful to put an extra pillow under the feet in the knee area. Lie on your side and squeeze it between your thighs.
- In order to get rid of osteochondrosis, treatment alone is not enough. Doctors recommend quitting smoking and alcohol to avoid damage to joint tissues. It is also worth maintaining a healthy weight.