A person's ability to walk upright has not only one clear advantage, but also one disadvantage. An increased load on the spine leads to the development of various diseases. Osteochondrosis is a widespread disease that affects more than 60% of the population. This diagnosis is observed in people over the age of 35, but there are common cases of symptoms in adolescents. One of the methods is surgery, but treatment with alternative methods is possible in the early stages.
Causes of the disease
The destruction of the intervertebral discs between the vertebrae, the tissue of the spine, is known in medicine as osteochondrosis. Doctors cannot pinpoint the only exact cause of the onset of the disease, and sometimes it is impossible because 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, postural curvature, diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Various injuries, bruises on the spine.
- Lifestyle: sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet with an excess of fast food and unhealthy foods.
- To be overweight.
- Bad habits - smoking, alcoholism.
- Stress, overwork.
- Pregnancy.
Methods of treating osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a disease that is accompanied by pain and discomfort and, if neglected for a long time, can lead to complications. The disease is subject to treatment, and for this various methods can be used, the choice of which depends on the localization of the disease, the degree of neglect and general state of health. There are several treatment options:
- Surgery.
- Physical therapy.
- Rehabilitation methods.
- Wellness at home.
Before deciding on a method of treatment, you should determine the nature of the disease, its localization and the presence of complications. There are such types with their characteristic symptoms:
- Cervical osteochondrosis. Symptoms of the disease: pain in 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 dull or sharp pain in the chest area.
- A disease that develops in the lumbosacral region. Signs include: pain in the hip joints, lower back, sacral area; Dysfunction of the lower extremities.
- Often - 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 with remission of the disease, when there is no severe back pain. Not recommended for exacerbation. Osteochondrosis is treated using several methods:
- Physical therapy.
- Sauna, underwater hydromassage, courses in the pool.
- Working with a psychologist.
- Adherence to the diet, nutritional correction.
- Laser treatment.
- Manual therapy.
- The use of healing mud.
- Magnetic therapy, electrophoresis.
- Massage.
Surgical intervention
Sometimes patients delay treatment and the problem of osteochondrosis cannot be resolved without surgery. This is an exceptional method and is used when other treatment options fail or when exacerbations are observed, such as a fracture between the vertebrae or sciatica. The main goal of treatment is to stabilize the structure of the spine to reduce pressure on the spinal cord. This method of treatment is used in emergencies, since 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 unconditional compliance with all the recommendations and regulations of the doctor. And if you want to try other methods, it should be done only after consulting a specialist. At home, the following methods of treating osteochondrosis can be used: exercise, yoga; Homeopathy, medicines; Adherence to a diet; traditional medicine.
Medication
Comprehensive treatment for osteochondrosis includes rehabilitation, diet, and medication. The dosage, the choice of a specific drug, should be prescribed and changed exclusively by the attending physician, taking into account the test results and the general condition. All drugs used are divided into two types: to get rid of pain of varying degrees, to prevent the disease.
The first type includes:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used for mild pain.
- If pain torments the patient for two or more weeks, then 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, which will help regulate the patient's mental state.
Medicines used to prevent osteochondrosis by regenerating cartilage and restoring metabolic processes in the human body.
Knowing how to treat cervical osteochondrosis with medication is important as it is the most common type of disease. As a medication, it is worth using:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Warming ointments.
- Preparations for the restoration of cartilage tissue.
Therapeutic nutrition
Proper nutrition and adherence to a diet for osteochondrosis is the key to rapid and accurate disease elimination or prevention. Basic nutritional principles:
- The diet should be as varied as possible.
- The diet of a patient with osteochondrosis should be low in calories.
- Dishes that contain mucopolysaccharides (e. g. , jellied fish, jelly, jellied meat) are useful.
- Compliance with the drinking regime - the body must receive the necessary amount of fluids.
- The diet of a person suffering from spinal pain must include foods: eggs, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish.
- Limit the use of smoked meat, pickled, sour, spicy foods.
- The rice diet makes sense: Put 30 grams of rice in 6 half-liter glasses and pour water over them. In the morning, rinse the contents of the first container, bring to the boil and eat as breakfast (add salt or show nothing). Pour rice into the vacated glass and add water, put it at the end of the row and change the water to other containers. It takes about a month and a half to eat like this. This method of treating osteochondrosis helps remove toxins and salts.
Physical therapy exercises
Many are looking for ways to get rid of osteochondrosis with minimal use of drugs and without surgery. A simple but effective treatment method is physical therapy exercises on simulators or at home. Performing simple exercises with regular exercise is great for preventing the disease and eliminating 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, lean on your stomach, repeat the exercise for 3 minutes, 5-6 approaches.
- Lying on your back, legs bent at the knees. Turn right, then left. We make 8 approaches a day and dedicate 5 minutes to the lesson.
Exercise therapy for lumbar osteochondrosis:
- Standing, feet shoulder width apart. Circular movements are performed with the pelvis within a few minutes. As a complication, it is possible to make an "eight". The lesson lasts 3-5 minutes, but it is worth repeating several times a day.
- On all fours, bend your lower back as much as possible. Repeat this at least 5 times a day for 2 minutes.
Exercise for breast osteochondrosis:
- Lying on the floor, lift your upper body, prop up on your hands, arch your back, and hold the position for 10 seconds.
Home remedies
For the treatment of osteochondrosis, traditional medicine is used, which includes: compresses, tinctures, rubbing, special exercises for pain relief. Alternative medicine can only be used in combination with classic medical treatment methods, as otherwise it does not bring the desired results and in the worst case leads to complications. Think about how to treat osteochondrosis with folk remedies:
- Mix in a ratio of one to one peeled potatoes, grated and honey. In the form of a compress, place the focus of pain and around it until a burning sensation arises.
- Apply the heated wax to the place where osteochondrosis develops, pain interfere, 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 medicinal compresses, preferably at night, to get rid of pain well.
- Nettle oil helps in the treatment of osteochondrosis, pain relief. To prepare, 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. In the event of pain, the oil is rubbed into the skin.
It is always easier to prevent a disease from developing than to cure it. Preventive measures include: proper, balanced diet; active lifestyle; regular exercise in osteochondrosis. The latter method does not take much time, but is just as effective as treatment with drugs and procedures, and it is possible to do the class at home. The main thing is to choose the right complex, which will be calculated for a specific type of disease.
Which doctor should you contact to diagnose the disease?
Identifying the main symptoms of the disease, you should not postpone a visit to a medical institution and start treatment. It is worth finding out which doctor is treating osteochondrosis, how to get to him, and whether additional tests and examinations are needed before the visit. You'll need to go to the local therapist's office, who will issue a referral for the required 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 diseases. It is necessary to monitor your health and participate in disease prevention. If you eat properly and even do primitive physical exercises every day, you will never feel the symptoms of osteochondrosis on yourself.