Today, such a disease of the musculoskeletal system as osteochondrosis does not lend itself to a practically complete cure.
However, the medical kit has enough tools to help stop the symptoms of the disease effectively and to stop its further development.
Many of these methods require inpatient treatment, for which a person does not always have time, given the modern pace of life. How to get rid of osteochondrosis in this situation?
There is only one answer - treatment of osteochondrosis at home. Review folk remedies for osteochondrosis at home.
Pathogenesis of the disease
According to statistics, every third person under the age of 45 suffers from back pain. In most cases, it is caused by osteochondrosis of the spine.
The pathology is primarily characterized by damage to cartilage and bone tissue, and in the process of progression begins to affect the patient's nervous system.
The disease is rapidly "rejuvenating" due to the development of computer technology and the decline in physical activity of the population due to the developing transport infrastructure.
However, in addition to a sedentary lifestyle, experts cite other reasons for the development of pathology:
- Ecology;
- Dietary disorders;
- Inadequate distribution of physical load in the back;
- Trauma;
- Weakness of skeletal muscles;
- Decreased immunity against the background of the development of chronic diseases;
- Viral and bacterial pathologies, etc.
With the modern dynamics of a person's life, he simply does not have enough time to focus on his health. There are always ten other reasons not to do this: work, family, children, and so on.
Then one wonders for a long time: where did osteochondrosis occur at the age of 25-30? - A disease that usually occurs in the elderly.
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 therapies used by specialists in the treatment of this pathology.
Only then can we consider the treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies to understand how effective alternative treatments are in general.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
The treatment of this pathology has no standard and depends on the individual diagnosis of the patient.
This means that you still need to see a doctor for a diagnosis before starting treatment for osteochondrosis at home.
This should be done to prevent further damage to your body. Complications of this pathology lead to protrusion and rupture of the intervertebral discs, which can contribute to headaches, loss of sensitivity of the limbs, and even paralysis.
During inpatient treatment after diagnosis, specialists first solve three main tasks:
- elimination of pain syndrome;
- Elimination of inflammatory processes and edema. These symptoms are almost always present during the development of this pathology;
- Physiotherapy procedures aimed at the restoration of damaged tissues, the main goal is to achieve a long and lasting remission.
Alternative treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine is not a substitute for complete therapy.
However, alternative treatments for osteochondrosis can help reduce pain symptoms and improve the overall health of the patient.
What medicines can be used at home?
Many drugs used in the treatment of osteochondrosis have a number of serious side effects, and therefore they should be taken only with the permission of the attending physician.
What if you have back pain and there is no way to go to the clinic? How to treat osteochondrosis at home using home remedies?
The first thing recommended for acute pain is drugs from the group of painkillers.
In addition to the mild analgesic effect, aspirin has the ability to dilute the blood, which improves blood circulation and has a fever-reducing effect.
This helps to relieve inflammation and swelling of the tissues that compress the nerve endings and thus cause pain.
It is recommended to use painkillers. They contain lidocaine, which has the most rapid analgesic effect.
Also in excellent reviews are analgesic ointments that, as a rule, have a cooling effect, containing menthol and camphor.
If you are sure that the acute stage of the disease has passed and you do not have any signs of inflammation, it is recommended to use gels with a warming effect: turpentine ointment.
The ointment should be applied directly to the sore spot and gently rubbed into the skin. There is no point in touching unaffected areas.
Cold-action gels can be applied at any time. It is recommended to apply warming ointments at night and cover 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 osteochondrosis is a weak muscle frame that cannot cope with physical activity.
Thus, all the load falls on the intervertebral discs, resulting in their degenerative changes.
The discs between the vertebrae become thinner or, as they say, dry out and lose their functionality. Gymnastics allows to increase muscle tone, improve their elasticity and blood circulation in them.
Depending on the location of the tissue damage and the pain syndrome, osteochondrosis can be cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral.
Exercises are also available for different departments, but it is not recommended to train only the most affected area of concern, but it is recommended to use all parts of the spine.
Attention!If pain occurs during therapeutic gymnastics, the exercise should be stopped immediately and carried out only under the supervision of a specialist.
- The first two exercises perfectly stimulate the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine, promote better fluid circulation and thicken them. To do them, you need to take a sitting or standing position. We bend the head back and forth with a small range of motion. Actions, by saying yes, should remind you that you are talking to the person and what agreement you have with him.
- The next exercise is like the first, only now you have to turn your head left and right, as if to say no. The movements should not be of large amplitude, they should be about 30% of the maximum possible bending or turning of the head. They are performed several times a day at a convenient time, each for 2-3 minutes.
- The following exercises for home treatment of the spine strengthen the neck and shoulder muscles well. Standing with the legs shoulder-width apart, the arms are lowered along the body. We make forward and backward circular movements with our shoulders. It is also carried out several times a day in several approaches, 15-20 times in each direction.
- To work your lower back, it is recommended to do an exercise that is more like a belly dance. Starting position, feet shoulder-width apart. We do circular movements with the pelvis first in one direction and then in the other. At the same time, we ensure that the chest and shoulder girdle remain as still as possible. It is enough to do two or three times in different directions for 20-25 turns.
- The next exercise is aimed at strengthening the latissimus and trapezius muscles. The position of the body, stretching in the stomach, arms extended forward. We raise our arms, shoulders and head, lie down for a second and lower ourselves to the starting position. The exercise is performed 10-15 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 proper posture. Weak abdominal muscles contribute to the development of lumbar lordosis.
Attention!Exercise only benefits the body with regular exercise.
Gymnastics is a good tool for osteochondrosis. The therapeutic effect is achieved by strengthening the muscles and improving blood circulation in them, which prevents the development of inflammatory processes and edema around the cartilage tissue.
Physiotherapy at home
The folk remedies used for osteochondrosis are often taken from the life experience of all generations and have been used successfully in traditional medicine as physiotherapy procedures.
Some can be done easily at home.
Cold and hot shower
The first folk remedy you can treat osteochondrosis at home is a contrast shower.
For many, this procedure is associated only with hardening, and not everyone understands how this procedure will help in the fight against this pathology.
The explanation here is very simple - a sharp direction of blood flow in the muscles, cartilage and skin.
This promotes the release of excess fluid from the areas of inflammation and edema and the entry of key trace elements into the damaged tissues.
When a person is under a stream of hot water, protective mechanisms are activated in the body, which must save him from overheating.
This is achieved by the flow of blood from the internal organs to the muscles and skin. The vessels dilate, the amount of blood increases, and the excess heat is removed from the outside.
Suddenly, when you stand on a stream of cold water, the opposite reaction occurs - blood flows from the muscles and skin to the internal organs.
This is a process of thermoregulation of the body, and at the same time normalizes blood circulation in the damaged tissues, which helps to improve the situation as a whole.
The procedure is quite simple. It is necessary to stand under durable, non-flammable hot water for 20-30 seconds.
Then let the water cool for 10-20 seconds. The procedure should be performed 3-5 times, ending with a cool but comfortable water temperature.
Despite the obvious benefits of this procedure, it still has contraindications:
- This procedure is prohibited if the patient has symptoms of a cold or acute respiratory illness;
- Cardiovascular diseases;
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other internal organs, etc.
The volume of blood flowing 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 carried out under cold or hot water with a gradual increase in time interval.
First, do not exceed 5-7 seconds under running water, and gradually increase these values to 30 seconds over several weeks.
Salt baths
Another folk remedy for the treatment of osteochondrosis is salt baths. If back pain is triggered by an overload of muscles, they help a lot.
You will need sea or ordinary coarse salt to prepare the bath. Fine and evaporated, it will be less effective in this situation.
The volume of a standard bath varies from 170 to 195 liters, this amount of water will require about 5 kg of salt.
The water temperature is between 36 and 38 ° C. You can use any essential oils for the best effect. After the procedure, it is recommended to stand under a little warm running water for a few minutes.
Osteochondrosis is practically untreatable, but it can still be stopped using alternative therapies such as adjunctive therapy, and therefore wins.