A person's ability to walk upright has not only an obvious advantage, but also a disadvantage. Increased stress on the spine leads to the development of various diseases. Osteochondrosis is a common disease that affects more than 60% of the population. This diagnosis is seen in people over the age of 35, but symptoms are more common in adolescents. One of the methods is surgery, but at the initial stage it is possible to treat with alternative methods.
Causes of the disease
In medicine, the defeat of the discs between the spine and spinal tissues is called osteochondrosis. Doctors can not say the only exact cause of the disease, and sometimes it is impossible, because the disease develops under the influence of many factors. These include:
- Hereditary predisposition to the disease.
- Presence of diseases of the endocrine system - metabolic disorders.
- Development of orthopedic diseases, such as flat feet, posture curvature, diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Various injuries, spinal cord injuries.
- Lifestyle: lack of activity, unhealthy diet dominated by fast food and unhealthy foods.
- Avoid excess.
- Bad habits - smoking, alcoholism.
- Stress, overwork.
- Pregnancy.
Methods of treatment of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a disease accompanied by pain and discomfort, and long-term neglect can lead to complications. The disease is subject to treatment, and different methods can be used for this, depending on the localization of the disease, the degree of indifference and the general state of health. There are several treatment options:
- Surgery.
- Physiotherapy.
- Rehabilitation methods.
- Health at home.
Before choosing a treatment, you need to determine the type of disease, its location and the presence of complications. There are the following types with 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 extremities.
- Thoracic lumbar cartilage disease. The symptom is dull or burning pain in the chest area.
- A disease that develops in the lumbosacral region. Symptoms include: pain in the hip joints, lumbar region, sacral region; dysfunction of the lower extremities.
- Common - osteochondrosis, accompanied by severe pain in several parts of the spine at the same time.
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 pain in the back. Not recommended for exacerbations. Osteochondrosis is treated in several ways:
- Physiotherapy.
- Sauna, underwater hydromassage, swimming lessons.
- Work with a psychologist.
- Dietary compliance, nutritional adjustment.
- Laser treatment.
- Manual therapy.
- Use of healing mud.
- Magnetotherapy, electrophoresis.
- Massage.
Surgical intervention
Sometimes patients delay treatment and it is impossible to solve the problem of osteochondrosis without surgery. This is an exceptional method and is used when other treatment options have failed or exacerbations such as a hernia between the vertebrae or sciatica have been observed. The main purpose 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, because there is a risk of serious damage to the spinal nerve, which is fraught with irreversible consequences.
How and when to treat osteochondrosis at home
Treatment of osteochondrosis is possible not only in the hospital, but also at home, but with clear and unequivocal adherence to all the recommendations and prescriptions of the doctor. If you want 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, medicine; to follow a diet; traditional medicine.
Drug treatment
Comprehensive treatment of osteochondrosis includes rehabilitation procedures, diet and medication. Dosage should be determined and changed only by the attending physician, taking into account the choice of a particular drug, test results and general condition. All drugs used are divided into two types: to relieve pain to varying degrees, to prevent disease.
The first type includes:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used for mild pain.
- If the pain causes the patient two or more tortures, 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 to help regulate the patient's psychological state.
Drugs aimed at preventing osteochondrosis by restoring cartilage tissue and metabolic processes in the human body.
It is important to know how to treat cervical osteochondrosis with medication, as it is the most common type of disease. It is worth using as a medicine:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Warming ointments.
- Preparation for cartilage tissue regeneration.
Therapeutic diet
Proper nutrition and adherence to a diet for osteochondrosis is the key to getting rid of or preventing the disease quickly and accurately. Basic nutrition principles:
- The diet should be as varied as possible.
- The menu of a patient with osteochondrosis should be low in calories.
- Foods containing mucopolysaccharides (eg, jelly fish, jelly, jelly meat) will be useful.
- Adherence to the drinking regime - the body needs to get enough fluids.
- A person suffering from back pain should have foods on their menu: eggs, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish.
- Limit the use of smoky meat, pickles, sour, spicy foods.
- Rice diet is useful: put 30 grams of rice in 6 half-liter jars and pour water on it. In the morning, rinse the contents of the first bowl, bring to a boil and eat as breakfast (do not show salt or anything). Pour the rice into the empty jar and add water, place at the end of the row and change the water in the other containers. This type of food takes about a month and a half. This method of osteochondrosis will help remove toxins and salts.
Physiotherapy exercises
Many are looking for options on how to get rid of osteochondrosis without minimal medication and surgery. A simple but effective treatment is physiotherapy exercises in simulators or at home. Simple exercises have a great effect on regular exercise, prevention of diseases and elimination of symptoms (pain, inflammation, diseases developed against the background of osteochondrosis).
Exercise therapy for cervical osteochondrosis:
- Lie flat on your stomach, legs and back. Lift your chest and head, leaning on your stomach, repeat the exercise for 3 minutes, 5-6 approaches.
- Lying on his back, his legs are bent at the knee joints. Turn right, then turn left. We do 8 approaches a day, taking 5 minutes to class.
Exercise therapy for lumbar osteochondrosis:
- On foot, shoulder width apart. Circular movements are performed with the pelvis for a few minutes. It is possible to make "eight figures" for complications. The lesson takes 3-5 minutes, but it is worth repeating several times a day.
- Stand on all fours and bend your back as much as possible. Repeat at least 5 times a day for 2 minutes.
Exercises for thoracic osteochondrosis:
- Lie on the floor, lift your body up, lean on your hands, bend your back, hold your position for 10 seconds.
Folk remedies
Traditional medicine is used to treat osteochondrosis: compresses, tinctures, rubs, special exercises to relieve pain. Alternative medicine can only be used in combination with classical, medical treatments, otherwise it will not give the desired result and in the worst case will lead to complications. Think about how to treat osteochondrosis with folk remedies:
- Combine peeled potatoes, grated and honey in proportions. In the form of a compress placed on the center and around the pain, hold it until the burning part.
- Apply heated wax to the area where osteochondrosis develops, where the pain is bothersome, 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, apply medical compresses, preferably to relieve night pain.
- Nettle oil helps in the treatment of osteochondrosis, painkillers. To prepare, pour 2 tablespoons nettle seeds with vegetable oil (0, 5 cups) and infuse for 2 weeks, filter and pour into a dark glass jar. When pain is felt, the oil is rubbed into the skin.
Preventing the development of a disease is easier than treating it. Preventive measures include: proper, balanced nutrition; active lifestyle; Regular exercise for osteochondrosis. The latter method does not take much time, but is as effective as treatment with drugs and procedures, and classes can be conducted 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 determining the main symptoms of the disease, you should not delay a visit to a medical facility and start treatment. It is worthwhile to find out which doctor is treating osteochondrosis, how to treat it, and whether additional tests and examinations are needed before the visit. You will need to visit the office of a local therapist, who will write a request for the necessary tests and send you to a neurologist for advice. You can consult a narrow specialist - a vertebrologist who specializes in osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis is a disease that affects every second person due to poor lifestyle, lack of activity and other diseases. You need to monitor your health and deal with disease prevention. With proper nutrition and even basic exercise every day, you will never feel the symptoms of osteochondrosis.