Diseases of the musculoskeletal system such as osteochondrosis today are almost impossible to treat completely.
However, doctors have enough tools in their kit that can help relieve the symptoms of the disease effectively and can stop further progression.
Many of these methods require inpatient treatment, which, given the pace of modern life, one does not always have time.How to get rid of osteochondrosis in this case?
There is only one answer - treatment of osteochondrosis at home.Let's consider how to treat osteochondrosis at home using folk remedies.
Disease pathogenesis
According to statistics, every third person under the age of 45 complains of back pain.In most cases, this cause is osteochondrosis of the spine.
The pathology is mainly characterized by damage to cartilage and bone tissue, and as it progresses it begins to affect the patient's nervous system.
The disease is rapidly becoming "younger" due to the decrease in physical activity of the population due to the development of computer technology and the developing transport infrastructure.
But in addition to an inactive lifestyle, experts also name other reasons for the development of pathology:
- Ecology;
- Violation of diet;
- Irrational physical load distribution on the back;
- injury;
- Skeletal muscle weakness;
- Decreased immunity due to the development of chronic diseases;
- Viral and bacterial pathology, etc.
With the modern dynamics of a person's life, he does not have enough time to take care of his health.There will always be a dozen other reasons not to do this: work, family, children, etc.
Then the person wondered for a long time: why did he get osteochondrosis at the age of 25-30?- diseases that are usually characteristic of 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 methods of therapy used by specialists in the treatment of this pathology.
Only after this we can consider treating osteochondrosis with folk remedies and understand how effective traditional treatment methods are in general.
Treatment of osteochondrosis
Therapy for this pathology does not have any standard and depends on the individual diagnosis of the patient.
This shows that before starting treatment for osteochondrosis at home, you still need to visit your doctor to make a diagnosis.
This must be done so as not to cause more harm to your body.Complications of this pathology lead to protrusion and herniation of the intervertebral disc, which can contribute to headaches, loss of sensation in the limbs, and even to paralysis.
During inpatient treatment after diagnosis, specialists mainly solve three main problems:
- relieves pain;
- Relieves inflammation and swelling.These symptoms are almost always present during the development of this pathology;
- Physiotherapy procedures aimed at restoring damaged tissue, the main goal is to achieve long-lasting and lasting remission.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine with traditional methods cannot completely replace therapy.
However, alternative treatment for osteochondrosis may help reduce pain symptoms and improve the patient's general health.
What medicine can be used at home
Many drugs used in the treatment of osteochondrosis have some serious side effects and therefore should only be taken with the permission of the attending physician.
But what to do if back pain haunts you and there is no way to go to the clinic?How to cure osteochondrosis at home using medicines found in your home medicine cabinet?
The first thing recommended to be taken in case of acute pain is a drug from the group of painkillers.
Aspirin, in addition to its mild analgesic effect, has the ability to thin the blood, which promotes better blood circulation and has an antipyretic effect.
This helps relieve inflammation and tissue swelling that compresses nerve endings and thus causes pain.
It is advisable to use a patch that relieves pain.They most often contain lidocaine, which quickly has an analgesic effect.
Pain-relieving ointments with a cooling effect, which usually contain menthol and camphor, also have excellent reviews.
If you are sure that the acute phase of the disease has passed and you have no symptoms of inflammation, it is recommended to use a gel with a warming effect: turpentine ointment.
Ointment should be applied directly to the source of pain, gently rubbing into the skin.There is no point in touching the unaffected area.
Cold effect gel can be used at any time.It is recommended to use an ointment with a warming effect at night and also wrap 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 the development of osteochondrosis is a weak skeletal muscle that cannot support physical activity.
Therefore, the entire load falls on the intervertebral discs, as a result of which their degenerative changes occur.
The disc between the vertebrae becomes thinner or, as they say, dries up and loses its function.Gymnastics allows you to increase muscle tone, increase elasticity and blood circulation in them.
Depending on the location of tissue damage and pain syndrome, osteochondrosis can be cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral.
Training also exists for different departments, but it is not recommended to train only the more affected areas, which bring discomfort to a person, but to work on all parts of the spine.
Attention!If pain occurs while performing therapeutic exercises, the exercises should be stopped immediately and carried out only under the supervision of a specialist.
- The first two exercises perfectly stimulate the intervertebral disc in the cervical region, promoting better fluid circulation and thickening.To perform it, you should take a sitting or standing position.We tilt the head forward and backward with a small range of motion.The movement should remind you that you are having a conversation with the person and that you are agreeing with them by saying yes.
- The next exercise is similar to the first one, only now you have to look left and right, as if saying no.Movements should not be made with a large amplitude;it should be about 30% of the maximum possible tilt or turn of the head.Performed several times a day at appropriate times for 2-3 minutes each.
- The following exercises to treat the spine at home strengthen the neck and shoulder muscles.Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms down along your body.We make circular movements with our shoulders forward and backward.It is also done several times a day in several approaches 15-20 times in each direction.
- To train the lumbar region, it is recommended to do exercises that are more like belly dancing.Starting position, standing with feet shoulder width apart.We make circular movements with the pelvis, first in one direction, then in the other.At the same time, we make sure that the chest and shoulder straps remain as immobile as possible.It is enough to do two or three times in different directions for 20-25 rotations.
- The following exercises aim to strengthen the latissimus and trapezius muscles.Body position: lie on your stomach, arms stretched forward.We raise our hands, shoulders and head up, hold for a while and go down to the starting position.Exercises are performed 10-15 times.
In addition to strengthening the back muscles, one should not forget the abdominal muscles, which are involved not only in deep breathing, but also in maintaining correct posture.Weak abdominal muscles contribute to the development of lumbar lordosis.
Attention!Physical exercise only benefits the body if done regularly.
Gymnastics is a good remedy 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 swelling around the cartilage tissue.
Physiotherapy at home
Folk remedies used for osteochondrosis are often taken from the life experience of entire generations and successfully used in traditional medicine as a physiotherapeutic procedure.
Some of them can be done at home.
Contrast shower
The first folk remedy that you can treat osteochondrosis at home is a contrast bath.
Many people associate this procedure only with hardening and not everyone understands how this procedure will help in the fight against this pathology.
The explanation here is quite simple - a sharp diversion of blood flow in the muscles, near cartilage tissue and skin.
This promotes the outflow of excess fluid from the area of inflammation and swelling and the entry of necessary microelements into the damaged tissue.
At the moment when a person is under a stream of hot water, a protective mechanism is activated in the body, which should save it from overheating.
This is achieved by the outflow of blood from the internal organs to the muscles and skin.Blood vessels dilate, blood volume increases and excess heat is released outside.
When you suddenly stand in a stream of cold water, the reverse reaction occurs - the outflow of blood from the muscles and skin to the internal organs.
This is how the body's thermoregulation process occurs and at the same time blood circulation in the damaged tissue is normalized, which helps improve the overall condition.
The procedure is quite simple.It is necessary to stand under tolerably hot and not hot water for 20-30 seconds.
Then change the water to cold for 10-20 seconds.The procedure should be carried out 3-5 times, ending the procedure with cold but comfortable water temperature.
Despite the obvious benefits of this procedure, it still has contraindications:
- It is forbidden to perform this procedure when the patient has symptoms of a cold or acute respiratory infection;
- Cardiovascular disease;
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other internal organs, etc.
The volume of blood 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 done with a gradual increase in the amount of time under cold or warm water.
First, spend no more than 5-7 seconds under running water and gradually, over several weeks, increase this value to 30 seconds.
Salt bath
Another folk remedy for the treatment of osteochondrosis is a salt bath.They are very helpful if the pain in the back is caused by muscle tension.
To prepare a bath, you need sea or ordinary table salt.Refined and purified by evaporation in this case will be less effective.
The standard bath volume varies from 170 to 195 liters;this amount of water requires about 5 kg of salt.
The water temperature is from 36 to 38°C.For the best effect, you can use any essential oil.After the procedure, it is recommended to stand for a few minutes under slightly warm running water.
Osteochondrosis can be said to be incurable, but using treatment with traditional methods as an additional therapy to the main treatment, it is still possible to stop it, and therefore defeat it.