Hello dear readers. Spine disease is one of the most pressing medical problems facing humanity today. More and more young people complain of pain in various parts of the spine, although not so long ago this pathology worried mainly the older generation. That is why the effective treatment of osteochondrosis is so actively discussed everywhere. How to get rid of pain in the spine is the topic of this article. Due to the effect of gravity, as a penalty for walking upright, as well as due to other factors, the structure of the spine wears out prematurely.
What is osteochondrosis?
Inadequate cartilage tissue nutrition leads to cartilage weakness. Intervertebral layers lose their ability to withstand excessive loads. The vertebrae press against each other, literally crushing the cushion of intervertebral cartilage. This is how osteochondrosis develops.
At first, cartilage tissue suffers, and then the vertebra itself is involved in the pathological process. This disease is chronic and accompanied by severe pain.
Depending on the location of the lesion in the spinal region, several types of disease are distinguished:
Cervical osteochondrosis
It is characterized by pain in the neck, shoulders, arms, head, dizziness, mild visual abnormalities and noise effects.
Thoracic osteochondrosis
Pain in the back is reflected in the chest, sometimes very similar to heart pain.
Lumbar osteochondrosis
The pain is concentrated in the pelvis, peritoneum, lower back, and radiates to the lower legs.
Simultaneous damage to different parts of the vertebrae may occur.
As the disease progresses, there are 4 main stages of the disease. An unpleasant pathological feature is the low probability of its detection in the first place. This is due to the asymptomatic nature of the early stages of the development of osteochondrosis.
Chondrotic changes will be visible only on x-rays, that is, they can only be detected by chance. Since there are no prerequisites to intentionally undergo an X-ray examination.
The degree of chondrotic changes in the spine
- Cartilage dystrophy, early tissue degeneration.
- Individual foci of inflammation in the cartilage and microcracks are noticeable. There is discomfort and stiffness in the movement of the spine. Sometimes the cartilage is squeezed out, forming protrusions - protrusions.
- Cartilage is replaced by bone formation. The mobility of the affected area is increasingly limited. Nerve roots and blood vessels are compressed, which causes the development of chronic pain in the back and surrounding areas. Displacement and hernia may occur.
- This disease affects bone tissue, cartilage is almost completely destroyed. Inflammation is widespread, complications appear. Certain areas of the spine lose complete mobility.
Causes of osteochondrosis
The causes of pathological changes in the structure of the spinal cartilage have not been fully studied by medicine. However, scientists have identified several risk groups that are most likely to develop osteochondrosis.
These are people who lead a passive life, whose work involves an inactive position. Patients who are overweight and have metabolic disorders are also at risk of getting the disease.
Spine health among hard workers and professional athletes is also at risk.
Factors that trigger the formation of pathological changes include
- prolonged lack of fluid in the body;
- improper diet causes mineral deficiency;
- hormonal changes;
- emotional outbursts, stress;
- injury, overload;
- remain in an anatomically incorrect static position;
- concentration of infectious lesions in the body;
- flat feet of any severity;
- congenital predisposition;
- muscle weakness;
- pregnancy;
- body aging, natural wear and tear of tissues;
- dangerous addiction;
- taking medicine, drunkenness of various etiologies;
- overweight, obesity;
- sleep on a mattress that is too soft and a high pillow.
Treatment methods
Therapy consists of an active phase and a recovery process. Although there are no lasting results for a long time, you should not give up. Recovery is very slow.
All this requires patience, a strong will and a high level of self-discipline. Success can be guaranteed only if there is an insatiable desire to recover and a set of therapeutic and preventive measures.
It is highly undesirable to limit yourself to self-medication. You need to clearly understand that taking painkillers alone without changing your lifestyle will not bring any results other than temporary relief.
The disease will continue to develop actively. In addition, dependence on anesthetics and analgesics is formed.
Combined therapy provides not only pain relief, but also combats degenerative changes, restores mobility, relieves inflammation, prevents complications, and attempts to regenerate damaged structures.
Therefore they continued:
- medication, and, if necessary, surgical intervention;
- therapeutic and preventive gymnastics;
- physical procedures;
- various types of manual therapy, including traditional massage, reflexology;
- clamp removal, traction on the spine.
All this is prescribed and monitored by a doctor. Patients can use unconventional methods, but in agreement with the doctor. Patients must also report all successes and adverse reactions. This will allow timely adjustments to be made to the treatment regimen.
How to treat osteochondrosis at home
In the usual home environment, effective treatment of osteochondrosis is quite possible. Your doctor will tell you how to get rid of pain in the spine not only with the help of anesthesia. The patient needs to follow his instructions and, perhaps, slightly change the standard approach to treating the spine.
We are talking mainly about controlling the load when doing a set of exercises and when stretching the vertebral structure. In this case, you need to focus on personal durability and sensitivity.
Medicines for osteochondrosis
You should immediately emphasize that osteochondrosis cannot be overcome with drugs alone. But they are an important and even necessary part of the healing process. Pharmacological drugs are used, as a rule, during the exacerbation of the disease to relieve symptoms and relieve inflammation. As for the restoration of cartilage tissue, food supplements are used here, although with varying degrees of success.
Medical effects are intended to:
- relieves pain in various parts of the body;
- containment of inflammation and cessation of this pathological process;
- increased blood circulation;
- increase metabolism;
- increased nutrition of damaged tissue;
- return of mobility to the spine;
- cartilage restoration;
- prevent the development of depression due to poor health.
To solve the problem, various groups of drugs are used. If the effectiveness of one of them is low, more effective drugs are given with caution, because they have more chances of adverse reactions.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A group of non-steroid multifunctional drugs. Relieves inflammation, relieves pain, reduces fever. For osteochondrosis, creams, ointments and tablets that relieve pain are most often used.
- Antispasmodic, combined analgesic, local anesthetic. Helps relieve muscle aches and headaches.
- Drugs that dilate blood vessels. Helps relieve headaches and numbness.
- Relax the muscles. They relieve congestion and spasms, which allows you to get rid of the resulting muscle pain and swelling.
- Vitamin preparations (vit. B, A, E, C, multivitamins), mineral supplements. They supply the body with compounds necessary for cartilage tissue.
- Sedatives: valerian tincture, motherwort. Helps relieve stress from constant pain and normalizes sleep.
- Hormonal drugs based on methylprednisolone, hydrocortisone. They are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Chondroprotective agent. Restores cartilage.
Physical training
Spinal cord injuries have their limits when it comes to performing specific exercises. Therefore, it is recommended to conduct the class under the supervision of an instructor.
Therapeutic exercise will help relieve pain, restore spinal mobility, and release pinched nerves and blood vessels. These exercises aim to develop the affected area, strengthen and stretch the muscles.
The set of gymnastic techniques is more or less standard. But the duration, intensity and number of repetitions are determined individually.
With osteochondrosis, the possibility of injury is high, so all actions are performed with caution. If discomfort or pain occurs, gymnastics should be suspended until the sensation disappears. After the action resumes.
You may need to reduce the load or replace these exercises with similar, but more appropriate, exercises.
Treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies
Traditional medicine has many simple, effective and safe recipes against osteochondrosis. They are used in the form of teas, tinctures, lotions, compresses, poultices, applications, ointments.
Herbal medicine will help support the body, strengthen it, normalize its functions, and relieve unpleasant symptoms. This medicine can be bought at any pharmacy or herbalist at a reasonable price.
Effective compression
The use of compresses will help to get rid of painful attacks, swelling, and inflammation of the cartilage tissue. For this purpose, irritant and heating agents are used.
- Horseradish with apples. Carrot root and a small apple grated on a fine grater. The puree is mixed in equal parts and applied to the diseased area. Cover the top with film and apply a heating bandage overnight. Treatment is continued until the pain disappears.
- For the same purpose, you can use compresses from other products: grated radish, onion pulp, burdock leaves, cabbage. To increase the anti-inflammatory effect, you can add honey.
- Vodka, mustard powder, camphor alcohol - 50 g each, mix with three beaten egg whites. The mixture is infused for about 10 hours and used as a compress for 3 consecutive days, morning and evening. Then move on to the next recipe.
- 50 g of aloe leaf extract mixed with 150 g of vodka and 100 g of honey. The compress is also used twice a day for three days. Then go back to the previous recipe. These two drugs are used alternately, for 3 days each, without a break until the symptoms disappear.
Infusions and decoctions for osteochondrosis
This group of folk remedies is used for systemic effects on the body to provide anti-inflammatory, analgesic, strengthening, and calming effects.
Pine cones
Boiling: wash 4 unripe cones, cut them, add half a liter of water, boil for a few minutes. Drink ¼ tbsp. 1-3 times a day.
Colored: pour 5 ripe crushed cones with seeds with a glass of alcohol (strong vodka), leave for 2 weeks, shake the container every day. Drink a teaspoon after a meal.
Birch shoots and lingonberry leaves
1 teaspoon each, mix in a glass of boiling water. Drink a little throughout the day.
Herbs
Tea from plants such as horsetail, mint, St. wort. John's wort, motherwort, calendula, linden, milk thistle, chamomile, plantain, thyme, cinquefoil, sage, and immortelle are also useful. It is used in various combinations or separately.
Honey application
For osteochondrosis, applications and lotions made from aloe juice and honey help. They are used individually or in a mixture.
A piece of gauze should be moistened in the product and applied to the sore spot under a heating pad for at least 40 minutes. You can also just lubricate the desired area with it several times a day.
Scrub
Rubbing the medicinal composition accelerates the blood, ensures deep penetration of the product into the body, warms it, stimulates the active center, relieves tension, and removes numbness.
Suitable for rubbing for osteochondrosis:
- bear / badger fat;
- turpentine;
- alcoholic herbal tinctures;
- decoctions and infusions of medicinal plants;
- fir oil;
- special compounds.
Rubbing for severe pain: crush a package of analgin (10 pcs. ), combine with a glass of alcohol, a small bottle of iodine, 10 ml of camphor alcohol. Rub your back only on the painful area. May cause burning sensation.
Therapeutic bath for osteochondrosis
The same procedure is carried out during the remission stage. Warm water is used with the addition of herbal decoction and essential oil. Must be used before going to bed.
Bathing helps to relax, calm, relieve swelling and tension, remove numbness, pain, heaviness in muscles. Here, decoctions are used in higher concentrations than when taken orally. But the same plant will do.