Vertebral osteochondrosis is the most common disease of the human musculoskeletal system. In the cervical spine, degenerative processes develop especially often: in about 30-40% of all cases of osteochondrosis, the disease affects exactly that area of the back.
Even with an inactive lifestyle, daily stress falls on the cervical zone, leading to the gradual destruction of the cartilaginous tissues of the intervertebral discs. The cervical vertebrae support the head, provide lateral movement, and bend back and forth. A sedentary lifestyle and excessive stress on the spine are equally damaging to cartilage tissue.
Osteochondrosis develops slowly, but almost always leads to painful manifestations and serious consequences. This article will discuss in detail how to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home, in which cases it is reasonable and advisable, what procedures should be practiced to reduce painful symptoms and eliminate the primary causes of the disease.
When osteochondrosis can be treated at home
Osteochondrosis rarely occurs suddenly - usually the disease is preceded by an initial stage, characterized by back fatigue, rapid fatigue and reduced performance. It is important to take therapeutic measures at the first signs of the disease, until degenerative and dystrophic processes have spread from the cartilaginous tissues to nearby structures.
The task of treatment in the initial phase of the disease is to stop pathological transformations on the intervertebral discs. No amount of therapy can reverse the destructive processes, but there is a chance to prevent dangerous and painful consequences.
You can practice home treatment in the following cases:
- When the diagnosis is accurately known and clinically confirmed;
- When the manifestations of the disease are mild or moderate;
- When a doctor approves or authorizes home and self-medication;
- In the form of recurrence prevention during the recovery phase after complete clinical therapy.
Diagnosis in the clinic and consultation with a specialist (orthopedist, vertebrologist or traumatologist) are a mandatory phase in the treatment of osteochondrosis. Starting treatment without an accurate diagnosis can cause irreparable damage to the spine. Even if you are absolutely sure that you have osteochondrosis, you need to detect its stage, determine the degree of tissue destruction, and identify comorbidities.
The danger of cervical osteochondrosis lies in various manifestations of this disease. Because the most important nerve pathways and blood vessels pass through this part, any movement of cartilage and bone structures from their anatomical position, as well as the transformation of discs and vertebral bodies, are fraught with compression of nerve endings and arteries.
Compression leads to headaches, worsening of the blood supply to the brain and reduced intellectual abilities. The most dangerous complication of compression is a stroke: a sudden deterioration in the oxygen supply to the brain, leading to the death of its parts.
It is irresponsible and dangerous to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home in the presence of compression. Massage procedures, manual therapy, exercise therapy should be performed under strict medical supervision. Only professional massage therapists and therapists should perform manual and hardware impact on the vertebrae in case of progressive degenerative changes.
General rules for self-therapy
Some people believe that cervical osteochondrosis is a temporary disease that occurs after prolonged sleep in an uncomfortable position or working at a computer. People often ignore the symptoms of neck pain, believing that they are caused by overwork, "salt deposits", colds.
These factors can indeed cause the development of osteochondrosis attacks, but they are not the causes, but the predisposing factors of pathology. Removing them can alleviate the symptoms, but they will not cure the disease itself.
The treatment of osteochondrosis should be approached scientifically and pragmatically. The earlier you start therapy, the better your chances of restoring the functionality of your cervical spine. If you want to restore mobility in the neck, get rid of cramping and fatigue in the back, start treatment as soon as the first signs of degenerative changes appear.
Home treatment of osteochondrosis of the collar is a necessary and useful measure of influence if it is properly performed and approved by a specialist.
At home you can do:
- Drug therapy;
- Self-massage;
- Hardware massage using mechanical and electrical devices;
- Physiotherapy procedures;
- Physiotherapy.
Basically, any type of conservative treatment can be practiced at home. Traditional methods of impact are popular among the population - various lotions, compresses and applications on the affected ward. Such treatment options are sometimes quite effective and really help with the symptoms of pain and other unpleasant manifestations of osteochondrosis.
The basic rules for self-medication are as follows:
- Analgesics and other medications should be taken only after they have been prescribed by a doctor;
- You should not practice massage and physiotherapy exercises during acute pain and disc movement;
- Suspicious and unapproved traditional medicine should not be used;
- At the slightest sign of deteriorating health, you should stop home therapy and go to the clinic.
In general, experts even recommend self-medication, because in the clinic only those procedures are performed that require the presence of specialists or the presence of complex equipment. It is only necessary to strictly adhere to medical recommendations regarding home therapeutic techniques.
A good doctor, before recommending or prescribing any medication, will always tell you how it is administered, what results to expect, when and for what period of time you need to carry out treatment procedures. The ultimate goal of any practice is not just to stop the symptoms, but to block or completely eliminate the cause of the disease.
Home methods of treatment
There are many home treatments for cervical osteochondrosis. We will consider the most basic of them - the most efficient and most affordable. We remind you once again: only the full application of medical recommendations gives a chance for recovery.
Qualified doctors take into account all the factors of influence - from the position you take during sleep, ending with the nature of the diet. The diet for osteochondrosis is based on the exclusion of fatty, refined and overly spicy foods and the mandatory inclusion of mucopolysaccharides in the diet - compounds that nourish cartilage tissue.
Almost all aspects of life must comply with the principles of competent and correct treatment.
Physiotherapy exercises
A complete regime of physical activity is the basis of effective therapy. The set of exercises is selected individually, taking into account the stage of the disease, age and physical condition of the patient. Physical education is not an auxiliary, but the most important therapeutic method for osteochondrosis of the collar region.
Gymnastic exercises solve several problems at once:
- Develop and strengthen the muscular corset at the neck and shoulder girdle;
- Stimulates local blood flow, improving the nutrition of intervertebral discs and other tissues in the affected area;
- Accelerate metabolic processes, contributing to the restoration of physical activity;
- Remove muscle blockages and cramps.
In the initial phase of therapy, it is better to conduct several exercise sessions under the guidance of an experienced instructor. Then you can practice physical education at home. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes during exercise and make sure the space is regularly ventilated.
Indicative criteria for the usefulness of exercise therapy are the absence of pain, improvement of well-being, increase in range of motion. If there are acute and regular symptoms of pain, exercise should be stopped until the causes of this phenomenon are clarified. Pain usually occurs when the disc is moved and the nerve is compressed. To prevent this from happening, you must perform the movements smoothly, avoid jumping and twisting the spine.
Manual and hardware massage
Self-massage reduces pain and stimulates local circulation. Self-massage techniques (rubbing, stroking, kneading) will be taught by your doctor or professional massage therapist. Strong pressure, blows, pinching should be avoided.
Proper self-massage often outperforms even medications. The gentle hand effect not only relieves pain, but also relaxes muscles, speeds up blood flow and metabolism. It is recommended to perform the massage in a sitting position, using only the fingers and directing the movements from the spine to the peripheral parts of the back.
A separate method is hardware massage with mechanical devices and modern electronic devices. It is recommended to use massage products in the absence of severe pain and moving discs. Cheap hand massagers and expensive computer-controlled devices are available at medical equipment stores.
Another effective tool are applicators for static impact on affected areas. Devices such as the Lyapko applicator or the Kuznets applicator are a proven and effective means of treating pain symptoms and eliminating the cause of the disease. The main rule in the use of such devices is regularity. It is necessary to constantly practice exposure sessions - only then is it possible to achieve a stable and pronounced health result.
The action of the applicator is based on the principles of reflexology - the impact on the active parts of the body and the initiation of the mechanism of self-healing of the body. Acupuncture at home with Lyapko devices and exposure of the device to Kuznets' devices literally lifted some patients to their feet.
Other orthopedic devices are also useful - special sleeping pillows, which ensure the correct position of the body at night, mattresses, car pillows and office chairs.
Home physiotherapy
Exposure to magnetic fields, ultrasound, light of a certain spectrum - these are all very effective methods of treating moderate and mild osteochondrosis. Physiotherapy is usually performed on an outpatient basis in clinics, but it is quite possible to use these methods at home.
Magnetotherapy, ultrasound and electrical neurostimulation devices and other devices for the treatment of spinal structures are sold in pharmacies and specialized stores. Such devices eliminate pain, stimulate metabolism and blood flow, and eliminate muscle cramps. These devices can be used only after they have been prescribed by a physiotherapist.
Wraps, rubbing, other procedures of traditional medicine
The following alternative treatments are acceptable:
- Applications with medicinal clay;
- Wraps of honey, vodka, agave;
- Honey and mustard wraps;
- Lotions of propolis, aloe juice and vodka;
- Bee venom treatment;
- Rubbing with herbal preparations (the most popular option is a mixture of 2 green pepper pods with vegetable oil).
Phytopreparations can be used in the absence of allergies and after the approval of the method by the doctor.
Modern medicine offers a multitude of fairly effective and safe natural-based remedies to remove the signs of cervical osteochondrosis. Creams, ointments and patches of herbal and combined composition are applied externally at the first manifestations of pain and in the phase of rehabilitation therapy.