Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can ruin a person's life. The result of its progression is a sharp, aching pain in the neck, shoulder blades and collarbone. Often, squeezing the spinal canal and pinching the veins leads to headaches, migraines, and mobility disturbances in the neck. Treatment of the disease at home requires an integrated approach, since cervical osteochondrosis is not so easy to get rid of.
Why does the disease occur: basic prerequisites
Osteochondrosis is accompanied by degenerative changes in the joints of the vertebrae of the cervical spine. Due to osteochondrosis, the joints wear out faster, lose mobility, bone growths consisting of salts - osteophytes - are formed on the body of the cervical vertebrae. As a result, pinching of nerves and blood vessels develops, narrowing of the spinal canal, destruction of joints, protrusion of the vertebrae with the appearance of intervertebral hernias.
Hospital and home treatment for osteochondrosis begins with establishing the cause of the disease and eliminating it. These can be:
- Lack of physical activity.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Uneven distribution of the load on the muscles of the cervical spine.
- Abuse of harmful foods (salty, fatty, fried, smoked).
- Metabolic disorders due to chronic diseases.
- Deformity of the scoliotic back.
A specialist will be able to accurately determine the cause of osteochondrosis after taking a history of the disease.
How cervical osteochondrosis manifests: the first signs
A list of the first symptoms of the disease will help to recognize the development of cervical osteochondrosis at home:
- Decreased performance.
- Discomfort in the neck when turning the head.
- Restricted movement of the neck to one side.
- The characteristic crunch when turning the neck.
- Frequent headaches.
- Painful, spasmodic pains in the muscles of the neck.
As the disease progresses, symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis increase:
- Pain occurs at rest.
- Shoots are felt in the area of the scapula and collarbone.
- Bringing the neck back or forward becomes difficult.
- Dizziness is due to hypoxia in the brain.
In the absence of appropriate treatment, progression of symptoms of osteochondrosis is observed:
- Numbness of the tongue occurs.
- The sensitivity of the upper limbs is impaired.
- Paresthesia of the arms occurs.
- Mobility of the neck is completely lost.
The onset of the first signs of cervical osteochondrosis requires immediate medical attention to establish an accurate diagnosis and select treatment tactics. The patient can observe it at home.
Basics of diagnosis: who to contact
If the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is suspected at home, it is necessary to contact a neurologist, orthopedist or vertebrologist. The examination and confirmation of the diagnosis "osteochondrosis" take place after:
- Take a history. The doctor will learn all the details of the patient's lifestyle.
- Internal examination and palpation. The degree of pain and disturbances in the mobility of the vertebrae, the presence of tissue edema and the preservation of their sensitivity are established.
- Carrying out diagnostic studies. These include x-rays of the spine. If necessary, an MRI or CT scan is performed to assess the condition of the joints of the cervical spine, to confirm or refute the formation of hernias.
During the examination, the doctor will make a diagnosis and offer the patient a set of measures to treat the disease at home.
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home
With early diagnosis, correct selection of treatment, and a responsible patient attitude towards treatment, cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis can be successfully treated at home.
The main home treatment measures are aimed at eliminating the cause of cervical osteochondrosis:
- With physical inactivity, a gradual increase in physical activity at home is shown. When sitting at a table or at a computer for a long time, frequent breaks are prescribed, involving physical activity.
- In case of postural disturbances and uneven loads on the cervical muscles, special fixators, correctors and corsets are used to ensure a symmetrical position of the body.
- In case of overweight and poor diet, appropriate adjustments are made to the patient's lifestyle and a diet is prescribed.
- Cervical osteochondrosis, caused by metabolic disorders against the background of chronic diseases, is eliminated by treatment of the underlying disease.
The main treatment at home is strict observance of medical prescriptions for taking drugs - nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, chondroprotectors. The patient should follow the recommended intake schedule, clearly maintain the course of treatment until the desired result is achieved.
Home treatment for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine involves adjustments to the patient's diet and alcohol intake. A prerequisite is the use of two liters of clean water per day, excluding drinks and liquid foods. Homemade food for the patient should be nutritious and balanced. The diet should include:
- Sources of fiber for the normalization of metabolic processes: vegetables and fruits in large quantities.
- Sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids to improve metabolism: nuts, vegetable oils, fatty fish.
- Low fat protein sources: poultry, legumes, eggs.
- Sources of calcium and potassium in an easily digestible form: cottage cheese, leafy greens, dairy products.
Of course, home treatment should exclude fatty, fried, smoked and salty foods from the diet.
Home treatment may require visits to specialized inpatient rooms for physiotherapy. You should not neglect them. An electrophoresis session ensures the delivery of medicinal substances directly to the tissues affected by osteochondrosis, which cannot be done at home. Physiotherapy recommended by the doctor should be frequented regularly, it is imperative to undergo the full treatment recommended by the doctor.
In the early stages of home treatment, the patient may be advised to rest in bed until the pain syndrome is resolved. It is important to take into account that bed rest with cervical osteochondrosis can not last more than 2-3 days. After the expiration of this period, the patient should gradually activate and increase physical activity, although all treatment will take place at home.
For more effective home treatment of osteochondrosis, the purchase of a special orthopedic pillow is indicated. It is able to effectively relieve the tension of the neck muscles when the patient is sleeping.
Recipes of traditional medicine
Doctors do not forbid the combination of drugs at home with the use of means proven by popular experience. Moderation, compliance with safety rules and eliminating the risk of skin damage to the neck are important conditions.
Natural compresses for cervical osteochondrosis allow you to get rid of painful sensations, and the ingestion of infusions helps normalize metabolic processes, remove excess salt deposits from the body. Below are proven folk recipes for home treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Pour a teaspoon of dandelion roots with a glass of boiling water. The remedy is insisted for 15 minutes, after which it is filtered and taken orally. The tool removes salt deposits.
5 tablespoons of dried nettle leaves are poured with a liter of boiling water. They insist on an hour. After straining, add to the bath. The course of treatment is 2 weeks of daily baths. Some healers recommend overcoming the localization of pain with fresh branches of nettles.
Garlic and ginger are mixed in equal proportions. Dilute with vegetable oil to obtain oatmeal. Rub the composition into the muscles of the neck for 20 minutes. The remaining funds are removed with a napkin.
Horseradish leaves are steamed with boiling water for a minute, after which they are applied to the cervical spine. Leave the compress overnight, warming it with a tissue.
Treating osteochondrosis at home only using traditional methods is ineffective. Most likely, you will be able to only reduce the symptoms, but not cure the disease. Treatment with folk remedies is best agreed with a doctor.
Massage for cervical osteochondrosis
The complete home treatment for cervical osteochondrosis, recommended by doctors, includes massage. It is better to entrust its implementation to a qualified specialist. In the absence of such an opportunity, self-massage will help to cure osteochondrosis of the neck, which the patient can perform at home at any time convenient for him. Its main rules:
- The impact on the cervical muscles is made with the pads of the fingers and not with the palm.
- The movements must be strictly peripheral and also from top to bottom.
- It is forbidden to exert pressure and rub the cervical vertebrae too quickly.
- For a light sliding of the fingers, the massage is performed with oil.
Honey massage at home helps well against osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. About a teaspoon of honey is rubbed onto the surface of the cervical vertebrae and muscles, gently kneading with your fingers until the honey becomes viscous, after which it is washed off with warm water.
Medication: we eat and rub at home
Medical treatment for cervical osteochondrosis should be chosen by a doctor. Often, a whole complex is used, consisting of injectable, oral and local drugs.
- Injection forms. They are prescribed to eliminate acute inflammation in the early stages of home treatment. These are chondroprotectors, muscle relaxers, B vitamins. Home use lasts up to 10 days.
- Preparations for internal use. They are the most convenient way to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers, muscle relaxers, chondroprotectors are prescribed. Treatment with drugs of the latter group is long-term. The minimum treatment is 3 months.
- External installations. These are ointments and gels made from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain or chondroitin sulfate to speed up recovery of cartilage.
At home, complex treatment helps get rid of cervical osteochondrosis much faster than using drugs from one group. It is almost impossible to cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine only with external agents.
Physiotherapy exercises: principles of implementation and result
Home therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is based on special exercises for the cervical muscles. The exercises are performed according to the following rules:
- The list of exercises and their amplitude are determined by the doctor.
- All exercises are performed smoothly and slowly to eliminate the risk of injury.
- Do not start gymnastic treatment for acute pain in the cervical spine.
- The load gradually increases.
- The patient does gymnastics regularly, several times a day, at the same time.
Exercises for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are very simple. Performing them correctly at home will speed up recovery and help relieve pain. Treatment of the cervical spine with exercise therapy includes:
- Turn your head sideways to the extreme point.
- Fold your head to the sides, front to back.
- Circular movements of the neck and shoulders.
Gymnastics class lasts until the end of treatment and complete elimination of symptoms. If the patient continues to do gymnastics, he will be able to prevent the relapse of the disease. Results of home treatment of osteochondrosis with gymnastics:
- Suppression of hypertonicity of cervical muscles.
- Stretching the ligaments.
- Improved mobility of the vertebrae.
- Pain relief.
- Neck range of motion increased.
- Normalization of blood circulation in the cervical spine.
Home treatment for cervical osteochondrosis includes a long list of therapeutic and preventive measures. The most important condition is that an experienced specialist should supervise them so that home treatment brings positive results as quickly as possible, and the patient can forget about the unpleasant symptoms forever.