Folk remedies for the treatment of osteochondrosis

A disease of the musculoskeletal system such as osteochondrosis today hardly lends itself to comprehensive treatment.

However, the body of doctors has enough tools that effectively help to stop the symptoms of the disease and are able to stop its further development.

Many of these methods require hospital treatment, for which, given the modern pace of life, a person does not always have time. How to get rid of osteochondrosis in this case?

There is only one answer - treating osteochondrosis at home. Consider the methods of treating osteochondrosis at home with folk remedies.

Pathogenesis of the disease

According to statistics, one in three people under the age of 45 complains of back pain. In most cases, this is caused by osteochondrosis of the spine.

The pathology is mainly characterized by damage to cartilage and bone tissue, and in the process of progression it begins to affect the patient's nervous system.

The disease quickly "rejuvenates" due to a decrease in the physical activity of the population due to the development of computer technologies and the development of transport infrastructure.

But in addition to a sedentary lifestyle, experts also cite other reasons for the development of pathology:

• Ecology;
• Eating disorder;
• Inappropriate distribution of physical load on the back;
• Trauma;
• Weak skeletal muscles;
• Decreased immunity against the background of the development of chronic diseases;
• Viral and bacterial pathologies, etc.

With the modern dynamics of a person's life, they simply do not have enough time to take care of their health. There are always ten other reasons not to do it: work, family, children, etc.

Then the person wonders for a long time: where did he get osteochondrosis at the age of 25-30? - a disease which usually occurs in the elderly.

Many consider it a waste of time to go to the clinic, and a logical question arises: how to treat osteochondrosis at home?

In order 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 can we consider treating osteochondrosis with folk remedies to understand how effective alternative methods of treatment are in general.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

The treatment of this pathology has no norm and depends on the individual diagnosis of the patient.

This suggests that before starting osteochondrosis treatment at home, you should always see your doctor for a diagnosis.

This must be done so as not to cause further damage to your body. Complications of this pathology lead to protrusion and herniation of the intervertebral discs, which can contribute to headaches, loss of sensitivity of the limbs, up to paralysis.

In hospital treatment after diagnosis, specialists first solve three main tasks:

• Removal of pain syndrome;
• Relief of the inflammatory process and edema. These symptoms are almost always present during the course of this pathology;
• Physiotherapy procedures aimed at restoring damaged tissue, the main objective is to achieve long and lasting remission.

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine with alternative methods cannot replace comprehensive therapy.

However, alternative treatment for osteochondrosis may well help reduce pain symptoms and improve the general health of the patient.

What drugs can be used at home

Many drugs used in the treatment of osteochondrosis have a number of serious side effects, and therefore, they are only taken with the permission of the attending physician.

But what if you are haunted by back pain and there is no way to go to the clinic? How to treat osteochondrosis at home using the medicines available in the home first aid kit?

The first thing recommended for acute pain is drugs from the group of analgesics.

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 the inflammation and swelling of the tissues that pinch the nerve endings and thus cause pain.

The use of analgesic patches is recommended. In their composition they most often contain lidocaine, which quickly has an analgesic effect.

In addition, excellent reviews contain pain relieving ointments with a cooling effect, which, as a rule, contain menthol and camphor.

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 gels with a warming effect: turpentine ointment.

The ointment should be applied directly to the site of pain, gently rubbing the skin. There is no point in touching unaffected areas.

The cold-effect gels can be applied at any time. It is recommended to apply ointments with a warming effect at night, and additionally wrap the affected area with a woolen cloth.

Gymnastics at home

One of the main and effective methods in the treatment of this pathology is exercise therapy for osteochondrosis. A common reason for the development of osteochondrosis is a weak muscle structure that cannot cope with physical activity.

Thus, all the load falls on the intervertebral discs, which leads to their degenerative changes.

The discs between the vertebrae become thinner or, as they say, dry out and lose their functional ability. Gymnastics allows you to increase muscle tone, improve their elasticity and blood circulation.

Depending on the location of tissue damage and pain syndrome, osteochondrosis can be cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral.

There are also exercises for different departments, but it is not recommended to train only the most affected area, which causes discomfort for a person, but to work all parts of the spine.

Warning!If pain occurs during the performance of remedial gymnastics, the training should be immediately stopped and carried out only under the supervision of a specialist.

1. The first two exercises perfectly stimulate the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine, promote better circulation of fluids and thicken them. To perform them you need to take a sitting or standing position. We tilt our heads forward and back with a small range of motion. The movements should remind you that you are having a conversation with the person and in what agreement with them, saying yes.
2. The next exercise is similar to the first, only now you have to turn your head left and right, as if to say no. The movements should not be performed with a large amplitude, they should be about 30% of the maximum possible tilt or rotation of the head. They are performed several times a day at a convenient time for 2-3 minutes each.
3. The following exercise for the home treatment of the spine strengthens the muscles of the neck and shoulders well. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms lowered to your sides. We make circular movements with our shoulders back and forth. It is also performed several times a day in several approaches, 15-20 times in each direction.
4. To work the lumbar spine, it is recommended to perform an exercise that is more like a belly dance. Starting position, feet standing 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 girdle remain as still as possible. Just do two or three times in different directions for 20 -25 rotations.
5. The next exercise aims to strengthen the latissimus and trapezius muscles. The position of the body, lying on your stomach, arms outstretched forward. We raise our arms, shoulders and head high, we linger for a second and lower ourselves to the starting position. The exercise is performed 10 to 15 times.

In addition to strengthening the back muscles, one should not forget about 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.

Warning!Exercise only benefits the body with regular exercise.

Gymnastics is a good remedy for osteochondrosis. The therapeutic effect is achieved by strengthening the muscles and improving their blood circulation, which prevents the development of the inflammatory process and edema around the cartilage tissue.

Physiotherapy at home

Folk remedies used for osteochondrosis are often learned from the life experience of entire generations and are successfully used in traditional medicine as physiotherapy procedures.

Some of these can be easily done at home.

Cold and hot shower

The first folk remedy with which you can treat osteochondrosis at home is a contrast shower.

For many, this procedure is associated only with hardening, and not everyone understands how this procedure will help to combat this pathology.

The explanation here is quite simple - a sudden redirection of blood flow through the muscles, around cartilage tissue and skin.

This promotes the evacuation of excess fluid from areas of inflammation and edema and the influx of essential trace elements into damaged tissue.

The moment a person is under hot water jets, protective mechanisms are activated in the body, which should prevent him from overheating.

This is achieved by the outflow of blood from internal organs to muscles and skin. The vessels dilate, the amount of blood increases and the excess heat is evacuated outside.

When you suddenly stand on currents of cold water, the opposite reaction occurs - the flow of blood from muscles and skin to internal organs.

This is the process of thermoregulation of the body, and at the same time, blood circulation in damaged tissues is normalized, which contributes to the improvement of the condition as a whole.

The procedure is quite simple. It is necessary to stand under tolerant, non-scorching hot water for 20-30 seconds.

Then run the cold water for 10 to 20 seconds. The procedure should be carried out 3-5 times, ending with a cool, but comfortable water temperature.

Despite the obvious advantages 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 disease;
• Cardiovascular illnesses;
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other internal organs, etc.

The volume of blood from internal organs to muscles and back is large enough and can cause: heart attack, stroke or internal bleeding. Therefore, this complex should be carried out with a gradual increase in the time interval under cold or hot water.

First, do not spend more than 5-7 seconds under running water and gradually bring these values to 30 seconds over several weeks.

Salt baths

Salt baths are another popular remedy for the treatment of osteochondrosis. They help a lot if the pain in the back is caused by muscle overstrain.

To prepare a bath, you will need coarse or regular sea salt. Fine and purified by evaporation will be less effective in this case.

The volume of a standard bath varies from 170 to 195 liters, this amount of water will require about 5 kg of salt.

Water temperature from 36 to 38 ° С. All essential oils can be used for the best effect. After the procedure, it is recommended to stay for a few minutes under slightly lukewarm running water.

Osteochondrosis is hardly curable, but by using treatment with alternative methods as a complementary therapy to the main treatment, it is always possible to stop it, and therefore to win.