A person’s ability to walk upright has not only obvious advantages, but also disadvantages. The increase in pressure on the spine can lead to the development of various diseases. Osteochondrosis is considered a common disease, affecting more than 60% of the population. This diagnosis is observed in people over 35 years of age, but it often presents adolescent symptoms. One of the methods is surgery, but in the early stages, alternative methods can be used for treatment.
Cause
The intervertebral disc between the vertebrae is damaged, which is medically called spinal tissue. The doctor cannot tell the only exact cause of the onset of the disease. Sometimes this is impossible because the disease develops under the combined influence of many factors. These include:
- The genetic susceptibility of the disease.
- The presence of endocrine system diseases-metabolic disorders.
- The development of orthopedic diseases, such as flat feet, postural bending, and musculoskeletal diseases.
- Various injuries, spinal contusions.
- Lifestyle: lack of activity, unhealthy diet, mainly fast food and unhealthy food.
- overweight.
- Bad habits-smoking, alcoholism.
- Stressed and overworked.
- Pregnant.
Methods of treating osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a disease accompanied by pain and discomfort. Long-term neglect can lead to complications. The disease requires treatment, and there are many methods available for this. The choice depends on the location of the disease, the degree of neglect and general health. There are several treatment options:
- Surgery.
- physiotherapy.
- Rehabilitation methods.
- Health at home.
Before choosing a treatment, you should determine the type, location, and the presence of complications of the disease. There are such types with their characteristic symptoms:
- Cervical osteochondrosis. Symptoms of the disease: shoulder, arm, and neck pain; dizziness: tinnitus, stains in front of the eyes; headache, numbness of the upper limbs.
- Thoracic cartilage disease. Symptoms are dull pain or tingling in the chest area.
- A disease that occurs in the lumbosacral region. Signs include: pain in the hip joint, lower back, and sacrum area; lower limb dysfunction.
- Common-Osteochondrosis occurs in multiple parts of the spine at the same time, accompanied by severe pain.
recovery treatment
After osteochondrosis, the health can be restored, mainly by following the doctor's advice and performing rehabilitation treatment. When there is no severe back pain, this option is only used to relieve the disease. Not recommended for aggravation. There are several treatments for osteochondrosis:
- physiotherapy.
- Sauna, underwater hydro massage, swimming pool courses.
- Collaborate with psychologists.
- Follow the diet and nutrition correction.
- Laser Treatment.
- Manipulative therapy.
- Use healing mud.
- Magnetic therapy, electrophoresis.
- massage.
operation treatment
Sometimes patients delay treatment and it is impossible to solve the problem of osteochondrosis without surgery. This is a special method used when other treatment options have failed or deterioration is observed, such as a hernia between the vertebrae or sciatica. The main goal of treatment is to stabilize the structure of the spine and reduce pressure on the spinal cord. This treatment is used in emergency situations because the risk of spinal nerve damage is high, which can have irreversible consequences.
How and how to treat osteochondrosis at home
The treatment of osteochondrosis can be carried out not only in the hospital, but also at home, and all recommendations and prescriptions of the doctor must be clearly and unambiguously followed. If you want to try other methods, you can only do it after consulting an expert. At home, you can use the following methods to treat osteochondrosis: exercise, yoga; homeopathy, medicine; adhere to the diet; traditional medicine.
medical treatement
The comprehensive treatment of osteochondrosis includes rehabilitation procedures, diet and medication. Dosage and selection of specific drugs should be specifically prescribed and changed by the attending physician, focusing on test results and general conditions. All drugs used are divided into two types: different degrees of pain elimination and disease prevention.
The first category includes:
- For mild pain, use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- If the pain afflicts the patient for two weeks or longer, analgesics should be added to the above-mentioned drugs.
- If the pain persists for more than three months, antidepressants should be added to analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to help regulate the patient's mental state.
A drug designed to prevent osteochondrosis by regenerating cartilage and restoring the body's metabolic process.
It is important to understand how to treat cervical osteochondrosis with drugs, because this is the most common type of disease. As a medicine, it is worth using:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Warm ointment.
- Prepare to repair cartilage tissue.
Therapeutic diet
Proper nutrition and adherence to diet to treat osteochondrosis are the key to rapid and accurate treatment or prevention of the disease. Basic nutritional principles:
- The diet should be as diverse as possible.
- The menu of osteochondrosis patients should be low-calorie.
- Dishes containing mucopolysaccharides (such as fish jelly, jelly, aspic) can be useful.
- Follow the drinking regime-the body must accept the required amount of fluid.
- The menu for patients with spine pain must include food: eggs, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and fish.
- Limit the use of bacon, pickled, sour and spicy foods.
- The rice diet is useful: put 30 grams of rice in a 6-and-a-half-liter jar and pour water on it. In the morning, rinse the contents of the first container, boil and serve as breakfast (with salt or nothing shown). Pour the rice into the empty pot, add water, put it at the end of the row, and change the water in another container. It will take about a month and a half to eat like this. This method of treating osteochondrosis will help remove toxins and salt.
Physical therapy exercises
Many people are looking for options for how to get rid of osteochondrosis with minimal drug use and no surgery. A simple but effective treatment method is to perform physical therapy exercises on a simulator or at home. Simple exercise and regular exercise are very useful for preventing diseases and eliminating symptoms (pain, inflammation, and accompanying diseases in the context of osteochondrosis).
Exercise therapy for cervical osteochondrosis:
- Lie on your stomach with your legs and back straight. Lift your chest and head, lean on your stomach, repeat the exercise for 3 minutes, 5-6 methods.
- Lie on your back with your legs bent at your knees. Turn right, then turn left. We practice 8 times a day and invest 5 minutes in the course.
Exercise therapy for lumbar osteochondrosis:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Within a few minutes, the pelvis will move in a circular motion. For complexity, "number eight" can be made. The course lasts 3-5 minutes, but it is worth repeating several times a day.
- Stand on all fours, bend your lower back as much as possible. Repeat at least 5 times a day for 2 minutes each time.
Exercise for chest osteochondrosis:
- Lie flat on the floor, raise your upper body, support the ground with both hands, arch your back, and maintain your posture for 10 seconds.
Folk remedies
For the treatment of osteochondrosis, traditional medicine is used, including: compression, tincture, rubbing, and special exercises to eliminate pain. Alternative medicine can only be used in combination with classic and medical treatment methods, otherwise it will not bring the expected results, and in the worst case, it will cause complications. Consider how to treat osteochondrosis with folk remedies:
- Mix the peeled potatoes, grated potatoes, and honey in a one-to-one ratio. In the form of a compress, place it in place, the focus of the pain and its surroundings, until there is a burning sensation.
- Apply heated wax to the area where osteochondrosis occurs and pain, and cover it with a warm scarf.
- Mix vodka, aloe vera and honey in a ratio of 3: 1: 2 and let stand for several hours. Apply medical compresses from the resulting mixture, preferably at night, as they can eliminate pain well.
- Nettle oil helps treat osteochondrosis and relieve pain. To prepare, pour 2 tablespoons of nettle seeds into vegetable oil (0. 5 cup), soak for 2 weeks, filter and pour into a dark glass container. When you feel pain, rub the oil into your skin.
Preventing the development of a disease is always easier than curing it. Preventive measures include: proper and balanced nutrition; active lifestyle; regular exercise to treat osteochondrosis. The latter method does not require much time, but is as effective as medication and surgery, and can be taught at home. The most important thing is to choose the right complex and calculate for a specific type of disease.
Which doctor should you contact to diagnose the disease
When determining the main symptoms of the disease, you should not postpone your visit to a medical institution and start treatment. It is worth knowing which doctor treats osteochondrosis, how to find him, and whether additional tests and examinations are required before visiting the doctor. You must go to the office of a local therapist, who will write out a recommendation letter for the necessary tests and send it to the neurologist for consultation. You can turn to a stenosis specialist-a spine specialist who specializes in osteochondrosis.
Osteochondrosis, a disease that affects everyone due to improper lifestyle, insufficient activity, and other diseases. It is necessary to monitor your health and engage in disease prevention. With the right diet and even primitive physical exercise every day, you will never feel the symptoms of osteochondrosis.