Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can ruin a person's life. The result of its progression is sharp and aching pain in the neck, shoulder blades, collarbone. Often, squeezing the spinal canal and pinching the veins lead to headaches, migraines, and neck mobility disorders. Treatment of the disease at home requires an integrated approach, since it is not so easy to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis.
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 their mobility, bone outgrowths consisting of salts - osteophytes - form 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 occurrence of intervertebral hernias.
Inpatient and home treatment of osteochondrosis begins with establishing the cause of the disease and eliminating it. These can be:
- Lack of physical activity.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Uneven distribution of load on the muscles of the cervical spine.
- Abuse of harmful (salty, fatty, fried, smoked) food.
- Metabolic disorders due to chronic diseases.
- Scoliotic back deformity.
A specialist will be able to accurately determine the cause of osteochondrosis after collecting an anamnesis of the disease.
How cervical osteochondrosis manifests itself: the first signs
A list of early 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.
- Restriction of neck movement to one side.
- The characteristic crunch when turning the neck.
- Frequent headaches.
- Aching and spasmodic pain in the muscles of the neck.
With the progression of the disease, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis increase:
- Pain occurs at rest.
- Shoots are felt in the scapula and clavicle area.
- Bringing the neck back or forth becomes difficult.
- Dizziness occurs due to cerebral hypoxia.
In the absence of proper treatment, progression of osteochondrosis symptoms is observed:
- Tongue numbness occurs.
- The sensitivity of the upper limbs is impaired.
- Arms paresthesias occur.
- Neck mobility is completely lost.
The appearance 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.
Diagnostic basics: 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. Examination and confirmation of the diagnosis "osteochondrosis" occurs after:
- Taking anamnesis. The doctor will learn all the details of the patient's lifestyle.
- Internal and palpation examination. The degree of pain and mobility disorders 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 computed tomography is performed to assess the condition of the joints of the cervical spine, confirm or refute the formation of hernias.
During the examination, the doctor will establish 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, the right choice of treatment, as well as a responsible attitude of the patient to therapy, 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 computer for a long time, frequent breaks are prescribed, implying physical activity.
- In case of posture disturbance and uneven loads on the cervical muscles, special fixators, correctors and corsets are used to ensure a symmetrical body position.
- In case of overweight and improper nutrition, appropriate adjustments are made to the patient's lifestyle, and a diet is prescribed.
- Cervical osteochondrosis, caused by metabolic disturbances against the background of chronic diseases, is eliminated by therapy of the underlying disease.
The main treatment at home is in strict adherence to medical prescriptions for taking medications - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, chondroprotectors. The patient must follow the recommended regimen of admission, clearly maintain the duration of the course of treatment until the desired result is achieved.
Home treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine implies making adjustments to the patient's diet and drinking regime. A prerequisite is the use of two liters of clean water per day, excluding drinks and liquid food. 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.
Naturally, home treatment will have to exclude fatty, fried, smoked, 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 is impossible to achieve at home. Physiotherapy recommended by the doctor should be attended 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 eliminated. It is important to take into account that bed rest with cervical osteochondrosis cannot last longer than 2-3 days. After the expiration of this period, the patient should gradually activate and increase physical activity, even if 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 tension from the cervical muscles when the patient is sleeping.
Traditional medicine recipes
Doctors do not prohibit combining medication at home with the use of means proven by popular experience. Moderation, compliance with safety rules, and elimination of the risk of damage to the skin of the neck are important conditions.
Natural compresses for cervical osteochondrosis allow you to get rid of painful sensations, and ingestion of infusions helps to 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 to beat the localization of pain with fresh branches of nettles.
Garlic and ginger are mixed in equal proportions. Dilute with vegetable oil to obtain gruel. Rub the composition into the neck muscles 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 handkerchief.
Treating osteochondrosis at home only using folk methods is ineffective. Most likely, you will only be able to reduce the symptoms, but not cure the disease. Treatment with folk remedies is best agreed with a doctor.
Massage for cervical osteochondrosis
Comprehensive 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 to cure osteochondrosis of the neck, self-massage will help, which the patient can perform at home at any time convenient for him. Its main rules:
- The impact on the cervical muscles is carried out with the pads of the fingers, not the palm.
- Movements should be strictly peripheral and also from top to bottom.
- It is forbidden to pressure and rub the cervical vertebrae too quickly.
- For a gentle sliding of the fingers, massage is carried out using oil.
Home honey massage helps well against osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. About a teaspoon of honey is rubbed over 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.
Medicines: Eat and Smear at Home
Medical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis should be selected by a doctor. Often, a whole complex is used, consisting of injectable, oral and local medicines.
- Injection forms. They are prescribed to eliminate acute inflammation in the early stages of home treatment. These are chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants, 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 relaxants, chondroprotectors are prescribed. Treatment with drugs of the latter group is long-term. The minimum course of treatment is 3 months.
- External facilities. These are ointments and gels based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief or chondroitin sulfate to accelerate cartilage recovery.
At home, complex treatment helps to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis much faster than using drugs of only one group. It is almost impossible to cure osteochondrosis of the cervical spine only with external means.
Physiotherapy exercises: principles of implementation and result
Home therapy for cervical osteochondrosis is based on special exercises for the cervical muscles. Exercises are performed according to the following rules:
- The list of exercises and their amplitude are determined by the doctor.
- All exercises are done smoothly and slowly to eliminate the risk of injury.
- Do not start gymnastics treatment for acute pain in the cervical spine.
- The load increases gradually.
- 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:
- Turning the head to the side to the extreme point.
- Bending the head to the sides, back and forth.
- Circular movements of the neck and shoulders.
The gymnastics course lasts until the end of treatment and complete elimination of symptoms. If the patient continues to do gymnastics, he will be able to prevent relapse of the disease. Results of home treatment of osteochondrosis by gymnastics:
- Removal of hypertonicity of the cervical muscles.
- Stretching the ligaments.
- Improving the mobility of the vertebrae.
- Pain relief.
- Increased neck range of motion.
- Normalization of blood circulation in the cervical spine.
Home treatment against cervical osteochondrosis includes a large 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 unpleasant symptoms forever.