When the time comes to improve their health, many people have little arsenal that a doctor in a clinic can offer. Of course, you can’t do without this, but often you want to try more natural healing methods. One of these is aromatherapy.
Alternative medicine is by no means capable of replacing conventional medicine, but even scientists admit that it is often a good addition to basic treatment. And, of course, no one forbids healthy people to use these practices for general strengthening and rejuvenation of the body. One of these areas is aromatherapy, which involves influencing the body with the help of aromas. There are also specialists in “smell healing” - aromatherapists. The main tool of aromatherapists is essential oils. These are plant extracts that are obtained by steaming and pressing flowers, bark, leaves, and fruits. The result is compounds responsible for the aroma. They perform various functions in plants and can have a beneficial effect on human health. And those who do this professionally know how to use these tools correctly.
Is an aromatherapist a doctor?
Officially, such a medical specialty does not exist. But there are professional training courses, they are available even in institutes. Aromatherapy belongs to the field of folk and alternative medicine. But this does not mean that it is ineffective. At a minimum, a pleasant aroma helps you relax and get rid of stress. And then psychosomatics works: as you know, the psycho-emotional state affects the entire body, can contribute to the development of many diseases, influence their course and symptoms. In addition, essential oils have some immediate healing effects.
Typically, such skills are trained by physiotherapists, psychologists and psychotherapists, cosmetologists, massage therapists, and osteopaths. If a specialist heard about the beneficial effects of aromatherapy practices and wanted to use them in his work, to bring more benefits to his clients - why not? At the same time, virtually anyone can call themselves an aromatherapist - the law in Russia does not prohibit it. There are many home-grown specialists, traditional healers, even those who work on the verge of esotericism. It can be unsafe to “treat” such people: if used incorrectly, essential oils can only cause harm.
Three directions of aromatherapy
• Impact on the respiratory system
and olfactory analyzer. Coming into contact with olfactory receptors, the molecules of substances contained in essential oils cause impulses that reach the amygdala, the center for controlling the emotional state. You can use inhalations, aroma lamps, and aroma lamps. A specialist may recommend wearing an aroma medallion, applying essential oil to a handkerchief, pillow, or simply inhaling from a bottle periodically. Aromatherapy is used in baths and saunas, while another healing factor affects the body - warming up.
• Effect on mucous membranes
. This includes methods such as rinsing the mouth and throat, tamponade.
• Effect on skin.
A favorite procedure for many is massage or rubbing with essential oils. And here, too, two healing factors act on the body at once. A specialist can use classic massage techniques or some special ones, for example, Ayurvedic, Thai, etc. You can also make compresses, lotions, and take baths with essential oils. An aromatherapist can recommend special skin and hair care products, cosmetics, salts, and bath bombs.
Chronic arthritis: types of disease, diagnosis in children and adults, signs of definition
Recommendations from an orthopedist and rheumatologist...
Chronic arthritis is a joint disease that is extremely difficult to treat. If its development is not stopped, the person loses the ability to move normally and becomes disabled. How to identify and prevent the development of pathology?
Features of the disease
reading information
Let's consider the features of chronic arthritis in order to understand the nature of its occurrence and the main goals of therapy.
Symptoms of pathology
At the initial stages of the disease, not everyone is able to notice the signs of chronic arthritis. Its symptoms do not cause much concern until a certain point. In the future, pain and anatomical distortions of the affected joints are added.
Arthritis symptoms:
- stiffness of movement, especially in the morning;
- swelling of the joints;
- attacks of pain;
- subluxations;
- joint deformation;
- general weakness;
- weight loss;
- possible increase in body temperature.
Some forms are characterized by symptoms affecting mucous and skin surfaces. For example, with reactive arthritis, the conjunctiva of the eyes becomes inflamed, a rash and peeling appears on the skin and genitals, and stool disorders occur.
Symptoms of reactive arthritis
Important: chronic reactive arthritis has a more rapid course. It develops over a month and has a large impact area.
Reasons for development
The exact causes of the disease cannot always be determined. The primary form of pathology can develop due to the influence of such factors:
- hypothermia;
- injury;
- allergy;
- significant physical stress on the joints;
- obesity;
- hyperinsolation;
- genetic predisposition.
Secondary arthritis often develops against the background of other diseases, for example, diabetes, psoriasis, sarcoidosis, etc. The main role for this type of pathology is played by infections: specific and nonspecific. The first include tuberculosis, syphilis, the second - sinusitis, hepatitis and the like.
We also recommend that you pay attention to the article: “What is seronegative rheumatoid arthritis.”
Stress and infections can trigger arthritis
Chronic arthritis in children and women can develop against the background of hormonal changes occurring in the body. The risks increase if there is a hereditary tendency to pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.
Aroma diagnostics
Aromatherapists also have their own examination method - aromadiagnostics.
The client is given different essential oils, and then asked to tell which scents he likes, which ones he doesn’t like, and to share his emotions. Based on these answers, the specialist draws some conclusions. Of course, this is not as accurate as a complete blood count or CT scan. Therefore, if you suspect that you have a real health problem, the first step is to visit a traditional doctor and get examined in a clinic. Many aroma diagnostics experts claim that this wonderful method can reveal absolutely everything: physical, psychological and mental problems, the activity of the masculine and feminine principles, human inclinations, leadership qualities and much more. Scientists, of course, disagree. Whether to believe this conclusion of an aromatherapist is something everyone decides for themselves.
Three principles of aromatherapy
1. An integrated approach. Like many representatives of alternative medicine, aromatherapists do not usually seek to relieve a person of just one health problem. They perceive the entire body as a single whole, all parts of which are in complex relationships.
2. Each person is individual.
There are dozens of different essential oils, and each person reacts to them differently. For example, the aroma of peppermint is often used for headaches. But in young children, on the contrary, it often causes anxiety. People with heart palpitations also do not respond well to peppermint. Also, do not forget that plant extracts are substances of natural origin, and allergies can occur to them. Most often it occurs in people with other allergic reactions, atopic dermatitis. If after an aromatherapy session a person feels dizzy, headache or other symptoms, then the oils need to be changed or the procedures should be stopped completely.
3. Correct choice of dosages.
Usually they start with small doses of oils to see how a person reacts to them. Another practice involves using high doses at first and then reducing them. This is done when you need to quickly achieve results. For preventive purposes, the same average doses are used during all sessions.
Cervical arthritis: causes, clinical signs and treatment
Cervical arthritis is an inflammation of the joint in the cervical spine, which causes stiffness, swelling, and pain. This disease can be of two types: osteoarthritis (cervical spondylosis) and rheumatoid arthritis.
Causes of cervical arthritis
Cervical spondylosis occurs in old age, in 85% of cases in people after sixty years of age. Usually the four lower vertebrae of the cervical spine (4th to 7th) are affected. Inflammation very rarely occurs in the upper cervical vertebrae.
The cause of cervical spondylosis is aging of the intervertebral discs. As a result of increased stress on the facet joints of the vertebrae, bone spurs appear. They compress the nerve roots and limit neck movements.
After ten years of rheumatoid arthritis, the cervical spine is involved in the pathological process in 80% of cases. The synovial tissue in the joints between the back of the head and the first two cervical vertebrae is affected. More often it is the first two vertebrae that become inflamed.
Risk factors (for both forms of cervical arthritis):
- hereditary predisposition;
- history of neck and back injuries;
- physical activity (sitting half-bent position, incorrect posture, excessive activity of the cervical spine);
- inflammation of joints of various etiologies;
- osteochondrosis;
- osteoarthritis;
- natural aging of the body (wear of intervertebral discs, proliferation of bone tissue);
- hypothermia;
- smoking (a connection has been found between smoking and degenerative changes in the cervical vertebrae).
Symptoms of Neck Arthritis
Clinical signs of the disease:
- stabbing pain in the back of the neck, radiating to the lower region of the head, shoulders, elbow joints or fingers;
- muscle weakness in the cervical region;
- headache concentrated in the back of the head;
- crunch of vertebrae;
- weakness, tingling and cramps in the arms and legs;
- cervical stiffness;
- swelling and redness of the skin in the affected area.
Cervical spondylosis rarely results in permanent deformity or disability. Rheumatoid arthritis of the neck progresses without proper treatment. In both cases, early diagnosis is important. The degree of bone degeneration is determined using X-rays or MRI.
Treatment of arthritis of the cervical spine
Methods of conservative treatment:
1) Physiotherapeutic procedures:
- traction (dry traction of the cervical vertebrae, which reduces compression of the spinal nerves and facet joints);
- acupuncture;
- electrical stimulation;
- vacuum therapy;
- gentle methods of manual therapy;
- magnetopuncture;
- laser therapy;
- pharmacopuncture;
- massage (for muscle relaxation).
2) Therapeutic gymnastics (a set of exercises is selected by a specialist taking into account the degree of the disease and the condition of the body).
3) Wearing a soft cervical collar (allows you to keep your neck in the correct position, limits painful movements, allows your muscles to rest; but constant wearing weakens the neck muscles).
- Arthritis of the cervical spine: what it is, causes, treatment, symptoms, signs
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, Aspirin, Piroxicam, Ibuprofen and others);
- muscle relaxants (relieve spasms that occur in response to pain);
- anticonvulsants (help cope with pain);
- steroid injections (injections into the area of the compressed nerve root, reduce swelling of the inflamed nerve, due to which the pain subsides; prescribed for severe pain);
- injections into the area of the facet joint (the same steroid drugs with a local anesthetic are injected);
- blockade with radiofrequency ablation (a steroid with an anesthetic is injected into the nerve area, then the affected nerve process is destroyed through radiofrequency ablation).
Surgical treatment is indicated if months of conservative treatment does not produce results. Methods:
- implantation of an artificial intervertebral disc (the damaged disc is removed and an artificial one is implanted in its place);
- anterior or posterior cervical discectomy (prescribed for the presence of osteophytes or a slipped disc; the degenerative intervertebral disc is removed and a fusion is created between the vertebrae);
- cervical laminectomy (only those vertebral elements that put pressure on the nerve roots or spinal cord are removed);
- cervical foraminotomy (the canal through which the nerve root comes from the spinal cord is widened).
Treatment methods for neck arthritis are selected depending on the patient's condition.
Source: tvoyaybolit.ru
What diseases does aromatherapy help with?
You can often hear from supporters of aromatherapy that it helps perfectly with almost all diseases and sometimes works wonders, even when official medicine is powerless. Although some scientific research has been conducted in this regard, there is not enough research yet to evaluate the effectiveness of essential oils against certain diseases. However, there are some impressive results. For example, one American study found that some essential oils were even better at killing Borrelia (the bacteria that causes Lyme disease) than antibiotics. But this is in the laboratory, “in vitro,” and no studies have yet been conducted on sick people.
If you believe the data from clinical trials (where drugs are tested on real patients), aromatherapy can be effective for conditions such as anxiety, depression, nausea, insomnia, decreased appetite and dry mouth.
It has been proven that essential oils have antioxidant, analgesic, antibacterial and antifungal effects, affect the central nervous system, reducing the symptoms of depression and insomnia.
How to find a good aromatherapist?
If you want to receive the positive effects of aromatherapy and avoid harm to your health, then it is important to find a real specialist who has undergone quality training.
Some simple tips will help with this. Skill level.
The first step is to ask the specialist to show documents about professional training. Most likely, these will be certificates of completed courses. It is important to look at which organization issued the papers. It is best if it is a large well-known institute or university.
Previous education.
According to the law, a person with any education and even without it can become a specialist in the field of aromatherapy in Russia. Let us remind you: this is not an official medical profession, and the requirements for course participants are not particularly high. But, of course, it is better if the aromatherapist has some impressive professional background. If you are experiencing problems in the psycho-emotional sphere, then a psychologist with a diploma from an institute will best help you; for rejuvenation, you should contact a cosmetologist, and if you are experiencing physical symptoms, then a physiotherapist will be the best choice.
The quality of essential oils used.
Ask what oils the specialist uses. If the bottles have the same labels as those in the supermarket next to your home, this is a reason for doubt. To get a few milliliters of high-quality oil, you need to spend several kilograms of plant material. Therefore, there must be products of a specialized brand.
Consultation.
Talk to a specialist. During the first consultation, evaluate his level of competence in a dialogue, ask what techniques he uses and how they work. Amateurs can act very confidently and be very convincing in dialogue, but they usually quickly give themselves away. If an aromatherapist uses incomprehensible terms, complains about a “conspiracy of doctors” and talks for a long time on esoteric topics - think about it, do you need it?
Verified organization.
It’s one thing for an aromatherapist who works from home or rents a cheap office, and quite another thing for a specialist in a cosmetology center, psychology center, or even a private clinic. Especially if the organization has a good reputation and is careful in selecting employees.
Reviews.
Perhaps among your family and friends there are people who have already experienced aromatherapy? Ask them to recommend a good professional. You can look at reviews on the Internet, but it’s better to choose independent resources.
Aromatherapy is, of course, not an alternative to official medicine, and certainly not a panacea. But with the right approach, it can give a lot of new pleasant sensations, improve health and improve appearance. It is no coincidence that humanity has been using it for centuries and, apparently, will continue to use it for at least as long.
What is cervical arthritis and how is it treated?
Stiffness of movement, severe headaches, swelling - all these are signs indicating cervical arthritis. Treatment of neck arthritis is aimed at overcoming factors that provoke inflammation and restoring the functions of damaged joints.
Causes and symptoms of neck arthritis
Before prescribing treatment for cervical arthritis, a rheumatologist will try to determine the etymology of the disease. The effectiveness of therapy largely depends on obtaining an accurate clinical picture.
Medical practice has shown that the most common types of arthritis of the cervical spine are:
- Osteoarthritis or spondylosis.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
Spondylosis begins due to disturbances in the structure of the spinal column. Often changes occur due to age-related changes and the formation of bone spurs. Neck disease with arthritis is quite common due to the formation of a hernia or protrusion in the cervical spine. The disease is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Stitching radiating pain.
- Muscle weakness in the cervical region.
- Crunching and clicking of the neck when turning the head.
- Cramps.
- Stiffness in movements.
Rheumatoid arthritis - begins due to a previous infectious disease. The first sign of pathology is a sudden inflammatory process affecting bone and joint tissue.
Untimely prescribed drug treatment for cervical arthritis leads to destruction of the cartilage structure.
The clinical picture of the disease is as follows:
- Pain syndrome. In the early stages it is felt only in the morning. The patient has neck pain, stiffness in movements, and swelling.
- Redness of the skin.
- Tingling in arms and legs.
- Increased size of the cervical lymph node.
- High blood pressure is usually observed with serious disorders of the structure of the cervical vertebrae. In later stages, rheumatoid arthritis affects the functioning of internal organs and the cardiovascular system. Pressure surges in this case become a common symptom.
- Joint deformity. The inflammatory process affects the synovium of the joint. As a result, degenerative changes occur within a few months. There are several deformities characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis, these are: swan neck
- button loop
- ulnar deviation
At the first symptoms of the disease, you should seek professional help. A timely prescribed course of therapy can stop the development of arthritis and prevent the onset of irreversible deforming changes.
How to treat cervical arthritis
Treatment of arthritis is aimed at achieving two main goals:
- Termination of the inflammatory process.
- Restoring neck mobility and other basic functions.
Treatment for cervical arthritis begins with fighting inflammation. A course of antibiotics is recommended. Indications for this are enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, which often indicates an infectious lesion of the joints.
Immediately after the end of antibacterial therapy, injections of anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. NSAIDs reduce swelling and fight inflammation.
The patient is recommended to use special ointments as a local anesthetic. Ointments provoke irritation of skin areas, providing an analgesic effect and providing increased blood flow. The most effective ointments and gels for cervical arthritis are made from bee or snake venom and often contain NSAIDs.
Source: ponchikov.net
Headaches and dizziness, weakness, attacks of nausea, poor appetite, fever - these symptoms may be the first signs of incipient inflammation in the cervical spine. Rheumatoid arthritis of the spine is one of the age-related diseases, as it is closely related to the natural aging of connective tissues and intervertebral discs.
Diagnosis and causes of rheumatoid changes
Symptoms of spinal rheumatoid arthritis can be confirmed by a number of clinical studies, including:
- x-rays;
- general and biochemical blood tests (anemia, increased ESR and C-reactive protein);
- analysis of joint fluid (increased levels of leukocytes and neutrophils, low viscosity, turbidity);
- urine test (presence of protein).
In addition, serum studies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine record increased levels of urea and creatinine.
Pathological changes can be caused by infections, injuries to soft and bone tissues in the cervical region. Increased stress on the skeleton caused by heavy or monotonous work is also not beneficial.
An unbalanced diet is fraught with two factors that negatively affect health: excess weight, which puts stress on the joints, and a lack of such important components in the body as vitamin D and calcium. It is worth mentioning bad habits, which can become an additional catalyst for destructive processes.
In particular, heavy smokers suffer more serious complications from rheumatoid arthritis of the neck and spine .
Methods for treating arthritis in the cervical spine
The main thing to understand is that treatment should begin immediately after the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine are confirmed by appropriate clinical studies and the doctor makes a final diagnosis.
It should be noted that this process is quite long and complex, both physically and psychologically. After all, the disease destroys cartilage tissue, deforms joints, which, in turn, promotes contractures and is accompanied by pain that can plunge patients into depression.
The disease recedes only with serious complex treatment, including forms such as:
- drug therapy (anti-inflammatory, hormonal, muscle relaxants, chondroprotectors, cytostatics);
- physiotherapy (magnetic therapy, electrophoresis, phonophoresis, ultraviolet irradiation, etc.);
- physiotherapy;
- massage.
If the disease is advanced and the body does not respond to therapy, surgical intervention is required. Do not neglect folk remedies. And remember that timely diagnosis and strict adherence to prescribed treatment gives a positive prognosis.
And physical education, an active lifestyle, giving up bad habits, dosed loads on the cervical vertebrae and eliminating traumatic factors, timely treatment of viral and infectious diseases will minimize the likelihood of developing dangerous rheumatoid arthritis.
Neck pain Diagnosis Treatment
Source: https://artrity.net/vidy-artritov-i-artrozov/revmatoidnyj-artrit/revmatoidnyj-artrit-pozvonochnika-s-lokalizatsiej-v-shejnom-otdele/
