Treatment of spinal osteochondrosis at home

Features of spinal osteochondrosis

Even ancient healers believed that all back problems were associated with the development of civilization.

Initially, our ancestors walked on all fours. The structure of the spine is well suited for such an existence. But when Homo Erectus appeared, the load on the spine increased. The modern lifestyle – sedentary work, deteriorating environmental conditions – adds even more problems to the back. At risk are athletes, people experiencing excessive stress and abusing smoking and alcohol.

Osteochondrosis is a purely Russian disease. No, they suffer all over the world. But in our country, all problems with the spine are classified as osteochondrosis. In Western medicine, it is customary to classify diseases according to their nature and effect on a particular area, which allows you to choose a more effective method of treating spinal osteochondrosis at home.

Spinal osteochondrosis is changes in the intervertebral discs, ligaments and joints. With this disease, the discs are the first to be affected, and then all other parts of the spine. The problem with osteochondrosis is that the structure of the spine includes a huge number of nerve endings. Therefore, any problems lead to severe pain and require immediate treatment.

Recipes

Chondrosis is a dangerous disease because... cartilage tissue is first replaced by fibrous tissue, and then by bone tissue. It is especially scary if the disease has spread to the cervical region. This is due to the fact that a large number of nerve plexuses and vessels that go to the cerebral cortex are concentrated in this section. That is why treatment should never be postponed until later. To do this, you can use all available methods.

The most commonly used recipes are::

Mustard tincture . To prepare it, we need half a liter of vodka, dry mustard (50 g), propolis (several g), aloe juice (2 tbsp). A compress should be made from the prepared components and applied to the affected area. The product should be applied at night. After this, the affected area of the body should be insulated. The course of treatment can last no more than two weeks.
Pork fat ointment . To prepare it, you need to take a tablespoon of the main component and mix it with a tablespoon of hop cones. The resulting ointment is rubbed in a circular motion into the affected area, after which it should not be washed off for about 10 hours;
At home, you can use various tinctures for chondrosis. Check out the recipes for some of them Garlic tincture
. To prepare it, you need to take 200 grams of garlic cloves and a bottle (preferably 0.5 liters) of vodka. Garlic should be poured with vodka and left to infuse for 14 days. After this, the resulting solution is used to rub the affected area;
The essence also has a positive effect , for the preparation of which you take 1/3 bottle of vegetable oil and bodyaga powder. It is necessary to rub the affected area with it, and then insulate it. You should leave the compress on for at least one hour;
Celery root in the treatment of chondrosis . To prepare this medicine, we need celery root and water - no more than a liter. Celery should be put through a meat grinder and take half a teaspoon of this component. This component should be poured into a liter of water and left to infuse for ten hours. The resulting liquid should be filtered and taken no more than three times a day;
Parsley seeds (40 g) must be boiled in half a liter of water. After which the resulting solution should be filtered to remove impurities and taken one tablespoon three times a day before sitting down to eat;
In the treatment of a disease such as chondrosis, cinquefoil . To prepare the medicine, we need to take 50 grams of plant material and pour it with a liter of vodka. This mixture must be infused for ten days. After which the resulting medicine is taken one tablespoon three times a day before the person sits down to eat;
Barberry in the treatment of this disease. You need to take a few grams of barberry bark (up to 25) and a few ml of alcohol. This tincture should be taken 30 drops three times a day to completely relieve pain. The total duration of treatment is several weeks.

All of these recipes significantly reduce tissue swelling, resulting in less stress on the nerve roots . After which the pain itself disappears. Such treatment methods have a rapid as well as long-lasting effect on the affected body. Only with timely treatment can the development of the disease slow down, and sometimes even stop its further progression.

Video: “Treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies”

Types of osteochondrosis

The accepted classification of osteochondrosis is the localization of pain. Since the problem can occur in any part of the spine, there are:

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The second most “popular” type of this disease is cervical osteochondrosis. It develops due to prolonged awkward positioning of the head. Sometimes it leads to headaches, deterioration of vision and hearing. Pain occurs in the back of the head or collarbone. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine develops in people who work at a computer for a long time or bend over paper media.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. This type of disease is the least common. The thing is that the vertebrae in this section are inactive. Sometimes a specialist requires additional examinations to rule out heart or lung diseases, which are “masked” as osteochondrosis.
Lumbar osteochondrosis. Pain that manifests itself in the lumbar region. May be accompanied by dull or sharp pain that worsens with movement. Often, pain can radiate to the legs. With severe osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, the risk of muscle atrophy increases. This type of spinal disease is more common than others.

Osteochondrosis can also develop in several parts of the spine at the same time. This disease leads to disruption of the speech apparatus and deterioration of the sensitivity of the occipital region. Polysegmental osteochondrosis requires complex treatment. To prevent the manifestation of this type of spinal injury, immediate contact with specialists is required.

Generalized osteochondrosis causes even more serious problems. This disease affects not only the spine, but also joint tissues. Which leads to metabolic complications and a decrease in the overall immunity of the body.

Rules for performing massage

At the first session, the massage therapist, carefully palpating the skin and muscles, identifies painful areas of the back that should be treated more gently. The treatment time is determined individually, but the standard number of sessions in a course includes 10–15 procedures, while only 5–7 sessions are sufficient to prevent osteochondrosis. The duration of the procedure is from 20 to 40 minutes, which increases as the muscles adapt to the load.

Important aspects of massage:

placement of the patient - horizontally;
position in the presence of pain - on the side;
technique of the first session - soft stimulation without stress on the damaged areas of the back;
sequence of exposure - transition from healthy areas to diseased areas;
the direction of massage movements is along the lymph flow;

The massage therapist can also increase blood flow if he uses warming ointments during the session.

It is forbidden to visit the massage room during an exacerbation of the disease, which causes acute pain.

Stages of development of osteochondrosis

Modern medicine distinguishes four stages of osteochondrosis:

Manifestation of symptoms of constant fatigue syndrome, discomfort in the area of localization of the disease. Diagnosing this stage of the disease is very difficult. To identify the problem, a comprehensive examination of the patient is required.
Manifestation of painful sensations. A disturbance in the structure of cartilage tissue leads to compression of the nerve endings. Treatment using painkillers can put the patient back on his feet.
Changes in the structure of the spine. Further destruction and pathological changes in the spine lead to its curvature. The patient may develop a hump. Modern methods of therapy can reduce curvature and eliminate pain.
Disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Displacement of the vertebrae leads to the development of osteophytes. Irreversible consequences, without the intervention of specialists, lead to disability.

The nature of pain caused by osteochondrosis

Headaches with osteochondrosis are a symptom by which the disease can be identified even in the absence of any damage to the neck area. However, it is impossible to make a final diagnosis based on examination alone. There are several options for what types of headaches there are with osteochondrosis, depending on the cause of their occurrence:

when the vertebral artery is compressed, the pain resembles a migraine, often spreading to only one half of the head;
when the roots of the spinal nerves are pinched - pulsating, sharp, intensified during turns and tilts of the head;
chronic headaches are associated with ischemia, a lack of oxygen and nutrients in certain areas of the brain.

With osteochondrosis, headache is often accompanied by additional symptoms. The main one is stiffness in the neck, muscle spasm and discomfort. In addition, the patient may experience numbness in his hands and a tingling sensation in the skin of his palms. If there is insufficient blood flow to the brain, hearing and vision deteriorate, and difficulties with coordination of movements appear. There is also increased sensitivity to bright light and loud sounds and tactile stimuli. These signs disappear after blood circulation is restored.

What causes osteochondrosis to develop?

The main reason for the development of osteochondrosis is improper load on the spine. With prolonged exposure to this part of the body, the structure of the cartilage changes. The intervertebral disc decreases in size and becomes deformed.

Other reasons include:

Intense load and sudden movements of the body.
Pregnancy and carrying a child in your arms.
Using uncomfortable shoes.
Poor nutrition and metabolic disorders.
Genetics and hereditary factors.

Modern remedies for osteochondrosis contain substances that help strengthen bone tissue in the body.

VSD or cervical osteochondrosis?

Vegetovascular dystonia is a syndrome in which the functioning of the autonomic nervous system is disrupted. VSD is a functional disorder in which there are no structural changes either in the spinal column or in the nuclei of the intervertebral discs.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia has a mental origin - it is a neurosis that is associated with intrapersonal conflicts or childhood traumas. Externally, VSD and osteochondrosis can be similar to each other: headaches, dizziness, pain in the anterior chest wall.

To distinguish diseases, it is necessary to carry out instrumental diagnostics - x-rays of the cervical spine and other parts, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. As a result of diagnosis, there will be no organic changes in VSD, unlike osteochondrosis.

Painful sensations with osteochondrosis

This disease of the spine leads to the manifestation of various pain sensations. Experts identify the following types of back pain:

Nociceptive. Increased sensitivity in areas with damaged tissue. Foci with constant pain form in the back area.
Neuropathic. Sensations leading to decreased muscle strength and sensitivity. Any irritants lead to pain.
Dysfunctional. It manifests itself as discomfort in the nervous system after vigorous physical activity.

With osteochondrosis, discomfort is often of a mixed nature. The combination of several types of pain leads to difficulties in diagnosing the problem.

Treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is treated with medications, psychotherapy and lifestyle correction. Patients are prescribed symptomatic treatment: sedatives, anti-anxiety drugs, sleeping pills, restoratives, and vitamins. The goal of psychotherapy for VSD is to teach the patient to regulate negative emotions and increase stress resistance. The lifestyle is also adjusted: you need to balance work and rest, exercise and adhere to a balanced diet.

Risk groups for osteochondrosis

Since nature and evolution have made our spine very strong, a combination of factors is necessary for destructive consequences to occur. The risk group includes people who:

They lead a sedentary lifestyle. This leads to deterioration of blood supply. This means the spine lacks the nutrients it needs.
Are subject to excessive stress. Athletes involved in strength sports, as well as citizens engaged in heavy production.
They are in the wrong position for a long time. A strong load on the spine is observed in people who do not take breaks when working at the computer.
Subject to stress. Tension in the muscles leads to external effects on the blood vessels. Their duct decreases. The spine does not receive the necessary nutrition and is destroyed.

Hereditary predisposition and bad habits have a great influence on spinal problems. Alcohol and nicotine destroy the structure of cartilage tissue. Including those located in the spine.

The risk zone includes people involved in construction, office workers, athletes, surgeons, assembly line workers, etc.

The main stages of massage and their features

Cervical massage is done while lying on your stomach on a couch or in a specialized chair. To ensure comfort, the doctor applies massage oil. The process consists of three stages for high-quality muscle development; the spine should not be touched:

Smooth rubbing. Using circular movements of the palms from top to bottom, the massage therapist kneads the muscle tissue. A mandatory point is to work on the rhomboid muscle at the base of the 7th vertebra. Then repeat the movements in the opposite direction, returning to the back of the head.
Active development of the collar area. A smooth increase in force on the same muscles. The direction of movement is from top to bottom and back, from bottom to top. The movements are performed with the fingers or the tissue is pinched with the palm. In the area between the shoulder blades it is possible to grab only the skin. To better work the muscles, the massage therapist makes the same movements with his knuckles or thumbs.
Relaxation. With all the same circular movements and grips, the force of impact decreases and gradually fades away. At the end of the session, rubbing the area with your palms and gentle tapping with your fingertips is performed again.

When the massage is over, the patient remains lying or sitting in a chair. The skin is wiped with a napkin, the neck and shoulders are covered with a warm towel. This is necessary for recovery. The entire session lasts about half an hour. Each zone must be worked several times with different intensities. In order for a massage to have a therapeutic effect, it must cause some discomfort to the patient. If you carry out the procedure effortlessly, you can only achieve a relaxing effect.

Make an appointment for a massage at our clinic soon.

Complications of osteochondrosis

When the disease manifests itself, it is important to receive qualified help as early as possible. Treatment of spinal osteochondrosis is necessary in order not only to get rid of pain, but also to prevent paralysis of the body. Serious violations lead to irreversible consequences. The nerve endings in the spine are destroyed, which leads to loss of sensitivity and even impaired mobility.

Any spinal problems that cause pain worsen the quality of life. Modern techniques make it possible to completely eliminate pain even with severe spinal injuries.

Massage with medicinal ointments

The classic use of ointments designed to relieve pain in various parts of the spine is often limited to patients rubbing them into the skin themselves. Superficial rubbing performed in this way leads to limited absorption of active substances into the epidermis, while massage with medicinal ointments helps to increase the degree of penetration of medicinal components to the deeper layers of the skin and muscle fibers.

Options for using ointments by group:

Anti-inflammatory.
Destruction of the intervertebral disc provokes a pathological effect on the surrounding soft tissue. Popular representatives of the group - Finalgel, Diclofenac, Nimesulide gel - help relieve inflammation and swelling by inhibiting the synthesis of substances responsible for tissue inflammation - prostaglandins.
Locally irritating.
Well-known options with a warming effect - Capsicam, Efkamon, Finalgon, Nicoflex - contain bee or snake venom, red pepper or nonivamide (synthetic substances), which cause a feeling of warming due to increased blood flow. Ointments with camphor, peppermint oil and menthol (camphor ointment, Deep Relief), on the contrary, have a cooling effect (best used in the hot season).
Vascular.
Venoruton, Troxevasin, heparin ointment are included in the group of venotonics - drugs that strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Phlebotonic and angioprotective ointments for osteochondrosis should be included in a massage session when the patient has a tendency to develop venous dilatation of the veins. If a patient is diagnosed with a so-called capillary network on the body, then during the treatment procedure the fragility of the capillaries decreases and the swelling decreases.
Chondroprotectors.
By rubbing preparations with glucosamine and chondroitin (Chondroxide, Teraflex, Chondroitin-AKOS, Chondrolone) into the skin, you can achieve rapid renewal of cartilage tissue and eliminate pain. If you use chondroprotectors during therapeutic massage, which is also called wellness for osteochondrosis, you can also increase the resistance of connective tissue to mechanical stress.

To enhance the effect, alternate the use of different lubricants. The most effective combination is considered to be: proto-inflammatory agents + local irritants + relaxing ointments. If osteochondrosis is caused by injury, then it is rational to change this combination: anti-inflammatory drugs are combined with vascular options.

Medical fact

The use of medicinal ointments during a massage session is guaranteed to reduce the treatment time for osteochondrosis.

Treatment of diseases with “Solnyshko” devices

One of the effective methods of treating osteochondrosis is hardware therapy. Today, many devices are used that relieve pain and eliminate the factors of destruction of intervertebral discs. One of such devices is the AMNP-02 “Sun” magnetic therapy device.

The device is very popular among athletes. It can help reduce pain after injury. But ordinary people should also buy this device from. The device creates a magnetic field with an induction of 55±10 mT, which has a beneficial effect on the damaged area. The device reduces pain and helps eliminate further destructive processes.

Symptoms of the disease

Among the general clinical symptoms of osteochondrosis of the knee joint, it is worth highlighting:

painful sensations
– a classic sign, the intensity of manifestation of which is determined by the degree of development of pathological processes;
local manifestations
– slight swelling;
limited mobility
– initially there is a limitation of active movements (walking and running), and then passive ones (bending/extending a limb with outside help);
characteristic crunching sound when performing movements
– mainly in the first hours after waking up, disappearing as daytime activity increases;
transient lameness
, turning into a permanent one.

Prognosis for treatment of osteochondrosis with massage and frequency of its implementation

Therapy, which exclusively includes taking medications and maintaining a rest regime, is ineffective, while exercise therapy together with massage for osteochondrosis helps to increase blood flow and strengthen muscles. Stages 1 and 2 of the disease can be corrected—it is relatively easy to slow down destructive processes. At stages 3 and 4, visiting a specialist is also useful, however, these forms can no longer be treated exclusively with massage. With careful attention to health, the prognosis is favorable.

The frequency of procedures depends on the patient’s condition: for prevention, 5–7 sessions are sufficient, carried out once every six months; if the condition worsens, it is necessary to double the number of sessions, sometimes triple (up to 10–20 procedures), and reduce the intervals between courses to 2–4 months. In the presence of hernias and protrusions, treatment tactics are determined strictly individually.

The dynamics of treatment depends on following the doctor’s recommendations and eliminating the main damaging factors - excessive physical activity, poor posture, physical inactivity, and excess weight.