Where to apply pepper plaster for coughs, bronchitis, colds, and runny nose?
For complications such as bronchitis, rhinitis, and pneumonia, apply the product to the feet and active points on the back.
The warming cough patch has positive reviews. Often used as an additional therapy to the main treatment for cough in children. To get rid of cough and phlegm, sections of the product are glued to the chest area.
Like mustard plasters, pepper plaster cannot be applied at high temperatures. If we consider which is better: mustard plasters or a back patch, then the second option is more effective and more convenient to use.
The product is glued to the back in the space from the shoulder blades to the spine.
The product is used in different ways:
- for a runny nose - put it on the nose;
- for sinusitis, cut off a thin strip and glue it from the bridge of the nose to the tip of the nose; by analogy, the maxillary sinuses are warmed.
Manufacturers indicate that it is permissible to glue it to the spine and neck, but it should be used after consulting a doctor. Do not glue in the area of the heart or on lesions of the epidermis.
The advantage is that you can wash yourself with the pepper patch.
Back Pain: Part I
Nine out of ten respondents will say that they have had back pain in the past year. But do they know the cause of their pain? “Chondrosis” does not count.
Osteochondrosis is a drainage pit in which a wide variety of causes of back pain are hidden. And first of all, you need to understand how dangerous it is and which doctor you should go to.
The last question is perhaps the most difficult. After all, neurologists, rheumatologists, oncologists, neurosurgeons, and kinesiologists deal with the problem of back pain.
In some cases, they arise due to problems in the field of pulmonology - diseases of the respiratory system, phthisiology - tuberculosis can affect the vertebrae, and even urology - inflammation in the kidneys is skillfully disguised, including as back pain.
Which doctor should I start with?
There may be hidden causes behind seemingly understandable pain. And the prognosis is not always favorable. Therefore, first of all, an expanded diagnostic search and therapy, and not only anti-pain therapy, are needed.
But it is important to remember: if you have back pain, it is not recommended to take anti-inflammatory and painkillers for more than 14 days without other medications prescribed by your doctor. Not because it's dangerous. There are situations when you need to take medications for much longer. But this should only be done when the reason is known.
If back pain does not subside within 14 days, the following is required:
- review of treatment tactics,
- involvement of a neurologist and/or rheumatologist,
- finding out the reasons for the ineffectiveness of treatment,
- analysis of the structure of pain syndrome.
When should you not wait?
Below we will consider a set of clinical symptoms - red flags for which you should immediately seek professional help. Because back pain, which is accompanied by one of them, can hide a serious diagnosis. Although at first glance many of them are not directly related to the problem.
The pain occurred for the first time, and the person’s age was younger than 20 or older than 55 years. As a rule, in these groups, back pain is secondary and is a consequence of another problem.
Back injury. An underestimated injury or fall can result in a vertebral fracture or hematoma, which compresses important structures.
The nature of the pain, which increases over time, may indicate inflammation and even the growth of a tumor.
The pain does not go away or intensifies after being at rest - this is the main sign of the inflammatory process in ankylosing spondylitis and related rheumatological diseases.
Past oncological diseases. Unfortunately, back pain can be a sign of metastasis of the underlying process.
Long-term use of corticosteroids. All allergy sufferers and asthmatics who use inhalers need to be careful. Prednisolone, methylprednisolone and other drugs in this group increase the risk of developing osteoporosis and, as a consequence, vertebral compression fractures.
In immunodeficiencies, which are manifested by frequent bacterial infections - otitis media, pneumonia - back pain can occur, including while taking cytostatics and glucocorticoids. This applies primarily to rheumatology patients, patients with bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus, oncologist and hematologist patients.
In case of prolonged malaise, fever, loss of body weight, which a person experiences the day before or simultaneously with back pain, it is necessary to exclude septic (purulent) foci of inflammation.
If there are areas of numbness in the back, buttocks and legs, a neurologist should rule out compression of the spinal cord.
Back pain along with severe spinal deformity may indicate vertebral fractures.
When using anticoagulants (drugs that thin the blood), there is a danger of increased bleeding and, as a result, the formation of hematomas of different locations. This primarily concerns patients of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, vascular surgeons, as well as those who take anticoagulants after suffering a coronavirus infection.
Infections of the urinary system - cystitis, pyelonephritis, prostatitis - can cause pain radiating to the lumbar region and thoracic spine. A general urine test prescribed by a doctor for back pain is by no means a whim or reinsurance.
If there is a violation of movements in the legs, they do not obey or there is a feeling of weakness in them, it makes sense to evaluate the neurological status with a neurologist. And if necessary, do an electroneuromyography - a study that will show at what level the signal going from the brain to the legs fails.
For urination and defecation disorders, the focus of attention is on the lumbosacral region. And again you should see a neurologist.
Previous tuberculosis. Tuberculous lesions of the vertebrae are, alas, not uncommon in our time.
“Cold swelling” - this is how inflammation in the vertebra and surrounding tissues can be characterized. In this case, the person experiences pain, and slight swelling is possible. But there will be no redness or increase in skin temperature in this area. In this case, consultation with a phthisiatrician, a specialist in extrapulmonary tuberculosis, is required.
Most often, back pain requires the help of a neurologist or rheumatologist. But you definitely need to tell your doctor about all the circumstances.
In the next article, we’ll figure out what kind of pain you should go to a neurologist for, and what kind you should go to a rheumatologist for, and we’ll make a list of symptoms that will help you decide which specialist you need.
Elena Vystavkina, PhD, rheumatologist
Photo depositphotos.com The author’s opinion may not coincide with the opinion of the editors
Test to determine the tolerability of the device
Before using strips, it is worth testing how the body reacts to its components. For this purpose, glue a small piece onto the epidermis. If there is no concern after some time, therefore, it can be used.
Important! Also, the condition of the skin at the point of fixation of the patch should not be ignored. If, for example, there are moles in the place where pepper strips need to be glued, then in this case you can cut a hole of the required diameter and calmly fix the patch.
In what situations is it not recommended to use pepper patch? Pepper remedy should not be used by women during motherhood and children. Experts emphasize that a pregnant woman can use pepper patch for osteochondrosis if there is no danger of spontaneous abortion and other means are powerless. But you should not make a decision regarding the use of the drug on your own.
To read: Testosterone patch review: action, application, contraindications, price, reviews
For proper use of the device, it is necessary to clarify some nuances:
- First of all, you need to make sure that you have osteochondrosis. Since such an illness can easily be confused with banal hypothermia.
- It is not recommended to use the patch if there are skin diseases.
- Also, the application of the patch should be abandoned at high temperatures.
Methods of application
There are two methods for applying the product. Let's find out which method is most effective in treating osteochondrosis.
Whole sheet method (classical)
Applying pepper fabric in a single sheet
This is the application of the entire product (in a single sheet) to the painful area. In this case, the remedy acts not only on the affected area, but also on the area around it.
First, the skin must be degreased and wiped dry with a napkin. The product can be kept for no more than 2 days. It is not allowed to apply more than three medicinal products at the same time.
If an unbearable burning sensation appears on the skin under the patch, it should be removed immediately and the skin should be lubricated with baby cream. If you feel a slight tingling and burning sensation, then this is normal.
Pepper reflexology method
This is the so-called “pepper acupuncture.” This method of applying a patch, according to some experts, is considered more effective.
The meaning of the procedure is that they take a whole sheet of the medicinal product and cut it into several parts (size 1x1 or 2x2). They must be glued to painful or biologically active points.
If the drug is glued to general strengthening biologically active points, the patient’s general well-being improves and his strength is mobilized to fight osteochondrosis. A reflexologist can suggest these points to you.
Where to put the pepper patch
When pieces of the patch are glued to painful points, the pain syndrome decreases and muscle spasms are relieved. These points can be easily detected independently: with slight pressure on them, the patient will feel acute pain.
The product is kept for 3 to 7 days. After removing the product, you should rest the skin for at least 12 hours. Afterwards you can paste the product again.
After a week of using the pepper reflexology method, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis decrease.
Methods and duration of use
The patch must be applied to clean and dry skin. The protective film must be removed and fixed with an adhesive base on the desired area of the epidermis. Typically, when using the device, contact with water is not limited. Regarding the question of how long you can keep the pepper patch on, it is difficult to answer unambiguously. You need to keep the patch on the skin until the pain completely disappears, or until irritation or burning appears. In principle, it is recommended to keep the patch on for up to 2 days, after which a new one is applied.
When you are in drafts, you can catch a cold in your neck quite easily. As a result, the ligaments of the neck and its muscles become inflamed, which is medically called myositis. This kind of problem is quite common, and most patients think that the symptoms will go away on their own, but this is not the case. Such a negligent attitude towards illness can lead to quite serious consequences.
Features of using an anesthetic patch
This medicinal product contains effective anesthetics. Pain relieving patches are not used as actively as pepper patches. However, clinical studies show that if a person undergoes a course of treatment, it not only relieves pain, but also eliminates its cause.
Of course, complete elimination of the causes of any type of osteochondrosis only with the help of an anesthetic patch is unlikely. The patient needs complex therapy that eliminates the causes of degenerative changes in the spine.
A sheet of patch is applied to dry and clean skin. The duration of wearing such a product is about three days, after which it must be removed and reapplied. This must be repeated five times. After completing this course of treatment, you can expect a significant improvement in your condition.
Contraindications to the use of this drug are severe individual intolerance to its components.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
This type of illness brings quite annoying feelings and leads to headaches. Massage manipulations cope well with this kind of illness. But it should be noted that such procedures should not be used without the advice of a specialist. Because an erroneous action can contribute to negative consequences. An alternative method of healing is pepper plaster. Regarding the review, it is possible to draw positive conclusions about its effectiveness.
Many people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to glue a pepper patch directly to the neck to cure an ailment such as cervical osteochondrosis. Glue the device to the body in the designated places, which are located under the spinous process. It is not difficult to find such places. For this purpose it is necessary:
- Bow your head and run your finger over the cervical vertebrae.
- The base of the throat has a prominent vertebra. This point is the very island.
- The pepper patch needs to be stuck a little lower.
In addition, the patch must be attached directly to the painful points. It is not difficult to feel such places; for this purpose, you can press with your fingers at different points of the back, thereby finding the disturbing areas.
