Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can ruin a person's life. The result of its progression is acute and painful pain in the neck, shoulder blades, collarbone. Often, tightening the spinal canal and veins can cause headaches, migraines and neck mobility disorders. Treating the disease at home requires an integrated approach, as it is not so easy to get rid of cervical osteochondrosis.
Why the disease occurs: basic prerequisites
Osteochondrosis is accompanied by degenerative changes in the joints of the cervical spine's vertebrae. Because of osteochondrosis, the joints wear out more quickly, lose mobility and bone growth that consists of salts - osteophytes - forms in the body of the cervical vertebrae. As a result, there is clamping of nerves and blood vessels, narrowing of the vertebral canal, destruction of the joints, protrusion of the vertebrae with the occurrence of intervertebral hernias.
Hospital and home treatment of osteochondrosis begins with the establishment of the cause of the disease and its elimination. They can be:
- Lack of physical activity.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Uneven load distribution in the cervical spine muscles.
- Abuse of harmful foods (salty, fatty, fried, smoked).
- Metabolic disorders due to chronic diseases.
- Scoliotic deformity in the back.
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 the first 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 your neck.
- Frequent headaches.
- Spasmodic aches and pains in the neck muscles.
As the disease progresses, the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis increase:
- Pain occurs at rest.
- The buds are felt in the area of the scapula and collarbone.
- Bringing the neck back or forward is difficult.
- Dizziness occurs due to cerebral hypoxia.
In the absence of adequate treatment, progression of osteochondrosis symptoms is observed:
- Numbness of the tongue occurs.
- The sensitivity of the upper limbs is impaired.
- Arm paraesthesias 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 at home.
Basics of diagnosis: who to contact
If there is a suspicion of developing cervical spine osteochondrosis at home, it is necessary to contact a neurologist, orthopedist or vertebrologist. The examination and confirmation of the diagnosis of "osteochondrosis" occurs after:
- Taking anamnesis. The doctor will learn all the details of the patient's lifestyle.
- Internal examination and palpation. The degree of pain and mobility disorders of the vertebrae, the presence of tissue edema and the preservation of its sensitivity are established.
- Performing diagnostic studies. This includes radiographs of the spine. If necessary, an MRI or CT scan is performed to assess the state of the cervical spine joints, to confirm or refute the formation of hernias.
During the exam, the doctor will make a diagnosis and offer the patient a set of measures to treat the disease at home.
How to treat cervical spine osteochondrosis at home
With early diagnosis, correct treatment selection and a responsible patient attitude towards therapy, cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis can be successfully treated at home.
The main measures of home treatment aim to eliminate 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 period, frequent breaks are prescribed, which implies physical activity.
- In case of postural disturbances and uneven loads on the cervical muscles, special fasteners, correctors and corsets are used to ensure a symmetrical body position.
- In case of overweight and inadequate nutrition, appropriate adjustments are made to the patient's lifestyle and a diet is prescribed.
- Cervical osteochondrosis, caused by metabolic disorders in the context of chronic diseases, is eliminated by the therapy of the underlying disease.
The main treatment at home is strict compliance with medical prescriptions for taking medications - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, chondroprotectants. The patient must follow the recommended admission regime, clearly maintain the duration of the treatment course until the desired result is achieved.
The home treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine involves 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 foods. Homemade food for the patient must be nutritious and balanced. The diet should include:
- Fiber sources for normalizing 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, vegetables, eggs.
- Sources of calcium and potassium that are easy to digest: cottage cheese, green leaves, dairy products.
Naturally, home treatment should exclude fatty, fried, smoked and salty foods from the diet.
Home treatment may require visits to specialized inpatient rooms for physiotherapy. You must not neglect them. The electrophoresis session allows the delivery of medicinal substances directly to the tissues affected by osteochondrosis, which is impossible to achieve at home. The physiotherapy recommended by the doctor should be attended regularly, and it is essential to carry out the complete 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 more than 2-3 days. After this period, the patient should gradually become more active and increase physical activity, even if all treatment is done at home.
For a more effective home treatment of osteochondrosis, the purchase of a special orthopedic pillow is recommended. It is able to effectively relieve tension in the cervical muscles when the patient is sleeping.
Prescriptions for traditional medicines
Doctors do not prohibit combining medicines at home with the use of means proven by popular experience. Moderation, compliance with safety rules and eliminating the risk of damage to the skin on the neck are important conditions.
Natural compresses for cervical osteochondrosis allow you to get rid of painful sensations, and ingesting infusions helps to normalize metabolic processes, remove excess salt deposits from the body. Below are popular proven recipes for home treatment of cervical spine osteochondrosis.
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 into one 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 overcoming the pain location with fresh nettles.
Garlic and ginger are mixed in equal proportions. Dilute with vegetable oil to obtain porridge. Rub the composition on the neck muscles for 20 minutes. The remaining funds are removed with a napkin.
Horseradish leaves are steamed with boiling water for one minute, after which they are applied to the cervical spine. Leave the compress overnight, heating it with a tissue.
Treating osteochondrosis at home using only traditional methods is ineffective. Probably, it will only be possible to reduce the symptoms, but not to cure the disease. Treatment with folk remedies is best agreed with a doctor.
Massage for cervical osteochondrosis
The complete home treatment for cervical osteochondrosis, recommended by doctors, includes massage. It is best to entrust your implementation to a qualified specialist. In the absence of this opportunity, self-massage will help to cure osteochondrosis of the neck, which the patient can do at home at any time that is convenient. Its main rules:
- The impact on the cervical muscles is done with the fingertips, not the palm.
- The movements must be directed strictly towards the periphery and also from top to bottom.
- It is forbidden to apply pressure and rub the cervical vertebrae very quickly.
- For a smooth sliding of the fingers, the massage is performed with oil.
The homemade honey massage helps to combat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. About a teaspoon of honey is rubbed over the surface of the cervical vertebrae and muscles, kneading gently with the fingers until the honey is viscous, after which it is washed with warm water.
Medicines: Eating and smearing at home
Medical treatment of cervical osteochondrosis should be selected by a doctor. Often, an entire complex is used, consisting of injectable, oral and local drugs.
- Forms of injection. They are prescribed to eliminate acute inflammation in the early stages of home treatment. These are chondroprotective, 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 analgesics, muscle relaxants and chondroprotectors are prescribed. Treatment with drugs from the latter group is long-term. The minimum course of treatment is 3 months.
- External installations. They are ointments and gels based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief or chondroitin sulfate to accelerate the recovery of cartilage.
At home, complex treatment helps to eliminate cervical osteochondrosis much faster than the use of medications from just 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. The exercises are carried out according to the following rules:
- The list of exercises and their range are determined by the doctor.
- All exercises are done gently and slowly to eliminate the risk of injury.
- Do not start gymnastics treatment for acute pain in the cervical spine.
- The load gradually increases.
- The patient does gymnastics regularly, several times a day, at the same time.
The exercises for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis are very simple. Doing them correctly at home will speed recovery and help relieve pain. Treatment of the cervical spine with exercise therapy includes:
- Turn your head to the side to the extreme point.
- Bend your head sideways, 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 exercise, he can prevent the disease from recurring. Results of home treatment of osteochondrosis by gymnastics:
- Removal of hypertonia from the cervical muscles.
- Stretching of the ligaments.
- Improving the mobility of the vertebrae.
- Pain relief.
- Greater range of motion for the neck.
- Normalization of blood circulation in the cervical spine.
Domestic treatment against cervical osteochondrosis includes a large list of therapeutic and preventive measures. The most important condition is that an experienced specialist supervises them so that home treatment brings positive results as quickly as possible, and the patient can forget about unpleasant symptoms forever.