A disease of the musculoskeletal system such as osteochondrosis today is practically unsuitable for full treatment.
However, the set of doctors has enough tools that help to effectively stop the symptoms of the disease and are able to stop its development.
Many of these methods require hospitalization, for which, in the modern pace of life, the person does not always have time. How to get rid of osteochondrosis in this case?
There is only one answer - home treatment of osteochondrosis. Consider osteochondrosis treatment methods at home with folk remedies.
disease pathogenesis
According to statistics, one in three people under the age of 45 complains of back pain. In most cases this is caused by osteochondrosis of the spine.
The pathology is mainly characterized by damage to cartilage and bone tissue and, in the process of progression, it begins to affect the patient's nervous system.
The disease is rapidly "aging" due to the decrease in physical activity of the population due to the development of computer technologies and the developing transport infrastructure.
But, in addition to a sedentary lifestyle, experts also cite other reasons for the development of the pathology:
- Ecology;
- Diet disorder;
- Inappropriate distribution of physical load on the back;
- Trauma;
- Weakness of skeletal muscles;
- Decreased immunity in the context of the development of chronic diseases;
- Viral and bacterial pathologies, etc.
With the modern dynamics of a person's life, he simply doesn't have enough time to take care of his health. There are always ten other reasons not to do this: work, family, children, etc.
Then the person wonders for a long time: where did he get osteochondrosis when he was 25-30 years old? - a disease that usually occurs in elderly people.
Many consider it a waste of time to go to the clinic, and a logical question is brewing: how to treat osteochondrosis at home?
To answer this question, it is necessary to consider which therapeutic methods are most used by specialists in the treatment of this pathology.
Only after that can we consider treating osteochondrosis with folk remedies to understand how effective alternative treatment methods are in general.
Osteochondrosis Treatment
The therapy for this pathology is non-standard and depends on the patient's individual diagnosis.
This suggests that, before starting treatment for osteochondrosis at home, you still need to visit your doctor for a diagnosis.
This should be done so as not to cause further damage to your body. The complications of this pathology lead to protrusion and herniation of intervertebral discs, which can contribute to headaches, loss of limb sensation and even paralysis.
In hospital treatment after diagnosis, specialists first solve three main tasks:
- Removal of pain syndrome;
- Relief of the inflammatory process and edema. These symptoms are almost always present during the development of this condition;
- Physiotherapeutic procedures aimed at restoring damaged tissue, the main objective is to achieve a long and lasting remission.
Treatment of spinal osteochondrosis with alternative methods cannot replace complete therapy.
However, alternative treatment for osteochondrosis can help reduce pain symptoms and improve the patient's overall health.
What medications can be used at home
Many medications used to treat osteochondrosis have several serious side effects and are therefore only taken with the permission of the treating physician.
But what if back pain torments you and there's no way to go to the clinic? How to cure osteochondrosis at home with home first aid kit medications?
The first thing recommended for acute pain is medication from the pain reliever group.
Aspirin, in addition to its mild analgesic effect, has the ability to thin the blood, which promotes better blood circulation and has an antipyretic effect.
This helps to relieve inflammation and swelling of the tissues that compress nerve endings and therefore cause pain.
The use of analgesic patches is advisable. In its composition, most of the times, contain lidocaine, which has an analgesic effect quickly.
In addition, excellent analyzes have analgesic ointments with a cooling effect, which, as a rule, contain menthol and camphor.
If you are sure that the acute phase of the disease has passed and that you are not showing symptoms of inflammation, the use of gels with a warming effect is recommended: turpentine ointment.
The ointment should be applied directly to the pain site, rubbing it gently into the skin. It makes no sense to touch unaffected areas.
Cool effect gels can be applied at any time. It is recommended to apply ointments with a warming effect at night and, additionally, to wrap the affected area with a woolen cloth.
home gym
Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis is one of the main and effective methods of treating this pathology. A common reason for the development of osteochondrosis is a weak muscle structure that cannot handle physical activity.
Thus, the entire load falls on the intervertebral discs, which is why their degenerative changes occur.
The discs between the vertebrae get thinner or, as they say, dry out and lose their functional capacity. Gymnastics allows you to increase muscle tone, improve their elasticity and blood circulation in them.
Depending on the location of tissue damage and pain syndrome, osteochondrosis can be cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral.
There are also exercises for different departments, but it is not recommended to train only the most affected area, which brings discomfort to the person, but to work all parts of the spine.
Attention!If pain occurs while performing corrective gymnastics, training should be stopped immediately and performed only under the supervision of a specialist.
- The first two exercises perfectly stimulate the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine, promote better fluid circulation and thicken them. To perform them, you must either sit or stand. We tilt our head back and forth with a small range of motion. The moves should remind you that you are talking to the person and with what agreement to say yes.
- The next exercise is similar to the first, except now you have to turn your head left and right, as if to say no. The movements should not be done with great amplitude, they should be approximately 30% of the inclination or maximum possible rotation of the head. They are performed several times a day at a convenient time for 2-3 minutes each.
- The following exercise, for home treatment of the spine, strengthens the muscles of the neck and shoulders well. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms lowered at your sides. We make circular movements with the shoulders forward and backward. It is also performed several times a day in various approaches, 15-20 times in each direction.
- To exercise the lumbar spine, it is recommended that you perform an exercise that is more like a belly dance. Starting position, feet shoulder-width apart. We make circular motions with the pelvis, first in one direction, then in the other. At the same time, we make sure the chest and shoulder girdle remain as still as possible. It's enough to do two or three times in different directions for 20 to 25 rotations.
- The next exercise aims to strengthen the latissimus and trapezius muscles. Body position, lying face down, arms extended forward. We raise our arms, shoulders and head, take a second, and lower ourselves to the starting position. The exercise is performed 10-15 times.
In addition to strengthening the back musculature, the abdominal musculature should not be forgotten, which is involved not only in deep breathing, but also in maintaining correct posture. Weak abdominal muscles contribute to the development of lumbar lordosis.
Attention!Exercise benefits the body only with regular exercise.
Gymnastics is a good remedy for osteochondrosis. The therapeutic effect is achieved by strengthening the muscles and improving blood circulation in them, which prevents the development of the inflammatory process and edema around the cartilage tissue.
Physiotherapy at home
Folk remedies used for osteochondrosis are often drawn from the life experience of entire generations and are used successfully in traditional medicine as physical therapy procedures.
Some of them can easily be done at home.
cold and hot bath
The first folk remedy you can treat osteochondrosis at home is a contrast shower.
For many, this procedure is only associated with hardening and not everyone understands how this procedure can help fight this pathology.
The explanation here is quite simple - a marked redirection of blood flow in muscles, around cartilage tissue and skin.
This promotes the outflow of excess fluid from the areas of inflammation and edema and the influx of essential trace elements to the damaged tissue.
The moment a person is under currents of hot water, protective mechanisms are activated in the body, which should save them from overheating.
This is accomplished by the flow of blood from the internal organs to the muscles and skin. The vessels dilate, the amount of blood increases, and excess heat is flushed out.
When you are suddenly in currents of cold water, the opposite reaction occurs - the flow of blood from your muscles and skin to your internal organs.
It is the body's thermoregulation process and, at the same time, normalizes blood circulation in the injured tissues, which contributes to the improvement of the condition as a whole.
The procedure is quite simple. It is necessary to remain under tolerant, non-scalding hot water for 20-30 seconds.
Then change the water to cold for 10-20 seconds. The procedure should be performed 3-5 times, ending with a cool but comfortable water temperature.
Despite the obvious benefits of this procedure, it still has contraindications:
- It is prohibited to perform this procedure when the patient has symptoms of a cold or acute respiratory illness;
- Cardiovascular diseases;
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other internal organs, etc.
The volume of blood from the internal organs to the muscles and back is large enough and can cause: heart attack, stroke or internal bleeding. Therefore, this complex must be carried out with a gradual increase in the time interval under cold or warm water.
First, spend no more than 5-7 seconds under running water and gradually bring these values down to 30 seconds over several weeks.
salt baths
Another popular remedy for treating osteochondrosis is salt baths. They help a lot if the back pain is caused by excessive muscle tension.
To prepare a bath, you will need sea salt or rock salt. Thin and purified by evaporation will be less effective in this case.
The volume of a standard bath ranges from 170 to 195 liters, this amount of water will require about 5 kg of salt.
Water temperature from 36 to 38°С. Any essential oil can be used to get the best effect. After the procedure, it is recommended to stay a few minutes under slightly warm running water.
Osteochondrosis is practically incurable, but using treatment with alternative methods as additional therapy to the main treatment it is still possible to stop and therefore win.