How to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home: the choice of folk remedies

Cervical osteochondrosis is a more dangerous type of disease than osteochondrosis of the thoracic and lumbar regions. This fact is explained by the fact that the neck is close to the head. Thus, when the neck structure is damaged, various disorders begin in the work of the brain, organs of vision, hearing and speech.

Therefore, doctors advise to start treatment as soon as the disease is diagnosed. Especially if in the early stages.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home may also be recommended. Before starting treatment, you should seek detailed instructions and recommendations from your doctor.

Causes of disease progression

Knowing the causes of the development of cervical osteochondrosis is necessary so that treatment is not in vain. However, if the factors contributing to the development of pathology are not eliminated, osteochondrosis can occur again.

The main cause of cervical osteochondrosis:

1. Age - pathology often develops in the elderly due to the physiological aging process of the body. But in recent decades, the disease has become “younger” and diagnosed in 30-year-old patients. This is due to the modern lifestyle, employment factors, changing food choices.
2. Profession or hobby - in most cases, degenerative-dystrophic changes in ODA tissue begin in people with cervical spine or, conversely, do not provide normal load. For example, professional weightlifters load their bodies with strength training. And people who work at the computer or are generally in a sitting position, on the contrary, are "lack of load". In the latter case, there is no dynamic load, but the static load in time does not move very seriously.
3. Injuries, hypothermia in the neck or surgical intervention performed in this area.
4. Descendants.
5. Metastasis on diseases of tumors of the spine or other organs.
6. Wrong mattress (too or not firm enough), inappropriate pillows, lying position or sitting for a long time (on a bed, sofa).

The cause of the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can be an improper diet. Or there may be some reason. Factors that contribute to the development of pathology will be determined by the doctor in the process of diagnosis. And during and after treatment, it is necessary to eliminate these factors, or try to reduce their pathological influence.

Symptoms and Possible Complications

Cervical osteochondrosis can initially develop asymptomatically. Or discomfort in the neck and other symptoms caused by other diseases, fatigue, stress, atmospheric conditions.

However, if there are several symptoms at once, this should be a reason to seek immediate medical attention:

1. Neck pain that eventually spreads to the head, face, shoulders, shoulder blades, arms. The pain may pass or increase when turning the head, in certain positions.
2. Fractures in the neck, limited movement.
3. Dizziness, fainting.
4. Nausea, vomiting.
5. Impaired motor skills, movement coordination, trembling hands.
6. Violation of sensitivity to the face, limbs, or vice versa, the appearance of unusual sensations - goose bumps, tingling.
7. Problems with the function of the organs of sight, hearing, speech.
8. The appearance of hypertension or an increase in intracranial pressure without an objective cause from the cardiovascular system.

The occurrence of these symptoms is directly related to the dystrophy process itself in the cervical spine. And also with vertebral artery stenosis and compression of nerve tissue - these structures pass through the spinal canal and are damaged by the vertebrae.

If the disease is not treated, sooner or later dangerous complications will arise. First, the patient loses the ability to move freely - this is a disability, a permanent loss of ability to work. Second, the development of pathology is reflected in brain function, which can lead to trauma in a fall, stroke, coma, or death.

Home Treatment

All methods of treatment of cervical osteochondrosis can be roughly divided into:

1. Etiotropic and pathogenetic- a disease that affects the main cause of the development of the disease, as well as its mechanism of development. These are some types of medicine, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, gymnastics, wearing a special collar.
2. Symptomatic or palliative- which relieves the symptoms of the disease or helps reduce their severity, intensity. They are intended to alleviate the patient's condition, improve his or her quality of life during the treatment period, and are used in addition to the first method group. These are novocaine restrictions, taking anesthetics, ointments, massages.

However, most methods of therapy for osteochondrosis are one degree or another, both etiotropic and symptomatic. To cure osteochondrosis quickly, you need to try using all available methods. That is, therapy should be as complete, comprehensive and complex as possible.

Today, surgical methods to treat osteochondrosis are widely used. But in the case of mild illness, its use is not allowed.

Therefore, for home treatment, you need to focus on this conservative method:

1. Lifestyle and dietary changes.
2. Acceptance or use of external drugs.
3. Treatment with procedures at home - gymnastics, exercise therapy, massage (if calling a masseur at home).
4. Wear a special collar or kinesio cassette.
5. Treatment with folk remedies.

Items 1, 3, 4 can also be used during recovery after illness and as a preventative measure (to prevent relapse later).

It is advisable to have a treatment program made by a doctor, or at least agree with it. Otherwise, it can cause even greater ODA danger, which will affect the patient's condition and the cost of treatment.

Lifestyle and diet

Without normalizing lifestyle, physical activity and reviewing the daily menu, there will be little taste from the treatment.

What needs to be changed:

1. Quality of the bed- buy an orthopedic mattress, in addition, it is recommended to buy an orthopedic pillow.
2. The load on the cervical spine- should be moderate. It is best to leave heavy exercise, physically shifting hard to other types of activities. With passive loads, you can also change jobs. If this is not possible, you will need to stretch your neck periodically during working hours, moving your head more during the work period.

You also need to start eating right. After all, with food all the necessary elements are supplied to restore muscles, nerves, cartilage tissue, and vertebral bone tissue. Therefore, food should be rich in protein, vitamins and minerals (calcium, iron, vitamins C, E, A, group B).

Medicine

The main group of pharmacological drugs prescribed by a doctor:

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - relieve pain and stop the inflammatory process in tissues.
2. Preparations designed to relieve pain syndrome (including anti-inflammatory, warming effects). These include injections, corticosteroid pills, ointments, and creams.
3. Means intended for ODA tissue regrowth - chondroprotectors.
4. Antispasmodic and muscle relaxants to relax neck muscle tissue.
5. Vitamins and minerals, vitamin and mineral complexes.

All medications except vitamins and painkillers must be taken in a course. Periodic admission from case to case will not yield results, which will affect the effectiveness of treatment.

Procedure

At home, the ability to perform physiotherapy is limited. For example, you can simply massage or stretch the spine by contacting a specialist to your home, and not everyone can afford it. But self-massage and physical training are basically real and do not require financial costs.

Self-massage can be done with your hands, as the neck area is quite easy to reach. The self-massage technique is simple - you need to do gentle and folding stroking movements. Very useful for using lubricants, such as petroleum jelly. The main thing is that the procedure does not cause pain.

You can also massage with a towel, rub your neck, or with warm water in the bathroom. Another good option is to take a stick, such as a shovel handle - a round one. Such a stick is placed on the back of the shoulder, grasping the tip and moving it up and down the surface of the neck like a pulling pin. If possible, you can buy a massage kit. Lyapko roller massage is very useful, inexpensive, its effectiveness has been proven.

Neck gymnastics is also quite easy. You need to smoothly make multiple turns, head tilted. However, with the increase of osteochondrosis, exercise is not necessary, as the pain is unbearable. From this, cramps in the neck muscles can begin.

Wearing an orthopedic structure is an effective method of treatment

There are many benefits to wearing a custom collar:

1. Supports the spine and relaxes muscle tissue.
2. More efficient tissue regeneration.
3. Improves blood circulation, including in the vertebral arteries. With cervical osteochondrosis - this is one of the main tasks.
4. Neck fixation reduces movement and pain.
5. Neck area protection from possible injuries and additional injuries.

However, the collar has its drawbacks. Wearing it does not always suit other people. It may be difficult to study and perform the necessary household chores or labor manipulations. But for the duration of treatment, you should try to wear a collar according to the schedule prescribed by the doctor.

Tying the neck as a method of treatment also has many advantages:

1. Aesthetically acceptable, with tape you can appear freely "in public". Colored tape, if not appropriate in certain situations, can be hidden by clothing with a high collar.
2. Do not limit physical activity.
3. Moisture, no need to remove before bathing.
4. Increases blood flow and lymphatic drainage, relieves pain and inflammation, edema.
5. Relieves pressure on muscle tissue.
6. Massage, stimulate metabolic processes in muscles, their regrowth.

There is only one shortcoming of kinesio tape - the price, but many patients can afford to pay 100 rubles for a 5 meter roll.

Folk remedies for the treatment of osteochondrosis

For oral treatment you can use:

1. Absorption of laurel or lingonberry leaf water.
2. Boil parsley root.
3. Aqueous solution of celery juice.
4. Eat sesame seeds.
5. Herbal tea - own or purchased fee (chamomile, nettle, oregano, hop).
6. Absorption of chopped pine nuts alcohol.

For treatment with compresses and scrubs, it is useful to use burdock, carrots, red peppers (infusions, decoctions) and tar or clay, which are sold in pharmacies.

Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home is quite effective in most cases. If degenerative-dystrophic changes have taken place rapidly, it is recommended to combine home therapy with other methods of treatment. For example, use the services of a physiotherapist, massage therapist, chiropractor.

And if the disease is just beginning to develop, medicines, home procedures and folk methods make it possible to get quick results. That is, to heal the spine without the use of specialist services.