The treatment of osteochondrosis is a very long and difficult recovery process that requires complex treatment. In order to develop a treatment regimen, the doctor must take into account a number of nuances:
- Characteristics of the organism.
- Individual intolerance to individual drug components.
The doctor can only prescribe treatment after a thorough diagnosis of the patient.
What is it?
Osteochondrosis is a disease that affects individual segments of the spine, thinning the cartilage tissue. It's very common. Today, this disease affects 3 segments of the spine:
- Neck section.
- Chest.
- Lumbosacral region.
Each of these species is characterized by its own symptoms and treatments.
Osteochondrosis affects the tissue between the vertebrae. The tissue between the cartilages under the influence of this disease begins to deteriorate rapidly. Nerve fibers located near the affected cells become inflamed, causing the arteries to spasm. The inflamed blood vessels cannot transmit the required amount of blood, so the human body begins to suffer from lack of oxygen. This condition is especially dangerous in cervical osteochondrosis, as oxygen deprivation manifests itself in the brain, which can lead to serious complications.
Diagnostics
In order for the treatment of osteochondrosis to be more effective, it is first of all necessary to determine the cause of its progression and the degree of damage, which is not possible without a full diagnosis. As practice shows, a set of procedures is performed under the supervision of a vertebrologist and an orthopedist. The diagnosis of osteochondrosis is confirmed by the presence of certain symptoms, an examination, and a history of disease progression.
Along with this disease, during the examination, the doctor checks the patient for the presence of scoliosis, as well as painful sensations with excessive muscle tension.
The following steps are taken to clarify the diagnosis:
- Tomography
- .
- X-rays.
- Resonance (nuclear magnetic).
Processing
First of all, you need to understand that only timely admission to the hospital will help to achieve success - self-medication can only harm your health. Thus, the processing includes a whole range of measures:
- exercise therapy
- .
- Operational intervention.
- Take medicine.
- Adjusted nutrition.
In addition, the patient has to stay in bed, but this is almost impossible. That's why doctors recommend lying down on a hard surface more often, especially while sleeping. If the pain sensations intensify, the mobility of the spine is better minimized.
The main goal of conservative treatment is to stop the progression of the disease and put the spine back in the right position.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a great help with acute pain in the spine. This therapy consists of the use of magnetic fields, ultrasound or laser. Physiotherapy is used in the acute form of the disease, when it is needed to relieve pain, neutralize inflammation, and stop the progression of the disease. This method increases the effectiveness of drug therapy, and also allows you to significantly reduce the dosage of the drug. One of the positive qualities of physiotherapy is the absence of side effects, which means that there are also no contraindications.
Massage
This method has the same advantages as physiotherapy: it has no side effects. However, it must be said that massage can not be done during the acute course of the disease. It also cannot be performed for a number of conditions:
- Blood diseases.
- Skin diseases.
- Have open wounds.
- If there is inflammation.
Massage cannot be included in the treatment if there is an acute period of osteochondrosis.
Therapeutic massage has the following effect:
- Has a positive effect on the nerves.
- Stimulates blood circulation.
- Boosts immunity.
- Strengthens blood vessels.
- Normalizes metabolism.
Massage is based on the effect on the nerves. Manual massage is the most effective because the massage therapist is able to soothe the pain when touched. Physical massage will help stretch the tissue, but it has no effect on the nerves.
Taking medication
Medicines should be taken only during the acute period of the disease, when strong painful sensations may be observed. Gels, tablets, and ointments can eliminate pain and relieve inflammation. But their use is constantly unhealthy - they only serve as temporary relief. As soon as the painful sensations pass, it is necessary to use exercise therapy and massage.
No drug is the solution to the problem. They will in no way help to restore flexibility to the spine and to decompress the discs. Their main objective is to neutralize the sensations of pain. The exclusion category includes drugs capable of creating cartilage tissue.
The principle of action, first of all, depends on the type of medication. Various warming ointments can not only relieve severe pain, but also improve blood circulation. However, these drugs tend to deactivate nerve endings. In some cases, doctors give intramuscular injections, but, as a rule, anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat osteochondrosis.
Manual method of processing
Manual therapy involves manual manipulation of muscles. This will help relieve severe pain in the joints and spine. With this method of treatment, the posture is corrected.
Visceral therapy is one of the manual therapy methods that will help restore healthy joints and improve immunity. This method is used in the treatment of chronic diseases. This will help prevent complications.
Manual therapy cannot become an independent method of treatment. It should be combined with exercise therapy, medication, and diet.
Home treatment
The glaring mistake in the treatment of the disease is the lack of deep gaze: the superficial relief of symptoms does not eliminate osteochondrosis, but only temporarily improves the patient's condition. This is why the use of analgesics in home treatment is only an adjunct treatment.
Having temporarily relieved pain in the spine and muscles, remember the main rule - it is necessary to eliminate the cause of the disease. A number of reasons can include eating a large amount of food and poor body mobility. However, intervertebral disc dystrophy can only appear for one reason - a lack of blood supply to the muscles of the neck and back. These phenomena cause starvation of the cartilage, which ultimately leads to their degradation.
As practice shows, specialists give patients all recommendations on the implementation of necessary measures to facilitate treatment. These measures include:
- exercise therapy
- .
- Adjusted speed.
- Take medicine.
- Correct selection of bed linen.
- Rest mode.
Elimination of causes
It is impossible to say with certainty that the progression of the disease began precisely with poor nutrition or due to stagnation of blood, therefore a whole program must be adjusted, which is aimed at restoring the damage todiscs and blood circulation.
It is also worth mentioning the means of treating the disease at home:
- Diet.
- Restoring blood circulation to the affected area is the main method of treating the disease.
- Introduction of a healthy lifestyle.
- Selection of mattresses.
Elimination of severe pain
- If a little more than 2 weeks have passed since the onset of pain, you should take an anesthetic with NSAIDs. They are able not only to relieve pain, but also the inflammatory process.
- If the pain does not leave the patient for 3 months, antidepressants and analgesics should be used with NSAIDs, which help the person's psychological balance.
In addition, frequency of use and dosage should only be prescribed by a doctor. Self-administration of any medication is prohibited.
Medicines aimed at eliminating the disease
The main cause of osteochondrosis is the destruction of joint cartilage due to problematic metabolism. Pharmacologists have developed chondroprotective drugs aimed at regulating metabolic processes. It is necessary to take drugs from this group after the recommendation of a specialist.
Traditional methods of treatment
The use of tinctures and various herbs should be an auxiliary method of treatment, but not the main one. It should definitely become an additional method of treatment to traditional medicine. Traditional methods help to relieve pain and prevent the development of the disease.
Without first consulting a doctor, you cannot use any of the treatment methods.
More recently, a new way to treat osteochondrosis at home has appeared: the use of a massage bed.
Prevention
- Regular self-massage in the morning.
- Water treatments.
- Exercise in the workplace.
- Gymnastics of the arms, legs.
Of course, it should be noted that if the prevention time was wasted, this list should be replenished with special gymnastics, which includes exercises to stretch the spine.
By following the advice of your doctor, you can not only prevent the progression of the disease, but also restore the destruction of the intervertebral discs.