In the 18th century, osteochondrosis was treated with hot mustard baths. There are now many more methods of treatment, ranging from warming ointments to surgery.
Osteochondrosis is a disease that affects more and more young people. The wrong lifestyle leads to it - little movement, constant sitting, excess weight, etc. Previously, people aged 45 and over suffered from osteochondrosis, today it is often diagnosed in their thirties.
What is osteochondrosis
With osteochondrosis, degenerative lesions of the intervertebral discs occur. If the disease is left untreated, the disc will collapse over time, invade bone tissue, and the spine will lose mobility. In addition, with degenerative changes in the disc, the contents of the nucleus flow out, forming an intervertebral hernia. The disc protrusion and herniation cause severe pain which must be stopped with novocaine.
The content that escapes from the disc affects the nerve endings in the spine, compressing them. This disrupts the work of all internal organs. With cervical osteochondrosis, the blood supply to the brain deteriorates, severe migraines occur, and vision sits down. With lumbosacral, the legs suffer - they become numb and swollen, joints and bones are destroyed, a heel spur may appear. In severe cases, paralysis occurs. Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region causes diseases of the stomach and heart. In some cases, a person develops osteochondrosis of several parts of the spine, which requires immediate treatment.
How to treat osteochondrosis
First of all, with an exacerbation of the disease, it is necessary to relieve pain. If pain relievers do not help, it is necessary to give an injection of novocaine. The next step is to unload the spine. The first 4-6 days with exacerbation of osteochondrosis require bed rest.
The main steps in the treatment of osteochondrosis are as follows:
- Provide the patient with bed rest to relieve stress on the spine.
- Eliminate the pain with pain relievers - tramadol, nefopam, etc.
- Eliminate inflammation with NSAIDs - diclofenac, ketoprofen, piroxicam, meloxicam, etc.
- In case of severe and persistent pain, an injection of novocaine or glucocorticoid should be given. These drugs work for a long time to help the muscles relax, which in turn reduces pain.
- If osteochondrosis pain interferes with sleep, you should take sleeping pills.
- If hypertonicity of the back muscles is detected, muscle relaxants are prescribed.
- Diuretics are used to relieve spinal edema.
- After the acute pain has been relieved, anti-inflammatory ointments and gels can be used. The products contain not only anti-inflammatory and analgesic components, but also collagen hydrolyzate. Collagen hydrolyzate restores the destroyed tissue of the spinal disc, helping to get rid of osteochondrosis.
- To restore blood supply to the spine, angioprotective drugs and venotonics are prescribed, which remove blood congestion, as well as nicotinic acid, which is a vasodilator.
- In advanced cases of osteochondrosis, with paralysis, only surgery helps.
In addition to all of the above, the following are effective for the treatment of osteochondrosis:
- physiotherapy;
- acupuncture;
- mud therapy; Baths
- .
Special attention should be paid to gymnastics for osteochondrosis. It is gymnastics that helps strengthen the back muscles that support the spine. With the help of exercises, you can cure osteochondrosis if you start doing them on time.