Many negative factors cause negative changes in the intervertebral discs - chondrosis develops. Without treatment, the disease progresses, degenerative and dystrophic processes affect bone tissue, osteophytes grow, osteochondrosis develops, and pain appears in the neck.
Home treatment is a complex of different measures. It is important to stop the destruction of the discs, eliminate inflammation and pain syndrome, and initiate the regenerative processes of the flexible cushion between the vertebrae. Chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants, NSAIDs and exercise, massage and other methods of influencing weakened structures provide a good effect.
Causes and symptoms of osteochondrosis
The disease is younger year after year. Decades ago, with signs of osteochondrosis of the spine, patients aged 40-50 turned to a vertebrologist for help, and today many young people have a diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis in their medical records. What is the reason?
Physical inactivity, prolonged use of a computer with little or no exercise, combined with endocrine disorders, smoking, poor nutrition, and poor ecology increase the risk of damage to intervertebral discs and bone structures. The destruction of cartilage begins much earlier than nature intended.
If previously the main cause of cervical osteochondrosis was the process of natural aging (the intervertebral padding received less food as it progressed, became less flexible, thinned), now there are several other negative factors.
Increase the risk of degenerative and dystrophic processes in the intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies:
- heavy load on the support column during hard work, for professional athletes, when carrying heavy bags, inadequate lifting technique;
- overweight;
- previous back and neck injuries;
- endocrine diseases, hormonal disorders during menopause, pregnancy;
- improper mineral metabolism, chronic diseases associated with salt deposition such as gout;
- inheritance;
- calcium, magnesium, phosphorus deficiency;
- drinking heavy coffee for a long time, alcohol dependence, drugs, smoking;
- improper diet, vitamin deficiency: lack of nutrients reduces the rate and quality of cartilage nutrition during diffusion;
- refuses to exercise: the worse the elasticity of the spine, the weaker the muscle ligament, the greater the risk of affecting all the structures of the support column.
Important facts about osteochondrosis of the neck:
- the disease is associated with remission and exacerbation. The more carefully the patient follows the physician’s recommendations, the lower the rate of degenerative processes, which slows the transition from mild to moderate stages of pathology to more severe;
- At an early stage, one does not suspect that a degenerative process has begun in the pillow. The more negative factors act, the more actively the intervertebral discs are destroyed;
- Doctors warn:Being overweight often occurs in the background of endocrine disease and low physical activity, which increases the risk of cartilage damage. If an obese person smokes a lot, drinks coffee often, does hard work, or sits at a computer / TV for a long time, we can say with almost 100% certainty that chondrosis becomes osteochondrosis fairly quickly, with protrusions and intervertebral hernias appearing.
Signs and Symptoms of Cervical Osteochondrosis:
- is the first stage - in case of nutrient deficiency, the elasticity of the cartilage lining decreases, the height of the disc decreases slightly, weak pains of the body and neck occur during training;
- The more active the deformation of the intervertebral structures, the more frequent the discomfort, the greater the risk of disc destruction. When the fibrous ring ruptures, the friction of the bone structures increases, the nerve roots become pinched, and pain occurs. Trapped blood vessels adversely affect the nutrition of important parts of the brain. When the sensitive structures and blood vessels are compressed, the nutrition of the brain deteriorates, headache is disturbed, vision is reduced, dizziness, nausea appear;
- In the third stage of osteochondrosis, the integrity of the annulus fibrosus is damaged, the friction of the bone elements is increased, frequent pains are disturbed, and hernias develop (disc protrusion occurs). Without the use of NSAIDs and painkillers, pain syndrome complicates a patient’s life;
- If you do not see a doctor, osteochondrosis is four times the most severe stage. The padding pad is virtually destroyed, and the mobility of the spine is reduced. The body tries to compensate for the almost complete lack of elastic plates, osteophytes grow - increases that reduce the pressure on the vertebrae and nerve roots. Stabilization of the support column occurs, pain weakens, at the same time the mobility of the spine in the neck zone decreases, it is difficult for a person to move, bend, turn, bend his head. The patient often receives a disability group. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to fix the weakened vertebral structures using special plates.
Note!In the first to third stages of cervical osteochondrosis, therapy can be performed without hospitalization. In advanced cases, acute pain syndrome is required in patients with stage four disease, observation at a vertebrology center, or surgery in the neurosurgery department.
Home Management
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis? Therapy will be successful if the following rules are followed:
- Start therapy only after visiting a vertebrologist or orthopedic traumatologist;
- take the medicines your doctor has prescribed;
- perform an exercise complex;
- massage and self-massage in problem areas;
- Use physician-approved folk remedies;
- with proper equipment for the work and sleeping area: orthopedic base or shield under a standard mattress, low cushion.
Important points to increase the effect of therapy:
- do not overload the spine;
- Do not make sudden movements in the cervical spine;
- change occupation if you have to constantly lift and move heavy objects or protracted static loads in the workplace;
- Patients diagnosed with osteochondrosis should not work in their cottage for long periods of time, overbidding the lower back. In osteochondrosis of the cervix, the profession of seamstress, the work done on the conveyor belt, on the construction site is inadequate. You should select the type of activity in which you can alternate with exercise and rest;
- walk more in the air, move, and not spend much time in one situation: prolonged dynamic and static loads are detrimental;
- combines oral medications with topical medications. For active pain relief, use transdermal patches that should be applied to the painful area: neck, shoulder girdle. Thin strips impregnated with analgesic or NSAID group composition reduce discomfort and have an anti-inflammatory effect. The transdermal patch is invisible under clothing and has a shelf life of 8 to 24 hours (depending on the type);
- In cervical osteochondrosis and to prevent the disease, you should perform simple exercises daily to prevent blood stagnation and improve the flexibility of cartilage and vertebrae. Turns, tilting heads, circular rotations of moderate amplitude, doctors advise to perform it two to three times a day. The movements are smooth, without jerking, otherwise it can damage the rather thin cervical vertebrae;
- Be sure to take chondroprotectors for four to six months or more to restore the height and quality of the intervertebral disc. In 1-3 degree osteochondrosis, chondroprotective tablets and ointments give good results, at 4 degrees the compositions are ineffective;
- Take NSAIDs as directed by your doctor, preferably selectively. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which suppress only one type of cyclooxygenase enzymes, have no pronounced negative effect on the body. Drugs are more expensive than traditional NSAIDs, but the negative effects on the central nervous system, heart, and digestive system are several times smaller; The
- diet in cervical osteochondrosis reduces the rate of cushion death, combined with medication, accelerates regeneration processes. Be sure to eat gelatin, leafy vegetables, red fish, vegetable oils, bran, turkey, fermented dairy products, hard cheeses. Strong coffee, animal fats, sweets, carbonated drinks, smoked meats, purine dishes, sour fruits and berries should be sharply restricted. It is important to quit alcohol and smoking.
Medications
The treatment of cervical osteochondrosis requires a complex of drugs. Chondroprotectors are taken up in the first or third stage of the pathology. With the destruction of the intervertebral disc and the rupture of the fibrous ring, not much money should be spent on a long therapy to buy these types of drugs: chondroprotectors are only effective if a sufficient amount of hyaline insert remains.
Effective drug groups:
- analgesics;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds;
- neurotropic B vitamins;
- chondroprotectors;
- transdermal patches;
- warming ointments with hot peppers, camphor, snake and bee venom;
- drugs to activate blood circulation.
Other treatments:
- Turpentine bathsin the treatment of osteochondrosis. Following the procedure, the nutrition of hyaline cartilage and intervertebral joints improves, pain syndrome decreases, and mobility in the problem area improves. Baths with white and yellow turpentine emulsions or a mixture of two types of natural products made from processed pine resin are more commonly used to treat chest and lumbar osteochondrosis. But with cervical spine damage, the technique is also beneficial. The procedure has a beneficial effect on the whole body and the support column, allowing us to recommend a useful, affordable technique for home physiotherapy;
- gymnasticsfor the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. Exercises should be performed slowly, with minimal amplitude in the first hours. Gradually, tipping, head turns, and rotations can be performed more actively, but twitching and pain should not be allowed during exercise. The practice of osteochondrosis of the cervical zone is individually selected by the physician based on the severity of the osteochondrosis. In addition, you can massage the neck and shoulder area: the effect is moderate without strong pressure.
The best solution is to combine home treatment with a visit to a physiotherapy room. Magnetic field, amplitude, ozokerite applications, mud therapy, turpentine baths enhance the effectiveness of home treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. To prevent degenerative and dystrophic changes, exposure to negative factors should be avoided and the load on the neck and shoulder girdle should be monitored.