The story of how the king treated osteochondrosis has survived to this day. 150-200 grams of mustard were placed in a huge vat of hot water, and the king, a great hunter for a pleasant and useful pastime in a hot heated bath, slowly immersed himself in it up to his neck. The procedure ended with a tea party.
The next morning the ruler was ready for the next campaign.
What is osteochondrosis and how is it treated today?
The danger of an "inflexible" disease
Osteochondrosis makes a person inflexible - a subtle aphorism aptly describes the consequences of degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc, the progression of which leads to its destruction.
The intervertebral disc, which gradually loses its "jumpability", is covered with cracks due to increasing pressure and its contents are "squeezed out" over time - a herniated disc occurs.
The leaked fluid compresses the nerve endings of the spinal cord, disrupting the "connection" between all of a person's internal organs. Thus, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region makes years of treating gastritis or looking for the cause of heart pain; lumbar or lumbosacral osteochondrosis can lead to partial or complete paralysisof the lower extremities, and cervical - complicates the blood supply to the brain.
Sometimes the disease affects several departments of the "pillar of life" - widespread osteochondrosis of the spine develops, the standards of treatment of which are similar to those described below, but the recovery process requires much more effort on the part of the patient and doctors.
Cartilage tissue and bones of the joints of the legs also suffer from destructive processes. Lancinating pain when moving, cramps and pain in the calf muscles, numbness of the fingers and reduced sensitivity of the skin of the legs are associated with lumbosacral osteochondrosis.
But more often these symptoms indicate osteochondrosis of the leg, the treatment of which begins with a visit to a neurologist and is successfully carried out with the help of classical massage, manual therapy, osteopathy and acupuncture.
And how to cure osteochondrosis of the spine? In fact, over time, the body compensates for the "missing" height of the intervertebral discs through the growth of bone tissue of the vertebral bodies, and such growths, growing together, immobilize individual segments of the "life axis".
How to treat exacerbations of osteochondrosis?
In addition to quick pain relief, the main goal of treating an aggravated osteochondrosis is to eliminate muscle spasms and combat swelling of inflamed tissues that compress nerve roots.
In the acute period, modern standards for the treatment of osteochondrosis prescribe treatment aimed at unloading the spine and eliminating pain:
- In the acute period, especially in the presence of an intervertebral hernia, the patient is shown treatment with one position - strict bed rest, the duration of which is at least 6 days;
- Pain relievers help reduce inflammation and pain; usually with osteochondrosis, analgesics are prescribed, as well as NSAIDs;
- With a stable, severe pain syndrome, an anesthetic injection with a glucocorticoid or novocaine is indicated. With exacerbated osteochondrosis, these drugs provide a prolonged analgesic effect;
- In the case of unbearable, sleep-depriving pain in osteochondrosis, the use of sleeping pills and sedatives is recommended;
- With hypertonia of the muscles of the back and lower extremities, muscle relaxants with a central effect are prescribed;
- Spinal decompression uses diuretics to reduce swelling;
- Local treatment of pain in osteochondrosis is carried out using ointments and gels with an anti-inflammatory component. They are applied to the site of pain localization;
- To optimize blood supply to the spine, angioprotective drugs and venotonics that remove congestion in the bloodstream are prescribed, as well as nicotinic acid, which is a vasodilator;
- Surgery is often the only correct solution for paralysis.
Where do we treat osteochondrosis?
As a rule, the patient goes through a kind of circle - hospital - treatment in a clinic - hydropathy or sanatorium - treatment at home under medical supervision.
Often, even in the acute period, treatment is carried out at home, however, with the low effectiveness of the listed therapeutic measures, the question of the patient's hospitalization is decided.
Recovery time for osteochondrosis
After an acute phase, efforts should be directed towards inhibiting destructive processes and optimizing local blood flow and metabolism. The expected result of the treatment is the maximum restoration of cartilage tissue.
The goal of the next stage of treatment of osteochondrosis is to eliminate the consequences of neurological complications and prevent future exacerbations, in order to prevent further degeneration of the soft "components" of the spine.
How do we treat osteochondrosis in the recovery period?
Reception of pharmaceutical preparations at this stage is ongoing. The main of them are vitamins A, E, P, C and most of the "representatives" of group B, which strengthen the walls of blood vessels and restore the normal "course" of the nerve impulse, as well as chondroprotectors. The latter are cartilage extracts - a kind of pills for osteochondrosis, stimulating the restoration of "flabby" cartilage tissue. An anti-inflammatory component is often added to their composition, which allows reducing the dosage of NSAIDs. Chondoprotectors are taken without exacerbation of pain syndrome.
To enhance the effect of oral chondroprotectors, it is advisable to use a cream for osteochondrosis, as well as ointments based on chondroitin and glucosamine.
Patches are relatively new and good means of combating osteochondrosis.
Small pieces of fabric with an adhesive surface help retain heat, numb and slow down destructive processes at the site of attachment:
- Chinese osteochondrosis plasters with herbal ingredients and beeswax accelerate the final resolution of inflammation and relax the muscles. With the disappearance of pain, metabolic processes normalize, and with them - the trophism of the affected segment;
- Pepper patch for osteochondrosis, due to the presence of "burning" belladonna, pine rosin and pepper, stimulates blood supply to the problem area, eliminates muscle spasms and accelerates swelling of tissues compressing nerve roots;
Physiotherapy and alternative therapies
When the inflammation subsides, further rehabilitation in complications of osteochondrosis is carried out by non-drug methods of exposure. The focus of treatment shifts to physiotherapy and alternative methods.
The main goal of this period is the expansion of the motor regime.
How to get rid of osteochondrosis without drugs:
- Physiotherapeutic procedures - infrared laser, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis with chondroxide help relieve muscle hypertonia and symptoms of nerve "strain", and also allow you to introduce chondroitin directly into the unhealthy segment, which prevents the destruction of cartilage tissue.
- Effective treatment of osteochondrosis rarely comes without traction or stretching of the spine under the influence of one's own weight, additional loads, or the forces of a chiropractor. The most accessible method of spinal traction, especially when osteochondrosis is combined with bending, is hanging on the horizontal bar. But even this simple exercise is fraught with complications if the technique is incorrect, so all traction methods should be discussed with the doctor;
- It is also possible to improve the blood supply to the spine and normalize metabolic processes in it by pointwise acting on the plexuses of nerve endings, blood vessels and connective tissue with thin needles. In addition, acupuncture in osteochondrosis provokes the release of endogenous opiates that act as analgesics, as well as the production of "anti-inflammatory" cortisol, eliminating the need to administer its synthetic counterpart. Gradual relaxation of the paravertebral muscles also helps relieve pain;
- Often, the treatment of osteochondrosis becomes a "life's work", and patients who have tried many ways to alleviate suffering leave positive feedback about the healing properties of apitoxin and bee products.
Thus, therapeutic doses of bee venom significantly reduce inflammation and relieve pain more effectively than analgesics and NSAIDs, promote vasodilation and accelerated nutrient delivery.
Without what is recovery impossible?
Perhaps everyday life was not the focus before the onset of the illness. In the recovery period, if the schedule of rest, nutrition and physical activity is not observed, the "update" of the natural mechanism of depreciation is impossible.
Therefore, study the hygiene of postures and movements - the ability to observe them in everyday life will allow you to "unload" the spine.
sleeping place
Start by organizing a night's rest. In the acute phase, place a hard shield under a regular mattress. What mattress to use in the future with osteochondrosis?
In the absence of postural defects - orthopedic. In the presence of curvature, the bed should be more rigid.
With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the use of orthopedic pillows is recommended.
After getting up from bed rest, the patient is recommended to use a corset - in case of osteochondrosis, it relieves the affected segments, thereby preventing spasm of weakened muscles. The duration of wearing is determined by the doctor.
nutrition
Check your diet. Maybe if it wasn't ideal before, it becomes the springboard to recovery. . . be hungryIt is known that the first fast aggravates the disease, subsequent fasting cures it. How does fasting treat osteochondrosis? In fact, the disc is a small hydraulic shock absorber. The pane absorbs impacts like a cushion of water. The alternating compression and decompression of the disc keeps it hydrated.
According to the author's method, dry fasting contributes to the elimination of "waste", "dead" water from the tissues surrounding the intervertebral disc and stimulates the renewal of its own, purified intercellular fluid.
Fasting should be done under the supervision of a doctor.
physical education
The best remedy for osteochondrosis is physical education. Performing exercises for self-stretching the spine and strengthening the muscles of the body, selected by the movement therapist, should become a daily rule. In the periods between the exacerbations, training should be carried out several times a day in series.
So, a modern and at the same time reasonable trend in the treatment of osteochondrosis is segmental gymnastics. Schematically, it can be represented in two phases: muscle stretching by movements whose amplitude slightly exceeds the existing mobility in the joint or segment, and electrical muscle stimulation combined with local gymnastics and acupressure in place of the "hidden" disease.
This leads to a relaxation of the paravertebral muscles, followed by a stimulation of the blood circulation, which starts the regeneration process.
Pain often signals serious "malfunctions" of the spine. Therefore, do not postpone your visit to the doctor and stay healthy!