How to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home: a selection 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 very close to the head. Therefore, when the structures of the neck are damaged, various disorders begin in the work of the brain, the organs of vision, hearing and speech.

Therefore, doctors recommend starting treatment as soon as the disease is diagnosed. Especially if it is at an early stage.

Cervical osteochondrosis home treatment may even be recommended. Just before starting treatment, you should obtain detailed instructions and recommendations from your doctor.

The reasons for the development of the disease

It is necessary to know the reasons for the development of cervical osteochondrosis so that the treatment is not in vain. After all, if the factors that contributed to the development of pathology are not eliminated, osteochondrosis can occur again.

The main causes of cervical osteochondrosis:

1. Age - Pathology often develops in older people due to the body's physiological aging processes. But in recent decades, the disease has gotten "younger" and is being diagnosed in patients in their 30s. This is due to modern lifestyle, occupational factors, changes in food preferences.
2. Profession or hobby: In most cases, degenerative-dystrophic changes in AOD tissues begin in people who overload the cervical spine or, conversely, do not provide a normal load. For example, professional heavyweight athletes overload their bodies by doing strength training. And people who work at a computer or generally in a sedentary-sitting position, on the contrary, "underload". In the latter case, there are no dynamic loads, but the static loads during a long period of immobility are very serious.
3. Injury, hypothermia of the neck or surgery performed in this area.
4. Inheritance.
5. Metastasis in tumor diseases of the spine or other organs.
6. Wrong mattress (too or not firm enough), inadequate pillows, prolonged lying or sitting position (on a bed, sofa).

The reason for the development of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can even be improper diet. Or there may be several reasons. The factors that contributed to the development of the pathology will be established by the doctor in the diagnostic process. And during and after treatment, it will be necessary to eliminate these factors, or try to reduce their pathological influence.

Symptoms and possible complications

Cervical osteochondrosis may initially develop asymptomatically. Or neck discomfort and other signs are attributed to other diseases, fatigue, stress, weather conditions.

However, if multiple symptoms are present at once, this should be the reason for immediate medical attention:

1. Neck pain that eventually spreads to the head, face, shoulders, shoulder blades, and arms. The pain can pass or intensify when turning the head, in a certain position.
2. Crackling in the neck, limited mobility.
3. Dizziness, fainting.
4. Nausea, vomiting.
5. Impaired motor skills, coordination of movements, shaky hands.
6. Violation of sensitivity on the face, limbs or vice versa, the appearance of unusual sensations - goose bumps, tingling.
7. Problems with the function of the organs of vision, hearing and speech.
8. The appearance of hypertension or increased intracranial pressure without objective causes of the cardiovascular system.

The appearance of these symptoms is directly related to the dystrophic processes themselves in the cervical spine. And also with stenosis of the vertebral artery and compression of the nervous 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 disability, permanent disability. Second, the progression of the pathology is reflected in brain function, which can result in trauma during a fall, stroke, coma, or death.

Home Treatment

All cervical osteochondrosis treatment methods can be broadly divided into:

1. Etiotropic and pathogenic: those that affect the very cause of the development of the disease, as well as the mechanism of its development. These are some types of drugs, physical therapy, exercise therapy, gymnastics, wearing a special collar.
2. Symptomatic or palliative: those that eliminate the symptoms of the disease or help reduce its severity and intensity. They are intended to alleviate the patient's condition, improve the quality of life during the treatment period, and are used in addition to the first group of methods. These are novocaine blocks, taking other anesthetic drugs, ointments, massage.

However, most osteochondrosis therapy methods are, to one degree or another, etiotropic and symptomatic. In order to quickly cure osteochondrosis, you should try to use all available methods. In other words, therapy must be as complete, comprehensive and complex as possible.

Today, surgical methods to treat osteochondrosis are widely used. But in the case of a mild form of the disease, its use is not justified.

Therefore, for home treatment, you should focus on these conservative methods:

1. Change of lifestyle and diet.
2. Reception or external application of drugs.
3. Treatment with procedures at home: gymnastics, exercise therapy, massage (in case of calling a masseur at home).
4. Wear a special collar or kinesio tapes.
5. Treatment with home remedies.

Items 1, 3, 4 can also be used during rehabilitation after illness and as preventive measures (to prevent future relapse).

It is desirable that the treatment program has been drawn up by a doctor, or at least agreed with him. Otherwise, it is possible to cause even greater harm to the health of AOD, which will significantly affect the patient's condition and the cost of treatment.

Lifestyle and diet

Without normalizing the lifestyle, physical activity and reviewing the daily menu, the treatment will make little sense.

What to change:

1. Quality of the place to sleep: buy an orthopedic mattress, in addition, it is advisable to buy an orthopedic pillow.
2. Loads on the cervical spine: should be moderate. It is advisable to stop heavy sports, change hard physical work to another type of activity. With passive loads, you can change work too. If this is not possible, you should periodically stretch your neck during the working day, move your head more during work.

You should also start eating well. After all, it is with food that all the necessary elements are supplied to restore the muscular, nervous, cartilaginous and bone tissues of the vertebrae. Consequently, food must be rich in protein, vitamins and minerals (calcium, iron, vitamins C, E, A, group B).

Medications

The main groups of pharmacological drugs prescribed by doctors:

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

All medications, except vitamins and pain relievers, must be taken in the courses. Regular admission from one case to another will not give results, which will affect the effectiveness of treatment.

Procedures

At home, the ability to perform physical therapy is limited. For example, you can only massage or stretch the spine by calling a specialist at home, and not everyone can afford it. But self-massage and elementary physical exercises are quite 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 should use gentle gathering and gathering movements. It is helpful to use a lubricant, such as petroleum jelly. The main thing is that the procedure does not cause pain.

You can also massage with a towel, rubbing your neck or with a stream of warm water in the shower. Another good option is to take a stick, like the handle of a shovel, a round one. Said stick is placed on the back of the shoulders, grasping the ends and pushing it up and down the surface of the neck like a roller. If possible, you can buy massage devices. The Lyapko roller massager is very useful, it is not expensive, its effectiveness has been proven.

Neck gymnastics is pretty simple too. You need to do a variety of turns smoothly, tilt your head. However, with an exacerbation of osteochondrosis, it is not necessary to perform exercises, since the pain can be simply unbearable. From this, spasms of the neck muscles can begin.

The use of orthopedic structures is an effective treatment method

There are many benefits of wearing a custom necklace:

1. Supports the spine and relieves muscle tissue.
2. More efficient tissue regeneration.
3. Improvement of blood circulation, even in the vertebral artery. With cervical osteochondrosis, this is one of the main tasks.
4. Neck fixation reduces mobility and pain.
5. Protection of the neck area from potential injury and additional injuries.

However, the necklace has its drawbacks. Using it is not always appropriate in the company of other people. It can also be difficult to review and perform necessary household chores or job manipulations. But during the treatment period, you should try to wear a collar according to the schedule determined by the doctor.

The neck bandage as a treatment method also has many advantages:

1. Aesthetically acceptable, with the tape you can freely appear "in public". Colored ribbons, if not appropriate in a particular situation, can be hidden by high-necked clothing.
2. Don't restrict physical activity.
3. Moisture resistant, no need to remove before showering.
4. Improves blood flow and lymphatic drainage, relieves pain and inflammation, edema.
5. Relieve tension in muscle tissue.
6. Massage, stimulates metabolic processes in muscles, their regeneration.

There is only one drawback of kinesio tapes - their price, but many patients can pay 100 rubles for a 5-meter roll.

Home remedies for the treatment of osteochondrosis

For oral treatment you can use:

1. Water infusion of bay leaves or cranberry.
2. Decoction of parsley root.
3. Aqueous solution of celery juice.
4. Eat sesame seeds.
5. Herbal teas: own or purchased rates (chamomile, nettle, oregano, hops).
6. Alcoholic infusion of chopped pine nuts.

For the treatment with compresses and rubbing, it is useful to use burdock, horseradish, red pepper (infusions, decoctions) and tar or clay, which are sold in pharmacies.

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

And if the disease has only just begun to develop, drugs, home procedures and folk methods allow to get a quick result. That is, to heal the spine without resorting to the services of specialists.