Treatment of osteochondrosis is a very long and difficult recovery process that requires complex treatment. In order to draw up a treatment regimen, the doctor needs to take into account a number of nuances:
- Features of the organism.
- Individual intolerance to individual drug components.
The doctor can prescribe treatment only after a thorough diagnosis of the patient.
What is this?
Osteochondrosis is a disease that affects individual segments of the spinal column, thinning the cartilage tissue. It is very common. Today this disease affects 3 segments of the spinal column:
- Neck section.
- Chest.
- Lumbosacral region.
Each of these species is characterized by its own symptoms and treatment.
Osteochondrosis affects the tissue located between the vertebrae. The tissue between the cartilages under the influence of this disease begins to rapidly deteriorate. Nerve fibers located close to the affected cells become inflamed, which causes spasm in the arteries. Inflamed blood vessels cannot pass the required amount of blood, so the human body begins to experience oxygen starvation. This condition is especially dangerous in cervical osteochondrosis, since oxygen deprivation manifests itself in the brain, and this can lead to serious complications.
Diagnostics
For the treatment of osteochondrosis to be more effective, first of all, it is necessary to determine the cause of its progression and the degree of damage, which is not possible without a comprehensive diagnosis. As practice shows, a set of procedures is carried out under the supervision of a vertebrologist and orthopedist. The diagnosis of osteochondrosis is confirmed by the presence of certain symptoms, examination and history of disease progression.
Along with this disease, during the examination, the doctor checks for the presence of scoliosis in the patient, as well as painful sensations with excessive muscle tension.
The following measures are taken to clarify the diagnosis:
- Tomography.
- X-rays.
- Resonance (nuclear magnetic).
Treatment
First of all, you should understand that only timely admission to the hospital will help to achieve success - self-medication can only harm your health. So, the treatment includes a whole range of measures:
- exercise therapy.
- Operational intervention.
- Taking medication.
- Adjusted nutrition.
In addition, the patient should be kept to bed, but this is almost impossible. That is why doctors recommend lying on a hard surface more often, especially during sleep. If the painful sensations intensify, then the mobility of the spine is best minimized.
The main goal of conservative treatment is to stop the progression of the disease and return the spinal column to the correct position.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a great help for sharp pain in the spinal column. 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 required to relieve pain, neutralize inflammation and stop the progression of the disease. This method increases the effectiveness of medication treatment, and also allows you to significantly reduce the dosage of the drug. One of the positive qualities of physiotherapy is the absence of any side effects, which means that there are no contraindications either.
Massage
This method has the same advantages as physiotherapy: it has no side effects. However, it should be said that massage cannot be done in the acute course of the disease. It also cannot be performed for a number of diseases:
- Blood diseases.
- Skin diseases.
- Having open wounds.
- If there is any inflammation.
Massage cannot be included in 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.
The massage is based on the effect on the nerves. Manual massage is most effective because the massage therapist is able to soothe pain with touch. Hardware massage will help to stretch the tissues, but it has no effect on the nerves.
Taking Medications
Medicines should be taken only in the acute period of the disease, when strong painful sensations can be observed. Gels, tablets, and ointments can eliminate pain and relieve inflammation. But using them is constantly unhealthy - they serve only for temporary relief. As soon as the painful sensations pass, it is necessary to use exercise therapy and massage.
No medication is the solution to the problem. They will in no way help restore flexibility to the spinal column and provide decompression of the discs. Their main purpose is to neutralize pain. The exclusion category includes those drugs that are able to build up cartilage tissue.
The principle of action, first of all, depends on the type of drugs. Various heating ointments can not only relieve severe pain, but also improve blood circulation. However, these drugs tend to turn off nerve endings. In some cases, doctors give intramuscular injections, but, as a rule, anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat osteochondrosis.
Manual method of treatment
Manual therapy involves manual manipulation of muscles. It will help relieve severe pain in the joints and spinal column. With this method of treatment, posture is corrected.
Visceral therapy is one of the methods of manual therapy that will help restore joint health and improve immunity. This method is used in the treatment of chronic diseases. It will help prevent complications.
Manual therapy cannot become an independent method of treatment. It must be combined with exercise therapy, drugs, and diet.
Home Treatment
The gross mistake in the treatment of the disease is the lack of a deep look: superficial elimination of symptoms does not eliminate osteochondrosis, but only temporarily improves the patient's condition. That is why the use of pain relievers in home treatment is only an auxiliary treatment.
Having temporarily relieved pain in the spinal column and muscles, remember the main rule - it is necessary to eliminate the cause of the disease. A number of reasons may include eating a large amount of food and low body mobility. However, dystrophy of the intervertebral discs can appear for only one reason: a lack of blood supply to the muscles of the neck and back. These phenomena cause starvation of cartilage, which ultimately leads to their degradation.
As practice shows, specialists give patients all recommendations on the implementation of the necessary measures that will help treatment. These measures include:
- exercise therapy.
- Adjusted diet.
- Taking medication.
- Correct selection of bed linen.
- Rest mode.
Elimination of causes
To say for sure that the progression of the disease began precisely with improper nutrition or due to stagnation of blood is impossible, therefore a whole program must be adjusted, which is aimed at restoring damage to discs and blood flow.
Also worth mentioning are the ways to treat the disease at home:
- Diet.
- Restoring blood circulation in the affected area is the main method for treating the disease.
- Introduction of healthy lifestyle.
- Mattress selection.
Elimination of severe pain
- If a little more than 2 weeks have passed since the onset of pain, you need to take anesthetic medicine together 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, then antidepressants and analgesics should be used with NSAIDs, which contribute to the psychological balance of the person.
In addition, the frequency of use and dosage should be prescribed only by a doctor. Self-administration of any medications is prohibited.
Medicines aimed at eliminating the disease
The main cause of osteochondrosis is the destruction of articular cartilage as a result of a problematic metabolism. Pharmacologists have developed chondroprotective drugs aimed at regulating metabolic processes. It is necessary to take drugs of 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 a complementary method of treatment to traditional medicine. Folk methods help relieve pain and prevent the development of the disease.
Without prior consultation with a doctor, you can not use any of the methods of treatment.
More recently, a new way of treating 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 arms, legs.
Of course, it is worth noting that if the time for prevention was lost, then this list should be replenished with special gymnastics, which includes exercises to stretch the spinal column.
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.