How to treat osteochondrosis

Spinal osteochondrosis is a chronic pathology characterized by destructive and degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs. The disease progresses rapidly, leading to hernias that are difficult to treat. Injuries to bone and cartilage tissue throughout the spine are rarely diagnosed. Usually, osteochondrosis is detected in one of its parts (cervical, thoracic, lumbar spine).Treatment of the pathology requires a comprehensive approach, combining medications, physical therapy and massage. Before starting treatment for osteochondrosis, you should be examined by a chiropractor or neurologist to determine the cause of the degenerative disease.

Basic principles of treatment

The danger of osteochondrosis is that it is asymptomatic in the early stages of its development. This makes it possible to diagnose the disease when the disc has already undergone irreversible changes. Therefore, even if you experience rare neck or lower back pain, dizziness, and sudden stiffness of movement, you should see your doctor. Pathologies detected in the initial stages can be successfully treated without the use of drugs - patients are advised to perform only a special set of exercises.A serious approach to the treatment of osteochondrosis is required as lack of medical intervention can lead to the development of serious complications. Only following all medical advice can help you get rid of pain and stop the destruction of your spinal discs:

• Balanced diet.A diet high in fat, fried, and smoked foods can cause harmful cholesterol to accumulate in the blood vessels of the spine. Narrowing of the lumen prevents adequate supply of oxygen, nutrients, and bioactive substances to bone and cartilage. The attending physician always advises the patient to give priority to cereal porridge, fresh or baked vegetables and fruits, lean meat and fish;
• Drinking system.Lack of adequate fluids in the body can lead to water and electrolyte imbalances. The vertebral structure lacks mineral compounds necessary for its active function. A lack of fluids can also lead to the accumulation of waste products and toxic compounds, negatively affecting the cartilage and bone regeneration process. Drinking 2-2. 5 liters of clean water, chamomile tea and/or rosehip tea daily will help eliminate the resulting imbalance;
• bad habits.Nicotine and cigarette tar can negatively affect the condition of the blood vessels that supply various parts of the spine. When ethanol is metabolized in the liver, intermediates are formed that are toxic to humans. By affecting the peripheral and central nervous systems, they disrupt innervation and lead to the development of inflammation and swelling;
• Orthopedic bedding.If a person likes to sleep on mattresses and pillows that are too hard or too soft, then osteochondrosis will appear quickly. During sleep, blood vessels are compressed and bone tissue does not receive adequate access to necessary substances and oxygen. If orthopedic devices are not available, choose medium-firm bedding.

People who are susceptible to osteochondrosis or have been treated for it should avoid lifting weights or engaging in strenuous exercise. During such training, all parts of the spine are put under significant stress, which can lead to degenerative diseases. But a sedentary lifestyle is almost always the cause of osteochondrosis. Neuroscientists recommend choosing the "middle way" - long walks in the fresh air, swimming, physical therapy and gymnastics, and yoga.

medical treatement

To treat osteochondrosis of the spine, medications are available both internally and externally. A treatment plan developed by a neurologist should address the following issues:

• Allotropic treatments aimed at eliminating the causes of degenerative damaging changes;
• Give symptomatic treatment to reduce the severity of the inflammatory process and relieve pain;
• Treatment of the cause can prevent the progression of the disease to other parts of the spine and avoid adverse consequences.

In the treatment of osteochondrosis found in moderate or severe pathological stages, drugs administered intravenously, intramuscularly or intraarticularly are used. After relieving acute muscle spasms and restoring circulation to the damaged area, patients take a course of the medication in tablets, dragees, or capsules.For the treatment of osteochondrosis, the drugs used have a large number of contraindications and side effects. Therefore, when prescribing medications, doctors will consider the patient's overall health and the presence of other medical conditions in the patient's medical history. Certain difficulties arise when formulating treatment plans for geriatric patients and the elderly, since many of them suffer from lesions of the liver or urinary tract organs.

NSAIDs

NSAIDs are the drugs of choice for the treatment of osteochondrosis. The disease is often accompanied by acute or low-grade inflammation, causing tissue pain and swelling that gradually spreads to healthy areas of the spine. NSAIDs help to quickly eliminate pathological symptoms.Parenterally administered NSAIDs provide rapid and effective relief of inflammation and pain. The positive results of its use are confirmed after a few days by taking a course of capsules or tablets. NSAIDs are not suitable for patients with ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. One of the side effects of treatment is deep damage to the mucous membranes. To prevent ulcers, patients are advised to take proton pump inhibitors and NSAIDs simultaneously.In addition to oral NSAIDs, they are also used in the form of ointments, creams, or gels. Apply topical medications to damaged areas of the spine several times during the day. The active ingredients of the ointment penetrate the inflamed tissue and prevent the development of pathological processes, while eliminating pain and stiffness of movement.

Glucocorticoids and anesthetics

Osteochondrosis is often accompanied by severe painful cramps that limit freedom of movement. In this case, a paravertebral block using anesthetic and hormonal drugs may be used.Local neuromuscular blockade not only quickly eliminates severe pain, but also completely prevents the spread of inflammation due to the presence of glucocorticoids. But in extreme cases, when NSAIDs don't work, neurologists turn to hormonal drugs. Hormone drugs can have serious side effects, one of which is a sharp decrease in immunity.

Painkillers and antispasmodics

To reduce the severity of pain, drugs with analgesic and antispasmodic activity are used. They affect smooth muscle fibers, weakening their tone. Capsules and tablets have a long-acting effect, which allows them to be used as preventive agents for the recurrence of pathology. When severe inflammation occurs, antispasmodics and analgesics should be combined to enhance the pharmacological effect. The use of this combination is most relevant for the treatment of patients with increased body temperature and symptoms of systemic intoxication due to pathological processes.

muscle relaxants

Muscle relaxants will help reduce the severity or eliminate altogether the muscle spasms that often occur with osteochondrosis. Doctors prefer to combine it with NSAIDs for pain relief. This allows you to significantly reduce the dose of NSAIDs while achieving broader therapeutic activity and minimizing the potential for damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa.Osteochondrosis of the neck and back can be treated with the following muscle relaxants:

• Intramuscular anticholinergic drugs help dilate blood vessels to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the vertebral structures. At the same time, muscle relaxants have analgesic effects;
• Using a GABAb stimulator can help quickly relieve painful muscle spasms. The patient regains mobility without discomfort;
• With the help of α2-adrenoceptor agonists, the natural mobility of the intervertebral discs that have lost their shock-absorbing capacity is restored. A single dose of the drug can effectively eliminate even the most severe pain.

Muscle relaxants successfully cope with the treatment of osteochondrosis, but when prescribing them, neurologists warn patients not to exceed the dosage. Some drugs can cause mental and physical addiction. Due to the possible accumulation of active substances in tissues, the use of muscle relaxants is not recommended for people with pathologies of the urinary organs.

Chondroprotectants and vitamins

These medications are used to treat osteochondrosis to strengthen and restore damaged discs. Chondroprotective agents are first administered parenterally, and a few days later the patient takes these drugs in capsules or tablets. The duration of the treatment process varies from a few months to a year. Thanks to glucosamine and chondroitin as active ingredients, chondroprotectants gradually regenerate damaged bone, cartilage and joint tissue, normalizing their functional activity.B vitamins are used to improve innervation of damaged discs. Before starting treatment for osteochondrosis, the cause of the pain syndrome must first be determined. Most often, this happens when the nerves located in the spine become pinched. A course of B vitamins can normalize the conduction of nerve impulses.

physical therapy procedures

Various physical therapy techniques can be used to treat osteochondrosis in any part of the spine. Neurologists usually choose which one of these is best for a specific patient. However, if the pathology occurs in the context of severe inflammation, a variety of physical treatments are available. The most effective methods include:

• UV irradiation;
• electrotherapy;
• balneotherapy;
• magnet therapy;
• shockwave therapy;
• stress reduction therapy;
• Point or band vibration effects.

Doctors often combine the above methods with electrophoresis to speed up patients' recovery.Before surgery, a tampon soaked in a solution of antispasmodics, anesthetics, and chondroprotectants is applied to the damaged area of the spine. The top is a metal plate through which a weak current is discharged. This ensures that the drug is delivered directly to the damaged disc.

Therapeutic massage and gymnastics

You can eliminate osteochondrosis with the help of classical or oriental massage, but only if there are no acute or chronic inflammatory processes in the spine. Pain syndromes are also important. The surgery is performed only in the absence of severe discomfort at all. Indications for massage are stiffness of movement, excessive muscle tension, and poor blood circulation. Treatments are performed by experts, and once patients feel better, they can be treated at home using a rolled towel or a piece of dense fabric.After several treatments, the symptoms of osteochondrosis will subside due to the effects of several treatments:

• Blood circulation in the damaged area is restored;
• Restores the delivery of nutrients and molecular oxygen;
• Innervation to all parts of the spine is normalized.

Therapeutic gymnastics sessions were also initially conducted under the supervision of a coach who individually selected a set of exercises for each patient. In the initial stages of the pathology, this will help you to forget about painful cramps forever, even without the use of drugs. A series of exercises after recovery can be a great way to prevent any spinal disorders.

Traditional healer's recipes

Osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic spine can be treated with folk remedies only after primary treatment. It is advisable to use herbs, mummies, alcohol or honey during the convalescence or remission period to prevent recurrence. Traditional healers recommend:

• Brew 3 tablespoons per liter of boiling water. tablespoon St. John's Wort and 7 tbsp. Elecampane spoon. Leave for 2 hours and filter. Drink 0. 5 cups after each meal;
• Take a hot bath every day and add 10-15 drops of thuja, eucalyptus, fir, sage, and palmarosa essential oils to the water;
• Soak a linen cloth in a mixture of equal parts honey and 40% ethanol and leave it on for 1-2 hours.

Folk remedies can only be used with the approval of the attending physician. Many of them have warming properties, so their use in cases of severe inflammation is unacceptable, since the pathological process may spread to healthy areas of the spine.All patients of neurologists wonder whether it is possible to cure osteochondrosis without the intervention of a surgeon. In most cases, the use of medications and physical therapy procedures is enough to fully restore the disc. If your doctor insists on surgical treatment, you should not refuse. Modern methods are very effective and safe and do not imply a long recovery period.