Folk remedies for osteochondrosis

Such a disease of the musculoskeletal system as osteochondrosis today is practically incurable.

However, the set of doctors has enough tools to help effectively stop the symptoms of the disease and are able to stop its further development.

Many of these methods require inpatient treatment, for which, given the current pace of life, one does not always have time. How to get rid of osteochondrosis in this case?

There is only one answer - treatment of osteochondrosis at home. Consider methods of treating osteochondrosis at home with folk remedies.

Pathogenesis of the disease

According to statistics, every third person under the age of 45 has complaints of back pain. In most cases, this is due to osteochondrosis of the spine.

The pathology is characterized mainly by damage to cartilage and bone tissue and in the process of progression begins to affect the patient's nervous system.

The disease is rapidly "rejuvenating" due to reduced physical activity of the population due to the development of computer technology and developing transport infrastructure.

But in addition to a sedentary lifestyle, experts point to other reasons for the development of pathology:

• Ecology;
• Dietary disorder;
• Improper distribution of physical activity on the back;
• Trauma;
• Skeletal muscle weakness;
• Decreased immunity against the background of the development of chronic diseases;
• Viral and bacterial pathologies, etc.

With the modern dynamics of a person's life, he simply does not have enough time to take care of his health. There are always ten other reasons not to do this: work, family, children, etc.

Then the person wonders for a long time: where did he get osteochondrosis at the age of 25-30? - a disease that usually occurs in the elderly.

Many believe that it is a waste of time to go to the clinic and a logical question arises: how to treat osteochondrosis at home?

To answer this question, it is necessary to consider what are the most common methods of therapy used by specialists in the treatment of this pathology.

Only then can we look at the treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies to understand how effective alternative treatments are in general.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

The therapy for this pathology has no standard and depends on the individual diagnosis of the patient.

This suggests that before starting treatment for osteochondrosis at home, you should still visit your doctor for a diagnosis.

This should be done so as not to cause further damage to your body. Complications of this pathology lead to protrusion and hernia of the intervertebral discs, which can contribute to headaches, loss of sensitivity of the limbs, paralysis.

In inpatient treatment after diagnosis, specialists first solve three main tasks:

• Elimination of the pain syndrome;
• Relieve the inflammatory process and swelling. These symptoms are almost always present during the development of this pathology;
• Physiotherapy procedures aimed at repairing damaged tissues, the main goal is to achieve long-term and lasting remission.

Treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine with alternative methods cannot replace complete therapy.

However, alternative treatments for osteochondrosis can help reduce the symptoms of pain and improve the overall health of the patient.

What drugs can be used at home

Many drugs used to treat osteochondrosis have a number of serious side effects and are therefore only taken with the permission of your doctor.

But what if your back hurts and you can't go to the clinic? How to cure osteochondrosis at home, using the drugs available in the home medicine cabinet?

The first thing that is recommended for acute pain are drugs from the group of painkillers.

In addition to its mild analgesic effect, aspirin has the ability to dilute the blood, which helps improve blood circulation and has an antipyretic effect.

This helps to relieve inflammation and swelling of the tissues that compress the nerve endings and thus cause pain.

The use of painkillers is recommended. In their composition they most often contain lidocaine, which quickly has an analgesic effect.

Also excellent reviews have analgesic ointments with a cooling effect, which usually contain menthol and camphor.

If you are sure that the acute phase of the disease has passed and you have no symptoms of inflammation, it is recommended to use gels with a warming effect: turpentine ointment.

The ointment should be applied directly to the site of pain, rubbing gently into the skin. There is no point in touching unaffected areas.

Cold effect gels can be applied at any time. It is recommended to apply ointments with a warming effect at night and to additionally wrap the affected area with a woolen cloth.

Gymnastics at home

Therapeutic therapy for osteochondrosis is one of the main and effective methods of treating this pathology. A common cause of osteochondrosis is a weak muscular framework that cannot cope with physical activity.

Thus, the entire load falls on the intervertebral discs, as a result of which their degenerative changes occur.

The discs between the vertebrae become thinner or, as they say, dry out and lose their functional ability. Gymnastics allows you to increase muscle tone, improve their elasticity and blood circulation in them.

Depending on the location of the tissue damage and the pain syndrome, osteochondrosis can be cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral.

Exercises also exist for different departments, but it is not recommended to train only the more affected area, which brings discomfort to a person, but to train all parts of the spine.

Attention!If pain occurs during therapeutic gymnastics, training should be stopped immediately and carried out only under the supervision of a specialist.

1. The first two exercises perfectly stimulate the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine, promote better fluid circulation and seal them. To perform them, you need to take a sitting or standing position. We bend the head back and forth with a small range of motion. The movements should remind you that you are having a conversation with the person and in what agreement with him, saying "yes".
2. The next exercise is similar to the first, only now you have to turn your head left and right, as if saying no. The movements should not be made with a large amplitude, it should be approximately 30% of the maximum possible tilt or rotation of the head. Performed several times a day at a convenient time for 2-3 minutes.

3. The following exercise for home treatment of the spine strengthens the muscles of the neck and shoulders. Standing shoulder-width apart, arms down along the body. We make circular movements with the shoulders back and forth. It is also performed several times a day in several approaches, 15-20 times in each direction.
4. To train the lumbar spine, it is recommended to perform an exercise that is more like a belly dance. Starting position, legs shoulder-width apart. We make circular movements with the pelvis, first in one direction, then in the other. At the same time, we make sure that the chest and shoulder girdle remain as still as possible. It is enough to do two or three times in different directions for 20 -25 turns.

5. The next exercise is aimed at strengthening the muscles of the latissimus and trapezius. The position of the body lying on his stomach, arms outstretched. Raise your arms, shoulders and head up, hold for a second and go down to the starting position. The exercise is performed 10-15 times.

In addition to strengthening the muscles of the back, we should not forget about the abdominal muscles, which are involved not only in deep breathing, but also in maintaining proper posture. Weak abdominal muscles contribute to the development of lumbar lordosis.

Attention!Exercise is good for the body only with regular exercise.

Gymnastics is a good tool for the treatment of osteochondrosis. The therapeutic effect is achieved by strengthening the muscles and improving blood circulation in them, which prevents the development of the inflammatory process and swelling around the cartilage tissue.

Physiotherapy at home

Folk remedies for osteochondrosis are often taken from the life experience of generations and are used successfully in traditional medicine as physiotherapy procedures.

Some of them can be easily made at home.

Cold and hot shower

The first folk remedy that you can use to treat osteochondrosis at home is a contrast shower.

For many, this procedure is only related to hardening and not everyone understands how this procedure will help in the fight against this pathology.

The explanation here is quite simple - a sharp redirection of blood flow to the muscles, around cartilage and skin.

This promotes the leakage of excess fluid from the areas of inflammation and swelling and the influx of essential trace elements into the damaged tissues.

At the moment when a person is under hot water streams, protective mechanisms are activated in the body, which should save him from overheating.

This is achieved by bleeding from the internal organs to the muscles and skin. The vessels dilate, the amount of blood increases and excess heat is removed to the outside.

When you suddenly stand on the cold water jets, the opposite reaction occurs - the flow of blood from the muscles and skin to the internal organs.

This is the process of thermoregulation of the body and at the same time normalizes blood circulation in damaged tissues, which contributes to improving the overall condition.

The procedure is simple enough. It is necessary to stand under tolerant, non-steaming hot water for 20-30 seconds.

Then switch the water to cold for 10-20 seconds. The procedure should be performed 3-5 times, ending with a cool but comfortable water temperature.

Despite the obvious advantages of this procedure, it still has contraindications:

• It is forbidden to perform this procedure when the patient has symptoms of a cold or acute respiratory disease;
• Cardiovascular diseases;
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other internal organs, etc.

The volume of blood from the internal organs to the muscles and back is large enough and can cause: heart attack, stroke or internal bleeding. Therefore, this complex should be performed with a gradual increase in the time interval under cold or hot water.

First, spend no more than 5-7 seconds under running water and gradually bring these values to 30 seconds over several weeks.

Salt baths

Another folk remedy for the treatment of osteochondrosis are salt baths. They help great if back pain is provoked by muscle strain.

To prepare the bath, you will need sea or plain coarse salt. Fine and purified by evaporation will be less effective in this case.

The volume of a standard bath varies from 170 to 195 liters, this amount of water will require about 5 kg of salt.

Water temperature from 36 to 38 ° С. All kinds of essential oils can be used for the best effect. After the procedure, it is recommended to stand for a few minutes under slightly warm running water.

Osteochondrosis is virtually incurable, but by using alternative methods as adjunctive therapy to the mainstream treatment, it is still possible to stop and therefore win.