The story of how the king treated osteochondrosis has survived to this day. 150-200 grams of mustard was placed in a huge tub full of hot water, and the king, who was a great hunter in the hot-heated bath for a pleasant and useful pastime, was slowly immersed in 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?
Danger of "inflexible" disease
Osteochondrosis makes a person inflexible - a subtle aphorism accurately 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 ability to "spring", is covered with cracks as the pressure increases, and its contents are "squeezed out" over time - an intervertebral hernia develops.
The leaked fluid compresses the nerve endings in the spinal cord, breaking the "connection" between all the internal organs of man. So osteochondrosis of the thoracic region has been used for years to treat gastritis or to look for the cause of heart pain; lumbar or lumbosacral osteochondrosis can cause partial or complete paralysis of the lower extremities and the neck - making it harder for the blood supply to the brain.
Sometimes the disease affects several classes of the "life column" - widespread osteochondrosis of the spine develops standards of treatment similar to those described below, but the healing process requires much more effort on the part of the patient and physicians.
Cartilage tissues and the bones of the joints of the legs also suffer from destructive processes. Shooting pain during movement, cramps and pain in the calf muscles, numbness of the fingers, and decreased sensitivity of the skin of the legs are associated with lumbosacral osteochondrosis.
However, these symptoms are more likely to indicate osteochondrosis of the foot, which begins with a visit to a neurologist and is successful with 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 cartilage discs by increasing the bone tissue in the vertebral bodies, and such increases increase together and immobilize certain segments of the "axis of life".
How to treat exacerbation of osteochondrosis?
In addition to the rapid elimination of pain, the main goal of treating exacerbated osteochondrosis is to eliminate muscle cramps and swell the inflamed tissues that compress the nerve roots.
Modern standards for the treatment of osteochondrosis in the acute period prescribe treatment to relieve spinal strain and relieve pain:
- In the acute period, especially in the presence of an intervertebral hernia, the patient is treated with a situation - strict bed rest for at least 6 days;
- Painkillers help relieve inflammation and pain; painkillers as well as NSAIDs are usually prescribed for osteochondrosis;
- In case of stable, severe pain syndrome, an anesthetic injection with glucocorticoid or novocaine should be given. In the case of increased osteochondrosis, these drugs provide a long-lasting analgesic effect;
- Hypnotics and sedatives are recommended for intolerable sleep-depriving pain in osteochondrosis;
- Central muscle relaxants are prescribed for hypertension of the muscles of the back and lower extremities;
- Diuretics are used to relieve swelling during spinal decompression;
- In osteochondrosis, topical treatment of pain is provided by ointments and gels with an anti-inflammatory component. It is applied at the site of pain localization;
- To optimize the blood supply to the spine, angioprotective drugs and venotonics are prescribed to eliminate congestion in the bloodstream, as well as nicotinic acid, which is a vasodilator;
- Surgery is often the only right solution for paralysis.
Where is osteochondrosis treated?
The patient usually goes through a kind of circle - treatment in a hospital clinic - hydropathy or sanatorium - treatment at home under the supervision of a doctor.
Often, treatment is performed at home even in the acute period, however, with the low efficacy of the listed therapeutic measures, the issue of hospitalization of the patient is decided.
Recovery period of osteochondrosis
After the acute period, efforts should be made to inhibit destructive processes and to optimize local blood flow and metabolism. The expected result of the treatment is maximal recovery of the cartilage tissue.
The next step in the treatment of osteochondrosis is to eliminate the consequences of neurological complications and prevent their exacerbation in the future by preventing further degeneration of the soft "components" of the spine.
How to treat osteochondrosis during the healing period?
The reception of the medicinal products will continue at this stage. The most important of these are the majority of "representatives" of vitamins A, E, P, C, and B, which strengthen the walls of blood vessels and restore the normal "course" of the nerve impulse, as well as condoprotectors. The latter cartilage extracts - a kind of pill for osteochondrosis, stimulate the recovery of "sagging" cartilage tissue. An anti-inflammatory component is often added to their composition, which allows the dose of NSAIDs to be reduced.
To enhance the effect of oral chondroprotectors, it is advisable to use an anti-osteochondrosis cream and ointments based on chondroitin and glucosamine.
Patches are a relatively new and good cure for osteochondrosis.
Small pieces of fabric with an adhesive surface help to retain heat, anesthetize and slow down the destructive processes at the site of fixation:
- Chinese patches containing herbal ingredients and beeswax to treat osteochondrosis speed up the final disappearance of inflammation and relax muscles. With the disappearance of pain, metabolic processes return to normal, and with them - the trophism of the affected segment;
- The pepper patch against osteochondrosis stimulates the blood supply to the problem area due to the presence of "burning" belladonna, pine resin and pepper, eliminates muscle cramps and accelerates the swelling of the tissues that compress the nerve roots;
Physiotherapy and alternative therapies
With the reduction of inflammation in the complications of osteochondrosis, further rehabilitation is performed by non-drug exposure methods. During treatment, the emphasis is on physiotherapy and alternative methods.
The main purpose of this period is to extend the motor regime.
How to get rid of osteochondrosis without medication:
- Physiotherapy procedures - infrared laser, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis with chondroxide help relieve the symptoms of muscle hypertension and nerve "tension" and allow the delivery of chondroitin, which prevents the destruction of cartilage tissue, directly into the unhealthy segment;
- Effective treatment of osteochondrosis rarely goes without tensile force or spinal tension under the influence of its own weight, additional load, or chiropractic forces. The most accessible way to pull the spine, especially when osteochondrosis and hernia are combined, hangs in a horizontal band. But even this simple practice has complications if the technique is incorrect, so any towing method should be discussed with your doctor;
- With the help of thin needles on the plexuses of nerve endings, blood vessels and connective tissues, it is also possible to improve the blood supply to the spine and normalize metabolic processes. In addition, acupuncture in osteochondrosis triggers the release of endogenous opiates that act as analgesics and the production of "anti-inflammatory" cortisol, which eliminates the need to administer its synthetic counterpart. Gradual relaxation of the paravertebral muscles will also help reduce pain;
- Treating osteochondrosis often becomes an "oeuvre, " and patients who have tried to alleviate the suffering in a variety of ways leave positive feedback on the healing properties of apitoxin and bee products.
Thus, therapeutic doses of uterine venom significantly reduce inflammation and relieve pain more effectively than analgesics and NSAIDs, promoting vasodilation and an accelerated supply of nutrients.
Without what is recovery impossible?
Perhaps the daily routine was not the primary consideration before the onset of the disease. During the recovery period, it is impossible to "update" the natural depreciation mechanism if the rest, nutrition, and physical activity schedule is not followed.
That’s why he studies the hygiene of postures and movements - the ability to observe in everyday life allows the spine to be "unloaded".
Sleeping place
Start by organizing a night’s rest. In the acute phase, place a hard shield under the normal mattress. What mattress should you use for osteochondrosis in the future?
In the absence of postural deformities - orthopedic. In case of curvature, the bed should be stiffer.
The use of orthopedic pillows is recommended for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
After getting out of bed rest, the use of a corset recommended for the patient - in osteochondrosis - unloads the affected segments, preventing the spasm of weakened muscles. The duration of your wear is determined by your doctor.
Nutrition
Review your diet. Maybe, if it wasn’t ideal before, it was a springboard for healing. . . there will be hunger. It is well known that the first fast aggravates the disease, the next fast cures. How does fasting treat osteochondrosis? In fact, the intervertebral disc is a small hydraulic shock absorber. Like the water cushion, the disc cushions collide. Alternating compression and releasing pressure on the plate keeps it hydrated.
According to the author's method, dry fasting helps to remove "waste", "dead" water from the tissues surrounding the disc and stimulates the regeneration of its own purified intercellular fluid.
Fasting should be performed under medical supervision.
Physical education
The best cure for osteochondrosis is physical education. Exercising to lengthen the spine and strengthen the muscles of the body, selected by the movement therapy instructor, should become a daily rule. Training should be performed sequentially, several times a day, between exacerbations.
So segmental gymnastics is a modern and at the same time reasonable trend in the treatment of osteochondrosis. It can be represented schematically in two phases: muscle tension with movements whose amplitude slightly exceeds the mobility in the joint or segment, and electrical muscle stimulation combined with local gymnastics and acupressure at the site of the "hidden" disease.
Thus, the paravertebral muscles relax and then stimulate the blood supply, causing the regeneration process.
Pain often indicates severe "malfunction" of the spine. Therefore, do not delay your visit to the doctor and be healthy!