Methods for treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Cervical spine osteochondrosis is asymptomatic as long as the intervertebral discs meet their cushioning obligations. As soon as their thickness starts to decrease, instability occurs. The body compensates for this with the increase of osteophytes, as a result, a person feels stiffness in the neck and over time other unpleasant symptoms appear, which significantly worsen the quality of life. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should be comprehensive.

This means that drug therapy alone (injections, tablets, ointments) is not enough. In addition, it is necessary to do special therapeutic exercises, massage, do hirudotherapy courses (treatment with caterpillars), as well as do basic exercises at home. In addition to the main treatment, the use of folk remedies is allowed.

medicaments

The doctor's priority is to relieve the patient of the pain. For these purposes, a whole complex of medicines is used:

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• anesthetics and hormones (for blockages);
• muscle relaxants;
• chondroprotectors;
• sedatives and antidepressants;
• vitamin B.

The groups of drugs listed in the complex play the role of a powerful anesthetic complex for osteochondrosis, and also nourish the intervertebral discs and restore nerves:

• NSAIDs relieve inflammation and pain from mild to severe.
• Anesthetics and hormonal agents are injected at the site of pain (paravertebral or vagosympathetic) - the pain syndrome stops immediately. The patient is then placed in a neck brace for a while, so as not to move the head tightly.
• Muscle relaxants are used to relax spasmodic muscles.
• Chondroprotectors improve the nutrition of intervertebral discs. Taking them starts at the same time as NSAIDs. Usually the use of chondroprotectors is long-term and complex. This means that the doctor may prescribe, along with external agents, oral medications as well as injections.
• Sedatives and antidepressants help the patient cope with stress, prevent depression, which in turn helps to cope with muscle tension.
• Complex preparations of B vitamins. Lack of B1, 6 and 12 negatively affects nerve fibers and neuronal conduction. First, the medication is prescribed in the form of injections in a short course, then they switch to supportive therapy and take pills.

On a note. Most NSAIDs and chondroprotectors come in a variety of forms - tablets, ointments, injections, and rectal suppositories (NSAIDs) and patches (NSAIDs).

Therapeutic gymnastics and massage

Once the pain syndrome subsides, it is necessary to gradually increase the motor activity of the cervical spine. If the patient had a blockage, then the bandage is removed after about a week.

Some doctors believe that it is always necessary to move. When the patient is prescribed bed rest, it is believed that this helps to cope with the disease, but in fact the person gets the opposite effect - on one side of the neck, spasmodic muscles, if not used muscle relaxants, remain limited, on the other hand, on the other hand, their slow weakening (decrease or loss of tone) is observed. As a result, returning to a work rhythm, a patient with cervical osteochondrosis in a fairly short time will inevitably experience back pain, limited mobility, and muscle spasms. If you engage in dosed physical education and little by little but continuously, you can achieve pain relief with minimal use of sedatives.

Physical therapy physicians and chiropractors share the same view. Their techniques are based on movement, not lying in bed, as defended by 90% of doctors who are trying to relieve a patient with cervical osteochondrosis from pain.

Exercises for acute pain

This is static gymnastics, in which the cervical spine performs no movement. The physiotherapist recommends performing the following 3 exercises for headache, tinnitus, neck pain:

1. Sit in a chair, turn your back, look straight. Place your hands on top of each other and place under your chin. Start pressing the chin into your hands, as if you want to lower your head. At this point, the spine is not involved in any way, but the muscles of the front of the neck are tense. Press your hands for 3 to 5 seconds, then lower your arms and relax. Repeat several times.
2. Continue to sit with your back straight and look forward. Place the back of your right hand on the cheek. Begin to turn your head to the right while resisting with your hand. The head is motionless. Press for 3 to 5 seconds, then remove your hand and relax. Repeat several times. Repeat exercise number 2 with the other hand.
3. Place the brushes on top of each other at the back of the head. Imagine throwing your head back. Resist with your hands. At the moment of pressure, stand for 3 to 5 seconds. Then lower your arms and relax. Repeat several times.

You do not need to put pressure on your hands with all your might. This will backfire - the pain will intensify. All movements are as smooth as possible, slow, without cracking. The number of accesses per day is from 2-3 times.

On a note. Static exercises are similar to micromotion techniques. As a result, the muscles relax, the pain gradually disappears.

A universal set of exercises for cervical osteochondrosis

Gymnastics can be performed independently, at home, both during forgiveness and at the time of deterioration.

The universal complex consists of 6 exercises:

1. Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, widen chest. Put your hands on your shoulders. Perform symmetrical circular motions backwards (at least 10 times), then forwards (10 times). The body and neck are immobile. At the end of the exercise, lower your arms and shake your shoulders, relax.
2. Keep standing. Spread your arms parallel to the floor, clenching your fists. Now imagine shaking dumbbells. At the same time, bend your elbows and touch your shoulders with your fists, then straighten. Repeat 10-15 times. After completing the exercise, shake your hands off your shoulders and relax.
3. Stay in the starting position. Exercise is static. Cross your fingers and place your palms on your forehead. Start, as it were, to lower your head forward. Resist with your hands. Hold in the pressure position for 3-5 seconds, then relax. The back muscles of the neck work.
4. Do exercise number 3 from the complex with a worsening of cervical osteochondrosis.
5. From the starting position, without moving the neck, bring the shoulders forward, hold for 3-5 seconds, then straighten and join the shoulder blades and relax. Repeat several times.
6. From the starting position: take a deep breath through your nose - raise your arms sideways and up, sit forward - exhale completely through your mouth. In an acute period, raise your arms down - parallel to the floor.

On a note. For a complete cure of the cervixosteochondrosisthese exercises are not enough. However, they are suitable for relieving acute pain and restoring spinal mobility.

Micro-movements

A chiropractor has developed a system to help patients with cervical osteochondrosis:

1. Sit in a chair and lean on your back. Now imagine that you agree with someone - shake your head a little. You can do this for as long as you want, until you get bored. Once a free minute is given, they sat down and did it. Free refills.
2. The starting position is exactly the same as in Exercise 1. Only now do not disagree with the interlocutor - shake your head left and right barely visible. Do as long as appropriate. Free refills.

On a note. Exercise groups can be combined with each other. This will give a noticeable effect in a short time - the pain will decrease.

Massage

It is better to entrust the massage of the cervical spine to a specialist. However, in case of severe pain, if it is possible to lift painlessly and place your hands behind your head, you can try to help yourself. There are many self-massage techniques.

The simplest self-massage is done as follows:

1. Sit in a chair. Raise and place your hand behind your head on the opposite side of the pain.
2. Start caressing the neck in the area of inflammation. Do it gently at first, almost without pressure. Then increase the intensity slightly.
3. Get down on the shoulder. As a rule, when torticollis overcomes, not only the neck on one side hurts, but also the shoulders. Stretch your shoulder. This should be done actively so that the spasmodic muscles warm up, but there should be no severe pain from the self-massage.
4. Repeat this process on the other side of the neck. This should be done because on the one hand the muscles are spasmodic, on the other hand they are relaxed - you have to equalize their tone.
5. Place both hands behind the head and place the fingers along the spine (along the spinous processes). Work carefully, but quite actively in this area. Do not apply excessive pressure. The neck is the most delicate part of the spine. An awkward move can hurt yourself and make the situation worse.
6. Apply any anesthetic gel or ointment you have in your medicine cabinet to the warm cervical spine.

Do not use heating ointments for self-massage. The skin on the neck is very delicate, especially in the area of the arteries and in the front. If the heat composition gets there, you can burn it.

Hirudotherapy

Caterpillar treatment for osteochondrosis, especially of the cervical spine, is very effective. Hirudotherapy helps:

• reduce pain;
• improving blood circulation to the area of influence of caterpillars - normalizes arterial blood flow to the brain and venous outflow;
• relieving swelling;
• increases the effect of drugs;
• improve sleep;
• relieving psychological stress;
• significantly reduce headaches and dizziness.

Not everyone is allowed such treatment. Remember to undergo a thorough examination before treating caterpillars. If there are no contraindications, 7-10 procedures are performed. To consolidate the result in a month, you can turn again to a hirudotherapist.

Folk remedies

Try the following recipes:

• rub the back of the neck with a leaf of Indian onion, cover with something warm on top and go to bed;
• self-massage with honey - rub the neck and shoulder girdle with honey, then apply a towel soaked in warm water, after 10 minutes remove the honey residue (if any) and go to bed, covered with a blanket;
• take a steam bath, but not during irritations, then do a massage with honey and drink herbal tea;
• use a needle applicator - place the needle plate in the area of the seventh vertebra of the cervix, if the sensations are tolerable, then sleep on the needle - in the morning you will notice considerable relief.

There are many ways to treat cervical osteochondrosis. In addition to those prescribed, an effective method of therapy is acupuncture, yoga, Pilates, fitball exercises. Remember, self-medication is dangerous. Make an appointment with your doctor and do a thorough checkup. The specialist will individually choose the treatment and tell you which exercises can be done and which can not, if self-massage is possible, if the caterpillars will help, or perhaps recommend one of the alternative medicine methods, for example, bitingof bees.