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Rules for treating cervical osteochondrosis at home

Osteochondrosis is a disease in which the vertebrae are damaged, which leads to compression of the intervertebral discs. This leads to pain due to pinched nerve fibers. Narrowed blood flow leads to disruption of the work of internal organs. When this disease occurs in the cervical spine, it affects the blood supply to the soft tissues of the head and brain, disrupting the passage of nerve impulses to the central nervous system.

Why does cervical osteochondrosis occur?

A symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is constant or throbbing pain.

This condition can be caused by:

  1. Hereditary predisposition to decrease the volume of the intervertebral discs.
  2. Back, neck or limb injuries.
  3. Weakening of skeletal muscles.
  4. Difficult working conditions.
  5. Improper or excessive weight training.
  6. Infectious diseases.
  7. Shoes that provoke changes in gait, which increases the load on the spine.
  8. An unbalanced diet.
  9. Genetic diseases.

Most of the causes that provoke cervical osteochondrosis and its symptoms can be prevented.It is necessary to create suitable working conditions, as well as to choose physical activities that strengthen the muscles supporting the spine. But this is not always possible to do in time, because a person rarely thinks about a problem that does not yet exist. That is why you should know what the most common signs of osteochondrosis of the neck are:

  • reduced range of motion;
  • constant or throbbing pain;
  • cracking of vertebrae on movement of head;
  • headache that does not go away with medication;
  • numbness in one or more limbs;
  • trembling of the limbs or involuntary contraction of the muscles;
  • dizziness, loss of coordination of movements or consciousness;
  • tinnitus (ringing or ringing in the ears);
  • problems remembering or using learned information;
  • loss of memories;
  • problems with the work of the sphincters of the rectum and bladder neck.

Each osteochondrosis of the neck is unique and affects different functions of the body, so some of the symptoms may be absent. But patients always experience difficulty turning the head, pain, and when the condition worsens, headache and vertigo.

How to determine the disease at home

Pain in the neck and shoulders - the first signs of cervical osteochondrosis

Pain from osteochondrosis can be both throbbing, short-lived, and long-lasting and constantly worrying. When the neck is affected, the discomfort extends to the shoulder girdle and is most often located on the side of the working arm. In this case, the pain can be both in the neck and between the shoulder blades and affect the whole arm.

The complexity of the diagnosis stems from the fact that discomfort can change over time, due to changes in body position, stress or other reasons. Therefore, the first signs of osteochondrosis can be attributed to overstrain or muscle tension. But over time, attacks of pain and stiffness become more frequent and intense, which requires establishing the cause and starting treatment.

It is quite difficult to independently determine the cause of pain in cervical osteochondrosis at home.In order to justify suspicions of osteochondrosis, it is necessary to exclude other possibilities. Most often, the pain is caused by muscle tension, incorrect posture during sleep or at work. Therefore, it is necessary to improve these conditions in order to understand whether they are the main source of unpleasant sensations.

If neck problems persist, this is a serious symptom that can indicate both osteochondrosis and other diseases, such as:

  • tumors;
  • infections;
  • nerve root compression.

Therefore, you should consult a doctor and take an X-ray. This way you will know if there are injuries or other signs of external influence.

After it became known that the neck was affected by osteochondrosis, regardless of the methods of obtaining information, it is still not clear what caused the disease. You can independently determine only violation of working conditions, force loads and injuries. The rest of the diseases can be recognized only after passing a full examination - this is necessary, because an infection that affects the spine or other similar disorders pose a serious danger to health and life.

How to treat osteochondrosis with drugs and folk remedies

After making the diagnosis, you must accept a treatment plan that the doctor will develop or create it yourself. When choosing its points, it is important to emphasize an integrated approach to the selection of means and the systematic implementation of all recommendations.

What to do with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:

  • administer medication;
  • use folk remedies;
  • conduct physical therapy;
  • lifestyle changes to eliminate the underlying cause of the disease.

Medicines include:

  1. Oral and topical preparations that relieve pain and reduce inflammation, but do not contain steroid substances.
  2. Pain relievers that contain corticosteroids.
  3. Muscle relaxants.
  4. Antidepressants (if the work of the central nervous system is suppressed, which caused a disturbance of the emotional background).
  5. Anti-inflammatory ointments.
  6. Pain relief patches.

Folk methods include:

  1. Herbal decoctions and infusions used orally. The effect of the means depends on the raw materials used for them. These can be general strengthening compounds that saturate the body with useful substances, as well as pain-relieving or anti-inflammatory drugs.
  2. Compresses - most often warming, with the aim of relieving the spasm of the neck muscles and returning the spine to its original position.
  3. Rubbing - rubbing folk remedies into the skin, often combined with massage or self-massage. It has a different direction of action, but it is most often used for pain relief, warming and muscle relaxation.
Exercises at home to eliminate cervical osteochondrosis

Physiotherapy includes:

  1. Massage by a medical specialist - treatment procedures have a beneficial effect on the spine and back muscles. In case of disorders in the neck area, you cannot use the services of a massage therapist who specializes in conducting only relaxation sessions.
  2. Self-massage - correctly performed actions help to warm up the neck muscles, relieve spasms and restore blood circulation in the area of the cervix and shoulders.
  3. Improvement of working conditions, selection of appropriate furniture to maintain correct posture, and in case of sedentary work, frequent breaks during which physical movements are performed.
  4. Increasing the number of walks, using shoes with shock-absorbing soles. Walking helps to create the correct load on the back, especially the lumbar region, due to which the clamps in the skeletal muscles are removed and the spine returns to the anatomically correct position.
  5. Conducting a warm-up in the morning, including both neck and shoulder girdle exercises, as well as affecting other parts of the body. In this case, all movements are performed only with own weight or, in rare cases, light dumbbells are allowed.
  6. Sauna or bath - visiting the steam bath with a course of 10-12 times can significantly reduce the tension in the back muscles and activate metabolic processes in the body.
  7. Procedures prescribed by a doctor and carried out using special equipment (electrophoresis, etc. ).

In addition, swimming in the pool is a good way to maintain optimal muscle tone, relieve spasms and eliminate atrophy. This should be done constantly and should be started as soon as the inflammation stops. In the first visits, a moderate load should be given to the shoulder girdle, then gradually increased until swimming becomes a full-fledged workout.

If the doctor's recommendations are followed, remission occurs quickly enough if the disease has not progressed to a moderate or severe form. But it is important to remember that even complete disappearance of symptoms is not a sign of cure.