Folk remedies for the treatment of osteochondrosis

Such a disease of the musculoskeletal system as osteochondrosis today is practically not subject to complete cure.

However, a 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 hospital treatment, for which, given the modern pace of life, a person does not always have time. How to get rid of osteochondrosis in this case?

There is only one answer - treating 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, it is caused by osteochondrosis of the spine.

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

The disease is rapidly "rejuvenating" due to the reduction of physical activity of the population due to the development of computer technologies and the development of traffic infrastructure.

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

• ecology;
• Eating Disorders;
• Improper distribution of physical load on the back;
• Trauma;
• Skeletal muscle weakness;
• Decreased immunity in the background of the development of chronic diseases;
• Viral and bacterial pathologies, etc.

With the modern dynamics of human 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 a 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 people think that going to the clinic is a waste of time, and the logical question is: how to treat osteochondrosis at home?

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

Only then can we consider treating osteochondrosis with folk remedies to understand how effective alternative treatments are in general.

Treatment of osteochondrosis

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

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

This must be done so that your body is not harmed even more. Complications of this pathology lead to protrusion and herniation of intervertebral discs, which can contribute to headaches, loss of limb sensitivity, and even paralysis.

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

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

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

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

What medications can be used at home

Many medications used to treat osteochondrosis have a number of serious side effects and are therefore only taken with a doctor’s permission.

But what if your back pain haunts you and there is no way to go to the clinic? How to cure osteochondrosis at home using medications available in home first aid kits?

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

Aspirin, in addition to a mild analgesic effect, has the ability to dilute the blood, which promotes better blood circulation and has an antipyretic effect.

This helps alleviate inflammation and swelling of the tissue that pinches the nerve endings and thus causes pain.

It is recommended to use patches to relieve pain. They usually contain lidocaine, which has a rapid 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 do not have 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, gently rubbed 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 additionally wrap the affected area with a woolen cloth.

Gymnastics at home

Exercise therapy for osteochondrosis is one of the main and effective methods in the treatment of this pathology. A common reason for the development of osteochondrosis is a weak muscular framework that cannot cope with physical activity.

Thus, the entire load falls on the intervertebral discs, resulting in their degenerative changes.

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 tissue damage and pain syndrome, osteochondrosis can be cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral.

Exercises also exist for different departments, but it is not recommended to exercise only the affected area that brings discomfort to a person, but all parts of the spine are exercised.

Attention!If pain occurs during the performance of corrective gymnastics, the 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 thicken them. To perform them, you should take a sitting or standing position. We perform head tilts back and forth with a small range of motion. Movements should remind you to talk to the person and what the deal is with them, saying yes.
2. The next exercise is similar to the first, only now you need to turn your head left and right, as if to say no. The movements should not be done with a large amplitude, it should be approximately 30% of the maximum possible tilt or rotation of the head. They are 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 well. Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, arms down along body. We make circular movements of the shoulders back and forth. It is also performed several times a day in several approaches, 15-20 times in each direction.
4. To develop the lumbar spine, it is recommended to perform an exercise that looks more like a belly dance. Starting position, feet shoulder-width apart. We make circular movements with the pelvis, first in one direction, then in the other. At the same time, make sure that the chest and shoulder girdle remain as still as possible. Just do it two or three times in different directions for 20 -25 rotations.

5. The following exercise is aimed at strengthening the muscles of the latissimus and trapezius. Body position lying on stomach, arms outstretched forward. We raise our arms, shoulders and head up, hold for a second and lower ourselves to the starting position. The exercise is performed 10-15 times.

In addition to strengthening the back muscles, we should not forget 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 helps the body only with regular exercise.

Gymnastics is a good remedy for osteochondrosis. The therapeutic effect is achieved by strengthening the muscles and improving circulation in them, thus preventing the development of the inflammatory process and edema around the cartilage tissue.

Physiotherapy at home

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

Some of them can be easily made at home.

Cold and warm shower

The first folk remedy that you can 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 in the muscles, around the cartilage tissue and skin.

This promotes the outflow of excess fluid from the area of inflammation and edema and the influx of essential trace elements into damaged tissues.

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

This is achieved by the outflow of blood from the internal organs into the muscles and skin. The veins dilate, the amount of blood increases and the excess heat is removed outside.

When you suddenly step on cold jets of water, the opposite reaction occurs - the outflow of blood from the muscles and skin into the internal organs.

It is a process of thermoregulation of the body, and at the same time normalizes blood circulation in damaged tissues, which contributes to the improvement of the condition as a whole.

The procedure is simple enough. It is necessary to stand for 20-30 seconds under tolerant hot water that does not fry.

Then transfer the water to the cold for 10-20 seconds. The procedure should be performed 3-5 times, ending with a cold but pleasant 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, do not spend 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 a lot if the back pain is caused 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, for this amount of water you need about 5 kg of salt.

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

Osteochondrosis is practically incurable, but by using alternative methods as an additional therapy to the main treatment, it is still possible to stop and thus win.