Pain appears when you do not expect it. Even the most confident person in such cases can be confused and scared. The cause of pain is often osteochondrosis. How is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine treated at home and how effective will the treatment be? Find out more.
What is osteochondrosis
Official medical sources interpret osteochondrosis as a degenerative disease that affects the intervertebral disc involving adjacent vertebrae and joints. The elasticity of the intervertebral joint is impaired - and the disc becomes thinner. You need to understand how nutrition and metabolic processes in the intervertebral discs occur. This structural element is formed by cartilage, blood vessels are absent here. Power is diffuse, like a pump. When squeezing, a lubricating fluid is released and then absorbed again. If there is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, exercise therapy, massage and the whole range of therapeutic methods should be prescribed as soon as possible.
What changes occur in the spine and their symptoms
In the affected joint, the following processes occur:
- The pulpous core of the disc loses physiological moisture;
- cartilage loses shape;
- loses elasticity;
- changes color;
- dries out;
- turns yellow;
- loses resistance to damage.
The consequence of this is a violation of the synchronism of movement in neighboring segments of the spinal column, impingement of the nerve roots. The main symptoms of degenerative changes will be pain, limitation of mobility, some forms of paresthesias ("crawling creeps", tingling).
All of these changes suggest the presence of osteochondrosis. How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine or any other, we will talk further.
Why does osteochondrosis occur?
The causes of the disease include all that violates the nutrition of the disk:
- Stagnation caused by static loads.
- Long-term retention of unfavorable positions, especially sedentary. There is a good saying: “If you can stand, don’t sit, if you can lie down, don’t stand.”
- Traumatic effects on locking plates, fibers of the fibrous ring.
Common causes include unbalanced nutrition, physical inactivity, insufficient development of the deep muscles that form the muscle corset. Spinal stability is due to the complex interaction of skeletal bone, muscle and nerve structures. The muscles of the abdomen and back are antagonists, balancing each other. Therefore, the postulate "movement is life" remains relevant as never before. Exercises can effectively affect osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. LFK is used both in the clinic and at home. Since the spine consists of several sections, the disease can occur in any of them. Often exposed to the cervical and lumbar.
How is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifested?
Manifestations of osteochondrosis of various localization are combined into syndromes:
- cervicalgia syndrome (impaired mobility of the shoulder joint, pain of a different nature);
- cervicocranialgia (pain in the occipital part of the head, discomfort in the neck, there may be tinnitus, dizziness, palpitations, nausea);
- cervicobrachialgia or shoulder-scapular syndrome (neck pain flowing into the shoulder and arm).
If you are concerned about aching pain, often at night, with numbness, the diagnosis will most likely be confirmed - osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic spine. The pain syndrome associated with violations of this department is called thoracalgia.
Physiotherapy exercises at home
How osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is treated with medications is described in many reference books. But in most cases, the effect of drug exposure is short-lived. Here LFK can come to the rescue.
1. We stand against the wall and rest against the back of the head. We try to press on the wall with maximum effort for several seconds. Then we relax.
2. We sit down at the table, put our elbows on it. We rest our chin on our hands, trying to put pressure on our palms, while trying to tilt our head or turn it to the side.
3. Place your head on the hands that lie on the back of the head. Alternately press on the back of your head, then relax. Repeat for up to 10 seconds.
4. Grasp the head with your palms, alternately pressing on one or the other hand.
During exacerbations, exercises are performed with a duration of not more than 3-4 seconds, and with moderate stress. Classes will slow down osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Exercises at home can begin after you are convinced of the correctness of their performance in a medical facility.
Massage without the help of a professional
If the diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine has been confirmed, massage will be one of the necessary treatment methods. In this case, it is not only useful, but also an indispensable procedure. Initially, it is better to take a professional course, and then perform simple tricks at home on your own. These methods include the technique of post-static muscle relaxation. A feature of the method is the passive stretching of the muscle from the position of overvoltage in combination with massage elements. It is necessary to apply the technique after the spasmodic muscles are warmed (bath, hot compress, kneading, stroking).
When applying self-massage, the same techniques are used as in a professional one. These are stroking, kneading, point impacts, patting, shaking. Massage is performed with warm, warm hands. Use massage oil to improve gliding. The sequence of techniques is as follows:
- stroking;
- grinding;
- kneading;
- vibration (patting, shaking).
Acting on osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the massage begins and ends with stroking.
A bit of manual therapy
1. We sit on a chair with a high back. We clasp our hands with our hands, placing our thumbs on our cheekbones (more precisely, on the hillocks under the orbits). Raise your eyes up, take a breath and press the back of the head on the fingers. We hold it for a quarter of a minute, then on the exhale we lean back on the back of the chair and relax the muscles of the neck, tilting our head down. Repeat the reception several times. Then grab your fingers around the neck, closer to its upper part, tilt your head slightly forward. We press the fingers into the base of the skull, making them a slow rotational movement. Gradually lower your fingers lower and lower, approaching the trapezius muscle. How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with the help of manual therapy is also evident in the following manipulations.
2. Lie down on your back, pulling your shoulders as far down as possible. Place the hand on the sore side under the buttock, palm up. Put your other hand under your head, grasping the back of your head and tilting your head in the direction opposite to the problematic one. Inhaling, for 15 seconds, press your head on your fingers. Exhaling, relax and pull your head a little harder, stretching the sore muscle.
A set of measures in the treatment of osteochondrosis
Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely defeat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Treatment at home or in a medical facility should be comprehensive. This includes the use of:
– Painkillers;
- muscle relaxants that help relieve muscle spasm;
- drugs with chondroprotective action;
- physiotherapeutic procedures;
- massage;
- exercise therapy;
- a balanced diet.
After studying the medical literature, we can draw certain conclusions on how to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, but to do without professionally prescribed treatment is a crime directed against one’s health.