Osteochondrosis is a disease characterized by degenerative destruction of the cartilage of the spine. This disease is increasingly diagnosed with young people every year. The main reason for the development of pathology is a decrease in motor activity. According to reviews, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is mainly encountered by those who spend most of their lives sitting. This pose is not natural for humans. Sitting we are forced to constantly strain our neck to keep it straight.
Why does cervical osteochondrosis develop?
The skeleton of the upper spine consists of several vertebrae that are held in a straight position thanks to the muscles. In the neck, in comparison with the thoracic and lumbar, the muscles are most poorly developed. The muscles here quickly get tired, as a result of which a spasm occurs and the mobility of the vertebrae decreases. A person feels pain with every attempt to turn his neck to the side.
In the initial stages of osteochondrosis, spinal discs are affected, which leads to their slight deformation. Destructive processes, as a rule, are not hindered in development by themselves. Over time, the disease will progress, accompanied by more significant changes in the cartilage tissue. To prevent this, you need to know how to properly treat cervical osteochondrosis.
The basic principles of treatment
The mild form of cervical osteochondrosis in most cases does not cause any particular problems, therefore, specific therapy at this stage of the disease is not required. The main task of a patient who has been diagnosed with the initial stage of the disease is to conduct regular preventive measures to prevent complications.
First of all, patients are advised to reconsider their lifestyle and change working conditions. It is important to monitor your posture, the back should remain straight, and even sleep is desirable in the correct position. An important role is played by daily physiotherapy exercises. Thus, morning exercises, a balanced diet without extra calories, rejection of bad habits and moderate physical activity - this is where treatment of osteochondrosis should begin. According to doctors, maintaining a healthy lifestyle will at least stop the development of the disease, and in some cases even completely get rid of it.
Drug therapy
At the advanced stages of osteochondrosis, the patient requires qualified medical care. What medicines to treat cervical osteochondrosis, determines the attending physician. Self-medication is not worth it, so as not to aggravate an already unenviable state of health.
First, drugs are selected for the main purpose - to reduce pain and relieve inflammation. As soon as the patient's well-being can be improved, measures are taken to restore normal blood circulation and metabolic processes in the cervical area affected by osteochondrosis. Patients feel the benefits of treatment after a few days. So, first use the drugs of the following groups:
- analgesics and antispasmodics;
- muscle relaxants;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Used in the complex, these funds help to restore metabolism, contribute to the speedy regeneration of cells in the affected segments of the cartilage tissue. In order to enhance the therapeutic effect, chondroprotectors and B vitamins are prescribed. Such drugs are administered orally, intravenously and intramuscularly.
Stage One Drugs: Pain Relief and Relaxation
Pain and limitation of neck mobility are characteristic symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis. Treatment at home involves primarily the relief of pain and the removal of inflammation.
NSAIDs can be called the basic drugs for osteochondrosis . Non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs are used in tablet, injectable form, as well as in the form of topical preparations for external use. NSAIDs replace analgesics, as they produce a tangible analgesic effect. This group of drugs includes:
- Diclofenac
- Nurofen
- "Dolaren";
- "Nimesil";
- Ketorol
- Voltaren.
The action of NSAIDs persists for 3-4 hours. This time is enough to ensure that at rest a satisfactory tone of the paravertebral muscles is restored, the nerve endings are released from the compressive load, and the metabolism returns to normal.
Myotropic antispasmodics are most often prescribed in parallel with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for cervical osteochondrosis. Midokalm tablets are the most popular of this group. The drug copes with muscle spasm of any genesis and returns the neck muscles to a moderate tone. The only drawback of Midokalm is its high allergenicity. Before prescribing this remedy to the patient, the doctor must conduct an allergy test on its components.
As for analgesics such as "Analgin" and "Baralgin," today they are rarely used, mainly in the absence of other treatment options. With their help, you can treat a headache with cervical osteochondrosis. As practice and patient reviews show, drugs are more effective when administered parenterally.
For pain in the neck against the background of progressive osteochondrosis, doctors recommend using various warming ointments such as Finalgon, Nikofleks, Comfrey, and also apply warming patches to the affected area.
The second phase of treatment: protection and strengthening of the vertebrae
Chondroprotector is an indispensable building material for chondrocytes - cartilage cells. Thanks to them, the normal course of metabolism in the joint tissues is restored. It is impossible to say exactly what will help the patient, and what drugs to take with cervical osteochondrosis. In the end, the doctor must decide on the appointment of a drug. Of the group of chondroprotectors most often prescribed:
- Tablets "Arthra", "Structum", "Don". These drugs contain chondroitin and glucosamine.
- Injection funds "Alflutop" and "Noltreks".
Injections for osteochondrosis
If a patient with cervical osteochondrosis suffers from unbearable pain, he may be prescribed an injection of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs (Milgamma, Lidocaine, and Ketonal). It does not matter with which injections the doctor decided to treat cervical osteochondrosis, the main thing is to use injections in combination with other types of therapy. For example, along with intramuscular infusions of vitamin B to improve muscle tone and relieve stress.
The treatment of advanced osteochondrosis of the neck is unthinkable without injection to relieve inflammation and swelling of the intervertebral discs. Injections of non-steroidal drugs (Voltaren, Movalis, Nimesulide, Indomethacin, etc.) do an excellent job of this task.
At a severe stage of the disease, therapy is supplemented with hormonal drugs. For example, many patients report Ambene. According to them, the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis with this remedy quickly brought a tangible effect. Ambene is a combined preparation that consists of two solutions. The first agent includes components such as phenylbutazone, dexamethasone, sodium hydroxide, lidocaine, sodium salicylamide acetate and sodium chloride. The second solution is a mixture of water for injection, vitamin B12 and lidocaine hydrochloride. "Ambene" has an anti-inflammatory effect on the whole body, calming the nervous system.
Analgesic blockade
For severe pain that cannot be stopped with pills and injections, patients are prescribed a blockade. No matter how pronounced the symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis, home treatment is unacceptable! Paravertebral blockade has the right to do only an experienced highly qualified specialist. The procedure of drug blockade itself involves the introduction of a drug into the area where the destructive process proceeds. After blockade, neck pain disappears quickly, inflammation decreases.
For paravertebral anesthesia, specialists use a combination of an analgesic and a prolonged-acting corticosteroid hormone. The first is responsible for the removal of pain, and the second is for reducing inflammation. To date, this method of relieving pain is considered the most effective for cervical osteochondrosis.
In treatment reviews, patients often write about whether the blockade helped them. Complex anesthesia shows the best results. Such blockade is performed by injecting into the intervertebral disc or into the epidural space of the spinal canal.
What ointments to treat cervical osteochondrosis
To combat this disease, it is also recommended to use external funds. In combination with tablets and injections, ointments contribute to enhancing the therapeutic effect. They are conditionally divided into several groups.
The first includes local anti-inflammatory drugs containing non-hormonal substances. As part of such drugs, painkillers are also present. The most famous and popular in this category is Fastum Gel. The active substance is ketoprofen, and the auxiliary components are menthol and lavender oil. This is a foreign drug, its domestic counterparts are no less popular. In addition to Fastum Gel, other drugs based on ketoprofen are also used (for example, Ketonal and Finalgel). Anti-inflammatory effect is also exerted by preparations containing nimesulide, diclofenac, ibuprofen.
The second group is ointments that have complex properties (Dolobene, Dolgit). Drugs in this category not only relieve inflammation and anesthetize with cervical osteochondrosis. Doctors say that these drugs have a regenerative effect. In addition to non-steroidal substances, in the composition of such ointments you can find heparin, dexpanthenol.
According to reviews, the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is not complete without such means as Finalgon and Nikoboksil. These are analgesic ointments that are irritating. Thanks to them, blood supply and tissue trophism are restored on the affected area of the vertebral section.
Another group of drugs is ointments-chondroprotectors, which inhibit the development of irreversible degenerative processes and partially restore cartilage tissue. These include Chondroxide and its analogues. The main active ingredient in most of these drugs is chondroitin sulfate.
Ointments with a natural composition are used for mild cervical osteochondrosis (Traumeel C and Target T). The principle of action of homeopathic medicines is not much, which differs from medicines. The main difference is the composition. Homeopathic remedies contain only natural extracts, plant extracts. The absence of potent substances does not mean that you can use such drugs on your own. Before use, be sure to consult with a specialist.
Acupuncture
An effective treatment for cervical osteochondrosis is acupuncture. Doctors still argue about the benefits and harms of this technique. The thing is that the procedures of acupuncture are fraught with great risk, therefore, only an experienced professional should perform them. One wrong movement can lead to disability of the patient, since during the session there is a direct effect on the nerve centers of the spinal cord.
Acupuncture course allows you to:
- improve the general condition of the whole organism;
- relieve pain;
- strengthen immunity;
- restore blood circulation, stabilize the functioning of the nervous and lymphatic systems;
- to normalize muscle tone.
The procedure is as follows: the skin in specific areas is pierced with special thin and long needles. Then the doctor carefully deepens them into the center of the necessary nerve plexuses. This treatment technique has a number of contraindications:
- pregnancy;
- advanced age;
- increased psycho-emotional excitability;
- heart failure;
- digestion problems;
- poor blood coagulation.
What is the Shants collar for?
This medical device is used to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home. As a rule, the Shants collar is a compacted frame roller made of elastic material. It is sold in specialized drugstores.
The device is worn on the neck and tightly fixed, thanks to which it is possible to establish the vertebrae in a static position. A man wearing a Shants collar is very limited in neck movements, but at the same time, the damaged part of his upper spine is completely at rest. In addition, the device warms the cervical vertebrae and produces a light massaging effect.
Before advising the patient to use this design in the treatment of the disease, the doctor must clearly demonstrate how to wear a Shants collar. With cervical osteochondrosis, it helps to eliminate pain, relieve numbness, muscle fatigue of the neck and increase blood circulation in the vessels of the neck and brain. The collar for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck can be of a different type, for each individual case it is selected by a specialist. Wearing the device is limited to 1-2 hours per day. The course of wearing Shants collar is 30 days.
Home and folk treatments
At the initial stage, you can cope with the disease yourself. The main emphasis should be placed on therapeutic exercises for the cervical spine. The doctor makes an appropriate set of exercises so that the patient regularly performs them at home. In addition, it is important to constantly monitor your posture. You should always keep your head and back straight, preferably sleeping on an orthopedic mattress. Of great importance is the height of the pillow, which is selected for each person individually according to the distance from the neck to the shoulder joint.
Among the folk remedies that are used in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, it is worth noting herbal infusions. They are used internally or used as external compresses. According to patients who trust alternative methods, clay is an effective tool. It is softened with water, slightly heated in a water bath and intensively lubricated with its neck. After the clay has completely hardened and becomes dry, it is again softened with warm water and removed from the skin.
In the diet of a patient with cervical osteochondrosis, foods enriched with mucopolysaccharides that synthesize cartilage tissue must be present. Useful is jellied meat, brawn, fruit jelly.