What ointment to use for intercostal neuralgia? This question is often asked by those who are faced with such an unpleasant and painful ailment. Intercostal neuralgia is a very unpleasant pathology that develops along the intercostal nerve, as a result of irritation or compression. Most often, a similar disease is encountered by older people, but it is rare in children and youth. With this problem, treatment involves eliminating the cause of the disease, for which ointments and tablets are used. What ointments are more effective with intercostal neuralgia?
What is the cause of the disease?
Intercostal neuralgia is a syndrome of reflex origin. It appears due to compression or irritation of the intercostal nerve. Most often, seizures occur in those patients who launched osteochondrosis - did not start treatment on time or they have an intervertebral hernia that compresses the nerve roots. But in addition to this, pain can also appear due to the presence of other pathologies:
- spondylitis;
- progressive kyphosis;
- neoplasms on the spine;
- Ankylosing spondylitis.
Warming ointments for intercostal neuralgia well help if its cause was hypothermia or a cold. In addition, infections, injuries, excessive exercise and poisoning can provoke pain. That is why, before starting treatment, choosing the right ointment for intercostal neuralgia or tablets, you need to undergo an examination and identify the cause of the ailment, only its elimination will make it easy to cope with the pain syndrome.
Symptoms and diagnosis
The main symptom of intercostal neuralgia is pain in the intercostal space. The pain syndrome is paroxysmal in nature, often sharply aggravated with sudden movements. When sneezing, coughing or taking a deep breath, a patient with neuralgia feels a sharp injection between the ribs. In some patients, it is possible to determine the presence of an ailment by their posture - the body is bent to the side where there is no pain between the ribs, and the patient is in this position constantly, so he tries to protect himself from pain attacks.
Such pain cannot go away on its own, only qualified help and identifying the cause will help solve the problem. After accurately identifying the cause, the doctor can prescribe an effective ointment for intercostal neuralgia, which will relieve pain. And for this it is recommended to undergo a comprehensive examination.
Most often, the doctor can recommend the patient to undergo such types of examinations in order to prescribe an ointment for intercostal neuralgia:
- CT scan or MRI scan
- X-ray examination of the spinal cord using contrast;
- general blood analysis;
- testing for bacteria or immunological if the doctor suspects the presence of infection or autoimmune pathology.
Treatment of intercostal neuralgia at home
If the patient is diagnosed with "intercostal neuralgia" and in the hospital he has already been given all the necessary help, then he will be sent for home treatment. Neuralgia is treated for a long time and is difficult, therefore, following all the recommendations of the doctor, it is also necessary to visit him regularly to make adjustments to therapy. At home, after agreeing all the procedures with the doctor, you can conduct therapy with the following methods:
- use warming and analgesic ointments;
- remedies from traditional medicine;
- use home appliances for physiotherapy, such as Darsonval or devices for magnetotherapy;
- massage.
In combination, such treatment will give good results, and the pain will not bother.
External preparations against neuralgia
An ointment for neuralgia can be of great help in treating and relieving symptoms, because their action is as follows:
- Tense muscle fibers relax.
- Improve blood circulation in a sore spot.
- Normalize metabolic processes.
- Increase the elasticity of the ligamentous apparatus.
- Warm up the site of inflammation.
- Reduce pain.
Such a wide range of beneficial effects of ointments can be explained by the presence of special substances in the composition, which, with their irritating effect, have a distracting effect, causing burning, tingling in the area of the pinched nerve.
First of all, the ointments are warmed, and only then they begin to have an analgesic or anti-inflammatory effect. The doctor prescribes external remedies only after clarifying the diagnosis and location. If there is a diagnosis of intercostal neuralgia, which ointments are better? In each individual case, the list may be different. The form of pathology, localization is taken into account, and then the most effective means of composition is selected.
Increasingly, experts opt for ointments with bee or snake venom. These are natural remedies, therefore they have a minimal side effect and have fewer contraindications for use. If there is intercostal neuralgia, treatment at home with ointments with such components is often practiced.
Components that make up ointments
In medicine, a huge amount of external agents is now used in the form of ointments and gels that help fight the causes and symptoms of neuralgia. All of them contain different substances in their composition, therefore they have not the same effects if there is intercostal neuralgia. Ointments for treatment as an example include the following:
- “Capsicam” or “Finalgon” warm the inflamed place well, due to the expansion of blood vessels, an influx of blood, oxygen, and nutrients is provided.
- "Indomethacin", "Naklofen" are characterized by anti-inflammatory and decongestant effect, and also quickly eliminate pain.
- Pepper tinctures have a local irritating property.
- "Menovazin" includes anestezin, which perfectly relieves pain.
- The best ointment of intercostal neuralgia with bee and snake venom effectively restores the damaged structure of the nervous tissue.
Voltaren
Currently, each pharmacy will offer a huge assortment of ointments that will give excellent results in the treatment of neuralgia, but I would like to pay special attention to Voltaren. This tool is recommended to be applied to the body up to 4 times a day, it has an analgesic effect and anti-inflammatory. This type of ointment has in its composition such an active substance as diclofenac, which is why it has an analgesic effect on the body, and also relieves inflammation.
If you combine the ointment with tablets included in the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, then in combination they help to quickly get rid of the pain syndrome, which most often causes the greatest inconvenience to the patient with neuralgia.
Apizartron
After applying this ointment, a sensation of warmth appears. As part of it, bee venom is present, thanks to which it improves blood flow, pain disappears and inflammation is relieved. Thus, it has an analgesic effect and relieves the inflammatory process. But it is worth remembering that this ointment with intercostal neuralgia has a number of contraindications: pathology of the kidneys and liver, the period of breastfeeding, pregnancy, heart pathology and individual intolerance. That is why it is better to consult a doctor before starting therapy.
Menovazin
Thanks to the presence of menthol in the composition, pain is relieved and coolness is felt. This ointment with intercostal neuralgia has in its composition a special complex of elements that can effectively cope with pain and inflammation. Namely, this is what is important to remove for patients who have been diagnosed with neuralgia. The composition of the ointment contains menthol, benzocaine and procaine. The last two components in the best way block pain impulses, have anesthetic effect, and menthol irritates nerve endings, helps to expand blood vessels and brings a feeling of coolness.
Turpentine ointment
This tool copes with intense pain. This drug is considered one of the most affordable and inexpensive. Everyone will be able to afford to purchase it. The ointment contains purified turpentine and turpentine oil. They have a warming effect and local anesthesia. Thanks to the use of ointment, it is possible to relieve swelling, pain and the inflammatory process. But the mixture helps the best, in the composition of which there is not only turpentine ointment, but also added honey, baby cream and bear or badger fats. Such a composition will help to quickly cope with the symptoms of neuralgia.
Finalgon
It helps to expand blood vessels, has a warming effect and fights pain. This unique product, made in the form of an ointment, has been used effectively for many years to treat intercostal neuralgia. This ointment received a lot of positive reviews from those who personally experienced its therapeutic effect. Ointment with intercostal neuralgia helps vasodilation, due to this effect, blood flow is significantly improved at the site of the inflammatory process. In addition, “Finalgon” has an irritating and warming effect, which, in harmony with the ability to expand blood vessels, completely relaxes tense muscles, as a result of this effect the pressure of muscle fibers on the nerve weakens and the pain syndrome recedes.
"Vyprosal"
This drug, presented in the form of an ointment, according to patients' reviews, very quickly copes with pain, namely it gives neuralgia the greatest inconvenience to the patient. Due to the unique composition of the ointment, it exerts several actions on the body at once and easily copes with attacks of neuralgia. It contains viper venom, camphor oil, turpentine and salicylic acid. Each of these substances has its own effect, but in aggregate they are aimed at removing pain, activating the protective functions of the body and removing the causes that caused the malaise. But it is worth remembering that only complex therapy will help to cope with a diagnosis such as "intercostal neuralgia." Treatment at home with ointments is allowed only after consulting with a doctor, because Viprosal has a number of serious contraindications for use: pathology of the kidneys and liver, exhaustion of the body, brain and coronary insufficiency, and others.
This is only a small fraction of those ointments that will help get rid of the pain and inflammation that accompany neuralgia. But it is better if the doctor selects the ointment, focusing on the causes of the pathology.
Ointments for intercostal neuralgia: reviews
Intercostal neuralgia is a very serious and painful pathology that simply cannot be tolerated. Immediately with the appearance of the first pain, you have to look for the best means that helps relieve pain.
According to patients' reviews, warming ointments with intercostal neuralgia, which cope with pain very well, help very well, and if painkillers are used in combination with them, the pain does not cause serious suffering.
Those patients who have been examined and who have identified the cause of neuralgia are quicker to cope with the disease, because all their therapy is based on the elimination of the cause, and hence the symptoms go away. But those who use self-medication suffer from symptoms longer.
That is why it is better to immediately seek qualified help if you are diagnosed with intercostal neuralgia. Which ointment will help in a particular case, can only tell a specialist.
Conclusion
Intercostal neuralgia requires complex treatment after passing all the necessary examinations. In each individual case, it will give the desired result only if the cause is identified, therefore it is not worthwhile to cause harm to health using the ointments recommended by friends, but it is better to go to a neurologist right away.