Osteochondrosis of the spine is a chronic pathology characterized by destructive and degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs. The disease can progress quickly, causing the development of a hernia, which is difficult to treat. Bone and cartilage tissue damage throughout the spine is rarely diagnosed. Osteochondrosis is usually found in one of its sections - cervical, thoracic, lumbar.
Therapy of the pathology requires an integrated approach combining the use of drugs, physiotherapy and massage. Before starting to treat osteochondrosis, you should undergo an examination by a vertebrologist or neurologist to determine the causes of degenerative disorders.
Basic principles of treatment
The danger of osteochondrosis lies in its asymptomatic development in the initial stage. This makes it possible to diagnose the disease when the intervertebral discs have already undergone irreversible changes. Therefore, even with rare pain in the neck or lower back, dizziness and sudden stiffness of movements, you should consult a doctor. Pathology detected in the initial stage can be successfully cured without the use of drugs - patients are only recommended a set of special exercises.
Since the lack of medical intervention causes the development of severe complications, a serious approach to the treatment of osteochondrosis is taken. Only compliance with all medical recommendations will help you get rid of pain and stop the destruction of the intervertebral discs:
- balanced diet.The predominance of fatty, fried, smoked foods in the diet leads to the accumulation of harmful cholesterol in the blood vessels located in the spine. The narrowing of their lumen prevents the bones and cartilage from being fully supplied with oxygen, nutrients and biologically active substances. The attending physician always advises patients to give preference to cereals, fresh or baked vegetables and fruits, lean meat and fish;
- drinking regime.The lack of sufficient liquid in the body provokes the development of water-electrolyte imbalance. In the spinal structures there is a deficiency of mineral compounds necessary for their active functioning. The lack of fluid also leads to the accumulation of waste and toxic compounds, which negatively affect the processes of cartilage and bone regeneration. Daily consumption of 2-2. 5 liters of clean water, chamomile flower tea and (or) rosehips will help eliminate the resulting imbalance;
- bad habits.Nicotine and tobacco tar have a negative effect on the condition of the blood vessels that supply all parts of the spine. And when ethyl alcohol is metabolized in the liver, intermediate products are formed that are toxic to the human body. By affecting the peripheral and central nervous system, they disrupt the innervation and contribute to the development of inflammation and swelling;
- orthopedic bedding.If a person prefers to sleep on a too hard or soft mattress and pillow, then osteochondrosis will not be late. During sleep, the blood vessels are compressed and the bone tissue is not fully supplied with the necessary substances and oxygen. If it is not possible to purchase orthopedic devices, you should choose bed linen with medium hardness.
A person predisposed to the development of osteochondrosis or already undergoing treatment should avoid heavy lifting or active sports. During such training, all parts of the spine experience significant stress, which can provoke degenerative disorders. But a sedentary lifestyle almost always becomes the cause of the development of osteochondrosis. Neurologists recommend choosing the "golden mean" - long walks in the fresh air, swimming, physical therapy and gymnastics, yoga.
Treatment with pharmacological drugs
Medicines for internal and external use are used to treat osteochondrosis of the spine. The therapeutic regimen drawn up by a neurologist should solve the following problems:
- etiotropic treatment aimed at eliminating the cause of the development of degenerative-destructive changes;
- symptomatic therapy is carried out to reduce the severity of the inflammatory process and relieve pain;
- Pathogenetic treatment allows stopping the progression of the disease to other parts of the spine and avoiding the occurrence of unwanted consequences.
In the treatment of osteochondrosis, detected in a moderate or severe stage of the pathology, drugs are used for intravenous, intramuscular or intra-articular administration. After relieving acute muscle spasms and restoring blood circulation in the damaged areas, the patient is prescribed a course of these drugs in tablets, dragees or capsules.
For the treatment of osteochondrosis, drugs are used that have a large list of contraindications and side effects. Therefore, when prescribing them, the doctor takes into account the general state of health of the person and the presence of other diseases in the history. Certain difficulties arise when preparing a therapeutic regimen for elderly patients and elderly people, since many of them have pathologies of the liver or organs of the urinary system.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
NSAIDs are drugs of first choice in the treatment of osteochondrosis. The disease is often accompanied by acute or mild inflammation, which causes pain and tissue swelling, gradually spreading to healthy areas of the spine. NSAIDs help to quickly eliminate the symptoms of the pathology.
Parenteral administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs quickly and effectively relieves inflammation and pain. After a few days, the positive result of their use is confirmed by a course of capsules or tablets. NSAIDs are not prescribed to patients with ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. One of the side effects of the treatment is the deep damage to the mucous membranes. To prevent ulcers, patients are advised to take proton pump inhibitors at the same time as NSAIDs.
Along with the oral administration of NSAIDs, they are used in the form of ointments, creams or gels. External means are applied to the damaged areas of the spine several times a day. The active ingredients of the ointments penetrate the inflamed tissues and stop the development of the pathological process, while removing pain and stiffness of movements.
Glucocorticosteroids and anesthetics
Osteochondrosis is often accompanied by sharp painful spasms that limit freedom of movement. In such cases, the use of paravertebral blockades, which use anesthetics and hormonal drugs, is practiced.
Local neuromuscular blockade allows not only to quickly eliminate severe pain, but also to completely stop the spread of inflammation due to the presence of glucocorticosteroid. But neurologists resort to the help of hormonal drugs in extreme cases when NSAIDs are ineffective. Hormonal drugs can have serious side effects, one of which is a sharp decrease in immunity.
Pain relievers and antispasmodics
To reduce the severity of pain, drugs with analgesic and antispasmodic effects are used. They affect smooth muscle fibers, weakening their tone. Capsules and tablets have a long-lasting effect, which allows them to be used as a preventive measure for relapses of the pathology.
In cases complicated by severe inflammation, it is recommended to combine antispasmodics and pain relievers to enhance the pharmacological effect. The use of this combination is most appropriate in the treatment of patients in whom the pathological process has provoked an increase in temperature and symptoms of general intoxication.
Muscle relaxants
Muscle relaxants will help reduce the severity or completely eliminate muscle spasms that often occur with osteochondrosis. Doctors prefer to combine their use with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief. This allows you to significantly reduce the dose of NSAIDs, while achieving a wider range of therapeutic activity and minimizing the likelihood of damage to the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.
Osteochondrosis of the neck and back can be treated with the following muscle relaxants:
- intramuscular administration of an anticholinergic helps to dilate the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the spinal structures. At the same time, the muscle relaxant has an analgesic effect;
- using a GABAb stimulator helps to quickly relieve painful muscle spasms. The patient regains the ability to move without experiencing discomfort;
- with the help of an α2-adrenoceptor agonist, the natural mobility of the intervertebral discs, which have lost their cushioning ability, is restored. A single dose of the drug effectively removes even the strongest pain.
Muscle relaxants successfully cope with the treatment of osteochondrosis, but when prescribing them, neurologists warn patients not to exceed doses. Some of the drugs cause mental and physical dependence. Muscle relaxants are not recommended for people suffering from pathologies of the urinary organs due to the possibility of accumulation of active substances in the tissues.
Chondroprotectors and vitamins
These drugs are used in the treatment of osteochondrosis to strengthen and restore the damaged intervertebral discs. Chondroprotectors are first administered parenterally, and after a few days the patient takes these drugs in capsules or tablets. The duration of the treatment course varies from several months to a year. Thanks to the presence of glucosamine and chondroitin as active ingredients, chondroprotectors gradually regenerate damaged bone, cartilage and joint tissues, normalizing their functional activity.
B vitamins are used to improve the innervation of damaged intervertebral discs. Before starting the treatment of osteochondrosis, the cause of the pain syndrome is established. It most often occurs when the nerves located in the spine are pinched. The course of taking B vitamins normalizes the conduction of nerve impulses.
Physiotherapy procedures
Various physiotherapeutic techniques are used to treat osteochondrosis of each part of the spine. The neurologist usually chooses one of them most suitable for a particular patient. However, if the pathology appears against the background of severe inflammation, the use of several methods of physiotherapy is practiced. The most effective methods include:
- ultraviolet radiation;
- electrotherapy;
- balneotherapy;
- magnetic therapy;
- shock wave therapy;
- detensor therapy;
- point or zonal vibration impact.
Doctors often combine the above methods with electrophoresis to speed up the patient's recovery.
Before the procedure, tissue swabs soaked in solutions of antispasmodics, anesthetics and chondroprotectors are applied to the damaged areas of the spine. On top there are metal plates through which weak discharges of electric current pass. This ensures the delivery of drugs directly to the damaged intervertebral discs.
Therapeutic massage and gymnastics
You can get rid of osteochondrosis with the help of classical or oriental massage, but provided that there is no acute or chronic inflammatory process in the spine. Pain syndrome also matters. The procedure is performed only in the complete absence of strong discomfort. Indications for massage are stiffness of movements, excessive muscle tension, poor blood circulation. Therapeutic manipulation is performed by specialists, and after feeling better, the patient can perform the procedure at home using a rolled towel or a piece of thick fabric.
After several sessions, the symptoms of osteochondrosis weaken due to multifaceted therapeutic effects:
- blood circulation is restored in the damaged areas;
- the supply of nutrients and molecular oxygen resumes;
- the innervation of all parts of the spine is normalized.
Therapeutic gymnastics classes are also initially held under the supervision of a trainer who selects a set of exercises individually for each patient. In the initial stage of the pathology, it will help you forget about painful spasms forever, even without the use of pharmacological drugs. After recovery, performing a set of exercises serves as an excellent prevention of any diseases of the spine.
Recipes from folk healers
Cervical or thoracic osteochondrosis can be treated with folk remedies only after the main treatment. It is recommended to use medicinal herbs, mummy, ethyl alcohol or honey during the rehabilitation period or at the stage of remission to prevent relapses of the pathology. What traditional healers recommend:
- Boil a liter of boiling water 3 tablespoons. spoons of St. John's wort and 7 tbsp. delusional spoons. Leave for 2 hours, strain. Drink 0. 5 cups after each meal;
- take warm baths every day, adding 10-15 drops of thuja, eucalyptus, fir, sage, palmarosa essential oils to the water;
- compresses are applied in the form of linen cloth soaked in a mixture of equal parts of honey and 40% ethyl alcohol for 1-2 hours.
Folk remedies are used only with the approval of the attending physician. Many of them have warming properties, so they are unacceptable for use in cases of severe inflammation due to the possibility of the pathological process spreading to healthy areas of the spine.
All patients of neurologists wonder if it is possible to cure osteochondrosis without the intervention of surgeons. In most cases, the use of pharmacological drugs and physical therapy procedures is sufficient for the complete recovery of the intervertebral discs. If the doctor insists on surgical intervention, then you should not refuse. Modern methods are highly effective and safe and do not require a long recovery period.