Pain comes when you least expect it.Even the most confident person in such cases can get 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?Let's find out more.
What is osteochondrosis
Official medical sources interpret osteochondrosis as a degenerative disease that affects the intervertebral discs, involving adjacent vertebrae and joints.The elasticity of the intervertebral joint is impaired - and the disc thins.It is necessary to understand how the nutritional and metabolic processes take place in the intervertebral discs.This structural element is formed by cartilaginous tissue;there are no blood vessels here.Nutrition becomes diffuse, like a pump.When pressure is applied, the lubricating fluid is released and then reabsorbed.If osteochondrosis of the cervical spine appears, exercises, massage and the whole range of therapeutic techniques should be prescribed as soon as possible.
What changes occur in the spine and their symptoms
The following processes take place in the affected joint:
- the nucleus pulposus of the disc loses physiological moisture;
- the cartilage loses its shape;
- loses elasticity;
- changes color;
- dries up;
- turns yellow;
- loses damage resistance.
The consequence of this is a violation of the synchrony of movement in adjacent segments of the spine, pinching of the nerve roots.The main symptoms of degenerative changes will be pain, limited mobility and some forms of paresthesia ("tingling", numbness).
All these changes indicate the presence of osteochondrosis.We will talk further about how to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine or any other spine.
Why does osteochondrosis occur?
The causes of the disease include anything that disrupts the nutrition of the disc:
- Stagnation caused by static loads.
- Prolonged holding in unfavorable positions, especially sitting.There is a good saying: "If you can stand, don't sit, if you can lie down, don't stand."
- Traumatic effects on end plates, fibers of the annulus fibrosus.
Common causes include an unbalanced diet, lack of physical activity and insufficient development of the deep muscles that form the muscular corset.The stability of the spine is due to the complex interaction of the bone, muscle and nerve structures of the skeleton.Abdominal and back muscles are antagonists, they balance each other.Therefore, the postulate "movement is life" remains relevant as never before.Exercises can effectively affect osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae.Exercise therapy is used both in the clinic and at home.Since the spine consists of several sections, the disease can appear in any of them.The cervical and lumbar regions are most often affected.
How is cervical osteochondrosis manifested?
Manifestations of osteochondrosis with different localizations are combined into syndromes:
- cervicalgia syndrome (impaired mobility of the shoulder joint, pain of various types);
- cervicocranialgia (possible pain in the back of the head, discomfort in the neck, tinnitus, dizziness, palpitations, nausea);
- cervicobrachialgia or scapulohumeral syndrome (neck pain radiating to the shoulder and arm).
If you are bothered by pain, often at night, with tingling, the diagnosis will most likely be confirmed - osteochondrosis of the cervico-thoracic spine.The pain syndrome associated with disorders of this department is called thoracalgia.
Therapeutic gymnastics at home
How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with drugs is described in many reference books.But in most cases, the effect of the drug is short-term.This is where exercise therapy can come to the rescue.
- We stand next to the wall and rest our heads against it.We try to press the wall with maximum force for a few seconds.Then we relax.
- We sit at the table and put our elbows on it.We rest our chin on our hands, trying to put pressure on our palms as we try to tilt our head or turn it to the side.
- Rest your head on your hands at the back of your head.Alternatively, press them with the back of your head, then relax.Do several repetitions, holding for up to 10 seconds.
- Hold your head with your palms, alternately pressing one or the other hand.
During exacerbations, the exercises are performed for no more than 3-4 seconds and with moderate tension.Exercises will help slow down osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae.You can start the exercises at home after you have made sure that they are performed correctly in a medical facility.
Massage without the help of a professional
If the diagnosis of "osteochondrosis of the cervical spine" is confirmed, massage will be one of the necessary methods of treatment.In this case, this is not only a useful, but also an irreplaceable procedure.Initially, it is better to take a professional course and then perform simple techniques at home on your own.These techniques also include the post-static muscle relaxation technique.The peculiarity of the method is the passive stretching of the muscle from a position of overstrain in combination with elements of massage.Applying the technique is necessary after warming up the spasmed muscles (bath, hot compress, kneading, stroking).
Self-massage uses the same techniques as professional massage.These are stroking, kneading, acupressure, tapping, shaking.The massage is done with warm, warm hands.To improve gliding, use massage oil.The sequence of techniques is as follows:
- caressing
- trituration;
- kneading;
- vibrations (tapping, shaking).
When affecting the osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, the massage begins and ends with stroking.
A little manual therapy
- We sit on a chair with a high back.We grasp our heads with our hands, placing our thumbs on the cheekbones (more precisely, on the hills below the eye sockets).We raise our eyes up, take a breath and press the back of our head on our fingers.We hold for a quarter of a minute, then, while exhaling, we lean back on the back of the chair and relax the neck muscles, bending our head down.We repeat the technique several times.Then we wrap our fingers around the neck, closer to its upper part, and bend our head a little forward.We press our fingers at the base of the skull, making a slow rotating movement with them.Gradually lower your fingers further down, approaching the trapezius muscle.How osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is treated with manual therapy can be seen in the following manipulations.
- Lie on your back, pulling your shoulders down as far as possible.Place the hand on the painful side under the buttock, palm up.Place your other hand under your head, grasping the back of your head and tilting your head in the opposite direction of the problem.While inhaling, press your head onto your toes for 15 seconds.As you exhale, relax and pull your head a little harder, stretching the sore muscle.
A complex of measures for the treatment of osteochondrosis
Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely overcome osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.Treatment at home or in a medical facility should be comprehensive.This includes the use of:
- pain relievers;
- muscle relaxants, which help relieve muscle spasms;
- drugs with a chondroprotective effect;
- physiotherapy procedures;
- massage;
- exercise therapy;
- balanced diet.
After studying the medical literature, we can draw certain conclusions about how to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, but without a professionally prescribed treatment is a crime against health.