The story of how the king treated osteochondrosis has survived to this day. 150-200 grams of mustard is added to a large barrel full of hot water, and the king, a great hunter for a pleasant and useful hobby in a hot bath, slowly plunges into it up to his neck. The procedure ended with a tea party.
The next morning, the government was ready for the next military campaign.
What is osteochondrosis, and how is it treated today?
The danger of "inflexible" disease.
Osteochondrosis makes a person inflexible - subtle aphorisms accurately describe the consequences of degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc, the development of which leads to its destruction.
The intervertebral disc, which gradually loses its ability to "spring", becomes closed with cracks due to increased pressure, and its contents are "squeezed" over time - an intervertebral hernia is formed.
The leaking fluid compresses the nerve endings of the spinal cord, disrupting the "connection" between all of a person’s internal organs. So, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region makes for many years to treat gastritis or find the cause of heart disease; lumbar or lumbosacral osteochondrosis can cause partial or complete paralysis of the lower legs, and cervix - complicates the blood supply to the brain.
Sometimes the disease affects several "pillars of life" departments - extensive spinal osteochondrosis develops, treatment standards similar to those described below, but the recovery process requires more effort on the part of patients and doctors.
The cartilage tissue and bones of the joints of the feet also undergo a destructive process. Shooting pain during movement, cramps and pain in the calf muscles, numbness of the fingers and decreased skin sensitivity of the feet are associated with lumbosacral osteochondrosis.
However, more often these symptoms indicate osteochondrosis of the feet, treatment of which begins with a visit to a neurologist and is successfully carried out with the help of classical massage, manual therapy, osteopathy and acupuncture.
And how to cure osteochondrosis of the spine? Indeed, over time, the body compensates for the "lost" height of the disc with the growth of vertebral body bone tissue, and, growing together, such growth paralyzes individual segments of the "axis of life".
How to treat exacerbation of osteochondrosis?
In addition to rapid pain relief, the primary goal of treating exacerbated osteochondrosis is to eliminate muscle spasms and combat the swelling of inflamed tissue that compresses nerve roots.
In the acute period, modern standards for the treatment of osteochondrosis prescribe treatments aimed at unloading the spine and eliminating pain:
- In the acute period, especially with the presence of an intervertebral hernia, the patient is indicated treatment with a position - strict bed rest, the duration of which is at least 6 days;
- Painkillers contribute to the relief of inflammation and pain; usually with osteochondrosis, analgesics are prescribed, as well as NSAIDs;
- With stable and severe pain syndrome, anesthetic injection with glucocorticoid or novocaine is indicated. With exacerbating osteochondrosis, these drugs provide a prolonged analgesic effect;
- With unbearable pain, lack of sleep in osteochondrosis, the use of hypnotics and sedatives is recommended;
- With hypertonicity of the muscles of the back and lower legs, central action muscle relaxants are prescribed;
- When decompressing the spine, diuretics are used to relieve swelling;
- Local treatment of pain in osteochondrosis is provided by ointments and gels with anti-inflammatory components. They are used at the site of pain localization;
- To optimize the blood supply to the spine, angioprotective drugs and venotonics are prescribed, which relieve congestion in the bloodstream, as well as nicotinic acid, which is a vasodilator;
- Surgery is often the only correct solution for paralysis.
Where do we treat osteochondrosis?
As a rule, patients go through a kind of circle - hospital - treatment in a clinic - hydropathic or sanatorium - treatment at home under the supervision of a doctor.
Often, even in the acute period, treatment is carried out at home, however, with the low effectiveness of the listed therapeutic measures, the issue of hospitalization of the patient is decided.
Recovery period for osteochondrosis
After the acute period, efforts should be aimed at preventing destructive processes and optimizing local blood flow and metabolism. The expected outcome of treatment is maximum recovery of cartilage tissue.
The goal of the next stage of osteochondrosis treatment is to eliminate the consequences of neurological complications and prevent future exacerbations, preventing further degeneration of the soft "components" of the spine.
How do we treat osteochondrosis during the recovery period?
Acceptance of pharmaceutical preparations at this stage continues. The most important are vitamins A, E, P, C and most of the "representatives" of the B group, which strengthen the walls of blood vessels and restore the normal "course" of nerve impulses, as well as chondoprotectors. The latter is a cartilage extract - a kind of pill for osteochondrosis, stimulates the recovery of "sagging" cartilage tissue. Anti-inflammatory components are often added to their composition, which makes it possible to reduce the dose of NSAIDs. Chondoprotectors are taken without exacerbating the pain syndrome.
To enhance the action of oral chondoprotectors, it is advisable to use creams for osteochondrosis, as well as ointments based on chondroitin and glucosamine.
A relatively new and good remedy for osteochondrosis is patches.
Small pieces of fabric with an adhesive surface help retain heat, anesthetize and slow down the destruction process at the attachment site:
- Chinese patches for osteochondrosis, which contain herbal ingredients and beeswax, accelerate the final decline of inflammation and relax muscles. With the loss of pain, metabolic processes are normalized, and with them - trophism of the affected segment;
- Pepper plaster for osteochondrosis, due to the presence of belladonna "burns", rosin pine and pepper, stimulates blood supply to problem areas, eliminates muscle spasms and accelerates the swelling of tissues that compress nerve roots;
Physiotherapy and alternative therapies
When inflammation subsides, further recovery in the presence of osteochondrosis complications is carried out by non -drug exposure methods. The emphasis in treatment is shifting to physiotherapy and alternative methods.
The main goal of this period was the expansion of the motor regime.
How to get rid of osteochondrosis without medication:
- Physiotherapeutic procedures - infrared laser, magnetotherapy, phonophoresis with the help of chondroxide to relieve muscle hypertonicity and symptoms of nerve "tension", and also allows you to deliver chondroitin, which prevents the destruction of cartilage tissue, directly into unhealthy segments;
- Effective treatment of osteochondrosis is rarely done without traction, or stretching of the spine under the influence of its own weight, additional load, or the power of a chiropractor. The most accessible method of spinal traction, especially when osteochondrosis is combined with bending, is hanging on a horizontal bar. But even this simple exercise is fraught with complications if the technique is not correct, so any method of attraction should be discussed with the doctor;
- It is also possible to increase the blood supply to the spine and normalize metabolic processes in it by a sharp action with a thin needle on the plexus of nerve endings, blood vessels and connective tissue. In addition, acupuncture for osteochondrosis provokes the release of endogenous opiates that act as analgesics, as well as the production of "anti-inflammatory" cortisol, which eliminates the need to administer its synthetic counterpart. Gradual relaxation of the paravertebral muscles also helps reduce pain;
- Often, the treatment of osteochondrosis becomes a "work of life", and patients who have tried many ways to alleviate suffering leave positive feedback on the healing properties of apitoxin and bee products.
Thus, therapeutic doses of bee venom significantly reduce inflammation and relieve pain more effectively than analgesics and NSAIDs, promoting vasodilation and accelerated nutrient supply.
Without what is recovery impossible?
Maybe before the disease started, a daily routine wasn’t your priority. During the recovery period, "updating" the natural depreciation mechanism is impossible if the schedule of rest, nutrition and physical activity is not adhered to.
Therefore, learn the cleanliness of posture and movement - the ability to observe it in everyday life will allow you to "unload" the spine.
The bed
Start by arranging a night’s rest. In the acute phase, place a hard shield under a regular mattress. What mattresses will be used for osteochondrosis in the future?
In the absence of postural deformation - orthopedic. With the presence of curvature, the bed should be more rigid.
The use of orthopedic pillows is recommended for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
After coming out of bed rest, the patient is recommended to use a corset - in case of osteochondrosis, it unloads the affected segment, preventing weak muscle spasms. The duration of its application is determined by the doctor.
Nutrition
Review your diet. Perhaps, if previously it was not ideal, the stepping stone to recovery will be. . . Hunger. It is known that the first fast worsens the disease, the next fast cures it. How does fasting treat osteochondrosis? In fact, the intervertebral disc is a small hydraulic shock absorber. Like a water cushion, a disc cushion makes an impact. Alternating compression and releasing pressure on the disc keeps it hydrated.
According to the author’s method, dry fasting contributes to the removal of "waste", "dead" water from the tissues surrounding the disc and stimulates the renewal of its own purified intercellular fluid.
Fasting should be performed under the supervision of a physician.
Physical education
The best cure for osteochondrosis is physical education. Doing exercises to lengthen the spine itself and strengthen the muscles of the body, selected by the exercise therapy instructor, should be a daily rule. Exercises should be carried out in series, several times a day, in the period between deteriorations.
So, a modern, and at the same time reasonable trend in the treatment of osteochondrosis is segmental gymnastics. Schematically, it can be represented in two phases: muscle stretching through movement, amplitude slightly exceeding existing mobility in a joint or segment, and electrical muscle stimulation, combined with local gymnastics and acupressure at the site of "hidden" disease. .
Thus, there is relaxation of the paravertebral muscles, followed by stimulation of the blood supply, which gives rise to the regenerative process.
Pain often indicates serious "damage" to the spine. So do not delay a visit to the doctor, and be healthy!