The spine is the backbone of a person. It bears the burden of walking. Abrasion occurs faster than other parts of the body. A sedentary and sedentary lifestyle exacerbates the situation. The causes of appearance are unknown, there is a group of risk factors.
Before treating osteochondrosis, you should consult a doctor who will conduct an examination and make a diagnosis. If you follow the doctor's instructions, a positive result is guaranteed.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a lesion of the intervertebral discs, characterized by destruction. The disease affects one or more discs. Symptoms and treatment are interrelated. According to the symptoms, the types of the disease are distinguished:
- Pain in the arms, shoulders, headache with the appearance of tinnitus, dizziness, color spots, goosebumps before the eyes with cervical osteochondrosis. Occurs in 25% of cases.
- Chest pain, numbness, pain in the heart, stomach and other organs are signs of damage to the chest region. Diagnosed in 13% of cases.
- Pain in the lower back, legs, groin, impaired sensitivity of the lower extremities, pelvic organs - osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region. Common species - 50% of cases.
- Pain in several parts of the spine is a common osteochondrosis.
Pain is considered the determining factor, there is a feeling of numbness in the limbs, pain, tingling. An unpleasant manifestation is muscle spasm, stiffness of movement, pain that occurs during sudden movements, sneezing, coughing.
Based on the symptoms, the doctor makes a preliminary diagnosis, prescribes special procedures for the search for material - x-rays, tomography, MRI. These are ways to make an accurate diagnosis, to determine the presence of concomitant diseases - protrusion, intervertebral hernia.
Symptoms often indicate the later stages of disease development, when surgical intervention is required. Treatment is aimed at eliminating pain, stopping the development of the disease.
Conservative treatment
The treatment of the patient is prescribed by the attending physician, a council of doctors in difficult cases. Conservative treatment is widespread - methods of treatment from different fields of medicine. Conservative treatment for osteochondrosis of the spine includes recreational activities:
- Therapeutic exercise - restores the mobility of the spine, disease prevention.
- Manual therapy is a way to relieve muscle spasms, improve blood circulation and metabolic processes.
- Reflexology is a way to relieve muscle spasms, stimulate the production of substances that inhibit inflammatory processes.
- Underwater hydromassage. Water sports unload the spine, heal.
- Traction therapy is a set of techniques that stretches the spine, reducing pressure on discs and nerve endings.
- Ultrasound, laser therapy, electro-, magneto-, vibrostimulation - types of hardware treatment that relieve muscle spasms, improve microcirculation.
- Therapeutic diet. The diet is selected so that the body receives the necessary vitamins and trace elements.
- Psychotherapy. Promotes a person's faith in recovery, activates the body's internal resources.
- Medical therapy. To take pills.
Spinal osteochondrosis is best treated in a sanatorium. At home, a person faces the problem of organizing time. There is not enough time to follow the instructions, it is not possible to go on a diet on your own, stick to it. Hospital treatment is also not ideal - the lack of orthopedic products in the hospital, devices, doctors.
Treatment in special centers, sanatoria is given in full. The duration of treatment is not fixed. It will take from a week to a month to eliminate severe symptoms. It will take more than 3 months for the rehabilitation, the restoration of the discs.
Many doctors in the complex of procedures prescribe drugs, hardware treatment. Preparations for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine help to cope with exacerbations of the disease. It is justified to take anti-inflammatory drugs with analgesic action, antispasmodics, antioxidants that stimulate microcirculation, contribute to the restoration of nerve and cartilage tissue.
When treating only with drugs, they forget about the internal capabilities of the body, they treat the patient without it. It's a mistake, a lack of medicine. Conservative methods can improve the patient's condition.
Otherwise, how to treat osteochondrosis?
If conservative treatment is not enough, operative treatment is prescribed. Sometimes only surgery can relieve the disease. Doctors remove hernias, put new discs in place of worn discs. The rehabilitation period proceeds as usual treatment.
The cost of treatment of osteochondrosis is compared with cardiovascular diseases, flu. To make it cheaper, alternative treatment options are considered. It is worth buying a device for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine, which relieves pain. Procedures can be done at home on your own, with the help of loved ones.
An alternative is traditional medicine. There are many recipes for ointments, decoctions of herbs taken orally, in the form of compresses. Many recipes for different stages, types of diseases.
Self-medication will aggravate the patient's condition, so you should consult a doctor before taking the drug. The self-treatment option is to believe in a cure, follow the doctor's instructions.
Disease prevention
It is better not to look for a way to treat osteochondrosis of the spine, but to prevent the onset. It is worth developing good habits regarding daily routine, nutrition. Preventive actions:
- Morning massages of the back, limbs - rubbing, kneading, performed independently.
- Gymnastics, exercise. It is worth including swing movements, bends, tilts, jumps in place, pull-ups.
- Workplace workouts. If the work involves a long stay in a certain position, it is worth distracting for five minutes every hour or two to perform some exercises.
- Swimming is a sport that helps with spinal problems.
If the disease has managed to develop, prevention, treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine should be combined, complement each other.
An important point is the observance of proper nutrition. It should contain vegetarian dishes, steamed, baked dishes. The diet should contain plenty of protein, not mushrooms. Spices, spices are welcome, salt and pickles are excluded. It is not recommended to drink strong tea, coffee, alcohol, to abuse sweet and starchy foods. It is worth eating 5-7 times a day. For a day, eat no more than 2 kg of food, one liter of water. With a lack of vitamins, they are prescribed separately.
An active lifestyle, proper nutrition - the key to the health of the spine, body. Treatment is difficult, but will help eliminate unpleasant pain. If osteochondrosis is diagnosed, you will have to change your lifestyle forever.
The article was written for the development of general education. To establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment, be sure to consult a doctor.