How to treat osteochondrosis: physiotherapy exercises and treatment methods at home

Osteochondrosis is a chronic spinal disease in which degenerative and dystrophic changes occur in the vertebrae and intervertebral discs.

About the most important

For a long time, the disease proceeds asymptomatic, manifles with pain, impaired sensitivity, constraint of movements and other unpleasant phenomena, when complications have already formed in the spine.

Important!The main complications of osteochondrosis include protrusion of the intervertebral discs, hernias of the somerle, ankylosis of the spine, infringement of the roosers of the spinal nerves and blood vessels.

Osteochondrosis brings a lot of suffering to the patient, significantly worsens the quality of life, often leads to immobilization of the spine and disability.

How to treat osteochondrosis?

Depending on the level of damage to the spine, the prevalence of the degenerative-dystrophic process, the severity of the disease and the presence of complications, the treatment of osteochondrosis can be conservative or operational.

The method of treatment of osteochondrosis can only be discussed after a thorough examination of the patient.

When identifying the first signs of osteochondrosis, you should consult a neuropathologist or a vertebrologist.

Also in the treatment of osteochondrosis are attended by an exercise therapy doctor, a manual therapist, physiotherapist, and, if necessary, an orthopedist, surgeon and a neurosurgeon.

Conservative treatment of osteochondrosis has an integrated approach - various methods of traditional and non -traditional medicine are used, such as:

• drug therapy;
• medical gymnastics and physical education;
• isometric kinesotherapy;
• manual therapy;
• reflexology;
• massage and self -massage;
• physiotherapeutic methods;
• medical nutrition;
• Methods of traditional medicine.

Drug treatment of osteochondrosis

Drugs used for osteochondrosis by type of action can be divided into such groups:

• drugs to eliminate the inflammatory process in the spine, nerves and paravertebral tissues - non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs and glucocorticosteroids;
• Project to relieve pain - painkillers and anesthetics;
• preparations for relaxing spasmodic muscles - muscle relaxants;
• drugs that improve the nutrition of the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs, and also protect it from the effects of negative factors - chondroprotectors;
• drugs that activate metabolism and restore normal blood flow in the tissues of the spine - vitamins, antioxidants;
• drugs that improve and restore the conductivity of impulses on the nerves - B vitamins;
• Preparations that relieve swelling of the roots of spinal nerves and paravertebral tissues are diuretics.

Medicine therapy of osteochondrosis in the acute period is aimed at stopping and relief of pain syndrome.For this purpose, the following drugs are used:

• painkillers;
• non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs.The mechanism of action of these drugs lies in the blockade of the synthesis of prostaglandins, which trigger the inflammatory process and are responsible for the perception of pain.At the beginning of therapy, the injection path of the administration of drugs is used, and after a few days they switch to an oral administration.The course of treatment is 7-10 days;
• Musorelaxants relieve reflex muscle spasm, thereby reducing pain.Drugs are taken inside for 2-3 weeks;
• Paravertebral blockade that is carried out to eliminate pain.Such blockade effectively relieve pain for several days;
• Glucocorticosteroid hormonal drugs are a means of severe artillery, have a pronounced anti -inflammatory and analgesic effects, even when ineffective non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs and anesthetics.Drugs are used in short courses to avoid side effects;
• Preparations for local use: ointments, gels, patchings with irritating and distracting effects.Local drugs may include non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs and anesthetics.

During the period of remission of osteochondrosis, treatment should be pathogenetic and restoring.Drugs that are used during the subsidence of symptoms of osteochondrosis:

• Chondroprotectors are a group of drugs, which include glucosamines and chondroitin sulfate - structural components of the cartilage tissue of vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
• Antioxidants and drugs that improve microcirculation and metabolism.
• B vitamins V.
• Calcium preparations.

The course of treatment during the period of remission of osteochondrosis with the above drugs is 2-3 weeks.

Medical gymnastics and physical education for osteochondrosis

Therapeutic gymnastics and physical education for osteochondrosis are exercises developed on the basis of physical body movements that contribute to:

• reduction of clinical manifestations of osteochondrosis;
• slowdown in degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine;
• restoration of impaired motor functions;
• strengthening the muscles of the back, abdomen, buttocks and hips;
• relaxation of tense muscles of the back and neck;
• expansion of intervertebral cracks and the release of pinched spinal nerves;
• improving blood circulation;
• work of internal organs.

In order for therapeutic physical education and gymnastics to bring the expected effect to adhere to the following rules:

1. Exercises for osteochondrosis must be performed regularly.
2. All movements should be smooth and slow.
3. Breathing should be even.
4. Follow the pulse frequency.
5. In the event of discomfort and pain in the muscles and spine, it is necessary to reduce the amplitude and intensity of movements.
6. Gymnastics and physical education can be done at any time of the day.
7. To make medical gymnastics and physical education, choose comfortable clothes made of natural fabric.
8. Before starting to engage in therapeutic gymnastics and physical education, you need to consult with the attending physician.

Isometric kinesotherapy is a modern direction of physiotherapy exercises, which consists in performing active and passive movements and respiratory gymnastics.

All exercises of kinesotherapy are based on anatomical, physiological, biochemical, biomechanical aspects.

The main goal of kinesotherapy is to achieve health restoration, preserve and improve it.

It is better to engage in physiotherapy and gymnastics in specialized hospitals and rehabilitation centers under the control of physiotherapy physicians, which specialize in comprehensive rehabilitation and conservative treatment of osteochondrosis.

But, there are also sets of exercises that can be performed at home and even at work.

How can manual therapy with osteochondrosis?

Manual therapy is a method for treating osteochondrosis, which consists in a dosed manual effect on the body in order to restore the correct configuration of the spine and improve its mobility.

There are contraindications for manual therapy:

• the presence of sequestration of the hernia of the intervertebral disc;
• myelopathy of the intervertebral disc;
• acute infectious diseases;
• benign and malignant neoplasms;
• hypertension;
• alcohol intoxication;
• inflammatory joint diseases;
• postoperative period;
• The period of bearing a child.

During manipulations of manipulations of manual therapy, such complications as damage to the ligaments, muscles and vertebrae, hypermobility spine, infringement of intervertebral hernias, fractures of the ribs and processes of vertebrae, acute cerebrovascular disorders.

Therefore, it is important that manual therapy is carried out by a qualified specialist - a doctor of manual therapy, who has experience in this methodology.

Massage for osteochondrosis

With the help of massage, you can relieve muscle spasm, improve microcirculation, innervation and metabolism in the spine, reduce swelling in the affected area, strengthen the back muscles and improve the general condition of the patient.

Indications for massage for osteochondrosis:

• hypotrophy of the back muscles;
• osteochondrosis in the stage of remission;
• back muscles;
• pain in the field of spinal nerves of roots;
• circulatory violation in the spine;
• Violation of the mobility of the spine.

Contraindications to massage with osteochondrosis:

• compression of the spinal cord with intervertebral hernias;
• decompensated disease of the cardiovascular system;
• bacterial or fungal diseases of the skin;
• diseases of the central nervous system (meningitis, encephalitis, cancer, stroke, injury, tuberculosis);
• mental illness in the exacerbation phase;
• respiratory diseases that are accompanied by respiratory failure;
• fever;
• diseases of the musculoskeletal system (malignant and benign neoplasms, infectious diseases, injuries);
• Violation of blood coagulation.

Reflexotherapy is an effect on various points of the body that are responsible for a particular organ.

Interesting!You can act on these points by needles, electric shock, magnetic waves, and so on.

Using this method, it is possible to improve blood supply to the affected areas of the spine and eliminate the symptoms of the disease.

Physiotherapeutic methods for osteochondrosis

Types of physiotherapy:

• electrophoresis;
• magnetotherapy;
• ultrasound therapy;
• vibration massage;
• treatment with ultraviolet radiation;
• Balneotherapy and others.

The effects of physical processing can be as follows:

• normalization of metabolism in the affected areas;
• increased body resistance;
• anesthesia;
• improvement of microcirculation in the spine and paravertebral tissues;
• removal of edema;
• reduction in the inflammatory process;
• Improving the mobility of the spine.

Treatment of osteochondrosis at home

Most patients with osteochondrosis believe that they can independently cope with the disease, taking painkillers with handfuls.

Anti -inflammatory drugs and painkillers only relieve symptoms of osteochondrosis, but, do not stop the pathological process in the spine.

Therefore, the treatment of osteochondrosis of the house is not only the use of painkillers, but a whole range of measures aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease, therapeutic gymnastics, traditional medicine methods, self -massage.

The elimination of the causes of osteochondrosis implies the following:

• Healthy diet.In the daily diet, you need to reduce the number of products that increase blood cholesterol - animal fats, chicken eggs, meat broths, pork.
• A healthy lifestyle.Limit the use of alcoholic beverages, coffee, strong tea.Get rid of bad habits, for example, smoking.
• A healthy sleep will help you provide accessories such as orthopedic mattress and pillow that create optimal conditions for normal blood circulation during your sleep and rest.

• Therapeutic gymnastics and physical education.
• Self -massage.At home, you can rub it yourself, stroke and knead your back, neck and collar area.Self -massage will help get rid of headaches, dizziness, improve blood flow in the affected areas of the spine, activate metabolism, relieve fatigue.
• The use of the applicator is special devices that are discs with spikes designed for the treatment of osteochondrosis.
• Phytotherapy.You can take baths with decoctions of various herbs that will help to quench the pain in the back, for example, needles, chamomile, oak bark, spray, calamus, walnut leaves, valerian, lavender and others.Also charitable on the spine are infusions, tinctures and decoctions for taking yarrow leaves, celery root, garlic or saber's root.
• Compresses and applications from burdock leaves, raw potatoes with honey, or wormwood flowers, perfectly remove pain in the spine.
• The use of phyto-paths (bags with herbs), which adjust the affected area of the spine at night-is the method of Chinese medicine.The biological substances of herbs penetrate through the skin and have a local effect - distracting and irritating.
• Using a massage bed or a massage chair.
• Wearing a chanstz collar with cervical osteochondrosis, which eliminates pain, relieves the spasm of the neck muscles, increases the height of the intervertebral discs and frees the pinched nerves.

Important!There are many different methods of treating osteochondrosis at home, but do not forget about the prescriptions of the attending physician.

All methods of traditional and non -traditional treatment should be approved by him.

Regular and conscientious implementation of all the recommendations of the doctor in full, will slow down or completely stop the progression of osteochondrosis.