The spine is the backbone of a person. Carry the burden of walking. Abrasion occurs faster than in 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 need to 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 their destruction. The disease affects one or more discs. Symptoms and treatment are interrelated. Depending on the symptoms, the types of the disease are distinguished:
- Pain in the arms, shoulders, headaches with the appearance of tinnitus, dizziness, color spots, goosebumps before the eyes with cervical osteochondrosis. It occurs in 25% of cases.
- Chest pain, numbness, pain in the heart, stomach, and other organs are signs of damage to the thoracic 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 various parts of the spine is a common osteochondrosis.
Pain is considered the determining factor, there is a feeling of numbness of the extremities, pain, tingling. An unpleasant manifestation is muscle spasm, stiffness of movements, pain that occurs with sudden movements, sneezing, coughing.
Based on the symptoms, the doctor makes a preliminary diagnosis, prescribes special procedures for hardware research: X-rays, tomography, MRI. These are ways to make an accurate diagnosis, determining the presence of concomitant diseases: protrusion, intervertebral hernia.
Symptoms often indicate the later stages of disease development, when surgery is required. Treatment is aimed at eliminating pain and stopping the development of the disease.
Conservative treatment
Treatment for the patient is prescribed by the attending physician, a council of doctors in difficult cases. Conservative treatment is widespread: treatment methods from different fields of medicine. Conservative treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine includes recreational activities:
- Therapeutic exercise: restores the mobility of the spine, prevention of diseases.
- 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 whirlpool. Water sports unload the column, heal.
- Traction treatment is a set of techniques that stretch the spine, reducing pressure on the discs and nerve endings.
- Ultrasound, laser therapy, electro, magneto, vibrostimulation - types of hardware treatment that relieve muscle spasms and improve microcirculation.
- Therapeutic diet. The diet is selected so that the body receives the necessary vitamins, trace elements.
- Psychotherapy. Promotes a person's faith in recovery, activates the internal resources of the body.
- Medical therapy. Taking medications.
It is better to treat osteochondrosis of the spine 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 make 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, sanatoriums is given in full. The duration of treatment is not established. It will take a week to a month to clear up severe symptoms. It will take more than 3 months for rehabilitation, disc restoration.
Many doctors of the procedure complex prescribe medication, 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 tissues.
Treating only with drugs, they forget about the internal capabilities of the body, treat the patient without it. This is a mistake, a lack of medicine. Conservative methods can improve the patient's condition.
How else to treat osteochondrosis?
If conservative treatment is not enough, a surgical one is prescribed. Sometimes surgery alone will relieve the condition. Doctors remove hernias, put new discs in place of worn out ones. The rehabilitation period is carried out as usual treatment.
The cost of treating osteochondrosis is compared with cardiovascular diseases, influenza. To make it cheaper, alternative treatment options are being considered. It is worth buying a device for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine, which relieves pain. Procedures can be performed at home on your own, with the help of loved ones.
An alternative is traditional medicine. There are many recipes for ointments, herbal decoctions that are taken orally, in the form of compresses. Many recipes for different stages, types of diseases.
Self-medication will worsen the patient's condition, so you should consult a doctor before taking the drug. The self-treatment option is to believe in a cure, to 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 its occurrence. It is worth developing good habits in terms of daily routine, nutrition. Preventive actions:
- Morning massages of the back, limbs - rubbing, kneading, performed independently.
- Gymnastics, exercise. It is worth including swings, twists, tilts, jumps on the spot, pull-ups.
- Workplace trainings. If the work involves a long stay in a certain position, it is worth taking a break for five minutes every hour or two to perform a couple of exercises.
- Swimming is a sport that helps solve 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 dishes, baked in the oven. The diet should have a lot of protein, not mushrooms. Spices, spices are welcome, salt and pickles are excluded. Drinking strong tea, coffee, alcohol, abusing sweet and starchy foods is not recommended. It is worth eating 5-7 times a day. For a day, eat no more than 2 kg of food, a 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, the body. Treatment is difficult, but it will help get rid of unpleasant pain. If osteochondrosis is diagnosed, you will have to change your lifestyle forever.
The article was written for general educational development. To establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment, be sure to consult a doctor.