Treatment of osteochondrosis (radiculitis, intervertebral hernia) today is not particularly difficult, it is only important to correctly establish the cause of the pathology and the presence of concomitant diseases. However, each specialist professionally dealing with the treatment of diseases of the back or the spinal column in general, with the course of practice, crystallized their own, quickly helping techniques that are optimal for most patients.
For the treatment of osteochondrosis, it is important to correctly establish the cause of the pathology and the presence of concomitant diseases.
It is wrong to use just one method to treat osteochondrosis, as a rule, therapists of polyclinics "sin" with this, prescribing pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs to patients that eliminate unpleasant symptoms and drive the problem with the spine deep inside, without affecting the cause. As a result, a person, without experiencing pain, continues to load the damaged vertebrae, the pathology is aggravated, and after a while, with the next strong attack, such a bouquet of problems "emerges" that cannot be eliminated.
The root of the problem and some criticism
Before starting the treatment, it will be useful to remember what osteochondrosis is. In general, these are degenerative changes affecting the tissues of the spinal column! However, all problems concerning the back should not be called "osteochondrosis", just as two concepts should not be confused: osteochondrosis and sciatica. In the first case, this is a disease, in the second - a process that occurs in the patient's body with osteochondrosis. Moreover, back pain is just a symptom, not a disease.
The methods of treating osteochondrosis have remained standard for decades, but with the availability of modern methods of examining the patient in the "old" techniques, more and more "cracks and chips" are revealed. Most of the methods are aimed at eliminating clinical signs, and not at influencing the causes of pathology.
The use of medicines
Sadly, this is a method aimed at ensuring that the patient "quickly left healthy. "In addition, the sufferers themselves turn to a specialist and begin to treat the disease even when the pathological process is blooming with might and main, and pain is tearing everything around, preventing it from moving normally. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs remove all negative symptoms, making healing illusory, and the cause of the disease remains intact. In clinics, this process is put on a conveyor belt, and as a result of such treatment:
- The cause, which became the starting point of osteochondrosis, has not been eliminated.
- The traumatic factor on the vertebrae is intensifying, since the person, without feeling pain, begins to load the back in full.
- NSAIDs disrupt the functioning of the pancreas and stomach.
Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs do not cure the disease, but only relieve pain.
Manual therapy
This method is more often advocated by doctors of the old school, believing that if you put the damaged vertebrae in place, the problem will disappear. The dictum "all diseases from the spine" is not entirely true, because the spinal column adapts to the circumstances, it is not in vain that it is so flexible. Although, proper nutrition of the intervertebral discs and vertebrae is possible only when they stand upright. However, the set vertebrae, if a person continues to sit crookedly or there is a strong inflammation of the intervertebral discs, over time will "slide" again, returning all the signs. Also, do not confuse manual therapy and osteopathy.
Massage, classics of the genre
This method consists in acting on the muscles and connective tissue of the patient, is able to relieve the symptoms of the disease and bring relief to the patient for several months. The effectiveness of such treatment for osteochondrosis directly depends on the qualifications of the person doing the massage. But in 95% of cases, it is not possible to remove the cause of osteochondrosis by hand, as well as to cure the disease if the specialist works only with the zone of pain and inflammation.
Osteopathy
This method of treating osteochondrosis is subtle and gentle, but a good osteopath should have sensitive hands, an inquiring mind, and a calm mind. He, taking the patient by the hand, can feel all the processes taking place in the body. Not every doctor is capable of having a sense of supernaturalness, so good osteopaths are worth their weight in gold. Ideally, osteopaths should treat all the problems that the patient has, but in reality they only eliminate pain. The patients themselves are partly to blame for this, demanding only to relieve them of pain, since a session with an osteopath costs about three times more than that of a massage therapist. By saving money, they remove the symptoms, but deprive themselves of the opportunity to heal as completely as possible. Due to its softness, osteopathy is indicated even for children.
Osteopathy is a gentle and gentle method that is suitable even for children.
Chinese medicine
The pitfalls here lie in the absence of pre-medical diagnostics of the patient, all manipulations, as a rule, are based on the doctor's guesses, which are not always accurate. Before you carry out a high-quality acupuncture process, you need to do:
- Electro-acupuncture diagnostics.
- Pulse diagnostics.
- Diagnostics according to the Akabane method.
A patient who presents with back pain receives a lot of needles on it, the pain will be relieved, the symptoms will go away, but will return again in a few hours. Repeated acupuncture, relief - and the circle is closed. A good specialist does not put needles, based only on the external examination of the patient and his story. He works with only 1-4 needles at deep levels, trying to eliminate the root cause of osteochondrosis, and not just the symptoms.
Visceral therapy
Treatment of osteochondrosis here is to work with the internal organs. This is due to the fact that often the cause of the pathological condition of the spinal column is either an incorrect arrangement of organs or a violation in their work. With this treatment, back pains go away for a long time.
Gymnastics, yoga, qigong
Eastern techniques for the treatment of osteochondrosis are gaining in popularity. Classical yoga is a well-coordinated, deeply thought-out method of working with the body that affects the mind. This method is suitable for home, where, in a relaxed environment, a person can feel all the needs of the body. However, many experts advise to dwell on the old directions of treatment of osteochondrosis. And, of course, it is important to find a specialist, you should not contact those who have learned a couple of tricky movements and "opened their own office. "
To date, these techniques are the most progressive, in many ways they help people get rid of the troubles associated with osteochondrosis. But it is important to remember about the psychological aspect: the disease will not go away if a person stubbornly ignores the reason why osteochondrosis has developed, does not want to change his lifestyle and his thinking. Do not blame health problems only on the doctor, without helping him with treatment.
Gymnastics, yoga, qigong - aimed at working with the body and helping to eliminate problems with the spine.
The main stages of therapy
How to treat osteochondrosis? There are many options for therapy: reflexology, magnetostimulation, water procedures, physiotherapy methods. Which option is right for the patient, the specialist must decide, based on the results of the history and examination. Treatment at home is possible, for example, physiotherapy exercises, it is able to perfectly restore the mobility of the spinal column, eliminate symptoms and prevent the rapid development of the disease.
Important! If the treatment takes place at home, then you need to be especially careful with any medications, they are prescribed exclusively by the doctor. This is explained by the fact that with the drug treatment of osteochondrosis, there is a load on other organs and such treatment can be fraught with unpleasant complications or exacerbations of chronic diseases.
We take medications
The basis of drug treatment is the intake of vasodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs. Such therapy perfectly relieves symptoms and is designed to solve the following problems:
- Stop inflammatory processes.
- Relieve pain and muscle spasm.
- Stimulate the regeneration of cartilage tissue.
It is safer to use topical products (creams, ointments, or gels) when treating at home. Such treatment takes place without side effects, you just need to coordinate it with your doctor and strictly follow the instructions.
Folk remedies
Often, "grandmother's recipes" are more effective in the treatment of osteochondrosis than all modern and newfangled methods. Traditional treatment at home includes: warming up a sore spot with river sand or salt, using ointments based on chicken eggs, vinegar, or using herbal compresses.
- Bottle massage. Fill the "polorashka" with warm water and roll all the back muscles for 15 minutes, especially stopping at the problem area.
- Tennis ball massage. At home, you can use a tennis ball to massage your back, for this you just need to lie on it and "ride". Repeat daily.
Drug treatment in complex therapy relieves pain, relieves spasms.
Physiotherapy
The most popular today is the author's therapeutic technique that can be used at home. This treatment is based on not allowing the cells of the spinal cord to die and the muscle tissue to atrophy. Therapeutic gymnastics consists of a series of exercises that work all the joints and muscles of the human body, restoring lost motor functions and relieving unpleasant symptoms.
Non-drug treatment options
Sanatorium treatment, perhaps, can be called the most complete in the process of treating a disease, it is based on the effect on the cause of the disease. During your stay in the sanatorium, you can receive the following procedures:
- Acupuncture.
- Healing showers.
- Ultrasonic and electrotherapy.
- Diet therapy and massage.
- Balneotherapy and mud therapy.
- Apitherapy and salt caves.
Of course, this treatment option is not available at home. For each patient suffering from osteochondrosis, the doctors of the sanatorium will develop an individual therapy plan that will allow not only to restore motor functions, but also to forget about exacerbations for a long time.
Point impact
Treatment with electrophoresis is indicated at any stage of osteochondrosis, except for acute. Exposure to a point current has its advantages: the effect of a drug administered by electrophoresis extends strictly to the area of inflammation. This allows you to quickly improve the patient's condition, relieve swelling and pain.
Physiotherapy
It goes well with other treatment options for osteochondrosis, when done correctly by a knowledgeable specialist, it shows high efficiency and has a minimum of side effects:
- Massage. Improves blood circulation and lymph flow, relieves pain and swelling, strengthens muscles. Shown in courses of 10-15 procedures, 2-3 times a year.
- Manual therapy.
- Spinal traction.
- Reflexology.
How to treat osteochondrosis to avoid complications? First, you need to find out for what reason the pathology has developed, how damaged the vertebrae are. You will have to undergo a full examination and only then start treatment. Plus, the correct daily routine, a healthy lifestyle are important, you need to give up heavy physical exertion, try not to catch a cold and keep the correct posture. If possible, any stress at home and at work should be eliminated, since with negative emotions, an uncontrolled muscle spasm occurs, which further exacerbates the problem.
Osteochondrosis is a long-term current disease, which is based on many reasons, therefore, during treatment, one cannot stop at any one method. A lot depends on the patient himself, you should not wait for a "magic pill" to end the problem at once, to part with osteochondrosis you will have to gather all your will into a fist, be persistent in the desire to become healthy forever. This is the only way to restore the flexibility and mobility of the spine for many years.