The spine is a person's spine. He carries the weight of walking. Abrasion occurs faster than other parts of the body. A sedentary, sedentary lifestyle makes the situation worse. The causes are unknown, there are a number of risk factors.
Before starting treatment for osteochondrosis, you should consult a doctor who will perform 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 following types of disease are distinguished:
- Pain in the hands, shoulders, headache with tinnitus, dizziness, color spots, tingling in the eyes with cervical osteochondrosis. It occurs in 25% of cases.
- Chest pain, tingling, pain in the heart, stomach and other organs are signs of damage to the chest area. 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 a determining factor, there is a feeling of tingling in the extremities, pain, numbness. 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 tests - X-rays, tomography, MRI. These are ways to make an accurate diagnosis, determine the presence of concomitant diseases - protrusion, intervertebral hernia.
Symptoms often indicate later stages of the disease when surgery is needed. 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, medical advice in difficult cases. Conservative treatment is widespread - methods of treatment in various fields of medicine. Conservative treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine includes recreational activities:
- Therapeutic exercise - restores 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 spasm, 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 stretch the spine, reducing pressure on the discs and nerve endings.
- Ultrasound, laser therapy, electro-, magnetic-, vibrostimulation - types of hardware treatment that relieve muscle spasms, improve microcirculation.
- Therapeutic diet. The diet is chosen so that the body receives the necessary vitamins and trace elements.
- Psychotherapy. Encourages a person's faith in recovery, activates the body's internal resources.
- Medical therapy. Taking medication.
It is better to treat osteochondrosis of the spine in a sanatorium. At home, one is faced with the problem of organizing time. There is not enough time to follow the instructions, it is not possible to make a diet yourself, stick to it. Inpatient treatment is also not ideal - the lack of orthopedic products in the hospital, devices, doctors.
The treatment in special centers, sanatoriums is carried out entirely. The duration of treatment has not been determined. It will take a week to a month to eliminate the serious symptoms. It will take more than 3 months for rehabilitation, recovery of discs.
Many doctors from the complex of procedures 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 recovery of nerve, cartilage tissue.
When they treat only with drugs, they forget about the internal capabilities of the body, they 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, surgery is prescribed. Sometimes surgery alone will alleviate the condition. Doctors remove hernias, put new discs in place of worn ones. The rehabilitation period is carried out as usual.
The cost of treatment of osteochondrosis is compared with cardiovascular disease, 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. The procedures can be performed at home alone, with the help of relatives.
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 worsen the patient's condition, so you should consult a doctor before taking the drug. The option for self-treatment is to believe in healing, 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 eating. Preventive actions:
- Morning massages on the back, limbs - rubbing, kneading, performed independently.
- Gymnastics, exercises. It is worth to include swing movements, turns, tilts, jumps in place, pull-ups.
- Workplace training. If the work involves a long stay in a certain position, it is worth distracting yourself for five minutes every hour or two to perform a few exercises.
- Swimming is a sport that helps to solve problems with the spine.
If the disease has managed to develop, prevention, treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine should be combined, complementary.
An important point is to follow a proper diet. Must contain vegetarian dishes, steamed dishes baked in the oven. There should be a lot of protein in the diet, not mushrooms. Spices, condiments are welcome, salt and pickles are excluded. It is not recommended to drink strong tea, coffee, alcohol, to abuse sweet, starchy foods. It is worth eating 5-7 times a day. In one day eat no more than 2 kg of food, one liter of water. In the absence of vitamins, they are prescribed separately.
Active lifestyle, proper nutrition - the key to the health of the spine, body. Treatment is difficult, but will help eliminate the unpleasant pain. If osteochondrosis is diagnosed, you will need to change your lifestyle forever.
The article is written for general education development. To make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment, be sure to consult a doctor.