The spine is the backbone of a person.He carries the load while walking.Wear and tear occurs faster than other parts of the body.A sedentary, sedentary lifestyle aggravates the condition.The reasons are unknown;there is a group of risk factors.
Before treating osteochondrosis, you should see 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 characterized by damage to the intervertebral discs.The disease affects one or more discs.Symptoms and treatment are related.Based on the symptoms, the types of the disease are distinguished:
- Headaches in the arms, shoulders, tinnitus, dizziness, colored spots, gas before the eyes with cervical osteochondrosis.Occurs in 25% of cases.
- Chest pain, numbness, pain in the heart, stomach and other organs are symptoms of damage to the chest area.13% of cases are diagnosed.
- Pain in the back, legs, groin, impaired sensitivity of the lower limbs, pelvic organs - osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region.A common type - 50% of cases.
- Pain in several parts of the spine is a common osteochondrosis.
Pain is considered a defining factor;there is numbness, pain and tingling in the limbs.An unpleasant manifestation is muscle spasm, stiffness of movement, pain with sudden movements, sneezing, coughing.
Based on the symptoms, the doctor makes a preliminary diagnosis and prescribes special procedures for hardware examination - X-ray, tomography, MRI.These are ways to accurately diagnose and determine the presence of accompanying diseases - protrusion, intervertebral hernia.
Symptoms often indicate late stages of the disease, when surgical intervention is required.Treatment is aimed at relieving pain and stopping the progression of the disease.
Conservative treatment
Treatment for the patient is prescribed by the attending physician or, in difficult cases, by the board of physicians.Conservative treatment is widespread - treatment methods from various fields of medicine.Conservative treatment of spinal osteochondrosis includes health measures:
- Therapeutic exercise - restores spinal mobility, prevents diseases.
- Manual therapy is a method to eliminate muscle spasms, improve blood circulation and metabolic processes.
- Reflexology is a method to relieve muscle spasms and stimulate the production of substances that inhibit inflammatory processes.
- Underwater hydromassage.Water sports relieve stress on the spine and improve your health.
- Stretching therapy is a set of techniques that stretch the spine and reduce pressure on the discs and nerve endings.
- Ultrasound, laser therapy, electrical, magnetic, vibration stimulation are 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 and trace elements.
- Psychotherapy.Increases a person's confidence in recovery, activates the internal reserves of the body.
- Drug therapy.Taking medication.
It is better to treat spinal osteochondrosis in a sanatorium.At home, a person faces the problem of organizing time.There is not enough time to follow the instructions;It is impossible to create a diet on your own and stick to it.Inpatient treatment is also not perfect - the hospital lacks orthopedic products, equipment, and doctors.
Treatment is carried out in full in special centers and sanatoriums.The duration of treatment cannot be determined.Severe symptoms may take a week to a month to resolve.Rehabilitation and disc recovery will take more than 3 months.
Many doctors prescribe drug and hardware therapy as part of a series of procedures.Medicines for the treatment of spinal osteochondrosis help to cope with the exacerbation of the disease.It is justified to take anti-inflammatory drugs with analgesic effect, antispasmodics, antioxidants that stimulate microcirculation and promote regeneration of nerve and cartilage tissue.
When treating only with drugs, they forget about the internal capabilities of the body and treat the patient without it.This is a mistake, a lack of medicine.Conservative methods can improve the patient's condition.
How else can osteochondrosis be treated?
If conservative treatment is not enough, surgery is prescribed.Sometimes only surgery can alleviate the condition.Doctors remove herniated discs and replace worn discs with new ones.The rehabilitation period is carried out as usual treatment.
The cost of treating osteochondrosis is comparable to cardiovascular disease and the flu.Alternative treatment options are being considered to make it cheaper.It is worth buying a device for the treatment of spinal osteochondrosis that relieves pain.Procedures can be carried out independently at home with the help of relatives.
An alternative option is traditional medicine.There are many recipes for oral ointments and herbal decoctions in the form of compresses.There are many recipes for different stages and types of the disease.
Self-medication will worsen the patient's condition, so you should consult a doctor before taking medicine.One option for self-medication is to believe in the treatment and follow the doctor's instructions.
Disease prevention
It is better not to look for a way to treat spinal osteochondrosis, but to prevent its occurrence.It is worth developing useful habits related to daily routine and nutrition.Preventive measures:
- In the morning, massages of the back and limbs - rubbing, kneading, are carried out independently.
- Gymnastics, exercises.It is worth including swings, turns, bends, jumps in place and pull-ups.
- Exercises at work.If your job involves standing in a certain position for long periods of time, you should take a five-minute break every hour to do a couple of exercises.
- Swimming is a sport that helps to solve problems related to the spine.
If the disease has already developed, prevention and treatment of spinal osteochondrosis should be combined and complement each other.
An important point is maintaining proper nutrition.It should contain vegetarian dishes cooked in the oven, steamed dishes.The diet should contain a lot of protein, not mushrooms.Herbs and spices are accepted, salt and acid are excluded.It is not recommended to drink strong tea, coffee, alcohol, sweets and flour.You need to eat 5-7 times a day.Eat no more than 2 kg of food and one liter of water per day.If there is a vitamin deficiency, they are prescribed separately.
An active lifestyle and proper nutrition are the keys to a healthy spine and body.Treatment is complex, but it will help to relieve unpleasant pain.If diagnosed with osteochondrosis, you will have to change your lifestyle forever.
The article was written for the development of general education.Be sure to consult a doctor to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.