The spine is the human spine. Carries a walking load. Wear occurs faster than other parts of the body. A sedentary, sedentary lifestyle aggravates the situation. The causes are unknown, there is a group of risk factors.
Before treating osteochondrosis, you should consult a doctor who will examine and diagnose it. 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 interrelated. Types of disease differ according to symptoms:
- Headache, dizziness, color spots, goosebumps in front of the eyes with the appearance of tinnitus on the arms, shoulders, cervical osteochondrosis. Occurs in 25% of cases.
- Chest pain, numbness, pain in the heart, stomach and other organs are signs of damage to the chest. Diagnosis is made in 13% of cases.
- Pain in the lower back, legs, groin, sensitivity of the lower extremities, pelvic organs - osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region. Common types - 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 numbness, pain, tingling in the limbs. An unpleasant manifestation is muscle spasm, stiffness of movements, pain with sudden movements, sneezing, coughing.
Based on the symptoms, the doctor makes an initial diagnosis, prescribes special procedures for the examination of the apparatus - X-ray, tomography, MRI. These are ways to make an accurate diagnosis, to determine the presence of concomitant diseases - protrusion, intervertebral hernias.
Symptoms often indicate the later stages of the disease when surgery is required. Treatment is aimed at relieving pain and stopping the development of the disease.
Conservative treatment
In difficult cases, the treatment of the patient is determined by the attending physician, the board of physicians. Conservative treatment is widespread - treatment methods from different fields of medicine. Conservative treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine includes recreational activities:
- Therapeutic exercise - restores spinal mobility, prevents disease.
- Manual therapy is a method to relieve 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 relax and heal the spine.
- Traction therapy is a set of techniques that stretch the spine and reduce pressure on the discs and nerve endings.
- Ultrasound, laser therapy, electro-, magnetic-, vibrostimulation - types of apparatus treatment that eliminates muscle spasms and improves microcirculation.
- Therapeutic diet. The diet is chosen so that the body receives the necessary vitamins and trace elements.
- Psychotherapy. Promotes a person's confidence in recovery, activates the body's internal reserves.
- Medical therapy. Take medicine.
It is better to treat osteochondrosis of the spine in a sanatorium. At home, people face the problem of time management. There is not enough time to follow the instructions, it is impossible to make a diet on your own, stick to it. Inpatient treatment is also not ideal - the hospital does not have orthopedic products, devices, doctors.
Treatment is carried out in special centers and sanatoriums. The duration of treatment is not specified. It takes a week to a month to relieve severe symptoms. It will take more than 3 months to rehabilitate the discs.
Many doctors prescribe medication and hardware from the complex of procedures. Preparations for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine help to combat the exacerbation of the disease. It is justified to take anti-inflammatory drugs with analgesic effect, antispasmodics, antioxidants that stimulate microcirculation, help to restore nerve and cartilage tissues.
When they are treated only with drugs, they forget about the internal capabilities of the body, they treat the patient already. 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 only surgery can alleviate the condition. Doctors remove hernias and replace old ones with new ones. The rehabilitation period is carried out as usual treatment.
The cost of treatment of osteochondrosis is comparable to cardiovascular disease, influenza. Alternative treatment options are being considered to make it cheaper. 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 relatives.
Alternative traditional medicine. There are many recipes in the form of ointments, decoctions of herbs taken orally, compresses. Many recipes for different stages, types of disease.
Self-medication will worsen the patient's condition, so you should consult a doctor before taking the drug. The option of self-treatment is to believe in the treatment and follow the doctor's instructions.
Disease prevention
It is better to prevent osteochondrosis of the spine than to look for a way to treat it. The daily routine is worth developing good eating habits. Preventive measures:
- Morning massages of the back and limbs - rubbing, kneading, performed independently.
- Gymnastics, training. It is worth including swing movements, turns, bends, jumps in place, boots.
- Workplace exercises. If the job involves staying in a certain position for a long time, it is worth distracting yourself every hour or two or five minutes for a few workouts.
- Swimming is a sport that helps solve spinal problems.
If the disease can develop, the prevention and treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine should be combined and complement each other.
An important point is to follow a proper diet. It should include oven-baked vegetarian dishes and steamed dishes. The diet should be high in protein, not mushrooms. Spices, seasonings are accepted, salt and acid are excluded. It is not recommended to drink strong tea, coffee, alcohol, abuse of sweet, starchy foods. It is worth eating 5-7 times a day. Eat no more than 2 kg per day, eat a liter of water. With vitamin deficiency, they are prescribed separately.
An active lifestyle, proper nutrition is the key to the health of the spine and body. Treatment is difficult, but it will help relieve the unpleasant pain. If you are diagnosed with osteochondrosis, you will have to change your lifestyle forever.
The article is written for the development of general education. Be sure to consult your doctor to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.