Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is asymptomatic as long as the intervertebral discs support their amortization functions. As soon as its thickness starts to decrease, instability occurs. The body compensates with the growth of osteophytes, as a result, the person feels stiffness in the neck and, over time, other unpleasant symptoms appear, which significantly worsen the quality of life. The treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine must be comprehensive.
This means that drug therapy alone (injections, pills, ointments) is not enough. In addition to this, it is essential to do special therapeutic exercises, massages, take hirudotherapy courses (treatment with leeches), and also do elementary exercises at home. As a complement to the main treatment, the use of folk remedies is allowed.
Medicines
The doctor's priority is to relieve the patient's pain. For these purposes, an entire drug complex is used:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory;
- anesthetics and hormones (for blockages);
- muscle relaxants;
- chondroprotectors;
- sedatives and antidepressants;
- Vitamins B.
The drug groups listed in the complex play the role of a powerful anesthetic complex for osteochondrosis and also nourish the intervertebral discs and restore the nerves:
- NSAIDs relieve mild to severe inflammation and pain.
- Anesthetics and hormonal agents are injected at the site of pain (paravertebral or vagosympathetic) - the pain syndrome instantly ceases. The patient is then placed in a neck brace for a while so that he cannot move his head sharply.
- Muscle relaxants are used to relax spasmodic muscles.
- Chondroprotectors improve the nutrition of the intervertebral discs. Its reception starts at the same time as the NSAIDs. Usually, the use of chondroprotectors is complex and long-term. This means that the doctor can prescribe, along with external agents, oral medications as well as injections.
- Sedatives and antidepressants help the patient to deal with stress and prevent depression, which in turn help to deal with muscle tension.
- Complex B vitamin preparations. Lack of vitamin B1, 6, and 12 negatively affects nerve fibers and neuronal conduction. First, the drugs are prescribed in the form of injections over a short period of time, then they switch to supportive therapy and take pills.
On a note. Most NSAIDs and chondroprotectives come in various forms - in pills, ointments, injections, as well as rectal suppositories (NSAIDs) and patches (NSAIDs).
Therapeutic Gymnastics and Massage
As soon as the pain syndrome subsides, it is necessary to gradually increase the motor activity of the cervical spine. If the patient has a blockage, the dressing is removed after about a week.
Some doctors believe that change is always necessary. When the patient is prescribed bed rest, this is believed to help cope with the illness, but actually the person gets the opposite effect - on one side of the neck, the spasmodic muscles, if muscle relaxants were not used, remain contracted. , on the other hand, on the other hand, its slow weakening (flabbiness or loss of tone) is observed. As a result, getting back to work, a patient with cervical osteochondrosis in a relatively short time will inevitably face pain, difficulty in walking and muscle spasms again. If you devote yourself to physical education in doses and gradually but constantly, you can achieve pain relief with minimal use of pain relievers.
The same point of view is shared by physiotherapists and chiropractors. Their techniques are based on movements, not lying in bed, as 90% of doctors who try to relieve pain in a patient with cervical osteochondrosis defend.
Exercises for acute pain
This is static gymnastics, in which the cervical spine does not perform any movement. The physiotherapist recommends performing the following 3 exercises for headaches, tinnitus, and neck pain:
- Sit in a chair, straighten your back, look straight. Place your hands on top of each other and place them under your chin. Start by pressing your chin into your hands, as if you want to lower your head. At this point, the spine is not involved at all, but the muscles in the front of the neck are tense. Press your hands together for 3-5 seconds, then lower your arms and relax. Repeat several times.
- Continue to sit with your back straight and looking straight ahead. Place the back of your right hand on your cheek. Begin to turn your head to the right while resisting with your hand. The head is still. Press for 3-5 seconds, withdraw your hand and relax. Repeat several times. Repeat exercise #2 with the other hand.
- Place the brushes one on top of the other on the back of your head. Imagine throwing your head back. Resist with your hands. At the time of pressure, take 3 to 5 seconds. Then lower your arms and relax. Repeat several times.
You don't need to put pressure on your hands with all your might. This will backfire - the pain will intensify. All movements are as smooth as possible, slow, no bumps. The number of approaches per day is 2-3 times.
On a note. Static exercises are similar to micromovement techniques. As a result, the muscles relax and the pain gradually disappears.
A universal set of exercises for cervical osteochondrosis
Gymnastics can be performed independently, at home, both in remission and at the time of exacerbation.
The universal complex consists of 6 exercises:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and expand your chest. Put your hands on your shoulders. Perform symmetrical circular movements backwards (at least 10 times) and then forwards (10 times). The body and neck are immobile. After finishing the exercise, lower your arms and shake your shoulders, relax.
- Keep standing. Spread your arms out to the sides parallel to the floor and clench your fists. Now imagine dumbbells swinging. At the same time, bend your elbows and touch your shoulders with your fists, then straighten up. Repeat 10-15 times. After finishing the exercise, take your hands off your shoulders and relax.
- Stay in starting position. Exercise is static. Interlace your fingers and place your palms on your forehead. Begin, as it were, to lower your head forward. Resist with your hands. Hold in the pressure position for 3-5 seconds and then relax. The muscles in the back of the neck work.
- Do exercise number 3 of the complex with an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.
- From the starting position, without moving your neck, bring your shoulders forward, hold for 3-5 seconds, straighten up and bring your shoulder blades together and relax. Repeat several times.
- From the starting position: take a deep breath through your nose - lift your arms out to the sides and up, lower in front of you - exhale completely through your mouth. In an acute period, raise your arms straight down - parallel to the floor.
On a note. For a complete healing of the cervixosteochondrosisthese exercises are not enough. However, they are suitable for relieving acute pain and restoring spinal mobility.
Micromovements
A chiropractor has developed a system to help patients with cervical osteochondrosis:
- Sit in a chair and lean back. Now imagine that you agree with someone - shake your head slightly. You can do this for as long as you like, until you get bored. As soon as a free minute is granted, they sit down and do it. Free recharges.
- The starting position is exactly the same as in exercise 1. Only now don't agree with your partner - shake your head left and right almost imperceptibly. Take whatever time is convenient. Free recharges.
On a note. Exercise sets can be combined with each other. This will have a noticeable effect in a short time - the pain will subside.
Massage
It is best to entrust cervical spine massage to a specialist. However, in the case of severe pain, if you can get up and put your hands behind your head without pain, you can try to help yourself. There are many self-massage techniques.
The simplest self-massage is done as follows:
- Sit on a chair. Lift and place your hand behind your head on the opposite side of the pain.
- Start stroking the neck in the area of inflammation. Do this gently at first, with almost no pressure. Then slightly increase the intensity.
- Go to the shoulder. As a rule, when the torticollis goes beyond, not only the neck on one side hurts, but also the shoulder. Lengthen your shoulder. This should be actively done for the spasmodic muscles to warm up, but there should be no severe pain due to self-massage.
- Repeat this process on the other side of the neck. This must be done, because on the one hand the muscles are spasmodic, on the other hand they are relaxed - you need to even out their tone.
- Place both hands behind your head and place your fingers along the spine (along the spinous processes). Carefully but actively enough, work in this area. Do not apply excessive pressure. The neck is the most delicate part of the spine. An awkward movement can hurt and make the situation worse.
- Apply any anesthetic gel or ointment you have in your medicine cabinet to the warm cervical spine.
Do not use heating ointments for self-massage. The skin on the neck is very delicate, especially around the arteries and in front. If the heating compound gets there, you could get burned.
Hirudotherapy
Treatment with leeches for osteochondrosis, especially of the cervical spine, is very effective. Hirudotherapy helps:
- reduce pain;
- improve blood circulation in the leeches' area of influence - arterial blood flow to the brain and venous blood outflow are normalized;
- relieve swelling;
- increase the effect of drugs;
- improve sleep;
- relieve psychological stress;
- significantly reduce headaches and dizziness.
Not everyone has such treatment. Don't forget to have a complete test done before leech treatment. If there are no contraindications, 7 to 10 procedures are performed. To consolidate the result in one month, you can resort to a hirudotherapist again.
folk remedies
Try the following recipes:
- Rub the back of your neck with a piece of Indian onion, cover it with something warm and go to bed;
- self-massage with honey - rub the neck and shoulder girdle with honey, then apply a towel dampened in warm water, after 10 minutes remove the remains of honey (if any) and go to bed, covered with a blanket;
- take a steam bath, but not during flare-ups, then massage with honey and drink herbal tea;
- use a needle applicator - place the plate with needles in the area of the seventh cervical vertebra, if the sensations are tolerable, then sleep on the needles - in the morning you will notice significant relief.
There are many ways to treat cervical osteochondrosis. In addition to those described, an effective method of therapy is acupuncture, yoga, Pilates, fitball exercises. Remember that self-medication is dangerous. Make an appointment with your doctor and get a full check-up. The specialist will individually select the treatment and say which exercises can and cannot be done, whether self-massage is possible, whether leeches will help, or perhaps recommend one of the alternative medicine methods, eg bee sting.