Pain in the spine that radiates to the back of the head, ribs or legs is due to pinching of the nerve roots of the intervertebral discs.
In medicine, such a manifestation has an official name - osteochondrosis, which is divided into departments depending on the location, leading to characteristic symptoms and treatment.
Today, many non-traditional means of treating degenerative-dystrophic processes in the spine that were known decades ago are used. At that time, medicine was not sufficiently developed and completely inaccessible to some people.
Treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies was practiced by our great-grandfathers, so we can safely say that folk recipes have stood the test of time and cured many people from the disease.
concept and properties
Osteochondrosis is a degenerative lesion of articular cartilage and adjacent bone tissue.
In medicine, this term describes the characteristic exhaustion and dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs.
Depending on the neglect of the disease, a person can experience both pain caused by pinching of the nerve roots and protrusion of the nucleus pulposus with rupture of the annulus of fibres, known as an intervertebral hernia.
The presented disease is somewhat "rejuvenated". If even 10-20 years ago most of the patients were elderly or citizens over 50 years old, and the causes of osteochondrosis lay in the age-related effacement of the intervertebral disc and the loss of previous elasticity, then the disease willtoday, young people are diagnosed because of their sedentary lifestyle.
Osteochondrosis can rightly be called the scourge of our time, since office work and long pastimes at the computer lead to "stagnation" of the entire musculoskeletal system.
If you do not pay attention to back pain, which is often pronounced in the morning, you risk that the situation will lead to the appearance of such unpleasant phenomena as a disease of the spine, the entire musculoskeletal system and the nervous system. Ongoing cases lead to paralysis of the limbs and partial or complete immobility of a person.
Varieties of the disease depending on localization
The human spine consists of vertebrae, each of which belongs to a specific department. A distinction is made here:
- cervical region - 7 vertebrae;
- thoracic area - 12 vertebrae;
- loins - 5 vertebrae;
- Sacral - 5 vertebrae;
- Coccyx department - 3-5 vertebrae.
Osteochondrosis, in turn, can be classified according to the localization of its occurrence, where it is distinguished:
- Cervical department - an attack on the presence of dystrophic changes begins after a long static position. The pain gets worse every time you move your head or sneeze. Signs of manifestation are pain in the back of the head, in the shoulders, migraines, increased blood pressure and dizziness.
- The thoracic region - the defeat in this area is rare, since the thoracic vertebrae practically do not tolerate pressure. Pain is often perceived as a disease of the heart and other internal organs. Belt pain in the ribs and abdomen, which decreases when the patient changes position, is characteristic.
- Lumbar - sharp pain that leads a person to characteristic immobility is explained by osteochondrosis in the lumbar region. Untimely treatment leads to numbness and paralysis of the legs, dysfunction of the genitourinary system, urinary incontinence is often diagnosed.
Exacerbation of osteochondrosis of any department can be caused by physical activity, inflammation in the human body, hypothermia. Recovery can take anywhere from a few weeks to a year.
Methods of traditional medicine to treat the disease
Treatment of osteochondrosis with folk remedies at home plays an important role.
So, for example, sudden pains are perfectly eliminated by various effective methods of traditional medicine.
It should also be noted that osteochondrosis is an inflammatory process of the nerve roots of the spinal cord and muscles near the affected area.
Pinching leads to impaired blood circulation, which means a lack of nutrients. The main task of any method from traditional medicine is to relieve pain and inflammation, thereby restoring blood circulation.
In addition to the described task in the treatment of conventional medicine, the following positive aspects can be distinguished:
- The composition of a product includes only natural ingredients that do not lead to side effects.
- Some medicinal herbs have a more beneficial effect than a drug with a high content of chemicals.
- Traditional medicine is available to every citizen, since the drug is cheap.
If we talk about the negative aspects of traditional medicine, it is necessary to note the indolence of the patients themselves, who began self-medication without undergoing a full and thorough diagnosis to determine the causes of back pain.
As a precaution, you should consult your doctor about the use of the chosen method as a treatment.
Treatment of the cervical spine
Experts recommend office workers and motorists to regularly do exercises to improve blood circulation and prevent osteochondrosis.
Here, non-permanent head rotations to the side, tilting of the head forwards and backwards are suitable. All movements are performed smoothly.
To increase efficiency, create a kind of strain on the neck muscles: tilt your head to the side and create an obstacle to the movement with your hand.
Circular movements and sharp backward tilting of the head in cervical osteochondrosis are strictly prohibited. This can lead to injury and herniation of the intervertebral disc of the cervical vertebrae.
With cervical osteochondrosis, in addition to exercises, it is recommended to do compresses at night, which perfectly eliminate pain and inflammation.
You can find recipes here:
- A compress of potatoes and honey. To make a medicinal composition, boil potatoes in their uniforms. Hot tubers are kneaded and slightly melted honey is added in a 1: 1 ratio. The composition is thoroughly mixed and a cake is formed from it. It is applied to the painful area, covered with polyethylene and wrapped with a woolen scarf at night.
- Compress horseradish leaves. Scald horseradish leaf with boiling water and apply to the damaged cervical vertebra. Cover the sheet with polyethylene and a wool scarf. Leave overnight. The method cannot be used if there is a burning sensation on the skin.
- To eliminate the inflammatory process use a tincture of herbs. Dried and pre-crushed hops, chamomile and oregano are mixed in equal proportions. A tablespoon of the collection is poured into a glass of boiling water, poured into a dark jar and left for three days. After the time has elapsed, the infusion is taken in a tablespoon twice a day.
All these methods are also suitable for the treatment of osteochondrosis of other specialties. All methods should be used only after consulting a doctor.
Treatment of the lumbar spine
Treatment of lumbar osteochondrosis at home should be carried out immediately after waking up.
Lying on the bed, you need to do some exercises. Immediately after waking up, lie on your back and stretch by straightening your legs and socks.
Lock this position for one minute. Here are some exercises you can do:
- Bend leg, knee and pull to chest. Do a few reps with one leg, then switch and repeat.
- Raise your leg at right angles several times. Switch legs and do the same number of reps.
- Bend both legs at the knees and lift the pelvis up for a few seconds.
At night, to treat lumbar osteochondrosis at home, you can use a compress or ointment. To prepare a compress, take 700 grams of butter and two glasses of birch buds.
Mix the ingredients and massage in overnight. Tie with cling film and a wool scarf. Leave overnight.
To prepare the ointment, garlic, rolled through a meat grinder, is mixed in the amount of 1 tablespoon with two tablespoons of lard. The ointment is rubbed on the lower back.
For the treatment of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, a decoction of lingonberries is used. A tablespoon of crushed lingonberry leaves is poured with a glass of boiling water and the composition is brought to a boil in an enamel saucepan over low heat.
After boiling for 15 minutes, the broth is filtered and used for oral administration. Strained broth drink two tablespoons three times a day.
When the chest region is affected
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the chest region is based on gymnastic exercises, therapeutic baths and the use of home-made ointments. You can use the following methods:
- For a therapeutic bath, add 400 grams of celandine or dandelion flowers to 5 liters of boiling water. Cover the container with a blanket for two hours. Drain the composition into the prepared bath with a temperature of 38-39 degrees Celsius. A bathing process takes only 15 minutes. The cure lasts 15-20 days.
- To prepare the ointment, crushed ficus leaves and butter are mixed in equal proportions. The composition is kept in a warm oven for two hours. The filtered and cooled composition is rubbed into the affected area overnight.
- For grating, you can prepare a composition of 100 grams of crushed cloves leaves and 200 grams of olive oil. The components are kept in a water bath for half an hour. The filtered and cooled mixture is applied to the thoracic spine and rubbed thoroughly.
As gymnastics, you can use exercises with backbends. For distractions, sit in a chair and bend backwards with your palms on the back of your head as you exhale. Do a few repetitions.
The same exercise is performed on all fours. On the exhale, the back bends backwards and is held in this position for a few seconds.
The fight against osteochondrosis can last a long time, and the patient must not only comply with all medical prescriptions, but also exclude all factors that provoke an exacerbation.
Pathology can be treated not only with medicines, but also with folk remedies. To do this, the most effective methods and recipes that are safe and do not cause allergic reactions are selected.
With timely treatment, the consequences and complications of osteochondrosis are not serious for a person. However, before using any method, you should undergo a full and thorough diagnosis and consult a doctor.