Osteochondrosis of the spine: how to treat, symptoms, a complete description of the disease

CT scan of the lumbar spine under normal conditions and with osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the spine occurs not only in the elderly but also in young patients. The reasons for the development of the disease are associated with heavy loads or the development of infections that affect different segments of the body and lead to the formation of pathological changes. What to do if discomfort and other signs appear? It is necessary to stop exercising if back pain occurs during physical exertion and visit a doctor to find out the causes and choose treatment methods.

Symptoms of pathology

The symptoms of developing osteochondrosis are characterized by various manifestations. In most cases, patients have back pain, however, the presence of a symptom does not yet indicate the onset of osteochondrosis. The nature of pain syndrome is different, which is associated with individual characteristics of patients. In addition, signs do not always appear, especially in the early stages of development.

If your back hurts, then it is not recommended to make sudden movements, otherwise the discomfort will increase. It is often the negligence of this rule that leads to increased symptoms. Painful sensations can be sharp or painful. During the deterioration phase, adjacent areas can also be injured.

The general manifestations of osteochondrosis of the spine are represented by the following signs:

  1. Numbness of the arms, legs.
  2. Decreased performance of hands and fingers.
  3. Painful sensations in the chest, neck and lower back.
  4. Spread of pain in adjacent areas.

Chest ward

When the chest region is affected, pain appears during physical exertion. The symptom spreads to the arm or the area between the shoulder blades. Often, patients confuse the manifestations of chest osteochondrosis with cardiovascular disease, as back pain is given to the sternum.

Thoracic back pain with osteochondrosis

The patient's condition is characterized by spasms that appear during inhalation or excretion. Discomfort occurs especially often at night, which is accompanied by an uncomfortable posture during sleep. Treatment should start at the right time, otherwise complications will appear.

Cervix

With the loss of the cervical spine, osteochondrosis has its own characteristics:

  1. Presence of noise and noise in the ears and head.
  2. Decreased ability of the organs of sight and hearing, dual vision.
  3. Dizziness.
  4. There is pain in the back of the head and neck, which often radiates to the back.
  5. The patient feels tired.
  6. The spread of pain syndrome occurs in the area of the shoulders, shoulder blades and arms.
Neck pain with osteochondrosis

lumbar

The development of a degenerative process in the lumbar region is accompanied by pain and discomfort. Symptoms often radiate over the site of inflammation. Mobility decreases, as each movement causes a lot of uncomfortable sensations. These include the following manifestations:

  1. Increased sweating.
  2. Cold is felt in the lower extremities.
  3. Weakened muscle tissue.
  4. Sedentary physical activity.
  5. Problems with the work of internal organs, which is a consequence of the tightening of the sciatic nerve.
Low back pain with osteochondrosis

In addition to acute or painful pain in the lumbar region, the symptoms of lumbar osteochondrosis are represented by a feeling of numbness and tingling sensation. With prolonged stay in one position, the discomfort increases. If the symptoms are acute, then the patient is advised to be calm and avoid straining.

Treatment methods

The appearance of the first symptoms should be a good reason to visit a medical institution and start treatment. Lack of intervention can lead to the development of osteochondrosis, which will lead to the appearance of other symptoms of the lesion and worsen the patient's condition.

Popular therapies include:

  1. Treatment tactics.
  2. Physiotherapy.
  3. Physiotherapy and gymnastics.
  4. Massage.
  5. Manual therapy.

Drug treatment aims to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms and remove the dystrophic processes if the disease is in the initial stage of development. In this case, drugs are used:

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
  • painkillers;
  • Chondroprotectors;
  • Vitamin and mineral complexes.

As an additional method of eliminating pain, folk recipes can be described. It is important to remember that they are of a secondary nature, therefore, their use as the main method of treatment is not recommended. Before using the techniques, it is recommended to consult a doctor and consult with him.

Treatment tactics

The most common way to eliminate osteochondrosis and its symptoms is medication. What is forbidden to do? The patient should not choose the medication himself, as before starting therapy, it is necessary to carry out a diagnosis to identify the causes of the occurrence of osteochondrosis of the spine. In addition, it is necessary to identify the features of the disease. The patient can not cope with this task on their own, this also applies to the choice of groups of drugs, their dose.

The doctor prescribes medication to treat osteochondrosis

For severe pain, injection treatment is used. Unpleasant signs are eliminated quickly, which brings relief to the patient. Comprehensive treatment involves the allocation of several groups of funds:

  1. NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
  2. Pain relievers.
  3. Chondroprotectors.
  4. Muscle relaxants for osteochondrosis.
  5. Vitamin B complexes.

NSAIDs are essential to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. The method of injection administration allows you to achieve a positive result in a short period of time. It is not always possible to cope with back pain with osteochondrosis, therefore, they also use the help of sedatives.

To reduce the pain and improve the general condition, group B vitamins are used. If the unpleasant symptoms are accompanied by muscle tissue spasms, then you can not do without muscle relaxants. Chondroprotectors have a long-term effect. In addition, they activate the regeneration of damaged tissues.

In addition to injections, tablet forms of the drug are used. To treat osteochondrosis, the following medications are used:

  • Combined pain relievers;
  • Muscle relaxants;
  • NSAIDs.

Local treatment is also important during therapy. Impact on the site of inflammation leads to a rapid outcome and relief of well-being. It is necessary to treat the signs of osteochondrosis with the following ointments:

  1. Complex tools.
  2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
  3. Massage products: comfrey ointment.
  4. Compositions based on natural ingredients will help: caterpillar extract, plant extracts, snake and bee venom, menthol.

Characteristics of traditional medicine

You can cure osteochondrosis with the help of popular recipes. Combination with the main therapy drugs leads to positive results, but only if the rules and doses are followed. It is also necessary to remember the presence of side effects, therefore, before the procedure, it is necessary to consult a doctor and rule out the presence of allergic reactions.

The patient consults a doctor for folk remedies for the treatment of osteochondrosis

For the treatment of osteochondrosis, the following methods are used:

  1. Friction.
  2. Compresses.
  3. Plant baths.

Rubbing your back can relieve pain and discomfort. The duration of therapy is 10-14 days and activities should be performed daily. There are a large number of prescriptions of traditional medicine, so you can choose the right method of treatment.

This recipe will require pork fat and hops.. . .The fat is necessarily melted, its temperature should correspond to the values of the room. To prepare the mixture, take 1 tbsp. l. fat and add it to the ground hop. The amount of the last ingredient is also equal to 1 tablespoon. l. Backpack treatment is necessary in the evening or before bedtime. After rubbing, it is recommended to wrap the affected area with a warm cloth: a scarf, blanket or woolen scarf.

Hops and lard for the preparation of medicated ointment for osteochondrosis

An effective composition is horseradish with vodka. The procedure is recommended to be performed before bedtime. To prepare the composition, the root of the plant is completely crushed, after which vodka is added. Both ingredients are taken in equal proportions. To treat the marks, just rub the product on your back.

The medicine with laurel leaves and juniper is an indispensable medicine. To prepare the composition, you need the following ingredients:

  1. Butter - 12 tablespoons
  2. Chopped juniper leaves - 1 tbsp.
  3. Chopped laurel leaves - 6 tablespoons

The ingredients are mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained. With the help of ointment rub your back several times a day. If you do everything right, the result will not be long in coming. The pain will decrease, the condition will improve significantly and the movements will become less restricted.

Juniper and laurel leaves as part of the oil will help relieve pain in osteochondrosis

Additional techniques

There are other ways to treat osteochondrosis of the spine. A prerequisite for the recovery and elimination of pain is the normalization of the daily regimen. The patient must give up addictions. It is useful to choose a special orthopedic mattress and pillow. The diet should include foods with vitamins and minerals. For back pain, avoid the following foods and dishes:

  • coffee;
  • strong tea;
  • Healthy foods;
  • high cholesterol meals.

Compresses are used to cure osteochondrosis in the spine. They should be done for 5-14 days and every day. Natural ingredients are used for the compress, which increases the effectiveness of the treatment. An example is burdock leaves, which can be used to relieve pain. You will need to take a fresh leaf and steam it. Such a medicine is applied to the spine and covered with a warm cloth. The spine should be treated for about 30 minutes.

Burdock leaf compress for pain relief for back osteochondrosis

The combination of honey and potatoes is an excellent remedy for treating the signs of osteochondrosis. The potatoes are cut in advance, and honey is added to the resulting substance. Ingredients should be taken in equal proportions. The composition can be applied directly to the back. Upon completion of this action, the application site is covered with polyethylene and wrapped in a cloth. The duration of treatment for back pain is 2 hours.

Reducing signs of inflammation and improving well-being are all possible with herbal baths. The duration of treatment should not exceed 30 minutes and the collection should be done carefully, carefully following the instructions shown.

Often, osteochondrosis is treated with horse chestnut. The fruits of the plant are crushed, after which they are poured with water. The component should be boiled for about 20 minutes. The prepared composition is filtered and poured into a bath. You can also use a chestnut tincture with vodka.

Chamomile flowers are known for their medicinal properties. For the treatment and elimination of back pain, dried flowers are required, which are poured with boiling water and insisted for half an hour. After filtering through cheesecloth or other device, you can add it to the bath. Similarly, a medicine is prepared from birch leaves.

Only complex measures can completely eliminate back pain and other manifestations of the disease.