Due to the low mechanical strength of seven miniature vertebrae and the weakness of the muscular corset of the neck, the lack of treatment for osteochondrosis in this section leads to serious consequences. The nerve roots, compressed by the resulting protrusion or hernia, become inflamed and swollen, filling the spinal canal. Pain appears - in the neck; temples or occiput, crown; arm and shoulder.
The body goes to a kind of provocation - it starts the formation of hard "bridges" of bone tissue that support the vertebrae.
Their sharp edges irritate thin nerve fibers - pain arises again, the neck "crunches" when moving the head. It is also possible to compress the vertebral artery passing through the holes of the cervical vertebrae, which complicates the blood supply to the brain. Hospitalization is inevitable.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis, the first symptoms of which appear already at the age of 20, and is it possible to carry out the treatment itself at home?
How to treat cervical chondrosis at home and at work?
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home is possible only with the extinction of the exacerbation.
When using folk methods and "home" procedures - massage, gymnastics, the blood flow in the diseased segment is accelerated, and by resorting to them in the acute phase, you can aggravate the course of the disease, increasing swelling and inflammation.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine portends fatigue and a slight tension in the neck, so they begin to treat it at home with the correction of the "life schedule":
- Take a 5 minute break from work every hour. After working on papers or at the computer for more than 3 hours in a row, rest for an hour - do the exercises below for the neck, "stretch" the spine, stretching and "bowing" in different directions, walk around the office;
- The distance from the floor to the desktop lid is at least 70 cm, the chair is lift-and-turn, with a back and armrests;
- If sitting in a chair, you can't reach the floor with your feet, use a stand for them.
And one more thing: many have noticed that the next "home" scandal ends with a headache.
Nervous overstrain "squeezes" the muscles, and the disc is left to be content with small crumbs of nutrients that the spasmodic muscles supply.
How to cure cervical osteochondrosis at home?
The diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis is known; What are the features of further treatment at home?
Further efforts to prevent degeneration of intervertebral discs are directed at increasing physical activity, improving blood supply to the spine and its cervical region. For this, massage and gymnastics are used.
Massage
Massage for cervical osteochondrosis, carried out at home, stimulates the alternate inflow and outflow of blood to the cervical vertebrae, strengthens the muscles, eliminates excess lactic acid in them and relieves muscle spasticity. The duration of the massage is 15 minutes for the first sessions and about half an hour for the subsequent ones.
The massage session begins, moving from the shoulder blades to the back of the head and stroking the back of the neck. Working with one or both palms, the therapist gradually increases the pressure on the skin. Further, along similar lines, he "squeezes" the muscles with the edge of the palm, and then, with the tips of his fingers, vigorously rubs the cervical vertebrae, kneads the muscles of the neck, shifting them with the pads of the thumbs to the rest of the fingers. At the end of the session, the neck is stroked with the palms.
The duration of each type of movement is 2-5 minutes.
It is important to master the techniques of self-massage, - its sequence for cervical osteochondrosis is as follows:
- Pressing your palms on the sides of the neck, perform alternately circular and longitudinal stroking, moving down from the back of the head to the place of the shoulder-blade joint;
- Moving similarly to the previous one, rub the skin of the neck;
- After rubbing the skin well, go to kneading the muscles. Moving up and down, bending four fingers, knead the muscles of the neck near the spine with their pads in deep, circular movements. To avoid squeezing the arteries, do not exert great force on the anterior and lateral muscles of the neck;
- After stretching the muscles, continue the self-massage with clapping movements;
- Complete it with light stroking movements.
Often, cervical osteochondrosis occurs due to insufficient peripheral blood circulation and lymph congestion, therefore, self-massage is desirable with the help of vacuum cups.
Vacuum therapy stimulates blood flow and lymphatic drainage by expanding local blood "networks", increases muscle contractile function and normalizes blood pressure, and therefore quickly relieves cervical osteochondrosis, increasing the effectiveness of treatment at home.
Gymnastics
Special gymnastics in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home is prescribed after the pain subsides. Exercises for cervical osteochondrosis are selected individually; performing them at home, when soreness returns, it is worth contacting a doctor or exercise therapy instructor.
The exercises below are safe for treating cervical osteochondrosis at home:
- Sitting on a chair, the back and neck are straight:
- reaching the extreme position, smoothly rotate your head left and right;
- gently lower your head, trying to touch your chest with your chin;
- without unbending your neck and pulling your chin, move your head back;
- take a closer look at the funny movements of the little puppy's head: holding it on a straight neck, he "writes out" small circles with his nose. Practice with him.
These exercises, intended for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home, "mobilize" the cervical vertebrae, stretching the muscles of the posterior cervical group and restoring flexibility to the neck.
Each exercise is performed up to 12 times.
- Sitting at the table, the back is straight:
- Lean your left elbow on the table, palm on your temple. Tilting your head to the left, withstand the rebuff with your hand. Relax. Do it 8-10 times. Perform movements to the right in the same way;
- Putting your palm to your forehead, press your head on it for about 10 seconds; the hand "resists" the pressure. Perform up to 10 times. Do the same exercise with the other palm;
- Lowering your arms along the body, pull your shoulders up and linger in the position for 10-12 seconds. Relax and take 10-12 breaths.
Such gymnastics is necessary for cervical osteochondrosis to strengthen the lateral and anterior neck muscles at home and relax them.
- For headaches while sitting or lying on the floor:
- Intensively, with your fingertips, knead the neck muscles in the back of the head, 3-4 minutes;
- With the palms of your hands, rub the area of the shoulder blades and the area between them - 5-6 minutes;
- Massage the temporal zone with light circular movements.
Exercise for cervical osteochondrosis tones up the paravertebral muscles, increases their plasticity, and at home maintains the health of the entire "pillar of life".
Folk remedies for cervical osteochondrosis
Grandma's secret
Do you remember how your grandmother treats osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with folk remedies? With a rolling pin! Do not be alarmed, the method is not traumatic at all: just put "sports equipment" under your back and ride it from top to bottom (in the absence of hernias and protrusions! ), And then easily beat the shoulders, shoulder blades and the area along the spine with a rolling pin.
Cervical osteochondrosis quickly receded, because such treatment at home, and in fact - a kind of gymnastics - instantly relaxes tense muscles, contributing to intensive blood supply to the cervical and other parts of the spine.
Herbal medicine
Ailment affecting the cervical spine, the disease "fetters" its mobility. Treatment of the following folk remedies will help to calm the aggravated osteochondrosis:
- Cervical osteochondrosis responds well to celery treatment. As evidenced by reviews, alternative treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is effective due to the analgesic and decongestant effect of its root. Pour 3 g of chopped root with a liter of boiled water, insist for 8 hours. Before each of the 3 meals, take a dessert spoonful of the ready-made, filtered product;
- Cut the stems and flowers of the coltsfoot and insist on ammonia for 30 days, in a dark room. With a strained agent, lubricate the painful area of the neck.
Home physiotherapy
It is difficult to imagine an alternative treatment for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine without any kind of warming up of the diseased segment. How to cure cervical osteochondrosis at home?
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with such generally available folk remedies as mud and paraffin is very effective.
Mud applications "saturate" the cervical vertebrae with all the necessary minerals, and paraffin ones help to prolong the warming effect:
- If cervical osteochondrosis manifests itself as a minor neuralgia, treatment at home can be carried out with the help of mud applications. The most accessible peat mud for home procedures. Her applications are applied to the back of the neck and hands.
When applying applications on the cervical and collar zone, the mud is heated to 27-28 degrees, on the hands - up to 48-50 degrees.
This temperature regime provides the greatest analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. Sessions with mud are performed every other day, only 10 procedures, the duration of each - no more than a quarter of an hour;
- Paraffin applications are made, grasping the cervical vertebrae and the shoulder region from the back. The treatment course is similar to the previous one - 10 sessions every other day, the duration of each is 15 minutes.
Home physiotherapy is completed with massage and therapeutic exercises for the neck. Do not dismiss painful sensations and take care of your health!