The treatment of osteochondrosis (radiculitis, intervertebral hernia) today is not particularly difficult, it is only important to correctly establish the cause of the pathology and the presence of concomitant diseases. However, every specialist who deals professionally with the treatment of spinal diseases or the spine as a whole, over the course of practice, crystallized their own, quickly assisting in techniques that are great for most patients.
For the treatment of osteochondrosis, it is important to correctly establish the cause of the pathology and the presence of concomitant diseases.
It is inappropriate to use only one method to treat osteochondrosis, as a rule, polyclinics "sin" with this, prescribing painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs to patients that eliminate the unpleasant symptoms and drive the problem with the spine deep down without affecting the cause. As a result, a person, without feeling pain, continues to carry the injured vertebrae, the pathology worsens, and after a while, with the next strong attack, a bunch of problems "appears" that cannot be eliminated.
The root of the problem and some criticisms
Before starting treatment, it will be helpful to remember what osteochondrosis is. In general, these are degenerative changes that affect spinal tissues! However, all back problems should not be called "osteochondrosis", nor should two concepts be confused: osteochondrosis and sciatica. In the first case this is a disease, in the second - a process that takes place in the body of the patient with osteochondrosis. Also, back pain is just a symptom, not a disease.
Methods of treating osteochondrosis have remained standard for decades, but with the availability of modern methods of examining the patient in "old" techniques, more and more "cracks and chips" are revealed. Most methods aim to eliminate clinical signs and not influence the causes of the pathology.
The use of medications
Unfortunately, this is a method to ensure that the patient "gets healthy quickly". In addition, the patients themselves seek a specialist and begin to treat the disease even when the pathological process is flourishing with force and main, and the pain is tearing everything around, preventing it from moving normally. Analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs remove all negative symptoms, making the cure elusive, and the cause of the disease remains intact. In clinics, this process is placed on a treadmill and, as a result of this treatment:
Analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs do not cure the disease, they only relieve the pain.
Manual therapy
This method is most often advocated by old-school doctors, believing that if you put the damaged vertebrae in place, the problem will go away. The saying "all diseases of the spine" is not entirely true, because the spine adapts to circumstances, it is not in vain that it is so flexible. However, proper nutrition of the intervertebral discs and vertebrae is only possible when they are standing. However, the fixed vertebrae, if the person continues to sit crookedly or there is a strong inflammation of the intervertebral discs, over time will "slip" again, returning all signs. Also, don't confuse manual therapy and osteopathy.
Massage, classics of the genre
This method consists of influencing the patient's musculature and connective tissue, it is able to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and bring relief to the patient for several months. The effectiveness of this treatment for osteochondrosis depends directly on the qualifications of the person doing the massage. But in 95% of cases, it is not possible to remove the cause of osteochondrosis with your hands, as well as cure the disease if the specialist works only with the area of pain and inflammation.
osteopathy
This method of treating osteochondrosis is subtle and gentle, but a good osteopath must have sensitive hands, an inquiring mind, and a calm mind. He, taking the patient by the hand, can feel all the processes taking place in the body. Not every doctor is capable of having a sense of supersensitivity, so good osteopaths are worth their weight in gold. Ideally, osteopaths should treat all the problems the patient has, but in reality they just eliminate the pain. Patients themselves are partly to blame for this, requiring only pain relief, as a session with an osteopath costs about three times as much as a massage therapist. By saving money, they remove the symptoms but deprive themselves of the opportunity to cure as completely as possible. Due to its softness, osteopathy is indicated even for children.
Osteopathy is a gentle and gentle method, suitable even for children.
Chinese medicine
The pitfalls here lie in the absence of pre-medical patient diagnoses, all manipulations, as a rule, are based on the doctor's hunches, which are not always accurate. Before performing a high-quality acupuncture process, you need to do:
A patient with back pain is given too many needles, the pain will be relieved, the symptoms will go away, but they will return in a few hours. Repeated acupuncture, relief - and the circle is closed. A good specialist does not place needles, based only on the patient's external examination and history. It works with just 1 to 4 needles at deep levels, trying to eliminate the root cause of osteochondrosis, not just the symptoms.
visceral therapy
The osteochondrosis treatment here is to work the internal organs. This is due to the fact that often the cause of the pathological condition of the spine is an incorrect arrangement of organs or a violation of their functioning. With this treatment, back pain goes away for a long time.
gymnastics, yoga, qigong
Oriental techniques for the treatment of osteochondrosis are gaining in popularity. Classical yoga is a well-coordinated and deeply thought-out method of working with the body that affects the mind. This method is suitable for home use, where, in a calm environment, one can feel all the needs of the body. However, many experts advise insisting on the old guidelines for treating osteochondrosis. And, of course, it's important to find an expert, you shouldn't get in touch with someone who's learned some tricky moves and "opened their own practice. "
Today, these techniques are the most progressive; in many ways they help people get rid of the problems associated with osteochondrosis. But it is important to remember about the psychological aspect: the disease does not go away if a person stubbornly ignores the reason why osteochondrosis developed, does not want to change their lifestyle and their thinking. The doctor should not be blamed for health problems alone, without helping him with the treatment.
Gymnastics, yoga, qigong - aims to work the body and help eliminate back problems.
The main steps of therapy
How to treat osteochondrosis? There are many therapy options: reflexology, magnetostimulation, water procedures, physical therapy methods. The specialist must decide which option is right for the patient based on the history and examination results. Treatment at home is possible, for example, physical therapy exercises, as it is able to perfectly restore spinal mobility, eliminate symptoms and prevent the rapid development of the disease.
Important! If the treatment is at home, then special care must be taken with the medications, they are prescribed exclusively by the doctor. This is explained by the fact that, with drug treatment for osteochondrosis, there is a burden on other organs and this treatment can be fraught with unpleasant complications or exacerbations of chronic diseases.
we take medicine
The mainstay of drug treatment is the ingestion of vasodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs. This therapy perfectly relieves symptoms and is designed to solve the following problems:
It is safer to use topical products (creams, ointments or gels) for home treatment. This treatment occurs without side effects, just coordinate with the doctor and strictly follow instructions.
folk remedies
Often, "grandmother's recipes" are more effective in treating osteochondrosis than all modern and innovative methods. Traditional treatment at home includes: warming wounds with river sand or salt, chicken egg ointments, vinegar or herbal compresses.
Drug treatment in complex therapy relieves pain, relieves spasms.
Physiotherapy
The most popular today is the author's therapeutic technique, which can be used at home. This treatment is based on not allowing the spinal cord cells to die and the muscle tissue to atrophy. Therapeutic gymnastics consists of a series of exercises that work all the joints and muscles of the human body, restoring lost motor functions and alleviating unpleasant symptoms.
Non-Drug Treatment Options
The sanatorium treatment, perhaps, can be considered the most complete in the process of treating an illness, it is based on the effect on the cause of the illness. During your stay at the sanatorium, you may receive the following procedures:
Of course, this treatment option is not available at home. For each patient suffering from osteochondrosis, the sanatorium doctors will develop an individual therapy plan that will allow you not only to restore motor functions, but also to forget about exacerbations for a long time.
Impact point
Treatment with electrophoresis is indicated at any stage of osteochondrosis, except acute. Exposure to a point current has its advantages: the effect of a drug administered by electrophoresis extends strictly to the area of inflammation. This allows you to quickly improve the patient's condition, relieve swelling and pain.
Physiotherapy
Accompanying other treatment options for osteochondrosis, when done correctly by an experienced specialist, it is highly effective and has minimal side effects:
How to treat osteochondrosis to avoid complications? First, you need to find out why the pathology developed, how damaged the vertebrae are. You will have to do a complete exam and then start treatment. In addition, the correct daily routine, a healthy lifestyle are important, it is necessary to give up great physical efforts, try not to get cold and maintain the correct posture. If possible, any stress at home and at work should be eliminated, as negative emotions lead to uncontrolled muscle spasm, which further aggravates the problem.
Osteochondrosis is a current long-lasting disease, which is based on many reasons, therefore, during treatment, one cannot stop with any method. It depends a lot on the patient himself, you should not wait for a "magic pill" to end the problem at once, to end osteochondrosis you will have to gather all your desires in one fist, be persistent in the desire to become healthy forever . This is the only way to restore spinal flexibility and mobility for many years to come.