Many who have encountered osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are interested in the question: "How to treat cervical osteochondrosis? ""I suggest you look into this.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis?
Unfortunately, cervical osteochondrosis, like osteochondrosis of other parts of the spine, is a progressive and incurable disease.
Therefore, the treatment of this disease today is very difficult.
The main goals that doctors set for themselves when starting therapy for osteochondrosis are to stop the progression of degenerative processes and not harm the patient, since the neck borders vital brain centers.
Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis should be prescribed by a neurologist or vertebrologist, but in no case by the patient himself.
Self-medication not only does not bring relief, but is often harmful to health.
For the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis, a combination of conservative methods such as drug therapy, acupuncture, manual therapy, massage and various physiotherapeutic procedures are widely used.
important!In extreme cases, when conservative methods are ineffective or dangerous complications occur, surgical intervention is resorted to.
Correctly selected treatment for cervical osteochondrosis can stop the disease and provide remission for several decades.
Drug treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Medicines for cervical osteochondrosis are prescribed with the followinggoals:
- anesthetize;
- relax stiff neck muscles;
- relief of the inflammatory process in the spine and paravertebral tissues;
- relief of tissue swelling;
- improvement of microcirculation and metabolism in the cervical spine;
- improvement of blood supply to the brain;
- restoration and protection of the bone and cartilage tissue of the spine.
Patients with cervical osteochondrosis are prescribed the following:drug groups:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) perfectly relieve pain and inflammation. In the acute period of the disease, NSAIDs are used in the form of injections. When the patient's condition improves, they switch to oral medication. The course of treatment with these drugs is 7-10 days. NSAIDs can irritate the lining of the stomach and intestines, leading to erosions and ulcers. To eliminate negative effects on the digestive tract, proton pump inhibitors are prescribed in parallel with NSAIDs.
- Hormonal agents.A group of glucocorticosteroids is used to relieve inflammation and swelling in radicular syndrome. Glucocorticosteroids are most often used as perineural and paravertebral injections.
- Anestheticsused in the form of neuromuscular paravertebral blockades. In this method of administration, the drugs act directly on the roots of the spinal nerves, thereby relieving pain. To enhance the blockade effect, anesthetics are combined with a glucocorticosteroid. The course of treatment consists of 5-6 blockades.
- Chondroprotectors.Preparations from this group contain glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which are components of the cartilage tissue of the spine. Chondroprotectors protect the cartilage of the intervertebral discs from the effects of negative factors and help to restore their structure, thereby restoring the lost functions of the spinal joints and reducing the manifestations of osteochondrosis.
- Medicines to improve metabolism and microcirculationin spinal tissues and nerves.
- vitamins.Vitamin preparations, such as ascorbic acid, retinol acetate, tocopherol acetate, calciferol, thiamine, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin, improve nerve conduction, reduce the severity of hearing and vision impairment, strengthen blood vessels and have an antioxidant effect.
- Preparations for local application– ointments, creams, gels and patches help relieve pain and improve blood flow to the affected areas.
Also, with cervical osteochondrosis, diuretics can be prescribed to relieve swelling of paravertebral tissues and nerves, muscle relaxants to relax spasmodic neck muscles, and calcium supplements.
Therapeutic gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis
How to treat osteochondrosis? Therapeutic exercise (physical therapy for cervical osteochondrosis) is a specially developed set of exercises based on physiological movements of the body, which can reduce pain in the spine, improve blood flow and tissue metabolism, and restore the normal configuration and mobility of the spinepillar.
Interesting!Therapeutic exercises are an effective means of treatment and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis.
Physiotherapy exercises and gymnastics can only be prescribed by a physiotherapist after examining the results of a spinal examination and only after relieving acute pain.
Contraindications for physical therapy and gymnastics may include:
- diseases in the acute phase;
- acute infectious diseases;
- acute myocardial infarction;
- malignant and benign neoplasms;
- aortic aneurysm;
- cardiac aneurysm;
- blood coagulation disorder;
- heart rhythm disorder;
- high blood pressure;
- myopia of the eyes;
- severe forms of diabetes.
Physiotherapy methods for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis
Electrotherapyrepresents a local effect on the cervical vertebrae and paravertebral tissues of the electric field.
The method has a positive effect on blood circulation and metabolism in the affected area. Electrotherapy is contraindicated for people with pacemakers and other metal implants.
Laser therapyincludes the use of helium-neon rays, which have an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and regenerative effect by activating biological processes in the tissues of the nervous system.
Treatment with ultraviolet rays.Ultraviolet rays have a pronounced anti-inflammatory, analgesic, regenerating and bactericidal effect.
Also, under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the synthesis of calciferol (vitamin D) is activated in the body.
The method is not applied to persons suffering from malignant diseases of the blood and internal organs.
Balneotherapy– is the use of mineral waters and mud in the form of baths, showers, applications and wraps. The chemicals and minerals contained in the mineral waters and mud improve microcirculation in the spine and affected tissues.
Vibration therapyis the use of mechanical vibrations directed at the cervical spine to reduce muscle spasm and pain.
There are treadmills that can be used both in a hospital setting and at home.
important!Vibrotherapy is contraindicated in persons with purulent skin diseases of the neck and vibration disease.
Acoustic shock wave therapy,which affect the cervical vertebrae. This reduces pain, improves metabolism and blood flow in the tissues of the neck.
There are many other physiotherapy methods. In order to eliminate the negative impact of physiotherapy factors on the body, the physiotherapist must prescribe and supervise the implementation of the procedures.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis with manual therapy and massage?
Manual therapyis called a dosed local impact on the elements of the spine with hands to restore normal mobility in it and eliminate the displacement of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
To avoid spinal damage, trust your body only to a qualified chiropractor.
Manual therapy consists of gentle, light corrective movements, neck massage and traction, using the head and limbs as leverage.
With the help of manual therapy, it is possible to reduce neck pain, activate the autonomic nervous system and increase the mobility of the spine.
Manual therapy cannot be applied to patients with cervical osteochondrosis who also suffer from inflammatory diseases of the spine, oncopathology or have had injuries to the spine.
Massage for cervical osteochondrosis can be performed both by a massage therapist and by the patient himself (self-massage).
Interesting!There is acupressure and segmental massage of the cervical vertebrae.
Segmental massage is a massage of the paravertebral areas, and acupressure is a massage of special "vital" points that are responsible for the individual segments of the spine.
Acupuncture or acupuncture
Acupunctureis a method of treating cervical osteochondrosis by applying needles to the active points of the spine.
The needle irritates these points and the body activates the production of cortisol and endogenous pain relievers that help deal with inflammation and pain.
Cervical osteochondrosisis a progressive, incurable disease. With the help of comprehensive, timely and correctly selected treatment, the process of destruction and immobilization of the spine can be stopped.