Treatment of osteochondrosis: the best and effective treatment of the spine

Serious spinal disease is often called humanity's price for evolution. Since our distant ancestors became upright, the load on the spine has increased many times over. The anatomical structure of the spine ensures its mobility, but at the same time creates the preconditions for osteochondrosis, the indispensable companion of which is severe pain.

Effective treatment of osteochondrosis

If the diagnosis of osteochondrosis is confirmed, this means that there will be a long procedure for its treatment, despite the frivolous attitude towards this disease that exists in society.

The best treatment for osteochondrosis involves an integrated approach. The course consists of several stages, each of which is aimed at achieving a specific result.

First stage

Pain sensations are eliminated. The doctor may suggest wearing a device that supports the neck and back in the most physiologically correct position. Together, painkillers and physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed, as well as traditional medicine methods, for example, acupuncture, which is confirmed in official sources and constitutes the range of services of medical health institutions approved by the Ministry of Health.

Symptoms

Everyone could feel the signs of such a disease. If they interfere with your activities, then it would not be superfluous to consult a doctor. You may need to take an x-ray of your spine. The only question is when to see a doctor? This should be done if any of the symptoms are present:

• noise in ears,
• numbness of the tongue,
• morning sensation of “tracking” of the neck,
• pain in the arms, worsening even with light exertion,
• pain in the neck, extending to the ears, eyes and back of the head; may not stop even at night,
• headache starting in the back of the head and spreading to the temples,
• pain in the heart area that is not relieved by nitroglycerin,
• decreased hearing and visual acuity,
• a sharp turn of the head is accompanied by fainting, darkening of the eyes, dizziness,
• tingling, burning, numbness in the legs and arms,
• weakening of muscle strength in the arms.

The cervical region is the most vulnerable part of the spine. This is caused by the structure and weakness of the muscle corset in the neck area. Bottom line: Even a small load can cause vertebral displacement, leading to compression of nerves and blood vessels. The danger of this process is that vessels involved in the blood supply to the brain pass through this area. Therefore, the consequences of such a disease can be the most severe.

Second phase

The task is to restore the discs of the spinal column and prevent dystrophic changes.

Treatment involves adjusting the diet, physical therapy, manual therapy, massage, and acupuncture. This complex allows you to improve blood circulation in the intervertebral discs and surrounding tissues.

For neurological symptoms, the neurologist can carry out a novocaine blockade or use more serious drugs to relieve muscle spasms. They may return after a while, but continued work on the joints and tendons restores their healthy functionality.

It is worth noting that at the initial stage, treatment is possible without the use of drugs. It is enough to introduce exercise therapy into the complex of therapeutic measures, reduce heavy physical activity, use Kuznetsov and Lyapko applicators, and physiotherapeutic procedures.

Causes of osteochondrosis

The main reason for the development of this disease is the uneven distribution of load on the intervertebral discs and on the spine as a whole. Such reasons include:

• constant habit of carrying weights in one hand;
• an excessively soft mattress that does not allow the body to be in the correct position while sleeping;
• the pillow is too high, distorting the position of the neck and head;
• constant sedentary work at the computer;
• excess weight and poor diet;
• severe overstrain of the body;
• age-related degenerative processes;
• using the wrong shoes.

All these fairly simple factors can trigger a very serious inflammatory process and lead to the development of osteochondrosis.

Drug therapy

Medicines begin to be used as the disease progresses and when the patient has already advanced osteochondrosis of the back. Treatment with drugs can affect not only the symptoms, but also the causes of the disease and its consequences.

Medicines can solve the following problems:

• pain relief;
• reduction of inflammation and tissue swelling;
• strengthening biologically active processes and blood circulation in affected areas;
• restoration of cartilage tissue;
• return of motor activity to joints;
• elimination of depression from constant pain and worry about one’s own health.

Drugs prescribed by a neurologist for osteochondrosis:

1. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). They relieve pain and tissue swelling and can be used in the form of injections, ointments and gels, tablets and capsules. Among them: diclofenac (Diclac, Voltaren), meloxicam (Movaxin, Movalis), ibuprofen (Dolgit, Nurofen,) nimesulide (Nise, Nimesil), ketoprofen (Febrofit, Ketonal).
2. Vasodilators (vasodilators). Vessels can narrow due to chronic pain syndrome. To ensure normal tone, the doctor prescribes: pentoxifylline (to reduce vascular tone), berlition, actovegin (for better recovery).
3. Muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants) and painkillers. Without these drugs, treatment takes longer. Providing a relaxing effect, joint mobility increases, blood flow normalizes, and pain goes away. Drugs from this group: baclofen, mydocalm, miolastane, no-shpa, sirdalud.
4. Chondroprotectors (symptomatic drugs with delayed action). They contain easily digestible forms of collagen fibers that can relieve inflammatory processes, slow down and reverse degenerative phenomena in cartilage and bone tissues. The effect of the drugs occurs after long-term use (at least 6 months). Among the drugs in this group: chondroitin (structum, chondroxide), teraflex (vitamins + chondroitin + glucosamine), alflutop (bioactive concentrate of 4 species of marine fish), glucosamine (dona), arthra (glucosamine + chondroitin), trental, actovegin, diacerin, hyaluronic acid.
5. Sedatives (calming drugs). They relieve stress and depression due to illness. They are of synthetic and natural origin. These include: validol, corvalol, valocordin, motherwort tincture, valerian; antidepressants (imipramine, fluoxetine, maprotiline), hypnotics (antihistamines, barbiturate and benzodiazepine derivatives).
6. Vitamin and mineral complexes. Preference is given to drugs containing vitamin “B”, which can have a restorative effect on the affected nerve areas and relieve pain. The complexes are represented by drugs: neuromultivit (tablets), milgamma (injection solution, tablets). For a general strengthening effect: multivit, complivit, multi-tabs.

Prevention and rehabilitation for neck osteochondrosis.

Cervical osteochondrosis is a multifaceted problem that affects many organic elements. Preventive actions concern the system as a whole. At the first signs of cervical osteochondrosis, you need to go to a therapist, he will conduct an examination, prescribe a diagnosis and refer you to one of the specialized specialists, including a traumatologist, neurologist, or orthopedist. You must take the test results with you to the Osteopathy Clinic.

The disease can be eliminated not only with specific treatment, but also with the right lifestyle and auxiliary means: exercise therapy, massage, therapeutic exercises.

To cure or eliminate the negative consequences of the disease, it is important to ensure:

• Active lifestyle, physical education. During the remission stage, moderate gymnastics and a complex of physical therapy (physical therapy) are useful. Classes are best done under the guidance of an instructor.
• Regular meals, diet. There are a number of foods you should avoid. Salty, fatty, spicy foods are excluded from the diet.
• Reducing excess weight reduces the load on the cervical segment of the skeleton and increases joint mobility.
• Protection against colds and inflammation in the cervical direction
• Be careful during physical labor and sports exercises. A sharp or awkward movement of the cervical section injures the joints and blocks the mobility of the skeletal structure.
• If osteochondrosis of the neck is in the acute stage, you should consult a doctor to treat the disease: he will decide which option of auxiliary support is preferable.

If you have injuries or if symptoms of chronic or inflammatory processes appear, you should contact a specialized specialist.

Osteochondrosis and massage

Today, when choosing one of the methods for treating osteochondrosis with massage, doctors recommend listening to the prescriptions of the treating neurologist or therapist.

Any type of therapeutic massage is prescribed only in case of remission of the disease. If an exacerbation occurs, it is not recommended to use it so as not to worsen the situation.

Among the types of massage used to treat osteochondrosis there are:

• classical;
• self-massage;
• point;
• Thai;
• segment-reflex;
• vacuum;
• periosteal.

The duration of the procedure is 20-45 minutes. This is enough to achieve a therapeutic effect and the ability to feel relief already in the first sessions.

To achieve a permanent effect, the course duration is 10-15 procedures. Then there is a break of several months, after which the course of therapeutic massage is repeated again, and for as long as necessary at the discretion of the attending physician.

How to relieve pain with osteochondrosis

When the disease worsens, the question of how to relieve pain due to osteochondrosis is disturbing. You should not self-medicate. Only a doctor can prescribe therapy that is effective in each specific case. After examination, the following therapeutic treatment methods are often prescribed:

• medications;
• physiotherapy;
• massotherapy;
• exercise therapy;
• laser therapy.

Only timely seeking help can relieve the serious consequences of the disease. If you do not know how osteochondrosis hurts and how to relieve pain, contact our clinic for detailed diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

Osteochondrosis of the third degree, treatment

At this stage, the fibrous ring of connective tissue undergoes destruction. This in turn causes protrusion and herniation of the intervertebral disc. In this case, the painful sensations are not expressed, but persist due to the possibility of pinching the roots of the nerve endings.

It may manifest itself as numbness of the extremities, loss of control over the functions of the pelvic organs, decreased muscle tone, impaired sense of coordination and balance. In reality, the diagnosis of grade 3 osteochondrosis can only be confirmed with the help of radiography, which will show defragmentation (the appearance of cracks) and deformation of the joints of the spine and the formation of osteophytes (bone outgrowths).

Magnetic resonance and computed tomography examinations show hernias and displacements with ruptures of the membrane and pinched nerve endings; these complications often accompany stage 3.

Treatment of spinal osteochondrosis in patients at this stage does not always have a favorable prognosis. Most cannot be completely eliminated from the symptoms of the disease.

The therapeutic effect is achieved through complex therapy of conservative and surgical methods.

Conservative method

It consists of drug treatment, massage treatment, exercise therapy, maintaining a healthy lifestyle (avoiding heavy lifting, sudden turns of the spine, giving up bad habits).

Injection treatment with drugs

Novocaine blockades, facet joint blockades, epidural and paravertebral blockades are performed, and corticosteroid drugs (dexamethasone, prednisolone) are used to relieve inflammation.

When treated with injections, the active substance enters immediately into the perivertebral region, or directly into the vertebra, which ensures a rapid therapeutic effect.

Surgical method

It is often used due to the destruction and displacement of intervertebral discs and consists of the following operations:

• removal of the intervertebral disc, partially or completely;
• connection (osteosynthesis) of adjacent vertebrae to protect the spinal cord;

Hirudotherapy method

Medicine makes it possible to influence osteochondrosis using many methods. Treatment with leeches helps increase joint activity, and the active substance (hirudin) found in their saliva thins the blood, helps restore and regenerate damaged tissues due to better absorption of nutrients, relieves swelling, pain, pinched nerves, and increases the effect of other conservative methods. The procedure is painless and in one session, which lasts 30-60 minutes, 5-7 specimens of pharmaceutical or medicinal leeches are used.

The course of treatment consists of 8-10 procedures with periods of 5 days between them.

Due to the fact that the vast majority of people have spinal osteochondrosis of varying degrees of severity, and the disease is underestimated in its consequences, it makes sense to contact the clinic as early as possible for medical help from our general specialists and carry out appropriate treatment and preliminary diagnosis of the disease .