Osteochondrosis is changes in articular cartilage, accompanied by severe pain. Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis is very effective in terms of treatment, it has no side effects and affects only the damaged areas of the spine, without affecting the rest. This procedure is very popular and effective, since during its implementation patients do not encounter any unpleasant or painful effects, therefore they do not suffer unnecessary stress and can relax.
Goals of physical therapy treatment
The main purpose of physiotherapy prescribed for cervical osteochondrosis is:
- Reducing the manifestations of the inflammatory process.
- Relieving muscle spasms.
- Eliminate pain.
- Stimulation of regenerative processes in tissues.
- Boosting immunity.
- Elimination of compression and pinching of nerve fibers.
Physiotherapy has a complex positive effect on the body, helping to improve metabolic processes, due to which the cure for cervical osteochondrosis proceeds faster and with a lower risk of relapses.
Procedures may be prescribed for preventive purposes.
Symptoms of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is a degenerative change in the nucleus of the intervertebral disc, which is caused by degeneration of adjacent areas of the spine. The disease can affect not only musculoskeletal tissue, but also connective tissue, blood vessels and nerve fibers.
The main symptom is represented by pain, which can be brightly colored or dull, depending on the location of the pathology. When moving in the affected area, there is an increase in pain, which requires the patient to be careful when choosing a body position. As the disease progresses, the pain becomes more pronounced. If the disease affects the cervical spine, then headaches, tinnitus, dizziness, pressing sensations in the chest, and blurred vision are often observed.
Closer to the last stages of the disease, symptoms include:
- Decreased physical activity.
- Violations of the basic functions of body systems (urination, potency, etc.)
- Changes in the sensitivity of the hands and feet.
- Muscle weakness.
- Heart rhythm disturbances.
Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
- Shock wave therapy. The physiotherapeutic procedure is based on the healing effect of an acoustic wave, which is directed to the cartilage tissue of the cervical region, having a stimulating effect on metabolic processes, helping to remove salt and calcium deposits that interfere with the free movement of joints and vertebrae. This type of physiotherapy is characterized by a gradual accumulation of positive effects, so the first results of treatment are noticeable after 2-3 months of regular repetition of the procedure. The method is aimed at maintaining joint mobility, reducing pain, and preventing the development of osteophytes.
- Acupuncture . The acupuncture method is widely used in the treatment and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis. Positive changes in the condition are possible only with professional performance of the procedure, therefore it should only be performed by qualified doctors. Acupuncture is based on the use of special needles that are placed on acupuncture points that are formed by nerve endings and connective tissue. This effect regulates metabolic processes and promotes the body's production of painkillers. Acupuncture therapy is prescribed by the attending physician as part of a complex of physiotherapy at the stage of remission of the disease.
- Massage. The treatment method is prescribed by a doctor and is aimed at reducing pain and improving the mobility of the cervical segment of the spine. The massaging effect helps improve blood circulation in the affected area, normalize muscle tone and strengthen them, which eliminates the risk of relapse of the disease in the future. The first massage sessions and the day after them, the patient may experience pain, which is associated with increased stress on the muscles. Such consequences are a variant of the norm.
It is practiced to prescribe different types of massage, depending on the general picture of the patient’s condition and the characteristics of the course of the disease. Some methods are suitable for use during an exacerbation - stroking, rubbing. During remission, kneading, vibration, and squeezing are added to the massage. Contraindications to massage therapy may include vascular disease, high blood pressure, traumatic injuries or skin inflammation.
- Kinesitherapy. Complex physical exercises are prescribed for the treatment and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, ensuring the removal of clamps and pinches from nerve endings, reducing the risk of vertebral displacement. Suitable types of activities and level of load are determined by the doctor based on the patient’s physical condition, stage of the disease, etc. Therapeutic gymnastics provides simple but effective exercises that can be done at home. When performing them, it is important to exclude the occurrence of pain and any discomfort. First, kinesitherapy is carried out under the supervision of a doctor, after which the patient practices independently.
Degenerative changes in the cervical spine are accompanied by unpleasant sensations and are the cause of a serious disease that interferes with a person’s normal life, limiting his mobility.
With timely initiation of treatment, the chances of complete recovery for cervical osteochondrosis increase significantly, even if there was a hernia. Physiotherapy, prescribed in a complex and performed by qualified specialists, helps improve the patient’s general condition and accelerates the recovery of the body.
Who is contraindicated for physiotherapy?
It is important to understand that physical therapy as a treatment method is not suitable for all patients. Thus, physiotherapy procedures are contraindicated for:
- people with general serious illnesses of the body,
- patients with oncology, at different stages,
- those who have serious problems or changes in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems,
- people with weakened liver and kidney function,
- pregnant women,
- people with skin diseases,
- having mental disorders.
If you are worried about back pain or you need a qualified prescription and physiotherapeutic treatment, contact Sanas MC.
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Radicular-vascular syndromes
They arise due to mechanical compression of the root and radicular artery. Most often, the disease is clinically manifested by radiculoischemia or radiculomyeloischemia, spinal cord ischemia. Patients with these diagnoses are treated by a neurosurgeon, and then a physiotherapist, together with a neurologist, carries out rehabilitation. The best effect is achieved when the pathological process is no more than 1 year old. The methods of laser puncture and phytolaser puncture on biologically active points (BAP) are especially effective for diseases of the spine.
LMIT is successfully combined with water and mud therapy, physical therapy, massage, and manual therapy.
For each patient with a spinal disease, the treatment regimen should be selected individually, taking into account the predominance of certain symptoms of the disease, as well as concomitant ailments (diabetes mellitus, hypertension), previous diseases, the general well-being of the patient, and age restrictions.
Spinal diseases can lead to a decrease in a person’s performance, and sometimes to disability, so patients should understand that they must be treated. The treatment process is long - it is necessary to prepare the patient psychologically for this.
How does the session work?
Before electrotherapy, consultation with a doctor is required. No special preparation is required before the session. After reporting to the physiotherapy room, the nurse examines the condition of the skin at the site of exposure. There should be no wounds, ulcers, or scratches on the skin. Next, the patient takes a sitting or lying position. Several electrodes are attached to the body according to the diagram. The device is turned on and the program is selected. The current strength is increased until a slight vibration appears under the electrodes. The muscles in the therapy area should be relaxed.cvn
The effect lasts for 10-40 minutes. Sessions are carried out daily or every other day. The duration of the course is 10-15 procedures. In emergency cases, two-time amplipulse therapy is allowed on the same day with a break of at least 5 hours.
Shock wave therapy treatment
Prescribing physiotherapy in addition to the main treatment can significantly improve its results. Shock wave therapy involves exposing the body to an acoustic wave with a frequency of 18-23 Hz.
When exposed to the affected area, tissue pain is reduced and blood circulation is stabilized. This method of physiotherapy is in demand for cervical osteochondrosis, since it allows you to monitor reactions in soft tissues directly during the procedure.
The process of rehabilitation therapy is characterized by a gradual improvement in the patient’s condition with a complete absence of side effects. Lasting results from shock wave exposure are observed after 2-3 months of regular visits to procedures.
The treatment is more effective with additional training in the kinesitherapy room on special decompression machines, which allows you to strengthen the muscle corset without putting stress on the cartilage, joints and problem areas of the spine. And appointments with an osteopathic doctor can effectively remove the causes of the disease and pain syndrome. In the treatment of osteochondrosis, acupuncture, manual therapy and massage procedures have also proven themselves well.
The importance of physiotherapy in treatment
The effectiveness of physical therapy increases significantly due to the absence of negative consequences of the influence of physical factors on the patient’s body. The use of physiotherapy methods has no restrictions on the patient’s age and physical condition, but when prescribing procedures, the doctor is guided by the individual characteristics of the course of the disease.
The main goal of physical therapy is to relieve pain and stimulate recovery processes.
Among the positive effects of the procedures: Elimination of symptoms of inflammation.
- Relaxation of muscles and relief of spasms in the pinched area.
- Stimulates blood circulation in the affected area.
- Restoration of metabolic processes in tissues.
The targeted impact of physical factors makes it possible to affect the deepest tissues, enhances the effectiveness of drugs, and activates the processes of oxygen metabolism in cells in the area of pathological changes.
Physiotherapy DDT: indications, contraindications, effect on the body
The first to propose this method of treatment was a French doctor named Bernard. Subsequently, these currents were called “Bernard currents” and today are widely used in medicine.
This scientist proved the effectiveness of the combined use of half-sinusoidal pulse currents with a frequency of 50 and 100 pulses per minute.
When the epidermal layer offers great resistance, the action of diadynamic currents begins, which pass through the excitation of the exeroceptors, thus causing a burning sensation under the sensors.
This method leads to activation of peripheral blood circulation, has an analgesic effect, and also helps to optimize metabolism. When diadynamic currents move, a contraction of skeletal and smooth muscles is observed, thereby causing irritability of the muscles of the internal organs, as well as the vascular walls.
The analgesic effect is expressed in irritation of nerve receptors with a voltage of 100 Hz, thus, previously pain impulses are inhibited during the treatment. Also electric current with a frequency of 100 Hz.
cause an inhibitory effect on the sympathetic nervous system, because of this, the arterioles begin to enlarge and blood circulation and nutrition of human tissues noticeably improve. Current voltage 50 Hz. enhances lymph circulation, as well as blood circulation due to uniform contraction of muscle fibers.
A decrease in pain sensitivity is determined by the continuous repetition of impulses from peripheral receptors that were excited by electric current and, thereby, the cessation of pain occurs.
Indications for using the method may include the following violations:
• Neuritis, myalgia • Disorders of the musculoskeletal system, for example, osteochondrosis, arthrosis, arthritis, bursitis, polyarthritis and others • Bruises, fractures (without metal elements), dislocations, sprains and other injuries • Gastritis, ulcers, gallbladder dyskinesia and tracts, atony of the bladder and other pathologies associated with the digestive system• Periodontal disease• Bronchitis and asthma• Cardiac pathologies, such as cardiovascular neuroses, hypertension.
Contraindications to the use of the method may lead to negative consequences. Among the common contraindications:
• Tendency to bleeding• Individual intolerance to components• Presence of various neoplasms• Allergy to medications present during treatment with diadynamic currents• Inflammatory processes in the acute phase• Tuberculosis• Epilepsy• Exacerbation of mental state• Impaired sensitivity• Thrombophlebitis
Also, treatment with diadynamic currents cannot be carried out in the presence of damaged integumentary tissues (wounds, abrasions, etc.), but the electrodes can be slightly moved. It is also prohibited to use the method if the patient has purulent skin diseases or metal implants in the body.
It is possible to conduct a session at home if you have a device, but in this case you should not only unconditionally follow all the rules for performing the procedure, but also be sure to inform your doctor about any changes and reactions of the body.
You can undergo treatment using the DDT method at the Center for Restorative Medicine in Naberezhnye Chelny. The cost of one session is 200 rubles.
Details can be found on the website or by calling +7(953)482-66-62.
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Electrotherapy: types and indications
Home → Useful information → Electrotherapy: types and indications
There is information according to which even ancient people used the electric field for medicinal purposes. They were used to treat paralysis, nervous and rheumatic diseases.
They received electrical discharges from amber, electric fish and other creatures.
In the second half of the 18th century, the galvanic element was invented and the widespread use of electrotherapy in medicine began, which was improved every year, based on the principles of the physiology of the human body and the laws of electromagnetic fields.
Electrotherapy is a currently widely used type of physiotherapeutic treatment that involves influencing organs and tissues through an electromagnetic field or electric current. This procedure is effective in combating various pathologies and is both a primary and an additional method of therapy.
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Therapeutic effects of electrotherapy procedures:
- local, covering a specific affected area;
- reflex-segmental - through electric current, somatovegetative reflexes are evoked that regulate the activity of internal organs, blood vessels, glands, smooth muscles;
- a general effect that improves the processes of recovery and regeneration with the mobilization of vitality and strengthening of the immune system.
Classification of electrotherapy methods:
- By mode of exposure: constant and alternating pulse currents.
- By voltage value: currents with high and low frequencies.
- By the nature of energy: contact procedures and remote ones.
Types of electrotherapy procedures
Physiotherapeutic methods of electrotherapy include over a dozen different procedures based on the action of electric and electromagnetic fields on the cells and tissues of the body.