Osteochondrosis of the spine is a chronic pathology characterized by destructive and degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs. The disease can progress quickly and lead to the development of an inguinal hernia that is difficult to treat. Damage to the bone and cartilage tissue throughout the spine is rarely diagnosed. Typically, osteochondrosis is detected in one of its sections – cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.
Therapy of pathology requires an integrated approach that combines the use of medications, physiotherapy and massage. Before starting treatment for osteochondrosis, you should undergo an examination by a vertebrate or neurologist to identify the causes of degenerative diseases.
Basic principles of treatment
The danger of osteochondrosis lies in its asymptomatic development in the initial stages. This makes it possible to diagnose the disease when the intervertebral discs have already undergone irreversible changes. Therefore, you should also consult a doctor if you experience rare pain in the neck or lower back, dizziness and sudden stiffness in movement. Pathologies detected at the initial stage can be successfully cured without the use of medications - patients are only recommended a set of special exercises.
Since the lack of medical intervention leads to the development of serious complications, a serious approach is taken to the treatment of osteochondrosis. Only by following all medical recommendations can you relieve the pain and stop the destruction of the intervertebral discs:
- balanced nutrition.The predominance of fatty, fried and smoked foods in the diet leads to the accumulation of harmful cholesterol in the blood vessels of the spine. The narrowing of their lumen prevents the bones and cartilage from being fully supplied with oxygen, nutrients and biologically active substances. The attending physician always advises patients to give preference to cereal porridge, fresh or baked vegetables and fruits, lean meat and fish;
- Drinking regime.Lack of adequate fluid in the body leads to the development of water and electrolyte imbalance. There is a lack of minerals in the vertebral structures that are necessary for their active function. Lack of fluids also leads to the accumulation of waste materials and toxic compounds, which negatively affect the regeneration processes of cartilage and bones. Daily consumption of 2-2. 5 liters of clean water, tea made from chamomile flowers and (or) rose hips helps to eliminate the resulting imbalance;
- Bad habits.Nicotine and tobacco tar have a negative effect on the condition of the blood vessels that supply all parts of the spine. And when ethyl alcohol is metabolized in the liver, intermediate products are formed that are toxic to the human body. By affecting the peripheral and central nervous systems, they disrupt innervation and contribute to the development of inflammation and swelling;
- orthopedic bedding.If someone prefers to sleep on a mattress that is too hard or too soft and a pillow that is too soft, osteochondrosis will not take long to appear. During sleep, the blood vessels are compressed and the bone tissue is not fully supplied with the necessary substances and oxygen. If it is not possible to purchase orthopedic aids, you should choose bedding of medium hardness.
A person predisposed to the development of osteochondrosis or already undergoing treatment should avoid lifting weights or active sports. Such training puts a lot of strain on all parts of the spine, which can lead to degenerative diseases. But almost always a sedentary lifestyle is the cause of the development of osteochondrosis. Neurologists recommend choosing the "golden mean" – long walks in the fresh air, swimming, physiotherapy and gymnastics, as well as yoga.
Treatment with pharmacological drugs
To cure spinal osteochondrosis, medications for internal and external use are used. The therapy regimen drawn up by a neurologist is intended to solve the following problems:
- etiotropic treatment aimed at eliminating the cause of the development of degenerative-destructive changes;
- Symptomatic therapy is carried out to reduce the severity of the inflammatory process and relieve pain.
- Pathogenetic treatment makes it possible to stop the progression of the disease to other parts of the spine and avoid the occurrence of undesirable consequences.
In the treatment of osteochondrosis, which is detected at a moderate or severe stage of pathology, drugs for intravenous, intramuscular or intra-articular administration are used. After relieving acute muscle spasms and restoring blood circulation in the damaged areas, the patient is prescribed a course of these drugs in tablets, dragees or capsules.
To treat osteochondrosis, drugs are used that have a large list of contraindications and side effects. Therefore, when prescribing, the doctor takes into account the general health of the person and the presence of other diseases in the history. When drawing up a therapy plan for elderly patients and elderly people, certain difficulties arise, since many of them have diseases of the liver or organs of the urinary system.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
NSAIDs are first-line drugs in the treatment of osteochondrosis. The disease is often accompanied by acute or mild inflammation that causes pain and swelling of the tissues and gradually spreads to healthy areas of the spine. NSAIDs help to quickly eliminate the symptoms of pathology.
Parenteral administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs quickly and effectively relieves inflammation and pain. After a few days, the positive result of their use is confirmed by taking capsules or tablets. NSAIDs are not prescribed to patients with ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. One of the side effects of treatment is deep damage to the mucous membranes. To prevent ulcers, patients are recommended to take proton pump inhibitors simultaneously with NSAIDs.
In addition to oral administration, NSAIDs are also used in the form of ointments, creams or gels. External agents are applied to damaged areas of the spine several times a day. The active ingredients of the ointments penetrate into the inflamed tissue and stop the development of the pathological process, while eliminating pain and stiffness of movements.
Glucocorticosteroids and anesthetics
Osteochondrosis is often accompanied by severe painful cramps that limit freedom of movement. In such cases, the use of paravertebral blocks with the use of anesthetics and hormonal preparations is practiced.
Local neuromuscular blockade allows not only to quickly eliminate severe pain, but also to completely stop the spread of inflammation due to the presence of a glucocorticosteroid. But in extreme cases, when NSAIDs were ineffective, neurologists resort to the help of hormonal drugs. Hormonal medications can cause serious side effects, including a severe weakening of immunity.
Painkillers and antispasmodics
To reduce the severity of pain, drugs with analgesic and antispasmodic effects are used. They affect the smooth muscle fibers and weaken their tone. Capsules and tablets have a prolonged effect, which allows them to be used as a prophylactic agent in case of relapses of the pathology.
In case of complications caused by severe inflammation, it is advisable to combine antispasmodics and painkillers to enhance the pharmacological effect. The use of this combination is relevant, first of all, in the treatment of patients in whom the pathological process has provoked an increase in temperature and symptoms of general intoxication.
Muscle relaxants
Muscle relaxants help reduce or completely eliminate the severity of muscle spasms that often occur with osteochondrosis. Doctors prefer combining it with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain. This allows you to significantly reduce the dose of NSAIDs, while achieving a wider range of therapeutic effects and minimizing the likelihood of damage to the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.
Osteochondrosis in the neck and back can be treated with the following muscle relaxants:
- Intramuscular administration of an anticholinergic drug helps dilate the blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to the vertebral structures. At the same time, the muscle relaxant has a pain-relieving effect;
- Using a GABAb stimulator helps quickly relieve painful muscle spasms. The patient can move again without feeling any discomfort;
- With the help of an a2-adrenergic receptor agonist, the natural mobility of intervertebral discs that have lost their ability to absorb shock is restored. A single dose of the drug effectively eliminates even the most severe pain.
Muscle relaxants successfully cope with the treatment of osteochondrosis, but when prescribing, neurologists warn patients not to exceed the dosage. Some of the medications are mentally and physically addictive. Muscle relaxants are not recommended for people with diseases of the urinary organs, as the active ingredients can accumulate in the tissues.
Chondroprotectors and vitamins
These drugs are used in the treatment of osteochondrosis to strengthen and restore damaged intervertebral discs. Chondroprotectors are initially administered parenterally, after a few days the patient takes these drugs in capsules or tablets. The duration of treatment is from several months to a year. Thanks to the presence of glucosamine and chondroitin as active ingredients, chondroprotectors gradually regenerate damaged bone, cartilage and joint tissues, normalizing their functional activity.
B vitamins are used to improve the innervation of damaged intervertebral discs. Before starting treatment for osteochondrosis, the cause of the pain syndrome is clarified. It most commonly occurs when the nerves in the spine become pinched. Taking B vitamins normalizes the conduction of nerve impulses.
Physiotherapeutic procedures
To treat osteochondrosis of any part of the spine, various physiotherapeutic techniques are used. The neurologist usually selects the one that is most suitable for each patient. However, if the pathology occurs against the background of severe inflammation, the use of several methods of physiotherapy is practiced. The most effective methods include:
- ultraviolet irradiation;
- electrotherapy;
- balneotherapy;
- magnetic field therapy;
- shock wave therapy;
- detensor therapy;
- Point or zone vibration impact.
Doctors often combine the above methods with electrophoresis to speed up the patient's recovery.
Before the procedure, fabric tampons soaked in solutions of antispasmodics, anesthetics and chondroprotectors are applied to the damaged areas of the spine. At the top there are metal plates through which weak electric current discharges are passed. This ensures the direct delivery of medication to the damaged intervertebral discs.
Therapeutic massage and gymnastics
You can get rid of osteochondrosis with the help of classic or oriental massage, provided there is no acute or chronic inflammatory process in the spine. Pain syndrome also plays a role. The procedure is only carried out if there are no severe symptoms. Indications for massage are stiffness of movement, excessive muscle tension, poor blood circulation. Therapeutic manipulation is carried out by specialists. As soon as the patient feels better, he can carry out the procedure at home using a rolled towel or a piece of dense fabric.
After several sessions, the symptoms of osteochondrosis weaken due to a variety of therapeutic effects:
- blood circulation is restored in damaged areas;
- the supply of nutrients and molecular oxygen resumes;
- the innervation of all parts of the spine is normalized.
Therapeutic gymnastics courses are also initially carried out under the supervision of a trainer who selects a set of exercises individually for each patient. This will help you, at the initial stage of pathology, forget about painful spasms forever, even without the use of pharmacological drugs. After recovery, performing a set of exercises serves as an excellent prevention of spinal diseases.
Recipes from traditional healers
Cervical or thoracic osteochondrosis can be treated with folk remedies only after the main treatment. It is advisable to use medicinal herbs, mumiyo, ethyl alcohol or honey during the rehabilitation period or in the remission stage to prevent relapses of the pathology. What traditional healers recommend:
- Brew a liter of boiling water 3 tbsp. spoons of St. John's wort and 7 tbsp. Elecampane spoon. Let sit for 2 hours, strain. Drink 0. 5 cups after each meal;
- Take a warm bath every day and add 10-15 drops of thuja, eucalyptus, fir, sage and palmarosa essential oils to the water.
- Apply compresses in the form of a linen cloth soaked in a mixture of equal parts honey and 40% ethyl alcohol for 1-2 hours.
Folk remedies are used only with the consent of the attending physician. Many of them have warming properties and therefore are not suitable for use in severe inflammation, since there is a possibility that the pathological process will spread to healthy areas of the spine.
All patients of neurologists wonder whether it is possible to cure osteochondrosis without the intervention of surgeons. In most cases, the use of pharmacological drugs and physiotherapeutic procedures is enough to completely restore the intervertebral discs. If the doctor insists on surgical intervention, you should not refuse it. Modern methods are highly effective and safe and do not require a long recovery period.