Cervical chondrosis in the initial stages rarely manifests itself with negative symptoms. According to statistics, only 10% of people suffer from degenerative processes with all the signs present, so it is difficult to detect osteochondrosis in a timely manner and start treatment. Traditional medicine can slow down the course of the disease in stages 1 and 2, so it is recommended to use it as an auxiliary method.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
To choose home treatment, you need to know exactly the cause of the pain. Hardware diagnostics helps: X-ray, MRI, ultrasound.
The main danger of cervical osteochondrosis is to the brain, as the nervous tissue suffers from a lack of oxygen due to injury to the vertebral arteries. Dizziness and even very severe pain with loss of consciousness are possible.
In addition to hypoxia, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is manifested:
- Numbness of the arms as well as the muscles of the shoulder girdle and shoulder blades;
- lack of coordination, unsteady gait;
- When hypoxia affects the cerebellum, hearing and vision may be impaired;
- Weakness, tiredness.
Poor cerebral circulation is associated with irritability. If osteochondrosis is not treated, ischemic stroke may occur.
A crunching sound can be heard when turning and tilting the head. This happens due to bone growths - osteophytes located along the edges of the vertebrae.
Sometimes pain occurs not only in the neck but also in the chest. Such symptoms can easily be confused with an angina attack.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis with traditional methods
There are several reasons that can lead to degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. Depending on the provoking factor, folk remedies are selected.
Reasons leading to disc deformation:
- Obesity. The load on the spine and all joints in the body increases. Taking herbal tinctures helps to normalize metabolism and get rid of extra pounds.
- Thick blood and lymph. There are herbal teas that cleanse the blood of toxins and salts, as well as rubs that stimulate the movement of lymph. This prevents salt deposition in the intervertebral discs and their elasticity is restored.
- Due to changes in hormone levels, women may develop bone osteoporosis in adulthood. Herbal dietary supplements with estrogen-like substances can compensate for the hormone deficiency.
Traditional methods can be used for treatment after a spinal injury, to strengthen immunity and to regulate endocrine disorders.
Doctors do not recommend self-diagnosis and using folk recipes at your own discretion. It is necessary to conduct an examination, identify the cause of the disease and only then begin targeted treatment. At the initial stage, it is advisable to use all available methods - traditional medicine, medications, physiotherapy, massage, exercise therapy. With the help of herbs, homemade ointments, water treatments and physical exercise, you can maintain the achieved effect.
Rubs and compresses
There are many ways to prepare a rub for the treatment of neck osteochondrosis. These can be alcohol-based medications or oil rubs.
Alcohol-based recipes:
- Chopped horseradish and alcohol diluted to 40 degrees (vodka will do). Mix both ingredients and leave to rest for 2-3 days. Rub the painful area for two weeks, then take a week off and repeat the course again.
- 200 g of crushed marigold flowers and the same amount of alcohol or vodka. Leave on for 2 weeks, then massage into the neck. Course – 2 weeks.
- For 200 ml of vodka, take 10 drops of iodine and camphor, mix everything. Grind 10 tablets of metamizole sodium into powder and add to grinding. Used as a pain reliever for exacerbation of osteochondrosis.
- Rub with honey, vodka and aloe juice. Take enough vodka and aloe juice for 2 tablespoons of honey to make a thick mixture. It can be rubbed into the throat at night and then washed off. Also used as a compress.
- 100 ml of vodka or alcohol, 3 egg whites, 1 tablespoon of mustard powder. Mix everything together, rub into the skin and then rinse.
The use of 96 percent alcohol is not recommended as it can cause skin burns. Alcoholic rubs should be used with caution on moles on the neck.
Rubbing without alcohol:
- Half a glass of unsalted lard, 30 g of propolis. Combine the components, then apply to the skin before bed and wrap with a warm towel.
- Prepare 1 tablespoon each of sage and plantain. Melt 40 g of petroleum jelly and mix with 50 ml of olive oil. Add herbs. Let rest for 2 weeks. Rub the skin of the neck three times a day, then wrap it with a scarf.
- A teaspoon of red pepper, a glass of camphor, a glass of medicinal bile. Mix everything and rub your neck after lubricating the skin with vegetable oil.
The simplest but most effective recipe is to stir 3 tablespoons of sea salt into a glass of warm water. Apply moistened gauze to the affected area. Relieves pain, improves mobility. With regular use, the symptoms of osteochondrosis are eliminated.
Compresses can be made from the following substances:
- Refined kerosene. Moisten the gauze, apply to the neck, wrap with foil and a warm scarf. The procedure is carried out at night for 2 weeks.
- 2 tablespoons honey per 1 freshly grated potato. The mixture is applied to the neck under a warming cloth. The course lasts one week.
Whole horseradish and burdock leaves should be poured with boiling water or steamed, then applied to the neck and wrapped with a scarf.
Herbal tinctures and decoctions
The effectiveness of tinctures is higher than that of tea, since active ingredients from medicinal plants undergo long-term extraction from several hours to several days:
- Anesthetic infusion of pine buds. The raw materials must be collected in April, then finely chopped and covered with granulated sugar in a ratio of 1/2 - a cup of kidneys to 2 cups of sugar. The mixture should turn brown within 14 days. Take 5 ml three times a day; keep the mixture in your mouth before swallowing. To completely eliminate neck pain, it is recommended to take the medicine for 21 days. However, the pain in the vertebrae usually disappears after 2-3 days.
- Parsley root is boiled for an hour and a half and then taken on a tablespoon three times a day on an empty stomach. The product helps to remove salts from the body. Initially, a negative reaction from the kidneys is possible, as the excess is excreted through them.
- Garlic in lemon juice is a means of stimulating the immune system and strengthening the body's protective properties. Grind 200 g of peeled garlic cloves, squeeze the juice of 4 lemons, mix everything and add a glass of water. Leave for 2 hours, after which you can drink half a glass once a day after meals.
- A remedy for inflammation and to relieve swelling in the neck in osteochondrosis. Boil a tablespoon of mint and chamomile in 300 ml of water for 10 minutes. Drink half a glass twice a day on an empty stomach for 21 days.
- Pour boiling water over 1 tablespoon cinquefoil – 1 cup. Leave on for an hour. Helps with rheumatism and osteochondrosis. The duration of treatment is 2 weeks or until the symptoms of inflammation disappear.
Allergic reactions may occur when consuming some herbs. In this case, stop taking the tincture. It is recommended to try another remedy.
Therapeutic baths
With osteochondrosis of the neck, hot baths with additives help well. Such procedures help relax muscles. They should be done 2-3 times a week. Lasts at least 15 minutes.
Before bathing, you can take concentrated nutritional supplements:
- Dissolve 2 kg of sea salt in 2 liters of hot water and pour into the bathtub.
- To relieve inflammation in the acute phase, add 50 ml of turpentine to the water. Immerse yourself completely, including in the neck area.
- A bottle of pine extract must be diluted in water. Sometimes fresh pine needles are collected and boiled in a large container for an hour, then filtered and poured into a bath.
- Chamomile concentrate relieves inflammation and relaxes muscles. To do this, boil a pack of dried flowers in 2 liters of water for half an hour, let it steep for an hour, filter and add to the water.
If you have cancer, herbs and hot baths should not be taken. The same applies to high blood pressure and a tendency to allergic skin reactions.
Warm up
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home can be carried out using warming procedures. However, you need to make sure that there is no inflammatory process. You can try a heating pad. Once the pain has subsided, the warmth is soothing. Some people find cold compresses helpful during an exacerbation, while warm compresses only make the pain worse.
Contrast procedures are not recommended, such as immersion in ice water after a steam bath.
Warm procedures work especially well in autumn and winter, as people with osteochondrosis are sensitive to cold and weather changes.
Homemade ointments
Homemade ointments are just as effective as those from the pharmacy. It is advisable to make a mixture of hop cones and rendered lard. To do this, the collected cones must be chopped up and the fat heated until liquid. Mix pine cones and fat in a 2/1 ratio.
If you find juniper nearby, you need to collect the needles from it and grind them with a coffee grinder. You will need 1 teaspoon.
Next, grind the dried bay leaf – you will need 6 teaspoons. Mix both powders and add 100g of homemade butter. The ointment works quickly after application and relieves pain in the neck or other parts of the spine.
sea-salt
Sea salt has a rich mineral composition and thus helps restore the cartilage layer between the vertebrae.
Recipes with sea salt are the simplest and cheapest:
- For 3 tablespoons of salt, take 2 tablespoons of dry mustard powder, add half a glass of water and heat the mixture on the stove. Dip a small waffle towel in the liquid and place it on the sore spot on the spine. While the compress is working, the person must be covered with a warm blanket. The duration of treatment is 1 month, but the compresses must be done three times a week for 30 minutes.
- Mix 3 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of sea salt, add water and knead the dough into a flatbread. Apply it to your neck and wrap it with a scarf for 3 hours. Apply the compress every day before bed for a week.
Sea salt can be added to the bath three times a week or special salt-based preparations with chondroitin and glucosamine can be used. In this case, the active ingredients penetrate the skin.
What else can help?
In addition to herbs, tinctures, ointments and compresses, it is imperative to increase the mobility of the cervical spine to increase muscle tone. Through them, all substances penetrate into the cartilage tissue and regenerate it.
If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, osteochondrosis will progress and traditional medicine will be powerless.
Massage for cervical chondrosis can be done, but it is advisable to entrust it to a specialist so as not to aggravate the situation, especially if there are protrusions or hernias of the cervical spine. Before going to a massage therapist, you must take an X-ray or get a referral from a vertebral doctor, neurologist or orthopedist.
Osteochondrosis is a long-term developing disease. Therefore, if it is detected in an advanced stage, one cannot hope for a quick recovery with the help of conventional medicine. As a result, the patient loses time and the disease progresses at that moment. At the initial stage, the symptoms of chondrosis can be eliminated using all available methods, including traditional ones, within 1-2 years. Treatment of an advanced process will take much longer.