Many people around the world are familiar with the word ” osteochondrosis ” firsthand. Often, grabbing the neck, they say “Osteochondrosis has broken out!” And everyone knows about the symptoms: here there is pain in one of the spine, numbness of a part of the body, and the inability to make movements due to strong pain. Therefore, many want to hear answers to the questions: “Why does osteochondrosis occur at all?” “What is the reason for his appearance?” and “How to get rid of this ailment?” Well, let’s try to clarify.
The root cause of osteochondrosis is a violation of trophism – the nutrition of articular cartilage. Most often, such a fate befell the intervertebral discs, which play the role of shock absorbers. Many processes are disrupted: nutrition, recovery, removal of dead collagen fibers in a natural way, in a word, cartilage dystrophy occurs.
An important role in the development of osteochondrosis is played by the special structure of the intervertebral disc. It does not have its own blood vessels, so the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the cartilage is diffuse. This means that substances enter the disk from the vessels of adjacent tissues according to the principle “from a region of a higher concentration to a region of a lower one.” Since glucose, water, protein, and oxygen are less in the cartilage than in the vessel, they move.
Due to this mechanism, any weakening of blood circulation in the tissues surrounding the spine can lead to malnutrition and the intervertebral discs themselves. Whether we like it or not, it still happens with age, so osteochondrosis is considered an age-related disease, the older a person, the higher his risk of getting out of bed in the morning and feeling pain in his neck or lower back. Important factors provoking the development of osteochondrosis are malnutrition, smoking, back injuries, poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, which is an additional burden on the spine. Flat feet and osteochondrosis often go hand in hand, since the lack of arched foot leads to a significant increase in the load on the spine and its disks.
But this does not mean that with age you are guaranteed to suffer from osteochondrosis, it is quite possible to minimize discomfort and restore mobility. Firstly, it is necessary to balance the diet, lose weight, keep your back straight and begin to move actively, avoiding back injuries, choose a comfortable pillow and not too soft mattress, do not overcool.
Most often, osteochondrosis probably affects the cervical spine, the symptoms are very different: headache, nausea, inability to turn the neck due to severe pain, pain in the internal organs. They arise due to pinching of the nerve roots of the spinal cord. At different stages of osteochondrosis, the strength of the symptoms is different, this is due to the degree of pinching of the roots, displacement of the vertebrae due to cracks in the intervertebral discs that arise from loss of water and dystrophy. Often the last fourth stage is complicated by a hernia, which is accompanied by a loss of sensitivity in various parts of the body, impaired limb function.
Exposure to cervical osteochondrosis is due to the fact that neck mobility is lower than, say, lower back. Add to this a long static load when you are sitting at a computer monitor or in front of a TV. Special gymnastics will help to compensate for this and improve blood circulation in the paravertebral region, today it is considered not only an excellent prevention, but also the most effective method in the fight against cervical osteochondrosis. Osteochondrosis whose symptoms are progressing without fail requires therapeutic measures that can inhibit its further progression.
Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis, execution technique
Typically, the attending physician independently selects a series of exercises for the patient, depending on the characteristics of the body, taking into account how much osteochondrosis has developed . However, remember a few basic rules before you start doing gymnastics. Exercise should not cause pain, while doing the stage of exacerbation is strictly prohibited. Maintain even posture during gymnastics, and at regular times, too. Finally, do not make sudden movements, they should be smooth and careful.
There are some of the simplest exercises for cervical osteochondrosis. To complete the first, you need to stand upright, on the exhale lower the chin and try to reach them to the chest, and when you inhale, return to the starting position. Do 10 such repetitions. In the second exercise, the starting position is the same, only now you need to turn the head to the right and left to the stop. Then toss the head back and try to reach the corresponding shoulder with the ear. A more complete overview of exercises for cervical osteochondrosis can be found by watching a useful video – gymnastics with cervical osteochondrosis.
Baths for cervical osteochondrosis
One of the good remedies is the warming baths with herbs that improve blood circulation, relieve pain and muscle spasm.
A herbal bath usually takes 300-500 grams of raw materials. To prepare a chamomile bath, chamomile flowers need to be boiled with boiling water, insist for half an hour, strain and pour the infusion into the bath. Nice and coniferous bath, which is taken 20 minutes. For its preparation, the needles need to be boiled for 20 minutes, strain the broth and add to water. For a birch bath, the leaves of May birch need to be brewed and allowed to infuse. Pour infusion into hot, but not scorching water, lie in the bath for about 30 minutes. You need to take therapeutic baths for a week, and then take a break.
A good therapeutic effect in case of exacerbation is given by rubbing and warm compresses. One of the most effective is grinding, for the preparation of which you need to take 10 ml of iodine and camphor alcohol, as well as 300 ml of medical alcohol. Dissolve 10 tablets of analgin in the resulting liquid and rub into a sore spot with intact skin. The disease completely recedes after five rubbing, but you will get a good analgesic effect after a single application.
Osteochondrosis will recede if the treatment is complex, so follow a diet, do gymnastics and massage, take baths. Often for osteochondrosis they take a strong muscle spasm, which is easily removed with some antispasmodic drugs, so do not try to make a diagnosis, but rather consult a specialist.