Comprehensive anti-osteochondrosis therapy is often complemented by methods of alternative medicine, which sometimes may well replace medications. Before using folk remedies, it is necessary to discuss all the nuances with a doctor.
Therapy with folk remedies requires patience from the patient, since it takes quite a long time. Even experienced qualified specialists do not deny that there are alternative methods, the therapeutic effectiveness of which can be compared with pharmaceutical drugs.
Symptoms of the disease
Before starting the procedures with traditional medicine, it should be borne in mind that osteochondrosis is a complex degenerative-dystrophic pathology, therefore, any actions must be coordinated with a doctor.
The main signs of osteochondrosis are:
- Episodic, rapidly gaining strength, vertebral pain associated with physical overload;
- Pain in the lower back after long sitting, bending or twisting;
- The patient is more comfortable with frequent posture changes.
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine with folk remedies
Alternative therapy for osteochondrosis of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine should not act as the main method, it should qualitatively complement the main treatment, making the patient’s condition easier. Some methods do not always lend themselves to drug explanation, but this does not make them less effective.
Folk recipes are based on herbs, roots, from which various rubbing and infusions are made. Alternative medicine also includes such methods as treatment with leeches, baths, etc. There are a lot of options for such treatment, let’s take a closer look at the most frequently used ones.
Decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs
Decoctions or tinctures for osteochondrosis lesions are recommended to be taken orally:
- Cedar tincture
Has established itself as a fairly effective anti-osteochondrosis drug. It helps reduce pain, relieves inflammation and improves metabolism. Therapy lasts until a significant improvement in the condition.
For its manufacture, pine nuts are used, which are pounded and poured with vodka so that it rises 5 cm above the mixture of crushed shells and nucleoli. It is better to insist the medicine in a dark glass dish. Withstand the remedy for 2 weeks, and then ingest it three times a day. A single dose is 20 drops.
- Birch-lingonberry broth
This remedy helps in case of a sudden and severe attack of osteochondrosis pain in the spine. For its manufacture, fall asleep in ½ tsp. leaves of birch and lingonberry in a glass of boiling water and boil over low heat for about 3 minutes, covering with a lid. They remove the medicine from the fire and stand it for another half hour, then sip it and drink it in small sips during the day.
Treatment with such a decoction lasts for a relatively short time – only 3 days. After this time, the pain will pass, the swelling of the muscles in the affected areas of the spine will disappear.
For the manufacture of decoctions and tinctures against osteochondrosis, many herbs are used: tansy, yarrow and moraine, celery, radish and garlic, thyme, burdock, string and sage, horse sorrel, etc.
Compresses and rubbing
External agents such as various rubbing and compresses effectively cope with osteochondrosis symptoms:
- Anti- osteochondrosis rubbing
They are made every day for 1.5-2 weeks. Horseradish on vodka stands out among the most effective drugs. For the manufacture of grinding, grind horseradish in a meat grinder and stir this gruel with water (1: 1). The resulting mixture is used for rubbing, which is preferably done before bedtime.
An excellent medicine is honey with radish and vodka. Grind the radish with a grater and mix with honey (1: 1), then add a glass of vodka (50 g) to the mixture. The resulting medicinal mixture is rubbed daily on the diseased spine.
- Anti-osteochondrosis compresses
They also cope very well with the symptoms of osteochondrosis, it is recommended to put compresses daily for 1-2 weeks. As a raw material for the procedure, you can use burdock leaves, which must be steamed in hot water and then applied to the diseased spine. From above you need to cover the compress with a woolen scarf or shawl and lie there for at least half an hour.
A mixture of water (150 ml), alcohol (100 ml), camphor oil (3 ml) and iodine (20 drops) helps well with osteochondrosis. All components must be mixed well, and then moistened with gauze or a soft cloth in the solution and applied to the area affected by osteochondrosis.
To prevent the medicine from spreading, you need to close it on top with polyethylene, secure it with a plaster, and then bandage it. Such a compress is placed at night and removed in the morning, but if an unbearable burning sensation appears, then it can be removed earlier.
Bath therapy
Experts strongly recommend people with osteochondrosis to go to the bathhouse.
You should not carry out such procedures only during periods of exacerbation of the disease or acute pain.
The course of treatment for osteochondrosis with a bath is 10 days, the procedure is carried out every other day (5 visits to the bath).
You need to sit in the steam room and take a steam bath for no more than 5 minutes, then a break is also 5 minutes, then again the steam room. In general, you need to make 3 passes. Such a park regime will relieve pain and muscle tension, normalize the blood supply to the area affected by osteochondrosis.
In addition to the park, you can carry out additional bath procedures:
- With lumbar osteochondrosis, experts recommend warming up well in the steam room, steam up a little, and then, anoint the sore lower back with petroleum jelly, put 3 cans (0.5 l) on it. The loin with banks is covered with a warm blanket. You need to keep the banks for at least an hour. This treatment can be done once a week. As a result, the pain will disappear forever.
- With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is recommended that such treatment be carried out in the bath twice a week. Honey is carefully rubbed into the area of the shoulders and neck, then they go to the steam room and spend about ten minutes there (maybe less, but not less than 5 minutes). The steamed body should be wrapped in a terry sheet or blanket, and hot tea should be drunk to sweat. Then they rub in honey again and go to the steam room. This is done three times. After the bath, you cannot overcool, so it is better to go to bed under a warm blanket.
Healing baths
Taking therapeutic baths helps with osteochondrosis to reduce pain and swelling, relieve fatigue and muscle tension, and accelerate the course of metabolic processes.
Experts recommend such baths to be carried out in a course of 10-15 procedures, between which a two-day gap is made.
The most effective for osteochondrosis are:
- Coniferous baths. For preparation, coniferous extract (150 ml) and sea salt (2 kg) are dissolved in a bathtub filled with water.
- With horse chestnut. For such a bath, 1.5 kg of horse chestnut is boiled for half an hour in 5 liters of water. Then the solution is filtered and added to the bathroom with water. In addition to osteochondrosis, such a bath will help with neuralgia and rheumatism, impaired peripheral blood supply.
- With oak bark. 1 kg of oak bark is boiled in 5 liters of water for half an hour, then filtered and added to the bath. The bath helps to relieve pain in the spine, relieve chronic skin pathologies and rheumatism. Oak bark can be successfully replaced with spruce bark.
Hirudotherapy
Osteochondrosis causes the patient a lot of uncomfortable and painful sensations, which leeches cope with very successfully. Hirudotherapy has been successfully used to effectively treat the spine.
By using leeches it is possible to:
- Significantly reduce the patient’s recovery time;
- Eliminate pain syndrome;
- To increase the therapeutic efficacy of the drugs used;
- Improve the effectiveness of physiotherapy exercises.
Leeches secrete saliva, which contains hirudin – an enzyme that has a vasodilating and thrombo-absorbing effect, slowing down blood clotting processes and accelerating the course of biochemical processes.
Thanks to these properties, hirudotherapy for osteochondrosis helps to improve the flow of stagnant blood in the affected areas and eliminates strong pain. The duration of treatment and the number of procedures is determined by the hirudotherapist .
As a result of the course of hirudotherapy procedures:
- The radicular pain syndrome associated with compression of the nerve roots is reduced;
- The body’s immune defense is significantly increased;
- Vascular blood circulation along the spine improves ;
- Sleep is restored, psycho-emotional excitability is eliminated;
- In the adjacent muscle tissues, spinal cord nerves, vertebrae and intervertebral discs, material metabolism is normalized;
- The inflammatory process in the nerves of the spinal cord is eliminated.
Honey treatment
Honey is a unique product with many medicinal properties, therefore it is used in the treatment of many pathologies, including osteochondrosis. It is added to the rubbing, drunk with decoctions, massage of the areas affected by osteochondrosis is done with honey, rubbed into sore spots before the bath, etc.
Here are some recipes:
- Grated garlic (1 part) is mixed with honey (1.5 parts) and kept in the dark for 10-14 days. The present mixture is taken orally before each meal in a small spoon. Such a remedy is especially useful for cervical osteochondrosis, since its action is aimed at improving the vascular state and blood supply;
- Grated lemon is mixed in equal parts with honey and consumed in a tablespoon, you can stir in warm water and drink;
- Liquid honey (2 parts), aloe juice (1 part) and Cahors (3 parts) are thoroughly mixed and kept in the dark for a week, taken 2-3 times daily. Such a medicinal mixture has anti-inflammatory, tonic and immunostimulating properties.
Traditional medicine for osteochondrosis of the joints – knee and shoulder
All of these funds effectively cope with degenerative-dystrophic lesions of the shoulder and knee joints, so they can be used in their complex therapy, but only after a medical consultation.
With shoulder osteochondrosis, honey massage and hirudotherapy quickly relieve pain. Various rubbing, compresses and honey wraps quickly eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of knee osteochondrosis.
In the arsenal of traditional medicine there are many effective recipes and methods for the treatment of osteochondrosis, but in order to achieve the desired effect, you need to be patient and carry out procedures regularly, having previously discussed the details with your doctor. Only then will the osteochondrosis recede, possibly forever.