Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is asymptomatic, while the intervertebral discs cope with their cushioning duties. As soon as their thickness begins to decrease, instability occurs. The body compensates for this with the growth of osteophytes, as a result of which a person feels stiffness in the neck and over time other unpleasant symptoms appear, which significantly impair the quality of life. Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should be comprehensive.
This means that drug therapy alone (injections, tablets, ointments) is not enough. In addition to it, it is imperative to do special therapeutic exercises, massage, to conduct courses in hirudotherapy (treatment with leeches), as well as to do basic exercises at home. In addition to basic treatment, the use of folk remedies is allowed.
Medicines
The doctor's priority is to relieve the patient of pain. A whole complex of drugs is used for these purposes:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- anesthetics and hormonal (for blockages);
- muscle relaxants;
- chondroprotectors;
- sedatives and antidepressants;
- B vitamins.
The listed groups of drugs in the complex play the role of a powerful anesthetic complex for osteochondrosis, and also nourish the intervertebral discs and restore the nerves:
- NSAIDs relieve mild to severe inflammation and pain.
- Anesthetics and hormonal agents are injected at the site of pain (paravertebral or vagosympathetic) - the pain syndrome stops immediately. The patient is then placed on his neck for a while so that he cannot move his head abruptly.
- Muscle relaxants are used to relax spasmodic muscles.
- Chondroprotectors improve the nutrition of the intervertebral discs. Their adoption begins at the same time as the NSAID. The use of chondroprotectors is usually long and complicated. This means that the doctor may prescribe, along with external means, oral medications, as well as injections.
- Sedatives and antidepressants help the patient cope with stress, prevent depression, which in turn helps to cope with muscle tension.
- Complex preparations of vitamins B. Lack of B1, 6 and 12 has a negative effect on nerve fibers and neuronal conduction. First, the drugs are prescribed in the form of injections in a short course, then switch to maintenance therapy and take pills.
On a note. Most NSAIDs and chondroprotectors come in different forms - in the form of tablets, ointments, injections, as well as rectal suppositories (NSAIDs) and patches (NSAIDs).
Therapeutic gymnastics and massage
As soon as the pain syndrome subsides, it is necessary to gradually increase the motor activity of the cervical spine. If the patient has had a blockage, then the bandage is removed after about a week.
Some doctors believe that it is always necessary to move. When the patient is prescribed bed rest, it is believed that it helps to cope with the disease, but in fact the person gets the opposite effect - on one side of the neck spasmodic muscles, if no muscle relaxants were used, remain limited, on the other, on the other hand, their slow weight loss (sagging or loss of tone) is observed. As a result, returning to a work rhythm, a patient with cervical osteochondrosis will inevitably experience pain, limited mobility and muscle spasms again in a relatively short time. If you engage in physical education in doses and little by little, but constantly, you can achieve pain relief with minimal use of painkillers.
The same view is shared by physicians and chiropractors. Their techniques are based on movement, not lying in bed, as advocated by 90% of doctors who try to relieve the pain of a patient with cervical osteochondrosis.
Exercises for acute pain
This is a static gymnastics in which the cervical spine does not perform any movements. The physical therapist recommends the following 3 exercises for headache, tinnitus, neck pain:
- Sit in a chair, straighten your back, look straight. Place your hands on top of each other and place them under your chin. Start pressing your chin on your hands as if you want to lower your head. At this point, the spine is not involved in any way, but the muscles in the front of the neck are tense. Press your arms for 3 to 5 seconds, then lower your arms and relax. Repeat several times.
- Continue to sit with your back straight and look ahead. Place the back of your right hand on your cheek. Start turning your head to the right while resisting with your hand. The head is motionless. Press for 3 to 5 seconds, then remove your hand and relax. Repeat several times. Repeat exercise № 2 with the other hand.
- Place the brushes on top of each other at the back of the head. Imagine throwing your head back. Resist with your hands. Hold the pressure for 3 to 5 seconds. Then lower your arms and relax. Repeat several times.
You do not need to put pressure on your hands with all your might. This will have the opposite effect - the pain will increase. All movements are as smooth as possible, slow, without sharp movements. The number of approaches per day is 2-3 times.
On a note. Static exercises are similar to micromovement techniques. As a result, the muscles relax, the pain gradually disappears.
Universal set of exercises for cervical osteochondrosis
Gymnastics can be performed alone, at home, both during remission and during exacerbations.
The universal complex consists of 6 exercises:
- Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, expand your chest. Put your hands on your shoulders. Make symmetrical circular movements backwards (at least 10 times), then forward (10 times). The body and neck are immobile. When you have finished the exercise, lower your arms and withdraw from your shoulders, relax.
- Keep standing. Spread your arms out to the sides parallel to the floor, clench your arms into fists. Now imagine swinging dumbbells. At the same time, bend your elbows and touch your shoulders with your fists, then stand up. Repeat 10-15 times. When you have finished the exercise, shake your hands off your shoulders and relax.
- Stay in the starting position. The exercise is static. Interlace your fingers and place your palms on your forehead. Start by tilting your head forward. Resist with your hands. Hold in the pressure position for 3-5 seconds, then relax. The muscles in the back of the neck work.
- Do exercise number 3 of the complex with exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.
- From the starting position, without moving your neck, bring your shoulders forward, hold for 3-5 seconds, then straighten and gather your shoulders together and relax. Repeat several times.
- From the starting position: take a deep breath with your nose - raise your arms sideways and up, lower yourself in front of you - exhale completely through your mouth. In the acute period, raise your arms low - parallel to the floor.
On a note. For complete healing of the cervixosteochondrosisthese exercises are not enough. However, they are suitable for relieving acute pain and restoring the mobility of the spine.
Micromovements
Chiropractor has developed a system to support patients with cervical osteochondrosis:
- Sit in a chair and lean back. Now imagine that you agree with someone - shake your head slightly. You can do as much as you want until you get bored. As soon as he had a minute, they sat down and did it. Free charges.
- The starting position is exactly the same as in exercise 1. Only now do not agree with the interlocutor - shake your head left and right barely noticeable. Do as long as it is comfortable. Free charges.
On a note. Complexes of exercises can be combined with each other. This will give a noticeable effect in a short time - the pain will subside.
Massage
It is better to entrust the massage of the cervical spine to a specialist. However, in severe pain, if it is possible to lift and place your hands behind your head painlessly, you can try to help yourself. There are many techniques for self-massage.
The simplest self-massage is performed as follows:
- Sit in a chair. Raise and place your hand behind your head on the opposite side of the pain.
- Start stroking your neck in the area of inflammation. Do it carefully at the beginning, almost without pressure. Then increase the intensity slightly.
- Get down to your shoulder. As a rule, when torticollis overtakes, it hurts not only the neck on one side, but also the shoulder. Stretch your shoulder. This should be done actively to warm the spasmodic muscles, but there should be no severe pain from self-massage.
- Repeat this process on the other side of the neck. This should be done because on the one hand the muscles are spasmodic, on the other hand they are relaxed - you need to balance their tone.
- Place both hands behind your head and place your fingers on the spine (along the spinous processes). Carefully, but actively enough, work in this area. Do not apply excessive pressure. The neck is the most delicate part of the spine. An awkward movement can hurt and make the situation worse.
- Apply any anesthetic gel or ointment you have in your first aid kit on the warmed cervical spine.
Do not use warming ointments for self-massage. The skin on the neck is very delicate, especially in the arteries and in the front. If the heating connection gets there, you may burn yourself.
Hirudotherapy
Treatment with leeches for osteochondrosis, especially of the cervical spine, is very effective. Hirudotherapy helps:
- pain reduction;
- improving blood circulation in the area of influence of leeches - normalize arterial blood flow to the brain and venous blood flow;
- swelling relief;
- enhancing the effect of drugs;
- improve sleep;
- relieving psychological stress;
- significantly reduce headaches and dizziness.
Not everyone is allowed such treatment. Be sure to undergo a full examination before treatment with leeches. If there are no contraindications, 7-10 procedures are performed. To consolidate the result in a month, you can consult a hirudotherapist again.
Folk remedies
Try the following recipes:
- rub the back of the neck with a leaf of onion, cover it with something warm on top and lie down;
- self-massage with honey - rub the neck and shoulder girdle with honey, then apply a towel soaked in warm water, after 10 minutes remove the remnants of honey (if any) and lie down, covered with a blanket;
- take a steam bath, but not during exacerbations, then massage with honey and drink herbal tea;
- use a needle applicator - place the needle plate in the area of the seventh cervical vertebra, if the sensations are tolerable, then sleep on the needles - in the morning you will notice considerable relief.
There are many ways to treat cervical osteochondrosis. In addition to the described, an effective method of therapy is acupuncture, yoga, Pilates, fitball exercises. Remember that self-medication is dangerous. Make an appointment with your doctor and have a full examination. The specialist will individually choose the treatment and tell you which exercises can and cannot be done, whether self-massage is possible, whether leeches will help, or perhaps recommend one of the methods of alternative medicine, such as bee stings.