Methods of treating osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

On a note. Most NSAIDs and chondroprotectors are presented in various forms - in 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 had a blockage, 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 this helps to cope with the disease, but in fact the person gets the opposite effect - on one side of the neck, spastic muscles, if muscle relaxants were not used, remain limited, on the other hand on theon the other hand, their slow weakening (deflection or loss of tone) is observed. As a result, a patient with cervical osteochondrosis in a fairly short time when he returns to a work rhythm will inevitably again encounter pain, limited mobility and muscle spasms. If you deal with physical education dosed and little by little, but constantly, you can achieve pain relief with minimal use of pain medication.

The same view is shared by physiotherapists and chiropractors. Their techniques are based on movement, not lying in bed, which 90% of doctors who try to relieve a patient with cervical osteochondrosis from pain agree with.

Exercises for acute pain

This is static gymnastics where the cervical spine does not perform any movements. The physiotherapist recommends performing the following 3 exercises for headaches, tinnitus, neck pain:

1. Sit on 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 moment, the spine is not involved in any way, but the muscles on the front of the neck are tense. Press your hands for 3 to 5 seconds, then lower your arms and relax. Repeat several times.
2. Keep sitting with your back straight and looking ahead. Place the back of your right hand on your cheek. Begin to turn 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.
3. Place the brushes on top of each other on the back of your head. Imagine throwing your head back. Resist with your hands. At the moment of pressure, linger for 3 to 5 seconds. Then lower your arms and relax. Repeat several times.

You do not have to put pressure on your hands with all your might. This will backfire - the pain will intensify. All movements are as smooth as possible, slow, without jerks. The number of approximations per day is from 2-3 times.

On a note. Static exercises are related to micro-movement techniques. As a result, the muscles relax, the pain gradually disappears.

A universal set of exercises for cervical osteochondrosis

Gymnastics can be performed independently, at home, both during remission and at the time of exacerbation.

The universal complex consists of 6 exercises:

1. Stand straight with feet shoulder-width apart, expanding chest. Place your hands on your shoulders. Perform symmetrical circular motions backwards (at least 10 times), then forwards (10 times). The body and neck are immobile. When you are done with the exercise, lower your arms down and shake from your shoulders, relax.
2. Continue to stand. Spread your arms to the sides parallel to the floor, tying your hands to fists. Now imagine swinging dumbbells. At the same time, bend your elbows and touch your shoulders with your fists, then straighten. Repeat 10-15 times. When you are done with the exercise, shake your hands off your shoulders and relax.
3. Stay in the starting position. The exercise is static. Intertwine your fingers and place your palms on your forehead. Begin, so to speak, to lower your head forward. Resist with your hands. Hold the pressure position for 3-5 seconds, then relax. The muscles of the neck work.
4. Do exercise number 3 from the complex with an exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.
5. From the starting position, without moving the neck, bring your shoulders forward, hold for 3-5 seconds, then straighten and bring your shoulder blades together and relax. Repeat several times.
6. From the starting position: breathe deeply with your nose - lift your arms to the sides and up, lower in front of you - breathe all the way through your mouth. In an acute period, lift your arms low - parallel to the floor.

On a note. For a complete healing of the cervixosteochondrosisthese exercises are not enough. However, they are suitable for relieving acute pain and restoring the movement of the spine.

Micro-movements

A chiropractor has developed a system to help patients with cervical osteochondrosis:

1. Sit on a chair and lean on your back. Now imagine that you agree with someone - shake your head slightly. You can do this for as long as you want until you get bored. As soon as a break was given, they sat down and did so. Free refill.
2. The starting position is exactly the same as in Exercise 1. Only now do not agree with the interlocutor - shake your head to the left and right button noticeably. Do as long as it suits. Free refill.

On a note. The exercise sets 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 leave the massage of the cervical spine to a specialist. However, in case of severe pain, if it is possible painlessly to raise and put your hands behind your head, you can try to help yourself. There are many techniques for self-massage.

The simplest self-massage is performed as follows:

1. Sit in a chair. Lift and place your hand behind your head on the opposite side of the pain.
2. Start stroking your neck in the area of inflammation. Do it gently at first, almost without pressure. Then increase the intensity a bit.
3. Go down to the shoulder. As a rule, when torticollis overtakes, not only the neck on one side hurts, but also the shoulder. Stretch your shoulder. This should be done actively so that the spastic muscles warm up, but there should be no strong pain from self-massage.
4. Repeat this process on the other side of the neck. This must be done, because on the one hand the muscles are spasmodic, on the other hand they are relaxed - you need to even out their tone.
5. Place both hands behind your head and place your fingers along the spine (along the back processes). Work carefully but actively enough through this area. Do not apply excessive pressure. The neck is the most delicate part of the spine. An awkward move can hurt yourself and make the situation worse.
6. Apply any anesthetic gel or ointment you have in your medicine cabinet to the heated cervical spine.

Do not use warming ointments for self-massage. The skin on the neck is very delicate, especially in the area of the arteries and in front. If the heat mass gets there, you can get burned.

Hirudotherapy

Treatment with leeches for osteochondrosis, especially of the cervical spine, is very effective. Hirudotherapy helps:

• reduce pain;
• improve blood circulation under the influence of leeches - the flow of arterial blood to the brain and the outflow of venous blood is normalized;
• relieve swelling;
• increase the effect of drugs;
• improve sleep;
• relieve psychological stress;
• reduce headaches and dizziness significantly.

Not everyone is allowed such treatment. Do not forget to undergo a complete examination before leech treatment. If there are no contraindications, perform 7-10 procedures. To consolidate the result in one month, you can again consult a hirudotherapist.

Folk remedies

Try the following recipes:

• rub the back of the neck with a sheet of Indian onion, cover it with something warm on top and go to bed;
• self-massage with honey - rub the neck and shoulder belt with honey, then apply a towel soaked in warm water, remove after 10 minutes the honey residue (if any) and go to bed, covered with a blanket;
• take a steam bath, but not during exacerbations, then do a honey massage and drink herbal tea;
• use a needle applicator - place the plate with needles 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 those described, an effective method of therapy is acupuncture, yoga, pilates, exercises on fitball. Remember that self-medication is dangerous. Make an appointment with your doctor and get a complete check up. The specialist will individually select the treatment and tell you which exercises can be performed and which are not, whether self-massage is possible, whether leeches will help, or perhaps recommend one of the methods of alternative medicine, for example bee stings.