How is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine treated at home?

Pain appears when you do not expect it. Even the most confident person in such cases may be confused and frightened. The cause of pain syndrome is often osteochondrosis. How is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine treated at home and how effective will the treatment be? Let’s find out more.

What is osteochondrosis

Official medical sources interpret osteochondrosis as a degenerative disease that affects the intervertebral disc with the involvement of vertebrae and adjacent joints. The elasticity of the intervertebral joint is impaired - and the disc becomes thinner. It is necessary to understand how nutritional and metabolic processes occur in the intervertebral discs. This structural element is formed by cartilage tissue, here there are no blood vessels. Power is diffused, like a pump. When you move for squeezing, a lubricating fluid is released and then absorbed again. If osteochondrosis of the cervical spine occurs, exercise therapy, massage and the full range of therapeutic techniques should be prescribed as soon as possible.

What changes occur in the spine and their symptoms

The following processes occur in the affected node:

  • the pulposus nucleus of the disc loses physiological moisture;
  • cartilage loses its shape;
  • loses its elasticity;
  • changes color;
  • dries;
  • turns yellow;
  • loses resistance to damage.
spinal cord lesion with osteochondrosis of the cervix

The consequence of this is a violation of synchronization of movement in adjacent segments of the spine, violation of nerve roots. The main symptoms of degenerative changes will be pain, limited mobility, some forms of paresthesia ("crawling", tingling).

All of these changes suggest the presence of osteochondrosis. How osteochondrosis of the cervical spine or any other is treated, we will talk further.

Why does osteochondrosis occur?

Causes of disease onset include everything that disrupts disc power:

  • Overload caused by static loads.
  • Prolonged holding of unfavorable positions, especially lowering. There is a good proverb: "If you can stand - do not sit down, if you can lie down - do not stand. "
  • Traumatic effects on end plates, ring fibrosis fibers.
compressed artery with cervical osteochondrosis

Common reasons include unbalanced diet, physical inactivity, insufficient development of the deep muscles that form muscle corsets. The stability of the spine is due to the complex interaction of bone, muscle and skeletal nerve structures. The abdominal and back muscles are antagonists, balancing each other. Therefore, the postulate "movement is life" remains as important as ever. Exercise can effectively affect degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine. Exercise therapy is used both in the clinic and at home. Since the spine consists of several sections, the disease can occur in any of them. The cervical and lumbar regions are most often exposed.

How is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifested?

Manifestations of osteochondrosis of different localization are combined into syndromes:

  • cervical syndrome (impaired mobility of the shoulder joint, pain of a different nature);
  • cervicocranialgia (pain in the back of the head, neck discomfort, there may be tinnitus, dizziness, palpitations, nausea);
  • cervicobrachialgia or shoulder-shoulder syndrome (neck pain leaking into the shoulder and arm).
neck pain with osteochondrosis

If you are concerned about excruciating pain, often at night, with numbness, the diagnosis is likely to be confirmed - cervicothoracic spine osteochondrosis. The pain syndrome associated with the disorders of this department is called thoracalgia.

Physiotherapy at home

How osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is treated with medication is described in many reference books. But in most cases, the effect of the drug is short-lived. Here exercise therapy can come to the rescue.

physiotherapy exercises for cervical osteochondrosis
  1. We stand in front of the wall and lean against it with the back of our head. We try to press on the wall with maximum force for a few seconds. Then we rest.
  2. We sit at the table, place our elbows on it. We rest our chin on our hands, trying to press on the palms as we try to tilt our head or turn it to the side.
  3. Rest your head on your hands at the back of your head. Alternatively, then press on them with the back of your head, then relax. Perform several repetitions with one wait of up to 10 seconds.
  4. Squeeze the head with the palms, pressing alternately in one or the other hand.

During exacerbations, the exercises are performed with a duration of no more than 3-4 seconds, and with a moderate exercise. Classes will slow down osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Exercise at home can begin after you are convinced that they have been performed correctly in a healthcare setting.

Massage without the help of a professional

If the diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is confirmed, massage will be one of the necessary methods of treatment. In this case, it is not only a useful procedure, but also irreplaceable. Initially, it is better to take a professional course, and then perform simple techniques at home yourself. These techniques include the post-static muscle relaxation technique. The peculiarity of the method consists in the passive stretching of the muscles from the position of overload in combination with massage elements. It is necessary to apply the technique after the spasmodic muscles have warmed up (bath, hot compress, mixture, stroke).

the neck hurts with osteochondrosis of the cervix

When using self-massage, the same techniques are used as in the professional one. These are strokes, mixes, precise strokes, strokes, oscillations. The massage is performed with warm and warm hands. Use massage oil to improve sliding. The sequence of techniques is as follows:

  • stroke;
  • triturim;
  • kneading;
  • vibration (shock, vibration).

Acting on osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, the massage begins and ends with strokes.

Pack manual therapy

  1. We sit in a high-backed chair. We grab the head with our hands, placing the thumbs on the cheekbones (more precisely, on the bumps under the eye sockets). We raise our eyes, breathe and press the back of our head to our fingers. We hold for up to a quarter of a minute, then with the outstretched hand lean on the back of the chair and relax the neck muscles, bending the head down. We repeat the technique several times. Then wrap your fingers around the neck, closer to the top of it, tilting the head slightly forward. We press the fingers to the base of the skull, making them a slow rotational motion. Gradually lower your fingers up and down, approaching the trapezius muscle. How osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is treated with the help of manual therapy can be seen in the following manipulations.
  2. neck pain with osteochondrosis
  3. We lie on our backs, pulling our shoulders down as much as possible. Place your hand on the injured side under the buttocks, palm up. Place the other hand under your head, grasping the back of your head and tilting your head to the opposite side from the problematic one. Breathing in, press your head against your fingers for 15 seconds. As you exhale, relax and pull your head a little tighter, stretching the sore muscles.

A set of measures in the treatment of osteochondrosis

Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely defeat cervical osteochondrosis. Treatment at home or in a medical institution should be comprehensive. This includes the use of:

  • pain medication;
  • muscle relaxants that help relieve muscle spasm;
  • drugs with chondroprotective action;
  • physiotherapy procedures;
  • massage;
  • Exercise therapy;
  • Balanced diet.

By studying the medical literature, certain conclusions can be drawn as to how osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is treated, but the delivery of professionally prescribed treatment is a crime directed against one’s health.