Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine (Osteohondroz) is a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the intervertebral discs, resulting in damage to the discs, vertebrae and joints of the cervical vertebrae, there is a decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs. The disease progresses if left untreated and can lead to headaches, circulatory problems and even hernias.
Cervical osteochondrosis is a cause of acute pain that is poorly relieved by medication. The use of folk remedies allows you to get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of this disease and will not harm the body. They are used together with conservative therapy, physiotherapy, massage, in addition and increase the chances of recovery.
Characteristics of a non-traditional approach
The treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine with folk methods is carried out under the supervision of a specialist. The disease itself is considered dangerous, therefore, without qualified medical care, it progresses rapidly and leads to a number of complications. An unconventional approach is used by doctors in case of detection of serious contraindications or acute intolerance to anti-inflammatory drugs. Therefore, the main features of the treatment are:
- Minimum number of side effects and accessibility for all segments of the population.
- As part of proven recipes, only natural ingredients, which increases the safety of their use.
- High efficiency of treatment with the right approach.
- The possibility of combining traditional therapy, massage, exercise therapy, physiotherapy with methods of traditional medicine.
- Low probability of developing side effects, depending on the dosage and duration of the course.
- Successful relief of inflammation and pain, elimination of muscle spasms, stabilization of the central nervous system.
- The ability to cook everything yourself from high quality ingredients, the whole process is easy and does not require special knowledge and training.
- The treatment is performed at home.
Alternative methods allow you to get a stable remission and stop the progression of the disease, increase immunity, improve the general condition of the patient. Due to its natural composition, the likelihood of side effects or the development of complications is low.
The main methods and means of treatment
Cervical osteochondrosis presents with a number of unpleasant symptoms. Many patients complain of reduced vision or hearing, the appearance of tinnitus, increased fatigue, muscle, toothache and headache, inability to fully perform simple exercises due to stiffness. To combat them, various methods and recipes of traditional medicine are used, namely:
- ointments,
- friction,
- tinctures,
- decoctions,
- compresses,
- baths.
All the ingredients for proven prescriptions can be found in any pharmacy and are usually cheap. This applies not only to herbal preparations, but also to bee products (bee venom, propolis, perga), snake venom, aromatic oils and more.
The best compresses for neck pain
Treatment of cervical chondrosis with folk remedies is better to start with the use of various types of rubbing and compresses. Topical exposure will warm the area, reduce pain, improve blood circulation and relieve inflammation. Do the procedure several times a day, usually no more than five. In this case, the set exposure time must not be exceeded. The best recipes for compresses are:
- You need to find fresh horseradish leaves, pour boiling water over them. After the solution has cooled slightly and infused, gauze is soaked in it and applied to the affected area. All this is better not to do at night. Thanks to special components, such an effect relieves pain well.
- Take fresh cottage cheese, knead it well and add a little vinegar. The resulting mass is applied evenly on the neck area. You should wear a scarf or a warm towel on top of the compress. All this is stored for at least 12 hours, so it is most often recommended to do it at night.
- Turpentine has been shown to be effective in combating cervical osteochondrosis. To 200 g of rye flour add water and make a hard bread. Infuse for two days, then apply the turpentine on the affected area, cover with dough and wrap with a scarf. As long as the discomfort is tolerable, all this should be kept, then removed, rinse the area with warm water.
- Effectively relieves inflammation and pain honey and potatoes. To do this, peeled tubers are rubbed on a coarse grater, mixed in half with a natural bee product and all this is applied to the affected area. Put paper and a clean cloth on it. Hold for 2 hours, then rinse with water and dry the place. Rub fir oil into the skin.
Eggs, vodka, aloe juice with honey, garlic and kerosene are also used as the main ingredients for compresses for osteochondrosis. For some products, it is especially important to observe the dosage and duration of exposure, as they can cause burns if used carelessly.
Rubbing the neck with osteochondrosis
Alternative therapies also involve the use of good friction along with compresses. They may consist of various components to solve the problem of pain, pinching or other pathological processes in the neck. The following recipes are very popular for this:
- Take half a pack of natural oil (72%), mix with a tablespoon of flour, beaten egg and 25 g of vinegar. The mixture should be of homogeneous consistency and then sent to a dark place for infusion. The resulting composition is washed in the painful area, covered with a film for several hours and then washed with warm water.
- Grate the grated radish on a coarse grater, you should finally get about half a cup. Add vodka and honey in the same amount, add common salt, 2 tablespoons are enough. After obtaining a homogeneous mass, the composition can be used as a friction. The mixture perfectly warms and relieves pain.
- In severe pain it is good to use a mixture consisting of ethanol, iodine and camphor alcohol. Mix in a ratio of 300 ml: 10 ml: 10 ml, respectively. To the resulting composition are added 10 tablets of analgin in crushed form.
If there is a cut or open wound at the site of friction, they cannot be used. It is better to use compresses or other proven methods. Their use is also unacceptable in the presence of chronic skin pathologies, the exacerbation of which may provoke such treatment.
Popular ointments
It is impossible to cure osteochondrosis with ointments alone, but they are an important component of complex therapy. Various compositions can anesthetize the problem area, relieve inflammation and improve general condition. The following proven recipes are very popular:
- Take half a packet of high quality butter (you can replace it with lard), add to it mint grass, coriander and birch buds. Apply the resulting ointment to the problem area 23 times a day.
- To a little or fat add St. John's wort, snake root mountaineer, birch buds. The resulting mixture is a little insistent and used only for its intended purpose.
- Take marigold flowers, mint grass, hop seedlings, meadow flowers, eucalyptus leaves and mix it all with fat. The resulting composition is applied to the painful area.
- Take 6 large bay leaves, mix it with juniper needles (about 1 teaspoon), add 70 g of oil. The mixture is well ground, preferably in a blender until a homogeneous consistency and rubbed into the affected area. The composition perfectly relieves pain and soothes the affected area.
Ointments can also be used as compresses if you wear a scarf on them. It is important to fix everything firmly with a bandage and in order not to absorb the fabric mixture, a plastic wrap is placed on it.
Decoctions of useful plants
Traditional medicine offers not only a local effect on the diseased neck, but also the intake of many home-made medicines inside. If ointments, compresses and rubbing help to locally solve the problem of inflammation and pain, then decoctions, infusions perfectly stimulate the immune system, improve metabolism from within.
The most popular recipes are:
- Take about 400 g of cranberries and peeled garlic cloves, a few medium-sized ones are enough. Grind them or cut them well, leave in a clean container for a day. Then add 800 g of honey to the composition, stir until a homogeneous consistency. The drug is used one teaspoon 3 times a day.
- Take a sunflower root (it is problematic to find it out of season), rinse and dry thoroughly, cut. 150 g will be enough, which are added to 3 liters of water. All this is put on the fire and brought to a boil. The resulting broth is infused for two days, then take one tablespoon 30 minutes before eating. It is advisable to prepare a new portion of the drug in advance so as not to interrupt the course.
- Take 250 g of peeled needles, pour one liter of water. Put all this on the fire and cook for half an hour. The resulting broth is cleaned of branches and divided into equal parts to form 6 portions, which should be drunk within three days at intervals of 8-12 hours.
- Dandelion root (about 15 g) is cleaned of dirt, dry shoots and poured half a liter of boiling water. The resulting solution is infused for one hour, then filtered and taken one tablespoon before meals.
Such decoctions well remove salts from the body, it is easy to understand by the changing color of urine. At the beginning of the process, it turns almost orange, then becomes more transparent as soon as all harmful components leave the body. But we must not forget that during treatment, spicy and salty foods are strictly prohibited. Decoctions combine well with other more conservative methods and help support the body in the fight against pathology. Medicinal herbs such as burdock, canape, string, violet and plants are also used.
Therapeutic baths
In cervical osteochondrosis, warm water, to which various components have been added, relieves tension, pain and cramps. The procedure is performed at a temperature in the range of 37-39 ° C, a higher rise of the thermometer is unacceptable. It should not be forgotten that this is a medical procedure, so it is important not to overdo it. As a useful supplement you can use:
- birch leaves,
- horse chestnut,
- camomile
- bischofite,
- needle branches.
The residence time in the water is 10-20 minutes, even if the procedure is performed for preventive purposes. Thanks to the optimal temperature and the presence of phytocomponents in the water, the muscle tissue relaxes, the inflammation decreases and the pain is practically not felt. Such baths are also useful for dizziness, frequent pain and to raise mood, improve psycho-emotional state.
herbal teas
You can check the effectiveness of a particular drug by looking at the reviews of other patients with similar disease. Usually patients share prescriptions as to which medications have worked best, which turns out to be completely ineffective. One of the most popular treatments is herbal teas. The following fees are used in the fight against osteochondrosis:
- Marigold + chamomile + strawberry + birch leaf + St. John's wort.
- Licorice root + yarrow + mint + calendula.
- Blackberry + thyme + plantain + balm + wild rose + cinquefoil.
- Nettle + chamomile + dried flower + calendula + dandelion.
- Strawberries + motherwort + pine buds + linden flowers + lavender.
Such fees are sold in pharmacies or herbal stores and usually when cooking you do not need to choose the dose yourself, it is shown on the package. In most cases, one teaspoon per 350 g of boiling water is enough. Drink the drink without added sugar. Fees are especially effective in the early stages of the disease.
Other treatments
Traditional medicine uses various ways to combat pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Not only products and herbs are used, but also mud, paraffin, wax and other compounds. As practice shows, they also stop the pain syndrome well, eliminate inflammation, improve blood flow and allow you to prolong the period of remission.
Therapeutic mud is used in different ways. The procedures are usually performed in sanatorium conditions or special medical rooms. Exposure time is determined individually. The technique is very suitable for preventive purposes.
Possible mistakes
Folk methods, despite their safety and naturalness, can be harmful if used improperly. Treatment should be performed under the strict supervision of specialists, as self-medication often leads to rapid progression of the pathology. To prevent this, you should avoid the most common mistakes:
- The use of heating pads or hot compresses is not permitted in the acute phase. Temporary relief does not mean relief, as exposure to heat only leads to the spread of inflammation and exacerbation of tissue damage.
- If the patient often has pressure surges, baths and steam are contraindicated for him with cervical osteochondrosis. You can't even go to them for people without hypertension during colds, when the body temperature is very high.
- Recipes of traditional medicine that have proven effective in removing salts will not work if the vertebrae grow.
- In the field of the pathological process can not be performed self-massage or other direct effects, they will only worsen health and lead to complications.
These are the most common mistakes made by patients who self-medicate at home or use prescriptions of traditional medicine. Therefore, it is better to deal with the pathology of the cervical spine together with the attending physician.
How to prevent exacerbation?
The fight against cervical osteochondrosis can take a long time and the patient is required not only to follow all the prescriptions of the doctor, but also to exclude all factors that provoke exacerbations. You can prevent deterioration in the following ways:
- In everyday life it is necessary to avoid stress on the spine, not to make sharp turns of the head, squats, bends or a quick change in posture.
- Dress warmly, according to the weather, to prevent hypothermia of the neck and shoulder girdle, always wear a scarf.
- Constantly do the exercises provided in the physiotherapy exercises, do not miss the hours, follow the technology and the sequence of actions.
- If the professional activity is related to sitting in one position or in front of a computer, then every 1. 5 hours you should take a short break and just warm up to restore blood circulation in the neck.
- Stop drinking alcohol and smoking, as they reduce the body's defenses, provoke complications and worsen the condition.
- Treat acute respiratory diseases and viruses in a timely manner, follow all medical instructions.
- Control your weight, eliminate harmful foods and overeating in the evening.
- Give up hot tubs or trips to the bathroom.
- Buy a high quality orthopedic mattress with a sufficient degree of firmness.
In addition, patients must visit a masseur to undergo a course of therapeutic effects in the neck, usually prescribed for 10 days. It is equally important to refuse to carry weights, not more than 5 kg in one hand, otherwise there is a risk of provoking deformation processes in the spine.
Cervical osteochondrosis is the destruction of cartilage tissue, which leads to a number of unpleasant consequences. If you do not start the battle on time, it leads to pinching of nerve endings, compression of blood vessels and reduced efficiency. The pathology can be treated not only with drugs but also with folk remedies. Therefore, choose the most effective methods and recipes that are safe and will not cause an allergic reaction.