How to treat osteochondrosis of the cervical spine: how to cure the neck, exercises

Osteochondrosis is a rather complex disease, which is why, when the very first signs appear, you need to consult a doctor for treatment. Exercises for cervical osteochondrosis help to cope well with the disease, which should be started immediately after the acute attack has stopped.

This disease can occur for various reasons, namely:

lack of activity;
passive lifestyle;
incorrect daily routine;
eating disorder.

Systematic neck exercises for osteochondrosis help eliminate pain and restore the correct position of the intervertebral discs.

Situations when you can’t do without a doctor

But before studying the question of how to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home, you need to know exactly in which cases self-medication is excluded. There are situations. When you can’t even use the doctor’s general recommendations, but you need to rush to his appointment, or even to the hospital. Fortunately, there aren't too many of them.

Severe, sharp pains suddenly appeared in the neck (they are called lumbago).
I felt very dizzy and fainted.
The headaches do not go away within a few days.
Nausea, vomiting, and fever occurred.
There are difficulties with arm movements, weakness or numbness in the upper extremities.
In a short period of time, my vision deteriorated significantly.

If there are no such alarming signs, but only difficulty in movements, a crunch in the spine, tension, you can be treated at home. But it’s still worth getting specialist recommendations for such cases, without relying on folk recipes alone.

Proper nutrition

Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis involves a balanced diet and taking vitamin and mineral complexes. Prevention involves taking vitamins and calcium supplements. For the cervical spine, the use of vitamins E, C and B is indicated. They have a very good effect on the elasticity of cartilage tissue.

Red wine is considered a very good remedy, as it has a positive effect on the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine, dissolving sclerotic plaques and removing accumulated cholesterol from the body.

If the body receives an insufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, then cervical osteochondrosis can form, which is why, as a preventive measure, you need to adhere to a proper and balanced diet. It is advisable to refuse:

salty, smoked, fatty foods;
red meat;
Sahara.

To prevent thinning of cartilage, the daily diet must certainly include the consumption of such products as:

eggs;
greenery;
bell pepper;
cranberry;
legumes;
black currant.

These foods contain vitamins B, C and E. It is recommended to consume foods such as:

dairy products;
nuts;
seaweed;
apricots.

Such products can be replaced with special medications and vitamin complexes containing magnesium and calcium. When carrying out prevention, it is imperative to follow a certain diet, while limiting salt intake. Excessive consumption of foods with high levels of salt can provoke the occurrence of pathology, as well as metabolic disorders and cause stagnation. Such products provoke the occurrence of destructive processes occurring in the tissues of the spine.

Sugars, dyes, and flavors have a similar effect. If you are predisposed to the formation of osteochondrosis, you need to reduce the consumption of such products. It is also advisable to avoid overly spicy foods.

When following a diet, food must be complete and varied. To prevent the formation, as well as exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, it is imperative to consume foods containing large amounts of vitamins. You can take special multivitamin complexes.

When carrying out preventive measures for osteochondrosis, consuming large amounts of water is important. You need to consume at least 1.5-2 liters of water per day. The amount of water is calculated depending on the season, lifestyle and weight of the patient.

Massage at home for cervical osteochondrosis

Massage procedures for cervical osteochondrosis are often prescribed. The easiest way to proceed in this case is to contact a salon. Cervical osteochondrosis is a common disease; any certified massage therapist knows the techniques indicated for this. Many massage parlors and even beauty studios offer services with a specialist visiting your home. If this path is not available (most often for financial reasons), you can do self-massage.

Massage at home can help relax your neck muscles. As a result, it will be easier for the spine to take the correct position, the nerve roots will have a chance to free themselves from pinching, and blood circulation will improve. The result will almost certainly reduce and even eliminate headaches and neck pain.

The rules for self-massage of the neck for osteochondrosis are simple.

You only need to use your fingers, without strong compression.
You should not put all your might on the most painful areas - it can only get worse.
Movements should be made from top to bottom and from the spine to the periphery.
You cannot continue the massage if you feel very dizzy, have tinnitus, or have “flies” in front of your eyes.

The procedure can be carried out not only at home, but also at the workplace during breaks. It does not take much time, and it can improve your well-being significantly.

General information about osteochondrosis

This word has been heard more than once in our conversation, but many may not know what is hidden behind such a sophisticated verbal construction. Osteochondrosis is a degenerative-dystrophic process that affects various parts of the human body. Let's look at the general course of the disease and find out for ourselves why it affects the cervical region.

Find out how to cure chondrosis. And also what exercises will help get rid of cervical osteochondrosis?

The fact is that this department is naturally susceptible to various diseases, and also performs a large amount of work, which also leaves its mark on the symptoms of the disease. The main problem of osteochondrosis is identifying the very fact of the development of this disease, since it very cunningly and inventively disguises itself as a series of other diseases.

For effective treatment, it is necessary to identify the presence of a damaging effect of the cervical spine as quickly as possible, since delay can serve as very serious prerequisites for assigning the status of a disabled person.

Treatment with folk remedies for cervical osteochondrosis

Traditional medicine offers patients with osteochondrosis various compresses and rubbing to reduce pain and relax muscles. There are also means to normalize blood circulation, metabolism, and reduce cardiovascular manifestations.

Horseradish, cabbage or burdock leaves can be applied to the back of the neck as pain-relieving compresses. Before use, they need to be beaten or crushed a little. Radish root also helps well (also in the form of a compress). You can put unleavened rye flatbread on the sore spot (the dough is prepared only from flour and water) while it is hot enough.

Ointments with garlic, tinctures of elecampane and cinquefoil are used as anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents. A good ointment is made from a mixture of radish juice, salt, honey and vodka. The ointment is used to relieve pain.

Teas from mint, chamomile, and oregano can be used as an aid. They will not cure osteochondrosis, but will reduce the manifestations of nervous and vascular disorders.

It is important to remember that treatment with folk remedies for osteochondrosis cannot be the main one, much less the only one. It must be combined with other methods.

Massage

Special massage techniques are used to improve blood circulation, and also help to activate metabolic processes, have a relaxing effect and prevent stagnation in the body.

Massage has the following effects:

activation of metabolic processes;
improvement of blood microcirculation;
elimination of excessive muscle tension;
reducing pressure on pinched vertebrae;
supplying tissues with nutrients.

Massage helps well after injuries, as it promotes rapid resorption of the hematoma and prevents the formation of disorders and destruction of the intervertebral discs.

By regularly carrying out the prevention of osteochondrosis, you can prevent the formation of pathology, as well as significantly improve your well-being and strengthen your muscle corset.

How to treat cervical osteochondrosis with salt

Salt has a good anti-inflammatory, healing, anti-edematous effect. These factors are very important when you need to think about how to treat cervical osteochondrosis at home.

For medicinal purposes, it is better to use sea salt, but regular kitchen salt will do.

How to treat cervical osteochondrosis with salt? Prepare compresses and rubbing based on it. It is not recommended to warm up sore spots with heated salt - at a close distance from the head, strong heating can cause a stroke.

How to treat cervical osteochondrosis with physical exercises

Physical therapy is the main way to prevent both the onset of the disease and its relapses. Exercises for the cervical spine are very simple. They can (and even should) be done while sitting, so it won’t be difficult to take advantage of a break at work. But charging will not help if you do not follow a number of simple but mandatory rules.

Cervical osteochondrosis does not tolerate sudden movements - they should be smooth, at an average pace.
You need to study every day, without skipping.
A little discomfort or pain is not a reason to stop exercising. You should stop only if you experience severe, sharp pain or severe dizziness.
Before exercise, the muscles should be warmed up. Self-massage will help with this.
Exercise therapy should begin when the disease is in remission. During an exacerbation this is unacceptable.

As for specific complexes, there are many of them. It is better if advice on how to treat cervical osteochondrosis with physical exercise is given by a specialist in the field of exercise therapy. After several sessions with him, you can continue to do the exercises on your own. If this is not possible, you can watch the video tutorial in the article below. It will be better if classes take place at the same time, but this is not a prerequisite.

Workplace organization

It will be much easier to forget about problems with the spine if you approach the process of organizing your permanent workplace correctly. The desktop should be about 70 cm high. The chair (chair) should be liftable and swivel, with comfortable armrests and a backrest. During long periods of sitting, your legs should be positioned on a slight elevation - the so-called support. The computer keyboard should be located no higher than the elbow joints (at the same level or lower), and the angle between the forearm and shoulder should be at least 120°. The monitor is located directly in front of the eyes - neither lower nor higher - the eyes should not strain.

Such strict recommendations should not be neglected, since the condition of the muscles of the neck and shoulders will affect the spine. And therefore, prevention of cervical osteochondrosis is simply impossible if the shoulders and neck are in constant discomfort.

Below are a few rules that are important to use when working at the computer and while relaxing:

try to keep your back straight;
Be sure to take a break every half hour to rest;
do light exercises when your neck is swollen;
during rest, if possible, take a horizontal position, stretching out like a string;
if it is not possible to lie down, just walk with a very straight back, straightened shoulders and high head, the gait should be springy;
Do some therapeutic exercises, for example, press your buttocks, shoulder blades and the back of your head against the wall - this will help straighten your spine.