Cervical chondrosis in the initial stage rarely manifests itself with negative symptoms. According to statistics, only 10% of people suffer from degenerative processes with all the existing signs, so it is difficult to recognize and start treatment of osteochondrosis in time. Traditional medicine can slow down the progress of the disease in stages 1 and 2, therefore it is recommended to use it as an auxiliary method.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
To choose home treatment, you need to know exactly the cause of the pain. Hardware diagnostics will help: x-ray, MRI, ultrasound.
The main danger of cervical osteochondrosis concerns the brain, because due to the violation of the vertebral arteries, the nervous tissue suffers from a lack of oxygen. Dizziness and even very intense pain with loss of consciousness are possible.
In addition to hypoxia, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifests itself:
- numbness of the arms, as well as the muscles of the shoulder girdle, shoulder blades;
- lack of coordination, unstable gait;
- if hypoxia affects the cerebellum, hearing and vision may be impaired;
- weakness, fatigue.
Poor cerebral circulation is accompanied by irritability. If osteochondrosis is left untreated, a person may experience an ischemic stroke.
When you turn and tilt your head, a cracking sound is heard. This is due to bony growths - osteophytes, located along the edges of the vertebrae.
Pain sometimes occurs not only in the neck, but also in the chest. Such symptoms can easily be confused with an attack of angina.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis with traditional methods
Several reasons can cause degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. Depending on the provoking factor, folk remedies are selected.
Reasons that lead to disc deformation:
- Obesity. The load on the spine and all joints of the body increases. Taking herbal tinctures will help normalize metabolism and rid a person of extra pounds.
- Thick blood and lymph. There are herbal infusions that cleanse the blood of toxins and salts, as well as frictions that stimulate the movement of lymph. As a result, salts cease to be deposited in the intervertebral discs and their elasticity is restored.
- Due to hormonal changes, women may experience bone osteoporosis as adults. Herbal supplements containing estrogen-like substances can compensate for the lack of hormones.
Traditional methods can be used to treat spinal injury, increase immunity and regulate endocrine disorders.
Doctors do not recommend diagnosing yourself and using folk recipes at your own discretion. It is necessary to conduct an examination, determine the cause of the disease and only then begin targeted treatment. At the initial stage, it is advisable to use all available methods - traditional medicine, medications, physiotherapy, massage, exercise therapy. You can maintain the achieved effect with the help of herbs, homemade ointments, water treatments and physical exercises.
Rub and compress
There are many options for preparing a rub for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck. These may include alcohol-based medications or oil rubs.
Alcohol-based recipes:
- Chopped horseradish and alcohol diluted to 40 degrees (vodka will do). Mix the two ingredients and leave for 2-3 days. Rub the painful area for 2 weeks, then take a break for a week and repeat the treatment.
- 200 g of crushed calendula flowers and the same amount of alcohol or vodka. Leave on for 2 weeks, then rub on the back of the neck. Course – 2 weeks.
- For 200 ml of vodka, take 10 drops of iodine and camphor, mix everything. Grind 10 metamizole sodium tablets into powder and add to the grind. Use as an analgesic during an exacerbation of osteochondrosis.
- Rub honey, vodka, aloe juice. Take enough vodka and aloe juice for 2 tablespoons of honey to make a thick mixture. It can be rubbed on the neck at night and then washed off. Also used as a compress.
- 100 ml of vodka or alcohol, 3 egg whites, 1 tablespoon of powdered mustard. Mix everything, rub on the skin, then rinse.
It is not recommended to use 96% alcohol as it may cause skin burns. Alcohol rubs should be used with caution if there are moles on the neck.
Alcohol-free rubbing:
- Half a glass of melted unsalted lard, 30 g of propolis. Mix the components, then apply to the skin before going to bed, wrap it with a warm cloth.
- Prepare 1 tablespoon each of sage and plantain. Melt 40 g of petroleum jelly and mix with 50 ml of olive oil. Pour in the herbs. Leave for 2 weeks. Rub the skin of the neck 3 times a day, then wrap it with a scarf.
- A teaspoon of red pepper, a glass of camphor, a glass of medical bile. Mix everything and rub your neck after lubricating the skin with vegetable oil.
The simplest but most effective recipe is to mix 3 tablespoons of sea salt in a glass of warm water. Apply damp gauze to the affected area. Relieves pain, improves mobility. With regular use, the symptoms of osteochondrosis are eliminated.
Compresses can be made from the following substances:
- Refined kerosene. Moisten the gauze, apply it to the neck, wrap it with a film and a warm scarf. The procedure is carried out at night for 2 weeks.
- 2 tablespoons of honey for 1 grated fresh potato. The mixture is applied to the neck under a heated cloth. The course lasts one week.
Whole leaves of horseradish and burdock should be doused with boiling water or steamed, then applied to the neck and wrapped in a scarf.
Herbal tinctures and decoctions
The effectiveness of tinctures is greater than that of tea, because the substances from medicinal plants undergo long-term extraction, from several hours to several days:
- Anesthetic infusion of pine buds. Raw materials should be collected in the month of April, then finely chopped and covered with granulated sugar in a ratio of 1/2 - a cup of kidneys per 2 cups of sugar. After 14 days, the mixture should turn brown. Take 5 ml three times a day; keep the mixture in your mouth before swallowing. To completely eliminate neck pain, it is recommended to take the drug for 21 days, but most often the pain in the vertebrae disappears after 2-3 days.
- Parsley root is boiled for an hour and a half, then taken three times a day on an empty stomach, one tablespoon. The product helps remove salts from the body. At first, a negative reaction from the kidneys is possible, since the excess will be excreted through them.
- Garlic in lemon juice is a way to stimulate the immune system and improve the body's protective properties. Grind 200 g of peeled garlic cloves, squeeze the juice from 4 lemons, mix everything and add a glass of water. Leave it on for 2 hours, after which you can drink half a glass after meals once a day.
- A remedy for inflammation and to relieve neck swelling due to osteochondrosis. Boil a tablespoon of mint and chamomile in 300 ml of water for 10 minutes. Drink half a glass on an empty stomach twice a day for 21 days.
- Pour boiling water over 1 tablespoon of cinquefoil - 1 cup. Leave for an hour. Helps with rheumatism and osteochondrosis. The duration of treatment is 2 weeks or until symptoms of inflammation disappear.
An allergic reaction may occur when consuming certain herbs. In this case, stop taking the tincture. It is recommended to try another remedy.
Therapeutic baths
For osteochondrosis of the neck, hot baths with additives are useful. Such procedures help relax muscles. They should be done 2 to 3 times a week. Duration of at least 15 minutes.
Before taking a bath, you can make concentrated supplements:
- Dissolve 2 kg of sea salt in 2 liters of hot water and pour into the bath.
- To relieve inflammation in acute periods, add 50 ml of turpentine to water. Submerge completely, including the neck area.
- A bottle of pine extract should be diluted in water. Sometimes fresh pine needles are collected and boiled in a large container for an hour, then filtered and poured into a bath.
- Chamomile concentrate helps relieve inflammation and relax muscles. To do this, boil a bundle of dried flowers in 2 liters of water for half an hour, leave for an hour, filter and add to the water.
If you have cancer, herbs and hot baths should not be taken. The same goes for hypertension and a tendency to allergic skin reactions.
Warming up
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home can be carried out using warming procedures. However, you need to make sure that there is no inflammatory process. You can try using a heating pad. If the pain has lessened, then heat will be beneficial. Some people find cold compresses helpful during an exacerbation, while hot compresses only make the pain worse.
Contrasting procedures are not recommended, for example immersion in ice water after a steam bath.
Warm procedures work especially well in autumn and winter, because people with osteochondrosis are sensitive to cold and weather changes.
Homemade ointments
Homemade ointments are just as effective as those purchased at the pharmacy. It is recommended to try preparing a mixture of hop cones and melted lard. To do this, the collected cones must be crushed and the fat heated to a liquid state. Mix the pine cones and fat in a 2: 1 ratio.
If you find juniper nearby, you need to collect the needles from it and grind it using a coffee grinder. You will need 1 tsp.
Next, grind the dried bay leaf - you need 6 teaspoons. Mix the two powders and add 100 g of homemade butter. The ointment acts quickly after application, eliminating pain in the neck or other parts of the spine.
Sea salt
Sea salt has a rich mineral composition, so it helps restore the cartilaginous lining between the vertebrae.
Sea salt recipes are the simplest and cheapest:
- For 3 tablespoons of salt, take 2 tablespoons of dry mustard powder, add half a glass of water and heat the mixture on the stove. Dip a small waffle towel in the liquid and apply it to the sore spot on the spine. While the compress is working, the person should be covered with a warm blanket. The duration of treatment is 1 month, but the compresses must be performed 3 times a week for 30 minutes.
- Mix 3 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of sea salt, add water and knead the dough to form a flat cake. Apply it to your neck and wrap it with a scarf for 3 hours. Apply the compress every day before bed for a week.
Three times a week, sea salt can be added to the bath or you can use special salt preparations with chondroitin and glucosamine. In this case, the active substances will penetrate the skin.
What else can help?
In addition to herbs, tinctures, ointments and compresses, it is imperative to increase the mobility of the cervical spine in order to increase muscle tone. Thanks to them, all substances will penetrate into the cartilage tissue and regenerate it.
If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, osteochondrosis will progress and traditional medicine will be powerless.
Massage for cervical chondrosis can be performed, but it is advisable to entrust it to specialists so as not to aggravate the situation, especially if there are protrusions or hernias of the cervical spine. Before going to a massage therapist, you will need to take an x-ray or get a referral from a vertebrologist, neurologist or orthopedist.
Osteochondrosis is a disease that develops for a long time, so if it is detected in an advanced stage, one cannot hope for a quick cure with the help of traditional medicine. Thus, the patient loses time and the disease progresses at this time. At the initial stage, the symptoms of chondrosis can be eliminated within 1-2 years using all available methods, including folk methods. It will take much longer to process an advanced process.