Cervical chondrosis in the initial stage rarely manifests itself with negative symptoms. According to statistics, only 10% of people experience degenerative processes with all existing signs, so it is difficult to recognize and begin treatment of osteochondrosis in a timely manner. Traditional medicine can slow the course of the disease in stages 1 and 2, so it is recommended to use it as an auxiliary method.
Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis
To choose treatment at home, you need to know exactly the cause of the pain. Hardware diagnostics will help: X-ray, MRI, ultrasound.
The main danger of cervical osteochondrosis is for the brain, since due to the violation of the vertebral arteries, the nervous tissue experiences a lack of oxygen. Dizziness and even very strong 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, unsteady gait;
- if hypoxia affects the cerebellum, hearing and vision may be impaired;
- weakness, tiredness.
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, you hear a creaking sound. This occurs due to bone growths - osteophytes, located along the edges of the vertebrae.
The pain sometimes occurs not only in the neck, but also in the chest. Such symptoms can easily be confused with an angina attack.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis using traditional methods
There are several reasons that can cause degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. Depending on the provoking factor, folk remedies are selected.
Reasons leading to disc deformation:
- Obesity. It increases the load on the spine and all joints of the body. Taking herbal tinctures will help normalize the 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 rubs that stimulate the movement of the lymph. As a result, salts cease to be deposited in the intervertebral discs and their elasticity is restored.
- Due to changes in hormone levels, women may experience bone osteoporosis in adulthood. Herbal supplements containing estrogen-like substances can compensate for the lack of hormones.
Traditional methods can be used to treat after a spinal injury, increase immunity and regulate endocrine disorders.
Doctors do not recommend diagnosing yourself and using popular 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, physical therapy. You can maintain the effect achieved with the help of herbs, homemade ointments, water treatments and exercise.
Rubs and compresses
There are many options for preparing a rub for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck. These can be alcohol-based medications or oil rubs.
Alcohol-based recipes:
- Chopped horseradish and alcohol diluted to 40 degrees (vodka will do). Mix both ingredients and leave for 2-3 days. Massage on the painful area for 2 weeks, then take a break for a week and repeat the treatment again.
- 200 g of crushed calendula flowers and the same amount of alcohol or vodka. Leave for 2 weeks, then massage onto the back of the neck. Course – 2 weeks.
- For 200 ml of vodka, take 10 drops of iodine and camphor, mix everything. Grind 10 tablets of metamizole sodium into powder and add to the grinding. Use as an analgesic during exacerbation of osteochondrosis.
- Rub with honey, vodka, aloe juice. Take enough vodka and aloe juice for 2 tablespoons of honey to form a thick mixture. It can be rubbed into the neck at night, then washed off. Also used as a compress.
- 100 ml of vodka or alcohol, 3 egg whites, 1 tablespoon of mustard powder. Mix everything, rub into your 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 moles are present on the neck.
Alcohol-free rub:
- Half a glass of unsalted melted lard, 30 g of propolis. Combine the components, then apply to the skin before bedtime, wrap with a warm cloth.
- Prepare 1 tablespoon each of sage and plantain. Dissolve 40 g of Vaseline and mix with 50 ml of olive oil. Pour in the herbs. Leave for 2 weeks. Rub the skin on your neck 3 times a day, then wrap it with a scarf.
- A teaspoon of chili pepper, a glass of camphor, a glass of medical bile. Mix everything and rub your neck after lubricating your 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 a moistened gauze to the affected area. Relieves pain, improves mobility. With regular use, the symptoms of osteochondrosis are eliminated.
Compresses can be made with the following substances:
- Refined kerosene. Moisten the gauze, apply to the neck, wrap with film and a warm scarf. The procedure is performed at night for 2 weeks.
- 2 tablespoons of honey for 1 freshly grated potato. The mixture is applied to the neck under a warming 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 with a scarf.
Herbal tinctures and decoctions
The effectiveness of tinctures is higher than that of tea, because the substances of medicinal plants undergo long-term extraction from several hours to several days:
- Anesthetic infusion of pine buds. Raw materials must be harvested in April, then finely chopped and coated with granulated sugar at a ratio of 1/2 cup kidneys to 2 cups sugar. Within 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 medicine 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 on the part of the kidneys is possible, since the excess will be excreted through them.
- Garlic in lemon juice is a means of stimulating the immune system and improving the protective properties of the body. Grind 200 g of peeled garlic cloves, squeeze the juice of 4 lemons, mix everything and add a glass of water. Leave for 2 hours, after which you can drink half a glass after meals once a day.
- A remedy against inflammation and relieves swelling of the neck with osteochondrosis. Boil a spoonful 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 against rheumatism and osteochondrosis. The course of treatment lasts 2 weeks or until the symptoms of inflammation disappear.
An allergic reaction may occur when consuming some herbs. In this case, stop taking the tincture. It is recommended to try another remedy.
Therapeutic baths
With osteochondrosis of the neck, warm baths with additives help well. Such procedures help to relax the muscles. They should be done 2-3 times a week. Duration of at least 15 minutes.
Before bathing you can prepare concentrated supplements:
- Dissolve 2 kg of sea salt in 2 liters of hot water and pour it into the bathtub.
- To relieve inflammation in the acute period, add 50 ml of turpentine to the water. Immerse completely, including the neck area.
- A bottle of pine extract must be diluted in water. Sometimes fresh pine needles are collected and boiled in a large container for an hour, then strained and poured into a vat.
- Chamomile concentrate helps relieve inflammation and relax muscles. To do this, boil a pack of dried flowers in 2 liters of water for half an hour, leave for an hour, strain and add to the water.
If you have cancer, you should not take herbs and hot baths. The same applies to hypertension and the tendency to allergic skin reactions.
Heating
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home can be carried out using warming procedures. However, you need to be sure that there is no inflammatory process. You can try using a heating pad. If the pain has decreased, the heat will be beneficial. Some people find cold compresses helpful during a flare-up, while hot compresses only make the pain worse.
Contrast procedures, such as immersion in ice water after a steam bath, are not recommended.
Warm procedures work especially well in autumn and winter, as people with osteochondrosis are sensitive to cold and climate changes.
Homemade ointments
Homemade ointments are as effective as those purchased at the pharmacy. We recommend trying to make 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 pine cones and fat in a 2/1 ratio.
If you can find juniper nearby, you need to collect its needles and grind it with a coffee grinder. You will need 1 tsp.
Next, grind the dried bay leaf - you will need 6 teaspoons. Mix both 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 cartilage lining between the vertebrae.
Recipes with sea salt 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. Soak a small waffle towel in the liquid and apply it to the sore spot on your spine. While the compress works, the person should be covered with a warm blanket. The duration of the 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 until it forms a flat cake. Apply it on your neck and wrap it with a scarf for 3 hours. Apply the compress every day before going to bed for a week.
Three times a week you can add sea salt to the bath or use special salt-based preparations with chondroitin and glucosamine. In this case, the active ingredients 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 to increase muscle tone. Through them, all substances will penetrate the cartilaginous 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 done, 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 masseur, you will need to take an x-ray or get advice from a vertebrologist, neurologist or orthopedist.
Osteochondrosis is a disease that develops long-term, so if it is detected at an advanced stage, one cannot hope for a quick recovery with the help of traditional medicine. Therefore, the patient wastes 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 traditional ones. It will take much longer to treat an advanced process.