Cervical chondrosis in the initial stage rarely manifests itself with any negative symptoms. According to statistics, only 10% of people have degenerative processes with all existing signs, which is why it is difficult to recognize and start treatment for osteochondrosis in a timely manner. Traditional medicine can slow down the course of the disease at stages 1 and 2, therefore 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 infringement of the vertebral arteries, the nervous tissue suffers from a lack of oxygen. Dizziness and even very severe 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, fatigue.
Poor cerebral circulation is accompanied by irritability. If osteochondrosis is not treated, a person may experience an ischemic stroke.
When turning and tilting the head, a screeching sound is heard. This occurs due to bone 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 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. The load on the spine and all joints in 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 rubs that stimulate lymph movement. As a result, salts cease to be deposited in the intervertebral discs and their elasticity is restored.
- Due to changes in hormonal levels, women can 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 spinal injuries, boost immunity and regulate endocrine disorders.
Doctors do not recommend diagnosing yourself and using folk recipes at your discretion. It is necessary to undergo 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 effect achieved with the help of herbs, homemade ointments, water treatments and physical exercise.
Rub and compress
There are many options for preparing a massage for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis. These can be alcohol-based medicines or rubbing oils.
Alcohol-based recipes:
- Chopped horseradish and diluted alcohol to 40 degrees (vodka will do). Mix both ingredients and leave for 2-3 days. Rub into the painful area for 2 weeks, then take a break for a week and repeat the course again.
- 200 g of crushed calendula flowers and the same amount of alcohol or vodka. Leave it for 2 weeks and then rub it on the back of your 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 and aloe vera juice. Take enough vodka and aloe juice with 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 mustard powder. Mix everything, rub into the skin and then rinse.
It is not recommended to use 96% alcohol as it can cause skin burns. Alcohol rubs should be used with caution if there are stains on the neck.
Alcohol-free rub:
- Half a glass of melted unsalted lard, 30 g of propolis. Combine the components, apply to the skin before bed and wrap with a warm cloth.
- Prepare 1 tablespoon of sage and banana. 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 on your neck 3 times a day and then wrap it with a scarf.
- A teaspoon of red pepper, a glass of camphor, a glass of medicinal 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 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 it to the neck, wrap it with film and a warm scarf. The procedure is carried out at night for 2 weeks.
- 2 tablespoons of honey per 1 grated fresh potato. The mixture is applied to the neck under a warm 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 higher than that of tea, because the substances from medicinal plants are extracted over a long period of time, from several hours to several days:
- Anesthetic infusion of pine buds. The raw material must be harvested in April, then finely chopped and covered with granulated sugar in a proportion of 1/2 cup of kidneys to 2 cups of 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 and then taken three times a day on an empty stomach, one tablespoon. The product helps to remove salts from the body. Initially, a negative reaction from the kidneys is possible, as the excess will be excreted through them.
- Garlic in lemon juice is a means of stimulating the immune system and increasing 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 for 2 hours, after which you can drink half a glass after meals once a day.
- A remedy against inflammation and relief of swelling in the neck with 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 course of treatment is 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
For osteochondrosis of the neck, hot baths with additives help a lot. Such procedures help to relax the muscles. They should be performed 2 to 3 times a week. Duration of at least 15 minutes.
Before taking a shower, you can make concentrated supplements:
- Dissolve 2 kg of sea salt in 2 liters of hot water and pour into the bathtub.
- To relieve inflammation in the acute period, add 50 ml of turpentine to the water. Immerse yourself 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 filtered and placed in a bathtub.
- Chamomile concentrate helps relieve inflammation and relax muscles. To do this, boil a bunch 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 applies to hypertension and the 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 subsides, 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.
Hot procedures work especially well in autumn and winter, as people with osteochondrosis are sensitive to cold and weather changes.
Homemade ointments
Homemade ointments are as effective as those purchased at the pharmacy. It is recommended to try making 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 find juniper nearby, you need to collect needles from it and grind it with a coffee grinder. You will need 1 tsp.
Then grind the dry bay leaf - you need 6 teaspoons. Mix the two powders and add 100 g of homemade butter. The ointment works 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.
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. Dip a small waffle towel in the liquid and apply it to the sore spot on your spine. While the compress works, the person needs to be covered with a warm blanket. The duration of treatment is 1 month, but the compresses need to be done 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 to neck and wrap in a scarf for 3 hours. Apply the compress every day before 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 substances will penetrate the skin.
What else can help?
In addition to herbs, tinctures, ointments and compresses, it is essential 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 in the cervical spine. Before going to the massage therapist, you will have to take an x-ray or get a referral from a vertebrologist, neurologist or orthopedist.
Osteochondrosis is a long-term disease, therefore, if it is detected at an advanced stage, you cannot expect a quick recovery with the help of traditional medicine. Thus, the patient wastes time and the disease progresses at that 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.