Cervical chondrosis in the initial stage is rarely manifested by any negative symptoms. According to statistics, only 10% of people have degenerative processes with all existing signs, so it is difficult to recognize and start treatment of osteochondrosis in time. Traditional medicine can slow down 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 a 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, because due to the injury of the vertebral arteries, the nervous tissue experiences 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 is manifested by:
- numbness of the hands, 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 can experience an ischemic stroke.
When turning and tilting the head, a crunching sound is heard. This happens 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 mistaken for an angina attack.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis with traditional methods
There are several reasons that can cause degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. Depending on the causative factor, folk remedies are selected.
Reasons that lead to disc deformation:
- obesity. The load on the spine and all joints in the body increases. Taking herbal tinctures will help normalize metabolism and free a person from 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 lymph. As a result, salts stop being deposited in the intervertebral discs and their elasticity is restored.
- Due to changes in hormonal levels, women can experience osteoporosis of the bones in adulthood. Herbal supplements that contain estrogen-like substances can compensate for hormone deficiency.
Traditional methods can be used for treatment after spinal cord injury, strengthening of immunity and regulation of endocrine disorders.
Doctors do not recommend making a diagnosis and using folk recipes at their own discretion. It is necessary to conduct an examination, determine the cause of the disease, and only then begin targeted treatment. In the initial phase, it is advisable to use all available methods - traditional medicine, drugs, physiotherapy, massage, exercise therapy. You can maintain the achieved effect with the help of medicinal herbs, homemade ointments, water treatments and physical exercise.
Rubbing and poultices
There are many options for preparing rubs for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the neck. These can be alcohol-based medications or oil rubs.
Recipes based on alcohol:
- Chopped horseradish and alcohol diluted to 40 degrees (vodka will do). Mix both ingredients and leave for 2-3 days. Rub the painful area for 2 weeks, then take a break for a week and repeat the course.
- 200 g of crushed marigold flowers and the same amount of alcohol or vodka. Leave for 2 weeks and then rub into 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 ground. It is used as a pain reliever during exacerbation of osteochondrosis.
- Rub with honey, vodka, aloe juice. Take enough vodka and aloe juice for 2 tablespoons of honey to make a thick mixture. It can be rubbed into the neck at night and then washed off. It is also used as a poultice.
- 100 ml of vodka or alcohol, 3 egg whites, 1 spoon of mustard powder. Mix everything, rub into the skin, then rinse.
The use of 96% alcohol is not recommended because it can cause skin burns. Alcohol rubs should be used with caution if there are moles on the neck.
Rubbing without alcohol:
- Half a glass of melted unsalted lard, 30 g of propolis. Mix the components, then apply to the skin before going to bed, wrap 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 hot pepper, a glass of camphor, a glass of medical bile. Mix everything and rub the neck after applying vegetable oil to the skin.
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. Regular use eliminates the symptoms of osteochondrosis.
Compresses can be made from the following substances:
- Refined kerosene. Moisten the gauze, apply to the neck, wrap with a film and a warm scarf. The procedure is performed at night for 2 weeks.
- 2 spoons of honey on 1 fresh grated potato. The mixture is applied to the neck under a heating cloth. The course is a week.
Pour boiling water or scald whole leaves of horseradish and thistle, then apply to the neck and wrap with a scarf.
Herbal tinctures and decoctions
The effectiveness of tinctures is higher than that of tea, because substances from medicinal plants are subjected to long-term extraction from several hours to several days:
- Anesthetic infusion of pine buds. The raw material must be collected in the month of April, then finely chopped and covered with granulated sugar in the ratio of 1/2 - a cup of kidney beans 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 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 at a time. The product helps to remove salt from the body. In the beginning, a negative reaction of the kidneys is possible, because the excess will be excreted through them.
- Garlic in lemon juice is a means of stimulating the immune system and strengthening 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.
- Medicine against inflammation and removal of neck swelling in 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 kerosene - 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 plants. In this case, stop taking the tincture. It is recommended to try another drug.
Therapeutic baths
Warm baths with additives help well with osteochondrosis of the neck. Such procedures help to relax the muscles. They should be performed 2-3 times a week. Duration at least 15 minutes.
Before bathing, you can make 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 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 pot for an hour, then filtered and poured into the bath.
- Chamomile concentrate helps relieve inflammation and relax muscles. To do this, boil a package 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 a tendency to allergic skin reactions.
Warming up
Treatment of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine at home can be carried out by heating procedures. However, you must make sure that there is no inflammatory process. You can try using a heating pad. If the pain has subsided, then heat will be helpful. Some people find that cold compresses help during an exacerbation, while warm compresses only make the pain worse.
Contrast procedures, for example, immersion in ice water after a steam bath, are not recommended.
Warm procedures work especially well in autumn and winter, because people with osteochondrosis are sensitive to cold and weather changes.
Homemade fats
Homemade ointments are just as effective as those bought at the pharmacy. It is recommended to try making a mixture of hop cones and melted lard. To do this, the collected pine cones should be crushed, and the fat should be heated to a liquid state. Mix pine cones and lard in a ratio of 2/1.
If you can find a juniper nearby, you need to collect the needles from it and grind it using a coffee grinder. You will need 1 tsp.
Then grind the dried bay leaf - you need 6 teaspoons. Mix both 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 cartilage 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 painful area on the spine. While the compress is working, the person needs to be covered with a warm blanket. The duration of the treatment is 1 month, and the wraps 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 to get 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.
You can add sea salt to the bath three times a week or use special preparations based on salt 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 poultices, it is necessary to increase the mobility of the cervical spine in order to increase muscle tone. Through them, all substances will penetrate 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 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 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 over a long period of time, so if it is detected at an advanced stage, one cannot hope for a quick recovery with the help of traditional medicine. Thus, the patient is wasting time, and the disease is currently progressing. In the initial stage, 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.