Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis with folk remedies can be used as an adjunct to basic therapy or after its completion, in the stage of stable remission.
Homemade tinctures and rubs work well for discomfort and not very severe pain, as well as relieve morning stiffness. They have a mild analgesic, decongestant and anti-inflammatory effect.
General rules
In order for the effect of using traditional medicine to be as effective as possible, it is better to agree on the prescriptions with your doctor. This will serve as a guarantee for the safety and appropriateness of home methods. In addition, even seemingly harmless herbal infusions and compresses can impair the effect of pharmaceutical drugs and increase the risk of side effects.
Components with fairly high toxicity should be used with extreme caution - such as kerosene, as well as unknown plants and herbs whose names do not appear in medical directories.
Home ointments and lotions are effective only for mild to moderate pain. They will help relieve pain caused by changes in weather, heavy exercise or hypothermia. However, traditional treatments are unable to repair damaged vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
Typical symptoms: How to recognize chondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is accompanied by symptoms that are difficult to miss. Even in the early stages, it can occur:
- discomfort and pain in the neck, nape, arm and shoulder girdle. The exact location and intensity of the pain depends on the location of the lesion;
- decreased sensitivity and tingling, which is more common in the hands and especially in the hands;
- decrease in muscle strength and tone.
In addition to the above, symptoms of autonomic disorders may occur - increased sweating, redness or pallor of the skin, swelling of the muscles and chest pain. The latter are often confused with heart problems, so many patients seek help first from a cardiologist.
If there is compression of the spinal artery, then there are headaches and dizziness, tinnitus or tinnitus, a lump in the throat and difficulty swallowing. In rare cases, nausea and vomiting are possible.
How to treat
Various ointments, rubs, compresses, lotions, as well as infusions and decoctions for oral administration are used to treat osteochondrosis at home. Massage sessions and exercises will help increase the effectiveness of therapy.
It is recommended that a tolerance test be performed before starting treatment, especially if you are prone to allergic reactions. An amount the size of a pea is applied to the elbow or wrist. If after an hour there is no redness, itching or other signs of allergy, then the procedure can be safely performed.
Oral use - decoctions or infusions - first take half a teaspoon. Therapy is continued in the absence of symptoms such as nausea, heartburn, flatulence, headache or high blood pressure.
Techniques for quick pain relief
Several medications can be used to quickly relieve sudden pain that occurs unexpectedly:
- rub the sore spots with vodka or alcohol diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1;
- glue the pepper plaster for half an hour. If the pain persists, you can hold it for another twenty minutes and then remove it;
- make a compress on the neck with turpentine, diluted in half with warm water;
- take a bath with sea salt or medicinal herbs - chamomile, sage, mint. Bath water should not be hot;
- attach a green leaf, lightly rubbed with laundry soap, to the sore spot;
- apply mustard plasters for ten to fifteen minutes;
- do a self-massage by pressing the sore spots for three minutes.
ATTENTION:only pharmaceutical, not industrial turpentine is used in folk medicine. It can also be called "turpentine oil", which is prescribed for neuralgia, myalgia (muscle pain), lumbar lumbago and rheumatism.
friction
Cervical chondrosis uses extensive friction based on herbs and pharmaceuticals. One of the best and most popular is a drug with crushed tablets to relieve pain in the composition. There are several similar recipes and here is one of them:
- Crush 5 anesthetic tablets;
- pour about 2/3 cup of alcohol in them;
- add 5 milliliters of camphor.
After mixing thoroughly, apply on the skin on the affected areas for 7-10 days.
WARNING:avoid the area of the cervical lymph nodes during rubbing.
Mother and stepmother
1/3 plant is placed in a dark glass jar, vodka is added on top and removed to infuse for a month. The container is shaken every day so that the nutrients are released faster. You do not need to filter the product; it is used for rubbing when discomfort occurs.
Horseradish and elderberry
In a half-liter glass jar put a leaf and a chopped horseradish root, 3 tablespoons of elderberry and pour all the alcohol, filling the jar to the shoulders. Insist for a month, then use for rubbing. In case of severe burns, you can dilute the mixture with water. This tincture relieves pain well, especially after hypothermia.
Compresses and applications
Medical applications and compresses for cervical osteochondrosis improve the blood supply to the damaged segment, relieve stiffness and heaviness of the neck. They are prepared from herbs, flowers and rhizomes of various plants, as well as honey and vegetables.
Kerosene
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of kerosene in half a glass of heated water, moisten a bandage or gauze wrapped several times in the solution. Squeeze lightly, place it around your neck and hold for an hour at most. Then wash the skin with warm water and soap and rub with a towel.
Radish
Grate or grind a larger black radish of medium size. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and honey (preferably thick), mix well. Spread the resulting mass on the back of the neck, cover with polyethylene and cotton cloth. Hold for a maximum of an hour, then wash the compress with warm water.
Horseradish leaves
This is one of the simplest folk recipes that requires only one or a few horseradish leaves. They are scalded with boiling water and applied to the back of the neck. The procedure is recommended to be done at night, so you need to carefully wrap the leaves with a scarf.
Honey with potatoes
2 raw potatoes, peel, grate or cut in another way. Squeeze the juice a little and add 1 tablespoon of honey. Wrap the resulting mass in a bandage or gauze, attach to the neck and fix it with a bandage, placing glue under it. The duration of the procedure is 2 hours. The course of treatment consists of 10-15 applications.
Ozokerite shells
Ozokerite, or mountain wax, shells relieve pain, have antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and mild compressive action. This substance has a low thermal conductivity with a high heat capacity, due to which it deeply heats the tissues and enriches them with oxygen and minerals.
Ozokerite has been used successfully not only for cervical but also for thoracic osteochondrosis. First, a small amount of wax - about 30 g - should be melted, then poured into a container, at the bottom of which must first be placed a film. Then wait until it cools to a comfortable temperature and wrap the neck with a film of melted warm wax. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour, the number of sessions is up to 20.
WARNING:The agent should not be used in case of exacerbation of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
Sour cream and black oman
Peel and grate a large black comfrey root, then add 1 tablespoon of low-fat sour cream. The mixture is distributed evenly around the neck and fixed as in the previous recipe. You should remove the compress after about an hour. Usually 10 procedures are enough to eliminate the discomfort.
Honey and salt
The honey is mixed with salt in equal proportions and spread on the neck, covering the top with cloth and cellophane. To enhance the effect, you can warm the compress with a warm scarf or fluffy scarf.
Phytotherapy
Folk remedies for the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis also include rubbing infusions of coltsfoot, celery, elderberry and pine needles. It is very useful to rub the juice of plantain, nettle, burdock and aloe in the neck area.
Infusions and decoctions
Pine buds
Most infusions are best consumed 15-30 minutes before meals. The standard duration of treatment is usually 3 weeks.
Pine buds are combined with sugar in a ratio of 2: 1 and stored in a dark, cool place for 2 weeks. Take ½ teaspoon by absorption in the mouth three times a day. This is a very good tool that allows you to achieve stable remission even in advanced forms of the disease.
For the preparation of the drug it is better to take kidneys of medium length, not more than 2 centimeters, as large kidneys contain less biologically active substances. They are collected in early spring, washed, dried, well crushed before use. The finished product turns brown and is stored for a long time due to phytoncides and other natural preservatives in the composition.
Pine cones and needles
1 tbsp. pour cones and needles with half a liter of boiling water and keep in a water bath for about half an hour. Then cool the finished broth, filter and divide into three parts, each of which should be drunk within a day. To improve the taste and increase efficiency, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of honey.
Cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, folk healers advise to treat various decoctions. They are prepared from yarrow, plantain, sweet clover, rose hips, calendula and licorice. Almost all recipes are the same: 1 teaspoon is taken for a glass of boiling water. l. vegetable raw materials. Most often, decoctions are consumed 1/3 cup up to 3-4 times a day.
Sunflower roots
In a small bowl - pot or saucepan - put 50 g of roots and pour a liter of water. After the mixture boils, simmer for about 40 minutes. After cooling, take 1 tbsp 3-4 times daily after meals. The course of treatment is a week.
Sunflower roots are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals, but they are especially rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium.
WARNING:Sunflower root decoction can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Conifers
Pour a liter of boiling water a glass of spruce or pine needles and cook for half an hour. Drink a decoction of 1, 5 tbsp 30-40 minutes after meals, within a month.
Dandelion
1 tbsp. Boil dandelion flowers in a glass of hot water. After cooling, use the broth as a compress by placing the flowers on gauze or moistening it in a solution. Hold for 15-20 minutes, the full course consists of 10-12 daily procedures.
For ingestion, the same number of flowers should be boiled for 15 minutes, then drink before meals three times a day.
Another medicine for internal use is prepared from young flowers (about a cup), which are boiled in boiling water, dried and crushed. Add the juice of half a lemon and half a glass of honey. Take 1 tbsp. l. twice daily before meals. Store the sweet medicine in the refrigerator.
Monastic tea
Boil this tea in a thermos, taking 1 teaspoon of the herb:
- burdock;
- cereal grass;
- violets;
- вероника;
- burdock;
- stripes.
Fill the ingredients with a liter of boiling water and leave for 3 hours. Drink as tea, half a cup twice a day after meals. To improve the taste, you can add wedges of honey or lemon to the drink.
Ointments
In case of osteochondrosis, the doctor usually prescribes an ointment with anti-inflammatory, warming or analgesic effect. However, you can prepare it yourself at home, using herbs and available foods. Any oil, butter or vegetable is suitable as a base. You can add a selection of calendula, chamomile, eucalyptus, burdock, nettle or thyme to it.
Mustard-egg ointment
Beat 3 egg whites with a mixer or whisk, add 50 grams of mustard powder and half a cup of butter. Mix everything and remove the ointment in a dark place for 12 hours, then lubricate the neck for pain and stiffness.
Egg-vinegar
To prepare the ointment, combine 1 egg, 1 tbsp. l. vinegar, half a cup of butter and 1 tbsp. l. flour. After thorough mixing, remove the mass in a dark place and after 2 days remove the formed film on the surface. It is preferable to use the product at night, rubbing it into the neck before bed.
Ginger ointment
Cut the fresh ginger root in any convenient way - on a grater, in a blender or in a meat grinder - transfer to a mortar with 2 chopped garlic cloves and grind. Then oil is added. If desired, a drop of citrus essential oil can be added to enhance the aroma.
Baths
Taking a warm bath in the evening helps to fall asleep quickly, strengthens the immune system, improves blood circulation and nutrition of spinal structures. The effect of the procedure will be significantly enhanced if you add salt, herbal infusion or turpentine to the water.
The bath with hay powder is an old method of treatment, which has practically no contraindications and is useful for both sick and healthy people.
1 tbsp. Turpentine is dissolved in half a glass of warm water and poured into a filled bath. Both white and yellow turpentine will work. Take a bath for 20-25 minutes, then be sure to rinse in the shower and rub with a towel.
Turpentine products, including baths, help reduce inflammation, activate blood circulation and stimulate the recovery process in damaged and worn intervertebral discs.
WARNING:Turpentine treatment should be regular, of course. Single procedures - baths or compresses - will give only a temporary and insignificant effect.
½ cup of sea salt, can be mixed with additives, dissolved in a liter of hot water and added to the common bath. The duration of the procedure is half an hour.
Herbal tea is made in a thermos, which includes thyme, elecampane, birch buds, eucalyptus leaves and pine needles. If you take 1 tablespoon of herbs, then you need a liter of water. The mixture is infused for 3 hours, then filtered and added to the bath. Take it for 30-40 minutes.
You can bathe with common table salt based on 1 kg of salt per 20 liters of water. Such concentrated salt baths are made 2 days in a row, then take a break for 1-3 days.