Treatment of cervical osteochondrosis with folk remedies can be used in addition to the main therapy or after its completion, in the stage of stable remission.
Homemade tinctures and rubbing work well for discomfort and not-so-intense pain, as well as relieving morning stiffness. They have a mild analgesic, decongestant and anti-inflammatory effect.
General rules
In order for the effect of traditional medicine to be as effective as possible, it is better to agree on prescriptions with your doctor in advance. This will serve as a guarantee of the safety and adequacy of home methods. Furthermore, even seemingly harmless herbal teas and compresses can distort the effect of medications and increase the risk of adverse reactions.
Components with a rather high toxicity should be used with special care, for example, kerosene, as well as unknown plants and herbs whose names are not found in medical reference books.
Homemade ointments and lotions are effective only for mild to moderate pain. They will help relieve pain caused by changes in the weather, severe physical exertion, or hypothermia. However, traditional methods of treatment are unable to restore damaged vertebrae and intervertebral discs.
Typical symptoms: how to recognize chondrosis
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is accompanied by symptoms that are difficult to ignore. Even in the early stages, it can manifest itself:
- discomfort and pain in the neck, nape, arms and shoulder girdle. The exact location and intensity of the pain depend on the location of the lesion;
- decreased sensitivity and numbness, which is most often noticed in the hands, and especially in the hands;
- decrease in strength and muscle tone.
In addition to the above, symptoms of autonomic nervous system disorders may appear: increased sweating, redness or whitening of the skin, muscle swelling and chest pain. The latter are often mistaken for heart problems, so many patients seek the help of a cardiologist first.
If vertebral artery compression occurs, headaches and dizziness, noise or ringing in the ears, a lumpy feeling in the throat and difficulty swallowing occur. In rare cases, nausea and vomiting are possible.
How to treat
To treat osteochondrosis at home, various ointments, rubs, compresses, lotions, as well as infusions and decoctions for oral administration are used. Massage sessions and exercise will help increase the effectiveness of the therapy.
Before starting treatment, it is recommended to perform a tolerance test, especially if you are prone to allergic reactions. A pea-sized amount is applied to the elbow or wrist. If after an hour there is no redness, itching or other signs of allergy, the procedure can be done safely.
Means for oral administration - decoctions or infusions - first take half a teaspoon. Therapy is continued in the absence of symptoms such as nausea, heartburn, flatulence, headache or increased blood pressure.
Quick pain relief techniques
Several remedies can be used to quickly eliminate sudden pain that appears unexpectedly:
- rub sore spots with vodka or alcohol diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio;
- stick the pepper patch for half an hour. If the pain persists, you can hold it for another twenty minutes and then take it off;
- 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 shouldn't be hot;
- attach a lightly rubbed cabbage leaf with laundry soap to the sore spot;
- put mustard plasters for ten to fifteen minutes;
- do a self massage by pressing on the painful points for three minutes.
ATTENTION: in folk treatment only pharmaceutical, not industrial turpentine is used. It may also be called "turpentine oil", which is prescribed for neuralgia, myalgia (muscle pain), low back pain and rheumatism.
Rubbing
For cervical chondrosis, various herbal rubs and drugs are widely used. One of the best and most popular is a remedy with crushed pain relief tablets in the composition. There are several similar recipes, and here is one:
- Crush 5 tablets of anesthetic;
- pour in about 2/3 cup of alcohol;
- add 5 milliliters of camphor.
After thorough mixing, apply to the skin on the affected areas for 7-10 days.
CAUTION:Avoid the cervical lymph node area when rubbing.
Mother and stepmother
A 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 daily so that the nutrients are released faster. It is not necessary to filter the product, it is used for rubbing in case of discomfort.
Horseradish and elderberry
In a half-liter glass jar put a leaf and a chopped horseradish root, 3 tablespoons of elderberries and pour it all with alcohol, filling the jar up to the shoulders. Insist for a month, then use for rubbing. In case of a severe burn, you can dilute the mixture with water. This tincture well relieves painful sensations, especially after hypothermia.
Compresses and Applications
Medical applications and tablets for cervical osteochondrosis improve blood supply to the damaged segment, relieve neck stiffness and heaviness. They are prepared with herbs, flowers and rhizomes of various plants, as well as honey and vegetables.
Kerosene
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of kerosene in half a glass of hot water, moisten a bandage or gauze rolled several times in the solution. Squeezing it lightly, put it on your neck and hold for up to an hour. Then wash the skin with warm soapy water and rub with a towel.
Radish
Larger than average grilled or chopped black radish. 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. Keep it for up to an hour, then rinse the compress with warm water.
Horseradish leaves
This is one of the simpler folk recipes that only calls for one or a few horseradish leaves. They are scalded with boiling water and applied to the back of the neck. It is recommended to carry out the procedure at night, so you need to carefully wrap the leaves with a scarf.
Honey with potatoes
2 raw potatoes, peel, grate or otherwise mince. Squeeze the juice a little and add 1 tablespoon of honey. Wrap the resulting mass in a bandage or gauze, attach it to the neck and fix it with a bandage, placing transparent film under it. The duration of the procedure is 2 hours. The course of treatment consists of 10-15 applications.
Ozokerite wraps
Packs with ozokerite, or mountain wax, relieve pain, have an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and light compression effect. This substance has a low thermal conductivity with a high heat capacity, due to which it deeply warms the tissues and enriches them with oxygen and minerals.
Ozokerite is successfully used not only for cervical osteochondrosis, but also for the chest. First, a small amount of wax - about 30 g - must be melted, then poured into a container, on the bottom of which a film must be previously put. Then wait for it to cool down to a comfortable temperature and wrap the neck with a film of melted hot wax. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour, the number of sessions is up to 20.
ATTENTION:the agent should not be used in case of exacerbation of cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
Sour cream and comfrey
A large comfrey root is peeled and grated, then 1 tablespoon of low-fat sour cream is added. The dough is evenly distributed around the neck and fixed as in the previous recipe. It is necessary to remove the compress after about an hour. Usually 10 procedures are enough to remove the discomfort sensations.
Honey and salt
Honey is mixed with salt in equal proportions and spread with it on the neck, covering the top with a cloth and cellophane. To enhance the effect, you can warm the compress with a warm scarf or fluffy shawl.
Phytotherapy
Folk remedies for 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 area of the neck area of the neck.
Infusions and decoctions
Pine buds
Most infusions should be consumed 15-30 minutes before meals. The standard duration of a course of treatment is usually 3 weeks.
Pine sprouts are combined with sugar in a ratio of 2: 1 and stored in a cool dark place for 2 weeks. Take ½ tsp. by absorption in the mouth three times a day. This is a great tool that allows you to achieve stable remission, even with advanced forms of the disease.
To prepare the medicine, it is better to take kidneys of medium length, no more than 2 centimeters, since 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 st. L. 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, strain and divide into three parts, each of which is drunk within a day. To improve the taste and increase efficiency, you can add 1-2 tablespoons. L. honey.
Cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, folk healers advise to treat various decoctions. They are prepared from yarrow, plantain, sweet clover, dog rose, calendula and licorice. Almost all the recipes are the same: 1 tablespoon is taken for a glass of boiling water. L. vegetable raw materials. The decoctions are often consumed in 1/3 cup up to 3-4 times a day.
Sunflower roots
In a small container - a saucepan or saucepan - put 50 g of roots and pour a liter of water. After bringing the mixture to a boil, simmer it for about 40 minutes. After cooling, take 1 tbsp. L. 3-4 times a day after meals. The course of treatment is one week.
Sunflower roots are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals, but they are particularly rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium.
ATTENTION:the decoction of sunflower roots can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Conifers
Pour a liter of boiling water over a glass of spruce or pine needles and cook for half an hour. Drink a decoction of 1, 5 tbsp. L. 30-40 minutes after eating, within a month.
Dandelion
1 st. L. Prepare the dandelion flowers in a glass of hot water. After cooling, use the broth as a compress, placing the flowers on gauze or moistening it in a solution. Keep 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 drunk before meals three times a day.
Another remedy for internal intake is prepared from young flowers (about a glass), which are fermented in boiling water, dried and crushed. Add the juice of half a lemon and half a glass of honey. Take 1 tbsp. L. twice a day before meals. Store the sweet medicine in the refrigerator.
Monastic tea
Prepare this tea in a thermos with 1 teaspoon of herbs:
- burdock;
- wheatgrass;
- violets;
- veronica;
- burdock;
- strips.
Pour the ingredients with a liter of boiling water and leave to act for 3 hours. Drink like tea, half a glass twice a day, after meals. To improve the taste, you can add honey or lemon wedges to the drink.
Ointments
In case of osteochondrosis, the attending physician, as a rule, prescribes an ointment with an anti-inflammatory, warming or analgesic effect. However, you can make it yourself at home using available herbs and foods. Any butter, butter or vegetable is suitable as a base. You can add a choice of marigold, chamomile, eucalyptus, burdock, nettle or thyme.
Mustard Egg Ointment
Beat 3 egg whites with a mixer or whisk, add 50 grams of mustard powder and half a glass 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 and 1 tbsp. L. vinegar, half a glass of oil and 1 tbsp. L. Flour. After mixing thoroughly, remove the mass in a dark place and after 2 days remove the film formed on the surface. It is preferable to use the product in the evening, massaging it on the neck before going to bed.
Ginger ointment
Fresh ginger root is chopped in any convenient way - on a grater, in a blender or in a meat grinder - transferred to a mortar with 2 chopped and ground garlic cloves. Then the butter is added. If desired, a drop of citrus essential oil can be added to enhance the aroma.
Bathrooms
Taking a hot bath in the evening helps you fall asleep quickly, strengthens the immune system, improves blood circulation and nutrition of the vertebral structures. The effect of the procedure will be greatly enhanced if salt, herbal infusion or turpentine is added to the water.
A bath with hay dust is an old method of treatment that has practically no contraindications and is useful for both the sick and the healthy.
1 st. L. Dissolve the turpentine in half a glass of warm water and pour into a full bath. Both white and yellow turpentine will do. Take a bath for 20-25 minutes, then be sure to rinse in the shower and scrub with a terry towel.
Turpentine-based products, including baths, help reduce inflammation, activate blood circulation and stimulate recovery processes in damaged and worn intervertebral discs.
ATTENTION:turpentine treatment should be regular, of course. Individual 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 general bath. The duration of the procedure is half an hour.
The herbal tea is brewed in a thermos, which includes thyme, elecampane, birch buds, eucalyptus leaves and pine needles. If you take 1 tbsp. L. herbs, so a liter of water is needed. The mixture is infused for 3 hours, after which it is filtered and added to the bath. Take it for 30-40 minutes.
You can take a bath with normal table salt, based on 1 kg of salt per 20 liters of water. Such concentrated salt baths are taken 2 consecutive days, then they take a break for 1-3 days.