Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis is used both in combination with drug therapy and independently, depending on the patient's condition. The following types of physiotherapy are used for osteochondrosis: laser therapy, detenzor therapy, electrotherapy, shock wave therapy, magnetic field therapy, mud and balneotherapy, ultrasound therapy, ultraviolet radiation (UFO). After successfully relieving the exacerbation, massage and physiotherapy exercises are shown.
UFO:Under the influence of UVA, vitamin D is formed in the skin, which helps absorb calcium. The procedure is carried out using radiation devices that have bactericidal, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
Ultrasound therapy and phonophoresis:During ultrasound therapy, the body is exposed to high-frequency sounds (from 20 kHz or more). Due to its action, the method relieves pain of various localization. This method is combined with the introduction of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs (ultraphonophoresis) to achieve better penetration into the affected tissue.
Shock wave therapy:The method is to send an acoustic wave to a painful area on the body. This type: eliminates pain, improves microcirculation, improves metabolism.
Detenter therapy: The method is to stretch the spine with the patient's body weight.
Laser therapy:the method has a healing effect with helium-neon lasers. By activating bioelectrical processes in the tissues of the nervous system, laser therapy has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The laser radiation is carried out along the inflamed roots of the spine. In the case of osteochondrosis, an effect on the paravertebral zones of the affected spine is used.
Electrotherapy:Electrotherapy has a wide range of effects on the body: it eliminates pain and discomfort, improves nutrition and the trophism of the affected tissues. Impulse currents have a very effective therapeutic effect. Their mechanism of action on the body is determined by the effect on nerve receptors. Low-frequency impulses help erase acute pain and are prescribed as first aid for severe pain syndrome. The following types of current are used: diadynamic therapy (DDT), amplipulse therapy (SMT), interference therapy, transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation (TENS), electrical UHF field.
Magnetic therapy:Physiotherapy for osteochondrosis includes the use of magnetic therapy, which has decongestant, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effects. The inductors are placed on the affected spine and limbs.
Balneotherapy and mud therapy:Balneotherapy for osteochondrosis consists in the use of mineral waters (local and general baths, swimming pools, showers) for the purpose of treatment and rehabilitation. During the procedure, minerals penetrate the skin and act on receptors and nerve centers.
When treating with mud, the effect on the body occurs under the influence of the temperature and chemical composition of the healing mud. Mud is used in the form of applications.
Balneotherapy stimulates the metabolism, improves blood circulation and relieves inflammation and pain.
Combined methods of physiotherapy: most often, combined methods of physiotherapy are prescribed for osteochondrosis. For example, diadynamic therapy and electrophoresis (diadynamophoresis) using novocaine are used for severe pain. The acupuncture laser puncture method is used for a one-step effect on biologically active points. Its effect is to activate points with acupuncture needles and laser radiation.
Mud therapy is often used with electrotherapy (electrophoresis with mud solution, inductothermia with mud, galvanic mud therapy).
Joint treatment
All joint diseases can be divided into two main groups - joint lesions caused by metabolic disorders and joint inflammation. Of course, the joint treatment takes place according to its own special program.
Joint treatment,be it arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatism or any other condition, it must necessarily be complex, and the main task of treatment is to eliminate the cause of the disease and, consequently, the painful symptoms.
Treatment with modern techniques is aimed at eliminating or minimizing pain, signs of local or general inflammation and restoring the affected joints. The complex treatment usually begins with drug therapy.
The patient is prescribed pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs, drugs that help restore articular cartilage and strengthen the immune system. Treating them together at this stage can relieve the symptoms of pain. Often times, it involves administering drugs intra-articularly so that the therapeutic substance is delivered directly to the cavity of the diseased joint in the desired concentration. This increases the effectiveness of drug treatment.
When the main symptoms of the acute stage are safely eliminated, treatment is continued with the help of a complex of physiotherapeutic procedures, physical therapy exercises and massages. In particular, the treatment of joints with physiotherapeutic methods has found very broad application today.
Pulse currents (DDT, SMT), magnetic field therapy, EHF therapy, laser therapy, electrophoresis with drugs, ultrasound and phonophoresis are used. When the exacerbation subsides, balneotherapy (various baths) and mud therapy are combined. Physiotherapy and massage are prescribed.
Back pain treatment
There are many reasons for this pain. First of all, there may be excruciating pain due to a hernia (protrusion) of the intervertebral disc, osteochondrosis and pathology of the nervous system. Most often, back pain occurs in people who have been in the same position for a long time.
And yet the most common reason is a lack of exercise! This reduces blood flow to the ligaments, joints, and intervertebral discs, causing the cartilage that makes them to break down. The weakening of the ligamentous apparatus is the cause of all diseases of the spine. If pain occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor who will determine the cause, make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
To reduce the risk of back pain, you need to move more, control your weight, and do at least minimal exercise (15 minutes a day is enough).
Eating properly is also very important - it is one of the keys to good health and longevity, and the spine needs protein to maintain flexibility and calcium for strength. Calcium is found in large quantities in hard cheese, liver, nuts, cottage cheese, eggs, and protein in meat and dairy products. The bones and ligaments of the spine also need micro-elements: phosphorus (a lot of it in bran, peas, fish), magnesium and manganese (they are found in sea fish, onions, potatoes) and fatty acids - their source is walnuts, fatty sea fish and olive oil.
If the back pain worsens, treatment begins with medication - usually pain relievers, diuretics, and medications that relieve muscle spasms. However, there are no drugs without side effects, they are only used for a limited time, and most importantly, they do not eliminate the cause of back pain and do not prevent the disease from relapsing. In the acute phase, treatment methods such as traction and the wearing of collars and corsets are also used, which enable the diseased spine to be relieved.
In addition to emergency medicine - drugs that relieve muscle spasms and pain, the main treatment for osteochondrosis is physical therapy, which helps relieve pain in the acute phase of the disease, improve blood flow to tissues, and prevent malnutrition of ligaments, muscles and jointsand prevent movement disorders.
Modern physiotherapy is a branch of medicine that has a powerful arsenal of treatment tools in which two major blocks are distinguished - physiotherapy exercises with massage and electrotherapy. Therapeutic massage is one of the most effective methods of treating osteochondrosis and back pain because it improves blood flow to deep tissues and removes muscle blocks ("clamps") that are the main cause of severe pain.
One of the most effective methods of electrotherapy is drug electrophoresis - it is a means of targeted delivery of drugs to a diseased organ, thereby improving the blood supply to tissues.
Impulse currents - DDT, SMT - have a pronounced analgesic, antispasmodic and trophic effect. A laser, a magnetic laser, is also used to treat back pain. This method allows you to quickly relieve the swelling associated with inflammation and, accordingly, the pain in the edematous and compressed tissues.
Magnetic field therapy is used in the form of permanent or alternating magnetic fields; it is also able to quickly stop swelling and pain.
D'arsonval currents are effective - these are "ozonized" currents used to relieve painful muscle spasms, high frequency ultrasound vibrations that remove inflammation and help dissolve scars, thereby increasing tissue elasticity.
Physiotherapy plays a special role in physiotherapy. Their importance is often underestimated, and after all, without a full-fledged muscle corset, it is impossible to cure back pain and prevent osteochondrosis from recurring.
Physiotherapy is of particular importance in the event of trauma and in the postoperative phase. Its use will help prevent the recurrence of back pain caused by what are known as "motor stereotypes". For example, an office worker who sits at the computer all of his working day, or a salesperson whose main burden falls on his feet. The usual health-promoting gymnastics, yoga, Pilates and other exercises can also be very effective against "motor automatisms".
Treatment of neck pain
Pain can have a variety of causes, from muscle spasms to herniated discs in the cervical spine. Once neck pain occurs (due to a sharp turn of the head, uncomfortable posture while sleeping), it will most likely go away on its own in a few days.
To relieve pain, you just need to reduce the static load on the muscles of the neck (do not keep your head tilted for a long time), do not get carried away by excessive physical exertion, do not make sudden neck movements.
If the pain in the neck recurs constantly or frequently, accompanied by headache, numbness of the upper limbs, a full examination is needed.
Neck pain physiotherapy is aimed at relieving pain syndrome, improving blood circulation and microcirculation in the affected segment, achieving anti-inflammatory and anti-edema effects, eliminating metabolic and dystrophic disorders, and reducing movement disorders.
Physical factors are used in the stages of inpatient and outpatient treatment, after the patient is discharged from the hospital, as well as in early postoperative rehabilitation. In the acute phase: after 4-5 days (when the severity of the process subsides), laser therapy, pulse currents (SMT, DDT, interference currents), magnetic field therapy, UFO of the segmental zone, darsonvalization of the cervical collar zone of the spinal column and the occipital region of the head, electrophoresisof substances are prescribed local anesthesia, ganglia-blocking effect on painful areas.
In the subacute phase, phonophoresis with drugs, magnetic therapy, electrophoresis of drugs, electromagnetic microwave fields (SMV, UHF), laser therapy are used.
In the remission stage: Thermotherapy is connected, including ozokerite and mud therapy for the neck and collar zone, balneotherapy (iodine-bromine, turpentine, laurel, bishofite baths), underwater shower massage, therapeutic massage.
Back pain treatment
The feeling of pain in the lower back is caused by an imbalance in the muscle-ligament apparatus. In this case, soft tissues are microtraumatized, releasing excess chemical irritants (pain mediators). They cause muscle cramps and back pain.
The origin of lumbodynia is mainly associated with osteochondrosis, which is localized in the lumbar region. Lumbodynia is characterized by aching pain in the lower back with moderate or traumatic factors of lumbodynia: physical fatigue, systematic or excessive physical exertion; sharp movements; constant work in an "unphysiological" or prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position; Bruise of the lower back, hypothermia, cold, etc.
The treatment program for low back pain includes the following main points:
- Bed rest for eight to ten days. At the same time, the bed should be flat and firm. "Resting" on such a surface allows the back muscles to relax.
- Medical treatment for lumbago includes the use of sedatives and pain relievers, and the use of novocaine blocks (with sharply increasing pain).
From the methods of physiotherapy, you can use electrophoresis of analgesics, pulse currents and ultraviolet irradiation of segment zones. In an acute phase, the patient can be prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of tablets, injections, suppositories or ointments that relieve muscle spasms. Warming creams can only be used during the rehabilitation period (on the third day of the exacerbation). In the acute phase, they can cause swelling and increase pain.
- After the acute pain has been eliminated, lumbago treatment is continued with the help of exercise therapy, massage and manual therapy.
The main task at this stage is to strengthen the muscle corset and reduce the compression of the nerve roots. Special exercises against lumbago help normalize the metabolism, improve blood flow and nutrition of the intervertebral discs, relieve muscle tension, enlarge the intervertebral space and relieve the spine.
In addition, in the remission stage, acupuncture, hydromassage, mineral baths, mud therapy and other physiotherapy are prescribed (see Treatment of Back Pain). This improves blood circulation and has an anti-inflammatory and absorbent effect.
Physiotherapeutic treatment
Physiotherapy (from the Greek physis - nature and therapy), a branch of medicine that studies the healing properties of physical factors and develops methods of using them for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. In modern physiotherapy, magnetic, electric and electromagnetic fields of low, high, ultra-high and ultra-high frequency, artificial light radiation (from infrared to ultraviolet and monochromatic coherent), mechanical vibrations (from infrasound to ultrasound), etc. are used.
Physical factors have influenced humans throughout their evolution, so physiotherapy procedures have a greater physiological effect on the body than many drugs.
Physiotherapy treatment can be used both independently and in combination with drug therapy, manual therapy, massage, physiotherapy exercises. The variety of factors and techniques used in physiotherapy determines the possibilities for individual influencing of the body and targeted influence on the course of the disease without negative side effects.
Physiotherapy can be used in almost all areas of medicine: ENT medicine, gastroenterology, gynecology, urology, pulmonology, orthopedics and traumatology, neurology, surgery, cardiology and others.
There is a fairly wide range of physiotherapeutic treatments, namely mud therapy, hydrotherapy (various mineral and aromatic baths, underwater shower), magnetic field therapy, laser therapy, various types of current (galvanic, pulse, high frequency), electromagnetic waves UHF, microwave, EHF, inhalation herbs, halotherapy, Vibration traction device, physiotherapy room, staff of qualified masseurs.
Also in the department of physical treatment methods, therapeutic methods of acupuncture, electrical stimulation for various neurological diseases are carried out. All physiotherapeutic treatments are prescribed by the department's physiotherapist, taking into account the illness and general condition of the patient.
rehabilitation
Medical rehabilitation is a complex of therapeutic and prophylactic measures aimed at the greatest possible restoration of the lost abilities of the patient after various diseases.
Rehabilitation is also aimed at restoring the patient's muscle strength and preventing recurrence or complications. In medical rehabilitation today, it is not just about prescribing any kind of exercise after discharge from the hospital or physiotherapy at the end of the inpatient stay.
Rehabilitation is a complex of activities in which doctors from different fields participate - physiotherapists, masseurs, psychologists, speech therapists and others. As a result, it is a complex rehabilitation that allows the patient to fully recover, not just partially. The success of the treatment depends on the correct diagnosis and the optimally selected and performed treatment as well as on the correct and timely rehabilitation of the patient.
Rehabilitation has a single goal - to restore the patient's lost functions as completely as possible, based on the existing consequences of the injury or illness and the treatment performed.
Depending on the area of application, the rehabilitation can be: Orthopedic - it is carried out after injuries and operations for diseases of the musculoskeletal system, fractures, malformations of the spine and postural disorders. Neurological and neurosurgical rehabilitation is one of the most serious types of rehabilitation, since most specialists are involved in its implementation - neurologists, physiotherapists, masseurs, psychologists and psychiatrists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, etc.
This rehabilitation is necessary after injuries and operations on the nervous system (brain, spinal cord), diseases of the peripheral nervous system (nerve bundles), strokes, paresis and paralysis. Cardiac rehabilitation - rehabilitation after an acute heart attack, for diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
The aim of rehabilitation is the rapid regeneration of muscles with their atrophies during prolonged physical inactivity in order to restore the strength and tone of the limbs, restore the full range of motion of the joints after immobilization (after fractures), accelerate the regeneration of cartilage tissue, improve theTrophism of organ and bone tissue, increase in mobility with adhesions in the abdominal cavity after abdominal surgery, increase the general tone of the patient and improve the psycho-emotional state, alleviate pain and swelling after joint injuries, restore physical activity after strokes, paresis and paralysis as well as inthe postoperative period in patients after operations related to diseases and injuries to the musculoskeletal system (after injuries, fractures, bruises and sprains)
It is worth noting that the rehabilitation process itself is based on stimulating the patient's own abilities under external influence. Physical exercises, modern equipment will help stimulate local and general immunity, improve tissue repair processes, restore blood and lymphatic circulation.
The methods of medical rehabilitation include the following: remedial gymnastics, massage, exercise therapy, physiotherapy treatment, manual therapy, electromyostimulation (consists in improving the transmission of nerve impulses to the skeletal muscles), psychological help, speech therapy.
It should be noted that one of the key points of any rehabilitation is physiotherapeutic methods aimed at restoring lost functions and stimulating the patient's movements, accelerating reparative processes in tissues and organs, especially in the musculoskeletal, nervous and circulatory systems.
One of the advantages of physiotherapy methods is that they do not use drugs, which means there is no risk of allergic reactions and side effects, there is no drug addiction, and treatment methods are usually non-invasive.
A properly selected complex of the rehabilitation program will help the patient recover as soon as possible after an illness, injury or operation, gives him a sense of freedom of movement and the ability to communicate with others without restrictions.