All of us suffer from minor aches and pains now and again. But as we age, pain can turn out to be a more regular a part of our lives, especially in terms of our necks and backs.
Spondylosis – also called degenerative disc disease or osteoarthritis of the spine – is one of the vital common causes of neck and back pain in adults. It is usually very normal because it is a condition that comes with age.
While some people may not experience any symptoms of spondylosis, in the event you do have symptoms, you are probably on the lookout for one of the best ways to treat and manage pain, stiffness, muscle spasms, and more.
Below we describe how symptoms might be managed at home, non-surgical treatments by doctors and specialists, and when more advanced spinal care, equivalent to surgery, could also be really useful.
Spondylosis treatment options at home
Whether you suffer from cervical (neck), thoracic (middle back) or lumbar (lower back) spondylosis, you should know: What’s one of the best treatment for spondylosis?
The reality is that there isn’t a single “best” treatment, slightly a mix of therapies tailored to your unique symptoms. And a giant a part of that shall be finding what works so that you can manage your symptoms at home.
Combination of cold and heat therapy
Because spondylosis is a degenerative condition, pain and stiffness might be chronic for some people. But using a mix of cold and heat therapy when it is smart might be very helpful.
For instance, applying an ice or cold compress after exercise or a flare-up of pain can assist reduce inflammation and numb pain. But regular use of a heating pad or hot compress can improve blood flow, loosen up muscles and joints, and speed healing.
For those who are using an ice pack or cold compress, apply ice to your neck or back for 15-20 minutes several times a day. For those who use heat, the identical recommendations apply, although you may apply low heat for as much as two hours at a time.
Nevertheless, remember to use a towel between ice packs or heating pads as a protective barrier and monitor your skin to scale back the danger of burns. As well as, we advise against using heat or cold therapy in the event you suffer from neuropathy or other sensory deficits.
Medicines to alleviate the symptoms of spondylosis
There isn’t a specific “cure for spondylosis”. Relatively, there are quite a lot of over-the-counter and prescription medications which may be really useful to assist relieve pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms related to spondylosis.
NSAIDs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, equivalent to ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), are commonly really useful for pain and inflammation relief. They can be found at any pharmacy and not using a prescription, but it is necessary to follow the dosage recommendations. It’s best to also check with your doctor before starting a latest medication.
Oral corticosteroids
If over-the-counter pain medications don’t provide enough pain relief, your doctor may prescribe oral corticosteroids for short-term use. This sort of medication works by acting like a selected hormone in your body that naturally reduces inflammation which may be causing your pain and discomfort.
Muscle relaxants
Muscle spasms are uncontrollable, often painful muscle spasms. If you have got muscle spasms related to spondylosis, your doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxant.
Muscle relaxants are taken orally and act on the central nervous system to forestall the brain from receiving pain signals from the nerves. Which means that if nerve pain related to muscle spasms is considered one of the symptoms of spondylosis, muscle relaxants is usually a helpful addition to your treatment regimen.
Antidepressants
You have probably heard how antidepressants help stabilize and improve various mood disorders. But it’s possible you’ll not know that they’ve also turn out to be a tool used to combat chronic pain ailments all around the body, including the neck and back.
While doctors aren’t entirely sure why antidepressants help with spondylosis pain, it’s possible that the sort of medication triggers the discharge of chemicals within the body that reduce the pain signal. Nevertheless it’s essential to know that antidepressants take time to work and must be taken day by day to keep up their positive effects, equivalent to pain relief.
Anticonvulsants
Antiepileptic drugs as treatment of spondylosis? In some cases yes. Depending in your overall health, health history, and diagnosis of spondylosis, the sort of prescription medication could also be really useful to dam pain signals related to nerve irritation or compression.
Prescription opioids
Although rare, opioids equivalent to hydrocodone (Vicodin) and oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet) could also be prescribed for short-term pain relief while healing from injury or surgery. Nevertheless, opioids are powerful drugs, and overuse can result in addiction, and in the long term, they will make pain worse. Subsequently, they need to only be used as directed, and not as a long-term treatment for spondylosis or another condition – aside from comfort care within the event of a terminal illness.
Lifestyle changes
Taking steps towards a healthy, lively lifestyle is significant to improving your overall health. So, making some lifestyle selections can assist reduce neck and back pain and improve your quality of life. Some essential lifestyle considerations include:
- Being lively Regular physical activity is among the best things you may do to administer and treat the symptoms of spondylosis. That is because activity keeps your body primed to work, helping you maintain balance, stability, range of motion, a healthy weight, and more. For starters, in the event you normally sit for long periods of time, just 5-10 minutes of walking at intervals throughout the day will help. But spinal physiotherapy, which we’ll talk more about later, can be a vital and helpful tool in treating spondylosis.
- Eating a healthy, balanced eating regimen – A balanced eating regimen can provide help to avoid excessive weight gain, and when combined with regular exercise can provide help to shed extra weight that may contribute to neck and back pain. It’s best to attempt to work in as many nutrient-rich foods as possible, equivalent to whole grains, fruits, lean meats, and vegetables, while limiting processed foods.
- Stress reduction – Less stress can assist reduce tension within the neck, shoulder and back muscles. Deep respiration, meditation, taking a brief break from a task, or listening to soothing music are easy ways to alleviate common day by day stressors.
- Sufficient sleep – Getting the fitting amount of rest each night is a vital a part of the body’s repair and recovery process. Create a night routine that promotes leisure before going to bed. Also, try to control your surroundings in order that heat, cold, or noise doesn’t wake you up or wake you up.
Back straps and soft neck collars
Sometimes doctors recommend back braces and soft cervical collars, that are used to limit movement in order that the spinal muscles can rest while providing support.
Nevertheless, wearing a brace or collar is commonly only done for a short while. That is because restricting movement and providing extra support for too long can result in decreased muscle strength, which might increase back and neck problems.
Specialized treatments for spondylosis
Along with managing symptoms at home, additional therapies with the assistance of specialists may additionally be essential.
Spine physiotherapy
As mentioned earlier, physical activity is essential to keeping your body fit. But a vital a part of treating spondylosis is targeting specific areas of the spine which have weakened with age and working to make them stronger. That is where physiotherapy is available in.
Spinal physiotherapists are experts in moving the body. They’ll provide help to learn specific exercises to strengthen and condition your neck, mid back, and lower back to alleviate and even treat pain.
Depending on how long you’ve got been managing your pain, a more intense physiotherapy program, equivalent to TRIA’s Neck and Back Strengthening Program, could also be really useful. These spine strengthening programs are specifically designed for individuals who suffer from chronic pain.
chiropractic therapy
Chiropractic care is an option for managing the symptoms of neck and back spondylosis. Along with hot and cold therapy, ultrasound, and massage, chiropractors often perform spinal adjustments — also often called spinal manipulations — to assist reduce pain.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a conventional Eastern medicine practice that may reduce back pain in most individuals who try it. During a session, a trained acupuncturist inserts extremely advantageous needles at strategic points and at different depths in several parts of the body to stimulate blood flow, release hormones that may improve mood, and block pain signals to scale back pain.
Injection therapy
Injections are minimally invasive treatments that may provide longer, short-term relief. We are saying “longer, short term” because while they will provide significant pain relief, the consequences are temporary. On average, steroid injections relieve pain for 3 months, although some may experience relief for as much as six months.
When is cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine surgery really useful?
Surgery is used as a treatment for spondylosis in very specific cases. For instance, if spondylosis has resulted in compression of a nerve or spinal cord, surgery could also be vital to alleviate pressure that’s causing pain, numbness, or weakness within the spine and other limbs. As well as, surgery could also be really useful to stabilize parts of the spine to forestall abnormal movement of the vertebrae and relieve pain.
Don’t underestimate neck and back pain
While you may’t stop the aging process, you may take steps to administer and even perhaps cure neck and back pain attributable to spondylosis.
Taking up-the-counter painkillers whenever you need them, icing or heating sore spots, and staying lively are key to managing painful symptoms. But working with a spinal physiotherapist can assist strengthen your neck and back to scale back and even heal pain.
Nevertheless, if home remedies and physical therapy have lost their effectiveness, or you might be experiencing latest pain, the next move could also be to work together with your spine specialist to debate other treatment options, equivalent to injections or surgery.