The right diet for osteochondrosis helps not only slow down the progression of a dangerous disease, but also significantly improve the quality of human life. It is no secret that the pathological processes that occur during illness: damage to the intervertebral discs, vertebral bodies, their articular surfaces and fixing apparatus (ligaments) are dystrophic-degenerative changes in the main column of the musculoskeletal system, which negatively affect the functioning of all internal organs. This leads to the appearance of pains of a different nature: head and heart, dorsal, lumbar, neck.
Suffering is aggravated by exertion, sneezing or coughing, lifting heavy objects or sudden movements. Destructive changes provoke muscle atrophy, aching or numbness in the limbs, impaired sensitivity of the back. Unfortunately, modern medicine cannot completely cure this disease, but a well-composeda diet for osteochondrosis, along with a whole therapeutic complex, where doctors include exercise therapy, massage, medication, can significantly improve the condition of a sick person, alleviate suffering and support his activity.
The benefits of therapeutic nutrition for osteochondrosis
At the appointment with the attending neurologist, patients usually receive a memo that gives the basic principles of organizing a diet and the rules for its correction. Depending on the presence of concomitant diseases, the doctor may give additional recommendations on nutrition. How does a diet for osteochondrosis affect the body? It helps to normalize metabolic processes in the body, prevent the deposition of s alts in the spine, restore damaged cartilage tissue, strengthen the ligaments of the intervertebral discs, reduce excess weight, which increases the load on the musculoskeletal system and provokes the further development of the disease. Very often, in patients suffering from osteochondrosis, doctors diagnose obesity, which worsens the condition of a person and stimulates the degenerative process in the spine. Low-calorie nutrition, which is recommended for the main diet for this disease, allows you to reduce the patient's weight and lighten the load on the thinned cartilage tissue destroyed by the disease.
General principles of nutrition for osteochondrosis
In accordance with the Order of the Ministry of He alth of the Russian Federation (No. 330), neurologists recommend patients with the main dietary option for pathologies of the spine, and with concomitant obesity, they supplement it with a low-calorie diet.
The basic diet for osteochondrosis of the spine is a physiologically complete diet, which includes the optimal amount of proteins and fats, but significantly reduced the amount of carbohydrates (due to quickly digestible) and s alt. From the daily human need for nutrients, the following have been identified: proteins, the mass of which should be about 90 g (of which 50 g of protein is of animal origin); fats - 80 g (including vegetable - 30 g); carbohydrates - 330 g, of which simple should have a volume of no more than 40 g. The average daily calorie intake of a patient suffering from osteochondrosis does not exceed 2150-2400 kcal.
Eating mode
Most nutritionists are sure that fractional meals for an overweight patient, when he eats at least five or six times a day, is the most favorable schedule. In patients with normal body weight, the number of meals can be up to four or five times a day.
A proper diet for osteochondrosis with frequent meals allows you to eliminate excessive stress on the digestive tract, and, accordingly, improve the process of absorption of nutrients. In addition, such a routine for obesity will be a good prevention of overeating and fat deposits in the body. The final evening meal should be light and taken no later than 3 hours before bedtime.
Methods of cooking and drinking mode
Almost all types of cooking can be used in the nutrition of people suffering fromosteochondrosis, with the exception of frying: boiling and baking (without a crust), steaming and stewing in own juice or a little water. Of the recommended methods: meat and fish are first boiled or stewed a little, and only then fried a little.
When baking fruits, the fruits are wrapped in foil and then placed in the oven or steamed. The latter method is especially welcomed by doctors, as it allows you to minimally process products, while retaining most of the nutrients in them. Treatment of osteochondrosis, a diet in which abounds in micro- and macroelements involved in the exchange of osteocytes (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese), is much easier, exacerbations in this case occur much less frequently, prolonging periods of remission. To prevent dehydration of the body, it is also necessary to include the use of one and a half to two liters of clean water per day, in addition to first meals and drinks. This prevents the cartilage of the intervertebral discs from drying out and further destruction.
Allowed Foods
In a good diet for osteochondrosis, all the necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals should be present. Diets that exclude meat dishes are strictly prohibited for such patients. But this product - the most important supplier of proteins - must be natural and low-fat. The diet for osteochondrosis of the cervical and other vertebral zones should include: beef and veal, turkey, rabbit and chicken meat. Eggs and fish should also be componentsweekly diet so that the body can get natural calcium to strengthen the skeleton.
Fish and other seafood are cooked in their own juice or with a little vegetable oil. Eggs are consumed only boiled or cooked as a steam diet omelet. If the gastrointestinal tract tolerates dairy products well, then they must be included in the diet. Sour-milk drinks and cottage cheese can replace natural milk in case of intolerance or become another he althy component of the diet. Cheeses are an excellent source of calcium for patients with osteochondrosis, but overweight people should choose less high-calorie varieties of this product.
Also, in case of spinal disease, it is necessary to regulate the daily norm of s alt - no more than 3-4 g, sugar (which is better to replace with honey) - no more than 35 g. Do not forget about the "hidden" supply of these flavoring substances in products. Also in the diet for osteochondrosis are welcome: cereal cereals and rye bread, maximum gifts of nature (vegetables and fruits), buckwheat, vegetable oil, poultry liver and greens (the only exception is sorrel).
Unwanted and Prohibited Foods
One of the most insidious drinks for people suffering from back pain is coffee. It flushes out the calcium and other trace elements it needs from the body. In this case, juices or weak tea can serve as a substitute. If it’s difficult to give up your favorite energy drink, then caffeine is excluded,instead of which they use chicory.
It is advisable to give up pastries and sweets - they are high in calories and difficult to digest by the stomach. These products do not provide the body with useful energy, but provoke the formation of a fat layer.
Sweet grapes, sorrel (due to acid), strong drinks (tea and coffee), as well as sweet soda, spices (pepper, horseradish, mustard and others), spicy dishes, foods with food E-additives, adversely affecting the digestive and musculoskeletal systems, are undesirable components of the daily diet.
In addition to cakes, pastries, ice cream and marmalade, a diet for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and its other parts should not contain: rich broths and soups from them; margarine, as well as fats (culinary, lamb and beef); dried fish and marinades; canned meat and fish; sausage products; homemade and purchased pickles, smoked meats and lard.
Features of the diet for people suffering from cervical or lumbar osteochondrosis
What should a person diagnosed with cervical osteochondrosis eat? The diet of such patients should be based on vegetarian soups without fat, eggs, fish, seafood, lean meats, vegetables, fruits, unsweetened juices. "Treats" for intervertebral discs and vertebrae are: pears and apples, strawberries, raspberries, ground pear (Jerusalem artichoke), lentils, pumpkin, lettuce, hazelnuts and soy yogurts.
The diet of patients with osteochondrosis complicated by arthrosis requires increasedthe amount of protein in food, but prohibits whole milk, which can be replaced with fermented milk products. Their own dietary features exist for patients with a diagnosis of "lumbar osteochondrosis". A diet for people with affected vertebrae in this area can include any low-calorie weight loss foods to ease the burden on the diseased organ.
When exacerbated
During the deterioration of he alth in osteochondrosis, it is necessary to limit the consumption of broths, eggs and meat, exclude any fatty foods, do not drink alcoholic beverages, coffee or tea. Anyone who has not gotten rid of nicotine addiction needs to do so in order to effectively treat the disease.
During this period, patients are additionally prescribed multivitamins and recommended foods containing calcium, magnesium and B vitamins: fish and seafood, cabbage, legumes, nuts, wholemeal bread, cottage cheese, yogurt, fresh milk (not boiled).
About pseudo-diets…
With osteochondrosis, it is unacceptable to use various mono-diets that exclude the full provision of the body with nutrients, trace elements and vitamins. Rice, kefir, apple and other lean diets slow down the process of rehabilitation of destroyed cartilage tissue, increase the negative side effects of drug therapy, reduce the metabolic rate, provoking further weight gain.
Specialists are skeptical about the rice diet with the use of a raw product for a month and a half. The task isdiets - the withdrawal of toxins, according to its authors. However, in 45 days, any exacerbation resolves on its own, without any treatment. And the myth about the removal of toxins has long been debunked by professionals, since the constant renewal of the epithelium in the intestine does not allow "slags" to attach to its walls. In addition, in people with gastrointestinal problems, eating raw rice can exacerbate digestive diseases.
S alt-free diet may be useful for overweight patients suffering from osteochondrosis. It is known that 1 g of s alt is able to retain about 100 ml of moisture in the body, so the refusal of flavoring additives can help reduce weight and strain on the spine. In addition, a s alt-free diet for cervical osteochondrosis helps to reduce the number of attacks of hypertension and reduce headaches. But people are mistaken who claim that the rejection of s alt has a positive effect on the development of osteochondrosis of the sacro-lumbar spine, preventing the deposition of s alts in the destroyed area. This erroneous opinion does not withstand the criticism of professionals. All dystrophic changes and degenerative processes are associated exclusively with constant tension and overload in the joints, and destruction impairs blood supply, which leads to nutrient deficiency in cartilage and vertebrae. Thus, edible s alt has no effect on the state of the joints themselves and the spine. However, even a temporary refusal of s alt helps to restore taste buds, which can cause addiction to uns alted food. And this leads to favorable changes in the body as a whole.
Increased intake of calcium also does not relieve osteochondrosis, because it does not affect the dangerous changes in the intervertebral discs resulting from heavy overloads. The nutrition of people with spinal pathology should be complete and balanced.
