Losses of peripheral nerves and disturbances in their functions are quite common. The disease is accompanied by intense, acute pain in the area of innervation of the nerve fiber and along its entire length. The treatment of neuralgia must be approached competently and with extreme caution, as it affects the extremely complex system of our body. This article will provide information on how this disease manifests itself and how to deal with it at home.
What is neuralgia?
Peripheral nerve receptors transmit information about the state of individual systems and organs to the brain and spinal cord. As a result of squeezing the nerve section in a certain place, the information entering the necessary departments is distorted and the person feels a sharp pain.
Our body is equipped with so-called tunnels for the passage of nerves. In places where these channels are narrowed, there is a possibility of infringement. It is in these areas of the body that pathology most often begins to progress. The pathogenesis of the disease directly depends on the degree of irritation of the nerve process. This is one of the criteria by whichclassified as neuritis. Doctors identify a number of specific nerves that the disease affects in the first place, they include:
- intercostal;
- dorsal;
- occipital;
- lingopharyngeal;
- triple;
- ischial.
The symptoms and treatment of neuralgia is usually handled by a specialist neurologist. According to etiology, the disease is divided into primary and secondary. It is important that the diagnosis is made correctly, since the treatment of these varieties differs significantly. The cause of the disease also varies significantly. The primary one occurs as an independent disease, the secondary one is a pinched nerve provoked by inflammatory processes in nearby tissues or a previous pathology.
Causes and common symptoms
Factors contributing to the development of diseases associated with nerve damage include:
- frequent hypothermia;
- pathologies of the spine;
- injuries;
- excessive exercise;
- osteochondrosis;
- tumors.
What is important to know about the treatment of neuralgia and the symptoms it presents? The fact is that in each case, the disease makes itself felt differently. It all depends on which nerve was damaged. We will nevertheless try to describe the general signs of the disease: immediately after the infringement of the nerve fiber, paroxysmal pain follows, which is preceded by a feeling of backache; along with this, the area of \u200b\u200binnervation swells and becomes red, sometimes twitching andconvulsions. In any case, the treatment of a neuralgic disorder should consist of several successive measures.
Diagnosis
When signs indicating this disease appear, you should urgently seek help from a specialist. Before starting the treatment of neuralgia, you should undergo a complete medical examination. It includes both instrumental examinations and laboratory examinations. Sometimes a neuralgic ailment is determined solely by the presence of damaged structures surrounding the nerves, or large neoplasms of a compressive nature. It can be various tumors or protrusions of the discs of the spine. If no other diseases are found after CT, MRI and analysis of tests, then the diagnosis is neuralgia.
Medication use
Treatment of neuralgia at the stage of exacerbation is carried out using a drug regimen. Pain caused by lesions of the nerve roots, which can be caused by hernial protrusions, muscle spasms, tumors and various diseases of the spine, cannot be left to chance. Diseases of a neuralgic nature require immediate treatment. In applying an integrated approach to prescribing drugs, several goals are pursued:
- relieve acute pain;
- regulation of metabolism in nerve fibers;
- stabilization through the use of analgesics, anti-inflammatory and sedatives;
- strengthening the protective functions of the body as a whole;
- taking action torelapse prevention;
- replenishment of microelements and vitamins necessary for the body.
To eliminate pain, drugs are used in the form of capsules, gels, ointments, tablets and injection solutions. A variety of analgesics allows each patient to choose the most convenient option for themselves. The following means are considered popular: "Spazmalgon", "Baralgin", "Analgin", "Bral", "Tempalgin". They are allowed to be consumed for the first three days.
An important role is given to non-steroidal drugs, as they maintain the optimal temperature in the patient's body. Due to their pronounced action, attacks of neuralgic syndrome are successfully eliminated and the general condition improves. Usually prescribed drugs such as Diclofenac, Ketoprofen, Voltaren, Piroxicam. Local ointments are rubbed twice a day.
In complex therapy, there are drugs that relieve muscle spasms, belonging to the group of muscle relaxants. With their help, relaxation of muscle tissue occurs, the force of pressure on the damaged nerve fiber decreases. These drugs include Mydocalm, Clonazepam, Sirdalud, Tizanidin, Baclofen.
Vitamin complexes, mainly of group B, are prescribed as general tonic. They have a beneficial effect on the peripheral nervous system and the brain. The list of effective drugs includes: Neurobion, Mexidol, Milgama, Actovegin.
If you follow all the recommendations of the doctor and he approved the use of folk methods in your case, then you can continue the treatment of neuralgia inhome conditions. Let us consider in detail what non-traditional methods can be used for certain types of disease.
How to deal with neuralgia on the back of the head at home?
There are several factors contributing to the occurrence of the disease. The causes can be prolonged muscle spasms, injuries, and even minor irritations of nerve endings. Symptoms, as a rule, proceed as follows: a spontaneous attack of pain, sometimes expressed in a backache, spreads to the back of the head, upper neck and behind the ears. Localization of the lesion can be either unilateral or bilateral.
To achieve a resolving and circulation-improving effect, occipital neuralgia can be treated with warm compresses. For this purpose, you will need turpentine (1 spoon) and one egg white. The components must be mixed until smooth, applied to a linen cloth in a small layer and applied to the neck. After a burning sensation, the bandage is kept for another 10 minutes, and then removed. Procedures should be carried out in the morning and evening.
There are other ways to help the patient stay on the road to recovery. In the course of phytotherapeutic research, a sufficient list of medicinal herbs has been formed that are time-tested and able to cope with such an ailment as occipital neuralgia. Treatment with natural remedies does not require much effort, and it is easy to carry out. The only condition is that you need to be able to organize yourself. Here are some recipes:
- Remedy,prepared on the basis of willow, can relieve debilitating pain. You should always have crushed dry plant bark available. This will make it easier to determine its dosage. For 250 ml of water, 100 g of therapeutic mass is taken and placed in a container. The contents must be brought to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes over low heat. The decoction must be strained. Take every 4 hours during the day, 15 ml (1 tablespoon).
- Take a glass of honey and lemon (grated together with the skin), mix thoroughly until smooth. Then pour into the finished mass an additive from crushed apricot pits of elite varieties (20 grams). Consume for 45 days, morning and evening, 18 grams (dessert spoon with a slide).
Thoracic neuralgia
Type of disease, in particular, having a secondary etiology. This means that its occurrence occurs against the background of other pathological changes that, to some extent, have already developed in the human body.
The thoracic region is a part of the body in which a lot of negative processes can occur. To establish a diagnosis of such an insidious disease on your own would be a gross mistake. In the region of the ribs, the nervous system is highly branched, so pain can radiate to the areas where the stomach, shoulder blades, heart, and lower back are located.
As with other types of similar pathologies, the main symptom manifests itself as a sudden pain syndrome. The patient does not leave the feeling of stiffness in the chest. Togetherpinching, aching, burning pain is felt, which increases with any activity of the chest: coughing, sneezing, sighing.
If you choose the right medicine of natural origin, you can get an excellent effect at home without wasting time going to the hospital (during remission). In the treatment of thoracic neuralgia, the following methods are used:
- Brew immortelle in the usual way - one tablespoon of dry chopped herbs in a glass of hot boiling water. Insist, divide into three parts and take during the day.
- Squeeze the juice from the rhizome of horseradish or black radish and rub with a slight movement of the hands into the area of innervation of the affected nerve.
- Pour boiling water over flaxseeds, let it brew for 5 minutes. Then lay out a warm mass on a cloth and apply to the inflamed area. Top cover with cellophane and wrap with a woolen shawl.
- A sea s alt bath is very useful to combine with a decoction of sage. You need to pour 8 tablespoons of sage 0.5 liters of slightly hot water and leave for an hour. Use the prepared solution in two passes. Immediately before the procedure, pour sea s alt (4 tablespoons) into the bath. To feel relief, it will be enough to carry out 10 therapeutic measures for 5-10 minutes daily. Like the immortelle herb, sage has a calming and anti-inflammatory effect.
Intercostal nerve entrapment
This is a very common and alarming variety of the disease. The following describes the symptoms andtreatment of neuralgia on the left side.
The signal of this disease is girdle pain with various fluctuations in etiology and strength. Sometimes it is sharp and cramping, and at times aching and continuous. Covers the heart, subscapularis and sternum. May be accompanied by hypertension, angina pectoris, tachycardia and heart rhythm disturbances. Statistics show that lesions affect the left side more. The disease is confused with diseases of the gallbladder, pneumonia and with a heart attack. For this reason, specialists pay special attention to the correct diagnosis.
In complex therapy, the treatment of intercostal neuralgia on the left involves attending additional events. To normalize the mobility of the spine and relax the muscle tissue, a vacuum, acupressure or classic massage is prescribed. It is good to combine the action of medicines with heating with ultraviolet radiation, magnetotherapy, physiotherapy exercises, and ultrasound. It is important to remember that such measures are permissible only in the remission phase.
The doctor may find it appropriate to wear a support brace. It will help reduce pain attacks and ease the strain on pinched nerves.
As an external remedy, rubbing with fresh juice of horseradish and black radish, as well as valerian tincture, is recommended. Chamomile and peppermint tea is beneficial. Doctors often recommend that their patients use the dry heat method. Painful areas of the body should simply be wrapped in pure wool products, such as a scarf. At home, it is easier to apply this method of treatment - neuralgia of the leftside will pass much faster, because the patient will be less cold and drafty.
Inflammation of spinal nerves
Both the causes and symptoms of neuralgic back disorder are very numerous. It can begin against the background of such driving factors as the ingress of viruses on the nerve membranes, severe intoxication of the body, aortic aneurysm, trauma, and so on. One of the common causes identified by medical professionals is carpal tunnel syndrome. The etiology of neuralgia depends on the narrowing (length and width) of the channel that conducts the nerve fiber. In this regard, the symptoms of the disease are caused by such negative changes: blood circulation inside the canal is disturbed, fixation of scar tissue increases, pressure in the tunnel increases.
In case of neuralgic pathologies of the back, pain of various origins is observed: neuropathic, psychogenic, irritative (reflex), possibly with muscle-tonic convulsions. As you can see, the disease is quite serious.
If you went to the hospital for qualified help, all the necessary measures were taken and the danger was over, then you can apply some non-traditional methods at home to consolidate the effect.
For the treatment of neuralgia of the back, you can use the following recipes:
- Prepare a thick infusion or decoction of geranium leaves. Use it as a base for warm compresses. Wrap the treated area with a woolen scarf. Fresh leaves will bring more benefit, whichwrapped in gauze, put on a painful focus and insulated.
- You can create an ointment based on a medicinal plant and pork fat. An aqueous solution is preliminarily prepared from birch buds or lilacs, when it is well infused, it is mixed with fat in equal proportions. With a ready-made external remedy, you need to rub the problem areas several times a day.
- Garlic oil is famous for its effective healing properties. To enhance the effect, it must be combined with vodka. One tablespoon of ready-made pharmaceutical tincture of garlic is mixed with 400 ml of vodka. The medicine is good to use for the prevention of diseases.
Trigeminal injury
The trigeminal nerve (mixed) is located in the face and is responsible for its sensitivity and chewing muscle functions. It has a peculiar structure with three branches. The first branch innervates the orbital zone, the second - the upper lip, nostril and cheek, the third - the gum, lower jaw and lip. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that in the end it can lead to facial paralysis or the development of asymmetry. Let's take a look at what causes nerve neuralgia, symptoms and treatment.
Causes: trauma to the head and face, hypothermia, high cholesterol, shingles, gout, aneurysm, inflammation of the mouth, tumors, herpes.
Symptoms: soreness, numbness, muscle contractions, loss of sensation, reflex changes.
Treatment of neuralgia by folk methods:
- If the nerve is cold, you need towarm up your feet before a night's rest and drink soothing herbal drinks, such as chamomile, lemon balm, and motherwort. Pour one tablespoon of dry grass with a glass of boiling water and leave to brew for an hour. This dose is for two doses. There should be at least 20 minutes between drinking tea and eating food.
- For internal use, you can prepare an alcohol tincture of hops. You need to take one part of the cones of the plant and pour three parts of vodka. Add 10 drops of medicine to ½ cup of water and drink. This solution is good to take in the morning and in the evening an hour before bedtime.
- A compress from marshmallow roots helps well. For this purpose, they must be insisted. Dry powdery mass from the roots of the plant is poured with a glass of hot water, left for 8-10 hours. Before use, the infusion must be warmed up. A warm compress is applied for a couple of hours. To achieve a result, this must be done regularly throughout the week.
Conclusion
After reviewing the symptoms and treatment of neuralgia at home, do not forget about official medicine. Medicinal plants serve only as auxiliary measures in the fight against an ailment that can cause critical complications.
