The 5 best medicines for osteochondrosis

*Review of the best according to the editors. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective, it is not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to purchase. Consult with a specialist before buying.

Osteochondrosis is a relatively safe disease, or condition, call it what you want. Next we will talk in detail about what osteochondrosis is, how it should be treated and how it should be prevented, and there is at least one person in the world who has lived to adulthood and has no signs of osteochondrosis. This will be discussed in detail on the following pages. But even now, any reader can agree that osteochondrosis is not at all as severe an illness as a heart attack, stroke, or diabetes mellitus.

One hears it all the time: “he died of a second heart attack,” “she died of a third stroke,” “he died of severe complications of diabetes,” and so on. You won’t hear anything like that about osteochondrosis. No one dies from osteochondrosis, but everyone suffers from it, especially in old age.

At first approximation the average person, osteochondrosis – is a backache, limitation of its mobility and flexibility, the crunch, stiffness, difficulty in the morning when getting out of bed, and more or less comfortable movement for dinner, when an adult, and even an elderly person could already “separate”. Osteochondrosis for the average person means a shooting pain in the lower back, a warm belt of dog wool, endless ointments, creams, sanatoriums, injections, and so on.

As we can see, medications for osteochondrosis is a hot topic, and the market is very large, from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to various nutritional supplements of dubious quality, which are successfully and even obsessively advertised. But before we talk about the treatment of osteochondrosis, we need to understand what we are treating. So what is considered osteochondrosis, and what is this condition? How is osteochondrosis different from the usual “aches and pains”??

What is osteochondrosis?

Osteochondrosis does not end with the ending “-oz” by accident. In medicine, this ending in the diagnosis of disease means an increase, overgrowth, enrichment of some tissue. So, sclerosis is a thickening and hardening of the wall of blood vessels, leading to a reduction in their lumen, thrombosis is a process of excessive thrombosis. These diseases can be asymptomatic, hidden, until, for the time being, the “quantity” changes into “quality”. So proceeds amyloidosis disease, when the pathological protein amyloid accumulates over the years, but it begins to show itself various signs when it becomes too much in the body, and amyloid begins to interfere with the work of various organs, primarily – kidneys.

Those diseases that present pronounced inflammatory symptoms, where there is swelling of tissues and pain, pronounced dysfunction, increased temperature, are diagnoses that end in “-it”. In this case, if we talk about the pathology of the musculoskeletal system, it is arthritis, which, unlike arthrosis, is an inflammatory lesion. It’s spondylitis, or an inflammatory lesion of the vertebrae.

It follows that osteochondrosis, even by its definition, should not have pronounced symptoms, but should develop long and secretly. This is true, but what lies behind the term “osteochondrosis.”?

“Chondros” in Greek means “cartilage.”. Chondrosis means cartilage overgrowth. Unfortunately, this does not mean that all of our cartilage will grow as it did when we were young, and replace it with new, resilient, and full-grown cartilage. It’s not. Chondrosis is a change in the shape and structure of cartilage away from the norm, an overgrowth of cartilage at their edges, at the point of contact with bone tissue.

Over years of constant stress, cartilage and bone tissue “rub” against each other, age together, and change their configuration. If you look at an X-ray of an elderly person’s vertebrae, you can see beak-like growths, osteophytes, that is, age-related deformation of the bone tissue. The same happens with the cartilage. Cartilage dehydrates, becomes dry, loses its cushioning and elastic ability.

If the cartilage is healthy and young, it maintains a certain distance between adjacent vertebrae when it comes to intervertebral discs. By the way, the term “osteochondrosis” or “ossification of cartilage” is applicable to any cartilaginous tissue of the human skeleton, but doctors use it almost exclusively as a condition of dystrophy (i.e. impaired nutrition) and degeneration (i.e. gradual destruction) of specifically intervertebral discs.

Because we have a lot of vertebrae. Seven vertebrae in the cervical, 12 in the thoracic, and 5 in the lumbar. Between each adjacent vertebra lies an elastic insert – an intervertebral cartilage disc. An exception can be made for the first and second cervical vertebrae, the atlas and axis, they have a special structure to support the head, tilt and turn it. But already between the second and third cervical vertebrae is placed a quite ordinary intervertebral disc. Similarly, there is no intervertebral disc between the fifth lumbar, the last vertebra, and the massive sacral bone, but there is a kind of cartilage pad. In some cases, a person has a congenital feature: the so-called lumbarization of the upper sacral vertebra, and it is separated from the sacral bone. In this case, there will also be a kind of intervertebral disc between the fifth lumbar vertebra and the first abnormal sacral vertebra.

The intervertebral discs are one component of the elastic, cushioning structure, and their main purpose and task is not to shake off the head and brain and scatter the skeleton. After all, uprightness is the only way for a person to move around. But a man not only walks, but also runs. And you have to make sure that no matter how fast he runs, his head doesn’t shake. For this purpose, nature has created the arch of the foot, which springs and cushions, the cartilage in the knee joints, the physiological curvature of the spine in the sagittal plane, 2 lordosis and 2 kyphosis. They make the spine in profile look a bit like a mathematical integral sign. Finally, the intervertebral discs complete a perfect cushioning system.

When young, elastic and resilient cartilage maintains normal spacing between the vertebrae, is springy, and can withstand considerable stress. As you get older, they lose their elastic function, the vertebrae move closer together, and the nerve roots that come out of the intervertebral openings between adjacent discs can become pinned to the bone because the intervertebral discs are no longer pushing the vertebrae apart. In addition, the intervertebral discs themselves can undergo destruction. This condition is called either a protrusion or a hernia.

Manifestations of osteochondrosis: protrusions and hernias

What’s the difference between a protrusion and a hernia? Any intervertebral disc consists of outer layers called a fibrous ring. This is a dense tissue formed by linear glycosaminoglycans, molecules of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, connected in chains that run around the circumference of the disc, and, like a belt, restrain a belly that is too thick. The fibrous ring is the outer layers of the disc that keep it from collapsing and can withstand a lot of pressure from above. Inside each intervertebral disc is a more watery and friable nucleus pulposus.

In case of overloading, for example, if a person carries a sack of potatoes on his shoulder, the lumbar disc, on the edge of which the most pressure is applied, can deform and bulge in some place outside the anatomical contours. But at the same time, the fibrous ring is still able to retain the internal structures, and the disc has a protrusion, but has not yet collapsed.

But if you continue these pressures, who then tears the outer layers of the fibrous ring, and the inner contents of the disc bulges out. “Outward” means anywhere, in front or behind the disc. Naturally, there is no void in the human body. Therefore, a prolapsed hernia can pinch ligaments and cause severe pain. It can pinch nerve roots and cause numbness in the leg, “goose bumps”, shooting pains radiating from the lower back, for example, under the knee, or even into the foot. If the herniation pinches a motor root, or motor root, there will be weakness in the leg. The patient will begin to have a spanking foot, the paretic muscles will be thinner and atrophic, this will be noticeable in a few months. In severe cases, peripheral paralysis will develop, and the person will drag the foot and become disabled. But it won’t happen right away. There are at least a few months to spare. And what can happen quickly?

Much more dangerous is the penetration of a herniated free sequestration, that is, dense and sharp cartilage fragments into the central canal. There in the cervical, thoracic, and upper lumbar spinal cord, and after it ends there is a terminal filament and special nerves that continue the spinal cord and are called the cauda equina. If a herniated fragment, or loose sequestrum, begins to compress the spinal cord or cauda equina structures, severe distress can occur. It is numbness of the perineum, paralysis of the legs, impotence, and even incontinence of urine and feces.

Such a condition is urgent, and the patient must be urgently hospitalized in the department of spinal neurosurgery, where the hernia and sequestration will be removed, decompression surgery will be performed, that is, removal of excess pressure from the spinal cord or cauda equina structures, and the person will quickly put on his feet.

It is clear that protrusion, hernia, compression radiculopathy, i.e. nerve roots pressed by hernia, and, moreover, sequestered hernia, are a complication of osteochondrosis. It is for these reasons that patients are treated endlessly by their doctor, primarily for protrusion, when the discs are still intact, but there is a pronounced pain symptomatology. But is osteochondrosis itself a disease?? Let’s get to the bottom of this complicated issue.

Is osteochondrosis a disease??

Osteochondrosis is not a disease at all, but the name of the state of the aged intervertebral discs and cartilage. This is the name given to the morphological signs and some complaints that are characteristic of the aging cartilage tissue. There are some common complaints in general in aging, don’t forget that, but that doesn’t mean that aging is a disease.

If you go to the Institute of Physical Education, select the healthiest students, athletes, candidates for master and master of sports international class, ask them to go to the clinic and take an X-ray of the spine. The radiologist, who is describing the radiographs, will be completely unaware that the athletes came to him. He will describe what he sees, and the radiographs of adult young people in their twenties will already have visible, even if slight, but quite recognizable signs of osteochondrosis of the intervertebral discs.

The older a person gets, the more these signs appear. Not only on the x-ray, but also in life, the complaints appear. It’s stiffness in the back, lack of youthful flexibility, and that’s perfectly normal. Hence the conclusion: osteochondrosis is a natural process of aging of cartilage tissue, as part of the aging of the entire musculoskeletal system.

There’s an important detail. Osteochondrosis primarily affects the small joints between the vertebrae, and does not affect other joints, such as the elbow. The whole point is that the spine is under almost constant strain, except during sleep time. This is why a person may be 1.5 cm taller in the morning than in the evening, especially at a young age. The cartilage that has “shrunk” during the day, spreads out at night, drinks up the fluid, regains its elasticity, and makes a man taller in the morning. In old age, when the cartilage is already dehydrated and cannot return elasticity and enlarge overnight, this phenomenon is almost unnoticeable. It is clear that dystrophy and degeneration affects the most stressed joints, and in humans these are the small joints of the vertebrae, knees and hips. As a result, the older a person is, the more osteochondrosis is expressed.

Osteochondrosis – the price of civilization

There is also an interesting phenomenon: osteochondrosis of the spine is an exclusively human pathology. There is no other living creature on our planet that walks around on its hind legs all the time, keeping its body upright. Kangaroos and chimpanzees don’t count. They have this mode of locomotion from time to time. Perhaps the intervertebral discs in the neck of a giraffe would be an exception, because they are always upright and under stress every day. But a giraffe has a small relative mass of the head compared to the body and the powerful neck; in humans it is much higher.

It goes without saying that marine mammals, our closest relatives in the ocean, have no osteochondrosis at all. Dolphins, orcas, whales have no load on the spine, because although in water the laws of physics and biomechanics are exactly the same as on land, but the water environment unloads the vertebral column to the limit and does not make it a vertical support.

There is no osteochondrosis in our sense of the word in land mammals either. In dogs, cats, and even ungulates. In them, the intervertebral discs are not a vertical support, but other cartilage is affected, for example, in the limbs. It is the joint structures that work with the greatest load during life, and are subject to osteochondrosis. For a person, it’s primarily the spine. So you might think of it as our payback for civilization. Man stood on his feet and freed his hands for work. If man did not have osteochondrosis, then you would not be able to read this article because there would be no alphabet, man would not have mastered fire, electricity, and he would not have learned to use the wheel. So we should be grateful to osteochondrosis as a payback for our good.

So what to treat??

One might get the idea that if osteochondrosis is aging, and aging is inevitable, then nothing can be done, and we must bear that cross as a young biological species. In fact, it’s far from that. Of course, it is impossible to avoid aging of the intervertebral discs, but it is possible to age correctly, without acute and chronic back pain, preserving the range of motion and quality of life.

The most important thing is to maintain active longevity for many years. Then it becomes clear that doctors do not treat osteochondrosis at all, since the aging process can not be stopped, but its consequences and the wrong lifestyle.

How do doctors deal with the effects of osteochondrosis?? With drug and non-drug therapy. Medications are needed for exacerbations, such as acute back pain, a lumbago attack, and severe limitation of mobility. With the help of medications reduce the severity of pain, relieve spasm of deep and superficial back muscles, which are in contact with the focus of inflammation, it is possible to eliminate swelling and relieve shooting pains.

If a nerve root is pressed between the vertebrae, there are signs of compression radiculopathy, then the doctor can reduce the swelling of these nerve roots, or recommend a modern minimally invasive surgical treatment, when the protrusion or hernia is removed, and the nerve roots stop being pressed.

Drugs for osteochondrosis

So we know: to reduce the unpleasant symptoms of osteochondrosis complications, you need to relieve pain, inflammation, reduce muscle spasm. Where does the muscle spasm come from?? After all, all the time we have been talking about impaired cartilage structure. The fact is that when there is a protrusion or herniation, then this bulge rests on the deep ligaments of the back. And through the ligaments, the herniated disc will constantly begin to irritate the same spot in the muscle as the rough inner surface of the shoe begins to constantly irritate the same spot on the skin of the heel. A blister on the heel is the result. And in the deep muscles of the back there is a chronic spasm, because the muscle can respond to any stimulus with only one action: contraction.

If this irritation is constant, like a hernia bulge, then the muscle contraction will also become constant. As a result, the amount of blood flowing into the muscle will decrease, as will its outflow. The muscle will go into a state of oxygen starvation, and from the muscle will stop swelling products of life, primarily lactic acid. Such “poisoned” lactic acid muscle will cause those long, aching pains in the back, neck, between the shoulder blades, which are so familiar to office or mental workers who do not do gymnastics.

Neurotropic B vitamins can also reduce the unpleasant symptoms of osteochondrosis, in the event that the protrusion or herniation has pinched a nerve root. Until surgery is performed, the nerves can be supported with these vitamins, and their function can be preserved.

So-called chondroprotectors have a special status. Their task is to improve the elasticity of cartilage, because these substances consist of the very glycosaminoglycans, namely chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine. These drugs sell well and readily. But their disadvantage is that there is still no reliable evidence that taken in the form of tablets and capsules by mouth, the components of cartilage will enter and concentrate directly in the cartilage, integrate into its structure and improve the function of cartilage tissue as a result. By and large, there is no difference between a big plate of tasty jellied meat or casserole, which also contain cartilage components, and an expensive imported chondroprotector. From an evidence-based point of view, these drugs do not work. Still, according to the reviews of many doctors and patients, the use of chondroprotectors improves the function of the musculoskeletal system. So, too, we will include these remedies in the review.

Thus, in the review of medications for the treatment of osteochondrosis, we will consider the classic representatives of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, chondroprotectors, muscle relaxants, B vitamins, and some drugs for local application.

For all medications, the price listed is the actual price for pharmacies of all forms of ownership for major cities of the Russian Federation for July 2020. The list of medications for osteochondrosis is not a suggestion to buy, all medications are covered by national and clinical guidelines for the treatment of acute back pain, and the treatment of dystrophic-degenerative pathology of the musculoskeletal system.

NSAIDs: etoricoxib (Arcoxia)

Rating: 4.9

Arcoxia is a modern NSAID, a selective cyclooxygenase type 2 inhibitor. This drug is safe and can be used even in patients with various forms of gastritis and even peptic ulcer, although in remission and with a covering of certain drugs (Omeprazole).

Like other drugs from the group of NSAIDs, etoricoxib is indicated for the treatment of musculoskeletal pathology. These are various forms of osteoarthritis, pronounced inflammation in systemic pathology (rheumatoid and ankylosing spondylitis). Arcoxia is also used as symptomatic treatment of pain syndrome associated with inflammation in gouty arthritis and complicated forms of osteochondrosis.

This drug should be prescribed best in short courses, in the first days after an acute pain in the back, or in the lumbar spine. The therapeutic dose, which is good to relieve pain syndrome in intervertebral hernias – no more than 90 mg once a day, and after relieving acute pain, the drug is prescribed in a dosage of 60 mg once a day. The duration of therapy with the drug Arcoxia should not exceed one week.

Advantages and disadvantages

The drug Arcoxia is contraindicated in pregnancy and during breastfeeding, as well as in children and adolescents, young boys and girls under the age of 16 years. May be used with caution in the presence of a past history of ulcers, chelicobacter infection, people with diabetes mellitus and chronic alcoholism, and people taking anticoagulants such as warfarin or antiplatelet agents such as Curantil, clopidogrel or acetylsalicylic acid. Also contraindications for use are a history of ulcer bleeding, exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease, severe renal and hepatic failure, high blood pressure, decreased blood clotting.

The chondroprotectors Teraflex and Teraflex Advance

Rating: 4.8

Each capsule of Tereflex contains 500 mg of glucosamine and 400 mg of chondroitin in the form of salts (chloride and sulfate), so the weight of the capsule is 0.9 g. The drug is offered for long-term use, so the package comes in 60, 100 and 200 capsules.

The use of Teraflex tablets and a form containing ibuprofen is justified for numerous dystrophic and degenerative joint diseases. This includes arthritis and arthritis, synovitis, disc pathology – osteochondrosis and its neurological complications, osteoarthritis, spondylosis. Almost all rheumatic diseases, proceeding to varying degrees with the involvement of the joints, can serve as an indication for the prescription of agents that protect and preserve cartilage. Of course, since in the course of life any person gradually develops problems with mobility in the joints, chondroprotectors are indicated for almost any elderly person, regardless of their well-being. If there are problems – for their elimination, and if there are no problems – for prevention.

When starting treatment for 3 weeks, it is recommended to take 3 capsules a day (not in conjunction with meals), and on subsequent days – 2 capsules.

In addition to the drug “Teraflex”, there is also a form called “Teraflex Advance”. This is perhaps the variety that can effectively combat pain, inflammation and other symptoms of chronic joint pathology. This is not because of chondroitin and glucosamine, but because ibuprofen, a representative of NSAIDs, was added to the capsules. It is up to the patient to use “Teraflex” or “Teraflex Advance”, but if he has symptoms such as swelling in the joints, pain, redness and a feeling of fever, he can start with the form containing ibuprofen. An average month’s pack of Terefleks (100 capsules) costs 2000 rubles., Teraflex Advance has about the same cost. Manufactured in the United States.

Advantages and disadvantages

As we said above, the highly questionable effectiveness of all chondroprotectors in terms of evidence-based medicine. As for the course of treatment, everything remains at the level of recommendations. The manufacturer recommends the reception, without specifying in which pathology the appointment is made – from 3 to 6 months. As for repeated courses, their multiplicity and duration is set either by the doctor or the patient himself, because the tablets “Teraflex” do not belong to the prescription drugs. This drug is not used in allergies, intolerance to the components, in children, pregnant and lactating mothers. As for side effects, then, in general, the capsules are well tolerated, occasionally observed transient gastrointestinal disorders and other symptoms (dizziness). The instructions advise that if unwanted symptoms occur, do not cancel the drug, but reduce the dose first.

B vitamins: Milgamma

Rating: 4.8

Milgamma is a concentrate of B vitamins called neurotropic: B1, B6, and B12, or thiamine, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin. One ampoule contains 100 mg each of B1 and B6, while 1 mg of cyanocobalamin is quite sufficient. There is lidocaine as a solvent. Vitamin injections are always quite painful, so the presence of lidocaine as a local anesthetic will make the injection less painful. Vitamin B1 accelerates nerve tissue regeneration, reduces inflammation. Pyridoxine helps to improve neuromuscular transmission, and vitamin B12, or cyanocobalamin, improves the myelin sheath of the nerves, normalizes nerve transmission, and improves blood cell synthesis.

Milgamma is indicated as a symptomatic treatment for various diseases of the nervous system, and in the first place are various plexopathies and neurological complications of osteochondrosis. This is the same radiculopathy with nerve root compression, lumboishyalgia, increased muscle tone. Milgamma should be dosed and administered in 2 ml daily for 10 days, that is, 1 ampoule. Then it is necessary to switch to the tablet form of Milgamma compositum. Produces Milgammu by the German company Verwag Pharma, and the cost of 10 ampoules, sufficient for the course, will be from 440 to 520 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

The disadvantage of Milgamma is that, taken alone, without nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and relaxants, without local remedies, it is unlikely to be able to significantly reduce pain and improve quality of life. But if Milgamma is used in complex therapy, it will reduce the use of other drugs, and save on treatment. Remember that Milgamma is contraindicated in pregnant, lactating women, children and patients with a severe form of heart failure. Of the side effects, most commonly patients had various allergic reactions in the form of skin rashes, Quincke’s edema, but these side effects developed in one patient in a thousand, not more frequently.

Myorelaxants: Midocalm (tolperizone)

Rating: 4.8

Currently, the most commonly used myorelaxants are: Midocalm and Sirdalud. The advantage of Midocalm is that it can be used in the first days of acute pain, because it is not only available in tablets, but also in ampoules for intramuscular injections. This form of release is called “Midocalm-Richter.”. Tizanidine, or Sirdalud, is not prescribed in the acute period, since it is only available in tablets. Tolperizone is the original drug Midocalm, produced by the Hungarian pharmaceutical company Gedeon Richter, in packages of 5 ampoules (1 ml). In addition to tolperizone, lidocaine is added to the solution to alleviate pain, since tolperizone alone is quite painful when injected intramuscularly. This pack costs 475 rubles.

Midocalm belongs to the group of central muscle relaxants, and affects the special reflexes of the spinal cord. As a result, reflex readiness in the reticulospinal tract is reduced, and peripheral blood flow in the muscles is increased. By the way tolperizone has a slight antiadrenergic and antispasmodic effect. This drug is indicated for all conditions in which there is spasm and increased tone of the transverse striated muscles. It is not only acute and chronic back pain, but also stroke, multiple sclerosis, muscle spasticity in arthritis of large joints. It is also used in the complex treatment after traumatic surgeries. Midocalm should be used intramuscularly, one milliliter twice a day.

Advantages and disadvantages

Midocalm is very well tolerated, and the incidence of side effects, according to many studies, was no more than 1 case per 1,200 patients. Of these side effects, muscle laxity, weakness, decreased blood pressure, dizziness, drowsiness, decreased activity. This side effect can be attributed to a possible diffuse muscle relaxation. The drug is contraindicated in pregnancy, myasthenia, under 18 years of age and during the breastfeeding period. The drug works very well in complex therapy for acute and chronic back pain syndrome. Use of Midocalm reduces disability, and improves daily activity. The only thing, you should not use a personal car against the background of taking Midocalm, as well as work at work associated with rapid reaction, moving machines and mechanisms.

Topical NSAIDs: Dimeksid

Rating: 4.7

Dimexid is used only externally, and is an anti-inflammatory agent in its own right, not belonging to the known group of NSAIDs. Applying Dimeksid reduces inflammatory swelling of tissues, due to increased microcirculation and improved outflow from small veins. The fact that Dimexid has a local irritant effect, and increases blood flow to the capillaries, and, consequently, the outflow of. Also, Dimexid improves the activity of neutrophils, which destroy harmful microorganisms (in tissues they are called macrophages), and reduces the content of immune complexes in the peripheral blood. An interesting feature of Dimexid can be considered its excretion through the lungs, with the exhaled air, and therefore if a patient is intensively treated with Dimexid, he smells like garlic. This is due to the presence of sulfhydryl groups, which provide the specific odor.

Dimeksid penetrates through many tissues, and it is absorbed deeply into the skin. That is why it is most indicated in the treatment of diseases of the muscles and joints, that is, in the pathology of the musculoskeletal system. The main indications for local use of dimethyl sulfoxide are discogenic complications of osteochondrosis (protrusion and hernia), radiculitis and intercostal neuralgia, sciatica, tendon, ligament and soft tissue injuries, bruises accompanied by edema, other similar diseases.

The effectiveness of Dimexid in infectious and inflammatory skin diseases, such as boils, furunculosis, streptoderma should be particularly emphasized. But the main effect of Dimexid is to affect the deep muscles of the back. The secondary myofascial syndrome resolves, the microcirculation in the muscles is restored, and the muscle spasm disappears. It helps to improve the quality of life and increase the range of motion in the back. Additionally, Dimexid slightly warms up the deeper layers of the skin, and this is also an additional therapeutic effect.

Dimeksid can be applied only topically, in the form of lotions, compression dressings, and is applied only to the skin, not on the mucous membranes. Pure Dimexid can not be applied immediately, and most often diluted twice with water 50% solution is used. In the case of sensitive skin areas, Dimexid should be diluted even more.

In the beginning, before the first treatment procedure, it is necessary to check the skin for sensitivity. For this purpose it is necessary to apply Dimeksid diluted in half with water to the wrist or elbow bend area and wait for 10-15 minutes. If there is no reaction in the form of itching, intense redness and irritation, you can begin treatment.

Dimexid, diluted in half with water, wet a gauze cloth, or a clean small cotton towel. It is applied to the back, in the area of the affected disc with the capture of the adjacent vertebrae. Usually a square 20×20 cm napkin is enough. On top of a moistened napkin should be covered with a waterproof cellophane or plastic wrap, and even higher put a dry towel. Thus, conditions are created for the accumulation of heat and a more effective effect of Dimexid. Duration of application – from 20 to 30 minutes, the procedures are carried out daily, for 1-2 weeks. Pharmacies sell a concentrate for preparing a solution in 100 ml and 50 ml bottles. The price of a large bottle ranges from 33 to 50 rubles, and the cost of a small bottle – from 35 to 75 rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

In this case, the effect of using this remedy will be exactly the same as that of taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The main effects of Dimexid are as follows: reduction of inflammatory manifestations, reduction of edema. Reducing the swelling leads to the elimination of the shooting pain, as the nerve roots stop experiencing excessive compression. It is prohibited for use in children under 12 years of age, pregnant and lactating women. Its use is prohibited in cases of stroke, and especially in the acute period. Contraindication is coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, as well as severe liver and kidney failure.