Therapeutic diet for osteochondrosis

Proper diet for osteochondrosis helps not only to slow the progression of a dangerous ailment, but also significantly improve the quality of a person's life. It is not a secret that the pathological processes occurring during the disease: the damage to intervertebral discs, vertebral bodies, their articular surfaces and the fixing apparatus (ligaments) are 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, spinal, lumbar, cervical.

Suffering increases with physical exertion, sneezing or coughing, lifting weights or abrupt movements. Destructive changes provoke muscular atrophy, aches or numbness in the limbs, impaired sensitivity of the back. Unfortunately, modern medicine can not completely cure this disease, but a well-designed 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 its activity.

Benefits of therapeutic nutrition in osteochondrosis

At the appointment with the attending physician-neurologist, patients usually receive a memo in which the basic principles of the organization of the diet and the rules for its correction are given. Depending on the presence of concomitant diseases, the doctor can give additional recommendations on nutrition. How does the diet affect the body with osteochondrosis? It helps to normalize metabolic processes in the body, prevent the deposition of salts in the spine, restore the broken cartilaginous tissue, strengthen the ligaments of intervertebral discs, reduce excess weight, increase the burden on the musculoskeletal system and provoke the further development of the disease. Very often in patients with osteochondrosis, doctors diagnose obesity, which worsens the human condition and stimulates the degenerative process in the spine. Low-calorie nutrition, which is recommended for the main diet in this disease, can reduce the weight of the patient and ease the burden on a thin, destroyed by an ailment, cartilaginous tissue.

General principles of nutrition in osteochondrosis

In accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (No. 330), with spine pathologies, neurologists recommend patients the main variant of dietary nutrition, and, with concomitant obesity, 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 the amount of carbohydrates (due to rapidly digestible) and table salt is significantly reduced. From the daily needs of humans in nutrients are identified: proteins, the mass of which should be about 90 g (of which 50 g protein - animal origin); Fats - 80 g (including vegetable - 30 g); Carbohydrates - 330 g, of which simple must have a volume of not more than 40 g. The average daily caloric intake of a patient suffering from osteochondrosis does not exceed 2150-2400 kcal.

Diet

Most nutritionists are confident that a fractional diet for a patient with an overweight, when the food he takes at least five or six times a day, is the most favorable schedule. In patients with normal body weight, the amount of meals can be up to four or five times a day.

The correct diet for osteochondrosis with frequent intake of food allows you to exclude the excess load on the gastrointestinal tract, and, accordingly, improve the process of assimilation of nutrients. In addition, such a schedule for obesity will be a good prevention of overeating and the deposition of fats in the body. The final evening meal should be easy and take place no later than 3 hours before bedtime.

Methods of cooking and drinking

Virtually all types of cooking can be used for feeding people suffering from osteochondrosis, with the exception of roasting: cooking and baking (no crust), steaming and mixing in own juice or a small amount of water. Of the recommended ways: meat and fish at first a little boil or pripuskayut, and only then a little fry.

When baking fruit fruits are wrapped in foil, and then placed in the oven or cooked for a couple. The latter method is especially welcomed by physicians, since it allows you to minimize the processing of products, keeping them most of the nutrients. Treatment of osteochondrosis, a diet in which abounds in micro- and macro elements involved in the exchange of osteocytes (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese), is much easier, exacerbations in this case occur much less often, prolonging the periods of remission. To prevent dehydration of the body should also include the use of one and a half or two liters of clean water a day, except for the first dishes and drinks. This prevents drying of the cartilaginous tissue of intervertebral discs and its further destruction.

Permitted Products

In full nutrition at an osteochondrosis there should be all necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals. Categorically prohibited for such patients are diets that exclude meat dishes. But this product - the most important supplier of proteins - should be natural and low-fat. 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 become components of a weekly diet so that the body can receive natural calcium to strengthen the skeleton.

Fish and other seafood are prepared in their own juice or with a small addition of vegetable oil. Eggs are used only in boiled form or are prepared as a steam dietary omelet. If the gastrointestinal tract tolerates dairy products, they must be included in the diet. Sour-milk drinks and cottage cheese can replace natural milk in case of its intolerance or become one more healthy component of a diet. Cheeses - an excellent source of calcium for patients with osteochondrosis, but for people with excess weight it is necessary to choose less calorie varieties of this product.

Also, when the spine is ill, you need to adjust the daily amount of salt - no more than 3-4 grams, sugar (which is better replaced by honey) - no more than 35 g. Do not forget about the "hidden" reserve of these gustatory substances in foods. Also in the diet for osteochondrosis are welcome: cereal cereals and rye bread, maximum gifts of nature (vegetables and fruits), buckwheat, vegetable oil, liver birds and greens (the exception is only sorrel).

Unwanted and forbidden products

One of the most insidious drinks for people suffering from spine disease is coffee. He washes out the necessary calcium and other microelements from the body. Replacement in this case can serve as juices or weak tea. If you abandon your favorite energy is difficult, then exclude caffeine, instead of which they use chicory.

It is desirable to abandon baking and sweets - they are high-calorie and heavy for digestion by the stomach. These products do not supply the body with useful energy, but provoke the formation of the fat layer.

Sweet varieties of grapes, sorrel (due to acid), strong drinks (tea and coffee), as well as sweet sodas, spices (pepper, horseradish, mustard and others), spicy foods, food with E-additives that adversely affect the digestive And the locomotor system, are undesirable components of the daily diet.

In addition to cakes, pastries, ice cream and marmalade, the diet for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and other parts of it should not contain: rich soups and soups from them; Margarine, as well as fats (culinary, mutton and beef); Dried fish and marinades; Meat and fish canned food; Sausage products; Salted home and purchased, smoked and fat.

Features of the diet for people suffering from cervical or lumbar osteochondrosis

What should a person with a diagnosis of "cervical osteochondrosis" eat? The diet of such patients should be based on vegetarian soups without fat, eggs, fish, seafood, low-fat meat, vegetables, fruits, unsweetened juices. "Delicacies" for intervertebral discs and vertebrae are: pears and apples, strawberries, raspberries, ground pear (Jerusalem artichoke), lentils, pumpkin, lettuce, hazelnuts and soy yoghurts.

The diet of patients with osteochondrosis complicated by arthrosis requires an increased amount of proteins in food, but prohibits whole milk, which can be replaced by sour-milk products. Their dietary peculiarities exist for patients diagnosed with "lumbar osteochondrosis". A diet for people with affected vertebrae in this area can include any low-calorie products to reduce weight, to ease the burden on the diseased organ.

At an exacerbation

During the deterioration of health in osteochondrosis, it is necessary to limit the consumption of broths, eggs and meat, exclude any fatty foods, do not consume alcoholic beverages, coffee or tea. All who have not gotten rid of nicotine addiction, it is necessary to do this for effective treatment of the disease.

During this period, the patient is additionally prescribed multivitamins and recommended foods containing calcium, magnesium and B vitamins: fish and seafood, cabbage, legumes, nuts, coarse bread, cottage cheese, yogurt, fresh milk (not boiled).

About pseudo diets ...

When osteochondrosis is unacceptable to use a variety of mono-diets that exclude the full provision of the body with nutrients, trace elements and vitamins. Rice, kefir, apple and other nutrition systems with a depleted diet slow down the process of rehabilitation of the destroyed cartilaginous tissue, increase the negative side effects from drug therapy, reduce the metabolic rate, provoking further weight gain.

Experts are skeptical about the rice diet with the use of raw products for a month and a half. The task of such a diet is the removal of toxins, as claimed by its authors. However, within 45 days any exacerbation passes independently, without any treatment. And the myth about the withdrawal of slags has long been debunked by professionals, since the constant renewal of the epithelium in the intestine does not allow the "slag" to attach to its walls. In addition, in people with gastrointestinal problems eating raw rice can exacerbate diseases associated with digestion.

A salt-free diet can be useful in overweight patients suffering from osteochondrosis. It is known that 1 g of salt is able to hold about 100 ml of moisture in the body, so refusal of a flavoring aid can help to reduce weight and load on the spine. In addition, a salt-free diet with cervical osteochondrosis helps to reduce the number of attacks of hypertension and reduce the headache. But people who argue that refusal of salt positively influences the development of osteochondrosis of the sacro-lumbar spine, are mistaken , preventing the deposition of salts 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 overloads in the joint region, and destruction worsens the blood supply, which leads to a deficiency of nutrients in the cartilaginous tissue and vertebrae. Thus, food salt has no influence on the condition of the joints and spine. However, even a temporary salt loss helps restore taste buds, which can cause addiction to under-salted food. And this leads to favorable changes in the body as a whole.

Increased calcium intake also does not relieve osteochondrosis, because it does not affect the dangerous changes in the intervertebral discs that result from severe overloads. Nutrition of people with pathology of the spine should be full and balanced.