| Drugs prescribed to relieve pain or relax | | | | from spondylosis should consist of salad of |
| muscles in cervical spondylosis do not cure | | | | raw vegetables such as tomato, carrot, |
| the disease. These can become habit forming | | | | cabbage, cucumber, radish, lettuce and at |
| and may actually perpetuate the condition in | | | | least two steamed or lightly-cooked |
| case of excessive intake. Certain safety | | | | vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, |
| measures, especially for people in sedentary | | | | carrot, spinach and plenty of fruits. The |
| occupations, are necessary to relieve and | | | | patients should have four meals daily. The |
| prevent spondylosis. The most important of | | | | patient should avoid fatty, spicy and fried |
| these is exercise which improves the supply | | | | foods, sour curd, sweets, sugar, condiments |
| of nutrients to spinal discs, thereby | | | | as well as tea and coffee. Those who smoke |
| delaying the process of deterioration that | | | | and take tobacco in any form should give up |
| comes with age and eventually affects | | | | completely. Proteins and Vitamin C are |
| everybody. Safe exercises include walking, | | | | necessary for the development of a healthy |
| swimming and bicycling. The latter should be | | | | bone metrix. Vitamin D, calcium, phosphorous |
| done keeping the back upright. Other | | | | and the essential trace minerals are |
| exercises found beneficial in the treatment | | | | essential for healthy bones. Foods that have |
| of cervical spondylosis are joint movements | | | | been processed for storage to avoid spoiling |
| like folding and unfolding of fingers, moving | | | | have few nutrients and should be eliminated |
| the wrists up and down, rotating them in both | | | | from the diet. Certain food remedies have |
| clockwise and anti-clockwise direction, | | | | been found beneficial in the treatment of |
| folding and unfolding of the forearms and | | | | spondylosis. The most important of these is |
| rotating the shoulder clockwise and | | | | the use of garlic. Two or three capsules of |
| anti-clockwise;. head and neck exercises like | | | | this vegetable should be taken daily in the |
| moving the neck up and down, moving to the | | | | morning. It will give good results. An oil |
| sides, rotating the neck clockwise and | | | | prepared from garlic and rubbed on the |
| antiÂclockwise and nodding the neck from | | | | affected part will give great relief. This |
| one shoulder to another; and shoulder | | | | oil is prepared by frying 10 cloves of garlic |
| exercises like lifting the shoulders up and | | | | in 60 grams of oil in a frying pan. They |
| down, moving the shoulder in clockwise and in | | | | should be fried slowly till they are brown. |
| antiÂclockwise directions. All these | | | | After it is cooled, it should be applied |
| exercises should be undertaken three times | | | | vigorously on the affected part and allowed |
| daily. Those with sedentary occupations | | | | to remain there for three hours. The patient |
| should take a break to stand up every hour. | | | | may thereafter have a warm bath. This |
| Soft-cushioned seats should be avoided and | | | | treatment should be continued for at least 15 |
| position should be changed as often as | | | | days. Relief from pain can be obtained by |
| possible. Elderly persons with spondylosis | | | | taking lemon juice mixed with common salt |
| should sleep on a firm mattress on their | | | | twice or thrice daily. A piece of the |
| sides with knees bent at right angles to the | | | | chebulic myrobalan taken after principal |
| torso. They should use thin pillows or avoid | | | | meals also gives quick relief. Other measures |
| it altogether, if possible. They should take | | | | found valuable in cervical spondylosis are |
| care never to bend from the waist down to | | | | mild oil massage to the neck, shoulders and |
| lift any object, but instead should squat | | | | hands, hot fomentation for five to 10 minutes |
| close to the object, bending the knees but | | | | twice a day or five to 10 minutes of exposure |
| keeping the back straight and then stand up | | | | to the Infra red rays. |
| slowly. The diet of elderly persons suffering | | | | |