Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is an insidious disease. The age threshold of incidence falls every year, so now the problem of treating cervical osteochondrosis is as acute as never before.
Unfortunately, the penetration of medicine in different parts of our country leaves much to be desired, therefore, self-prevention of the disease and maintenance therapy at home are extremely relevant now.
Various exercises for the prevention and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis and professionally designed exercise therapy (physical therapy complexes) come to our aid.
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis is massage and self-massage. Warming techniques of massage, rubbing, patting, restore blood circulation in the muscles, relieve tension in the neck muscles. Massage can be done by yourself, kneading and rubbing the back of the neck and the base of the skull, thereby eliminating blood stasis and restoring blood circulation to the head.
The workplace should be comfortable. An ergonomic chair should be used. Elbows should be at the level of the table, the back is straight, the computer monitor is slightly above the gaze. In work, it is necessary to take breaks to reduce the static load on the back.
A preventive measure of osteochondrosis is to perform exercises for the cervical region. Less dangerous are isometric exercises, which consist in counteracting the load for 5-6 seconds. The head resists the pressure of the palm of the hand. Exercises are performed without sudden movements, smoothly.
- Sitting at a table with a straight back. Put your elbow on the table, press your ear to your palm, tilt your head to your shoulder, counteracting it with your hand. Hold for 10 seconds, 10 reps. The lateral muscles of the neck are strengthened. Repeat the same number of times on both sides.
- Sitting at the table, put your hand on the table on your elbow, lean on your palm with your forehead, rest your hand and press your head for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Lie on the floor on your back. Press the back of your head on the floor. Hold the position for 5-6 seconds.
- Lie on the floor on your stomach, press your forehead on the floor.
- Lie on the floor on your left side, your left hand lies on the floor, put your head on it and press your head on your hand.
- The same for the right side.
- Sitting on a chair with a straight back, interlace your fingers in the lock, put them on the back of your head, press the back of your head on the clasped fingers.
- Standing close to the wall, press the back of your head against the wall.
All of the listed isometric exercises should be performed with effort for 5-6 seconds, after which they should slowly relieve tension and relax. Do 5-10 repetitions.
Beneficial effect on the state of the cervical section of the performance of hangings on the horizontal bar. You can perform hangings with a wide and narrow grip for 30 seconds. Under the influence of its own weight, all the vertebrae of the spine are stretched.
You should pay attention to your habits, do not stoop at the table, keep your posture, while talking on the phone, do not press the receiver with your ear to your shoulder. Be sure to take breaks every hour. Swimming is a good preventive measure.
To prevent the disease, you can perform daily small simple sets of exercises. The program contains exercises that are quite accessible to perform. In order to determine the condition of the cervical spine, you can do small tests: bend your head back and forth, tilt it to your shoulder and turn your head left and right.
Normally, a person should bend his head 45 degrees, unbend 50. Tilt his head to the shoulder should be 45 degrees, turn his head 90 degrees in both directions.
Therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
You can start therapeutic exercises only after the pain stops. You can not exercise during an attack. After an attack, isometric exercises of low intensity are allowed, in which case the muscles tense up, resisting the load. The muscles of the neck create a muscular corset that firmly holds the vertebrae.
All exercises must be performed slowly, without jerks and sudden movements. Before performing gymnastic complexes, you should choose an individual technique, based on the opinion of a specialist.
Physiotherapy doctor
- Sitting position, back and neck straight. Turn your head right and left until it stops, but gently, not abruptly. Repeat 10 times.
- Sitting position, straight back and neck. Lower your head down, try to touch your chest with your chin. 10 reps.
- Sitting position, pull the chin and neck back, 10 repetitions.
- Sitting position, arms hanging freely along the body. Gently raise your shoulders and hold for 10 seconds. To relax. Perform 10 repetitions.
- Lying on a hard surface, knead the muscles of the neck and base of the skull for 4 minutes. Try to massage intensively to improve blood flow.
- Rub while sitting or lying on a hard surface of the muscle between the shoulder blades and above the shoulder blades.
- In a circular motion, knead the muscles above the ear and up to the back of the head.
A set of exercises combined with slow, calm breathing. Breathing helps to focus on the exercise, helps to increase its effectiveness. It is advisable to repeat several times during the day. The range of motion is small. The prone position helps to reduce the load on the vertebrae, you can not strive to do everything at once. The main thing is caution, gradualness and constancy of classes.
- Lying on your back on the floor. One hand on the stomach, the other on the chest. Calm breath - the stomach rises, then the chest. Exhale calm, long. Try to make the exhalation longer than the inhalation. Perform freely, relaxed. Do 10 repetitions.
- Lying on the floor on your stomach. Slowly raise your head, then your shoulders, then rest your hands in front of you, linger for 1 minute. Try to always remember about posture.
- Lying on my stomach. Hands are located along the body. Freely, slowly turn your head, trying to touch the floor with your ear. Repeat left and right 6 times.
- Sitting position. Tilt your head forward, then slowly tilt it back until it stops, but not sharply and not to the point of pain. Repeat 10 times.
- Sitting at the table. Put your elbows on the table, put your head on your palms, press your forehead on your palms. Try to push yourself as hard as possible. Perform the exhalation exercise. Repeat 10 times.
- Rotate your head alternately 5 times to the left and right side. If pain is felt, then one should limit the movement of the chin to the left to the shoulder, then to the right to the shoulder. Repeat 6 times.
Video manuals on therapeutic exercises for cervical osteochondrosis
Of the many video tutorials on therapeutic exercises presented on the network, you can choose the most effective one for the treatment of the cervical spine. It is better to contact a specialist, follow the recommendations of existing chiropractors and trust their experience.
Combining massage, self-massage, the achievements of medical massage technology, controlling your posture and performing simple sets of exercises for the cervical vertebrae, a person will gain lightness, freedom, looseness of movements and, possibly, will forget about the existence of cervical osteochondrosis.