Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is an insidious disease. The age threshold of incidence falls every year, so now the problem of treatment of cervical osteochondrosis is more acute than ever.
Unfortunately, the penetration of medicine in different parts of our country leaves much to be desired, so self-prevention of the disease and maintenance therapy at home are extremely relevant at the moment.
We are helped by various exercises for the prevention and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis and professionally designed exercise therapy (physiotherapy complexes).
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 must be comfortable. An ergonomic chair should be used. Elbows should be at table level, back straight, computer monitor slightly above eye level. At 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 of counteracting the load for 5-6 seconds. The head resists the pressure of the palm of the hand. The exercises are performed without sudden movements, without problems.
- Sitting at a table with a straight back. Rest your elbow on the table, press your ear against your palm, tilt your head toward your shoulder, and counter 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 on the table, put your hand on the table at the elbow, support your palm with your forehead, rest your hand and press your head for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Lie down on the floor on your back. Press the back of your head into the ground. Hold the position for 5-6 seconds.
- Lie on the floor face down, press your forehead against the floor.
- Lie on the floor on your left side, your left hand rests on the floor, put your head on it and press your head on your hand.
- The same for the right side.
- Sitting in a chair with a straight back, interlace your fingers in the lock, stand on the back of the head, press the back of the head on the interlocking fingers.
- Standing close to the wall, press the back of your head against the wall.
All of the above isometric exercises should be performed with effort for 5-6 seconds, after which slowly release tension and relax. Do 5 to 10 repetitions.
Beneficial effect on the state of the cervical section of the implementation of hangings on the horizontal bar. You can perform hangs with a wide and narrow grip for 30 seconds. Under the influence of its own weight, all the vertebrae of the spine stretch.
You need to pay attention to your habits, do not lean at the table, keep your posture, while talking on the phone, do not press the headset with your ear against your shoulder. Make sure to take breaks every hour. Swimming is a good preventative measure.
To prevent the disease, you can do small sets of simple exercises every day. The program contains exercises that are quite accessible to perform. To determine the state of the cervical spine, you can conduct small tests: tilt your head back and forth, tilt it to the shoulder, and turn your head left and right.
Normally, a person should tilt his head 45 degrees, straighten 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't exercise during an attack. After an attack, low-intensity isometric exercises are allowed, in which case the muscles tense, resisting the load. The neck muscles create a muscular corset that firmly supports the vertebrae.
All exercises should be done slowly, without jerks or sudden movements. Before performing gymnastics complexes, you need to choose an individual technique, based on the opinion of a specialist.
physical therapist
- Sitting position, back and neck straight. Turn your head to the right and left as much as possible, but gently, not sharply. Repeat 10 times.
- Sitting position, back and neck straight. Lower your head down, try to touch your chest with your chin. 10 repetitions
- Sitting position, pull your chin and neck back, 10 repetitions.
- Sitting position, arms hanging freely along the body. Gently raise your shoulders and hold for 10 seconds. Relax. Do 10 repetitions.
- Lying on a hard surface, massage the muscles of the neck and the base of the skull for 4 minutes. Try to massage intensively to improve blood flow.
- Rub while sitting or lying down 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 reduce the load on the vertebrae, you can not strain to do everything at once. The main thing is caution, gradualness and constancy of classes.
- Lying on his back on the floor. One hand on the stomach, the other on the chest. Calm breathing: the stomach rises, then the chest. Exhale calmly, long. Try to make the exhalation longer than the inhalation. Act freely, relaxed. Do 10 repetitions.
- Lying face down on the floor. Slowly raise your head, then your shoulders, then rest with your hands in front of you, relax for 1 minute. Try to always remember about posture.
- Lying on my stomach. The hands are located along the body. With freedom, slowly turn your head, trying to touch the ground 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 abruptly or to the point of pain. Repeat 10 times.
- Sitting at the table. Put your elbows on the table, put your head in your palms, press your forehead into your palms. Try to push yourself as hard as possible. Do the exhalation exercise. Repeat 10 times.
- Rotate your head alternately 5 times to the left and right side. If pain is felt then movement of the chin to the left towards the shoulder, then to the right towards the shoulder should be limited. 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 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, ease of movement and, possibly, forget about the existence of cervical vertebrae. osteochondrosis.