Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is an insidious disease. The age limit of incidence drops every year, so now the problem of treating cervical osteochondrosis is as acute as ever before.
Unfortunately, the penetration of medicine in different parts of our country leaves a lot to be desired, so disease self-prevention and home maintenance therapy are extremely relevant now.
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
The prevention of cervical osteochondrosis is massage and self-massage. Massage heating techniques, rubbing, patting, restore blood circulation in the muscles, relieve tension in the neck muscles. Massage can be done by yourself by kneading and rubbing the back of the neck and the base of the skull, thus eliminating blood stasis and restoring blood circulation to the head.
The workplace must be comfortable. An ergonomic chair must be used. Elbows should be level with the table, back straight, computer monitor slightly above your eyes. 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 neutralizing the load for 5-6 seconds. The head resists pressure from the palm of the hand. The exercises are performed without sudden movements, with smoothness.
- Sitting at a table with your back straight. Place your elbow on the table, press your ear into your palm, tilt your head towards your shoulder, countering it with your hand. Hold for 10 seconds, 10 reps. The lateral neck muscles are strengthened. Repeat the same number of times on both sides.
- Sitting at the table, place your hand on the table at the elbow, tilt 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 into the floor. Hold the position for 5-6 seconds.
- Lie on the floor on your stomach, press your forehead to the floor.
- Lie on the floor on the left side, left hand on the floor, place your head on it and press your head into your hand.
- The same for the right side.
- Sitting on a chair with a straight back, interlace your fingers in the lock, put the back of your head, press the back of your head into the interlaced 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 they slowly release tension and relax. Do 5-10 repetitions.
Beneficial effect on the state of the cervical section of the implementation of hangings on the horizontal bar. You can perform wide and narrow grips for 30 seconds. Under the influence of your own weight, all the vertebrae of the spine are stretched.
You must pay attention to your habits, do not squat at the table, maintain your posture, while talking on the phone, do not press the receiver with your ear to your shoulder. Make sure you take breaks every hour. Swimming is a good preventive measure.
To prevent illness, you can perform small daily series of simple exercises. The program contains exercises that are quite affordable to perform. To determine the condition of the cervical spine, you can do small tests: bend your head back and forth, tilt it towards your shoulder and turn your head left and right.
Normally, a person should bend the head 45 degrees, not bend 50. Tilt the head to the shoulder should be 45 degrees, turn the head 90 degrees in both directions.
Therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
You can start therapeutic exercises only after the pain has stopped. You cannot 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 holds the vertebrae.
All exercises should be performed slowly, without jerks and sudden movements. Before performing gymnastic complexes, you should choose an individual technique, based on the opinion of an expert.
physical therapy doctor
- Sitting position, back and neck straight. Turn your head to the right and left as much as possible, but gently, not abruptly. Repeat 10 times.
- Sitting position, back and neck straight. Lower your head, try to touch your chest with your chin. 10 repetitions.
- Sitting position, pull your chin and neck back, 10 reps.
- Sitting position, arms hanging freely along the body. Gently lift your shoulders and hold for 10 seconds. To relax. Do 10 reps.
- Lying on a hard surface, knead the muscles in the neck and base of the skull for 4 minutes. Try massaging intensely 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 all the way 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. Range of motion is small. The prone position helps to reduce the load on the vertebrae, you can't strain to do everything at once. The main thing is caution, gradualness and consistency of classes.
- Lying on your back on the floor. One hand on the belly, 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. Run freely, relaxed. Do 10 reps.
- Lying on the floor on your stomach. Slowly raise your head, then your shoulders, rest with your hands in front of you, stay for 1 minute. Always try to remember the posture.
- Lying on your stomach. The 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 and then slowly tilt 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 in your palms, press your forehead into your palms. Try to try as hard as possible. Do the exhalation exercise. Repeat 10 times.
- Rotate the head alternately 5 times to the left and right side. If you feel pain, limit the movement of the chin to the left to the shoulder and then to the right to the shoulder. Repeat 6 times.
Video manuals on therapeutic exercises for cervical osteochondrosis
From the many video tutorials on therapeutic exercises presented on the net, you can choose the most effective one for the treatment of the cervical spine. It's best 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 series of exercises for the cervical vertebrae, a person will gain lightness, freedom, laxity of movement, and possibly forget about the existence of cervical osteochondrosis.