Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is an insidious disease. The age threshold for incidence is falling every year, so now the problem of treating 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 disease and maintenance therapy at home are now extremely relevant.
We are helped by various exercises for the prevention and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis and professionally designed exercise therapy (physical therapy complexes).
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis is massage and self-massage. Techniques of warming massage, rubbing, patting, restore blood circulation in the muscles, relieve tension in the neck muscles. You can do the massage yourself, by kneading and rubbing the back of the neck and the base of the skull, which eliminates blood stasis and restores blood circulation in the head.
The workplace should be comfortable. An ergonomic chair should be used. Elbows should be at table level, back straight, computer monitor slightly above view. It is necessary to take breaks in the work in order to reduce the static load on the back.
A preventive measure for osteochondrosis is to perform exercises for the cervical region. Less dangerous are isometric exercises, which consist of countering the load for 5-6 seconds. The head resists the pressure of the palm. Exercises are performed without sudden movements, smoothly.
- Sitting at a table with a flat back. Put your elbow on the table, press your ear on your palm, lean your head on your shoulder, opposing 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, place your hand on the table on your elbow, lean your palm on your forehead, rest your hand and press your head for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Lie on the floor on your back. Press the nape of the neck against 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 lying on the floor, put your head on it and press your head on your hand.
- Same for the right side.
- Sitting on a chair with a flat back, put your fingers in the lock, put on the back of the head, press the back of the head on the joined fingers.
- Standing close to the wall, press the back of your head against the wall.
All of the above isometric exercises must be performed with effort for 5-6 seconds, after which tension and relaxation are slowly released. Do 5-10 reps.
Beneficial effect on the condition of the cervical part is the performance of curtains on a horizontal strip. You can perform hanging with a wide and narrow grip for 30 seconds. Under the influence of its own weight, all the vertebrae of the spine stretch.
You should pay attention to your habits, do not bend over at the table, hold 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 preventative measure.
To prevent the disease, you can perform small simple sets of exercises every day. 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 to your shoulders and turn your head left and right.
Normally, a person should bend his head by 45 degrees, separate by 50. Tilt your head to your shoulders should be 45 degrees, turn your 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 cannot practice during an attack. After the attack, low-intensity isometric exercises are allowed, in which case the muscles tense up, resisting the load. The neck muscles create a muscular corset that holds the vertebrae firmly.
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 experts.
Physiotherapist
- Sitting position, back and neck straight. Turn your head to the right and left as much as you can, but gently, not abruptly. Repeat 10 times.
- Sitting position, straight back and neck. Put your head down, try to touch your chest with your chin. 10 reps.
- Sitting position, pull your chin and neck back, 10 reps.
- Sitting position, arms freely hung by the body. Raise your shoulders slightly and hold for 10 seconds. Relax. Do 10 reps.
- 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 the hard surface of the muscles between the shoulder blades and above the shoulder blades.
- In circular motions, knead the muscles above the ear and to the nape of the neck.
A set of exercises combined with slow, calm breathing. Breathing helps you focus on the exercise, it helps increase its effectiveness. It is recommended to repeat several times during the day. The range of motion is small. Lying down helps to reduce the load on the vertebrae, you can not try to do everything at once. The main thing is caution, gradualness and consistency of teaching.
- Lying on his back on the floor. One hand on his stomach, the other on his chest. Calm breath - stomach rises, then chest. Exhale calmly, for a long time. Try to exhale longer than inhale. Perform freely, relaxed. Do 10 reps.
- Lying on the floor on his stomach. Slowly raise your head, then your shoulders, then rest with your arms in front of you, hold for 1 minute. Always try to remember posture.
- He is lying on his stomach. The arms are placed along the body. Feel free to turn your head slowly, trying to touch the floor with your ear. Repeat left and right 6 times.
- Sitting position. Tilt your head forward, then slowly tilt back until it stops, but not abruptly or painfully. Repeat 10 times.
- Sit 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 much as possible. Perform an exhalation exercise. Repeat 10 times.
- Turn your head alternately 5 times to the left and right. If pain is felt, then the movement of the chin to the left to the shoulder should be limited, then to the right to the shoulder. Repeat 6 times.
Video manuals on therapeutic exercises for cervical osteochondrosis
From the numerous video tutorials on therapeutic exercises presented online, you can choose the most effective for the treatment of the cervical spine. It is better to contact an expert, follow the recommendations of existing chiropractors and trust their experience.
By combining massage, self-massage, advances in medical massage technology, posture control and performing simple sets of exercises for the cervical vertebrae, a person will gain lightness, freedom, looseness of movement and, possibly, forget about the existence of cervical osteochondrosis.