Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is an insidious disease. The age threshold for incidence is decreasing every year, so the problem of treating cervical osteochondrosis is now as acute as ever.
Unfortunately, the penetration of medicine in different parts of our country leaves much to be desired, therefore, self-prevention of disease 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
Prevention of cervical osteochondrosis is massage and self-massage. Warming techniques of massage, rubbing, tapping, restore blood circulation in the muscles, relieve tension in the muscles of the neck. The 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 level with the table, back straight, computer screen slightly above eye level. At work, it is necessary to take breaks 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 in countering the load for 5-6 seconds. The head resists the pressure of the palm of the hand. Exercises are performed without sudden movements, smoothly.
- Sit at a table with your back straight. Place your elbow on the table, press your ear against your palm, tilt your head towards your shoulder, countering it with your hand. Hold for 10 seconds, 10 reps. The side 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 to 6 seconds.
- Lie on the floor on your stomach, 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 lean your head on your hand.
- Same for the right side.
- Sitting on a chair with a straight back, interlock the fingers in the lock, place it on the back of the head, press the back of the head on the joined fingers.
- Standing close to the wall, lean the back of your head against the wall.
All of the above isometric exercises should be done with effort for 5-6 seconds, after which slowly release the tension and relax. Do 5 to 10 reps.
Beneficial effect on the condition of the cervical section of the placement of draperies on the horizontal bar. You can perform suspensions 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 need to pay attention to your habits, do not bend down 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 preventative measure.
To prevent the disease, you can perform small sets of simple exercises daily. The program contains fairly accessible exercises to perform. In order to determine the condition of the cervical spine, you can do small tests: tilt your head back and forth, tilt it to your shoulder and turn your head from left to right.
Normally a person should bend the head 45 degrees, unbend 50. Tilt the head to the shoulder 45 degrees, turn the head 90 degrees back and forth.
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 jerking or sudden movements. Before performing gymnastic complexes, you need to choose an individual technique, based on the advice of a specialist.
Physiotherapist doctor
- Seated position, back and neck straight. Turn your head right and left as far as possible, but gently, not abruptly. Repeat 10 times.
- Seated position, back and neck straight. Lower your head, try to touch your chest with your chin. 10 repetitions.
- 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 massaging intensely to improve blood circulation.
- Rub while sitting or lying on a hard muscle surface 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 series of exercises associated with slow and calm breathing. Breathing helps to focus on the exercise, helps to increase its efficiency. It is advisable to repeat several times during the day. The range of motion is small. The lying position helps to reduce the load on the vertebrae, you can not strive to do everything at once. The main thing is prudence, progressiveness and consistency in prices.
- Lying on your back on the floor. One hand on your stomach, the other on your chest. Calm breathing - the stomach rises, then the chest. Exhale calmly, for a long time. Try to make the exhale longer than the inhale. Play freely, relaxed. Do 10 reps.
- Lying on the floor on your stomach. Slowly raise your head, then your shoulders, then rest your hands in front of you, linger 1 minute. Try to always 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. Tilt your head forward, then slowly tilt it back until it stops, but not abruptly and painlessly. Repeat 10 times.
- Sitting at the table. Put your elbows on the table, rest your head on your palms, rest your forehead on your palms. Try to push yourself as hard as possible. Perform the exhale exercise. Repeat 10 times.
- Rotate your head alternately 5 times to the left and to the right. If pain is felt, then movement of the chin to the left to the shoulder and then to the right to the shoulder should be limited. Repeat 6 times.
Video manuals on therapeutic exercises for cervical osteochondrosis
Among 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 exercises for the cervical vertebrae, a person will gain lightness, freedom, looseness of movementand eventually will forget about the existence of cervical osteochondrosis.