Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is an insidious disease. The age limit of the disease decreases every year, so now the problem of treating cervical osteochondrosis is more acute than ever.
People who lead a sedentary and passive lifestyle finally realize that osteochondrosis is quietly approaching them.
The causes of osteochondrosis are the immobility of the back and neck muscles, so they weaken. Left without muscle support, the spinal discs are overloaded.
Constantly sedentary lifestyle, incorrect posture causes deformation of the spinal discs. Deformed vertebral discs compress nerve endings. As a result, a person feels pain in the lower back and neck.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis and prevent its manifestation? Doctors recommend special exercises that strengthen the muscles and tendons of the neck, back and shoulder girdle. This is the safest way to treat osteochondrosis.
The benefits of exercise
As mentioned above, the causes of osteochondrosis are a sedentary lifestyle, weakening of the muscle corset and curvature of the spine. Exercise in the early stages of the disease will stop its further development. Due to regular physical activity, blood circulation improves, the muscles of the spine and neck region are toned, the load on the spine is reduced, the distance between the spinal discs increases, the friction between the spinal discs decreases and, accordingly, the frequency of pain decreases.
And if the disease has progressed to the point where severe pain is often felt, a specialist should be consulted. He will determine the exact diagnosis, the degree of the disease, prescribe the course of treatment, massage. After the treatment course, therapeutic exercises that you can do yourself at home will be prescribed. Such treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home will allow you to quickly forget about the disease.
Exercises should be chosen correctly and performed in doses. Otherwise, there is a risk of deterioration of your health.
Helpful hints
Before you start training, you should read the useful tips.
- A set of exercises should be performed regularly, regardless of location: study, work, at home, etc. First, you need to do exercises every day to speed up your progress. And in the future, when the situation improves, you can train 2-3 days a week to maintain the result;
- If you feel pain or swelling, it's a signal that it's time to move a little. In this case, it is necessary to stand up, walk, lie down, do exercises against osteochondrosis. You can walk a little;
- You must constantly make the lesson difficult. You can add other exercises to the complex or increase the number of repetitions;
- Exercising regularly is good, of course, but don't forget about your feelings. If you feel severe pain in the cervical region during classes, you should stop classes;
- To increase the effectiveness of the treatment, you can go for a massage and take a contrast shower more often. These procedures help in additional muscle relaxation;
- Exercises should be performed with a straight posture and attention should be paid to the execution technique. At first it will be a little difficult, but thanks to the correct execution, the muscles will become stronger and it will be easier to train.
A series of exercises (warm-up)
Before starting the exercises, be sure to start with a warm-up:
- You need to stand up straight, separate your feet shoulder width apart, take a deep breath and exhale several times. After that, you should make neat bends to the right, left, forward, back. Bending back should be done carefully without causing pain. If backbends cause pain, you can refuse to perform them.
- The next warm-up is turning the head to the right and to the left. Despite its simplicity, this exercise can be difficult for people whose cervical spine does not allow them to turn their head in one direction or another. In such cases, turning your head is not worth the pain. Exercise should be done smoothly, without sudden movements.
- Finally, stand up straight, pull your shoulders back, bring your shoulder blades together, and push your chest out. Then reduce the shoulder joints, round the back. Exercise should be done slowly, smoothly, under inhalation and exhalation.
Types of training
This gymnastics, which consists of a series of exercises, is not difficult. You can do them at home, standing or sitting. The most important thing is to keep your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed. However, it is preferable to perform them while standing, because in this position the spine is straightened as much as possible.
Gymnastics #1
Keep your head forward and apply pressure to the hands. The hands should be locked and placed on the forehead. The hands in the lock should press back on the head and the head should resist and the hands should press forward. The neck should be tightened. You should stay in this position for 15-20 seconds. Then put one hand on the back of the neck and tilt your head back. At the same time, the working muscles of the neck are stretched. This exercise is useful for strengthening neck muscles, which allows to weaken cervical osteochondrosis.
Gymnastics #2
Hand pressure on the back of the head. In this exercise, you should close your hands in a lock and put them behind your head in this form. Then put pressure on the back of the head with your hands and the head should resist the hands. Duration - 15 - 20 seconds. At this time, the muscles of the cervical spine become tense. This exercise can be combined with the first one for a harmonious workout.
Gymnastics #3
Tilt the head to the side. In this exercise, put the right (left) palm on the ear. You should try to reach your right (left) shoulder with your head, resist with your working hand. In this case, you need to stretch for 15-20 seconds. Then do the same to the other side.
Gymnastics #4
Turn the head to the side. In this exercise, you need to turn your head to the sides. To do this, place the right (left) palm on the right (left) cheek. Turn your head to the right (left) and the working hand resists. You need to lie in each position for 15-20 seconds.
Gymnastics #5
Extend the neck with hands. This exercise may be difficult to perform at first, but with time you will get used to it. Place your thumbs on the lower jaw and cover the back of your head with the rest of your fingers. In this case, you can raise your head and perform swinging movements. That is, to simulate trying to remove the cork from the bottle. You cannot turn your head, it must look straight ahead. The duration of the exercise is 15-20 seconds. The exercise should be repeated several times.
Gymnastics #6
Stand straight and spread your arms out to the sides. Hands should be comfortable. Rotate the right and left shoulder joints alternately, then simultaneously. The body should lean forward. It is necessary to perform the exercise for 1 minute for each shoulder. This exercise is recommended for those who feel tension in the shoulder area.
Gymnastics #7
Head rolling. In this exercise, you need to turn your head to the right (left) shoulder and squeeze your neck. Roll the head to both sides. At the end of the repetition, the head should turn to the other shoulder. Try to pull your shoulder blades back. Perform the exercise carefully, the movement of the head must be controlled during the entire exercise. In case of discomfort, you can simply turn your head to the side. The exercise should be repeated 10-12 times.
This is a complex of all exercises aimed at preventing osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. It is not necessary to perform all exercises, you can choose only those that do not cause discomfort and pain. Office workers are advised to sit upright while working. In addition, you can hang on the horizontal bar in the morning. This will lengthen the spine and give strength to the body. Swimming, figure skating, dancing, aerobics also prevent osteochondrosis and accelerate the healing process. If the classes are regular and the person himself becomes more mobile, then you can get rid of pain in the muscles and bones of the cervical region.