Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is an insidious disease. The age threshold of cases falls every year, so now the problem of treating cervical osteochondrosis is as acute as ever.
People who lead a sedentary and passive lifestyle eventually realize that osteochondrosis has quietly crept up on them.
The causes of osteochondrosis are the inactivity of the muscles of the back and neck, due to which they weaken. Spinal discs left without muscle support are heavily loaded.
Constantly sedentary lifestyle, incorrect posture causes deformation of the spinal discs. Deformed spinal discs press on nerve endings. As a result, a person feels pain in the back, cervical area.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis and prevent its manifestation? Doctors recommend special exercises that strengthen the muscles and tendons of the cervical, 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 muscular corset and curvature of the spine. Exercise at the initial stage of the disease will stop its further development. Due to regular physical activity, blood circulation improves, spine and cervical muscles are toned, the load on the spine is reduced, the distance between the vertebral discs increases, the friction between the vertebral discs decreases and, therefore, the frequency of pain decreases.
And if the disease has developed to the point where severe pain is often felt, it is necessary to consult a specialist. He will determine the exact diagnosis, degree of the disease, prescribe the course of treatment, massage. After the course of treatment, therapeutic exercises will be prescribed, which you can do independently at home. Such treatment of cervical osteochondrosis at home will allow you to quickly forget about the disease.
Exercises should be selected correctly and performed in doses. Otherwise, there is a risk of deterioration of your health.
Useful hints
Before you start training, you should read some useful tips.
- A set of exercises should be performed regularly, regardless of the location: study, work, home, etc. Sh. At first, to speed up the progress, you should do the exercises every day. In the future, when the condition improves, you can train 2-3 days a week to maintain the results;
- If you feel pain or swelling, this is a signal that it is time to move a little. In this case, it is necessary to stand up, walk, stretch, perform anti-osteochondrosis exercises. You can take a little walk;
- You should constantly make the lesson more difficult. You can add other exercises to the complex or increase the number of repetitions;
- Exercising regularly is certainly good, but don't forget about your feelings. If you feel severe pain in the cervical area during the lessons, you should stop the lessons;
- To increase the effectiveness of the treatment, you can go for a massage and take a contrast shower more often. These procedures promote additional muscle relaxation;
- Exercises should be performed by maintaining the correct posture and paying attention to the performance technique. It will be a little difficult at first, but thanks to the correct execution, the muscles will become stronger and the exercise will become easier.
set of exercises (warm-up)
Before starting the exercises, be sure to start with a warm-up:
- You need to stand straight, spread your legs shoulder-width apart, take a deep breath and exhale several times. After that, you need to perform a clean tilt to the right, left, forward, back. Leaning back should be done carefully, without pain. If back bending causes pain, then you can refuse to perform them.
- The next warm-up is turning the head to the right and left to the limit. Despite its simplicity, this exercise can cause difficulties for people whose cervical spine does not allow the head to turn completely in one direction or another. In such cases, it is not worth the pain to turn your head. Exercise should be performed smoothly, without sudden movements.
- Finally, stand up straight, pull your shoulders back, bring your shoulder blades together, pull your chest out. Then reduce the shoulder joints, round the back. Exercise should be done slowly, smoothly, under inhalation and exhalation.
Types of exercises
This exercise, consisting of a set of exercises, is not difficult. You can perform them at home, standing or sitting. The main thing is to keep your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed. But it is preferable to perform them while standing, since in this position the spine is straightened as much as possible.
Exercise #1
Pressure on the hands with the head forward. You should clasp your hands and place them on your forehead. Put your hands in a lock behind your head, and your head should support and press your hands forward. The neck should be tightened. You should stay in this position for 15-20 seconds. Then put one hand on the back of your neck and pull your head back. At the same time, the working muscles of the neck are stretched. This exercise is useful for strengthening the neck muscles, which allows you to weaken cervical osteochondrosis.
Exercise #2
Hand pressure on the back of the head. In this exercise, you need to lock your hands in a lock and put them on the back of your head in this form. Then apply pressure on the back of the head with your hand and the head should come out with your hands. Duration - 15 - 20 seconds. In this case, the muscles of the cervical spine are tense. This exercise can be combined with the first one for a harmonious exercise.
Exercise #3
Head tilted to the side. In this exercise, put your right (left) hand on your ear. You should try to reach the right (left) shoulder with your head and resist with the working hand. You should stay in this position for 15-20 seconds. Then do the same on the other side.
Exercise #4
Turn to the page. In this exercise you have to turn your head to the sides. To do this, put your right (left) hand on your right (left) cheek. Turn your head to the right (left) and the working hand is opposed. In each position, you should stop for 15-20 seconds.
Exercise #5
Stretching the neck with the hands. This exercise may be difficult to do at first, but you can get used to it with time. Put your fingers on the lower jaw, and the rest of the fingers cover the back of the head. In this position, you can perform oscillating movements with your head up. That is, the simulation of trying to remove the cork from the bottle. He cannot turn his head, he must look straight ahead. The duration of the exercise is 15-20 seconds. The exercise should be repeated several times.
Exercise #6
Stand straight and spread your arms out to the sides. Hands should be relaxed. Alternately rotate the right and left shoulder joints, then simultaneously. The body should be bent forward. It is necessary to perform the exercise for each shoulder for 1 minute. This exercise is recommended for those who feel tension in the shoulder area.
Gymnastics No. 7
Head moving. In this exercise, you need to turn your head over your right (left) shoulder and tighten your neck. Do the headband on both sides. At the end of the repetition, you should turn your head to the other shoulder. Try to pull your shoulder blades back. Perform the exercise carefully, the movement of the head should be controlled throughout the 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 whole complex of exercises aimed at the prevention of 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 perform hanging on a horizontal bar in the morning. This will stretch the spine, give the body strength. Swimming, figure skating, dancing, aerobics also help 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.