Cervical osteochondrosis is an insidious disease. The age of onset is decreasing year by year, so the problem of treating cervical osteochondrosis is now unprecedented.
People who lead a sedentary and passive lifestyle are finally realizing that osteochondrosis has crept up on them.
The cause of osteochondrosis is the inactivity of the muscles of the back and neck, so they weaken. Discs without muscle support are heavily loaded.
A sedentary lifestyle and incorrect posture can lead to deformed discs. A deformed disc can trap nerve endings. As a result, a person experiences pain in the back, cervical spine.
How to treat cervical osteochondrosis and prevent its manifestations? Doctors recommend special exercises to strengthen the muscles and tendons in the cervical spine, back, and shoulder girdle. This is the safest way to treat osteochondrosis.
The benefits of exercise
As mentioned above, osteochondrosis is caused by a sedentary lifestyle, weakening of the muscular corset, and curvature of the spine. In the initial stages of the disease, exercise prevents it from progressing further. Thanks to regular physical activity, blood circulation is improved, muscles in the area of the spine and cervical spine are conditioned, the load on the spine is reduced, the distance between the discs is increased, the friction between the discs is reduced, and accordingly, the frequency of pain is reduced.
If the disease has progressed to the point where severe pain is often felt, it is necessary to consult a specialist. He would establish an accurate diagnosis, the extent of the disease, and prescribe a course of massage. After the treatment session, a therapeutic exercise will be prescribed, which you can do yourself at home. This at-home treatment for cervical osteochondrosis will quickly make you forget about the disease.
Exercises should be chosen correctly and administered in doses. Otherwise, your health may deteriorate.
helpful hints
Before you start exercising, you need to read helpful tips.
- A set of exercises should be performed on a regular basis, regardless of location: study, work, home, etc. First, to speed up your progress, you should do the exercises every day. And when the condition improves in the future, you can practice 2-3 days a week to maintain the effect;
- If you feel pain or swelling, it's time to move a little. In this case, you need to get up, move around, stretch, and do osteochondrosis-specific exercises. you can take a walk;
- You should keep complicating the class. You can add other exercises to the complex or increase the number of repetitions;
- Regular exercise is certainly a good thing, but don't forget how you feel. If you feel severe pain in the cervical spine during class, you need to suspend the class;
- To enhance the therapeutic effect, you can massage and take a contrast shower more frequently. These procedures help with additional muscle relaxation;
- Keep an upright posture while practicing and pay attention to practice technique. It will be a little difficult at first, but thanks to proper execution, the muscles will get stronger and the practice will be easier.
One set of exercises (warm up)
Before you start exercising, be sure to warm up:
- You need to stand up straight with your legs shoulder-width apart, take a deep breath, and breathe out a few times. After that, you need to make neat tilts to the right, left, forward, and backward. Lean back should be careful not to cause pain. If bending over causes pain, then you can refuse to perform them.
- The next warm-up is to turn the head to the right and left to the limit. Despite its simplicity, this exercise can be difficult for those whose cervical spine does not allow them to fully turn their head one way or the other. In this case, turning your head isn't worth the pain. The exercise should be carried out smoothly without sudden movements.
- Finally stand up straight, shoulders stretched back, shoulder blades together, chest out. Then reduce the shoulder joints and round the back. Exercise should be done slowly and smoothly with inhalation and exhalation.
type of exercise
This gymnastics, consisting of a set of exercises, is not difficult. You can play at home, standing or sitting. The most important thing is to keep your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed. But it's best to do it while standing, because in this position the spine is as straight as possible.
Gymnastics #1
Press your head forward on your hands. Your hands should be in the lock and resting on your forehead. The hands clasped in the lock press the head back and the head must resist and press the hands forward. The neck should be tightened. You need to stay in this position for 15-20 seconds. Then place one hand behind your neck and tilt your head back. At the same time, the working muscles of the neck are stretched. This exercise helps strengthen the neck muscles, thereby weakening cervical osteochondrosis.
Gymnastics #2
Press the back of the head with your hand. For this exercise, you need to lock your hands together and in this form on the back of your head. Then press your hands on the back of your head, with your head against your hands. Duration - 15 - 20 seconds. In this case, the cervical muscles are tense. This exercise can be combined with the first exercise for a harmonious workout.
Gymnastics #3
Head tilted to one side. In this exercise, place the right (left) palm on the ear. You need to try to reach the right (left) shoulder with your head and resist with your working hand. In this position, you need to stay for 15-20 seconds. Then do the same to the other side.
Gymnastics #4
Turn your head to the side. In this exercise, you need to turn your head to the sides. To do this, place your right (left) palm on your right (left) cheek. Turn your head to the right (left) and the working hand will resist. At each location, you need to stay for 15-20 seconds.
Gymnastics #5
Extend your neck with your hands. This exercise can be difficult at first, but over time you will get used to it. Place your thumb on your chin and cover the back of your head with the rest of your fingers. In this position, with your head up, you can do a rocking motion. That is, simulating the attempt to pull the cork out of the bottle. You can't turn your head, it has to look straight ahead. Practice time is 15 - 20 seconds. This exercise should be repeated several times.
Gymnastics #6
Stand up straight, arms outstretched to the sides. Hands should be relaxed. Rotate the left and right shoulder joints in turn, then simultaneously. The body should lean forward. Requires 1 minute of exercise for each shoulder. This exercise is recommended for anyone who has tension in the shoulders.
gymnastics №7
Shaking his head. In this exercise, you need to turn your head to the right (left) shoulder and tighten your neck. Head roll to the sides. At the end of the repetition, the head should turn to the other shoulder. Try pulling your shoulder blades back. Practice carefully, and you must control the movement of your head throughout the exercise. In case of discomfort, you can simply turn your head to one side. This exercise should be repeated 10-12 times.
This is a comprehensive exercise designed to prevent cervical osteochondrosis. It is not necessary to do all the exercises, you can choose only those that do not cause discomfort and pain. Office workers are advised to sit up straight while working. Also, you can hang on the horizontal bar in the morning. This stretches the spine and energizes the body. Swimming, figure skating, dancing, and aerobic exercise also help prevent osteochondrosis and speed up the treatment process. If the class is regular and the person becomes more flexible, then you can get rid of the pain in the neck muscles and bones.