You can not do in the treatment of cervical osteochondrosis without special exercises. Physical activity stops the development of the disease, relieves pain, accelerates the recovery of damaged tissues. It is impossible to restore neck mobility, strengthen the spine and neck muscles without regular therapeutic exercises.
The role of sports in the treatment of osteochondrosis
Cervical osteochondrosis is a disease accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms such as neck pain and headache, dizziness, tinnitus, numbness in the hands, muscle weakness. The disease is easily chronic, worsens over time and can lead to the development of serious complications: protrusions, intervertebral hernias. Therefore, treatment of osteochondrosis should begin as early as possible. It consists of taking medication, undergoing physiotherapy and massage procedures, and doing special exercises.
Prevention and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis cannot be completed without therapeutic exercises. With the help of exercise, you can relax the overly tense neck muscles, reduce the pressure on the nerve roots and reduce neck pain. Therapeutic gymnastics strengthens muscles, increases the elasticity of the spine, normalizes blood circulation in the damaged area, improves tissue nutrition, accelerates their recovery. Exercise therapy gives the best results in combination with other therapeutic measures. It cannot be treated with medicine and massage alone. In this case, physical activity is irreplaceable. Only they can improve neck mobility and strengthen paravertebral muscles.
Exercise complexes for the treatment and prevention of cervical osteochondrosis
You can use the following exercises to warm up the spine, improve blood supply to the cervical region and increase the elasticity of the neck muscles:
- Take a comfortable, stable posture. Straighten your back. Lower your arms freely to your sides. Slowly turn your head to the right. Try to turn it as far away as possible, at an angle of 90 degrees. If the mobility of the neck is not very good, you need to turn your head as much as possible. Each turn will get better. Keep in mind that all exercises for the neck should be performed smoothly and carefully, otherwise there may be a compressed nerve or dislocation of the cervical vertebra. Make 7-10 turns to the right and left.
- Relax your neck without changing your posture. Bend your head to your chest and bring your chin to your chest. Lift your head easily, put it back straight. Repeat 7-10 times. Here, as in the previous exercise, if you can't reach your chest immediately with your chin, you should start with shallow inclinations.
- Relax your neck and shoulder girdle. Bend your head back gently, bringing the back of your head to the back. Extend your jaw as far as possible. Repeat several times.
Another set of exercises for the prevention and treatment of cervical osteochondrosis:
- Sit or stand. Lift your head and straighten your neck. Relax your neck and shoulders. Gently press your hand to your forehead. Pressing your head into the palm of your hand, it is as if you are pushing it away. The neck muscles should be sharply contracted and then relaxed.
- Repeat the previous exercise, but place your palm on the side of your head. Try to press your head into your hands with a non-sharp motion. Hold the tension for three seconds, then relax. Perform the next iteration. In general, 5-10 should be repeated.
- Sit down, straighten your neck and back, relax. Raise your shoulders to your ears. Hold this position for 3-5 seconds.
- Get up, get up. Spread your arms straight to the sides, raising them to shoulder level. Turn your head 10 times in each direction.
- Massage your neck with up and down and circular friction movements. Finish in 3 minutes.
- While sitting or keeping your back straight on your feet, shake your head back and forth as if to say yes. The range of motion should be small.
- Gently shake your head as if you don't agree with someone and say no.
Cases of use of the described exercise sets: prevention of osteochondrosis, the initial stage of the disease, neglected conditions. It is forbidden to use the first complex in case of exacerbation of the disease.
Complex training sets
The first complex:
- Lie on the floor. The leading hand, right for the right hand, is placed on the abdomen. Put your other hand on your chest. Breathe slowly and moderately, taking the most complete inhalations and exhalations.
- Get up from a lying position, lean on your hands and stretch your neck. Slowly lower yourself to the floor. Repeat 7-10 times.
- Lie on your stomach and extend your arms to your sides. Gently turn your head and touch your ear to the ground. Repeat on the other side.
- Sit down and straighten your neck. Breathe in, tilting your head to your chest and pressing your chin firmly against it. Breathe when you return to the starting position.
- Get up or sit down. Do not strain your neck and shoulder girdle. Bend your head forward and perform a few gentle circular rotations of your head along the spine.
This exercise complex can not be performed during the exacerbation of the disease, it is allowed only in remission. The second complex can also be carried out during exacerbation:
- Hold your shoulders with your hands and do rotational movements with them - 10 times in each direction.
- Squeeze your hands into fists and spread your arms wide. Bend them slightly to demonstrate strong biceps, then straighten them to the sides parallel to the floor. Shake the limbs, relax the muscles.
- Do a familiar exercise in which the head rests on the palm. But make it harder by pressing both palms together.
- Place your hands behind your head. Bend your head back and resist this movement with your hands.
- Pull your shoulders forward. Rebuild. Take them back.
- Lie on the floor. Raise your neck as high as possible and hold this position for five seconds.
- Extend your hand over your head and place it on the opposite side of your head. Gently bend your head with your hands.
Both simple and complex training sets should be performed 3-4 times a day. Each exercise is repeated 7-20 times.