Many people know the feeling when the neck hurts. This greatly reduces performance and interferes with normal business. In addition, such pains do not appear just like that, usually their source is spasmodic muscles or nerves that are impaired due to cervical osteochondrosis. This disease is significantly "younger", it is diagnosed even in adolescents. Special exercises will help to cope with painful sensations and slow down the degradation of cartilage. With osteochondrosis of the neck, gymnastics is very effective, as it helps to improve blood circulation and strengthen muscles.
Features of cervical osteochondrosis
In modern society, people spend a lot of time in a sitting position. This requires study, working at a computer, filling out documents. In this case, the head is tilted forward, and the neck muscles are tense. This leads to the development of cervical osteochondrosis, which is now increasingly common in young people.
The main cause of this disease is degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs. And they develop due to a slowdown in blood circulation and metabolism. As a result, the nutrition of tissues is disrupted and the muscles are weakened. As a result, the vertebrae are displaced, causing infringement of the nerve fibers and blood vessels. This causes pain in the neck, stiffness of muscles, decreased performance.
The benefits of treating osteochondrosis with exercise therapy
For almost every patient, doctors as part of a comprehensive treatment prescribe gymnastics. It is effective in any case, someone feels relief after 3-4 months, and other patients get rid of unpleasant symptoms after 2 weeks. The treatment of osteochondrosis with the help of gymnastics has the following advantages:
- with proper use of the exercise for osteochondrosis of the neck, there are no side effects;
- such treatment has almost no contraindications, you can perform exercises at any age;
- such gymnastics is easy to perform, does not take much time;
- the effect of gymnastics is usually felt after a few days;
- daily exercise will not only help get rid of unpleasant symptoms, but also improve overall health.
Gymnastics action
Usually, special exercises are used against osteochondrosis of the neck during the remission of the disease. But some of them can be done even with mild pain after consulting a doctor. With the right selection of exercises and observing the rules for their implementation, they have the following properties:
- improve blood circulation and metabolic processes;
- strengthen the muscle corset and normalize muscle tone;
- eliminate muscle spasms, hypertonicity, increased tension and stiffness;
- slow down degenerative processes;
- normalize the patient’s sleep, calm, help to overcome stressful situations;
- relieve headaches and normalize blood pressure;
- restore mobility of the neck and return the patient to normal performance.
Indications for the use of special exercises
Osteochondrosis causes pain during head movements; neck mobility is often completely limited. This reduces the working capacity and quality of life of a person. And a lot of nerve endings and blood vessels in the neck lead to the development of additional symptoms. It is to eliminate them that exercises for the neck are performed. With osteochondrosis of the spine, they relieve pain, restore mobility, eliminate vegetative and radicular syndromes.
The main indications for performing special exercises may be such conditions:
- frequent headaches;
- increase in blood pressure;
- sharp or aching pain in the neck;
- restriction in head movements, muscle spasms;
- soreness in the hands, numbness or tingling;
- chronic fatigue, fatigue, decreased performance;
- impaired memory, vision or hearing, decreased concentration.
When you can not do gymnastics
Despite the fact that exercises for osteochondrosis of the neck are often prescribed by doctors, not everyone can perform them. Gymnastics is shown mainly in the early stages of the disease and during persistent remission. With exacerbation of osteochondrosis, as well as in complex cases where the pathology is complicated by a hernia, displacement or instability of the vertebrae, the presence of osteophytes, it is not recommended to do the usual exercises for the neck on your own. If gymnastics is prescribed in this case, then only under the guidance of a doctor.
In addition, there are other contraindications when exercise should be stopped for a while or completely:
- the presence of bleeding;
- severe pain in the neck or head;
- fever;
- general infectious diseases;
- increase in blood pressure;
- serious heart disease;
- tendency to the appearance of blood clots.
How to properly perform exercises for osteochondrosis of the neck
For gymnastics to be truly effective, certain rules must be followed. First of all, these are examinations before the start of classes and consultation with a doctor. In addition, you need to choose a complex that is suitable for this particular patient in accordance with his individual characteristics and the severity of the disease. You also need to follow certain rules for performing exercises:
- to engage only during remission, with the appearance of pain, gymnastics is contraindicated;
- it is necessary to monitor breathing;
- you need to start with a small number of repetitions, increasing the load gradually;
- if the exercise causes tension or pain in the neck, it is better not to do it;
- during the lesson you need to monitor posture, the back should be straight, and the shoulders straightened.
The main set of exercises
There are several gymnastics techniques used in cervical osteochondrosis. Exercises for the neck can be simpler or more complex, dynamic or static, aimed only at the muscles of the neck or capturing also the arms and back. Their choice depends on the age of the patient, his individual characteristics and the severity of the condition.
The most common set of exercises is used in the first stages of the development of the disease or during persistent remission. It can also be used to prevent osteochondrosis with prolonged sitting at a computer. It consists of several exercises for the muscles of the neck. With osteochondrosis, their choice must be agreed with the doctor, in other cases, you can make those that you like more. All exercises are done smoothly, without sudden movements. In each direction you need to repeat 10-15 times.
- Turn your head to the right, stretch your chin to your shoulder. Then repeat left.
- Tilt your head down, stretch your chin to your chest.
- Throw back your head, pulling your chin up. You can not do this exercise with a hernia and the presence of large osteophytes.
- Perform chin rotation, as if drawing a circle to them.
- The following exercises are best done in a standing position. Lower your arms down, raise your shoulders, trying to press them to your ears.
- Take your shoulders as far back as possible, connecting the shoulder blades, then bring them forward.
- Do circular rotation with the shoulders.
Isometric exercises
Another complex is based on statics, that is, head movements have a very small amplitude, but hands are used to create additional load. Thanks to this, such exercises are effective for strengthening the neck. With osteochondrosis, they can be used at any stage of the disease and even during exacerbation, since the alternation of tension and muscle relaxation helps improve blood circulation and metabolic processes, and a small range of movements does not provoke complications. Such exercises are called isometric, they are universal and very effective:
- Put your palm on your temple. Press a hand on the head, trying to tilt it to the side. At the same time, with the help of muscle tension in the neck, pressure must be resisted.
- Do the same by placing your fist on the jaw. In this case, other neck muscles work.
- Put your hands in the lock and put them under the chin. You need to push them up, while trying to lower his head down.
- Hands, also joined in the lock, put on the forehead. Try to lower your head back, resisting the muscles of the neck.
- Do the same with your hands on the back of your head. It is necessary to press them on the head, trying to lower it forward.
Gymnastics Dr. Shishonin
Academician Alexander Shishonin has developed a set of special exercises for the neck. With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, they are very effective. After all, Dr. Shishonin studied this disease and its causes, is well versed in the anatomy and physiology of the cervical spine. He determined that osteochondrosis often develops due to weakening or overstrain of muscles, and a decrease in their elasticity. This can lead to the convergence or displacement of the vertebrae, which infringe on the nerve endings. Therefore, exercises to strengthen the neck with osteochondrosis help prevent exacerbations and slow down degenerative processes.
Gymnastics, developed by Dr. Shishonin, takes into account the structural features of the spine and the causes of osteochondrosis. There are only seven exercises, but when performing the complex in accordance with all the rules, it well relieves pain and muscle spasms in osteochondrosis. All exercises are performed slowly, stretching the muscles, fixing the head in the extreme position for half a minute. They are repeated in each direction 5 times.
- The first exercise is called the Metronome. You need to slowly tilt your head to the right. Hold in this position, then repeat to the left.
- The second exercise stretches the muscles of the back of the neck. It is necessary to press the chin to the chest. From this position, raise it up, then return to its original position.
- Exercise "Goose" is designed to stretch the oblique muscles of the neck. It is necessary to pull the chin to the right, and then to the left shoulder.
- When performing the exercise “Look into the sky” you need to turn your head in one direction and pull the chin up a little. Then the same thing the other way.
- Exercise "Frame" is performed while sitting on a chair. You need to turn your head to the right, but at the same time put your right hand on your left shoulder. This helps to stretch the lateral muscles more.
- When performing the exercise "Fakir" hands are raised up and connected by palms above the head. In this position, you need to turn your head in one direction, and then in the other direction.
- The last exercise is called the Heron. You need to pull straight arms back, and the chin forward and up.
Exercises for the back and neck
With osteochondrosis of the cervicothoracic region, when the discs are affected not only in the neck, but also lower, a more detailed complex needs to be performed. In this case, exercises are performed for the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle. But to them is supplemented the effect on the muscles of the back. In addition to special movements, massage is also effective, which is better to ask someone from close people to do.
What exercises to perform in osteochondrosis to strengthen the muscles of the neck and back should be advised by a doctor. The most common are the following movements:
- circular rotation of the shoulders;
- hand swings;
- raising hands and body from a supine position;
- standing on all fours, arch your back, then bend it, not throwing your head back;
- lying on your back, while raising your arms and legs.
Class Rules
Neck exercises should be performed regularly. At first it is recommended to do them even several times a day. At the stage of persistent remission, you can engage in once every 1-2 days. But daily special gymnastics is recommended for office workers and for those who spend a long time in front of a computer. In this case, you can choose the shortest complex and those exercises that do not require additional devices.
To increase the effectiveness of exercises, it is recommended to combine them with massage. To rub the back of the head, shoulder girdle and the area between the shoulder blades. Even 10 minutes a day of exercise and 5 minutes of self-massage can protect against the progression of osteochondrosis. This approach to treatment provides restoration of spinal mobility and prevents frequent exacerbations.