This pathology is getting younger every year. Today, people in their 30s and 35s suffer from it after a long day of work. Due to physical inactivity and hard work at the computer, pathologies appear early and actively develop.
Therefore, special physical therapy complexes have been developed to improve blood circulation in the neck with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Performing them daily for 10-15 minutes reduces or prevents the development of pathological changes.
The best set of gymnastic exercises for the neck for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is selected by the doctor. But you can use very popular ones for prevention. Today we will tell you about the top 10.
Features of cervical osteochondrosis
It is a degenerative disease that occurs in people who are prone to it due to the negative impact of the environment or a bad lifestyle.
There are simple medical treatments. exercises for the vertebrae for neck and back muscles and pain in the back of the neck and head, against the aggravation of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, protrusions, for the exacerbation of dizziness due to pressure on the head. But it is more pleasant to use them only for relaxation, and not for the prevention of serious diseases.
The most common reasons are:
- Sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work.
- Heavy weight, sudden weight gain.
- Improper, unbalanced diet leads to lack of vitamins and trace elements.
- Injuries received.
- Congenital pathologies.
- Curvature of the spine.
- Regular hypothermia in the cervical region.
It is almost invisible in the early stages, so people do not have time to start prevention in time.Main symptoms:
- Periodic headaches.
- Sudden dizziness for no reason.
- Crunch.
- Decreased performance, inattention, inability to remember information.
- Sleep problems.
- Violation of sensitivity of the upper extremities.
- Depression.
- Hypertension rises.
- Periodic fainting.
Since the symptoms are very weak and varied, it is difficult to identify the disease at first. That's why doctors recommend doing exercises to protect yourself.
Why are lessons needed?
Is it possible to cure cervical osteochondrosis forever with just 10 exercises? Nope. It is impossible to completely eliminate the damage with the help of physical education, but exercise therapy helps to stop it. And this is his main task - to save a person from problems and pain in the future.
The neck is one of the most important parts of our body that can withstand constant stress. Even when we sit, it supports the head, providing it with nutrients and oxygen from the blood. But with risk factors, spasms and convulsions may develop, blood circulation may be impaired, nerves may be compressed, and the intervertebral discs will begin to deteriorate. All this will lead to constant unbearable pain, fatigue and reduced quality of life.
Therapeutic exercises are used along with medication and massage to relieve a person of anxiety. Exercise therapy is created by experts to gently warm up muscles and relieve spasms.
The safest morning exercises to treat the neck and shoulders for pain and dizziness, pain in the cervical vertebrae during exacerbation of cervical spine osteochondrosis should not be used at home.
Rules for performing exercises
For many years, physical exercises have been used for the treatment of cervical vertebrae and cervical osteochondrosis.
Follow a few rules:
- Consult a doctor first.
- Choose a flat, hard, non-slip surface to sleep on.
- Measure your cadence before, during and after exercise. Make sure that the readings do not exceed 129 beats per minute, reduce the load if necessary. Measurements can be taken with a fitness bracelet or by counting your heart rate using a stopwatch.
- Everything should be done smoothly and slowly. The speed and amplitude of movements gradually increase.
- It is important to maintain regularity at least 5 times a week to get results.
- The wrong sequence or overload can harm a person. Therefore, it is better if the course of physical therapy is prepared by the attending physician.
Exercises for the cervical area for osteochondrosis are gymnastics available to every person. But it requires compliance with the rules of caution.
TOP 10 exercises for cervical osteochondrosis
Exercises for cervical chondrosis are therapeutic exercises and exercises for every day, but during an exacerbation, the neck complex is not performed, and the doctor must decide what physical exercises to do.
They are aimed at:
- Strengthening the spine and muscles in the shoulders, arms, back and chest as well.
- Prevention of spasms and elimination of existing ones.
- Improves mobility and coordination.
An important condition for the success of exercise therapy is the initial warm-up part. Without this procedure there is a risk of injury. It is enough to turn your shoulders several times, smoothly turn your head to the sides and raise your arms. When the necessary muscles are warmed up, you can start performing the main complex.
10 lessons showing how to lengthen the height, strengthen the cervical spine and maintain the health of the vertebrae with cervical osteochondrosis:
- Relax tired muscles.Stand, hands free. Make your palms into fists and squeeze all the muscles in your arms. At the same time, lower your shoulders, straighten your back and freeze in tension. Hold for 30 seconds, then open your palms and relax. After 30 seconds, repeat the tense pose.
- From any body position that is comfortable for you.Look straight ahead. Then slowly tilt your head to the left. Try to touch your ear to your shoulder without moving or raising your hand. Smooth the movement, feeling the muscles stretch. Freeze by tilting your head for 10-15 seconds, then straighten and repeat the movement to the right. As you move, pay attention to the sensations.
- Pendulum or lowered head swings. Take a position that is comfortable for you. Lower your head forward so that your chin touches the space next to the jugular vein. Pause for a second, feeling the stretch in your back muscles. Then smoothly, without lifting your chin from the skin, begin to move to the right, reach the shoulder area and freeze. Return to the original position and then repeat in the opposite direction. Do 7-10 repetitions in different directions.
- Shrug.Warming up the shoulder girdle plays an important role. Be comfortable. Then simultaneously raise both shoulders as much as possible, try not to move them. Then lower your shoulders and relax by pulling back a little. Repeat 5-10 times. Watch your breath as you do this.
- Movement in opposite directions.Initial complete relaxation of the shoulders. Then we filter both at the same time a little and move forward. Then we take it back, straightening it, trying to bring the shoulder blades together. Freeze a little at the abduction points. Do this over and over again.
- They bend.Straighten your back, straighten your shoulders. Gently lower your head. But you can't move your shoulders forward. Freeze for a moment, take it. Do it 5-10 times, always trying to lower your head. There should be no pain.
- Back and upper limbs.It can be done sitting or standing. Straighten and spread your arms, lower your shoulders and relax. Then tense your back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Relax by stretching your arms slightly forward. Do this 5-7 times, pay attention that the upper limbs do not move themselves, all movements are carried out by the efforts of the spinal muscles.
- Rotation of brushes.Spread your arms as before, lower your shoulders. Bend your elbows up and make your palms into fists. Keeping the elbow bent perpendicular to the floor, rotate your fists in your hands 4 times clockwise and counterclockwise. At this moment, the main task is the constant position of the hand.
- Rotation.We remain in the same position as before. Relax your upper limbs up to the elbow, and then make several rotations with your elbows, first in one direction and then in the other. Place your hands at your sides. Do 5-7 sets - repetitions.
- Shoulder rotation.Spread your upper limbs, relax your shoulders. Then perform 4-5 rotations forward and then back at the shoulder joint. Relax, do this a few times.
Therapeutic gymnastics for the shoulders and neck is included in the complete treatment complex for headaches against dizziness for men, women and the elderly, this is the best and effective static warm-up at home for the vertebra with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, a professional trainer shows you how to do it, but in case of exacerbationbetter to avoid.
Different teaching systems
Aware of the prevalence of the problem, many specialists have developed their own sets of physical exercises and gymnastics for women and men to strengthen the shoulder and neck muscles with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, which should be done for headaches in the back. considering them the best and most effective to exercise at home to improve blood circulation in the head and brain. The effectiveness of exercise therapy has been proven if it is performed correctly and regularly.
Static exercises
There is practically no need to move. They can be done at your desk in the office:
- Place your palms on your forehead.Tense the muscle layer, try to apply pressure to move your palms and lean forward. At the same time, you need to tense your arms and resist. You need to spend 20-30 seconds in a tense state, then relax completely and repeat after 10-20 seconds.
- Put your hands behind your head, first squeeze them together.Try to force your head back and resist the movement with your hands. Hold the tension for 15-30 seconds. Repeat 4-5 times.
- Put your hands up without unlocking.Now you need to press directly on the head and actively resist the pressure by trying to pull your head up. The duration is the same as the previous lessons.
- Place your hands under the skull in a lockand press, actively resist the pressure by trying to lean back with your head.
Each is repeated 3-4 times. It is important to follow your feelings.
Dikul's exercises
The complex is known to be perfect for people with advanced osteochondrosis. Anyone can do it at home.
Smooth movement is important.
- Place your right hand over your left ear.At the same time, bend your elbow slightly at shoulder level and raise your left. Using your main hand, gently tilt your head by pressing on the auricle area. Fix for 7-10 s. in this position. Then do the opposite.
- Raise your arms and close your palms. Place them gently on the back of the head and apply gentle pressure by tilting your head. At the same time, round the back. Freeze in this position for a few seconds and then straighten slowly.
- Put your elbow on the table and relax comfortably.Place your palms around your lower jaw. Strain your neck and in this position try to gently move your head in different directions.
- With your palms closed, press the occipital region.Try to throw the head back, overcoming the resistance with the efforts of the neck muscles
Exercises according to Bubnovsky
They can even be used for high blood pressure and headaches. Pain may occur. The doctor who prepared the complex advises to continue using it if the pain is moderate.
The most effective:
- Lower your head to your chest and relax.Then tighten the area of your neck muscles and extend the head end in front of you. Pause briefly at each extreme point of the movement.
- In the same positionStretch your lower jaw alternately towards your armpits.
- Return to the first position.Change the position of the tip of the head to the right and then tilt it back to look at the ceiling. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat the movement.
- Put your hands together at the top and look up from the bottom.Spread your arms to the sides, move your neck and alternately look at your left and right hands.
- Extend your arms up and place your palms apart.Make sure your chin is strictly parallel to the floor and slightly forward.
The doctor has also prepared useful strength exercises.You can make them yourself:
- Do push-ups on chairs.Place your palms on the seats of two chairs on the outstretched arms. We put our feet on the floor or raise them to a level slightly below the chairs, for example, we put them on the seat of the sofa. We do push-ups smoothly and slowly. Sudden actions should be avoided.
- In a lying position, hold dumbbells in your hands.Inhale, lift, exhale, slowly lower from the tip of the head.
- We continue this without changing the position and equipment.Exhaling, we return to the position in front of us, and while exhaling, we separate from each other so that our palms do not touch the floor.
When you start training for the first time, if you do not have such experience, perform the movements 3-5 times. Gradually increase the repetitions and reach fifteen for each.
Contraindications
Your doctor will tell you what exercises you cannot do at home with cervical osteochondrosis and what you can and should do. The complex and load, the number of approaches are selected individually. There are a number of contraindications for performing physical therapy complexes. The main one is the acute phase. Excessive physical activity during this period only aggravates the degenerative disease. It is possible to start classes for the first time only under the permission and supervision of the coach. Other contraindications are divided into temporary and absolute.
It is worth refraining from exercise for a while:
- If complications are found.
- In the presence of other chronic diseases that have worsened.
- Contagious infection of the body with any type of parasite: viruses, fungi, bacteria.
- The period of exacerbation of osteochondrosis, completion of the course of treatment.
- Inflammation in the neck.
- Damage to the neck muscles or skin, scratches, cuts, bruises, the results of bumps and falls.
- Attacks of exacerbation of pathologies of the cardiovascular system.
- Fever, viral diseases that cause an increase in temperature.
- Chronic or temporary fatigue.
Exercise sets should not be used in the following patients:
- A foreign body of any origin located near large vessels.
- Detected embolism, the presence of blood clots.
- The presence of bleeding of any intensity.
- Serious diseases of the heart and blood vessels, especially during exacerbation.
- Atrioventricular block 2-3 stages.
- Cancer. Malignant tumor.
- Significant deterioration in ECG.
The full range of exercise therapy exercises for the neck and shoulders for pain caused by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine will be selected differently for everyone, the attending physician must decide what movements to do during gymnastics and daily exercises. Only by individual selection of the program can its effectiveness and safety be guaranteed.
How to increase the effectiveness of lessons
In the period between exacerbations, it is important to get results from gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis, in order not to take additional drugs and prevent the development of the disease.
To increase efficiency, you should follow several rules:
- Exercise at least 5 times a week.Ideally, you need a load every day to achieve sustained high results.
- Performing the complex 2 times a day is necessary for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle., spending a lot of time at the computer or in a static position where the neck is tense. Such people are at risk and therefore more attention should be paid to prevention.
- Exercise is not stopped after the symptoms of the disease disappear.Without regularly maintaining the level of physical activity, osteochondrosis attacks will quickly return.
It is also possible to increase the effectiveness of resistance to the disease by adding some useful lifestyle changes to the set of exercises:
- Nutrition.Following a special diet, the development of osteochondrosis can be significantly slowed down. You should significantly reduce the amount of salt, spices, vinegar, fermented milk products and curd, soda with artificial additives and dyes in your daily diet. Reduce the level of alcohol consumption and give up smoking, because substances contained in alcohol or released during smoking have an extremely negative effect on bone strength.
- Cold and hot shower- a tool that allows you to easily improve blood circulation and nutrition of certain areas. For maximum effectiveness, water should be taken daily at the end of procedures. The temperature should be changed within 1 minute (10-15 seconds alternately for hot and cold water). To achieve the best effect, the stream of water should be directed directly to the neck and shoulders.
- Massage– is a good tool to help relieve fatigue and prevent muscle spasms. It is recommended to undergo a professional massage course of neck, collar area and shoulders once every six months. Massage yourself regularly to relieve fatigue.
Therapeutic exercises for cervico-brachial osteochondrosis are one of the most important measures to maintain health and prevent aggravation and further development of the disease. Therefore, you should be prepared that morning exercise therapy will always accompany you.
Exercises for prevention
Strengthening the neck muscles and stretching for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are the main tasks. By exercising regularly, you can forget about the unbearable pain and attacks that require medication treatment for a long time. Therefore, most of the people who have already faced this disease or are trying to avoid it, prefer to regularly engage in prevention by protecting the intervertebral discs from unnecessary stress.
As preventive exercises, you can take any set of exercises you want. Each of the movements should be performed 15-20 times a day.
Another effective way to prevent problems related to any part of the back is regular exercise. The most beneficial sports for the back are swimming, water fitness, handball and other activities that involve stress while in the water.
An important factor for success during preventive exercises is the correct load. To keep your back healthy, consider your age and physical characteristics and don't overexert yourself.