In addition to basic treatment and physiotherapy, patients are recommended to do special exercises for cervical osteochondrosis. They alleviate the human condition and prevent the development of dangerous complications. You can engage in permitted sports only during remission of the disease. The safety of such therapy should be discussed with your doctor. He will recommend a series of exercises that promote healing.
Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis
Gymnastics designed for the cervical spine is of great benefit to a person with such a diagnosis. This helps him recover faster and get rid of severe pain at the site of the lesion. If you do special exercises for the neck at the early stage of the development of the pathology, you can forget about the main symptoms of the musculoskeletal system disease in a short time.
Therapeutic gymnastics has many positive aspects. It helps to extend the period of remission and get rid of the clinical symptoms of the disease.
After charging, the effect begins to appear after about a month of regular training.
Gymnastics for the neck with osteochondrosis can be harmful if not performed according to the rules.
Indications
Performing special exercises for cervical osteochondrosis is indicated by the presence of the following disorders:
- Osteochondrosis of the breast in people of different ages.
- Osteochondrosis of the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae.
- Osteochondrosis of uncertain localization.
Charging will be useful for people at risk. We are talking about people with a weakened skeletal muscle. This includes men and women who are forced to spend most of the day behind a computer.
Contraindications
Physical therapy recommended for cervical osteochondrosis may be contraindicated in the presence of the following conditions:
- Exacerbation of pathological processes that cause severe pain.
- Instability of the cervical vertebra.
- Exacerbation of osteochondrosis accompanied by moderate clinical picture.
- The development of acute diseases caused by infectious agents.
- Certain diseases of internal organs that are not infectious in nature.
The patient does not always understand whether physical exercises with such a diagnosis are useful or harmful. To answer this question, he must be fully evaluated for contraindications to this treatment option. Also, it will not be superfluous to consult a competent specialist who deals with the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Results from lessons
Exercises can have positive results in the treatment of the disease. Individually selected complex will help to get rid of pain. It is effective against the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis. To achieve this result, it is necessary to entrust the detection and treatment of the manifestations (symptoms) of the disease to an experienced doctor.
Do not expect immediate results from exercise. The first positive changes appear only after one or several months. It all depends on the severity of the disease and the regularity of training.
Exercise sets
Exercise recommended for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should be included in the daily routine of any person with such a diagnosis. Do not forget to regularly take the medicines prescribed by your doctor to get the maximum effect from the classes. Before starting gymnastic exercises and any kind of therapeutic exercises, you should do a short warm-up. This will prepare the body for more stress.
It is recommended to start charging after a hot shower. During the water procedure, you should direct a stream of not very hot water to the neck area for a few seconds.
As a warm-up, you can alternately bend to the sides and turn your head. Filling should be done smoothly. At the same time, you should ensure that your breathing remains even. Such simple exercises are incredibly useful because they warm up the muscles sufficiently.
Exercise therapy
Exercise therapy is often prescribed to patients with cervical osteochondrosis. During training, not only the muscles in the problem area are involved, but also other parts of the body. This prevents them from being overloaded.
Exercise therapy includes various exercises designed for cervical spine osteochondrosis. They are grouped in separate methods and programs.
Patients should pay attention to eight basic exercises against cervical osteochondrosis:
- Turn your head in different directions with fixation for 10 seconds.
- Bend your head and throw back with fixation for 10 seconds.
- Bending the head on the shoulders with resistance.
- Bring the shoulders together and hold for 10 seconds.
- Alternate shoulder lifts.
- Circular movements of the shoulders.
- Place your palms on the back area below the shoulder blades and hold for 10 seconds.
- Bending the body in different directions.
This type of exercise can be done outside the gym. This is a kind of fitness for osteochondrosis performed at home.
Each of these 8 exercises should be repeated 10-15 times.
Pilates
Pilates offers exercises that improve your health. During their execution, the back muscles of a person are strengthened and blood circulation is normalized.
A patient diagnosed with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can do Pilates. Such training allows you to eliminate spasms and improve the condition of the vertebrae.
Pilates gives you a sense of freedom and relaxation. Regular exercise will relieve pain and normalize the condition of muscle tissue. A complex for the patient's neck should be prepared by a specialist. It is strictly forbidden to do this alone.
Water aerobics
Gymnastics is as beneficial as water aerobics. These types of activities can make your back hurt. They have a positive effect on the whole human body. A patient treated with this method will confirm that exercises for chronic cervical osteochondrosis can be done in water.
Before performing exercises, you need to warm up.
A number of exercises for osteochondrosis performed in water are selected by a specialist. During training, the muscles in the joint area should be affected. Thanks to this, the load on the location of the vertebra and other structures of the musculoskeletal system is reduced.
Gymnastics can be replaced from time to time with any type of regular swimming. The optimal duration of such a lesson is 45 minutes. It is recommended to exercise 3 times a week.
Isometric exercises
Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis can be based on isometric exercises. This type of training eliminates displacement of the trained area by tilting or turning.
The essence of the exercise is that it is necessary to put pressure on a certain area of the body. At the same time, he resists it with the help of human muscles. Therapeutic and very effective exercises are repeated as much as a person's physical fitness allows.
To suppress the symptoms of the disease, isometric exercises apply pressure to the temples, cheekbones, chin and forehead.
Lessons from a rehabilitation doctor
Gymnastics is actively used for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. It allows you to exercise the side muscles of the neck. This exercise can be done at home. The lessons include the following exercises:
- "Spring". You need to tilt your head forward and touch your chin to your chest. You should stay in this position for 30 seconds. Then, the head is thrown back and caught again at the same time.
- "gas". You need to turn your head to one side. It should be stretched towards the shoulder. Stay in this position for half a minute. Then you need to reach the second shoulder in the same way.
- "Look at the Sky". You should sit straight and turn your head all the way. You should stay in this position for 30 seconds. After completing this exercise, you can start stretching in the other direction.
- "framework". While sitting, you should put one of your hands on your shoulder. The head should be turned in the opposite direction. You need to stay in this position for half a minute. After that, the exercise is repeated on the other side.
- "poor". The palms should be bent and the arms should be slightly bent at the elbows. After that, they should be raised above your head. After that, you need to carefully turn your head in different directions, fixing it in this position for 30 seconds each time.
- "Heron". You should sit and spread your arms straight to your sides. At this time, the chin should be pushed forward until a person feels tension.
Each movement should be performed 5-10 times.
These exercises are contraindicated during exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.
Run
Some men and women with this diagnosis go to the horizontal bar or do weight training for cervical osteochondrosis. However, experts advise against using dumbbells and other heavy equipment while exercising. Dumbbell training, which includes exercises with dumbbells, can have a negative effect on a person's well-being, because it is accompanied by an increased load. For patients with cervical osteochondrosis, it is best to choose jogging.
Healthy running requires compliance with certain requirements that increase the safety and effectiveness of training:
- You can start running only after the warm-up is over.
- A little walk is recommended before starting.
- It is best to choose a forest or park for training.
- It is required to buy comfortable orthopedic shoes in advance.
- After class, you should walk around a bit.
After running, you should take a contrast shower. It is recommended to do the same after completing the exercise therapy complex.
What exercises should you not do?
During acute osteochondrosis, it is necessary to refuse sports activities. This means that you cannot train on the crossbar or treadmill, do push-ups, or perform exercise therapy complexes. Any exercise should be postponed until the exacerbation of the pathological process is suppressed.
Doctors forbid patients to do regular exercises when they are sick. Because it can seriously harm a person. It is good to discuss with your doctor what exercises should not be done with cervical osteochondrosis. Knowing this information, you will be able to choose gentler exercises for yourself that will help improve your overall condition.
If you have osteochondrosis, you should not overexert yourself. Do not make sharp, rotating or twisting movements. Heavy lifting, bending and jumping are prohibited. Overhead somersaults and shoulder stands are also dangerous.
Tips for doing gymnastics
When engaging in health therapy, it is necessary to take into account the recommendations given by the attending physician. They belong to the correct training for osteochondrosis. A specialist can give the following recommendations:
- Exercises should be selected only by a doctor based on the individual characteristics of the human body.
- When choosing a complex, the characteristics of the pathological process should be taken into account.
- It is best to exercise in clothes made of natural fabrics that do not hinder movement.
- It is recommended to exercise on a flat, hard surface.
- It is necessary to choose a well-ventilated room for classes.
- The load should be increased gradually.
If the patient feels neck pain while exercising, he should immediately stop the exercise and contact his doctor with this complaint.