Exercises for cervical osteochondrosis: important rules and tips

In addition to basic treatment and physiotherapy, patients are recommended to perform special exercises for cervical osteochondrosis. They alleviate the human condition and prevent the development of dangerous complications. You can only do authorized sports during remission of the disease. The safety of such therapy should be discussed with your doctor. He will recommend exercises to help you heal.

Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis

Gymnastics designed for the cervical spine has great benefits for a person with this diagnosis. It helps him recover faster and get rid of severe pain at the site of the injury. If you perform special exercises on the neck in the early stages of the development of the pathology, you can forget the main symptoms of the musculoskeletal disease in a short time.

Therapeutic gymnastics has many positive aspects. It helps prolong the period of remission and get rid of the clinical symptoms of the disease.

The effect after charging begins to appear after about a month of regular training.

Neck exercise with osteochondrosis can be harmful if it is not performed according to the rules.

Indications

Special exercises for cervical osteochondrosis are recommended for the following disorders:

1. Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region in people of different ages.
2. Osteochondrosis of the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae.
3. Osteochondrosis of uncertain localization.

The charge will be useful for vulnerable people. We are talking about people with a weakened musculature. This includes men and women who are forced to spend most of the day in front of a computer.

Contraindications

Physical therapy recommended for cervical osteochondrosis is contraindicated in the presence of the following conditions:

• Aggravation of pathological processes leading to severe pain.
• Instability of the cervical vertebrae.
• Aggravation of osteochondrosis accompanied by a moderate clinical picture.
• Development of acute diseases caused by infectious agents.
• Certain diseases of the internal organs that are not infectious in nature.

The patient does not always understand whether physical exercises with such a diagnosis are beneficial or harmful. To answer this question, it is necessary to fully examine whether there are any contraindications to this treatment option. In addition, it would not be superfluous to contact a competent specialist who deals with the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

The results of the lessons

Exercises can achieve positive results in the treatment of the disease. The individually selected complex helps to get rid of pain. It is effective against the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis. To achieve the result, an experienced doctor must be entrusted with the detection and treatment of the manifestations (symptoms) of the disease.

Don't expect immediate results from training. The first positive changes appear only after one or more months. It all depends on the severity of the disease and the regularity of training.

Practice kits

Exercises recommended for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine should be included in the daily routine of every person with this diagnosis. To achieve the maximum effect of the classes, do not forget to regularly take the medicines prescribed by your doctor. Before starting gymnastic exercises and any type of therapeutic exercise, you should do a short warm-up. It prepares the body for further stress.

It is advisable to start charging after a warm shower. During the water treatment, not too hot water should be directed to the neck area for a few seconds.

As a warm-up, you can alternate leaning to the side and turning your head. Charging must be carried out smoothly. At the same time, you need to ensure that your breathing remains even. Such simple exercises are incredibly useful, as they warm up the muscles sufficiently.

Exercise therapy

Exercise therapy is often prescribed for patients with cervical osteochondrosis. During training, not only the muscles of the problem area are involved, but also other parts of the body. This prevents overloading.

Exercise therapy includes various exercises aimed at osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. They are grouped into separate methods and programs.

Patients should pay attention to eight basic exercises against cervical osteochondrosis:

1. With fixation, rotate the head in different directions for 10 seconds.
2. Tilts and throws the head back with fixation for 10 seconds.
3. Tilts the head towards the shoulders with resistance.
4. Pull your shoulders together and hold for 10 seconds.
5. Alternating shoulder raises.
6. Circular movement of the shoulders.
7. Place your palms on your back under your shoulder blades and hold for 10 seconds.
8. Tilting of the body in different directions.

This type of training can also be done outside the gym. This is a kind of fitness for osteochondrosis, which is done at home.

All 8 exercises must be repeated 10-15 times.

Pilates

Pilates offers its own health-improving exercises. During their execution, a person's back muscles are strengthened and blood circulation is normalized.

A patient diagnosed with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can practice Pilates. Such training makes it possible to relieve spasms and improve the condition of the vertebrae.

Pilates gives you a sense of freedom and relief. Regular exercise relieves pain and normalizes the condition of muscle tissue. The complex of the patient's neck must be prepared by a specialist. Doing this on your own is strictly prohibited.

Water aerobics

Water aerobics is just as useful as gymnastics. Thanks to such activities, your back will stop hurting. They have a positive effect on the entire human body. The patient treated with this method confirms that exercises for chronic cervical osteochondrosis can also be performed in water.

Before performing the exercises, it is necessary to warm up.

Exercises for osteochondrosis, which are performed in water, are selected by a specialist. During training, the muscles in the joint area should be touched. Because of this, the load on the vertebrae and other structures of the musculoskeletal system is reduced.

Any type of regular swimming can replace gymnastics regularly. The optimal duration of such a class is 45 minutes. 3 training sessions per week are recommended.

Isometric exercises

Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis can be based on isometric exercises. This type of training eliminates displacement of the trained area by bending or turning.

The essence of the exercise is that you need to apply pressure to a certain area of the body. At the same moment, one counterbalances it with the help of one's muscles. The therapeutic and very effective exercises are repeated as many times as the person's physical fitness allows.

Isometric exercises to suppress the symptoms of the disease include pressure on the temples, cheekbones, chin and forehead.

Lessons from a rehabilitation doctor

Gymnastics is actively used for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. It enables training of the lateral muscles of the neck. This workout can also be done at home. The lessons include the following exercises:

• "Spring". You should tilt your head forward and touch your chin to your chest. You should stay in this position for 30 seconds. The head should then be thrown back and held again for the same amount of time.
• "Goose". It is necessary to turn your head to the side. It should reach towards the shoulder. Stay in the accepted position for half a minute. Then you have to reach the second shoulder in the same way.
• "Look at the sky". You should sit up straight and turn your head completely to the side. You should stay in this position for 30 seconds. After completing the exercise, you can start stretching in the other direction.
• "Frame". While sitting, you should place one hand 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 second side.
• "Fakir". The palms should be folded together and the arms should be slightly bent at the elbows. It should then be lifted over your head. Then you need to carefully turn your head in different directions, fixing each time in this position for 30 seconds.
• "Heron". You should sit down and extend your straight arms to your sides. Then the chin should be pulled forward until the person feels tension.

Each action should be performed 5-10 times.

These exercises are contraindicated in cases of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis.

Run

Some men and women with this diagnosis go to the horizontal bar or exercise with weights for cervical osteochondrosis. However, experts recommend that you avoid using dumbbells and other heavy equipment during exercise. Weight training, which includes exercises with dumbbells, can negatively affect a person's well-being, as it is accompanied by an increased load. For patients with cervical osteochondrosis, it is best to choose running.

Healthy running requires compliance with certain requirements that increase the safety and effectiveness of training:

• Only after completing the warm-up can you start running.
• It is recommended to take a short walk before departure.
• It is best to choose a forest or a park for training.
• Comfortable orthopedic shoes must be purchased in advance.
• After finishing the lesson, just take a short walk.

Take a contrast shower after running. We recommend doing the same after completing the exercise therapy complex.

What exercises should you not do?

Sports activities should be refused during acute osteochondrosis. This means that you cannot train on the crossbar or treadmill, you cannot do push-ups or an exercise therapy complex. All exercises should be postponed until the aggravation of the pathological process is suppressed.

Doctors prohibit patients from doing regular exercise when they are sick. This is because it can cause serious harm to humans. It is best to discuss with your doctor which exercises should not be performed in case of cervical osteochondrosis. Knowing this information, you can choose gentler workouts that will improve your overall condition.

If you have osteochondrosis, do 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.

Recommendations for gymnastics

During medical therapy, the recommendations of the attending physician must be taken into account. These relate to the proper training of osteochondrosis. The specialist can give the following advice:

1. Exercises can only be selected by a doctor based on the unique characteristics of the human body.
2. When choosing a complex, the specifics of the pathological process must be taken into account.
3. It is best to train in clothes made of natural materials that do not hinder movement.
4. It is recommended to train on a flat, hard surface.
5. Choose a well-ventilated room for classes.
6. The load should be increased gradually.

If the patient feels neck pain while performing exercises, he should immediately stop training and contact his doctor with this complaint.