Exercise therapy gymnastics for the back and spine with scoliosis, hernia, osteochondrosis of children, adults

The spine of a modern person is regularly exposed to excessive stress from a very early age. Pain sensations and pathological changes in the back are the pathology of the XXI century. Regular exercise of exercise therapy can be a solution to such problems.

Indications for the use of remedial gymnastics

Exercise therapy for the back and spine requires a preliminary accurate diagnosis, selection of the most effective exercises. It is allowed to start performing the complex only after consulting a specialist and passing all diagnostic procedures.

Therapeutic gymnastics is relevant for patients with diseases such as:

• curvature of the spine (scoliosis);
• osteochondrosis;
• the presence of a hernia between the vertebrae;
• protrusion of discs;
• paralysis;
• paresis;
• instability of the spinal column.
• as rehabilitation after surgery or injury.

The main goal of exercise therapy is to relax muscles and ligaments, as well as to strengthen them. This will help the spine handle more stress without pain or discomfort.

Contraindications

Like any other physical activity, exercise therapy is dangerous in some cases. The fact is that during exercise, the load on the entire body increases. In particular, on the cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal systems. This can worsen the course of some diseases.

So, among the contraindications are:

• recent surgery;
• diseases of the heart and blood vessels, a history of a recent stroke or heart attack;
• tears of muscles or ligaments as a result of injuries;
• oncological diseases;
• chronic course of kidney or liver disease;
• bleeding of any etiology;
• fractures, dislocations.

The use of exercise therapy for scoliosis

Scoliosis is a common diagnosis among patients of all ages. It manifests itself as a curvature of the spine due to improper posture or a long and regular stay in the wrong posture.

It is impossible to completely align the spinal column, but you can effectively prevent possible deterioration. The most important thing is to find the right set of exercises that will relax your muscles and ligaments. The algorithm of actions for scoliosis depends on the stage of the disease and the location of the curvature.

Exercise therapy for the back and spine is most effective in the presence of 1 or 2 stages of the disease. At the subsequent stages of development, curvature of one gymnastics will not be enough. Here you need to solve the problem in a complex way, using drug treatment, physiotherapy and strict medical supervision during exercise.

The complex for scoliosis consists of several stages:

• warm-up;
• base;
• hitch.

Warm-up exercises

In order for the performance of gymnastics to be not only effective, but also safe, it is important to start the lesson with a warm-up. By doing simple exercises, a person helps his muscles and ligaments to warm up, thereby preparing for physical activity.

Exercises for warm-up exercise therapy for scoliosis:

1. You need to rest your back flat against the wall, and your feet on the floor. The neck, shoulder blades, back of the head and buttocks should touch the wall surface. In this position, move away from the wall and freeze for a few seconds. It is important to keep your breathing steady. This exercise helps to keep the spine in a straight position.
2. Put your feet shoulder-width apart, begin to squat slowly, stretching your arms in front of the body to a horizontal position, parallel to the floor surface. When lowering down, you need to take a slow breath, while lifting up - a smooth exhalation.
3. Relax the muscles of the back and neck, perform circular movements with the shoulders.
4. Stand straight, raise your arms up, pulling your body and back behind them. The crown also tends upward. Hold this for a couple of seconds, then smoothly go down, exhaling air and placing your hands along the body.

Do not forget about this part of the lesson, it should be performed every time before the basic exercises.

Basic exercises

After warming up, you should start the main part of the exercises:

№	Name	Exercise Description	Number of repetitions
1	Scissors	Lying on your back, raise your legs and pelvis, fix the body with your hands. Make swings with your feet, reminiscent of the work of scissors. If it is difficult to lift the body so high, you can perform a lightweight version without lifting the lower back from the floor. To do this, lying on your back, you should raise both legs to a height of about 20 cm from the floor, and then perform swings.	One set consists of 20 swings. The number of approaches can be from 1 to 4, depending on the physical form of the person and the state of his health.
2	Wiggle	Standing on all fours, try to sit on your buttocks, while you cannot take your palms off the floor. With the help of them, move the body in a horizontal plane, smoothly moving to the right, then to the left.	5-10 times in one go. The number of approaches is 1-5.
3	Kitty	The familiar exercise improves the mobility of the vertebrae by relieving pressure from the thoracic and lumbar spine. Get on all fours, begin to smoothly bend your back in the lower back and chest, take a breath. Now smoothly round the spine in these places, exhaling air. As a rule, after several approaches, relief is felt in the back.	10-15 deflections in one go. The number of approaches is 2-4.
4	Hyperextension	One of the most effective exercises, however, a special simulator is required to complete it. The exercise is aimed at working the extensor muscles of the back and strengthening the buttocks. You should lie down in the simulator and fix your legs. With a straight back, you need to put your hands behind your head, smoothly go down and up. When performing the complex at home, you can lie with your pelvis on a pillow or a large towel rolled into a roll.	10-15 repetitions in one set. The number of approaches is 2-4.
5	Raising limbs	Take a knee-elbow position, raise your right arm and left leg at the same time, trying to keep them parallel to the floor. Measure for a few seconds, then repeat the same with your left arm and right leg. Exercise helps stretch the muscles in your back, shoulders, and hips.	The number of repetitions is 20, the recommended number of approaches is 4
6	Twisting the pelvis	Lie with your back on the floor, put your hands to the sides, palms down, bend your legs at the knees, press your feet to the floor. Lower your knees to the left and turn your head to the right. Then vice versa - knees to the right and head to the left.	10 times in one go. The number of approaches is up to 4.

The final part

The cool down should be done smoothly, allowing the body to rest and the muscles to relax.

This part of the lesson cannot be neglected, since due to the completion of the complex, the spine will recover faster for the following activities:

1. Sit on the floor, wrap your hands around your knees. Start rolling on your back from head to tailbone and back. It is important to avoid sudden movements. The spine is massaged, blood supply and nutrition to the musculoskeletal structures are improved. Repeat the exercise 5-7 times.
2. Put your hands behind your back, stand on your heels, walk like them for a minute. The back should remain exactly all this time.
3. Raise your hands up, stand on your toes. Walk in this position for 1 min. It is important to monitor the position of the back, it should be flat.
4. Walk in place, raising your hips high. The exercise is performed for 1 min.
5. After the work done, raise your hands up, take a deep breath, and slowly lower your hands as you exhale. Repeat 3-5 times.

After the work done, you can lie down for a while on a flat surface, completely relax and feel relief in your back.

Exercises for the treatment of osteochondrosis of the spine

Osteochondrosis is a disease in which pathological changes occur in the cartilage in the area of ​​the intervertebral discs, which disrupts the nutrition of the surrounding tissues. The disease can occur in any part of the spine and always manifests itself in the form of pain and impaired mobility.

Exercise therapy and its regular implementation helps to alleviate the patient's condition, eliminate tension in the back and spine as a whole. It is important to choose the right exercises, they are different for each department.

Therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis is a complex of gentle exercises that do not cause muscle fatigue. Actions are aimed at strengthening the muscle corset and preventing the further development of the disease. You should do it only after the acute period of the disease is over, and the attending physician has allowed you to start exercising.

It is important to ensure that there is no discomfort or pain while performing the complex.

Neck

Cervical osteochondrosis is a common disease that, if not treated promptly, can lead to complications. The exercises are aimed at improving the blood supply to the cervical vertebrae.

It is important to monitor the position of the back during exercise, it should always remain straight:

1. Stand up straight or sit with your back straight on a chair. Smoothly turn your head to the left, then to the right. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
2. Sitting on a chair, lower your head as far as possible, try to press your chin to your chest. There may be a feeling of slight stretching of the back muscles of the neck. Then slowly raise your head. Repeat 10 times.
3. Staying on a chair, try to pull your chin in, moving your neck back. Slowly return to starting position. Repeat 10 times.
4. Sitting at the table, put one elbow on the surface of the table, and rest your palm on the temple. Tilt your head towards the palm, providing it with light resistance. At this stage, you can feel the work of the lateral muscles of the neck. Repeat 10 times, then change hand.
5. Put your palm on your forehead and tilt your head towards your palm, resisting with your hand. Repeat 10 times, rest for a few seconds and change hands.
6. Raise your shoulders as high as possible, hold for 10 seconds, return to the starting position. Repeat 5-10 times.
7. Massage the back of the head with your fingertips. Movements should be intense and deep, but not painful.

Thoracic department

Exercise therapy for the back and spine with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is aimed at strengthening the muscular frame and normalizing the breathing process. Regular exercise relieves pressure from the back, nerve fibers and blood vessels. The displacement of the vertebrae leads to the development of edema in the surrounding tissues, but exercise can eliminate this symptom.

Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is also dangerous because it can affect the work of the cardiovascular system. Often the curvature of the spine in the chest leads to the appearance of arrhythmias or tachycardia, pain in the region of the heart. Exercise therapy can eliminate these symptoms.

The complex consists of exercises such as:

1. Sitting on a chair, connect your hands behind your head, bring your elbows in front. Smoothly turn the body first to the right, then to the left. It is important to monitor your breathing and avoid pain.
2. Slowly raise and then lower your shoulders alternately. Repeat 20 times on each side.
3. For the next exercise, you will need dumbbells or small plastic water bottles. You should lie on your stomach, pick up dumbbells, spread your arms to the sides, connecting the shoulder blades.
4. Sitting on a chair, press your back to its back as much as possible. Then you need to bend back as much as possible, and then lean forward. If possible, it is recommended to tilt to the right and left, clasping your hands behind your head.
5. Stand up straight, put your feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend over to the left and right legs, then gently straighten up. Repeat the exercise 5-7 times.
6. You will need a scarf or cloth for the exercise. You need to sit on a chair or stand on a hard surface. Wrap the fabric around the ribcage so that the ends are tied in front. Take a deep breath and then exhale. On exhalation, it is necessary to tighten the tissue more tightly, helping to expel the entire volume of air from the lungs. Repeat 5-7 times. When completing the task, care should be taken to avoid dizziness.
7. Sitting on your heels, bend forward and touch the floor with your forehead. Stretch your arms forward, touching your ears. When stretching out your arms, take a deep breath, while exhaling, return your arms back.
8. Perform the exercise "kitty", alternately bending and arching the back in the lower back and chest.

Small of the back

Symptoms of osteochondrosis in the lower back are aching pain, especially when you are in an uncomfortable position for a long time or after running and exercising.

It is best to do the complexes for the cervical and thoracic regions after warm-up, and then add the following:

• The exercise is very similar to the "kitty", but the head and tailbone should not be lowered and raised simultaneously, but in turn, always starting from the coccyx. Get on your knees, rest your hands tightly on the floor. Raise the tailbone, then the sacrum, lower back, thoracic region and, finally, the neck and head, rounding the back. After that, bend the tailbone, then the sacrum and then in the same order, arching the back. Breathe smoothly and slowly. Repeat at least 10 times.
• Lying on your back, bend your knees, put your hands behind your head. Lower your knees to the right, leaving the body and shoulder blades pressed to the floor. Do it 10 times in 1 direction.
• Lying on your back, pull the toes towards you. Stay in this position for a few seconds, relax.

Exercises for a hernia of the thoracic spine

In the presence of a hernia, self-medication is strictly prohibited. Any actions should be carried out only after consulting a doctor and determining the exact location of the pathology.

Breast hernias are quite rare, but at the same time they can cause severe discomfort to a person.

The following exercises can help manage pain:

1. Sit on a chair, put your hands together at the back of your head. Slowly bend back until the back is tight against the back of the chair. You need to stay in this position for a few seconds, and then make a smooth forward tilt. Repeat no more than 4 times.
2. Lie on the floor, put a roller under the upper back. It could be a rolled up towel. While inhaling, make a bend, bring the upper limbs to the back of the head, while exhaling, try to tear the upper body off the floor surface, then relax and slowly lower back. Repetition of the movement 3-4 times.
3. Lying on the floor with your legs wide apart. The pelvis, feet and buttocks should be immobilized and firmly pressed to the surface. The arms should be crossed over the chest. In this position, turn the body to the right, slightly lifting it. Smoothly go back and do the same movement to the left. Repeat on each side 10 times.
4. Lie on your side, the lower arm should be extended up so that it is parallel to the body. Gently lift your upper hand up and behind your head. Both arms should be parallel to the floor. Stay in this position for a few seconds. Repeat on the other side of the body. The number of executions is from 5 to 7 for each hand.

Exercises for lumbar hernia of the spine

Lumbar hernias are most common.

If available, the following exercises are possible:

1. To begin with, you should relax the extensor muscles of the back. To do this, you need to lay something soft in the form of a pillow on a stool, lying on it on your stomach, freely lower all four limbs and hang in this position for 3-4 minutes.
2. Lying on the floor, you need to bend your knees under you. Try to tighten the abdominal muscles as much as possible while inhaling, while exhaling you should relax them as much as possible.
3. Lying on the floor, with arms extended along the body, the legs remain straight. Tear off the back from the floor, leaving the buttocks and legs motionless, freeze in this position for 8-10 seconds. After that, return the body to its original position. It is recommended to do 10 exercises in one approach, the number of approaches is from 1 to 4.
4. Get on all fours, then alternately raise your arms and legs, imitating walking in place. It is important to fix the pelvis and not wiggle it. The duration of the exercise is at least 30 seconds, repeat from 3 to 5 times.
5. Lying on your back, raise your left leg and right arm, try to connect them, slightly lifting the body, then change limbs. Do it 10-15 times with each pair of limbs.
6. In some cases, with a hernia, hanging on a crossbar is indicated, but the exercise can only be performed under the supervision of a neurologist.

Stick exercises

Exercise therapy for the back and spine includes exercises using a gymnastic stick:

1. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, stretch out your arm, raise it above your head, grab the stick widely. Turn it to the right and left parallel to the floor. Until the hands cross each other.
2. Gently bend forward with a straight back, rest your hands on a stick. Make some springy wiggles up and down.
3. Standing straight, put the stick in front of you, resting one end on the floor. Throw your leg over the stick. Then change the limb. It is important to try to keep your knees straight.
4. The exercise is similar to the previous one, only the stick should now stand not in front of the person, but on the side of him. You still need to try to swing your straight leg over the stick.
5. While standing, raise your hands up, grabbing the stick widely. Lunge forward with one leg, while trying to keep the other straight, you should bend in the back, pulling your arms back with a stick.
6. While standing, grab the stick wide and lower your hands behind your back. Make 3 tilts forward, slightly springing the body. Make sure that your back remains straight. It is important to bend in the lumbar region, and take the stick up.
7. Stand up straight, put the stick behind your back, lowering it on the shoulder blade. Lean forward and turn your torso to the right. Then straighten up and repeat the same to the left.

General recommendations for exercise therapy

Physiotherapy is provided by medical standards in the treatment of many diseases. Each clinic has specialized departments with qualified specialists.

Therefore, you should follow the basic rules:

• Before starting any exercise, you should see a doctor and have a scheduled examination. This is necessary for an accurate diagnosis.
• The first few sessions are best done under the supervision of a specialist.
• It is important to warm up and warm up the muscles beforehand. This will help avoid possible injury.
• Monitor your condition. In case of discomfort or pain, it is better to refuse from classes.
• It is very important not to overdo it. At first glance, the exercises seem simple, so some patients are in a hurry to take on more work. However, do not forget that the back muscles can be weakened, so they need to gradually increase the load.
• It is better not to use pain relievers and muscle relaxants before classes. So the patient will be able to independently control the reaction of the sore back to new exercises.
• Do not forget that only a long and regular exercise therapy session will give tangible results, so it is important to be patient and not wait for the pain to pass after the very first session.
• After completing all the exercises, do not forget to cool down.
• In cases of the presence of hernias, the complexes are performed using a constant support lying or sitting.

The spine must remain healthy throughout life. The state of the whole organism directly depends on this. Therefore, it is advisable to perform exercise therapy for the back, not only for the purpose of treatment, but also for the purpose of prevention.

Author: Olga Orlova

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