Gymnastics for the neck with osteochondrosis, exercises, recommendations!

Osteochondrosis is a serious disease, the essence of which is reduced articulation of the articular cartilage, as a result of which there is a disruption of the normal function of the joint.

With regard to cervical osteochondrosis, this ailment develops in most cases due to the destruction of the intervertebral disc articular tissues, which occurs mainly under the influence of various unfavorable external influences.

Among the most common causes of osteochondrosis, primarily, a sedentary lifestyle is associated, for example, with working at a computer in an uncomfortable position.

What is remarkable and, at the same time, extremely alarming, the disease is rapidly growing younger - for today, pathology is observed even in 30-year-old patients, although a small time ago the disease was diagnosed mainly in persons of retirement age.

. Having read the information below, you will get a general idea of ​​cervical osteochondrosis and will become acquainted with the features of gymnastics, which allows to ease the patient's condition and minimize the risk of progression of the disease.

Features of Cervical Osteochondrosis

The vertebrae that make up the structural composition of the cervical spine have much smaller dimensionscompared with the lumbar vertebrae. Through the neck passes a lot of nerve endings and blood vessels. Even a slight strain leads to squeezing them.

If this happens regularly, the patency of the vessels decreases, which causes hernia, edema and other problems. So, against the background of the violation of the blood supply inflammation can develop, provoking a variety of pathological processes, up to invalidization.

How is cervical osteochondrosis manifested?

The peculiarities of the manifestation of this disease depend on its type( the term "osteochondrosis" is used as a generalizing name for several ailments with a similar nature).The information on this account is given in the table.

Table. Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Possible diseases	Characteristic features
Cervical sciatica	Characterized by painful sensations that "give" from the neck to the scapula and further along the upper limbs. There may be a decrease in the sensitivity of the hands.
Irritative reflex syndrome	Pain is localized mainly in the neck and occiput. It is "boring", has a high intensity. Can give in the chest and shoulders.
Syndrome of the vertebral artery	Usually accompanied by constant headaches. There may be noise and hum in the ears, impaired vision, dizziness. It is the most dangerous type of osteochondrosis, becausewith this form of the disease is a violation of the blood circulation of the brain. One only therapeutic gymnastics in the case of this pathology will definitely not be enough.
Cardiac syndrome	Patients complain of pain in the neck, which can spread to the chest and shoulder blades. Unpleasant sensations become more pronounced when the head moves, sneezes, coughs.

When can I do the exercises?

Therapeutic gymnastics is very effective in the case of pediatric osteochondrosis - in young patients the disease under consideration appears mainly as a complication of the existing curvature of the spine.

The latter, in turn, is most often formed due to an incorrect distribution of loads. If pathology was noticed at the initial stages, stopping the curvature and excluding the possibility of subsequent development of complications will allow the construction of a strong musculature.

. Medical gymnastics, besides the development of the muscles of the back and neck, helps to normalize circulatory processes and eliminate painful sensations.

Along with this, resort to the use of such physical education in the case when the osteochondrosis of the cervical region is already "earned", or if the patient's condition is accompanied by very severe pain, it is impossible. In this case, the procedure is determined exclusively by the attending physician. As a rule, first you have to undergo medical treatment in combination with the methods of manual therapeutic influence, and only then resort to physical training.

Important! If the course of the underlying disease is complicated by a hernia, the standard sets of exercises for cervical osteochondrosis will not work. In this case, the composition of the training will be selected by the doctor individually, taking into account the peculiarities of the condition of the individual patient.

Adult patients with mild osteochondrosis in addition to exercise therapy can be recommended visits Pilates, pool, yoga, gym. For children, it is best to practice in the pool.

These exercises can be done to representatives of any age group, provided that there are no individual contraindications.

Important! Information on any exercises is provided for information only. Do not start practicing without first consulting a doctor and not getting his approval. When you have painful or any uncomfortable sensations during the session, stop training and report what happened to your treating specialist.

Important notes before performing the

exercises The following list of simple rules will allow you to avoid mistakes and adverse consequences, extracting the maximum benefit from the proposed set of exercises.

First, deal with daily. If the doctor does not mind, you can develop a neck even several times a day. The recommendation is especially relevant for office workers. During the day, exercises can be done in a sitting position, in the morning and in the evening - while standing.

Secondly, in the absence of medical contraindications, exercises can be combined with a light self-massage.

Third, in parallel with the neck, work on strengthening the arms and muscles of the shoulder girdle, if possible.

Fourthly, if due to the characteristics of work activity you have to sit at the computer for a long time, at least every 1.5 hours, do a 15-minutebreak and give time to therapeutic exercises.

Overview of the most effective exercises

1. Sit on a chair. Align your back and neck. After that, smoothly turn the head first to one side, then - in the opposite direction. Repeat up to 10-12 times. By regularly performing this elementary exercise, you will improve the mobility of the vertebrae.
2. Continuing to sit on a chair and holding your back straight, lower your head. The task is to touch the chin with your chin. Repeat order 10 times. Through this exercise, you will improve the flexibility of the spine and the elasticity of the muscles.
3. Being in a familiar position, try to move the neck back. In parallel, pull the chin, trying to keep the neck bent. Repeat order 10 times.
4. Take the table. Keep your back straight. Sit down on the table with one elbow. Place the palm of the supporting hand on the temple area. Tilt your head in the direction of the palm, while simultaneously offering hand resistance. Soak for about 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise up to 10 times in both directions, withstanding 10-second breaks. So you strengthen the lateral neck muscles.
5. Sit at the table, level your back. Place the palm of one hand on your forehead. Push your forehead against your palm while giving resistance to your hand. Recommendations for duration and number of approaches are similar to the previous exercise. This training will help develop the muscles of the neck.
6. Sit at the table. Place your hands along the body, align your back. When in this position, lift your shoulders as high as you can. Maintain about 10-12 seconds. Relax your shoulders and perform 10 breaths. Exercise helps to relax the muscles of the cervical region and increase their elasticity. Lie down on a hard, flat surface. With your fingertips, intensely and deeply knead the muscles around the nape of the neck. The recommended duration of the massage is up to 4 minutes. The procedure helps to improve blood flow and eliminate headaches.
   

   Self-massage of the neck with osteochondrosis

7. Continuing to lie, rub and palm between the shoulder blades and above them. Duration of massage - up to 5-6 minutes. It is more convenient if you have an assistant. At first, such an effect can bring some discomfort and even pain, but rather quickly unfavorable sensations will disappear. The procedure helps normalize blood flow.
   

   Nasal and Shoulder Massage

8. Make a light circular massage of the temples, working on them with your fingertips. This will help reduce the severity of dizziness and headaches.

Additional useful recommendations

First, remember the relationship between painful sensations in the neck and adverse external influences. For example, low temperature and drafts can lead to excessive muscle tension. If such a phenomenon occurs regularly, the likelihood of developing osteochondrosis will increase substantially. Take care of yourself and protect your neck from drafts, excessively moist air, cold and other similar effects with a scarf or other available means.

Secondly, do not try to endure headaches. Osteochondrosis of the cervical region is often accompanied by unpleasant sensations in this area, which occurs due to excessive tension of the neck and shoulders. To normalize your condition, do a slight massage of the temples. It is carried out by movements that propagate along the circumference from the ears to the eyes.

Third, avoid circular movements of the head. In the case of cervical osteochondrosis, they will cause severe pain and generally worsen the condition, provoking the occurrence of a variety of soft tissue injuries.

Fourth, do not use any medications and tools to treat cervical osteochondrosis without prescribing a doctor. For example, now actively advertised devices for stretching the vertebrae. The latter, in turn, are very sensitive to any kind of impact. The slightest violation of safety regulations can lead to extremely serious injuries and even provoke damage to the spinal cord.

Now you know which gymnastics for the neck with osteochondrosis is the most effective. Consult with your doctor regarding the possibility of its use and proceed. Be healthy!

Video - Gymnastics for the neck with osteochondrosis