Exercises for cervical osteochondrosis: important rules and tips

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 only practice permitted sports during remission of the disease. The safety of such treatment should be discussed with your doctor. He will recommend a series of exercises to promote recovery.

Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis

Gymnastics designed for the cervical spine is very beneficial for a person with such a diagnosis. This helps him recover faster and get rid of severe pain at the site of injury. If you perform special exercises for the neck at an early stage of the development of pathology, you can forget about the main symptoms of the disease of the musculoskeletal system in a short time.

Therapeutic gymnastics has many positive aspects. This helps to extend the remission period and eliminate clinical signs of the disease.

The effect after the load begins to appear after about a month of regular exercise.

Neck gymnastics with osteochondrosis can be harmful if not performed according to the rules.

Indications

Performing special exercises for cervical osteochondrosis is indicated in the presence of the following disorders:

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

The recharge will be useful to people at risk. We are talking about people whose muscular skeleton is weakened. This also includes men and women who are forced to spend most of the day in front of the computer.

Contraindications

Physiotherapy recommended for cervical osteochondrosis may be contraindicated in the presence of the following conditions:

• Exacerbation of pathological processes leading to severe pain.
• Instability of the cervical vertebrae.
• Exacerbation of osteochondrosis accompanied by a moderate clinical picture.
• Development of acute diseases caused by infectious agents.
• Some diseases of internal organs of a non-infectious nature.

The patient does not always understand whether physical exercises with such a diagnosis are beneficial or harmful. To answer this question, one must be fully evaluated for contraindications to this treatment option. Also, it would not be superfluous to consult a competent specialist who deals with the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Course results

Exercises can give positive results in treating the disease. An individually selected complex will help eliminate pain. It is effective against the main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis. To achieve this result, it is necessary to entrust the detection of manifestations (symptoms) of the disease and its treatment to an experienced doctor.

Don't expect instant results from exercise. The first positive changes only appear after one or more 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 anyone with such a diagnosis. To get the most out of the courses, remember to take the medications prescribed by your doctor regularly. Before you start performing gymnastic exercises and any type of therapeutic exercises, you should perform a short warm-up. This will prepare the body for additional stress.

It is advisable to start charging after a hot shower. During the water procedure, you need to direct a stream of not too hot water to the neck area for a few seconds.

As a warm-up, you can alternately lean to the sides and turn your head. Charging should be done gently. At the same time, you need to make sure your breathing remains regular. Such simple exercises are incredibly useful, as they sufficiently warm up the muscles.

Exercise therapy

Exercise therapy is often prescribed to 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 them from being overloaded.

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. Turn your head in different directions with fixation for 10 seconds.
2. Tilt and throw your head back with fixation for 10 seconds.
3. Tilts the head towards the shoulders with resistance.
4. Bring your shoulders together and fix them for 10 seconds.
5. Alternate shoulder raises.
6. Circular shoulder movements.
7. Place your palms on your back, under your shoulder blades and hold for 10 seconds.
8. Body tilts in different directions.

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

Each of these 8 exercises must be repeated 10 to 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 helps relieve spasms and improve the condition of the vertebrae.

Pilates gives you a feeling of freedom and relief. Regular exercise will relieve pain and normalize the condition of muscle tissues. The complex for the patient's neck must be prepared by a specialist. Doing this yourself is strictly prohibited.

Water aerobics

Aquagym is just as useful as gymnastics. Thanks to such activities, your back no longer hurts. They have a positive effect on the entire human body. A patient treated with this method will confirm that exercises for chronic cervical osteochondrosis can be performed in water.

Before performing the exercises, you need to warm up.

A set of exercises for osteochondrosis, performed in water, is selected by a specialist. During training, the muscles in the joint area should be used. As a result, the load on the vertebra and other structures of the musculoskeletal system is reduced.

Gymnastics can be periodically replaced with regular swimming of any type. The optimal duration of such a lesson is 45 minutes. It is recommended to train 3 times a week.

Isometric exercises

Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis can be based on isometric exercises. This type of training eliminates movement of the trained area through flexion or rotation.

The essence of the exercise is that you need to apply pressure to a certain area of the body. At the same time, the person counters it using their muscles. Therapeutic and very effective exercises are repeated as many times as the person's physical condition allows.

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

Course of a rehabilitation doctor

Gymnastics is actively used for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. It helps train the lateral neck muscles. This workout can 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 must stay in this position for 30 seconds. Then the head is thrown back and held again for the same time.
• "Goose". You have to turn your head to one side. It should reach the shoulder. Stay in the accepted position for half a minute. Then, in the same way, you need to reach the second shoulder.
• "Look to the sky". You should sit up straight and turn your head completely to the side. You must stay in this position for 30 seconds. After completing this exercise, you can start stretching in the other direction.
• "Frame". In a seated position, you should place 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 second side.
• "Fakir". The palms should be folded and the arms slightly bent at the elbows. Then they should be raised above your head. Next, you need to carefully turn your head in different directions, each time fixing it in this position for 30 seconds.
• "Heron". You should sit down and spread your outstretched arms to your sides. At this time, the chin should be pulled forward until the person feels tension.

Each action must be performed 5-10 times.

These exercises are contraindicated during exacerbations 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 not using dumbbells and other heavy equipment when exercising. Dumbbell training, which includes exercises with dumbbells, can harm a person's well-being, as it is accompanied by an increased load. It is better to choose running for patients suffering from cervical osteochondrosis.

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

• You can only start running after the warm-up is complete.
• It is recommended to walk around a bit before starting.
• It is better to choose a forest or park for training.
• It is necessary to purchase comfortable orthopedic shoes in advance.
• After finishing the lesson, you should just walk around for a while.

After running, you should take a contrast shower. It is recommended to do the same after the exercise therapy complex is completed.

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 delayed until the exacerbation of the pathological process is removed.

Doctors forbid patients from doing regular exercises when they are sick. Indeed, it can cause serious harm to a person. It is best to discuss with your doctor what exercises not to do for cervical osteochondrosis. Knowing this information, you will be able to choose more gentle workouts for yourself that will help improve your general condition.

If you suffer from osteochondrosis, you should not overexert yourself. Do not make sudden movements, rotation or twisting. Lifting heavy objects, bending and jumping are prohibited. Somersaults and shoulder stands are also dangerous.

Recommendations for doing gymnastics

When carrying out health therapy, it is necessary to take into account the recommendations given by the attending physician. They concern the correct training for osteochondrosis. A specialist can give the following advice:

1. Exercises should be selected only by a doctor based on the individual characteristics of the human body.
2. When choosing a complex, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the pathological process.
3. It is best to exercise in clothing made of natural fabric that does not restrict movement.
4. It is recommended to practice on a flat, hard surface.
5. It is necessary to choose a well-ventilated room for classes.
6. The load should be increased gradually.

If a patient experiences neck pain while performing exercises, they should immediately stop exercising and contact their doctor to report this complaint.