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 relieve the human condition and prevent the development of dangerous complications. You can engage in permitted sports only during the remission of the disease. The safety of such therapy should be discussed with your doctor. He will recommend a set of exercises that promote recovery.

Gymnastics for cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is a consequence of overloading and weakening of muscle elasticity in the neck area.

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

Therapeutic gymnastics has many positive aspects. It helps to extend the remission period and get rid of the clinical signs of the disease.

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

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 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 vertebrae.
  3. Osteochondrosis of uncertain localization.

The upload will be useful for people at risk. We are talking about people with weakened skeletal muscles. This includes men and women who are forced to spend most of the day at the computer.

Contraindications

Before engaging in exercise, you should be examined by a doctor to confirm the diagnosis.

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

  • Aggravation of pathological processes that lead to severe pain.
  • Instability of cervical vertebrae.
  • Aggravation of osteochondrosis accompanied by a moderate clinical picture.
  • Development of acute diseases caused by infectious agents.
  • Some diseases of internal organs that are non-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 would not be superfluous to consult a competent specialist who deals with the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Results from classes

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

Don't 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

To achieve the best results, exercises for cervical osteochondrosis should be done every day.

Exercises, recommended for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, should be included in the daily routine of any person with such a diagnosis. To get the maximum effect from the class, do not forget to regularly take medications prescribed by your doctor. Before starting to perform gymnastic exercises and any type of therapeutic exercise, you should do a short warm-up. It will prepare the body for further stress.

It is recommended to start charging after a warm 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. Charging should be done without problems. At the same time, you must ensure that your breathing remains even. Such simple exercises are extremely useful, as 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 in other parts of the body. This prevents them from being overloaded.

Exercise therapy includes various exercises that are intended for 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. Head-to-shoulder tilt with resistance.
  4. Bringing the shoulders together and straightening them for 10 seconds.
  5. Alternate shrugs.
  6. Circular shoulder movements.
  7. Place your palms on the back under the 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 type of fitness for osteochondrosis, which is performed at home.

Each of these 8 exercises should be repeated 10-15 times.

Pilates

Pilates for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is the best treatment method on the way to a quick recovery

Pilates offers its own exercises for improving health. In the process of performing them, 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 allows you to relieve spasms and improve the condition of the vertebrae.

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

Aerobics in water

Just as useful as gymnastics is water aerobics. Thanks to such activities, your back stops hurting. 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 done in water.

Before performing the exercises, you should warm up.

A set of exercises for osteochondrosis, which is performed in water, is selected by a specialist. During the exercise, the muscles in the joint area should be affected. Due to this, the load on the location of the vertebrae and other structures of the musculoskeletal system is reduced.

Gymnastics can be periodically replaced by regular swimming of any kind. 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 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, the person opposes it with the help of his muscles. Therapeutic and highly effective exercises are repeated as many times as a person's physical ability allows.

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

Class from a rehabilitation doctor

Slow measured movements, included in the complex by a rehabilitation doctor, eliminate the possibility of injury

Gymnastics is actively used for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. This allows you to train the lateral muscles of the neck. This exercise can be done at home. Classes 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 is then thrown back and held again for the same amount of time.
  • "goose". It is necessary to turn the head to one side. It should reach towards the shoulder. Stay in the accepted position for half a minute. Then in the same way you need to reach for the second shoulder.
  • "look at the sky". You should sit up straight and turn your head to the side all the way. You should stay in this position for 30 seconds. After completing this exercise, you can start stretching in the other direction.
  • "Frame". While sitting, you should place one of your hands on your shoulder. The head should be turned in the opposite direction. You need to stay in the position for half a minute. After that, the exercise is repeated on the other side.
  • "fakir". The palms should be folded and the arms should be slightly bent at the elbows. They should then rise above your head. Next, you should carefully turn your head in different directions, each time fixing it in this position for 30 seconds.
  • "Hero". You should sit down and stretch your arms straight out to your sides. At this time, the chin should be pulled forward until the person feels tension.

Each action 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 exercise with weights for cervical osteochondrosis. However, experts recommend not using dumbbells and other heavy equipment during exercises. Dumbbell training, which includes exercises with dumbbells, can negatively affect a person's well-being, as it is associated with increased load. It is good to choose running for patients with cervical osteochondrosis.

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 complete.
  • It is recommended to walk a little before starting.
  • It is good to choose a forest or park for training.
  • It is required to purchase comfortable orthopedic shoes in advance.
  • After the lesson is over, you just have to 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?

In case of acute illness, you should stop exercising so as not to harm your health.

During the course of acute osteochondrosis, it is necessary to refuse sports activities. This means that you cannot exercise on the crossbar or treadmill, do push-ups or perform complex exercise therapy. Any exercise should be postponed until the worsening of the pathological process is suppressed.

Doctors stop patients from doing regular exercise when they are sick. This is because it can cause serious harm to a person. It is good to discuss with your doctor which 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 overload yourself too much. Do not make sharp, twisting or turning movements. Lifting weights, bending and jumping are prohibited. Somersaults above the head and postures with shoulders are also dangerous.

Recommendations for doing gymnastics

When engaging in health therapy, it is necessary to take into account the recommendations given by the attending physician. They are about proper 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, the features of the pathological process should be taken into account.
  3. It is best to exercise in clothes made of natural fabrics that do not restrict movement.
  4. It is recommended to train on a flat and firm 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 exercising, they should stop exercising immediately and contact their doctor about this complaint.