Exercises for the neck for osteochondrosis.

Everyone in their childhood heard from their parents, and then said to their children, the following phrase: “Don’t turn your head!” So, osteopathic doctors say that this statement by adults is fundamentally wrong. After all, our neck is designed to turn our head in different directions. And any restrictions of this kind lead to impaired mobility in the cervical spine. And over time, a person begins to suffer from osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.

But it is the neck that is the connecting link between the brain and the rest of the nodes of the human body. A simple conclusion follows from this - the neck does not turn - the rest of the organs suffer.

Preventive measures to prevent diseases of the cervical spine are systematic gymnastics.

Complex physical exercises containing exercises for the neck with osteochondrosis must be performed constantly. Moreover, they are quite simple, and anyone can easily remember them. In addition, these preventive measures can be carried out everywhere. In the morning, for example, they can be included in the charging complex. During the day, this especially applies to those whose work involves computers, in any free time. You can do the exercises sitting or standing...

A preventive complex available to everyone:

1. Alternately tilt your head forward and back. At the same time, we create slight resistance with the palms of our hands, resting them on the forehead or back of the head. Repeat up to 5 times;
2. For the next exercise, the technique is almost the same, only this time the tilts are to the right and left, and the palms rest on the temporal part of the head. Repeat also up to 5 times;
3. You need to lean back a little and try to reach the jugular fossa with your chin. It is located in front at the bottom of the neck. In one approach 5 times;
4. We turn our heads in different directions, while the body must remain motionless. The head should turn as much as possible. You need to turn your head up to 5 times in each direction;
5. We press our chin to our neck as hard as possible and try to turn our head to the sides in this position. At the same time, we try not to tear the chin away from the neck. Repeat up to 5 times in each direction;
6. We tilt our head back, and in this position we try to reach the right shoulder with the right ear. Also up to 5 times in each direction.

You should also monitor your well-being, and if even slight signs of pain appear, exercise should be stopped or at least reduced in intensity. If the pain does not disappear, then a trip to a specialist is necessary.

But if osteochondrosis has already manifested itself, then it is necessary to add a complex of physical therapy to this preventive complex. Isometric exercises are recommended to be done, at least at the very beginning, in front of a mirror. This is necessary to control the movement and position of the head during exercises. Also, at first, it is advisable to perform all exercises in a collar-bandage. It is designed to reduce the severity of pressure from the head on the vertebrae of the neck, and protect it from displacement of these same vertebrae during sudden and careless movements during the execution of the complex. It is important to remember that regular, long-term wearing of a bandage can lead to atrophy of the neck muscles. In this connection, wearing a bandage must be dosed in consultation with a doctor.

Initially, the load should not exceed 3 seconds, which is gradually increased to 7 seconds with constant exercises. It is recommended to use 3 approaches for each exercise. And the rest between approaches should be a time period at least twice as long as the load itself. For example, if the load lasts 3 seconds, then you need to rest for 6 seconds. In addition, during rest you need to relax your muscles as much as possible.

1. Method of practicing “Lash” - keep your hands down. Before you begin, you need to relax all the muscles of the upper shoulder girdle. And the exercise itself is simple: the body swings to the sides, while you need to make small turns to the sides. And your arms should dangle like whips;
2. The next exercise is performed while sitting. In this case, you need to sit on the edge of the chair. In this case, the weight of the body should be evenly distributed on the feet. In addition, the patient must control his posture. In this position, you need to place your hands on your forehead, spread your elbows to the sides, and keep your head straight. The hands gently press on the head, which must be held in the initial position. This static voltage is maintained for no more than 3 seconds, followed by a rest of 6 seconds. At the same time, the arms drop down and relax;
3. The hands are joined at the back of the head, but they do not need to be clasped in a “lock”. Elbows to the sides, use your hands to apply gentle pressure in the back of the head. The head resists, the static lasts for 3 seconds. This is followed by relaxation with arms lowered down for 6 seconds;
   
   
   
   
4. Pose – sitting on a chair. The right palm rests on the right side of the head, with the thumb under the ear and the other fingers pointing upward. The left arm is moved to the side. The right one gently presses on the head, the resistance is held for 3 seconds. Three approaches are made. The same action is performed from the left;
5. Sit on a bench, clench your hands into fists and place them on top of each other. And you need to put your chin on top of them. The exercise consists of gently pressing your chin from below with your fists. The head should resist pressure. We hold the tension for 3 seconds, then rest for six seconds. Performed about 3 times;
6. The exercise is called “carriages”. To begin with, the arms are spread to the sides, in a straight position, and the palms imitate the emphasis on the walls of the cars. Let's imagine that you are trying to push coupled cars to the sides. We “push” them for 3 seconds, then drop our hands down. We rest for 6 seconds and start pushing the train again, and so on 3 times for health reasons;
7. "Tearing away from the walls." The initial position is the same as in the previous description of the exercise. Only this time we imagine that our palms are glued to the walls and we try to tear them away from them. Static - 3 seconds, rest - 6 seconds and pull again;
8. "Weights." Imitation of the movement of lifting weights. We “hold” them for 3 seconds, then relax our hands, rest for 6 seconds and then do this 3 more times;
9. We raise our hands up and try to “raise the ceiling.” The attempt lasts the same 3 seconds, then rest and a new attempt;
10. We take a pencil and a cocktail straw into our mouths and try to draw various geometric shapes in the air for 3 minutes. In this case, you need to strive for caution and smoothness, and you need to move your head, the vertebrae of the neck should remain motionless.