Cervical osteochondrosis

Conservative treatment aims to relieve pain, restore and normalize spinal function, and prevent unwanted changes. The full range of therapeutic measures is used in such therapy:

• Spinal traction (traction). Using special medical equipment, the spine is stretched to increase the distance between the spines;
• Drug therapy. The use of medications in this disease is mainly aimed at relieving pain, alleviating inflammation and general normalization of metabolic processes in the body;
• Physiotherapy. Such procedures can not only reduce pain, but also improve the effect of medication. Such methods are also used during the rehabilitation period. In this case, laser beams, ultrasonic waves, low frequency current, working with magnetic fields, etc. are often used. Sh.
• kinesitherapyand exercise-based exercise therapy;
• Manual therapy. Such treatment will be selected individually for each patient;
• massage. Thanks to massage, you can speed up blood circulation in the tissues, remove cramps and muscle spasms, in general, improve the blood supply to the tissues throughout the body.

In the absence of pain or pronounced dystrophic changes, taking medication without a doctor's prescription is inappropriate. The following medications are used to treat this disease and relieve pain:

• means for regeneration, as well as for the prevention of cartilage tissue degeneration: hyaluronic acid and analogues;
• to relieve inflammation;
• Drugs to improve tissue blood supply: B vitamins;
• antispasmodics;
• Antioxidants: Vitamins N, E and C.

Medications can be prescribed not only in the form of tablets and capsules for oral administration, but also in the form of injections or topical ointments / creams. In the presence of acute complications, medications are used to block the nerve endings.

Along with drug therapy it is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. Drink at least 1. 5 liters of water a day.

One and a half liters of water a day is the recommended norm for joint and whole body health.

Naturally, you can use herbal teas, fruit drinks, dried compotes or mineral water. Coffee, strong black tea, alcohol and carbonated beverages should be excluded from the daily diet.

Prevention

The main causes of osteochondrosis are neglect of body needs, heavy workloads and improper nutrition. Prevention should therefore be based on the complete elimination of the negative impact on the spine and the prevention of the onset of pathological changes. For these purposes, it is enough to maintain a healthy lifestyle (healthy lifestyle):

• Only moderate physical activity during sports: morning exercise, gymnastics, athletics, if wrestling types, then contactless, swimming is an excellent option;
• If you are in one position for a long time, for example while sitting, it is very important to take a break at least once every 45-60 minutes. During this period, you should devote 5-15 minutes to the body to warm up slightly, which restores normal blood circulation. It is also important to pay attention to the correct choice of office chairs or armchairs, to give preference to those who will support the spine, to control the correct position of the hands on the table and feet on the floor. Try to observe your posture independently (shoulders should be relaxed and back straight);
• It is important to try to control your emotions in the event of a spasmodic reaction to stress. For these purposes, you should learn relaxation methods and attend massages regularly to strengthen your general body;
• For sleep it is better to choose an orthopedic mattress with a flat surface. Of course, it will not be as soft as a feather bed, but its elasticity ensures the correct condition of the body;
• Getting plenty of fluids and eating right not only helps maintain metabolism but also strengthens the whole body:

Mental health also negatively affects the condition of the joints.

• If you need to move or lift heavy items, it is very important to do it as smoothly as possible, without sudden access from a semi-crushing condition. There will be no need to use a special support belt;
• An important issue is to choose high quality orthopedic shoes without high heels, sufficient foot width. It is also possible to reduce the load on the spine by timely replacement of worn shoes, which is especially important for women. In summer, on the dacha, at sea, if possible, you need to walk barefoot on different surfaces, thus strengthening the leg muscles.

It is important to rememberthat prevention is much better and easier than further treatment of the disease.

Exercises

Under no circumstances should you start exercising or exercising without a doctor's prescription or until your pain syndrome is relieved. The specialist must first relieve the acute symptoms. In the presence of pain symptoms, gymnastics will be painful.

There are some really effective and simple exercises. They can be performed not only at home, but anywhere, including work or even on the road.

Start the exercise, in all cases the initial posture is sitting on a chair with his hands on his knees:

Worth a warm start:

1. Initially, you need to slowly turn your head to one side until it stops, and then to the other. At this point you should feel the neck muscles stretch. As soon as the neck is finally turned to one side, you need to turn it as carefully as possible for a few more degrees, avoid sudden movements and correct it in this position for 5 seconds. Experts recommend starting any exercise with a warm means to strengthen the neck muscles. In each direction, it is sufficient to perform 5 turns to develop neck strength and flexibility.
2. Next, you need to bend your head so that your ear is close to your back. It should be noted that at this point the arm should remain immobile. For maximum approach, you need to fix the position. Be careful that the actions do not cause discomfort or pain. Performing such inclinations is sufficient for each party 5 times.

Then go to the main exercises:

1. Now that the warm-up is over, you can switch to specific exercises that can give you good results. In the initial position, you should place your hand on the right temple. Now you should try to bend your head to the right, and at this point your hand should not interfere. The effort should be such that it is hard, but the head should still gradually turn in that direction. For each side, 10 slopes will suffice. Naturally, the hand must also change.
2. Then you need to understand the area of ​​your neck and by creating resistance, try to lean back 5 times.
3. Exactly the same exercise should be done when resting with the palms on the forehead. By resisting, you need to pull the chin to the chest. 5 forward curves will suffice.
4. The conclusion of the training can be warming up the trapeze, which is done by lowering and lifting the shoulders. At the highest point, you need to lock them in for a few seconds, then lower them and relax completely. Enough for 10 repetitions.
5. Complete the exercise by stretching the neck in different directions. This set of exercises should be performed every day. This is an excellent option for warming the neck with osteochondrosis.

In addition to strength training, you can include neck flexibility exercises. They help to strengthen not only the neck muscles but also the tendons. Warming will make your neck more mobile.

Specialists recommend exercises not only for cervical osteochondrosis, but for all people over 30 years. The problem is that at this age muscle fibers lose flexibility, so maintaining them, along with the overall health of the body, is important.

1. You should bring your chin to your chest and help yourself by hand at this time.
2. Very carefully, you should bend your head to the side with your hands and touch your shoulder with your ear.

Only the right treatment at the first symptoms of osteochondrosis will allow you to deal with this problem as quickly as possible and return to a normal life without pain and discomfort.

Next, you need to perform a few circular motions in one direction and then in the other. 8 turns of each side will suffice. Exercise should be done very carefully. For safety reasons, you can restrain yourself with your hands.